Part 1
Rosalie's Point of View
With a bright smile, I looked at myself in the mirror. My golden hair shone brightly, and my stunning brown eyes glinted in the candle light. I took out my silver brush and made sure my hair looked absolutely perfect. It looked exactly the same when I finished brushing it. I giggled sweetly and put the brush down. I should have known my hair always looked perfect. I looked down on my manicured nails and nodded contently when I saw that they were still intact. I hated to have to do my nails, but they were part of my looks, and looks were everything.
My face turned into a painful grimace as soon as that thought scrossed my mind. Looks weren't everything, of course. What wouldn't I give to have my own, little, beautiful baby... I remembered the little dimples of my old friend Vera's baby... But I wouldn't let myself think of what I'd lost – not again. Instead, I focused on marveling over the fact that I even looked adorable and breathtaking when I was pouting. That couldn't be said about a lot of girls. But well, I had always been more beautiful than any other girl. My current... form (I couldn't make myself think the word vampire – I couldn't) had just improved me even more, as far as that was possible.
'Your ego is so huge I'm surpised it fits in that fragile looking body of yours.' a sneering voice sounded from behind me.
I didn't need to look to know who it was. My new brother didn't exactly like me, I knew that. I turned around anyway, just to be polite. I was raised to be a lady.
'Edward.' I greeted with a tiny smile.
'Rosalie.' he said, his tight lips stretching into a mocking grin. 'How are you doing today?'
'As if you don't know.' I grunted. Lady or not, I was irritated. He could read my thoughts perfectly well, so there was absolutely no need for him to ask me anything. And he wasn't doing it to be polite or nice. Just because he knew I hated it when he asked me things he already knew.
'You have to practise on making that grunt sounds like one, sissy.' Edward said kindly. 'Your delicate voice isn't made for making such noices.'
He was right, of course. My high, feminin voice made a grunt sound innocent and sweet. I didn't have to work to make my voice sound as lovely as possible. I just happened to be very, very lovely.
Edward rolled his eyes at that thought and strode out of my room. I sighed. Our relationship was very, very difficult. Maybe he did desire me, and he hated that I didn't imagine the two of us being together. That I didn't think of him all the time. Maybe... But I doubted it. Every single man desired me, except for two men I knew. My father in so many ways, Carlisle, and my so-called brother, Edward. I didn't blame Carlisle for not wanting me in a sexual way – he was too old for me anyway. Edward, wasn't. Sure, he'd been a... vampire (God, even after all these years I still hated the word) way before me, but he had been only seventeen when he died. I, however, was physically eighteen. And breathtaking, of course.
'We all look breathtaking, Rosalie.' Edward called from another room. 'We have to look like that to lure our prey in our trap without any difficulties.'
I ignored him and turned back to the mirror. No matter how much I hated my current life – or existence, better said, as I wasn't really alive anymore – there was one huge plus. I had never been more beautiful. Looking at myself always made me feel better, no matter how narsistic it may sound. I would give it all up to be mortal again, obviously. But as that just wasn't possible, I might as well enjoy the upsides of being a monster.
I heard Edward grunt downstairs. Ah, he was still listening in. Of course he didn't like me thinking about us vampires as monsters, but we were. And he knew that. He thought of us like that, too. And he hated the fact that he couldn't do anything about his violent nature. I might not be a mind-reader, but I'm not stupid. And although Edward and I didn't get along very well, I knew him better them I knew anyone else. Better than I had known my own fiancé, many, many years ago. Royce King II, I thought bitterly. If I'd have to do it all over, I would have killed you instead of accepted you as my future husband. You evil bastard.
I wished Carlisle and Esme were here... My fosterparents, as I liked to call them. But they were in Appalachia now... I had chosen to be on my own for a while, to figure some things out. Like if I wanted to take a job in a while. Or if I would like a house of my own somewhere. I had been so cruel to my sweet parents, that it had been a good idea of Esme to take some time off. Unforunately, I was considered too young to be all on my own. I might kill off an entire town if I got too hungry. So they'd made Edward babysit me. Of course they hadn't put it that way, but that was what it felt like. Esme said that we had to bond, as we were brother and sister now. Well, we had bonded. But not a good way. We knew each other very well now, but we still didn't like each other. And him reading my mind all the time was horrible. But I had to put up with him. And, honestly, he was kind of beautiful. No, he wasn't kind of beautiful, he was stunning. But he didn't even came close to my degree of outer beauty, obviously.
