I'd avoided telling anyone that my birthday was September thirteenth. Edythe knew and I really hoped that she wouldn't tell anyone. It didn't feel like much of a happy occasion. I felt for my family, their first of my birthdays without me. Mom used to go to church every year on her moms birthday and light a candle, I wondered if she would do the same for me. The thought of her being upset did nothing but make me upset. I was glad that I wouldn't be aging although looking a few years older than Edythe might not have been a bad thing. At least I was taller than her.
Not only my own problems were I taking into consideration, Archie had been having such intense visions that he fell unconscious in the night. Carine had sent Royal away after it became clear that his hatred for me was a threat to us all and now he was on his way back. Eleanor was happy but Edythe was nervous. I'd never seen Edythe nervous before. Archie was alright now but worried and Jessamine was worried about him. Never before had a vampire that anyone knew of been unconscious before. We'd all been terrified he wouldn't wake up. To top it all off Carine had been at the hospital for fifteen hours now and despite Jess's calming influence, everyone was on edge.
I sat in mine and Edythe's room stewing over my thoughts. Edythe was out hunting again but I really hadn't been in the mood to go. Jessamine entered the room and my mood lightened.
"Beau, you shouldn't sit alone like this when you aren't happy." She said, sitting down beside me on the sofa.
"If we had a bed I'd lie under the covers with my face buried in the pillows." I offered.
"Then I'm glad we don't have one of those." She crossed her legs and looked straight at me in a way which held no bounds. I was so used to Jess been tentative around me, scared to get too close that this new level of closeness she now felt comfortable with felt very odd to me. "What's wrong?" She asked. I didn't want to mention my birthday.
"I'm worried about how my mom and Charlie are holding up." I admitted. It was not untrue, just less specific than the whole truth. I was glad that I could no longer flush red when I lied.
"They're okay, Archie checks on them and I check on them, grieving takes time but they will get through it." She said. They really did have better things to do than check on my parents but I appreciated it none the less.
"Beau! Lighten up! It's your birthday!" Edythe bounded in, wiping the blood from her mouth before kissing me so excitedly that I fell off the back of the sofa with her atop me.
"EDYTHE. I was trying to keep that a secret." I sighed. She righted the sofa and sat beside me.
"All the more reason for a party." Archie grinned from the door way. He must have felt better after hunting.
"Everyone thinks I died in a car accident in Arizona, having a party is pointless." I sulked. Jess put her hand on me and the effect of her power lightening my mood was much stronger. "Do Vampires actually celebrate birthdays?" I asked.
"We like to exchange gifts but it depends on the person. Archie doesn't have a birthday. Carine and Earnest aren't interested in receiving gifts much but they do like to go away for their birthdays." Edythe offered.
"It gets old after a while, celebrating birthday after birthday. While you're still young they should be important though."Jess suggested.
"We could do gifts and dancing. It would be a birthday and welcome to being a vampire party." Archie said excitedly. I supposed other peoples birthday must have been exciting when you didn't have one yourself.
"Tonight then?" Edythe asked.
"Yes, when Carine is home from work." Jess smiled.
Not more than ten minutes later did I and everyone else in the house observe the sound of two cars pulling into the garage. The M5 and a car none of us had heard before. I listened to Eleanor bound down the steps and across to the garage. Earnest followed at an even pace. Archie and Jess were in their room and made no effort to leave while Edythe, who had been relaxed, sat up suspiciously.
"Royal is home and something is odd." Edythe puzzled.
"Should we go?"
"To the living room to get a closer look? Yes." I had meant out of the way somewhere but if Edythe wanted to get closer well, it was our funeral. Funeral? I really couldn't think about funerals right now, it hurt too much.
We reached the living room at the same time as everyone else, even Archie and Jess had joined us. Me and Edythe sat in the back corner on the piano stool, Carine and Earnest sat on a sofa opposite Eleanor, Royal and a baby. A baby? I looked again. There was definitely a very small child sat on Royals lap, shyly sucking her thumb. Archie and Jessamine stood near us at the back of the room. Eleanor looked a little upset but hid it well, Earnest looked as confused as the rest of us. Carine even with her compassionate heart looked a little furious.
"Royal. What did you do?" Carine asked. Jess was focused on keeping the room calm. It seemed to work on the toddler, she leant in to Royal and shut her eyes.
