I sat in my favorite spot in the woods, Edward glittering brilliantly by my side. We had been inseparable for days, marriage obviously affecting us in a way I never thought it would. I was yet to be turned into a vampire, enjoying my last few months as a human in the last place I would ever be human, Forks. It had been my home for over a year now, and even though I hated it in the beginning, I'd grown to love the cool weather, the pebbly beaches and even more, the people. Well, just the vampires and werewolves. So really just the monsters with the exception of a few people, and I was sure they couldn't be normal since I wasn't exactly what one would call normal. I had to say my good-byes when I got married, knowing those good-byes would be forever. Despite this one major event, life had been somewhat peaceful. No strange murders, no vampires were stalking me, except maybe the Volturi, but I didn't have to worry about that much longer.
Edward stroked my cheek gently, making me shiver, bending into his touch happily. A sick part of me loved being married, loved being Mrs. Edward Cullen, enjoyed the title. Most of me still felt a little reluctant to admit that I was married and eighteen, too soon to be nineteen. I never wanted to be nineteen, not ever. Edward would love if I waited, but it would make me sick. Summer just started and I had months before my birthday, but I didn't want to take my chances, still afraid that he was going to change his mind at the last minute. But as we sat together in silence, he looked at me with his golden eyes, and I knew he would never go back on his word. The expression was loving, almost smug. I had no idea why. I didn't think I was anything to be smug about. Every time I looked at our wedding pictures I cringed. I hated how I looked so plain in comparison to this Greek god, this absolute Adonis. The only thought that comforted me was soon I would match him, and I would look just as beautiful in comparison. I would no longer be held back by my mortal plainness. Though every time I voiced this thought he just shook his head like I was an idiot.
Nothing would make me change my mind about this particular issue. I didn't want to be plain and old, it was too much of an antithesis to Edward's flawless youth. The never-changing face, the wise golden eyes, the crooked smile. Those would all be mine forever. This warmed me inside, knowing that Edward would be mine forever, including his beauty. And I was his. Finally, I truly belonged to him. And at this moment we were alone and together, not worrying about friends or family or vampires or . . . werewolves. When left to my own thoughts, I still wondered about Jacob Black, who very reluctantly came to my wedding and Sam Uley very reluctantly called a truce for me. It was nice of him, but I gathered it was more because of the vampire war just a few months prior and not much of anything else. Knowing I would never be able to return to La Push, and probably not even Forks after a certain point was almost painful. I once remembered when I couldn't wait to leave, now I clung to it in hopeless defeat. But it wasn't defeat, it was a turning of my life, a brand new chapter. I pushed this from my mind, now staring up at the blue sky, running a hand across the top of the grass, grabbing a few flowers in my wake. Then I turned back to Edward, who was staring at me lovingly, his golden eyes burning deep into me. Even though he couldn't read my mind, he read every emotion that flitted across my now-blushing face. He smiled crookedly and I knew I blushed more.
Then his body changed. Everything was still, and he was a statue, scowling into the dark woods. I couldn't see anything or hear anything. I became nervous. Another vampire? Or perhaps one of the La Push Quileutes? I couldn't be sure. Then he stood up, dragging me up with him, hunching over into a crouched position. My heart fluttered and he pulled me closer to his side, a low growl rising from his chest. I cursed how easily things could turn when your day seemed perfect and absolutely flawless. There was no chance of peace while I was still human. Vampires were too curious, and to them, I was made of glass. Finally, I heard something, a rustling and a dragging, like someone was being dragged through the woods. My throat went dry as I stared at the direction of which is was coming. Edward used himself as a barricade between us. I trembled in fear. Then, in what felt like an eternity, a small woman, clutching her bloody side, appeared into the clearing from the woods. She had one small hand outstretched, her face twisted in agony. At first I thought she was human, but then the sun began reflecting off her skin like diamonds, brilliant and bright. Her eyes weren't red, but they weren't gold either. They were a warm, melted chocolate color. The chocolate eyes were so big on her small face, and her pouted lips were apart, forming an agonized O. She suddenly fell to the ground, her ashy blonde hair falling around her like a halo. Her breathing came quick and short. Edward rushed to her, dragging me along and moved her hand away from her side. I was nearly sick at the sight.
Along her ribs were three ragged gashes, that were somewhat healing, but not nearly fast enough for her to not lose any blood. There were dark circles under her eyes, like two black eyes, and her skin was pasty and pale. I was suddenly terrified for this creature, groaning and sighing underneath the wound. Edward threw her over his shoulder with little effort, then grabbed me like a football underneath his arm and sped out of the clearing and into the overcast light. We sped to the house while this beautiful dying vampire was moaning in the backseat, clutching her wound. Blood squeezed through her fingers. I held my breath, ignoring the churning in my stomach. It would all be over soon. I jumped out of the car, Edward two steps in front of me with the woman in his arms. A trail of blood followed them. We were met by Carlisle and Emmett, who were getting ready to go hunting in the morning. They looked horrified. For once Emmett didn't have anything funny to say. His face was absolutely shocked. Obviously they didn't encounter too many injured vampires.
