(A project of the TTT, a short story with multiple chapters.)
What You Are
Chapter 1
Loathsome degenerates craved blood, dreamt of it like an addiction that never went away. In the heat of such moments, beneath the metallic flavor, lay emotions that painted a canvas darker than the reddest red, and blacker than the darkest pitch of molten desire laid bare.
In that one heated moment, a nip of the flesh could turn to greed and deceit that all who bared fangs dreaded. She had feared that side of herself, had locked it away with the very anger and resentment that came from the deepest parts of her heart.
She had promised never to sip it, that terrible red liquid that set every nerve alight with trembling ache and absolute need.
She had sworn to herself that she would never give in, never crumble, and would never allow herself to kiss along the nap of anyone's neck.
She would not seek, and so, she would not fall victim to such a deranged call, such as bloodlust.
If she could have continued on that way, would she have been there now?
Looming over the precipice of desire that called to her in ways that left her unknowing of her own power…
If she had continued to hold the beast at bay, could she have chained her own remorse and bitterness along with it?
Could she have be content with that?
If she continued to deny herself for eternity, could she at least wake up to live another day?
Those questions and more swirled in her head, as she lifted a strand of auburn hair away from the resting woman's face. Bella had no idea that the nape of her neck was so beautiful in the paleness of the moonlight. She slept soundlessly.
Rosalie could do no more than to lick her lips, close her eyes, and shun away the very feeling that made her gut twist as if a knife were stabbing into her. She almost wanted to commit the very action, to end the whispers in her head.
"Maybe," she considered for not the first time, "that would be a fitting end."
As she had no way of knowing this, she could only take a step back, least the sleeping woman wake.
"What are you to me?"
Alas, her mind ran empty, her blood icy cold, and her thundering heartbeat seemed to stop at the realization.
She didn't know, but she had to find out.