"I brought home a hybrid vampire werewolf two year old. If you don't want her here I can leave again but you did tell me to come home." Royal said assertively, placing an arm comfortingly around the child.
"The danger she brings, Royal. It's just not safe. Vampire children aren't safe. If the Volturi found out."
"Royal, I'm hungry." The baby interrupted Carine.
"We live near a town full of people Royal. She could eradicate them all." Carine told him. The girl began crying softly.
"Abigail is not hungry for blood. She's hungry for regular food. She is part werewolf." Royal insisted. I got up and went up the stairs to the kitchen.
"What about when she does want blood?" Carine asked. I looked through the cupboards until I found the right one and pulled out some crackers and juice that'd I'd left here before becoming a vampire.
"Abigail is vegetarian." Royal replied resolutely. I went back down stairs and placed the snacks on the small table beside the sofas. Abigail reached out towards the snacks.
"Royal." She whined. He picked up the snacks and gave them to her. She eagerly set to on the crackers, crumbs flying everywhere. It was laughable really.
"What do you actually know about her Royal? How long has she been two? Where are her parents, vampire or otherwise?" Carine peppered him with questions.
"Twenty two years and all dead. Though I can't verify the vampire deaths I'm quite sure. Abigail has an ability. She can share memories." He tried to contained the spread of cracker crumbs as he explained. I realised that despite looking flawless like he always did, Royal was far from clean. The child in fact was cleaner than he was. His clothes were relatively clean but his skin was splattered with mud and it even crusted in his hair.
"Royal, I can't be okay with you brining her here unless I know more." Carine insisted. The cracker pack was empty and Abigail slurped down the juice.
"Abigail, do you think you could show Carine your memories?" He asked her gently. Abigail's eyes became tearful and Royal looked at her with concern.
"I don't want to. What if she sends me away?" Abigail's small fingers clutched tightly to Royals top as she looked into his eyes. I wondered how anyone could form a bond like that with a child they only met two days ago.
"We'll go together. At any rate, if you don't want to show her, it's time for bed." Royal insisted.
"It's not my bed time." Abigail stared at him sullenly.
"It's after eight. It's bed time."
"If I share my memories, can I stay up until ten?" She tried to bargain.
"Nine." He smiled at her.
"Nine thirty." She nodded.
"Nine thirty but you have to take a bath before bed." He insisted.
"Fine. Help me down."
"Royal, no." Edythe said from beside me. She must have seen something in Royal's mind that we could not.
"It's part of the process." Royal replied, setting Abigail on the floor.
Abigail half hopped, half crawled over to Carine. It was evident that her left leg didn't work. Something that seemed very odd if she really were part vampire. She pulled herself up onto Carine's lap before staring questioningly at Royal.
"Why don't you ask if it's okay first. That'd be polite." He said to her while the rest of us looked on in confusion. Abigail's oddly coloured eyes looked into Carine's.
"May I please bite you Carine?" She said as sweetly as she could muster. Carine looked over to Royal and he nodded his head as though this was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Alright." Carine looked dubiously at Royal.
"Somewhere less obtrusive, perhaps the hand this time Abigail." Royal told her and I noticed his neck. There was a bite scar there which had not been before.
"You spoil half the fun." Abigail sulked before taking Carine's hand in her own. She raised it to her mouth and bit down over her thumb. After a moment of surprise and confusion, Carine relaxed and Abigail did too.
"What's happening?" I asked Edythe.
"Can't talk now." She shut her eyes too and leaned back against the piano. I presumed she was reading the thoughts of Carine and Abigail.
"This might take a while." Royal announced to everyone else in the room. I felt a little awkward with Edythe zoned out. I realised that he wanted the rest of us to clear out so that he could talk to Eleanor without leaving Abigail. I stood and Earnest took my seat, unwilling to leave Carine. I followed Archie and Jess from the room.
"I wish I knew what was going on." I sat at the table in the kitchen, opposite Jess.
"We'll know soon enough." She reassured me.
"There are so many paths the future could take right now, I'm hardly sure what's real." Archie sat down beside Jessamine. She pulled him close into a hug, Archie resting his head on her shoulder as though he were exhausted. Eventually, he sat back up. "I do know what happened, just not what is happening. Abigail was turned into a vampire and held captive for twenty years. The Volturi sent werewolves to kill the vampires who were turning children, they bit Abigail thinking the venom would kill her but it didn't."
