Disclaimer: I do not own anyone from the Twilight series. However, Ishmael and Giselle are of my own creation. Please ask before using them, thank you.
This story came up while I was listening to The Mortician's Daughter by Black Veil Brides. It's an amazing song, you should check it out. Oh, please review! Thank you.
The Mortician's Daughter
Chapter One
It was dark that night as Leah Clearwater ran through the trees and thick brush of the forest, her breathing was ragged and her limbs ached painfully. But none of the pain she felt could keep her from running, it only served to cause her to push herself faster through the dense foliage. The only sound other then the forest was that of her ragged breathing and the sound of her paws hitting the ground. Many times Jacob and Seth had tried to ask her to return to them, to tell her that she was straying much to far from them. But Leah neither cared nor wanted to return; the burning pain she felt was unbearable.
It seemed that everything had crashed down on her at once, all the feelings she had held in had thrown a debilitating blow to her. She couldn't take being near any of them anymore, especially the bloodsuckers that were all so happy and serene. It was torment being near any of them when they were all so happy and she was so miserable. When she had left Sam's pack to join Jacob's, she had thought that things would change for the better. Granted, she hadn't been pleased but she had to do what she felt was right for her. She had thought that she would be able to finally be at peace with Sam's decision, finally be able to move on. But she had been wrong, so very wrong.
Thinking back on it, she probably would've been happier if she had stayed with Sam's pack. At least there she wouldn't have been assaulted with so much love and joy that she couldn't partake in. The only price to pay was to see Sam everyday and relive the pain he had caused her over and over again. Maybe one day she'd be able to overcome that and being near him wouldn't have been such a task.
But she had joined Jacob along with her brother, Seth, in hopes of never having to feel that merciless pain again. For a while, she and Jacob had understood one another because of the similar situation they had been in. For an instant, she could feel herself falling for the younger male and that hadn't been as uncomfortable as she had thought. But then Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee and all those thoughts quickly vanished without any difficulty.
For a while, she was fine with hearing his thoughts about little Nessie, it was something she could stomach. Then Seth imprinted on a pretty Hispanic girl he had met at the La Push beach one day. Suddenly, her head was filled with both Jacob and Seth's thoughts on the girls that occupied their minds. The more time she spent with the two, the sicker she became. With them came the vampires and she suddenly felt like she was suffocating. The vampires all had mates and all seemed so in love, along with her brother and her leader. She felt so out of place.
For months, she tried to deal with it and forget about the emptiness and loneliness that she felt most of the time. Usually, she could but it became harder and harder to ignore as the feelings around seemed to increase. It didn't help that Edward and her brother threw sympathetic looks whenever she was near or that Jacob tried to comfort her. They just all made her feel so out of the loop.
So, what did she do? She ran away. She had made up her mind in her human form at a safe distance so that her thoughts couldn't be read by her comrades. Once she was far enough away that Jacob or Seth couldn't catch her, she phased and fled and had been running ever since. Suddenly, her legs gave out from underneath her and she toppled to the ground with a heaving chest. Without much conscious effort, she phased back to her human form and struggled to her feet. Slowly, she trekked to the small lake that was nearby and lowered her naked form into the water. Leaning her head against a rock, she let her eyes slip closed and slipped a little deeper into the water so that it came up to her ears.
Without warning, the tears she had been holding in slipped down her cheeks and she let out a heart wrenching sob that caused birds in the nearby vicinity to scatter. Her whole body trembled as she cried and let out open-mouthed sobs, her hands covering her eyes. Her trembling caused ripples throughout the surface of the water.
It seemed like forever for she finally calmed herself to the point of stuttering gasps, her shoulders only slightly heaving with her. Shakily, she removed herself from the water and pulled her clothes on without caring that she was soaking wet. It would've been easier to phase and return home, but she couldn't make herself do it. Looking up at the moon that hung high in the sky, she realized just how late it was. Jacob and Seth had probably started to look for her; it wouldn't be long before they found her.
With bare feet, she walked slowly through the forest with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. More tears slipped down her cheeks and she desperately tried to control herself, but all her attempted turned out to be futile. A crack of thunder startled her and she groaned gently when soft droplets of rain began to pour down on her. It seemed convenient, though, that it would start to rain when she felt so miserable.
