Three figures appeared at the edge of the forest, each smaller than the last. Every Cullen and Bella, stopped what they were doing and looked up to greet the strangers. "Look Evan, there really is someone here!" Came a boy's cry. The smallest figure pointed towards them.
"Who are they?" Bella asked her friends as she took a step towards them. Edward grabbed her sleeve and held her back. She looked behind herself, at everyone else and saw that six of them had black, ravenous eyes. Of course, Carlisle was just able to stave of the temptation. In a flash, Jasper and Edward were at the group, Jasper attempting to eat them, Edward attempting to stop him.
"No." The voice was so firm and demanding that Edward immediatly let Jasper go. The young vampire pounced on the middle figure, the girl. But... she wasn't there. "Nope!" Piped up the little boy, "Wren won't let you eat her, but she don't mind if you drink 'er blood." Strangely, Jasper stopped and nodded, agreeing to the deal the small boy had implied.
"Careful, Wren." Warned the large man. She merely laughed hysterically and held her hand out to Jasper, who then punctured Wren's skin with his teeth and drank deeply. Edward, took a step towards them, "Please, you can't just--your soul--" Evan held up his hand. "Don't. You know fully well that this can't change her. It can't even hurt her." He looked Edward straight in the eye, then looked back down at the vampire suckling her palm. "He seems quite thirsty, either he hasn't been hunting or... Oh! You're one of those familys that don't eat human. I never thought I'd meet one, or least not by accident." Jasper pulled away after awhile. He stood there, dazed. "Wha? What happe--" It seemed that what he had done, finally hit him. "Oh God, I am so sorry." He seemed utterly horrified at the deed. "It's okay." The girl said in a strained whisper. The boy and Evan stared at her in shock. Jasper looked down at his hands, streaks of blood giving him further proof of what had happened. He turned and ran, but Evan stepped in front of him, causing the poor young vampire to fall and land on his butt. "Now, there's no reason to run off, all you did was give her a bit of a bite." Evan gave a chuckle that rumbled through his stomach and deep in his throat. "If that would hurt her, well, she wouldn't be here today!" He plucked Jasper off the ground and dusted off his front. Carlisle appeared next to the small group, looking very worried, "Are you sure you're all right?" He asked, touching the girl's thin shoulder and looking deep into her eyes. Whatever he saw in her face made him take an involuntary step backwards. "She's fine, but you won't get her talking. Hasn't spoken a word since--well for a year or two." He glanced down at her then quickly straightened and cleared his throat. "That's why Jeremy and I were so shocked. When she told him--" he pointed at Jasper. "'It's okay.' Oh, by the way, I hope it's okay with you but we need to hunt. Some vampires don't like us hunting around them, so I thought I should ask." They had walked toward Alice, Bella, Emmet, Rosalie, and Esme. Upon hearing Evan's proposal, Bella grayed, probably remembering the James and his coven. Carlisle's face hardened. "We don't appreciate others hunting the humans here." Evan stopped in his tracks staring at them. "What? Oh, no! Humans are not a part of our diet. We usually live off of jack rabbitts, deer, an occasional snake perhaps." Bella relaxed and they all started up their walk back to the house. Bella walked closely to Wren, with Edward beside her. Alice slowed her pace until she stood on the other side of Bella. "She smells--" The vampire wrinkled her nose, "--like werewolf. But, really delicious too." Alice whispered this so low, even Bella could barely make out what she was saying. Then, the human glanced over at Wren and saw the lifeless girl's ears twitch. "Heard that." She whispered.
That night, after Bella ate dinner. (Evan, Jeremy, and Wren all polietly declined, saying they perfered their food raw) Ten of them stood and walked to the living room to sit and talk. Wren stayed in her seat, boring her glare into the wall opposite. "Are you coming?" Alice asked her kindly. She looked up, a slight startled expression played across her face before being hidden. "No thank you." She stood and left, heading for the backyard. "Excuse me." She whispered. They heard the back door open and close. "What's she gone out there for?" Edward asked, hugging Bella close. "To mourn." Evan told them sorrowfully.
Minutes later a dreadful howl split the air. Jeremy and Evan bowed there heads as though in prayer. "W-what is that?" Bella asked. "Wren." Was Evan's solemn answer. "You see, a while ago, by human time, Wren's mate, was... tortured and killed. Right before her eyes, she was--helpless to save him. Our kind have only a single mate in the world that suit us, only one that is utterly perfect. After that, there will never be "another" many have gone insane because their mates were human or whatever, and they were unable to live with them, usually due to a human's mortality." Bella glared at Edward. But then, looking from Edward, she said, quietly, "I thought she reminded me of something. She's just like how Charlie described me to Alice... after... after Edward left." The vampire who's lap she was in had a huge look of pain cross his face, guilt, self-hatred all seemed to be swirling behind his carefully composed expression. In an attempt to ease his troubles, Bella twisted around to look at him, and she hugged him tight. Carlisle innterupted, "If you don't mind my asking, what is 'your kind'?" Evan looked startled, "But, you've got one of us right there, surely you realized what she is by now?" He pointed to Bella and Edward.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked, quite shocked. Evan looked at them all, a strange look on his face. "Oh. You haven't learned it yet. Wow. I-I don't know what I'm..." He trailed off, running his large hands through his hair. Jeremy had wide eyes, looking around at them all. "Wait, Evan, you mean they don't know? So then her parents--" he looked at Bella, his face both envious and hungry. Evan pat the boy on the back, watching him worriedly. "We are shape shifters. We're born from humans, and there's a reason we're like this, but I'd rather not go into it, it's quite complicated. "We're quite rare, much like a vampire, but much like a werewolf. Unable to truly live among humans. " He cringed, "Most parents, mostly humans, can't handle a shape shifting child. So, since you didn't realize you were a shape shifter, you've probably lived with your parents much longer than the average shape shifter would." He shifted his weight back and forth uncomfortably. "It's difficult for us to survive, because mothers will merely drop us off at who-knows-where." He shook his head tiredly. "Wren and Jeremy were lucky I ran into them. Elsewise they would've died."
"Wait, so how does being a shape shifter make you immune to a vampire's bite?" Carlisle asked. "If you bite an animal, do they turn?" Jeremy asked. "No..." Alice answered, thoughtfully. "How odd, I never really thought about that." Bella just stared at them all. "So you're saying that I'm a shape shifter?!" Bella seemed to find this difficult to grasp. Evan nodded. "It's plainer than day." Jeremy nodded in agreement. The back door opened and closed, and Wren appeared. "Hello." She told them, sitting down. Her eyes were lifeless and she didn't really acknowledge anyone else's existence.
That night, Wren slept in the same room as Bella. Wren woke, screaming. "Waswrong?!" Bella asked, sitting up. Edward was already by the small girl's side, calming her. "I am sorry." She apologized, "I didn't mean to cause a distubance." Esme and Alice appeared in the doorway. "Everything okay in here?" Alice asked cheerfully. "I just, had a nightmare." Wren told them quietly. They all nodded understandingly and left them alone. Bella looked at the other girl, "You saw him dying, didn't you? In your sleep, I mean."