I've had this chapter sitting around for nearly a year, unsure of exactly where to go with it. I figured I'd go ahead and post it, and maybe some feedback will help me along. Please take a moment to let me know what you think of the chapter. - SB
She was silent as she soared from the tree, incapacitating her prey in a fraction of a second. She preferred to feed after knowing that her "food" had been put out of its misery, or in the least rendered unconscious. It seemed more humane that way, reducing the animal's suffering before she took its life.
As usual, the taste was off, but the alternative wasn't really an alternative for her. She refused to feed on her "natural food source," as others of her kind had referred to the human population. Just because she'd been doomed to this existence as a monster, didn't mean she had to act like a monster.
Lissa had been a "monster" for… well, a while. She wasn't sure how long, although she could probably guess considering how many summers and winters she'd experienced since her transformation. Since that fateful autumn day, Lissa had kept to herself as she wandered the forests of North America, never staying in one place for long and never interacting with humans. It wasn't that she preferred to be alone; no, Lissa simply wanted to ensure she was never tempted enough to feed on a human. She couldn't risk that, no matter how lonely she felt.
A sudden breeze blew through her hair, and a distinctly sweet scent pulled her from the drained animal as she simultaneously leaped up and spun around, so quickly that no human would've seen the movement. She saw three beings approaching her slowly, two males and a female. The taller of the males had honey-colored hair and wore a cautious expression. The shorter male, though still tall, resembled a linebacker… on steroids. His expression was more amused than cautious.
The female was tiny, close in size to Lissa. Her dark hair was cropped and a little spiky. The look on her face surprised Lissa the most. She seemed excited, in an innocent sort of way.
Lissa stared at the trio as they stopped maybe ten feet from her, unsure of what to think. Their eyes were a golden hue – different from the deep red she'd seen on the others, or the bright red her eyes had been years ago in that shack. It had been the first and last time since awakening that she'd dared to look in a mirror. She hadn't ever wanted to see those blood red eyes again.
She waited for them to speak. She could've used her gift to send them away, but Lissa crossed paths with her own kind rarely, and she was desperate for interaction with someone, however brief.
She didn't have to wait long, as the pixie-sized female practically bounced forward.
"Hi!"
Lissa offered a tentative smile. "Hi."
"I'm Alice. This is Jasper and Emmett." She gestured to each.
"Lissa," the girl replied in kind. "I-is this your hunting territory? Because if it is, I can go…"
"Nonsense! There are enough animals here for us all."
She tilted her head slightly. "You feed on animals, too?"
"Well of course. Our eyes are the same color as yours. When our kind decide to feed solely on animals, our eyes gradually become a butterscotch color instead of red."
Lissa couldn't help but feel confused. "My eyes… they aren't red anymore?"
Alice frowned. "When's the last time you looked in a mirror?"
"What year is it?" Lissa was curious, as she hadn't set her eyes on a calendar at all since that fateful day.
The frown deepened. "2009."
"About 17 years ago," Lissa replied instantly.
"Seventeen years…?!"
"Alice," the male called Jasper murmured, glancing at the female before looking at Lissa.
She immediately felt a feeling of calm wash over her. Staring at Jasper, Lissa was sure he had something to do with it, though she wasn't sure how.
"You look young," the other one, Emmett, commented. "How old were you when you were changed?"
Lissa briefly wondered if Emmett was as fun as he looked. Sure, she could see how his bulky exterior could come across as intimidating, but his eyes revealed a more childish nature that she figured had to come out every now and then. "Fourteen." Fourteen years, two weeks, two days to be exact. That had been one hell of a Halloween… There were certain facts from her human existence that she'd though about so often after the transformation that she'd retained the memories, even after other human memories had faded.
"A little sister!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.
"What?" Lissa asked, once again confused.
"It'll be fun! Rose and I can take you shopping… We'll drag Bella along, of course. And you'll meet Edward, Nessie, Carlisle, Esme…"
"Whoa," Lisa said quickly, interrupting Alice. "Hold up there. What are you talking about? Who are these people?"
"The family. Your family."
"Alice."
The disapproval was evident in his voice. It made Lissa nervous, but Alice didn't seem fazed.
"I've seen it, Jazz," she said with confidence. "It works out perfectly."
Lissa addressed Jasper for the first time. "What is she talking about?"
Jasper seemed apologetic. "Please forgive Alice. She can be rather exuberant. Alice has a gift… she can see the outcomes of decisions people make. She saw that you would be here, and she saw you joining our family."
"Your… family…?"
"There are several of us who live together here in Forks."
Alice sighed impatiently, and she actually began to tap her foot. "Let's go! We have a lot to do!"
"Alice, you haven't even asked her if she wants to come." Jasper was obviously the voice of reason, and it was more than apparent that he was used to reeling Alice in. Exuberant had been an understatement. Lissa briefly wondered why Emmett hadn't said anything else – an amused smirk was playing on his lips.
"Well of course she does! She doesn't want to spend the next seventeen years wandering around North America alone." Alice arched one eyebrow at Lissa. "Do you?"
How did she answer a question like that? Of course she didn't want to be alone. These last seventeen years had been hard on her, not having any "family," so to speak. The problem was, she didn't know these "people." While she had prided herself on being able to tell whether someone's intentions were good or not, they could still be malevolent. Was she willing to take the risk?
Of course, she'd never met any vampires (she shuddered when she thought the word to herself, even though she knew it was what she was) before with eyes that weren't some shade of red. And they'd said her eyes weren't red, either. Did she dare believe them? It would've been so helpful if she had a mirror to check in, to know if Alice was telling the truth.