Leah had come to terms with the fact that Sam had chosen Emily over her, which had been accepted a long time ago. What she held onto more was that fact that she may have to spend the rest of her life alone. It didn't seem that she would ever imprint and if she didn't imprint, she'd never be able to wipe her feeling for Sam away. The betrayal would always be fresh in her mind and heart, it would cause her to sabotage any form of relationship she'd ever have. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get past it. It hurt, very deeply.
After nearly two hours of walking, she collapsed in exhaustion with her legs burning from overuse. Leaning against a large tree, she closed her eyes and sighed gently at the feel of raindrops on her face. Maybe if she slept she would feel better. At this point, she welcomed any form of escape.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a frantic howl ripped through the air and she sat up quickly. She recognized the howl as Seth's and sighed deeply before pulling herself to her feet once more, wincing at the fire in her legs. She could hear two sets of paws thudding against the ground and knew that Seth and Jacob were coming for her.
Sure enough, they reached her in no time. Seth burst through the trees first with Jacob just behind him, both moving over to her quickly. Seth whined and nudged her while stamping his paws on the ground, the concern clearly in his eyes. With a disgusted groan, Leah pushed Seth's muzzle away from her and supported herself against the tree she had just been resting on. Jacob approached her and nudged her gently before turning slightly, looking back at her. With a sigh, Leah grabbed onto his fur and hoisted herself up onto his back. She laid against his wet fur, burying her face in it and holding onto him as he took off into a sprint.
Wind and rain whipped at her back as Jacob ran with Seth beside him, her fingers tangled in Jacob's fur as she held on. It didn't take long for sleep to overcome her and with a soundless yawn, she drifted off into a much needed rest.
When she awoke, she was laying on the couch in the Cullen's living room. Keeping her eyes closed, she stayed still and just listened to what was going around her. A ball game appeared to be on the television, by the sound of his whooping, she could tell that Seth was very close to her. She heard Jacob and Renesmee talking in a hushed tone to her left with Bella and Edward talking somewhere to her right. By the smell, Rosalie and Emmett weren't very far and by the muted voices, Alice and Jasper were on the second floor of the house.
A soft sigh escaped her and she rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Immediately, Seth and Jacob were beside her with Renesmee peering over the back of the couch down at her face. "Leah!" Seth called out with a bright smile on his lips and her hand held in both of his, Jacob's worried eyes searching her face. "You've been out for an entire day," her brother said as he gave her hand a squeeze. "How are you feeling?"
A frown formed on her lips, her brows furrowing. "Suffocated," she murmured as she pulled her hand from his and pushed herself into a sitting position.
"It's good to see you upright, Leah," Bella murmured with a smile as she stood by the window, Edward at her side. "We were all very worried about you."
Alice and Jasper had descended the stairs after hearing that she had awoken, stalling on the bottom step and looking in her direction. They were joined by Esme and Carlisle who had emerged from the kitchen to stand by their adoptive children. As she looked around the room, she saw Emmett sitting in a large armchair with Rosalie seated on the arm. She also noticed that Emmett's hand was placed on the pretty, blonde's hip and she had her arm wrapped around his shoulders. Upon more observation, she noticed that all the couples were paired up beside eachother. Even Seth's imprintee, Alexis, was there beside him and giving her a worried look. It brought all the memories back to her and she fought to keep her eyes from tearing up.
Edward must've read her thoughts because he approached her with a sympathetic look on his face, placing both of his hands on the back of the couch as he stood beside his daughter. "Are you well?" he asked in a soft tone, Bella being the next to approach the couch.
"I'm just peachy keen, okay?" Leah snapped and swung her legs from the couch before getting up to her feet.
"Maybe you should rest a bit longer?" Carlisle spoke up this time, his voice filled with worry. "Get a little more sleep."
Leah glared at the male. "I have accelerated healing, remember?" she snapped while bending her legs at the knee to stretch them. "I've rested plenty," she added while massaging the kinks that had formed in her neck. Nodding her head at them, she made her way to the door before a large hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back. Turning around, she pulled her arm from Jacob's grip and put her weight on one foot while crossing her arms over her chest. "What?" she asked in a harsh tone, her eyes narrowing at him.