"Where did she come from?" Carlisle asked, his actions too quick for me to see. He had laid her in the kitchen. Blood heaved out again and I turned away and concentrated on Edward's businesslike expression.
"The clearing. Bella and I were there, and she appeared from the woods. She's been traveling through Canada and Alaska and was attacked by something."
"Attacked? What could possibly have done that?"
Edward hesitated but Emmett growled angrily, his chest heaving.
"Werewolves! Dammit, Carlisle! I knew this would come back to haunt us! We should've never trusted those filthy dogs!"
"Emmett, please," Carlisle said calmly. "This wasn't a Quiluete attack. They don't leave the reservation. If it was a werewolf, it was one that we don't know about. It probably happened in Canada," he added thoughtfully.
"It did," Edward said matter-of-factly. "And it was a werewolf. None that we've ever seen though. It was bigger. That's all she can think of. Her brain is going so fast, I can barely keep up with her thoughts."
"Will she be all right, Carlisle?" I asked quietly.
"Yes, Bella, don't worry. I just need you to leave. Edward, take her into the living room. I don't know if this vampire is like us. She may attack."
As soon as Carlisle spoke these words, the vampire lashed out and grabbed Emmett's huge arm. Her hand looked childlike compared to Emmett. Her fingernails dug into his arm and she snarled in pain. Emmett just looked down at her in shock. It took real force to get her fingers unstuck from his flesh. The marks she left healed quickly but he still rubbed his arm in surprise.
"Damn," he whispered. "She's strong."
Edward led me out of the room quickly, closing the door securely behind him. Outside the door were Alice and Jasper, who were looking concerned. Alice rose up and greeted me happily, but looked at Edward in concern. He shook his head, answering her unspoken question. She still fidgeted and took me under her arm. Edward looked back at the kitchen warily. Alice's hair wasn't in its usual spiky style. Instead it was flatter, smoothed down to her head and curled slightly. It made her look like a flapper from the 1920's. Jasper was wearing the same expression as Edward, very worried, and even began pacing.
"So you saw blood and didn't throw up," Alice commented offhandedly, trying to distract me. "I knew you'd get over that."
"It's not that. I . . . I just have never seen a vampire injured like that. All the injuries I've seen have healed quickly. She was barely healing at all. Why?"
"I don't know. I can't see werewolves, remember? I didn't see her coming because all she could think of was the werewolf that attacked her. Jasper wants to go in there to calm her down, but he's afraid."
I nearly choked. Jasper? Afraid? This vampire was Alice's size, maybe a little bigger, but definitely smaller than me. She looked fragile, not even strong enough to break a pencil. And now that she was suffering from this odd werewolf attack, she looked even more fragile.
"What for? She's tiny!" I exclaimed, surprised.
Jasper just shook his head silently. Edward answered for him.
"Looks are deceiving, Bella. That's how you get hurt. We just have to wait. Emmett and Carlisle can restrain her if they need to. But we have to stay out here for the time being. Jasper just doesn't want to take his chances."
I nodded, understanding that. In case this vampire was dangerous, Jasper didn't want to be the one to kill her.
About an hour passed. We all were just pacing around, occasionally hearing a vehement snarl or a painful whine. Carlisle emerged from the kitchen, like he was coming out of the operating room to talk to the patient's family. Now all that was left was the news. He smiled easily, and it lit up his face. Then he waved Edward into the kitchen. Edward pulled me along, despite my resistance. I saw the beautiful, pale vampire sitting at the kitchen table, looking exhausted. She turned her face up to look at us. Edward's body was a barrier between us. She smiled warmly at this. All she did was examine my face with her melted chocolate eyes that were extremely calm. I smiled back. I couldn't stop myself. She was just so beautiful, I couldn't peel my eyes away from her face. Despite her small size, her energy was warm and made her appear tall. Soft light brown hair hung in her eyes and around her face like a golden shawl. Her delicate hands were folded together, her pinkies tapping the table lightly. I knew my mouth was open as I looked at her, but she deserved that kind of compliment. Her small lips pouted naturally, and were in no way thin. Even her chin was perfect, with a slight dimple in it that was only prominent when she smiled broadly at us. Even as a vampire she had an Earthy beauty that was completely undescribable. She held a bloody hand out to Edward so they could shake hands. He gladly took it. Apparently vampire blood had no affect on them.
"I'm Gwen Bartlett. I'm sorry to scare your wife, I know she's human and has had some bad experiences with strange vampires." Her alto voice was so soothing, like a lullaby.
Edward was taken aback by her accurate evaluation of the situation. I nodded fervently at this and she giggled. It was like music.
"I'm Edward, though I'm sure you already know everything about me, and this is my wife Bella. We weren't too scared, but Bella hasn't been turned yet and I didn't want anything to happen in the meantime."
