CHAPTER 1

Running.

That's all I ever seem to be doing lately.

Running from the truth. Running from my past. Running from my future. Running from my fears. Running from my dreams.

Running from myself.

Today I was running to clear my mind. I could feel the cool wind sweeping through my tawny fur, ruffling it in all directions. Even though my body ran hot, I could still feel a slight chill in the air that warned me that winter had arrived. And if winter were here, it meant I'd been on my own for two and a half years.

I could feel the frost covered leaves and twigs crunch under the weight of my massive body, the snow biting into the pads on my paws.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen another person as I preferred to stick to the woods, hunting when I could but for the most part, avoiding human contact unless I needed money or supplies. Most people would find it difficult living solely off the land but my time on the reservation helped more than I could ever say. I've come to live a life I'd never expected to live but I refuse to give up hope that it'll get better. Living on my own has taught me a lot. It's taught me how to read people, how to live, and how to survive.

As my body swiftly flew through the forest, avoiding large trees with a simple angle of my body, I could hear my own blood pumping through my quickening heart, the sounds of my footfalls like the beating of drums.

It wasn't always like this for me.

I can remember the exact

moment my life changed. Everything about that night embedded itself firmly in my mind and I often found myself replaying the events of that night over and over again. I can remember the sound of my sister's heart racing as she fumbled to utter her words of forgiveness to me. I can recall the faint smell of my father's cologne that lingered even after he'd already left for work. But most of all, I can remember the look on my mother's face. It was a look of shock. Betrayal. Disgust.

Pulling myself from my own morbid thoughts, I slowed to a light sprint, gauging the distance I had traveled. I could tell I was further from my camp than I wanted to be so I stopped and began turning back when I heard it.

I could hear the sound of voices talking quickly, almost too quickly. Leaves crunched loudly as they moved closer to me. I knew I had to leave before they saw me and panicked. Humans usually don't take well to the sight of a six foot mountain

lion. I angled my large body back in the opposite direction, careful not to make too much noise and I began running back towards my campsite.

I had been running for a couple of minutes when it occurred to me that something wasn't right. I could hear my own footsteps but close behind me, I could also hear lighter, faster footsteps. From the sound of it, there were two of them and they were moving much too quickly to be humans.

Had they found me? I wondered as I picked up my pace, hoping to outrun them. Using my advanced sight, I could make out my camp not much further ahead of me. I could see it approaching quickly, the fire I had started dwindling down to embers. I knew that by the end of the night, I would have to restart it.

Before I could reach my camp, a large, heavy weight fell on top of me, knocking me to the ground and pinning my belly into the dirt. I managed to roll away from it, somersaulting until I was back on my paws. When I looked up I could see that what stood in front of me was decidedly not human.

Even though he looked human, I knew from experience that he wasn't. Everything about him was perfect. Too perfect. From his short, dark, curly hair to the pale pallor of his skin, told me that he wasn't of this world. Having encountered a few over the years, I could recognize the signs. But what startled me the most about him were his eyes. Normally their eyes are bright red and radiated danger, but his were dark and black. As he crouched low and slowly made his way towards me, a lone beam of sunlight shot through the trees, illuminating his large, muscular body, making his pale skin glisten like a million diamonds.

A vampire.

With my revelation, my nose became assaulted by the unmistakable smell of vampire, a scent that smelled of burnt sugar, vanilla, and molasses, so sickly sweet it burned my nose and throat with every inhalation.

The man in front of me began grinning, his gleaming white teeth glistening with venom as his dark eyes took in my size.

"You're a big one." He said, his grin stretching so wide, it appeared to split his face in two.

I arched my back up, commanding my fur to rise as a deep growl began rumbling

from some place deep within my being. I released my claws from their sheaths and bared my fangs, roaring at the intruder, my tail twitching in anticipation. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I was afraid of him. He may be big but he's certainly not the first vampire I'd had to kill. He glared at me wickedly, accepting my challenge.

