1. The New Girl

Rumors had been flying since Chief Swan had walked into the front office of Forks High School to enroll his soon-to-be-arriving daughter for classes and I hadn't had a moment's peace since Alice's somewhat unclear vision of an ungraceful brunette wandering through the school's halls.

Alice's unusual interest in the girl had irked me from the start and now she was insisting that this girl was to be my savior. An ironic smile played at my lips. I had no need for a savior when I had my family. Besides, from Alice's description, the girl was more trouble than she was worth.

I felt the new girl's gaze burning into the back of my neck and turned. Her eyes dropped from mine, but it was too late. I felt my throat burn as her scent assailed my nostrils. The scent was so tangy and sweet it was like a drug and the thirst that it awakened bordered on unbearable.

Told you so.

Alice's errant thought drew a chuckle from my lips. Her visions had yet to be wrong. I examined the girl and fought down a surge of lust. The unexpected combination nearly brought me to my knees. Yes, there was something more to Isabella Swan, though I hoped not to find out what.

My hopes were quickly dashed when, sitting in Biology, I was again assailed by her intoxicating scent. I stiffened, but managed to maintain my control—until that damnable fan stirred her hair and blew the full force of her scent in my direction. I fought back a hiss, my vision going red for just a moment. When my vision was again clear, I saw her meekly take the book from Mr. Banner and move in my direction. I fought down a surge of panic as the thirst hit me with blinding precision. It felt as though my entire body was engulfed in flames and I nearly gave in to my instincts.

She slid into the chair beside me and my gaze flickered to her neck. Fortunately, she didn't noticed, her attention on setting the book in her hands on the table in front of her. Instinctively, I leaned away from her and averted my head, hoping that the thirst would pass.

She sniffed her hair and, for just a moment, amusement overwhelmed the thirst. My attempts to avoid closeness obviously made her think her scent was repulsive. If only she knew how truly appetizing she smelled.

To my displeasure, the thirst didn't fade in the slightest. Time passed more slowly than usual as I waited for the class to end. Cellular biology was my least favorite topic, which left me with nothing else to focus on. Mixed in with the violent images of her death were the most arousing thoughts of claiming her in the most primal ways. There was no doubt now—her blood called to me like no other. The lust was so powerful that it almost overwhelmed the thirst.

I saw her peak at me several times through the curtain of hair that she'd splayed over her shoulder, as though to protect herself from me. Each glimpse of her chocolate brown eyes drove me closer to the brink of insanity.

She again peaked at me through her hair and my gaze snapped to hers. I felt my stomach drop as she shrunk away, a grimace crossing her lips. She was afraid of me. My control returned just long enough for me to recognize the need for an apology. Before it could leave my lips, however, the bell rang and I was out the door. I dropped my books at my locker and hurried from the building. Once I was out of sight, I took off full speed into the forest.

I ran far north, seeking out prey. The moment I smelled the mountain lion's familiar scent, I sped in its direction. My teeth were in its neck before it was aware of my presence and I drained it of every last drop of blood like a greedy babe at its mother's breast.

Still, the thirst burned. I hunted another and another and another until nausea replaced the thirst. I accepted the substitution gladly, relieved. The animal blood hadn't been nearly as satisfying as I knew Human blood to be, but it would do.

I sat for some time on the forest floor, trying to come up with a plausible solution to my problem. I at last reached the conclusion that it would be best for both Isabella and I if I switched to another science in addition to avoiding her as much as possible.

I sighed in annoyance as my best option was met by resistance that could only be fate's way of having a laugh at my expense.

"But there must be another science class available to replace it with."

I froze when I heard the door open and was even less prepared for the assault upon my senses than I had been in Biology. I clenched my teeth and fought against my instinct to growl. I turned sharply and there she stood, staring in awe. Damn her for being so irresistible. I returned my attention to the receptionist.

"Never mind," I bit out. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you for your help."

I exited the building as quickly as my feet would carry me. My first instinct was to consult with Carlisle. He would know exactly what to do. But a part of me was embarrassed about my baser reaction to her and I couldn't imagine discussing things of that nature with the man who had become like a father to me. Torn, I at last decided that her safety and my sanity were more important than my own pride. With a resigned sigh, I slid into the Volvo and took off toward our home.


No one else was home yet, for which I was infinitely grateful. I wasn't certain I could endure Emmett's constant jibes about this most sensitive subject. He already harassed me for my archaic beliefs regarding pre-marital intercourse.

I found Carlisle precisely where I had predicted he would be—in his study. I rapped my knuckles against the door and Carlisle looked up from the book he was perusing, a smile sliding across his lips.

"I wondered when you would come to me," he joked.

I sighed, wishing not for the first time that I had some secrets from my family. He motioned me into the room and I slid into the lounge chair beside his desk. "You know why I'm here, then," I offered.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of, Edward," he soothed. "While we are vampires, we still have the same needs that any man would. You are obviously attracted to her."

I nodded. "It's most peculiar. While her blood calls to me more urgently than any other, I feel a desperate need to be with her—something beyond her blood's call."

He smiled. "There is a belief that there is one true partner for each of us—a mirrored image of sorts," he explained. "It is very rare for one to meet their destined partner and as such, it is a gift. These meetings happen swiftly and often in the most unexpected ways. By all accounts, it is the most powerful force in this world or any other and will change you forever."

"So you think that I should delve deeper?" I asked.

"I think, Edward, that you should follow your heart," he added. "After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, even for a vampire."


I took a few days away from school to evaluate my situation. From his thoughts, I knew Carlisle was worried about me. However, he said nothing aloud. I spent those days hunting regularly, my thirst returning with a vengeance each time I recalled her scent.

Along with the thirst came a desire so powerful that I was forced to resort to solo stimulation several times daily to stake the fire that my wild imagination ignited. I imagined Isabella in numerous positions, her cheeks flushed with pleasure and her eyes filled with a lust that reflected my own.

I felt the shame engulf me as I imagined her pert mouth around my arousal, her head bobbing up and down, but the sensations the images invoked made me come harder than I had in my one hundred years. Never had I wanted a woman as I wanted her. Damn my luck that the woman I desired above all others was Human and so very fragile at that.