"Bella," she crooned. I thought I was going to faint. My name hadn't sounded so good since Edward first said it. "Oath of God."
"Huh?" I asked faintly.
"That's what Bella means. Oath of God. Or is it Isabella?"
"Isabella." It sounded like poetry from her mouth. From mine it sounded like a garbled mess. She smiled at me, her pouted lips curling upwards, the chocolate eyes warm. I wanted to touch her face. I imagined it would be very smooth and cool.
"That's such a beautiful name. Gwen is so plain. So common. I don't really like Gwen. I wish I'd been named Isabella. That's so . . . exotic."
I laughed, except it sounded sad and pathetic. She laughed along with me, but her laughter filled the room like bells, like someone was singing opera in that very room. I hated her. Never in my life had I wanted to be a vampire more than at that moment.
"Anyway Gwen, is there a place for you to stay?" Edward asked, looking at me from the corner of his eye, probably questioning my sanity.
"Uhm, no, actually. I was hoping I could . . . stay with you. I don't eat much," she smiled, with a wink. Edward actually laughed. His voice sounded just as beautiful, like he was harmonizing with her still not faded laugh. "But, if you don't have the room, I could find somewhere else to stay."
"Don't be ridiculous," Carlisle interjected gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here, we love the company. And since you don't cheat . . . ." The question was meant to be leading to an answer. She simply smiled.
"No, I don't. I've never drank human blood. I've never changed anyone. I suppose you think that's silly, but I don't have the heart to take a human life. Every time I get hungry and have the urge, I think of my son's face and remember that that person is someone's son or daughter. That's how I've fought it all these years."
"How many years?" Carlisle asked, genuinely interested.
"Nearly sixty years. I was born in 1930, and I was changed in 1950. Pretty even, right? It happened right before my twenty-first birthday, October 13. I was devastated because I had no idea what was going on. No one ever explained it to me. I was attacked, and then the next morning I woke up in excruciating pain, and a few days later I woke up and was no longer Gwen the human. I didn't know what I was. I had to read about a hundred books before I got anything concrete. And then I was visited by a few Volturi members, Jane and Felix. They explained everything to me. Reminded me to never walk our into bright sunlight lest I reveal myself as something very unnatural. That's why they visited actually. Because I walked out of my apartment and my skin looked like one of those crystal light refractors, you know? It was so strange, and Jane threatened to kill me. She has unusual powers. She was slightly intimidated by me. Can't imagine why. You and I are alike, Bella. Jane tried to use her power on me and nothing happened. Not even imagined pain. Felix told me I was strong, stronger than most vampires, and I would adapt quickly and easily. Said he had every faith in me. I believed him. I'm not worried about you, Bella Swan." My eyebrows shot up when she said my last name. "You will adapt quickly too. Plus you have a strong family. Family is key, even when you're dealing with monsters and ghoulies." She wiggled her fingers mysteriously at me and raised one eyebrow, obviously intending to look somewhat evil. It just made me giggle.
"Is your side okay? You were pretty beat up from what we saw. Is it true that you . . . were attacked by werewolves?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
"Yes, that's true. Don't worry, they were none of yours. I just need to talk to Sam Uley about boundaries that maybe he knows of that I don't."
"No!" I cried out, a little too loudly. She didn't looked at all surprised.
"Please, Bella, you have to come with me because they don't know me. They know you. And since I'm a vampire I don't know what they consider to be against pack law. You know, like me going into the reservation. We just need to go one time and then that's it. Please?"
When she said 'please' the last time, it was like someone was hypnotizing me, and I couldn't help but say yes. Slowly I nodded. Extremely unwillingly, too. I dreaded seeing Jacob Black, whose love and friendship I'd given up so that I could marry Edward. I did love Jacob, but I slowly was able to get over him. Besides, I knew exactly what would happen if I separated myself from Edward. I cringed at the thought of him not being in my life. Gwen smiled sagely at me, like she'd seen my entire life in one instant. I'd never felt so exposed to any one person, and I didn't like the feeling. I felt . . . naked. But in spite of my best interests, I agreed to accompany her to La Push. Edward came too, but promised to stay in the car. He, however, did not owe Jacob anything. Edward was far too respectful to Jacob than Jacob ever deserved. Gwen refused to stop talking while we drove, but Edward was extremely interested. She lounged in the backseat while he talked to her earnestly. She talked about her son, her ex-husband, who was most likely elderly or dead by now, her grandchildren who she'd never officially met, her grave that was marked only by her name and "expiration date" as she called it. Laughingly she told us about how she carved a Dylan Thomas poem into the headstone. She and Edward recited it in unison.
"'Do not go gentle into that good night/ Old age should burn and rage at close of day/ Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'"
I loathed her. Okay, admittedly I was jealous because she and Edward were very similar. They both were vampires, very beautiful and had some unspeakable hold over me. The only difference was she could read my thoughts and he only wished he could. Also, they knew poetry by heart, poetry I never even bothered to memorize. Then again, when you have one-hundred and fifty years respectively to kill, memorization seems not that bad of an idea. However, her voice was like music and I couldn't stop listening when she ended the poem with the last two verses, Edward in about as much awe as me.
