Chapter One
Renesmee POV
I knew they were approaching. Who else could drive a car so fast that the friction between the road and the tires made fire, releasing an odor that reeked of burning rubber? I could hear the howling of the engine as it was pushed to its limit, even though it was miles away. Not only that, but the wildlife tended to flee in every direction whenever they sensed them coming. I could smell their fear. I could hear the frantic pitter-patter of their hearts as well as if it was my own.
In spite of myself, I chuckled a little. Father always was one for dramatic flair.
"What is it?" A warm milk-and-honey voice forced me to open my eyes and turn to the direction that the voice had come from.
I smiled when I saw the concern in his deep brown eyes. Naturally. He was always anxious when he couldn't determine my thoughts. But when he saw the happiness reflected in my almost identical chocolate brown eyes, I saw the worry lines recede from his tan forehead.
"I'm fine Jacob, I promise." I assured him.
I reached my hand out and placed it on his smoldering cheek. Closing my eyes in concentration I willed Jacob to see the memory I myself had just reminisced.
My mother was human when she met my father. Her name was Bella Swan. She was sixteen when she moved to a small, dreary town in Washington called Forks. Little did she know, Forks was the home of the Olympic Coven. It was second largest vampire coven in the world.
They were beautiful, my mother told me. Absolutely breathtaking. There were seven of them, all of them were extraordinarily beautiful, and completely different in every way, but they were also much alike. They all had very pale skin, and golden eyes, with dark circles beneath them.
They were all mated, except for my father.
Alice, and Jasper. Rosalie, and Emmett. Esme, and Carlisle.
From the first day my parents met, they began to fall in love. My mother was my father's 'singer' or La tua cantante. It means that her blood sung for him. It was the ultimate temptation. He nearly killed her so many times, but their love overcame it all.
After my mother graduated high school they were married. Just days later my mother found out she'd become pregnant.
My parents had been completely unaware that their coupling could even result in a child. Vampires have 25 chromosomes whereas humans only have 23, that difference alone makes the two species about as alike as a lion and a house cat.
After an accelerated pregnancy that only lasted nearly month, I was brought into the world amid blood and pain. I only saw my mother for mere seconds before her heart stopped beating. I remember every moment from then on with perfect clarity.
My father's struggle to pump my mother's veins with enough of his venom to change her into a vampire. She nearly died that day, but three days later, after what was normally an excruciatingly painful transformation, she woke up as a newly turned vampire.
It was a foggy day when the snow had just begun to stick to the ground. I was only four months old at the time. That was the day that the Volturi, the "royal family" of the vampire world came for my family.
My family, along with thirty or so other vampires, and a pack of nearly twenty werewolves from the nearby reservation stood with us to oppose the Volturi. The three brothers had wanted my family and myself to die, because I was a threat to their secret. They didn't want anyone to know that vampires exist.
I was only a threat to their secret because of my parentage. My parents are vampires, and normally vampires don't have children. Not because they don't want them, but because vampires can't have children. I'm the exception.
I pulled my little hand away from his cheek as the memory ended. He looked dazed for a moment and then he told me, "I'll have you know that chasing vampires is actually quite amusing." He smiled widely.
"Jacob! I can't believe you just said that!" I swatted him playfully, knowing that I hadn't even battered him. "After all, you've pledged your love to one of them."
"Half of one, Nessie." He threw me a teasing smile as he put his arms around my waist and kissed the top of my head. "Just half of one."
"Mmmm..." I mumbled absentmindedly as I rested my head on his comfortably warm chest to stare out the glass wall at the forest, once again lost in thought.
Our entire home was made out of glass, it seemed. My father had once told me that it was to make the inhabitant feel like she was one with nature. In the last year, this place has been turned into a kind of werewolf orphanage. Wolves from La Push have been flocking to my home, seeking a home of their own.
Especially since my family had decided to move to Alaska after their disagreement with the Volturi when I was younger, they later decided to leave their beloved multi-million dollar home to Jacob and I, as we were newly weds for just a few months at that time.
