BVOP
I was trembling, not with cold, the cold never bothered me anymore, but with fear and anger. I clenched my fists. Looking up at John from my position on the forest floor, I gritted my teeth. He smiled.
"Look, I know the change has been … a bit taxing on you, but you have got to ea-"
My eyes flashed, my coal black ones meeting his red ones. John sighed shaking his head.
"I'm not going to feed you those blood bags anymore, I want… I need you to just trust me" he smiled showing his sharp teeth. "I'm all you have."
I broke away from his stare. Why was I like this. Why did he change me. I didn't ask him these questions anymore. I've opted for silence. He was all I had. I didn't want to be alone. He had changed me 3 years ago. I don't remember much before it happened, just blurred images, my name, and the name Renee, attached to a soft face. One I would never see again. Now I belonged to John. He controlled me. I had trusted him blindly in my newborn state, and now I was beginning to regret it.
"Stop it with the silent treatment already! It's natural to feed and I won't have you drinking stale old blood. You need to be more normal … like me!"
"Why?" I met his eyes once again.
"Because we are meant to be together" he smiled.
John was trying to start some stupid coven, and he wanted me for whatever reason. He's using you, Bella. I shook the thought from my head. He had, after all, accommodated me after I was unable to bring myself anywhere close to civilization, or to draining the humans we came across in our travels. But his smile, his fake pretenses. He didn't care about what I wanted, just what he wanted. This thought made my anger rise once again. It was true. He stopped bringing the blood bags, he was starving me so that I would become weak. So that I would become a monster. Maybe it isn't wrong. Maybe he is right. It is natural for us to drink human blood. I groaned, he kept getting into my head.
"Come on, sugar. You'll feel so much better, they're just humans, and they'll die someday anyways" he said soothingly. I hugged my knees, hiding my face I shook my head.
"God damn it, Isabella!"
"Stop! Just stop!" I groaned.
"You're torturing yourself! I can't continue to allow this! I will have to exercise my will as your leader, your maker! I have never seen a vampire look as weak as you! You tremble constantly, you can't concentrate, and you can barely talk! This is ridiculous! You haven't eaten anything in 7 months!"
"Don't! You don't let me decide on anything! I will control at least this one part of my existence!"
John grew silent. It was true. He controlled where we went, decided to hide me from all other vampires, forced me to watch as he fed, knowing it hurt me. He controlled what I wore, where we stayed. He kept me by his side 24/7. And until 7 months ago he chose when I fed from the blood bags.
"Isabella!"
"Bella," I croaked. He wouldn't even call me by my preferred name.
John huffed a sigh. "Okay, okay. You want to starve? Fine. You can." He turned and started walking away.
"Where are you going?!"
He spun to face me with an angry look on his face but froze. He remained still for a moment then shook his head laughing. "To find a nice meal. Stay here."
He wasn't taking me with him? What gives? I mean, we both know I won't go anywhere. I had no one. And I was too afraid to be on my own. But still…
He paused, "… There's a town nearby…" he mused, "I saw signs of more of our kind around this area. Found a couple of scents. Been keeping tabs. After I feed, I'm going to go check them out. Maybe they can talk some sense into you."
I scoffed. "Yeah, right. You hardly ever talk to anyone…"
"Yeah but you need a good influence on you…" He hesitated. "Come find my when the sun sets. Head South. The town, Forks, isn't too far. 50 miles or so."
I was excited to meet new people, I have only met two other vampires before. But there was something off with John. He is always very perceptive and clear minded, but now, he seemed thoughtful and there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on about him today.
"Okay?"
I was lost in my musing but his demand brought me out of it, "Yeah … okay."
He left silently, and I was alone.
Loneliness and fear crept up on me as I waited for the sun to set. I sighed. "Why don't I just leave? You could make it alone." I said to myself. Ha. Yeah and what? Starve, become weak and feed off a human? No thanks. I don't want to hurt any humans. The soft face of Renee rose in my mind's eye. I couldn't kill what I once was. The species that the soft faced woman belongs to. John might bring me more blood bags from hospitals, maybe. I can't leave. He is my only hope. Getting blood bags myself isn't an option. I'd kill the whole damn hospital. John was my only hope. The sun was getting lower, time to go.
I stood slowly and ran south. I picked up John's sent and followed it. Trees sped past me. I was slower, weaker, going to long without eating. The trip would take some time. Suddenly the smell of fresh running blood assaulted my senses and I gasped. I was heading straight toward it and I could not stop. I ran faster and, in my state, stumbled a few times. But I was getting closer to what I needed more than life. Almost there… Almost there. I burst into a clearing and looked around wildly. Hearing a rasping gasp, I turned my eyes to focus on the source of the blood and the noise.
A man. A dying man propped up against a tree. His left leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Bruised and beaten. A huge gash on his neck spilling blood. I approached him, wide eyed. My throat burned. I hissed at the pain and trembled violently.
The man rose his blood shot eyes to mine and whimpered, crying out as I came just feet from his body, "Please! Not another … one! … No- no more!" he wept.