"'Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight/ Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay/ Rage, rage against the dying of the light./ And you, my father, there on the sad height/ Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray/ Do not go gentle into that good night/ Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'"
Frankly, I was impressed she took so much time to sound better than any Shakespearian actor I'd ever heard in my entire life. Next to her, they seemed like second-graders who could barely form coherent sentences. Suddenly she clapped her hands together and laughed hysterically. Edward suppressed a grin, but the darkness reached his eyes. I knew that the pack was already waiting there for our arrival. Sure enough, I was right. Standing in a triangle formation were the ten werewolves, exactly how I remember them, arms crossed in complete uniform, legs apart in a warrior's stance, scowling darkly. Sam Uley headed the pack, but right next to him was Jacob Black. His hair was buzzed again, not long anymore. Guilt surged inside me and I suppressed it from overflowing. As soon as Edward stopped the car, I slowly emerged from the passenger side, wanting the ring on my left hand to dissolve. Gwen was two steps in front of me, and I heard a collective growl from the pack. She was completely unafraid. She confronted them, also crossing her arms. She was so tiny, even Leah Clearwater made her look like a dwarf. This didn't assuage her one bit. I stood by her side, unable to look intimidating at all. Jacob made an effort to avoid my eyes and instead looked over my head and into the woods. He hadn't even looked at Gwen. It was like he was somewhere else completely, his black eyes a dark pool of unknown thoughts. Not even Quil or Embry acknowledged my presence, but looked a little awestruck at the sight of Gwen. At least they saw something they liked. Leah looked nervously at her brother, Seth Clearwater, whose mouth was hanging open in absolute shock. Sam was the only other besides Jacob who looked serious and completely focused. His jaw clenched and unclenched and she smiled, looking quite impish.
"Sam Uley?" she asked. Of course she already knew.
"You know that," he replied. "Bella." he acknowledged with a brief glance and a nod. I wanted to shrink away and die.
"I have a little scar that a werewolf gave me. Which is quite unusual because as you know, vampires heal exceptionally fast. Now, I was attacked in Canada. Is this your entire pack?" She looked over the entire pack, then caught Jacob's eye. Suddenly he looked like someone punched him in the gut. His eyes bugged out and his lips pursed tightly, making them look very white. The muscles in his chest and arms contracted as he squeezed himself tightly, trying to block his heart, as it appeared. I thought I saw him blush underneath the russet skin, and I looked over at Gwen, completely dumbfounded.
Her expression shocked me even more. The breeze blew perfectly through her hair, casting it across her brow, her lips were open slightly and the expression in her eyes looked like she'd just seen her brand newborn infant. Amazement and unabashed wonder. If it was possible, this expression made her look even lovelier. I swore that I heard music playing. I looked between the two, and then turned back to Edward, whose eyebrows were almost in his hairline. He was just as shocked as me. Suddenly Sam Uley growled loudly and all three of us jumped, even Gwen, who looked surprised to even see Sam standing there.
"You were saying?" he asked gruffly.
"Oh!" Her voice was raised an octave, and she cleared her throat, most likely out of habit. "Yes, your pack, is this everyone in your pack?"
"This is everyone. What I can do is take my pack up to Canada and look for the renegade wolves for you. How many attacked you?"
"Three. All three were black and enormous. Obviously I was terrified. Luckily for me the Cullens took me in and Dr. Cullen treated me very well. The scars will heal soon."
"May I?" Sam asked, motioning at her waist.
"Yes." She lifted up her shirt to show the three light pink scars that had been so vicious and gushing blood before. Even I looked at them in interest. I almost didn't see her eyes flash past me and look at Jacob, but when I turned around, Jacob was making the same exact face as he was before, looking very severe and embarrassed like someone had just told everyone something extremely personal about him. I was confused. "So you see, Sam, this is dangerous, and goes against what you practice here. I didn't kill any of them, I don't even think I got an injury, so you'll have nothing to look for. But, you know, be careful. They are dangerous creatures and I shudder to think any of you could be hurt by these rouge creatures."
Once again her eyes fell on Jacob, fifty years of loneliness reflected perfectly in her flawless face. He looked pained, absolutely tortured, then he looked at me. He frowned. I had no idea what was going on. What had I done? What was going on? He saw the confusion on my face and he winked, a small smile on his lips. Anything to avoid this beautiful creature at my side? His eyes focused on the woods again, and I let everything that had just happened mull around in my head. No answers came at all. I was completely lost.
"All right, Miss Bartlett," Sam said in a cowboy sort of way, "we'll take a look for you, but if we don't find anything, I don't think you should be coming back to the border."