'Rosalie, sweetheart.' Edward said, standing behind me again, his voice almost pleading. 'Could you please go hunting or something? I can't stand having to listen to your thoughts all day.'
'Why don't you go hunting?' I sneered.
'Because I know you are hungry anyway.' he said matter-of-factly. 'I heard you think about hunting today only this morning. So why don't you go now – it's clouded.'
'Fine.' I snapped. 'I'll leave you alone. But don't come crying to me when you get lonely.'
He laughed, and I hated how perfect the sound was. 'Oh, trust me, I won't.'
I raised my eyebrows at him, got up from my chair and leaped our of the window. Although I was on the third floor of our appartment, I didn't have trouble landing smoothly at all. The backyard provided enough cover for me not to have to be secretive about how I had been able to jump so far. I took a deep breath – air still felt good in my longs, although I didn't really need it anymore – and began to run. The nearest forest was a few miles away, but it took me a very short amount of time to reach it. Another of the good things about my new life. Why do I keep calling it my new life? I asked myself. I've been like this for years now. I just didn't want to accept the fact that this was my life now. That there was no way back to humanity. Maybe I would be better off dead. At least I wouldn't have to mourn about not having the option to get a little baby then.
I had been hunting for almost an hour when the smell hit me. I immedaitely knew what it was. Blood. Warm, fesh, human blood. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. It smelled like male blood, and it had only been spilled recently. I listened very carefully and I realized I could hear an unsteady heart pounding restlessly. He was still alive.
I stood still for quite some time, trying to get a hand on myself. I wanted to leap forward, find him, and drink from him more than anything, but I couldn't do that. I had never drunk human blood and I wasn't planning on it now. But the smell... It was simply mouthwatering. My hands started to tremble when I thought of the taste that blood must have...
No. I snapped back into reality and steadied myself. I wasn't going to drink his blood. But I felt like I had to find him anyway, to see if there was anything I could do to help him. I could handle the smell. I took one step toward the sound of the pounding heart, and felt my whole body react to the even stronger smell that hit me now. Okay, maybe I couldn't handle the smell. I would just stop breathing then.
It took me only a few seconds to find the place where the body was lying, drenched in its own blood. I kneeled down next to it and looked down, right into its whithering face. I gasped when I saw the gorgeous features of a stunningly handsome twenty-year-old man. He looked boyish and sweet, even when he was gasping and whimpering in pain. He was clenching onto the gape in his side for dear life and his eyes were shut. Even now, I could see the dimples in his cheeks. If I had been able to cry, I would have. He looked so endearing, so enchanting, so... perfect – even more perfect than I did. And not only because he was beautiful, but because he looked like a really decent guy. Someone who would always try to see the bright side of things.
Too bad he is going to die today.
The thought of him dying hurt so much I couldn't stand it. I put my cold hand on his forehead and inhaled deeply. The smell hit me again, much stronger than before. It was almost impossible not to drink from him. But I had to test myself to know if I could change him.
Change him?
Yes – I wanted to change him. Although I knew it was stupid and selfish, I wanted this amazing creature to live. Or exist, at least. I didn't want this life for him, but I felt like I would be much happier if he would be with me from now on. I didn't know why, but I just knew.
While I was considering what to do, I had bent so far forward, giving into the delicious smell, that I was almost touching his bloody face with my mouth. I leaped away from him, stopping only when I was far enough away from him to bare the smell. I couldn't let myself taste the blood, I realized. I would drain him. I would murder him.
Carlisle. He was my only option. Edward wouldn't be able either, I thought. And he would try to stop me, maybe. I couldn't take the risk. I could only hope he wasn't listening in. But I didn't think he was – he had been so glad to be able to shut me out for a while. I had to get to Carlisle. He would turn him. It was too much of a waste to let this man die here – my father would see that. I only had to take the man all the way to Appalachia. And I had to keep myself from breathing all that time. I could do that. I had to.
Just when I kneeled down to pick the man up, he opened his eyes. His blue eyes looked up at me, shocked. I smiled reassuring and picked him up, cradling him to my chest. It was a good thing I was so strong.
Now I had seen his eyes, I knew I had to save him from death. It felt like he had looked right into my soul. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen. And the dimples... Although he was twenty, I assumed, he looked very boyish... He remembered me of Vera's little baby so much... I had to make Carlisle change him. There was no other way I would ever be happy if this man was dead. I didn't know why, but I knew I was right.
And holding my breath, steeling looks at the man in my arms, I took off.