Considering that we were both frozen in our current state for the rest of eternity, eventually we too would have to leave Forks, but until then, we made sure we decked the house in our own personal style.
Now, the house had much more of a homey feel. It was much more lived in. The third floor was devoted entirely to a training room for the pack. The attic had ben turned into a gigantic closet that would make Aunt Alice's closet look mediocre. There we toys scattered about from the many children who have come here to stay with their parents for one reason or another.
We had so many people living with us. It was a home to all of us, and we loved it. I could just imagine the look on my parent's faces when they see what we've done to the place.
My parents... Oh boy.
Jacob seemed to sense my unease. He gently dislodged my face from his chest and cupped it between his hands, forcing me to look him in the eyes.
"Hey, don't worry, I promise everything is going to be okay, you've got this Ness." he said firmly.
There was so much love, so much affection in his words, in his gaze and in his tender touch that I could feel a lump of gratitude and devotion form in my throat.
"I know." was all I could get out before I lost all self control.
I thrusted myself up on my tip toes to eagerly meet his full and developed lips. His breath was so warm and sweet, tasting like all of the wild adventures of the easily we moved together, how right indeed it felt. I felt the butterflies in my stomach shock me when he touched the small of my back to pull me closer. We were like Yin and Yang, the two of us, balanced in our differences. And for the millionth time, I wondered what I did in my immortal life that allowed me to deserve a man like Jacob.
When we finally pulled away, I whispered in his ear, "I love you, Jake."
Before he responded, he took my hand and kissed each finger individually before placing it on his face and closing his eyes.
"I love you more, Nessie."
"Hey! None of that!" Paul yelled from the couch in the living room. "I'm eating here." He gagged theatrically.
"Shove it Paul." Jacob mumbled.
Suddenly I realized I let my emotions cloud my senses, as the sound of the car door just outside the front door jolted me enough to make me tense up.
"They're here." I told Jacob.
I hadn't seen my parents since Jacob and I had gotten married nearly a year ago. My mother was very pleased to see me marry one of her best friends.
Then, of course, both of my parents were overjoyed. I was their only child after all. Even my father, who had never been Jacob's favorite person, was glad that I had wedded someone who could protect me. I think he knew deep in his heart that Jacob would always be there for me.
After all, when a werewolf imprints on a girl, nothing can keep him from her. Not even my father, who had acquired knowledge over a timespan of a hundred plus years, could deny that.
The doorbell rang.
Jacob took my hand as we walked down the stairs. "Don't forget a bright and happy smile!"
I feigned a smile and ended up with a half-hearted grimace plastered on my face.
"There's my girl!" Jacob exclaimed mockingly as he opened the front door with a flourish.
"Welcome, leeches, to our humble home!" He announced, as I heard Paul snicker from the couch. He was clearly entertained.
"Can it, Jacob. Don't forget I'm stronger than you now." A voice like a tinkling bell retorted smoothly.
I couldn't help but to inhale a little gasp at the beautiful creatures that stood before me once again. Two of these figures stood distinctly at the front of the group.
The first was a big and well-toned seventeen year old man with the same reddish-brown hair that I had, it that fell just right over his forehead, his skin like bleached paper. He wore loafers, nicely pressed khaki pants, and a red oxford dress shirt under a leather jacket.
The other, a slight woman of about eighteen with a shapely figure complimented by a red satin dress and cascades of shining cherrywood brown hair. She too had delicate, milky white skin. And both had irises the color of coal.
"Ooh, Bella's sassy today!" Jacob said jokingly. The stunning woman smiled and rolled her jet black eyes, only to let them land on me.
"Mom! Daddy!" I exclaimed joyfully as I flung myself into my mother's arms.
"Oh Renesmee, I've missed you so much." My mother, Bella, stroked my hair benevolently. I loved how she always insisted on using my full name.
"I've missed you, too, Mom." I replied with conviction, reminiscing in her wonderful and distinct scent. I wondered if I'd ever be able to live this moment again...if she knew my secret, surely not...