Her head tilted to the side, eyes wide with innocence. I nearly laughed in amazement. All the men in the pack but Sam shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, eyes shifting around to avoid the large melted chocolate irises that seemed to still somehow burn into your very core. I imagined despite her smell, they would find her very attractive. Finally with a smile, she turned around, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to Edward's shiny silver Volvo. I tried to wave good-bye to Jacob but they had all changed and ran back into the woods. I sighed unhappily as she practically tossed me into the front seat as she jumped into the back.
"Drive," she growled, pressing her hands to the sides of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and rocked back and forth. Edward did what she asked with no argument and sped back to the Cullens' house. He got out of the car, but Gwen was two steps ahead of him, pulling me out of the car. I hadn't even seen her get out or open my door. "Bella . . . just think about everything Jacob Black has told you about werewolves. Everything! Now!"
Startled, I stared into her beautiful eyes and thought as hard as I could about Jacob and all the legends, and the random facts, everything about Sam and Emily . . . then it dawned on me. Gwen pursed her lips viciously and sped back into the woods.
"No!" Edward yelled after her, taking off as quickly. I was left standing there, so instead I jumped back into the car and drove after the two.
When I got to them, Edward had his arms around her tiny frame like cages. He was talking very quickly in her ear. I couldn't even see what he was saying his lips were moving so quickly. Clearly she had relaxed enough for Edward's lips to be that close to her pale ear. I clenched the steering wheel tightly, fighting the urge of running her over. Just as I had the thought, her head shot up in my direction and she walked extremely quickly over to me, crawling into the backseat. Edward didn't fight with me about driving.
"What's going on?" I asked, honestly confused.
"Don't you see, Bella?" Edward explained softly. "It's Jacob. He's imprinted onto Gwen, here."
"A bird and a fish can love but where will they live?" she quoted quietly. "Maybe I should've waited a day to meet with the pack. I had no idea . . . ."
"Well, what if you didn't have a day. What if the werewolves were coming back for you. I have a lot of experience in that kind of field. Except with vampires. But, you guys don't have to be together, do you? Does imprinting always work like that?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Edward said, nodding gravely. Apparently this was devastating news to the vampire community of Forks. "He hasn't just imprinted onto her. Remember la tua cantante?"
"That's what the Volturi said about you and I, right? That my blood sings for you."
"Right, exactly."
"I'm confused. I thought vampires and werewolves were natural enemies and I thought you guys thought that each one or the other stinks really badly."
"Gwen doesn't smell like the rest of us. She's unique."
"Why?"
"I'm not exactly sure. It's just the same as why Jane can't hurt you or why I can't read your thoughts."
"And that all your boyfriends have been mythological creatures," Gwen interjected sardonically, hands still on her face.
Edward laughed coolly. I didn't like the fact that he appreciated Gwen's cold sense of humor, especially at the benefit of my personal thoughts. I scowled as I drove back to the house. When I parked, Edward helped me, then helped Gwen out of the car, except she refused his hand. I watched her walk back up the steps to the house, her walk more like she was preparing for battle rather than Alice's swift dance. I was deeply impressed by her, her beauty laced with a certain amount of masculinity. It was exactly the sort of person I always hoped to be. When I looked back at Edward, he was smiling at me, his golden eyes smouldering. I know I blushed at this moment. He crossed over to me, kissing me lightly on the lips.
"Is everything all right?" he asked. "I know it's been quite a day. Are you sure you're able to deal with everything here? I can help you cope if you need me to."
"Well, maybe . . . I'm just confused, I didn't know werewolves could imprint on anyone. I thought it was mainly humans. Plus in the story Jacob said that vampires are the natural enemy of werewolves."
"I honestly couldn't say, Bella. I wish I could be of more help. I could hear every thought. Jacob was practically yelling in my ear," he said grumpily.
"What was he thinking?" I was a little too anxious to know, but Edward chose to ignore my eagerness.
"He was thinking about Gwen. As soon as he saw her he . . . well, some of it was inappropriate, so I think we shouldn't say all of it. But mainly he was thinking that he was in love, and then cursing himself for thinking such heinous thoughts about a vampire. He was disgusted with himself but entirely enthralled by our lovely new addition."
"Do you think she's beautiful?" I tried to sound offhanded. I doubt it worked because he smiled and kissed me with some force behind it.
"You have my heart, remember? No one will ever take it away unless you choose to give it away. I don't want you to. I want my heart to only belong to you. Oddly enough, I know how Jacob feels. That was exactly what I thought the first time I ever saw you. You have no idea how much I need you, from that day to now. My lovely wife." He ran his long fingers through my hair, looking at me like I may break if he was too rough. I sighed, still relishing the feeling. "Let's go inside. Our little girl will want to see our guest room."
"You have a guest room? Why?"
"Well, Alice just made it up today. Usually it's just an empty room, occasionally used for board games and gambling."
"Oh! That makes perfect sense, I think."
