The flash of fangs and claws, and the resounding howls and snarls tore through the night as the mortal enemies fought to the death. She stood to the side, watching the match unfold before her crimson eyes. This was her fault. She had fallen madly in love with a werewolf, the sworn enemy of her own race. Although her love was unrequited she had already given her unpulsing heart to the beast, and regardless, the vampiric suitors still attempted to win her undying love.

Caius of the Volturi discovered her heart's secret flame. His disciple, Augustri happened to want her love for himself. When Caius revealed her traitorous secret to him he explained to Augustri that if he were to lay the head of the monster at his feet the woman would go unpunished. Now she gazes upon Caius's cruelty; watching in despair as her love battles for his life against a fearsome vampire whilst Caius sits somewhere laughing at her agony.

It was a gruesome battle to witness. The crack alerted her to the fact that the werewolf's razor-sharp fangs had pireced through Augustri's marble skin. His jaws snapped at Augustri's neck and the vampire's head separated from his body. Events beyond that happened so suddenly, that she hardly realized what had taken place before all that remained of Augustri was the smoke drifting through the moonless sky.

Their eyes remained on one another for what seemed like an eturnity. He was a beast, but she knew that even beasts had hearts. His appearance morphed every night the moon was invisible to the world, but it didn't matter what form he was in, his heart remained unchanged. She fixed her eyes on the wounds that adorned his body, the blood spilling into the grass at his feet. Suddenly the heavy weight of everything that had just occured hit her. The horrors played across her face, and she fell to her knees.

"Please, I didn't--!"

Her feeble appologies were worthless. He had never before trusted his life to a vampire. He now realized why their races were enemies... they were too different. He had put much effort into befriending this woman only to be betrayed. The werewolf turned his back on the pitiful excuse for a vampire. He began to take a step away from her when she cried out, "Wait! Please! I would never do anything to harm you!! I love you!! Please, don't leave me here!!!"

He could sense the truth in her words. The werewolf stood rooted to his spot. There was nothing he could do but listen to this vampiress. He had never wanted her to be anything more than an ally. To hear her words of desire pained him, perhaps even more than his wounds.

"If you won't accept my feelings then..." He waited patiently for her to continue, "Then please kill me!! If I can't love you, then I can't live!"

His ears pricked up as she said this. It was one thing to kill someone in the heat of battle for the sake of surviving, but it was another thing to murder someone intentionally; even if they asked to be killed. Of course... she wasn't really a person, now was she? She was a vampire. Not even a human being at all.

Daybreak was nearing. The two were silent until the sun peeked over the horizon. At the light's touch his wounds healed, and he transformed into a man. Still he did not turn to face her. His voice was rough and strained from the battle, but he was gentle as he spoke, "Meredith. Why would you have me? Why not one of the so many others from either of your lives who've sought your beauty with much vigor only to end fruitless?"

"Because I never loved them. I love you!"

A deep rumbling resounded from the back of his throat. She knew he was chuckling at the simple-minded answer she had responded with. He moved to look at the woman declaring herself to him. She was intent on keeping her eyes on his perfect face. He knelt before the vampiress shimmering in the dawn's early morning glow. His eyes were met by crimson orbs. He reached out, moving a stray strand of her equally crimson and waist-length hair behind her ear.

She removed her most valued possession from her neck. It was the only remnants of her human life. It had been her mother's necklace, and all Meredith could remember was her mother's dying gasp told her to keep it. She held the silver necklace out to him.

"Take it. I would have no one else wear it."

He eyed the silver chain and the silver piece carefully. He didn't know why she would be giving him her necklace. He took it into his palm and examined it more throughly. He found that on the other side of the silver Chinese symbol the word "happiness" was engraved into the surface. Meredith was a pale girl. He knew for a fact that she wasn't Chinese in the slightest, but he didn't argue the matter further. He wrapped the necklace around his own neck.

"You wish for me to have this even if I don't love you?"

"Yes." She knew his answer would be the death of her, but her decision was absolute. Yet one question still remained... and she had to ask it, "Do you love me?"