I shook off the dark thought as I heard my Dad speak for the first time.
"What, no love for me?" He joked.
I unburied my face from my mother's hair. "Of course, Daddy, be patient!"
He smirked, while presumably reading my thoughts. "Okay, I'm just making sure I get my fair share."
I giggled like a little girl before flinging myself into his strong and capable embrace. "Don't worry Dad, there's enough Nessie to go around." I mumbled, my face full of his leather jacket. He smelled so wonderful.
"Edward, did you feed your wife before making her travel across Canada? I don't like the way she's eying me, like I'm a pre-Thanksgiving snack or something." Paul muttered from the couch.
"How could I?" He replied quickly with humor coating his words while leading my mother into the house, "Emmett wouldn't let us stop to hunt."
My Uncle Emmett pushed his way through the crowd that was gathered at my doorstep. At about six foot nine inches tall and about half that across, Emmett stood out in a crowd.
"Well, I have a very important job for you Uncle Emmy. Unless of course, you think you can't handle it." I smirked.
"I'm up for anything Ness." He boomed in his loud voice.
"I need you to catch me a couple Turkeys, but for heaven's sake don't drink their blood." I giggled. "We don't want a disaster like last time." I said, as I fondly remembered the fiasco that happened last Christmas.
"Will do ma'am." he confirmed in a matter-of-fact tone. "Jasper and I are going to hunt down every turkey in the forest for our Thanksgiving dinner, and we need EVERYONE to be thirsty. Isn't that right, Jazz?"
That's when Uncle Jasper stumbled forward, I could tell he was having some serious thirst issues. Jasper was a lank, handsome man with a curtain of golden curls framing his face. He tended to get a little stiff and quiet around humans everyone with blood in their veins when he was thirsty. He was even quiet around Jacob and I, and we smell nothing like humans.
"Yes," Jasper validated eventually, holding his breath.
"Maybe you two should take off now, to save time," I suggested, and by the glimmer of relief in Jasper's ebony irises, I knew he was thankful that I gave him an excuse to compose himself.
"Alrighty, we shall return." Uncle Emmett said as he snapped me a salute, clicked his heels, and then the two of them shot off into the woods in a blur.
Their female counterparts let out a glorious chorus of bell like peals of laughter as stepped up to take their places. Auntie Rosalie stood in Emmett's place, her waterfall of fair blonde hair framing her angular face and her tall, full figure. Where Jasper stood moments before was Aunt Alice, in all of her grace and poise. Alice's black hair sported a classy pixie cut which structured her elfish features just right.
"Well, it's about time!" Rosalie cried out when she saw me while pulling me into a rib-crushing hug. "My beautiful, flawless, perfect Renesmee," she fawned.
I managed to croak, "Thanks Auntie Rosalie, I've missed you too," before she released me and slid past me into the house to join my mother and father.
Alice followed her gracefully, but not before winking and whispering a quick "Thanks" to me for letting Jasper leave.
And waiting humbly at the back of the group were Carlisle and Esme. To a human eye, the couple would appear to be in their mid-twenties. Carlisle was a very tall, handsome man with a composed and thoughtful demeanor. Esme, my name-sake, was petite with delicate features. She had carmel hair that flowed in soft waves down her back. She had wide eyes and a bright smile that warmed your heart.
The couple had an air of both youth and beauty. But to an immortal, the wisdom in both Carlisle's and Esme's eyes was obviously beyond their years. WAY beyond their years, in fact. They were my grandparents, though not by blood, they were my grandparents by venom.
Esme gathered me and then Jacob into a warm hug. "Renesmee, Jacob! It's so wonderful to see you!" Esme was the first of my father's family to acknowledge my husband standing beside me.
"And you too. I'm so glad you're here." I couldn't help but smile at her caring and enthusiastic intonation as I pulled away from her.
Carlisle tenderly placed one hand on my shoulder and one on Jacob's shoulder. "You are looking well. I'm glad to see you are both in good health."
I laughed inwardly at the irony of the situation. If only they knew...