We walked upstairs, Edward leading the way, to find Alice and Gwen sitting on a brown leather sofa, somewhat worn and aged, but it looked comfortable and cool. They were listening to music, harmonizing gently. Alice found a new friend in Gwen, someone who could openly sing the alto parts to Alice's soft soprano. Gwen easily overpowered Alice with the little force she was using. I cringed when I realized they were listening to show tunes. Alice was surely delighted, since I wasn't necessarily the biggest show tunes fan. I hardly even enjoyed musicals. They finally acknowledged our presence, and Alice was grinning ear-to-ear. I wondered when I could join them there, and look just as beautiful. Look like I fit in to this crowd of people. Gwen turned to me with a smirk on her face, a devilish look in her eyes, and beckoned me with one finger.
"'I am your angel of music/ Come to me angel of music,'"she sang to me in a tenor, which was surprising for someone so small.
Edward rolled his eyes and flopped effortlessly on the couch in between them. I followed, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Gwen smiled gently at me.
"What were you singing?" I asked.
"Phantom of the Opera," she replied simply. "I know you don't really like music, but you will. You just need to find your muse. Then everything will fall into place."
"I doubt it highly. Music isn't really my thing. I'm not musical at all."
"Not even a little? Well, I played violin for eight years while I was in school, and then after I turned, I picked it up again. The quick notes were no longer quick. They were rather slow. It's was nice to not feel like you're getting carpal tunnel syndrome from playing Hungarian Dance No. 5."
"I loathe Brahms," Edward replied with that crooked grin set in place.
"Oh, I know! While I was still human I thought I would fall over after that piece. It was so difficult. Apparently Brahms never wrote for people who actually played violin."
As they prattled on about Brahms or whoever, I felt like they were speaking a foreign language. Alice tried to keep me engaged with her laptop, showing me different music that she hoped I may enjoy somewhat. I couldn't enjoy anything while my husband was talking to a pint-sized devil. Gwen turned her large on me. I immediately felt guilty. The corner of her lips turned up in a small smile. I imagined her face would be very smooth to the touch. Suddenly I had an insane urge to touch her. Was that why Edward enjoyed her company so much? Because she was beautiful? Or intelligent and an artist? Then why would Jacob enjoy her so much? I was reeling from the morning, unable to keep up with everything that had happened all at once. Would things be like this forever now? Until I became a vampire? No answers came. I was completely lost.
After about a week with Gwen in the Cullen house, I became more accustomed to her unusual behavior, even for a vampire. Since she was such a young vampire, she was more like a human than any of the other Cullens. The one person she related to the most, oddly enough, was Emmett. She and Emmett would steal away and drive around in his off-roading Jeep, coming back breathless with laughter, her hair absolutely wild from the wind. Rosalie never seemed concerned, however. I would be concerned. Some home wrecking vampire was stealing her husband. Though the first person Emmett always greeted with a kiss was Rosalie. Gwen was greeted with a punch on the arm and a headlock. This wasn't necessarily love. But it could've been for Emmett. They were wild when they got together. Racing through the woods, arm wrestling and who could hunt the fastest. Competition could be love. I wasn't sure. Ever since Gwen arrived, I wasn't sure of anything anymore. She was so wild, so Earthy, but not evil like Victoria was. Just a lovely little creature that enjoyed to sit on the edge of the world.
One morning I woke up and she was standing in the middle of the living room, wearing her typical tight-fitting jeans, a hunting vest over a thermal long-sleeved shirt. She was barefoot and swaying to music that was unfamiliar to me. She turned when I came in, standing on her toes.
"Hello Bella," she said smilingly. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"Yeah, I guess so. What are you doing?"
"Listening to Bob Dylan. Do you want to join me?"
"In . . . listening?"
"Yes! He's an amazing poet, don't you think?"
"Uhm, I don't really listen to Bob Dylan."
She looked at me, completely appalled. Rushing to me, she grabbed my wrist and threw me down on the couch. She leaned down in front of me, cupping a hand behind her ear.
"Listen," she whispered dramatically.
I did. I didn't hear what she was hearing. Maybe I had to be older to understand. Though when she was turned she was twenty, not too much older than me. And she was already divorced with a son. The pain in her face definitely made me think that she missed her son. I couldn't control myself. I had to ask.
"Do you miss your son?" I blurted out.
She stopped swaying and stared at me. We were like this for a while, my face turning a brilliant shade of red. Then she smiled, looking at me like her own child.
"Yes, I do. I miss him a lot. Sometimes I visit him," she said, somewhat nervous. "I see his sons and now his granddaughters and grandsons. I'm scared to go near them. Edward probably already told you that humans naturally stay away from us. They are deterred by us. You're an anomaly. Completely unique. So was I. Look where it got me."
"Do you wish that you were human?"
Again, she stared at me. Then she leaned down in front of me and kissed my forehead. The act made my throat tighten. I had no idea why. Maybe I missed Renee. It was too easy to miss her. However, I took this response as a yes. Then she did something very self-conscious. She sat next to me, pulling her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and blinked her long eyelashes at me.
