A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you bear with me for this story. It has been bugging me for quite some time and I glad to be able to share it. I have a weird version of Bella that I would like to see how she does in this story. It might seem odd at first, but thats okay! This story will be primarily in BPOV but I might try to do some other POVs as the story goes on / if anyone wants one.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I am just playing around.
We heard them before we smelled them.
In the distance, the loud crunch of what I could only think came from a bat echoed off of the thick, green trees. To my knowledge, the pacific northwest was not an outstanding hunting area for our kind—though it very well could be. James claims the land is suitable for bringing prey into secluded areas of the forestry—the thickness of trees lets the humans scream for help without any worry of help actually arriving. I didn't enjoy the games James liked to partake in, but I let my brother be with his own choices. He was merely trying to find some kind of enjoyment to this life we were both damned too. Who was I to stop him?
The noises got louder as we continued forward, not stopping to take in the beauty of the forest. The rain and thunder crashed in the background, creating a dark, mossy environment. I enjoyed breathing in mouthful of fresh air, though it was unnecessary. The others often sniggered at my desire to take in my surroundings, but sometimes, I believed it let me grasp some false hope of humanity.
The scent grew as we paced forward; there must be a large number of them. A foreign vampire's scent was inviting, but distinct. I could make up dissimilarities between the seven hailing scents, but one stuck out in particular. The aroma was tainted by a delectable sweet aroma that instantly brought the fire to the back of my throat. It had been only a few days since we last fed in a small harbor town not too far from here, but my share in the group was small.
That was our way of keeping the scum royalty out of our hair—James ordered us so. The two men, my brother and Laurent, a Frenchman who has traveled loyalty with us since the 1900s, took the first meals, having their way with a buffet of blood. Next was Victoria, a woman who James seemed to fancy from time to time, and then me. By the time I was able to feed, our "quota" to say was nearly met, leaving me with only room to scavenge one or two humans. They claimed that it was due to my being younger when my change occurred, stating I didn't need as much, but I suppose it was due to James fearfulness of my ability. I don't know why, he was my brother for Christ's sake; nothing runs deeper than the "blood" of true family.
Laurent placed a hand on the small of back, pushing me behind him as we approached a vast opening in the trees. The scents of the other coven met the air like a battering ram. With Laurent guiding, I moved my eyes to roam over the shield being projected from my mind. This was my gift, manipulated protection, covering the four of us as we approached.
I imagined what we must look like heeding forward towards across the damp clearing. Four outlandish nomads; James carried a large carved stick over his shoulder that wobbled as much as his blonde ponytail. His shake was filled with buoyancy though, as his eyes never dropped from meeting those of what appeared to be the leader of this large coven.
It was not the size of the clan that I noticed at first, but their appearance. Peering out from behind Laurent's shoulder of long dark hair, I was met by the golden glares of these odd creatures. Physically they were like us, all beautiful, some more than others, I thought as I took in four males and three females, but their eyes showed no evidence of crimson meals. Contacts, maybe? Strange. They stood tall and menacingly, males stepping in front of the females, reading to defend their mates.
James halted the group from moving further anymore. Confused, I bent my knees slightly, anticipating an attack. I glanced up, ensuring the force field remained in place. The light blue bubble-like structure was visible, it seemed to my eyes only, so it was imperative that I remain focused in maintaining it. Behind Laurent, I turned my head to glance at Victoria. Her red eyes met mine as she placed a calming hand on James' shoulder, ensuring him the shield was intact.
"Hello there, friends. My name is Carlisle Cullen," spoke a tall blonde male. His face was kind as he took in our approach. A caramel haired woman smiled beside him as he stepped forward, "this is my family. We have Esme, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie."
As he said their names, the coven members seemed to nod their heads. I scanned over the different vampires, stopping on a beautiful tall male, with copper colored hair. He was easily the most beautiful of the bunch. Suddenly, his eyes met mine and I felt a twinge in my chest. His eyes went wide, and he stepped back, earning a smack on the arm from a tall blonde boy. My eyes immediately went to the wrists of the male, taking in the hundreds of bites that marred his pale skin. He glanced up as if he sensed my dismay and barred his teeth.
Laurent stepped forward, releasing his grip on me, "Greetings, my name is Laurent. This is my coven James, Victoria, and Isabella." As he said my name, I pulled my hair to the front, letting it create a barrier between as it fell towards my waist.
Laurent continued, trying his best to minimalize his French accent, "I couldn't help but notice your eyes and the fact that you said family rather than coven. I'm sure you will understand we have questions."