"Thank you Doc, the same goes for you and Mama Vamp." Jacob managed, obviously picking up on my sudden change in mood.
The both smiled warmly as they slipped passed us to join the others inside the house.
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Jacob urged me. He didn't seem to understand why I seemed so reluctant. Good. He shouldn't know it. The time wasn't right...
Before I could answer him, I heard an uncertain "Miss?" behind me, and I turned to the sound of the voice.
A small Quileute girl looked up at me, she couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 years old. I bent down to her level. "Well hello there." I smiled at her."What's your name sweetie?" I prayed to God that she hadn't turned. Kids on the reservation had been turning at younger and younger ages lately, even some girls were turning, which was unusual for them, but not entirely unheard of.
"I'm Sydney. The Alpha sent me to speak with Jacob Black?" She asked me.
I shot a look at Jake, his eyes clouded with concern and fear. It pained my husband that so many of the children were turning. It wasn't right. The Werewolf population was exploding.
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
"Sam says that you need to come help. He doesn't have enough wolves to handle all the new ones that have been shifting. He wants to know if you had any room for five or six more wolves. Seven if you include me." She smiled timidly toward the end.
"Definitely. Tell him to send them on over, I've got room." He smiled warmly at her.
"Alright, we'll be here in an hour or so. Thank you Alpha." She bowed her head reverently.
"Please, just call me Jake." He chuckled as she walked back the way we'd came.
"Looks like we're gonna need a few more turkeys." I smiled up at him.
"I know." He kissed my forehead. "Happy Thanksgiving, Nessie."
"You too Jake." I smiled as he caught my lips in a kiss.
After I had sent my mother, father, and Carlisle with Jacob to retrieve the new werewolves who had recently turned, I asked Aunt Alice, Esme and Auntie Rosie if they wanted a tour of their newly designed home. Even though I know Alice had already seen it in her visions, the other two were genuinely curious.
They all agreed. "I had ten cottages built on the property, in addition to my parents cottage. All ten are currently inhabited. There are two other houses we use as recreational centers if you will." I paused for a moment.
"And there is the mess hall." I pointed out the window at the obscenely large building that housed enough food currently for several armies. "Werewolves eat A LOT."
"The first floor is kind of a hang out spot, we have video games, books, and computers down there."
"The second floor are devoted to our single wolves, or children. We've become sort of a werewolf orphanage lately. We have a suite for each wolf, decorated how they see fit."
I led them up the next flight of stairs. "This is the training facility, for lack of a better word. Jake and the rest of the pack learn all they know here." I said gesturing to the now empty training room. In fact the only wolves in the house at that current moment were Jake and Paul.
I continued into the attic. "You're gonna like this floor Aunt Alice." I led them into a literal store. Every piece of clothing or accessory you can think of, and in every conceivable size.
"You seem to be doing well here, Ness. You're being quite the Mother Hen to all these wolves. Have you ever considered becoming a mother?" Esme asked me.
I heard a sharp intake of breath as Auntie Rosie froze then whipped around to face me.
"I've considered it." I mumbled as blood rushed to my cheeks, turning my pale cheeks a very unattractive shade of red. "But I'm worried about how the child would turn out. I know I'm not venomous, but I'm worried about the child. Jake and I have been very careful so far, but it's going to have to happen at some point..." I trailed off with a nervous laugh.
"Alice, have you seen anything about a child?" Rosalie asked Alice.
"Until she makes the decision to have a child, I won't see anything. But odds are, I won't be able to see the child at all, just like I can't see Ness, or Jake." Alice looked at me sadly.
"Nessieeeeeeeeee!" Emmett yelled in a singsong voice. "Come out, come out, wherever you are...!"
"Oh shit." I cursed. "I forgot to warn the wolves you guys were coming."
I heard snarls and snapping teeth. I flitted outside. "STOP" I screamed as one of the younger pack members flew at Emmett. I threw myself in front of Emmett just in time for a set of teeth to rip into my shoulder, and all I heard as everything went black was Esme screaming.
...