He made a sudden and unexpected movement, wrapping her cold body against the warmth of his own, locking her in his embrace. His low velvet voice spoke in her ear so no one but she would hear his answer, "...No."

xXx

The bells attached to the door jingled as a customer walked through. Mike was at the counter chatting with Bella about Renesmee. He interjected a greeting to the newcomer before continuing his conversation. Bella's nose began picking up the vague scent of werewolf, but she didn't recognize it as belonging to one of the La Push packs.

Bella thanked Mike for his time and told him she'd better get going. She wasn't keen on being around an unfamiliar werewolf. Frankly, the mere thought terrified her. The Volturi were one thing, especially when they were able to be reasoned with... but a werewolf bent on killing and disembodying her didn't sound very appeasing.

She hurried out the door, the bells chiming behind her. Mike stepped out from behind the counter, seeing his late night customer browsing through the hiking boot section.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, is there anything I can help you find?"

She peered at him from under the cover of her raven hair. Her hair only fell to her shoulder blades in length. She flipped it behind her shoulders, allowing herself to get a better look at the employee. Mike was startled by the sight of her pirecing blue eyes so heavily made-up against pale white skin. She was wearing a skimpy black corset, black leather pants, a spiked belt, clunky black boots, and a chinese necklace. It was silver and didn't quite match the rest of her ensemble. Being so pale, Mike could tell she wasn't Chinese at all, but he didn't comment on it.

She pulled a knife on him and pinned him against the wall. "Yeah. Tell me where the hell I can find those sleezy blood-suckers!!" Her accent was British.

He didn't even know where she could hide a knife on her. He was so confused, and so frightened. He didn't know what to say, all he could think about was the fact that she would probably kill him if he didn't give her an answer.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! Honest!"

She glared at him, and Mike could've sworn she growled, too. "Don't give me crap! I'll ask again. Where. Are. The. Vampires?"

"I don't know!!"

She sneered at his pathetic existence. "Tch." She threw him to the floor, "You're of no use to me."

"P-please, d-don't kill me!!" Mike begged.

She laughed a sick, mocking laugh. "You aren't worth killing. It'd be a waste of my precious time," she walked over to the door and waved, "Later."

xXx

Bella walked through the door, knowing too well that her family would not be asleep. Vampires could never sleep. Alice was at the door to greet her, "Welcome home, Bella!! How was your trip?!"

Bella laughed, still unused to the chime of her own voice, "You tell me."

A wide grin spread across Alice's face. "I'd say you got a little sidetract by Mike Newton." she giggled.

"Mike Newton?" Edward's voice asked from the staircase.

Bella glanced toward the staircase to find her Greek God waiting for her with open arms. She smiled. "Oh we were just talking about Renesmee." Bella explained to him.

Edward wanted to know all the details, seeing how he had to stay at the cottage with their daughter and he couldn't read Bella's mind. He glided down the stairs to greet his Goddess of a wife, kissing her lightly on the nose, then on the lips.

"I see, and what about our daughter intrigues Mike? Tell me more about this discussion of yours." He seemed to be genuinely interested in the conversation that had taken place between herself and her high school friend.

She pulled the pink plastic bottle out of the store bag. "Calamine lotion. Stops all itching. It's perfect for Nessie's chicken pox."

Edward chuckled and agreed, "Yes, perfect."

She handed the container to him and went over to the phone. Edward raised a brow into a perfect arch. Bella caught this gesture and smiled. "I thought I'd call Angela. She's studying abroad in London right now."

He didn't argue with her. Instead Edward headed up the staircase once more, followed by Alice. Bella dialed Angela's number on the silver cell phone. She listened as the other end continued ringing. She waited patiently, wondering what Angela would be doing on the other side of the world at this moment. Suddenly, the phone clicked on and Bella could hear a woman giggling in the background. Angela's voice asked, "Hello?"

"Ange? It's Bells."

"Oh! Bella!! I was wondering when you'd call!" Angela sounded somewhat worried and anxious.

"You sound worried. Are you okay?"