He sighed. "You going to talk to us about this?"
Silence was her answer.
Seth spoke this time. "Leah, we heard what was going on in your head," he said as he approached his older sister with a frown. "Talk to us, please."
He used the voice that made Leah cave every time and she sighed while letting her arms drop to her sides. "There's nothing to talk about," she said while mustering up a smile and looking at him. "I needed to be alone and now I'm fine," she added, ignoring the soft scoff that Edward gave. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, okay?"
No one seemed to buy it but really the only ones concerned were her brother, Jacob, Nessie, and Bella. The others didn't know her well enough to care and she had never given them much reason to, her attitude seemed to annoy them a bit. But they let up and she turned back around, making her way to the door. Stalling when she gripped the doorknob, she sighed and turned back towards the vampires.
"Thanks," she mumbled before exiting the house and retreating into the forest, no intention of phasing anywhere near the house. Before she could get too far, she heard the sound of her name being called and stopped so that her brother could catch up with her. Once he had caught up with her, she noticed the frown that was on his lips and gave a gentle sigh. They were still in the vicinity of the Cullen house where she could be heard clearly, not something that she found desirable. "Walk with me," she murmured and pushed herself deeper into the forest, Seth following quietly beside her.
When they were farther away, she stopped and perched herself on an overgrown tree root that stuck up high above the ground. Seth seated himself beside her and kicked his legs back and forth gently while waiting for her to speak.
"I don't know what you want me to say," she murmured while looking down at her hands, staring at her nails.
Seth turned to her and frowned deeply. "Everything, anything, tell me what you're feeling."
A bitter smile formed on her lips. "What I'm feeling?" she murmured with a humorless laugh. "That's what you want to know?" Biting onto her bottom lip, she shook her head slightly and lifted her eyes to gaze at the canopy of the trees. "Miserable, alone, forgotten, pissed, jealous, hurt," she began before turning to look at Seth, "shall I go on?"
He pursed his lips. "But why?"
Angrily, Leah pushed herself off of the root and rounded on her brother. "Why?!" she cried out, throwing her arms in the air. "You know exactly why!"
"Because you're alone?" he asked incredulously. "Are you serious, Leah? You aren't always going to be alone."
She rolled her eyes. "And you're so sure of that because?" she questioned, turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll never get over Sam, I loved him way to much and now I'm bitter," she said, her gaze lowering to the ground. "No one will ever want someone as damaged as I am."
Seth sighed. "Leah, there's someone out there for everyone," he said gently, slipping to the ground. "You're a great person, why can't you see that?"
Her bottom lip trembled pitifully and she pursed her lips to stop it, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Because I'm not," she whispered softly, her hands balling up into fists. "I'm an angry, jealous, and vengeful bitch, you can't deny it."
Seth looked uneasy. "You have your moments just like we all do, but you can be funny and sweet and kind."
She had to admit, he was trying his hardest to make her feel better. But Leah was feeling way to bitter and drowning in too much self-pity to give her baby brother any slack. "Don't you see, Seth!" she hollered with narrowed eyes. "No one will ever want someone like me," she said and turned away from him. "I can't have children, I'm too absorbed in my own loneliness, and I'll never be able to imprint on anyone," she said before her voice dropped, "I'm pathetic."
It seemed that Seth was getting fed up with her self-loathing and did something she never thought he would. He blew up at her. "You know what, Leah?" he asked in an angry tone, his eyes narrowed and darkened. "Maybe you will be alone forever, but that's your own doing," he said while grabbing her arm and turning her to face him. "As long as you stay like this, hating yourself and pushing everyone away, you will be alone," he said before delivering the final blow, "and if you keep it up, maybe you deserve to."
He must have realized what his words did to her because he sighed and pulled her into his embrace. "I can't help you anymore, sis, you have to realize this on your own," he said before pulling away. "You need to stop beating yourself up, you need to appreciate yourself and then you'll see."
Leah watched as he walked away from her.
