Interrogation

The small living room was packed. Like I had assumed, seven more people were squashed into the living room. I spotted Quil and Embry sitting casually on the couch. All of the newcomers were large, half-naked, russet colored boys. All but one seemed to still be in their teen years. Some of them stared at me with curiosity, but some stared at me distrustfully. I felt my stomach churn.

"This is the girl?" one of the newcomers asked. It was the one who actually was a man, though they all were big enough to be adults.

"Of course," I heard Quil answer sardonically.

I stared at the floor nervously. Their gazes made me feel uncomfortable. I just couldn't meet them. I suddenly felt extremely unsightly and unconfident. My clothes had tears in them, my feet were blackened, my hair had leaves and dirt in it, and I probably smelled. How had I become so unkempt? I probably looked more like a wild animal than a girl. Not to mention the scars trailing up my entire body. I'd been lucky enough to keep the vampire bites from my face, but that didn't make me any more attractive.

"Will everyone sit down? You're intimidating the girl!" Billy Black commanded.

Almost everyone took a seat on an open couch, but the man and another newcomer still stood where they were. I spotted Jacob leaning on the wall opposite of the man, and Leah standing by his side. Seth took my hand and guided me to the only open seats left. We both sat down. I stared anxiously at the new man.

"I guess we should start with simple questions," Billy Black began. "Where are you from, Natalia?"

I considered the answer I'd told Seth, but decided to give them specifics. "I used to live in Illinois, but I don't really have a home anymore."

"What happened to your home?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said softly. "I just left."

"May I ask why?"

I sighed. "It's… complicated."

Billy Black just nodded.

"Whatever you have to say, we can keep up," the man said forcefully.

"Sam, if she doesn't want to tell us–"

"No," I interrupted Billy Black. "I'll tell you." I stared at Sam with a firm gaze. I'd be sure to find out everything I could about these wolf-people as soon as I got the chance.

I took a deep breath before I began. This was a story I always thought about, but had never spoken aloud. It was difficult to even think about putting it into words. It hurt too much.

"I lived in Illinois for most of my childhood. Nothing was really wrong then. I had a good family, a lot of great friends. I got good grades in school and I never got in trouble. Everything was perfect for a long time."

The wolf-people listened to me intently, but I felt the most interest from Seth. He stared deeply into my eyes, as if wanting to see the story in them rather than hear it.

"But then a new family moved into the house next to mine," I continued. I felt myself shudder as I pictured the family. Their beautiful, pale faces, their perfect bodies, their sweet smells, their murky brown eyes. I felt myself begin to shake. How had I not noticed their strangeness? How had I not realized that they wore contacts?

"They always seemed off to me. No one really tried to get to know them. No one even cared, despite their good appearances. But, for some reason, I cared. There was something wrong about them, and I wanted to figure it out. A man and a woman, and their kid, who was in high school with my sister. I tried to get information from her, but she wasn't any help. She, like everyone else, avoided him. So I started watching their house every night, trying to figure something out, but they were hardly ever home."

I caught Seth staring at my broken hand. The swelling had gone down, but it was still bending in places it shouldn't. I watched him get up and walk to the kitchen.

"Go on," Sam said.

I sighed. "That's when kids started to disappear. People kept insisting they were just runaways, but I knew better. I had a feeling the family had something to do with it." I stared hard at the floor. "One night I got up the courage to sneak into their house. What I found scared the hell out of me."

"What'd you find?" one of the younger newcomers asked urgently.

"No beds. No food," I replied quietly. "One of their rooms was like a museum. Old historical artifacts and pictures everywhere. One of them depicted the family. It was black and white." Chills crept up my body as I remembered that night. It had been a fear like no other, a realization like no other.

I started to feel sick. I didn't want to say the next part. I didn't want to end up crying in front of these people. That was a sign of weakness, and I wasn't weak. But the wolf-people stared at me with unbreakable determination. It felt like they were squeezing the story out of me.

"I got out of there and hauled it to back to my house. When I made it through the door, my little brother was having a fight with my mom." I heard my voice crack. Weakness. I swallowed hard and continued. "She ended up slapping him, something she hardly ever did. He got really upset and ran off. I waited a little after he left to follow him.

"He went to a park we used to go to. It was his place to blow off steam. I was going to talk to him a little after he got settled there. Let him cool off until he was calm enough to speak with me." My voice cracked again.