Bella heared Angela sigh, "No. I haven't heard from Ben in a long time. He visited me a couple months ago, but now he won't answer the phone, or respond to my emails. Bella, even the letters I write to him get returned! I don't know what's going on!!"

"Okay, okay, just... calm down." Ben wasn't the type to go disappearing like that without telling someone, "I'll go visit his parents tomorrow and see if they know anything. You said the last time you saw him was two months ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"All right, well, I'll let you know what his parents tell me." Quick to change the subject, Bella inquired, "How's London?"

"Good. I have to say, though, I kinda miss home. It's too sunny here!"

The girls laughed at that, knowing too well that the sun hardly ever shown in the little town of Forks, Washington. Angela continued, "I've met this girl named Alexandra. She's so nice, Bella!"

"Well that's good. At least you're making friends."

Angela sighed. "Yeah... but I miss everyone in Forks. Tell Edward and Alice "Hi" for me, will ya?" She added, "And Ben's parents, too."

"I'll be sure to do that, Angela."

"Okay, thanks.... well... you should probably get to sleep now. It's gotta be getting pretty late in Forks, right? Like... 12 or 1 in the morning?"

Bella's breath got caught in her throat. Not that she didn't want to sleep, but rather she couldn't. It was part of being a vampire. Bella couldn't just very well tell Angela about her little secret though. No matter how bad a liar she was, or how good a secret-keeper Angela was. Bella's mind kept recalling her visit to the Volturi. How they had told Edward that if he refused to turn her into a vampire then she would die. She didn't want that for Angela. Bella knew the consequences, but Angela didn't need to be exposed to that.

Angela's voice broke Bella out of her reverie, "Bella? Bella, you there?"

"What? Oh... yeah. I, uh, nodded off is all."

"You should go to bed."

"Yeah. Bed. Sounds good. I'll call tomorrow after I talk with Ben's parents, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Bells."

"Bye."

xXx

Bella clicked off the phone on her end. It was about nine o'clock in the morning. Angela knew the time in Forks was about eight hours behind the time in London. Her friend thumped her hard on the back. "Too sunny, huh?"

Alexandra's cool touch startled Angela. The British girl laughed at Angela's reaction. "Are all Americans so jumpy?" she teased.

Angela smiled. She had a rough start when she first came to London. Many of the girls wanted little or nothing to do with her. Angela was so quiet, and rarely made eye contact with anyone. She was roomed with Alexandra who had seemed thrilled with having a room mate.

"Make youself at home!" Alexandra told her hospitably.

"Er... thanks." Angela said with a weak smile.

Alexandra's room was perfectly spotless. Nothing was disorganized or out of place. Even the second bed was already made. Angela wondered if Alexandra shared the room with anyone else. Suddenly, the girl came up behind her, "You can have that bed if you want."

"Are you the only one living in this room?"

Alexandra blinked, "Well... I get new room mates all the time. Everyone gets a room change, though... for whatever reason I end up scaring them away. It's okay if you don't feel comfortable here. Just let me know and I'll have the office find you a different room, okay?"

She seemed very honest, straight forward, and sincere as she smiled at Angela. This was something Angela really liked about her new room mate. She smiled in response, "That's okay. I really like it here."

"Really?! Oh that's wonderful! Here, let me help you unpack!" Alexandra was very quick to aid Angela with her things.

"That's okay, we can unpack my things in the morning... right now I really just want to rest. It was a pretty long plane ride."

Alexandra's violet eyes seemed to twinkle with understanding. "Of course. I'm actually going to the store up the street. Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll be back in a bit." Alexandra closed the door behind her as she left.

It was convient that the English dormatory rooms were almost like minature appartments. Of course, the room itself consisted of two beds, a desk, a bathroom, and a microwave sitting on the desk. Alexandra had several books on a bookcase that was pushed up against a wall. Angela pulled Wuthering Heights from the shelf. It reminded her of Bella... it reminded her of home. Angela set the book on her bed, thinking to read it once she was completely settled in.