There was an almost perceivable ripple in the air as we both charged at each other. As I came at him, he angled his body and twisted it away from me. Before I could spin back towards him, he had his his massive arms wrapped around my middle. I twisted in his grasp, landing on my back but his grip held strong. Using my razor sharp claws I raised up, slashing at the arms holding me down, gouging large grooves into his hard, pale flesh. I could hear him grunting from the pain but he still refused to let go. It seemed that the more I struggled, the tighter he squeezed his arms. I could already feel the breath being squeezed from my lungs as he continued constricting around me.

Deciding to change tact, I again raised my body but this time instead of aiming for the arms, I trained my sharp teeth at this exposed throat. As I went to rip his esophagus from his pale column, he brought his head down hard, connecting with my own and knocking me back down. I was seeing stars and as his hold tightened around me, I could hear the bones in my body breaking and snapping.

The white hot pain that shot through my body was excruciating and I could feel my body losing tension. I knew I didn't have much longer before I lost consciousness but I knew I was not going to die like this.

Lifting my arms caused more pain to needle my body but I ignored it long enough to jam my claws into his chest, gripping as tightly as my declining body would let me. Finally, the vampire let out a scream, opening his arms and releasing me from his grip.

More pain coursed through my body as I collided with the ground. I attempted to roll onto my legs but my body wouldn't allow it. I could taste my own blood in my mouth and my vision was growing blurry. I could feel my breath coming out painfully and there was a raspy wheeze every time I took a breath. I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Lifting my heavy head, I turned my gaze toward the vampire, who now seemed to be missing a chunk of flesh, as he advanced towards me.

I was beginning to slip into unconsciousness when I heard another pair of footsteps rapidly approaching us. As the vampire came upon me, he bared his teeth, preparing to sink them deep into my flesh and bone. But the pain of his bite never came.

As the corners of my vision grew dark, I could hear the newcomer scream.

"Emmett stop! He's human!"

I climbed into my bedroom window, trying very hard not to make any noise. I didn't know the exact time but I knew there were only a couple of hours left before the sun would rise and I'd have to start my day. Climbing into the window was a lot easier to do now that I was getting a better grasp on my powers. I knew my father had already left for work but my mother would soon be awake to start her day. I cursed myself for staying out longer than I should have, considering I had school in an hour. It had grown harder and harder trying to keep my transformations from my parents but thanks to my twin sister's help, things had so far gone great.

I could hear my sister's heartbeat from inside my room, waiting for me to come home. It seemed slightly erratic, jumping at the slightest noises before settling back down to a steady beat. As I carefully entered the dark room, I instantly knew something was wrong. The atmosphere in the room felt colder…heavier. And it was then I realized there were not one, but two heartbeats in the room.

My eyes scanned the room, searching for the source of the other person when my vision fell upon my mother, sitting next to my sister Anola on my bed. Even though the bedroom was pitch black, thanks to my newly enhanced eyesight, I could make out their faces perfectly. My mother's face was a mask,

completely devoid of emotion. In the darkness, I could see every line and wrinkle perfectly as if there were a light shining over her. My mother had always been a striking woman. Her sharp, angular cheekbones and full lips looked beautiful under her small, dark eyes. Her long black hair was always immaculately brush away from her face, framing her long, slender neck. Her taut, dark skin didn't hold a single wrinkle, leaving her face ageless.

I could see her slowly reach towards my bedside table and flick the small light on. As she took in my appearance- my sweat soaked body, the rapid rise and fall of my heaving chest, and the musky odor of nature, her features began to tighten and contort. Rage blossomed over her features as she quickly stood up and strode towards me.

I didn't know what to expect but as she drew closer to me, she did the one thing I never expected my soft-spoken mother to do. She slapped me. I could tell by the pained expression on her face that the slap hurt her much more than it hurt me but still she pulled her arm back, ready to strike again.

"Mom, stop!" Anola shouted, jumping from my bed and grabbing my mother's arm. "You'll only hurt yourself!"