"I'm not sure I know how to respond to that. Edythe told me that vampire children are forbidden, her presence could get us all killed by the Volturi." I was just aghast. I supposed if I were to expect any member of the family to get us all killed it would likely be Royal. His selfishness was enhanced by the change.
"In Royal's position though, could you have killed Abigail?" Archie asked me. He looked uncertain himself. "Royal wishes more than anything that he still had a human life, those experiences. To have children and grow old with someone." He sighed. "I'm not sure even I could have done that and I don't have any memories of my human life to desire such things as having children."
"I need to go for a run." I headed for the kitchen door.
"You didn't want to go when Edythe asked." Jessamine stood too, concerned.
"I don't want to eat, I want to run." And I did. I ran east into the forest, holding my breath until I knew I'd be far from anyone camping or hiking. I ran full out, causing antelope to scatter in fear until I reached a waterfall. I had to pause at the beauty of it. There were so many element to the forest that were beautiful but this was stunning. The light of the sun though the trees made the water appear to change colour as it fell into a pool of water surrounded by mossy rocks at the base. Enchanted by the scene, I rolled up my trousers and sat down at the edge of the water, dipping my feet into the cool water.
Everything was so messed up. How was it that Royal was sent away for being a danger to me but then he brought back someone who is potentially far more dangerous than he is? It was barely believable. A horrible dream. Except I couldn't dream anymore. I couldn't even sleep and although I'd never admit it to anyone, I felt like I was drowning. If only I could sleep for thirty minutes to clear the pressure of being awake all the time. I don't know how the others cope, maybe they got used to the feeling.
I heard pounding footsteps. Four feet in rhythm. Perhaps it was a bear. I wasn't really concerned, it certainly couldn't kill me. The bear veered from its path and tuned to head straight for me. It was odd, I'd been sat so very still there surely wasn't a chance that a bear could have realised my presence. I stood, annoyed that I was taking me from my own thoughts and the beauty of my surroundings.
"Sweet, sweet justice my friend." A familiar voice came though the forest just before the force of a flying bowling ball knocked me backwards. Victor flew in the opposite direction equally as far. He stood as Lauren leered over me.
"So, it's true. The human plaything is now a vampire." Lauren reached as though to stroke my cheek, I took the opportunity to grab her arm and throw her over my head, standing up as I did. I smashed her into the ground four times before she regained composure and Victor attempted to get me in a choke hold. I bit him, Sank my teeth in and held on while he began to panic. I let go and punched his face. He jumped back up from the ground. They both closed in on me. I was outnumbered.
"Pretty feisty, even for a newborn." Victor rubbed at his face. Black veins were fading there which pleased me, I'd done at least a little damage. "I want to kill him slowly. Make him feel every ounce of pain I've felt. We should leave a part behind though, for his mate to find." Branches cracked under my feet as I backed away from them. Lauren and Victor had no question of doubt. They were going to kill me. I really wasn't ready to die for the second time within a month. Really the first time had been painful enough.
"Wait." They barely paused their approach. "Joss is still alive." I lied. Though they hadn't seen her killed. They looked at each other and I sought the opportunity to run. I ran faster than I ever thought possible even with my vamped up speed. It took a moment for me to register that they weren't following. Instead I heard fighting behind me. I turned and ran back. Perhaps not a smart move but if someone was helping me I wanted to know who. Maybe Jess and Archie had followed me and laid in wait after hearing the exchange.
I watched for the briefest of moments, while a brown wolf attacked the two Vampires. By the time I decided to drive in and help, Laurens head was rolling across the mossy floor while her boy lie further back in the bushes. Victor wrapped his arms around the wolf. I prised him off before he could crush the wolf. He fought me hard but I held onto his arms and pulled them behind his back like Charlie did when arresting someone. The wolf regained its composure. For a moment I thought it might be leaping at me. Victors head was detached from his body viciously and more swiftly than any vampire could have done.
The wolf ran into the forest and I was left alone with two vampire bodies and two vampire heads. Fire was the way to make sure they stayed dead. Surely Archie would have seen what happened and help would be on the way? Edythe wouldn't leave me to deal with this alone, even if everyone was worried about the baby Royal brought home. Or maybe they would. I was a vampire now. Strong enough to deal with almost anything. I'd just helped to kill a vampire. Cringing and feeling a little queasy, which was something I knew was all in my head, I ripped the vampire bodies up into smaller pieces while considering how to start a fire in this damp under growth.