She dug her bag of toiletries out of one of her many suitcases and headed into the bathroom. She set her things in the corner of the room's tiled floor. She noticed a container holding brand new contacts completely untouched. She wondered if this meant Alexandra was wearing violet contacts. At a closer inspection of the box, Angela discovered that the color of the contacts was blue. She opened the medicine cabinet hidden behind the mirror to see what was already in stock. Angela was surprised to find that several more boxes of blue tinted contacts were piled within.

Something didn't seem quite right about Alexandra. She was hiding something. Angela could tell. What she couldn't figure out was why Alexandra would need so many pairs of contact lenses. Not to mention the fact that her eye color was violet. Unless... her eyes weren't violet at all. Angela's thoughts began spiraling, perhaps Alexandra's eyes were actually red and to prevent from scaring others she wore the blue contacts? The product of blue contacts over red eyes could possibly be violet.

Angela placed everything back into its original spot. It was rude to go through another person's belongings, but Angela felt a little bit intimidated by her room mate's unhealthy obession with blue contact lenses. She exited the bathroom to find Alexandra sitting in the chair at the desk heating up some food in the microwave. She was wearing fashionable black sunglasses that Angela didn't remember seeing Alexandra leave with.

"Oh there you are. Sorry the bathroom's a little ruddy." she removed the food from the microwave as it dinged, "I made you something to eat. I figured you must be pretty hungry after your long travel, yes?"

Angela's stomach growled in response. Alexandra laughed, "Haha, I'll take that as a yes."

"What is this?" Angela wondered as her room mate handed her a bowl of noodles.

She giggled, "It's called Ramen. Try some. It's pretty popular... not to mention cheap."

"Do you like it?"

"No." Alexandra smiled, "I'm pretty picky about what I eat."

There had been several weird things that happened with Alexandra, and Angela had never really been too concerned about it. Her curiousity was getting the better of her now. Angela looked at Alexandra's pale face highlighted with violet orbs. Her gaze was so intent that Alexandra shifted uncomfortably. "Is something wrong, Angela? You're getting all spacey."

"Actually, I want to ask you some personal questions if that's okay." Angela told her, wanting to get right to the point.

Alexandra smiled, almost as if she'd been waiting for this conversation. She took a seat on the edge of her bed. "Sure. Fire away."

"Your eyes... they're red... aren't they?"

She frowned, realizing where this conversation was going to get them. Nonetheless, she answered her interrogator truthfully, "Yes. they are."

"What about your hair... do you dye it that shade of scarlet?"

Subconsicously, Alexandra reached up to run her fingers through her waist-length hair. "No. It's completely natural."

"You're pale as the moon, and your touch is like ice. You burn through one set of contacts everyday. I've seen your speed and strength... frankly it's impossible for any human to accomplish... but thereagain..." Angela felt the tension fall as she spoke her next set of words, "you're not human."

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. She couldn't help but smile at the American. She was so intuitive that it surprised Alexandra. Her words were spoken with much care, "You're correct."

That wasn't the response Angela had been expecting. She was speechless. Why would Alexandra admit to something of that nature. Angela waited for Alexandra to explain herself.

"I'm not human. That is true. I'm dangerous. That is also true. But, Angela, I can't tell you what I am. For your own good, and also for your own good, I don't want you prying any further into this matter. If you do... you will suffer a fate worse than death."

Angela's eyes grew wide. She didn't know what could possibly be worse than death. "So then tell me what you can, Alexandra."

She swayed her lengthy ruby hair from side to side, "Please don't call me that. If you want to know the truth. Here it is. My name is Meredith Reinsford. I was born a long time ago. You don't need to know how long, just know that it was far longer than before your birth. I was human, like you, at one point... I was turned into what I am now... a monster."

Angela laid a comforting hand on Meredith's icy shoulder, "You're not a monster. I don't understand why you would even think of yourself that way."

"You're right. You don't understand. I have taken the lives of many humans... and outlived many more."

"Did you ever lose someone you loved?"

Meredith's head shot up. She instantly saw the pain on Angela's face. Meredith knew that Angela was wondering if Ben was ever going to come back. Meredith sighed and stood from her spot on the bed. She glided across the creaky floorboards to the door. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

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