You should have talked to him sooner. You should have stopped him before it happened.

I shook the voice out of my head and cleared my throat. "He sat down on a swing, and I was about to join him when…" My eyes started to water. "They showed up."

The room was silent. I could hear Seth speaking in the kitchen. Was someone else there?

"The family?" Jacob asked, though it wasn't necessary.

I nodded, holding back the tears. "I… I tried to move. Tried to go and protect him. But my feet wouldn't go," I said, my hands and lips beginning to tremble. I watched Seth come back into the room. He stared at my expression and then raced to my side, grabbing my hand.

It was uncomfortable, but I was too into my breakdown to care. "The… The mother lunged at him before he could even see them," I whispered. "All I remember was shaking. And then… Next thing I knew, two of them were chopped to pieces on the floor, and… my brother…"

The room was silent again. I stared at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from flowing.

"I'm so sorry, Natalia," I heard Billy Black say.

I just nodded.

"I apologize for my persistence," Sam said to me sincerely. "I should have realized this would be hard for you to say."

"It's all right," I replied. Everyone was quiet, so I went on. "I couldn't go back home after that. I didn't know what I was. I thought I might hurt people."

"Do you know what happened to the other vampire?" Leah asked.

I saw Seth glare at her, but I answered. "No, the son must have run off. I can't remember."

Jacob stood straighter. "Is that why you travel, then? You hunt vampires?"

I nodded. "I've been tracking and killing them since I left home."

"Whoa. How many vamps have you killed?" a wolf-boy asked. He seemed to be one of the youngest there, maybe fourteen.

"Collin!" Sam growled.

I smiled. "It's okay. Actually, over two hundred," I told him. A wide grin spread across his face.

I suddenly felt Seth stiffen at my side. "So, you don't like vampires much," he said.

I stared at him. What kind of comment was that? "Actually, I think it's deeper than that. It's more of a loathing," I told him. "They're sickening parasites. Why do you think I hunt them? It's not just some sport. It's my responsibility." I thought about that last statement. "Our responsibility, I should say," I amended.

Seth looked toward the door, and then at Billy Black. "Um… Billy. I sort of called the doctor."

I froze at the room's reaction. Billy Black's face was expressionless. The new wolf-people began to fidget in their seats. Leah's eyes widened. Jacob got up from against the wall. "You what?" Jacob snarled.

I jumped back in my seat. What was wrong? He had only called the doctor. What was the big deal?

"Well, her hand's broken. None of us know how to fix it right," Seth said.

"Seth!" Leah growled. "Were you not listening to her? Like she's going to let him touch her!"

"If she waits any longer, her hands going to be permanently deformed!"

"You could have called another doctor!" Jacob yelled.

"How would we explain the healing? Exactly," Seth hollered.

Billy Black sighed angrily. "Don't you think you should have asked me before inviting a Cullen here, Seth?"

"I didn't want to interrupt. And her hand's healing too fast; I had to call right away," he explained. "Besides, it's not like rules are being broken. The treaty's dead, Billy."

"That doesn't mean I want them at my house!" Billy replied, fuming. That was the first time the man had raised his voice. It frightened me.

"It's only Carlisle and Jasper. They'll be in and out."

"Two of them?" Leah cried.

Now I was completely confused. They were making no sense. What was so wrong with these people coming over to the house? Were they criminals or something?

"Well, yeah. One to help her and one to calm her down," Seth answered.

"This is just great! Nice work, bro," Leah roared.

I looked closely at the two of them. Was Leah just using the term as a reference to the pack relationship? Or were they actually related? They looked similar enough.

"I had to do something," Seth insisted.

"Uh, excuse me," I interrupted. This yelling and hostility was driving me crazy. "What's the problem with inviting a doctor over to fix my hand?"

The whole room stared at me. It was like there was some secret they weren't prepared to share with me. "Well… You see," Seth began.

That's when the doorbell rang. The wolf-people froze. Leah began to shake. Jacob stared at the door. They all remained still for a few moments. There was a hard knock. Seth stood up and walked over to the door. Leah growled and then raced out of the room. Jacob got up and wheeled Billy into the kitchen. Seth slowly opened the door.

"Hello, Seth," an alluring, male voice said.

"Hi, Carlisle. Hey, Jasper. Thanks for coming over," Seth answered.

I tried to peer past the door, but I couldn't see who was there from my position in the room. I took in a deep breath to get an idea of who they were. I froze in my seat.