"Tell me about Jacob Black," she said in a childlike voice.
"Oh!" I replied in complete and utter surprise. "Okay . . . well, he used to be my best friend –"
"After Edward left."
"Yeah, after Edward left Forks. He was a really good friend to me."
"Until you fell in love with each other."
"Uhm, yeah, until we fell in love but I chose Edward."
"Because you can't live without Edward, which I can't blame you."
"Wait, what does that mean?"
"Edward is so easy to fall in love with. He's handsome and smart, warm and kind, brilliant taste in music and books and an amazing pianist. That's why I married my first husband."
"But you and your husband are divorced."
"Yes, well, he cheated on me constantly. And was an alcoholic. One can only be forgiven so many times before they are given up on. Plus he made me drop out of school."
"Why?"
"Because I got pregnant right after I got married. Though it was never Davey's fault. I loved that boy with all my heart. My husband was somewhat cruel to me, but I loved him. I was young and foolish. I got seduced so easily by someone who was very apt at seducing. 'O! I am fortune's fool.' And I was foolish. But you're so lucky. You and Edward are so perfectly matched. He is so handsome, and you are so beautiful. I don't even think you realize how wonderfully lovely you are."
"Me?" I choked.
"Yes you!" she mimicked my choked voice. "You and all of your silly fashions and the way you blush so brightly whenever you get flustered! I can very easily see why Edward has fallen for you so quickly. It's not just your blood." She paused and looked at me with inquisitive eyes. Then they lit up. "Let's go to La Push!"
"You're not allowed in La Push!" I cried as she jumped up and jogged gracefully to the kitchen.
"No, I'm not, but they'll see me coming. I'll have to see Jacob Black. He will have to come to me, my angel of music." She sighed longingly and turned to me. "Please, Bella, you must! 'He is my love, nay he is my life!' Please, Bella?"
"Oh . . . oh, all right! I'm such a sucker for begging."
"Yay! I'll drive."
"Oh goodie, impending doom, just what I need."
I hurried upstairs and got dressed quickly, just tossing on whatever. I saw her anxiously pacing as I descended the steps at a safe enough pace so I had no chance of tripping. She'd tied her hair in a ponytail. She looked almost human besides her exponential beauty. Her face turned up in excitement. That sort of happiness was undeniable. I beamed a smile.
"Aren't you excited?" she asked, clearly excited enough for the both of us.
"Yes, somewhat. I'm not looking forward to people giving me evil looks."
"Oh, nevermind that! Who cares?"
"I care."
"Hm."
As she grabbed her keys, we walked outside and my jaw fell open. There was a glistening brand new apple red jeep sitting in the driveway, looking quite merry. She grinned at my amazement.
"What . . . who?" I stuttered.
"Emmett and I just bought it yesterday. Do you like it? God, I love it. I can't wait till Emmett and I can go driving around in it."
"You guys actually bought this?"
"Hell yes."
As she drove she hummed, lips pushed into in a small smile.
"What are you singing?" I asked innocently.
"Oh, you wouldn't like it. It's from a musical." She gave me a sly glance.
"Which musical?"
"Sweeny Todd. Remember, the movie came out a little while go."
"I never go to the movies."
"Never? You're really missing out."
She began singing a very sorrowful ballad. She started singing a low tenor, then switched to a high alto, her lips curling perfectly around each syllable. It was true, while she sang, I wished that I had seen Sweeny Todd. If everyone sang as beautifully as she did, even in her low alto, I would be very impressed.
"You're really good," I commented. "How come you didn't become a professional."
She shrugged. "Probably because of the Volturi. Why do you think Edward keeps all of his talents hidden away from the world. Even he can sing very well. The song I sang is supposed to be a duet, and we sang it just the other day. Does he sing to you?"
"He hums me to sleep."
"Emmett has a nice voice, too. He only sings in the woods, though, where only I can hear him. Of course he sings to Rosalie when no one's looking. It would completely ruin his reputation if people heard him sing," she added jokingly.
"Emmett has a nice voice?" I tried to imagine him bellowing out a song in the woods. I couldn't. I just smiled at the thought, fighting the urge to laugh.
As we sped along, she kept singing, each song morose. Some I recognized from movies, others I had never heard in my life.
"What song do you know by heart?"
"I have no idea. Edward's lullaby I suppose."
"What about Disney songs? From movies? I know Can You Feel The Love Tonight completely by heart. I saw my granddaughter perform it at school for her third grade talent show. A girl after my own heart."
She sang it loudly, gesticulating grandly, not bothering to pay attention to the road. I gripped the wheel nervously, spellbound by her voice. It was slightly exaggerated, and of course amusing because she didn't seem like the kind of person who watched Disney movies. While she was singing loudly, accelerating too, I saw Jacob standing at the invisible boundary line, arms crossed until he saw Gwen acting completely ridiculous, then his arms simply fell down to his sides. Clearly he could hear her. As we screeched to a halt, she pointed to Jacob and sang directly to his face. His lips pursed, and a dark scowl formed across his face. I knew that face, and I dreaded leaving the bright red Jeep. As soon as they looked into each others' eyes, it was like Elizabeth Bennett meeting Mr. Darcy for the first time. Absolutely perfect. We got out of the car, and Gwen walked to him without even thinking. He looked so vulnerable, so completely helpless. Not often did I see someone who was 6'7" bend to the will of someone who was 5'2".