"I'm done, be miserable if you want," he called over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods, probably returning to the Cullen house.
When she could no longer see him, her eyes prickled with tears at the truth of her brother's words no matter how harsh they had been. She was just hurting herself, but she didn't seem to know how to stop. Sure, she was broken and she beat herself up way to much, but she couldn't help it. She was around all those couples and so much love, she wanted to feel that too. She wanted to be happy like they were and she was envious of them, she was so jealous. Why couldn't she be happy too? Was that so forbidden? Was that too much to ask for?
Discarding her clothes, she tied them to her leg and phased before breaking off into a desperate sprint. She didn't care where she went just as long as she got away from where she was. But no matter how far she ran, there was no escaping the undeniable truth that Seth had presented to her. She was destroying herself bit by bit, they way she was thinking and the self pity that she was putting herself through. Every bit of it was causing her more and more pain, but it was no one's fault but her own.
She was no longer thinking about where she was going, just that wherever it was felt completely right. Some unseen force seemed to be directing her path, but she went along with it. She couldn't will herself to fight it, but she didn't want to either. Wherever she was headed gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling that overpowered every bit of self-loathing that she had been having.
Suddenly, she was overpowered by a familiar, sugary sweet smell that nearly bowled her over. It was mingled with that of fresh blood and she suddenly felt very wary, her paws pushed her on. She burst through a group of trees until she found herself in a clearing and staring down at crouched figure with its teeth buried into the neck of a large stag. Everything about the being radiated danger but she couldn't make herself move she could only stand there and stare at the figure.
If the being recognized her presence, it didn't show any knowledge. Gently pushing the stag to the side, it rose to its feet and wiped its mouth before turning to look over at Leah. Smoldering, honey-colored eyes bore into her as thin fingers pushed through a mop of black curls. The male stood tall, much taller then anyone she had seen before, with long legs and broads shoulders. He had a lean form and was fitted in black slacks with a crisp, white t-shirt. It was buttoned except for the two top buttons and the sleeves where bundled at his elbows. Dress shoes covered his feet and he kept a lazy stance as her eyes trailed over him.
Her roaming eyes stopped when the made their way back to his beautifully sculpted face. He had an oval-shaped face with a strong jaw and full lips, his skin slightly darken then that of a normal vampire. He was breathtakingly beautiful as he stood in the skin, his olive skin shimmering in the sunlight. But as her eyes met his once more, she was filled with an intense passion that she had never known before.
As she looked him in the eye, everything vanished. All the pain and turmoil she had been feeling, the hurt from Seth's words, the loneliness and jealousy vanished. She felt as if her whole body was floating in some euphoric ocean, the only two people in the world were her and this man. This vampire. Everything seemed to make sense now like she had just had some sort of epiphany. Taking a few steps closer to the male who was gazing at her probably the way she appeared to be gazing at him, she stalled. A sound a wonderful as hearing your mother's voice for the very first time entered her ears.
A woman who rivaled Aphrodite herself appeared beside the male, her hands holding onto his arm. The white of her skin contrasted greatly against the olive tone of his, her beautiful golden orbs watched Lean warily. Waves of auburn silk fell down her back and rested against the green silk of her blouse. "Ishmael," she said in the same wonderful voice, her eyes never leaving Leah's bulky form.
As the man named Ishmael's arm encircled the beautiful woman's waist, Leah realized something with heartbreaking horror. The man that she had just imprinted on was not only a vampire but was most definitely involved with the beauty beside him.
Just when she had felt so wonderfully complete, so perfectly serene, it was ripped right from beneath her. She had finally found her soul mate, her other half, the one who completed here to a tee. Not only was he a vampire, her sworn enemy, he was never going to belong to her.
With a pathetic whine, she pivoted and sprinted into the forest with an intense difficulty. With each step she took, she could feel her heart breaking even more. By the time she was entering back onto the Cullen territory, she had cried herself dry and had caused herself even more damage then before. As she curled into a ball beneath a large tree, she buried her muzzle beneath her paws and closed her eyes tightly.
I really will be alone forever.
That's chapter one, let me know what you think!
Twisted.