Slowly she lowered her arm and turned her steely gaze back on me. I had never felt scared in my mother's presence. Sure, she could be uptight and a little conservative but I had never seen my mom so angry. The ire that dripped from her venomous gaze froze me to the floor, rooting me to the spot. A cold chill shot up my spine as she turned away from me.

"I'll give you 10 minutes." She said, her voice hollow and cold.

For a moment, all attempts at speech fell from my lips and hit the floor. Finally, I found my voice and was able to speak.

"W-what?" I asked, my voice squeaky and shaky.

"You no longer live here." She responded, slowly walking towards the door. "I cannot have a deceitful abomination in this house. Your very presence here is an affront to everything this tribe has stood for."

"Mom...what are you saying?" Anola said, a look of horror on her face.

My mother didn't acknowledge that Anola had spoken when she turned slowly towards me. Standing in the doorway, the light from the hallway spilling into my dark room, the sharp angles I once considered beautiful now looked dark and hard.

"You are no longer my son. You are an imposter. A thief! And I can't stand the sight of you." She said, her face contorted in disgust. "What you are is unnatural!"

"Mommy?..." I said, reaching out for her. My hand shook uncontrollably and I could already feel the hot sting of tears rolling down my face. As I looked over at Anola, I could see the wet lines of tears streaking her face as well. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Anywhere but here." She said, walking out of the door and down the hallway. As I listened to the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut, I stood on shaky legs and began packing my bag. I could hear Anola loudly sobbing, begging me not to go but her words fell on deaf ears. I was numb.

As I easily hefted the large bag onto my shoulder, I walked to my window and gazed out onto the skyline. The sun would soon be rising as the darkness of the night was slowly being chased away, casting the night in a bright blue glow. An errant thought ran through me.

This is what they call the blue hour, I thought staring out onto the horizon and thinking about the astronomy lessons I seldom paid attention to at school. Somehow now, more than ever, I understood the true meaning of this time of day. I could still hear Anola sniffling behind me and I knew that if I turned and looked at her, I would break again so I slowly crawled out of the window onto the roof and jumped.

As my feet hit the wet, dewy grass, I knew I would never call this place "home" again.

As I slowly opened my eyes, my eyelids heavy with sleep, I was assaulted by blinding white light. Instinctly, I threw my arm up to block out the light but the movement sent a sharp pain shooting through my side and into my body. The pain was so striking, my lungs painfully constricted and it took all of my willpower not to cry out. I slowly placed my hands on my side, hoping the contact would alleviate some of the pain but instead of flesh, my fingers brushed against a rough fabric wrapped tightly around my chest and ribs.

Confusion raced through my veins like fire and I tried wracking my brain to remember how I'd found myself in this position. The last thing I could remember was running through the woods when something hit me. Something big. A vampire. My eyes instantly flew open, ignoring the brightness of the room. After a minute or so, my vision became accustomed to the light and I was able to take in my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the smell. The entire room smelled really clean. Too clean; so clean that every breath I took burned my nose but there was a light, almost floral scent someplace faraway.

As my eyes travelled around the room, I began to realize I was in a hospital room of sorts. Everything was clean and white, like a hospital but there were touches that made it apparent I wasn't in a real hospital. Firstly, the floor was covered in thick, plush white carpet, and the huge bed I was lying in was swaddled in soft, Egyptian cotton sheets. There was a long table by the window that was covered in all sorts of flowers and when I trained my nose toward them, I could smell their fragrance being choked out by the antiseptic. I then noticed the incessant beeping of the heart monitor next to my bed, the IV connected to my arm and the oxygen tube in my nose.