The man, Carlisle, smiled simply and nodded.
"I can't get a read on them," whispered a beautiful voice. I glanced up at the copper haired boy, unsure of which one Carlisle introduced him as, and narrowed my eyes. A read? Was he attempting some sort of telepathic gift? My eyes whipped up and around the dome, ensuring there were no holes. A wave of guilt began to creep up my spine knowing my next move. James demanded if I ever saw even the slightest bit of threat to our coven to retaliate with my shield. After years of practice, I learned to manipulate to use it against my enemies.
My heart strings tugged and pulled, but I ignored the foreign sensation. I felt bad—not knowing his gift or his intentions, but chances couldn't be taken. I swallowed back my guilt and put the beautiful stranger out of my mind.
I raised my thin hand to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear very carefully with her thumb and forefinger. From the side, I could feel the burn of James' stare as he acknowledged my signal. The protective bubble surrounding us began to succumb to the growing holes in its foundation, fading piece by piece until all that was left was a small glowing ball of light. With my eyes, keeping the rest of my face still. With another pull on my heart, the small growing ball of light disappeared into my targets head.
I brought down the hand from where it rested in my hair, to my side, the two fingers still pointing forward to the ground. James recognized my movement, letting him know the shield was firmly in place. He moved the stick, removing it from his shoulder, bringing the tip to rest in the grass of the clearing.
With the raise of my head, I began to expand the shield.
It happened quickly—the tall male's golden eyes locked with my crimson ones once more, before rolling into the back of his head. The rest of the coven failing to notice until he brought his long fingers up to grip his locks tightly. Disguising my head tilt as a glance of curiosity at the scene unfolding, the shield continued to expand. The man let out an anguished cry as his knees buckled underneath him. He groaned and clenched his mouth together to refrain from crying out again. With another tilt of my head, the man's hands began digging into the dirt underneath him, fighting back the pain.
The other members of the coven began to yell, crying out for their fallen brother as he thrashed in agony.
"Edward!" the older female cried out, sprinting to the boy's side as he gripped his head. A wild snarl ripped through her teeth as she turned her head to face us.
"Please stop this!" Carlisle yelled over the growls of the rest of the coven.
The anguish was too much. My stomach felt as if it had been ripped out through the front as the male let out another cry. I pulled the blinding light of the shield from the one named Edward's mind, expanding it once again to surround my coven. I was sure we would need the protection now.
He stopped thrashing but remained laying on the ground.
The rest of the Cullen coven began to crouch for an impending attack, but it was James who spoke to break the tension.
"I do apologize, one of my coven members possesses a gift and detected a telepathic move from your Edward. She meant no harm, only to protect her coven." James ripped the walking stick tip from the ground, throwing it over his shoulder. A half smile appeared on James face taking in the "Fuck that hurt," snarl coming from Edward's mouth as he got up from the ground. Given no choice but to reveal himself, Edward spoke next.
"I am a mind reader—I was merely doing the same, seeking out your intentions with our family." He growled and stepped forward, before being stopped by the Carlisle placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We mean to bring no harm to you, friends," Carlisle said, forcing a smile.
Laurent stepped forward next to James, "would you mind a few more players for your game? The weather seems to be lovely, however, I've never seen our kind engaging in a game such as baseball. How intriguing!"
"That would lovely. Some of our players were just leaving."
I glanced up to see a burly vampire retreating from the clearing. His golden eyes locked hers as he pushed a golden-haired girl behind him. His glare was menacing and freighting, as he stood over the woman. Something was different about the girl—the way she moved. With a glance to her side, I took in the look on James' face as he saw her.
The wind picked up, catching the attention of every vampire in the clearing. Heads snapped swiftly towards the direction of the golden-haired girl, as her aroma spread around the field like a wildfire. It was sweet and inviting, making the blood rise in the back of my throat.
She was human!
What kind of games was this coven playing? Did they take turns feeding on her? Was she some kind of pet to the burly man with the curly black hair?
"You brought a snack?" James asked, deliberately taking a deep whiff of the air. His eyes burning into the eyes of the blonde girl's protector. He snarled but didn't move from his place at the other end. The remaining Cullen's began to step forward towards the group of nomads.
"Perhaps a game would be better at another time," Carlisle said, never taking his eyes off of James.
"Perhaps." James answered, taking in the retreating couple as they disappeared into the forest. I knew my brother. I could almost hear the gears in his head turning with anticipation for a new challenge.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Hoping to have ch. 2 out soon!