"Hello, Jacob Black," she said dreamily. He blinked, unable to speak.
"Hi Jake!" I waved, knowing he wouldn't even notice my presence. "Jake, you remember Gwen, right? She wanted to come talk to you today."
"About the werewolves in Canada. Did you and your pack go to Canada? Did you find anything?"
"Y-yes, we went to Canada. We only found a faint trace of whatever you saw. That's all."
"I didn't just see it. I was attacked by it. Well, at least you caught something."
"Yes we did. If it makes you feel any better, Sam stayed in Canada for an extra week to determine what it could be."
"No!" she yelled out. I jumped at the sudden exclamation. Her face was livid, teeth bared in frustration. "It's too dangerous! He's only one! He could never fight off three!"
"A little faith," Jacob grumbled, looking angry again. "Just because you couldn't fight them off."
"Could you? A young werewolf barely with the concentration to stop yourself from killing the people around you, could you fight off three grown werewolves?" Her voice was acid. I looked warily at Jacob's face, but he was conceding, bending. I almost wished he would fight back, like he used to with me. It wasn't fair, why wasn't he fighting back?
"That may be true. But Sam can handle it. You being a young vampire shouldn't be wandering around alone anyway."
"I could snap your arm off with a twist of my fingers, I can wander around alone if I want to! It seems to me that a young vampire broke you, Jacob Black."
The banter was almost unbearable. I was stuck in the middle of a vampire and a werewolf, and I wondered if it was worth breaking the treaty to kill each other. Still I watched from the sidelines like I was watching the beginning of a wrestling match, smack talk first, fighting second. They were leaning towards each other with enough force between them to light a fire.
"You bloodsuckers think you're so wonderful because you can read our minds, our personal thoughts, and we can't read yours. Why don't you go back to where you came from?"
"Why don't you just make me?" The challenge seemed completely honest. I cringed.
"Maybe I will."
"Maybe you should. Prove to me what sort of man you are, Jacob Black."
"Stop saying my name like that!" he growled through gritted teeth.
"What? Jacob Black? Like that? Jacob Black! Jacob Black! JACOB BLACK!"
"Stop it you two!" I finally cried, stepping in the middle of them. "Why can't you just be nice for once? You'd think you were in love or something." I had to say it.
Jacob stiffened immediately, standing up straight. Gwen looked away, sulking deeply, folding her arms over her chest. The tension was palpable. Neither of them were fighting fair because neither of them knew how to be in love. They were fumbling through this newfound affection, and would never be able to get rid of each other in the meantime. I sighed in exasperation, letting my arms fall to my sides. I watched Jacob's face carefully. He refused to look at me. His black eyes were focused intently on Gwen. I was sure Gwen could feel the intense eyes glaring into her head. Finally she relaxed.
"Jacob, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so —" she began. But Jacob never let her finish.
Swiftly he shot his arm across the boundary line, grabbed her doll-like arm, and pulled her to him, smashing his lips roughly onto hers. My mouth fell open. Once again, this was something I never expected to see. Gwen flung her tiny arms around his neck as he lifted her to his level, her feet a good foot off the ground, swinging carelessly in the air.
"Uhm, guys?" I tried. They probably didn't even hear me. "Guys!" I was getting nowhere with this. But before I could do anything else, Edward was standing at my side. I nearly screamed, but he shushed me furiously. On the opposite side, Quil and Embry were standing behind Jacob, making disgusted expressions. Embry even looked like he was going to throw up.
"Jake!" Quil hissed loudly. "Get off that bloodsucker!"
"Gwen," Edward said more calmly, but his voice was full of anger. "Come back to the house. Please."
Jacob set her down on the ground, his lips never leaving hers, then gave her one last gentle kiss and she nearly swooned. On her feet she swayed a little, a dreamy smile on her face. Jacob and she parted, still holding hands. When her fingers slipped away from his, he still reached out to her desperately. Blowing him a kiss, she got back into the Jeep, with Edward taking my place in the front seat, forcing me to the back.
"Oh. My. God." That was all I could muster. I felt truly like a teenaged girl at that moment than any other time.
"Gwen, I know he's imprinted onto you, and you love him, but you two can't be together," Edward said, his voice slightly flustered. Obviously a werewolf and a vampire had never hooked up.
"Why not?" she asked simply.
I knew she was hinting at mine and Edward's relationship. It was true, we were a bit unorthodox. But I didn't know which was more unorthodox, a human falling for a vampire, or a werewolf imprinting onto the most beautiful creature alive on this planet.