It was surprisingly difficult to tear them up. Despite my new strength, vampire skin was rock solid. They often cracked more than tore.
"Beau, can I borrow your shirt?" A voice I recognised came from the forest not far away.
"Jules? What are you doing here?" I asked curiously. None the less removing my shirt. My vampire sight had allowed me to see the back of a naked form trying to hide behind a tree. I looked away before tossing the shirt in her direction.
"Saving you?" She muttered idly. "Well, that wasn't the reason I was running in the first place. Sam was driving me so mad I just had to run to clear my head." I dared to glance up as I heard her walking towards me. Was she? .. Was she the wolf who saved me? It wouldn't be unprecedented considering the nature of her tribe. I was sure I'd seen that wolf before though, when I met Bonnie Black. Had Jules been a wolf this whole time?
"I was running to clear my head too." I admitted. Her long hair looked like a mane down her back. I was glad that my shirt covered her to mid thigh, she had a beauty to her that was both unlike and equal to that of Edythe's. She picked up a canister and a lighter.
"I raided a cabin in the hopes of finding some clothes but I did find lighter fluid and a lighter. We just need to surround the pieces with rocks to contain the fire." Jules looked at me expectantly.
"Of course." I ran a lap around the waterfall, collecting rocks as I went and made a circle, placing all the torn up vampire pieces inside. The wind blew. "Jules, you smell.. like food." I held my breath and clutched at my burning throat. Jules started the fire, ignoring me while she did it. I turned around a took in a few gulps of forest air, getting the thirst under control. "I.. I'm fine. You may need to be slightly worried though."
"I'm not worried Beau. I might not be as strong in human form but I'm pretty sure I could still take you down." Jules kept the fire under control as she spoke. So, she really was a werewolf.
"I didn't know you were the brown wolf. I would have.. greeted you somehow. When I spoke with Bonnie." I felt awkward and as though I'd been rude.
"My mom wanted to keep me turning quiet and I don't think Sam wanted everyone to know but I'm okay with it." She began stomping out the few remaining flames. The vampire bits had burnt very fast.
"Is that why you ran?" I helped with the flames, worried that she might catch alight.
"No. Sam's mind can get a little tedious to be inside. Years ago, she had a fight with her boyfriend, Ethan and the anger started her transformation. He has some nasty scars. They're together and happy but the regret and anguish just gets to be too much."
"Sam's mind? You can read minds like Edythe?" Curious, I double checked that we didn't leave anything behind before we began walking back in the direction of Forks.
"Just people in the pack. Sam, Pauline, Embry and my Mom and Holly Clearwater. It's like my mind isn't my own, everyone knows what I'm thinking, when I'm thinking it. I think it's polite to stay out of people's heads unlike the rest of them. It's not always possible though, some people are just really loud."She looked a little sullen. "So, how is life being a vampire?"
"It's different." I hesitated. I felt like I could tell her anything but if the rest of the pack could hear her thoughts then perhaps it was better not to. "I guess you know, what with being a werewolf. Everything is enhanced. The transformation was a little traumatic, I went to the ballet studio to save my Mom and instead I got bitten by Joss. I'm pretty sure I screamed most of the car ride back from Arizona."
"You know, becoming a werewolf isn't all that painful. It's not pleasant but after a couple turns it's not so bad." She mused.
"Would you mind if I run on ahead? I'm eager to get back to Edythe, I thought it was her in the forest before I saw you. Usually Archie knows if something is happening, I'm a little worried." I admitted.
"Sure. I might change back and run a little further. Can we hang out some other time? Preferably not in a situation where we have to kill vampires. I don't mind as such but they don't make good conversation." I laughed, She smiled.
"I'd like that. I have your number in my new phone, I'll call you."
"You have to, I need to give you your shirt back sometime." I wanted to tell her she could keep it but I really did want to see her again.
"Thanks, by the way. For coming to my rescue. I'm not sure I'd have made it back."
"No problem. Bye Beau." She flashed her grin once more before running off into the undergrowth.
A/N- Thanks for reading! Please follow author for further chapters as each will be posted as a story. Rx