The disgustingly sweet scent flowed into the room, making my heart stop. No… They couldn't be… I stared around at the wolf-people. They all stared at me anxiously. Jacob walked gradually back into the room.

The doctor stepped into the house, followed by another man. They were beautiful. They were pale. They were muscular. Their smell made me want to throw up.

They were vampires.

I leaped up onto the couch, letting a ferocious growl escape my mouth. My body shook compulsively. The vampires changed their attention to me, staring at me with wonder.

"Seth…" the one who'd spoken earlier murmured.

I growled again, but then stared around the room. Not one person in the room was shaking. Not one person in the room was surprised. Except for me.

"What are you all doing?" I hissed. "They're vampires!"

Seth turned toward me. "Yes, they are. Calm down, Natalia. Let us explain."

"Calm down? Are you people insane?"

Seth turned to the vampire who had not spoken yet. That vampire stared at me firmly with his butterscotch eyes. I felt myself stop shaking. I began to sink back into the couch. For a moment, I was relaxing. I became more curious than aggressive. What was going on? Why were these shape shifters consorting with vampires? And their eyes, I'd never seen vampires with that golden hue before. It was unsettling.

"These vampires aren't what you think," Seth told me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I stood up from the couch.

Jacob pushed past Seth. "Why don't we go outside?" he said softly to the vampires. They both nodded and followed him out.

I felt my anger rise immediately. "What the hell's the matter with you? They're vampires!"

"Natalia, you're not listening," Embry said from the couch next to me. Leah suddenly walked back into the room.

"I don't have to! Why would I listen to freaks who invite vampires over to their houses like old friends? You people are psychos!" I glared at them all and headed toward the door. "Obviously I was wrong about you. We have nothing in common. I think I should leave."

"No!" Seth cried out.

I stared at him in incredulity. "No?"

"You… You can't leave."

"Okay, I don't know what the hell you're thinking, but I have no reason to stay here," I said, pushing past him toward the door. He grabbed my arm, his grip hurting me. "Let me go!" I yelled, tugging at my arm. He dropped it immediately. "Don't ever touch me again!"

I yanked open the door and flew out of the house. I saw the vampires a few yards ahead, speaking softly to Jacob. I breathed in the revolting scents and immediately felt the urge to run at them and rip out their throats. But I forced myself to walk past them. The others would probably catch me if I stayed any longer.

It was no use. My killer instincts took a hold of me. My feet wouldn't lead me toward the street. My body turned to the vampires, who were now staring at me.

Jacob sighed and raced toward the house.

Perfect. We were alone. I took a step over to the vampires.

"I would control yourself, child," one of the vampires said. It was the one who seemed to be the only one able to talk. "You don't want to do anything drastic."

My eyes widened. How dare he call me a child? How dare he tell me what to do? "Drastic?" I hollered.

"Yes. You don't want to do anything you'll regret later," he replied.

"Regret? Why would I regret killing you? A murderer? A disgusting parasite?"

"You don't understand," the leech told me.

I felt myself begin to shake. In a few seconds, I would have lunged at him. But Leah had burst out of the house.

"Where do you think you're going?"

There they went again! These people talked as if they owned me, as if I wasn't allowed to leave. "I'm going back to where I was before I met you psychopaths who hang out with vampires!" I roared.

"If you weren't so thick-headed, you would have listened to us! They're not normal vampires!" she cried, lowering her voice when she said vampires. What, did no one else know their dirty secret?

"They're all the same!" I yelled. "They're all twisted creatures that kill people! They're murderers!"

"If they're murderers, then why didn't they slaughter us when they got to the house? Why would we even call them over?"

People started to file out of the house, watching our huge scene. I barely even noticed. "Don't ask me! I don't know how your sick minds work!"

"You don't know us, Natalia. And you sure don't know them! How can you make all of these accusations if you don't even know who they are?"

"I know what they are. That's all I need to make accusations!"

One of the vampires stepped forward. "Natalia, my name is Carlisle Cullen. If you'd relax and listen for just a few minutes, I'm sure we'd be able to explain ourselves," he said, gesturing to the other male vampire.

I hissed at him. He used my name! "I don't need an explanation from you!"

"Please, just listen. I understand why you are judging us so quickly. But your hardships have nothing to do with us. My family and I are not like other vampires. We do not feed off humans."