"Another one?" I rasped out. I froze, the man wept. John. I trembled, my teeth grinding, my breathing labored. John. He did this. "John" I hissed, "You let me starve, weakened me, and planted an innocent human for me to make my victim?!" I laughed sounding mad. He IS controlling me! Forcing me to end this man's life for my sick hunger! I growled viciously. I am stronger than this, than his will against me! But could I walk away from this human's blood? Yes. My anger consumed me, I saw red. Something snapped within me. I would not be controlled. John's reign over me was over, and I'd prove it.
"Please," the man wheezed out. I looked at him and was filled with remorse and pity. I began closing the gap between us and he sobbed in fear. I stopped inches away from his body. I noticed that someone, John, had used the man's own blood to write "EAT" across his forhead. This man was going to die, he was suffering, but I would not "eat."
I reached out to the man gasping air, hanging on to life's this strands. I placed my cold, shaking hands gently on his neck, my hunger, my monster screaming at me to take live blood. He looked up at me with wonder and fear, I twisted, his neck snapped, and he was no more. I ran away as quickly as possible. It took every ounce of my strength, but I was able to force myself to leave, letting out strangled sobs of pain as by throat caught ablaze with invisible fire. I gulped down the clean air as I ran further away from the dead man. I ended his suffering. Now it was time to find John.
John'sPOV
They were the Cullens and they lived an odd life. Acting human. They treated me cautiously, they wanted me to leave. Carlisle was telling me about their… diet. And I knew I could never bring Isabella here. She better enjoy my gift for her! Edward Cullen watched me intently. I had to be careful about what I thought. I have to censor. They were all gifted, but so was I. I could perceive all gifts bestowed on my kind. That's why I am so interested in Swan. She is gifted.
Edward didn't trust me, he knew from my thoughts what my gift was and was made uneasy when I began to hide my thoughts by repeating songs in my head.
"What exactly do you want?" The blonde one demanded.
"Hm? Oh… just wanted to make some new friends" I smiled. None of them returned my smile. I for sure could not introduce Isabella. She would be badly influenced by their strange diet. But the family was fascinating. However, they were not what I had hoped for. "I suppose I should be going" I said walking away from the weary family towards the front door. Alice Cullen looked at me and shook her head. What? Had she seen something? Then I smelled it. The blood, Isabella. I smiled. She had done it. She had fed and now she was coming to me.
"My companion, it seems, is about to join me…" they all stood, smelling the blood. They looked angry, Jasper looked hungry. I laughed.
Please, take your companion elsewhere, this is our territory, do not hunt here anymore," Carlisle said calmly.
"Sure thing," I said, "Sorry for the dist-" I stopped mid-sentence. There was a loud bang on the roof. She was here.
Emmet, the big one, cracked his knuckles, the others assuming defensive positions, getting ready for the new vampire, the potential threat.
"Come now, she won't hurt…" there was a sudden crash and I spun to see Isabella had come through the window and was on one knee, slowly rising. I saw blood on her hands.
"Good girl! You finally did the right thing!"
BPOV
I swung off the roof and crashed through the window.
"Good girl! You finally did the right thing!"
My eyes snapped to his. I sensed the others, but only John captured my murderous gaze. When he saw my eyes, his expression turned from pleasure to rage.
"You didn't do it?! What is wrong with you?! You're destroying yourself!"
I growled at him and he growled back barring his teeth. "Stop this at once! Come on! We're leaving!" he barked.
"NO! No! I am not your doll to do with what you please! I am done being manipulated by you! I didn't eat, you're right! I am never doing what you tell me to EVER again!" I roared.
A blonde male vampire came forwards and tried to initiate peace. I snarled at him, "Do. Not. Get. In. My. Way." I turned back to John. "I'm sick of your shit," I laughed hysterically, trembling, getting into a crouching position. I growled and braced myself. He is bigger, a strong male, whereas I am a weakened and relatively small female. But my anger fueled me, and years of repressed hostility was driving me forwards.
"Isabella, stop. Or I will hurt you!" he said and I laughed. I'd like to see him try. I growled louder.
"Please do not-" Carlisle started but was interrupted by Rosalie.
"GET OUT!"
I didn't listen to either. Only to John.
"You need me! You need to feed! You need-"
I lunged at him. He grabbed me and threw me. I landed at a large vampire's feet who went to grab me but I darted back to John, grabbing and biting his arm. He yelled in surprise and grabbed a fistful on my long, dirty hair. I ripped his arm off and he let go. I snarled and went for his neck but he kicked me to the floor. He grabbed my neck with his one arm and pulled, I heard my skin begin to crack. I grasped at his body and pulled, bringing him to the floor. I vaguely heard yelling from the other vampires. I called out "John you piece of shit!" growling as he tried to grab me again. I pinned him down and gripped his head. "Never… never again. I won't be manipulated, or controlled" I growled.
"Bella, please" he begged, calling me Bella for the first time. But he just wanted to save his own life. I couldn't blame him then. His seemingly immortal life was about to be crushed by me. His murderous intentions for me would be forever squashed. I smiled, feeling his skin crack beneath my hands. Even being this weak, I was still able to beat John.
"He begged as well before he lost his life" I growled remembering the man in the woods. I tore John's head off. It dropped to the floor with a thud. The room grew silent.
The 7 remaining vampires stood watching the new arrival in shock. I laughed at the sight of them, nervously. If they decided to attack, I'd be done for. 7 against 1? Not ideal. I growled and several of them went into defensive stances. What have I gotten myself into?