Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.
Solstice
By
Renee Cruz & Maureen Santoro
"If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where do you expect to find it?"
Ralph Waldo Emmerson
1. Hunting
I never could get used to the horrible smell of the animals that we hunted. Human blood always appealed to me so much more but this was so against everything that my parents had fought for. Actually my entire family for that matter. They called themselves "vegetarians" because they only survive on the blood of animals.
I felt so completely different from my family. I was a hybrid, half vampire and half human. Conceived prior to my mother, Bella being turned into a vampire by my father, Edward. Apparently I had almost killed her just by being conceived. That's what I had always been told at least. I knew that I shouldn't have felt guilty but I did.
I sensed that I was being watched and so I gazed across the field to see My Jacob, my protector watching me as he did so often. He has always been a part of my life, as natural as any one of my family but there always seems like there is something more, something that no one wants to tell me.
He was in his wolf form so that he could hunt with me, this too was quite normal. You see, Jacob is a werewolf, not your typical howl at the moon werewolf but a shape shifter. It was what happened to some of his tribe members when vampires were too close, although, there haven't been any "dangerous" vampires in at least seven years. Since, the Volturri came to make sure that I wasn't dangerous.
I smiled and put out my hand, Jacob bumped it and motioned that it was time for us to be heading back now. I was not ready to go back but slowly started to follow him back to my house.
The smell took me by surprise, blood, human blood and it made my throat ache and burn. Who could it have been? What could it have been from? Jacob didn't notice that I had stopped walking behind him. I headed off the trail, following the smell. When I found it, I was appalled at myself, for wanting the blood so badly when I saw that it was a hiker that had fallen and cut open his leg. I knew I should have run and gone to get help but my legs were like rocks, cemented to the ground.
The hiker looked up at me and smiled. Nothing about my appearance gave me away, not my skin, not my eyes, he had no way of knowing that I was thirsting for his blood. No way of knowing that I wanted it so badly. Maybe just a little taste wouldn't be so bad but I knew better. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to stop and I would have had to kill him, although I am not venomous, I am still very strong.
I heard a branch crack behind me and Jacob was standing there. "Nessie, what happened to you? You were right behind me and then….." his voice trailed off when he realized we were not alone. The hiker was staring at both of us now with some nervousness in his eyes. We were quite a sight to see when we were together, Jacob is huge when he is human, 6'7" with muscles to spare and I am a beauty. Well at least they say I am beautiful, anyway, right then I felt like a monster.
"Hey, let's get you out of here." Jacob said to the hiker. "There's a Doctor just up the road that can help you and get you on your way."
"Thanks." the hiker says, as Jacob leaned down and picked him up.
So many thoughts but mostly guilt. How could I even consider compromising my family this way. If I needed to do this I would need to go alone by myself. I couldn't think about it or my father would know, it's a good thing my aunt couldn't see me. This just had to happen. I knew that it would be difficult because I was always being followed by Jacob.
We arrived back at my house. My grandfather, Dr. Carlyle Cullen came out to meet us. My aunt Alice had told him that there was a stranger coming that had been badly injured and was bleeding, how he was getting there was a little fuzzy as she couldn't see either of us. "I'll take it from here Jacob" my grandfather said.
I walked away as quickly as I could hoping Jacob wouldn't follow me but he did as usual. "Nessie, hey Nessie wait up for me"
I turned around trying to keep the look of annoyance out of my eyes. "Yes, Jacob, what?"
"You seem a million miles away, what's wrong with you?" "Nothing Jacob, you just wouldn't understand"
"Well, you haven't even tried to tell me, so how do you know?"
"Because, no one would, could ever possibly understand what I am going through."
Jacob looked mildly amused at my words, although, I meant them to bite.
"Nessie, you might be surprised, go ahead, try me"
"Jacob, you've got to swear that you'll NEVER say anything to anyone about what I am about to tell you"
"You have my promise, not a word."
"Ok, here goes, Jake I wanted to kill that hiker. I wanted to drink his blood and if you hadn't shown up maybe I would have."
As I said this Jacob's eyes got bigger and his smile disappeared. "Nessie, what are you saying?"
"Jacob, I am saying that I am tired of pretending that I am not tempted, that I want, no almost need to taste human blood again."
Jacob took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Honey, I think it's time you talked to your mom and dad"
I never could understand why Jacob called me honey, I couldn't stand it. It was as if he thought I was his or something. The way he looked at me sometimes drove me crazy, especially right now. "I told you Jacob I can't and you better not."
Right then I saw the hiker getting into my father Edward's car. Disappointment shot through my body. I'd hoped that he was going to be staying longer but oh well. My father drove past us and waved. He had a look on his face like, I need to talk to you later little girl. I smiled and turned to walk back towards our cottage.
"Don't follow me Jacob, I want to be alone, please."
The look in Jacob's eyes was almost heartbreaking but I did not understand why he looked at me like that. "Ok, Nessie, ok. If you need me just call."