I laughed at this. "Sure. I bet you like sitting down and enjoying burgers like everyone else."

"Quiet down, damn it!" Jacob yelled from the group of viewers. "You're going to wake up the whole neighborhood."

I glared at him. "Don't you dare tell me to quiet down!" I yelled. "I have every right to be loud."

"Natalia," Carlisle Cullen said. "How can we prove ourselves?"

"You can't," I replied.

"I'm a doctor. I work at a hospital out of the reservation. I treat human patients. Does that prove me?"

"No!"

"He's a damn doctor!" Leah yelled. "How does that not prove he's different?"

"Why do you think he works at a hospital?" I hollered. "He probably takes a few sips of his bleeding patients every now and then. You don't know! He probably brings bodies back for his coven to feed off of!" I turned to the group of wolf-people. "I bet you help him do it!"

"I'm sorry, but that is extremely unlikely," Carlisle Cullen said. "Jacob tells me you hunt vampires. Then you should know that when most vampires smell or taste blood, they can't stop themselves. I think someone would have noticed me leaning over a patient."

I pondered this, feeling myself relax. He did have a point. "Well, how would you resist the smell?" I asked, my voice a little lower.

"I am very old, and have had many years to work on my restraint. And we are not like normal vampires," he answered.

I stared at him and then at the wolf-people. "Okay, this is too much. Phony protectors and freak vampires… I think I've had enough." I looked back to Carlisle Cullen. "I won't kill you. I don't know whether to believe you or not, but it doesn't matter. I'm just going to leave." I turned away from them and began to walk toward the street.

"Oh, no you don't!" I heard Leah call out.

I twisted around. I vowed to attack the next person who said I couldn't leave. "I have no reason to stay here," I told her.

"No reason? Are you blind? Can't you see–"

But she was cut off by Seth. He pushed his way past her and stopped a few feet in front of me. "I think you should stay with us."

I stared at him in amazement. "And why is that?"

"Vampires can have abilities. You know that, right?" When I nodded, he continued. "Well, some of the Cullens are gifted. One of them, Alice, has visions. Earlier today she saw more vampires coming into the area. We don't know why they're suddenly interested in hunting here, but they are. And I think you could help us track them down before they feed, and maybe question a few. You seemed very experienced."

I smirked at his sweet-talk. "What's in it for me?"

"A few kills. More information on vampires, things you should learn about. And probably a few tips on where these vampires are coming from."

I thought about this. As much as I wanted to leave this nuthouse, the offer was pleasing. I would get the chance to hunt more vampires. And I would be able to find out more about what I was if I stayed with them. It seemed like another win-win situation to me. And besides, after I was done with them, I could go on hunting with the information I'd gathered. I decided I wouldn't stay long. Just for a few satisfying kills. That should be enough for them.

I stared at the wolf-people standing anxiously in front of the house. Then at the strange vampires, waiting for a response.

"Okay, but only if I can leave whenever I want." I had the idea that these people were going to attempt to force me to stay.

Seth just nodded. "Can we go inside and fix that hand now?"

An involuntary shudder ran through me. And let that vampire touch me? But as I glanced down at my hand, I knew it needed help. Like he had said earlier, it would be permanently deformed if I waited any longer. I reluctantly nodded.

The wolf-people began to walk back into the house. I followed Seth into the home only after the vampires had entered it. I wasn't about to turn my back on them. Not yet.

Everyone had divided themselves and kept to different rooms in the house. I heard people in the kitchen and loud footsteps upstairs. Carlisle Cullen and the other vampire, who I now remembered was named Jasper, sat comfortably on a couch. Jacob sat on another. Seth led me to the couch where the vampires sat. I stared at him, wondering to myself if he actually thought I would sit next to them.

"If you'd please take a seat, Natalia," Carlisle said to me.

I stared at him coldly. "Try anything, and I'll defend myself."

"Of course," Carlisle replied, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

I grudgingly sat on the arm of the sofa, as far away from the doctor as possible. I hadn't noticed how sickening the smell was until now. My nose burned severely. I began to breathe out of my mouth.

"Is it all right if I see your hand?" he asked kindly.

I nodded and held out my malformed hand.

He gently placed his hand under my wrist and pulled my hand closer to eyelevel. A violent emotion crept over me. The touch of a vampire was not something that should be allowed. I should be attacking. Killing. But then the urges were being swept away by a sea of calm. I almost forgot a vampire was touching me. I stared curiously into his butterscotch eyes. They were so strange.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" I blurted out, unable to control my curiosity.