And then, just like that, Alice was holding out a pocket mirror, as if she could read Lissa's mind.
"How did you…?"
Alice smiled. "I saw that you would be curious but skeptical. Go ahead and take a look."
Lissa took a small breath and held the mirror up to her face. Her hair was a bit of a mess, not surprising considering how she'd been living, but her eyes were the warmest shade of butterscotch she'd ever seen. Even with her wild hair, she was far less scary than she had been that first day.
"They're really not red…"
"No, they're the same shade as ours. Do you believe me now?"
She did believe Alice, at least a little bit. "I'm starting to."
"Are you ready to come with us then? I promise you, you have nothing to fear. It'll only be Edward, Esme, and Rosalie. Carlisle is at work, and Bella and Nessie are out shopping. You won't have to meet everyone at once, and they all know about you already. I shared my vision with them before we left. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you."
Was she ready? They didn't seem to be a threat, and so far, Lissa believed what Alice had said. She'd been right about the eyes. Maybe she'd be right about other things.
"All right," Lissa agreed. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to move in."
Alice just smiled. "That's okay. You will be."
As she approached the house, Lissa's apprehension grew. Was she really prepared to meet the rest of this coven? From what Alice had said, it was a large one. Lissa had never heard of a coven of this magnitude, aside from the Volturi. She'd never actually met them, but other nomads had spoken of them. One nomad had mentioned Aro's love for collecting "talents." Since then, Lissa had been careful not to use her talent, unless absolutely necessary. She didn't want to give the Volturi any reason to come find her.
She'd briefly considered using that talent on these different vampires back in the forest, even if it would've put her at risk of the Volturi finding out about her.
She watched as Alice danced up to the front door and opened it. Emmett and Jasper disappeared into the house. Alice stood just outside, waiting expectantly for her.
"Come on, Lissa. I promise it'll be okay."
Lissa entered the house at a human pace. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but the large, spacious room wasn't it. It was as if all of the inner walls had been removed to create one great room.
Jasper and Emmett were standing off to the side, and Alice came to stand beside Lissa after closing the door. Three more vampires stood perfectly still in the center of the room. One female, a brunette, had a welcoming expression on her face. The other female, a strikingly beautiful blonde, wore a guarded expression. The male seemed to be concentrating on Lissa in a way that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.
"Everyone, this is Lissa!" Alice told them, her voice cheerful as ever. "Lissa, this is Esme, our mother for all intents and purposes, and my 'siblings,' Rosalie, and Edward."
"Welcome to our home, Lissa," Esme said with a smile that brought back faded memories of Lissa's mom. "We're glad that you're here."
"Thank you," Lissa murmured with a tentative smile.
"You're from the south," Rosalie remarked. "Somewhere in the southeast, from the sound of your accent…"
Lissa nodded. "Georgia."
"Please don't be offended, dear," Esme pleaded, "but you seem young. How old were you when you were changed?"
"I'm not offended," Lissa answered honestly. "Emmett asked the same thing. I was fourteen."
"So young… Have you been traveling with the vampire who changed you?"
"I… I don't know who changed me. I never saw him… It was dark, and after the fire finally faded, I found I was alone. I've been by myself since."
"And you've never tasted human blood… Amazing. Carlisle will be very excited to meet you."
Lissa turned her attention to Edward, who hadn't spoken until then. "How did you know that?"
"Edward," scolded Esme.
He had the decency to appear abashed. "I'm sorry, Lissa. I forgot you didn't know. Some vampires have extra talents, apart from the heightened speed, strength, and senses that all vampires have. You know already about Alice's talent for seeing future events, and you suspected Jasper's talent of affecting the emotions around him. I am able to hear the thoughts of others, as if they're speaking aloud. I shouldn't have said anything without explaining myself first."
"Oh." Lissa processed this new piece of information as she tried not to think about her own talent. "Do any of the others in your coven have special talents?"
"My wife, Bella, is a mental shield. Mental talents of other vampires, such as my talent, do not work on her unless she allows them to. Our daughter, Renesmee, can project her thoughts onto others. Neither talent is a danger to you, I can assure you." Lissa nodded. "I am aware of your talent, as well. I understand your desire to keep it a secret, and I promise to keep that secret."
Lissa was surprised by this sudden turn of events. He knew, and yet here he was, promising not to tell anyone else. At that moment, Lissa knew she could trust Edward
"Thank you," she told him, her voice sincere.
"Now that everyone's comfortable with everyone, Lissa and I are going upstairs," Alice announced.
Lissa gave Alice a questioning look. "Why are we going upstairs?"
"Well, no offense, but you are in serious need of a shower."
She couldn't help it. She laughed. "No offense taken, but it won't make much of a difference. These are the only clothes I have."
Alice made a dismissive sound and waved her hand. "That won't be a problem. We're practically the same size. I have plenty of clothes that will fit you until we can go shopping. When I'm finished with you, you'll be a whole new Lissa!"
Glancing at the others, Lissa arched an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"
Emmett laughed out loud, which made Lissa want to laugh again. His laugh was infectious. As it was, the others chuckled a bit, too.
"Maybe a little," Edward admitted with a smile. "But it'll okay. Alice just has certain opinions about fashion that not everyone else here agrees with. She won't do any real damage."
"In that case, I'm okay with Alice having her fun."
Alice grinned and, taking Lissa by the hand, all but dragged her up the stairs.