Chapter One: The Flashback

Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized – lets us form true bonds of love

Flashback

"Isabella...if you would just reconsider our previous offer..." Marcus pleaded as he stood in front of me. He looked sad, pathetic almost. I was beginning to feel sorry for him.

I had my back turned to him, looking out a huge window over looking Rome, Italy. It was pitch-black outside, but I could see just fine. I smirked slightly, showing my sharp teeth. It was amusing how weak The Volturi could look sometimes.

"You Volturi members just don't give up, do you?" I said smoothly, turning around to face him. I eyed him carefully, reading his body language. He was sad because he knew the Volturi would be upset with his failed offer. He was angry because I'd refused him.

"Please, Isabella..."

I shook my head, frowning.

"Why is it you want me anyways?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Your extra ordinary powers, the marking on your neck, your eyes. This obviously adds up to something meaningful. We want to figure it out..."

"You brought me all the way to Italy for this?" I sneered, crossing my arms over my chest, "It seems the Volturi isn't as strong and sure of themselves as they put out. I'm not your little science experiment. I'm sorry, Marcus, but I'll have to refuse."

"Very well," He said stiffly, "If that's what you decide..."

"It is," I snapped.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time, Miss Gotti," He was offended, I could tell. But that didn't change my mind.

"Goodbye, Marcus," I said flatly.

"Until next time..." He whispered when I was well out of his range of hearing.

End Flashback

I sniffed the air. The group of deer were with in half of a mile, I could tell. I was hungry, and they were there. I licked my lips, ready to feed. I bounded in the direction they were and stopped a few feet away.

They were there, but they were already dead.

Confused, I smelled for more food. Another, bigger group of deer. I found them and they were dead, too. I bared my teeth back when I saw the bite marks on the deer.

There was another vampire in my territory.

I had to go ten miles out of my usual range just to feed. I returned back to my house, confused.

"Isabella..." I heard the pixie like voice, and my head snapped up. I saw a short, spikey-haired girl at the top of my stairs.

"Alice!" I exclaimed, bounding up the stairs in two jumps. I hugged my best friend, "Good thing I wasn't human; you would have given me a heart attack. I didn't know you were in the area- what brings you to the woods of North Carolina?"

"We're moving here," She explained, grinning with her vampire-teeth sticking out, "All of us. The whole family."

"Great!" I said, "And you're dropping Edward off at the dog pound, where he belongs?"

It was no secret that Edward and I didn't exactly get along. In fact, we hated each other. I got along great with every one else in the Cullen family, except for him.

She ignored my stab at her brother and said, "We're buying the house that's right next to yours."

My house was deep in the woods of Charlotte, North Carolina. There was only one house next to mine, about a hundred feet away. And then it was pretty much deserted for about a fifteen mile radius.

"And where is the rest of your family?" I said, smiling.

"They are still packing," She said, "They're going to be here tomorrow mourning. And, I didn't bring Edward because I didn't want you two to destroy Charlotte."

"Please, Alice," I said, "Our fights are not that bad."

She raised her eyebrows at me crossed her chest, saying nothing. Our fights did get a little violent sometimes. The Leaning Tower Of Piza? Yeah, that was because of us. Of course, the humans never figured that out.

They were so naive.

"You must have been the one feeding on my territory, then," I said.

"Sorry," She said sheepishly, "You were gone, and I was hungry."

"It's quite okay," I said, "Now I'm just glad it was you, and not some other vampire I didn't know. Come, I'll show you the best places to hunt..."

I had missed my best friend. I hadn't seen her in almost twenty years, and I was ecstatic that they were going to live by me. Edward, though, I could live with out... I had learned that they had wanted to get out of Washington for a while, but they didn't know where I lived.

So Alice tracked me down by following my scent, and found me here. When she did, she immediately bought the house next to mine, and waited for me to get back.

I was happy, finally re-united with the Cullen Family.