He smiled. "Like we told you, we don't feed off humans. We survive off animal blood. That causes the color change in our eyes."

I frowned. Was this proof that what they were claiming was true? I wasn't sure. It could be a trick.

"And all of your coven is like this?" I asked.

He nodded. "Every one of us." He sighed. "Your hand healed too quickly. The bone placing is incorrect. I'm going to have to break your hand again and set the bones in the right place."

I controlled my face, but a chill ran through me. Break my hand, again? But the fear only lasted for a moment. It just suddenly disappeared. It was odd.

"This may hurt. If you can't handle it–"

"I can handle anything. Go," I interrupted. There was no way he was going to think I was fragile. I was anything but fragile.

He nodded and then gripped my hand. I kept my eyes on him and braced myself for the snap. When it came, it hurt like hell. But I forced my features to remain calm. I held in my scream. You're not weak, I told myself. I felt Carlisle twisting my hand, adjusting my bones. It was very painful, but I didn't shed a tear. No cry escaped from my lips. I was stronger than that.

The process took only a short moment. He then began to wrap up my hand in the gauze he'd brought in a small leather bag. "This is to assure the bones stay in place." He let go of me as soon as he was done.

I stared down at my now straight hand. "Thanks," I muttered unwillingly.

The doctor smiled at me and then turned to Jasper. "It's time we leave." They both stood up. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Natalia. We have a good story to tell when we get home." Seth walked them to the door.

Jasper whispered something to Carlisle. I stared at him in surprise. I'd begun to think he was mute.

"Oh, Natalia?" Carlisle asked before leaving the house.

"Yeah?"

"I think you should stop by our home sometime. We still feel that we haven't explained ourselves clearly enough. It seems necessary for you to know who we truly are, now that you are staying in the area."

I just stared at him. Go to a house full of vampires? I held back my chuckle and rude retort. "I don't know, Doc. I think we should take one step at a time," I said from the couch.

He nodded. "Well, as long as you consider the offer. Goodbye, Seth."

"Bye, Carlisle. Jasper. Thank you."

And the vampires left. I felt numb. I had just let a vampire touch me, without killing it. What had happened to me? Was I even me anymore?

Billy Black wheeled himself into the room. He gave Seth a we-are-going-to-have-a-talk-later look and then turned to me. "Natalia, you're welcome to stay here. Or would you prefer to sleep elsewhere? I don't know if you're more accustomed to sleeping outside."

I wondered if I should accept the proposal. I didn't want to impose, but the thought of sleeping under a roof, in a clean bed, was too wonderful to turn down. "Here's perfect. Thank you, Mr. Black."

Billy Black laughed. "Oh, please, call me Billy. I don't need to draw any more attention to my age."

I smiled. "Sorry, Billy."

Billy Black nodded. He wheeled himself over to the corner of the room where his book was. "Why don't you show her to a room, Seth? Rebecca's will be fine."

"Um, Billy, is it all right if I use your shower? As you can see, I'm not exactly clean."

"Of course," Billy replied.

"Thank you. Goodnight."

Seth led me past the kitchen to a staircase. We walked upstairs and stopped at the first door on the right. "That's the room you'll be staying in," Seth explained. "And that's the bathroom," he finished, pointing to the room next to it.

"Thank you."

"Yeah. Well, it's pretty late. I think I'm going to be heading home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure. I don't really have anywhere else to be," I told him.

He smiled. "All right. Well, goodnight. And thanks for giving us a chance." He stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before moving past me and heading down the stairs.

I quickly opened the door that led to my new room. There was a bed, a dresser, a television, and a window. That was pretty much everything positive about the room. The main reason I disliked everything else: it was covered in pink. I sighed as I walked over to the dress to look myself over.

I was covered in grim. My brown, wavy hair was a leaf-filled haystack. My dark eyes were a little red from crying. My full lips had some leftover blood from the vampire fight. My light skin was stained with dirt, along with my torn clothing. I was a complete mess. I almost gagged, just looking at myself. I quickly turned away from the mirror and rushed to the bathroom. I was exhausted, and although I was going to have a good amount of time for baths, I knew I had to clean myself. Now.

Say goodbye leaves, I thought as I pulled a small leaf out of my hair. This was going to be an interesting shower.