Alarmed, I ripped the IV out of my forearm and the tubes from my nose, causing a brief moment of pain to needle through me. Ignoring it, I tossed the blankets from my sore body and shifted my frame, planting my feet firmly on the carpet. Initially I'd thought I was naked but as I glanced down at my bruised and bandaged body, I was relieved that I was wearing a pair of silk pajama pants. It wasn't that I'm very modest but somehow even the thin layer of silk made me feel more secure in this unfamiliar setting. As I went to stand, my legs buckled under the weight of my body and I caught myself before I hit the ground, using the bed for support. Taking a few unsteady steps towards the door, I began to grasp my footing. Every step I took pained me but I knew that wherever I was, I needed to get the hell out of here.

When I opened the door, I was surprised by what surrounded me. I expected to be in some weird science lab or government testing facility but it appeared as if I was in someone's home. A very large and expensive home. Instantly I went into "Hunter Mode", scoping out my surroundings and taking in the best plan of escape. Turning towards my right, I silently inched down the long hallway, my back pressed against the wall. When I reached the end of the hallway, it emptied into a large landing. The most dominating feature I could see was an enormous black cross hanging on the wall across from the stairs. There were doors leading into other rooms but my target was the pewter steps leading downstairs and towards the front door.

I cautiously took a step, hoping it wouldn't make a noise. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding when the steps remained silent. Reassured, I began my descent into the unknown. As I took each step, I froze for a moment just to be certain I wouldn't be ambushed at any moment. When I got halfway down the steps, I realized my back was pressed against a wall that had a huge painting above it. When I glanced up at the painting, I realized it wasn't a painting or photo but what appeared to be row after row of graduation caps. Such an interesting piece intrigued me to know what type of people would have such an odd piece in their home.

Shaking myself out of my ruminations, I continued down the stairs to the bottom. When I reached the bottom landing, I could hear voices coming from further into the house. I paused, listening to the direction they were coming from, hoping to escape without having to confront the residents in my damaged condition. I could clearly make out 4, maybe 5, voices and I knew I'd have no chance against 4 people. It sounded as if there were at least 3 males and a woman. As I looked around the landing, my heart dropped when I realized the only door I could possibly leave out of would take me past the voices I was trying to avoid. I glanced at the large glass windows lining almost every wall of the house but my optimism was dashed as I realized none of them opened.

With shaky breath, I resigned that I would have to slip past them in order to leave. Taking a deep breath, I crept silently down the hallway towards the voices, doing everything in my power not to alert them to my presence. As I drew closer to them, my ears began to pick up on their conversation and my body unintentionally froze, trying to decipher what they were talking about.

"…but Carlisle, he's going to wake up eventually and he's going to perceive us as a threat." One voice said. It had a soft masculinity to it with just the barest hint of an accent, from where I couldn't place.

"Yes, I understand that Edward, but he's also a living creature with a mind. We can't treat him like an animal and lock him up." The other voice, Carlisle I'm assuming, answered. His voice was deep and commanding but also soft and gentle.

"But isn't that what he is?" Edward responded. "Carlisle, he's a shifter and one I've never seen before. Who knows where his allegiance lies and I have a family to protect."

"As do we, Edward, but we don't turn our backs on people who need help, especially when it's our fault he was hurt in the first place." The female voice responded. It was soft and motherly but had a chiding tone to it.

"I said I was sorry!" A third voice shouted. This one was deep and masculine and I instantly recognized it. It was the voice of the vampire who'd attacked me. My hair began to rise and I could feel anger flare up inside of me. Every bone and muscle in my body was tight with tension. I wanted to run into the room and rip his head off but the calmer side of me reminded me that I couldn't take on 4 vampires right now.

I took several calming breaths and as I could feel myself calming back down, I could hear my name being mentioned.

"…and when I got there, it looked like he was camped out there. I went through his stuff and found a school ID with his picture on it. His name's Akando Kohana." Edward said.

"Ok, that's a start." Carlisle responded, a contemplative tone to his voice. "What else do we know about him? Any family?"

"Well, I found a cell phone. It appears to work but when I dialed the number under 'Mom', the call went straight…" Edward stated.

"What is it? What's wrong?" The woman asked.

"He's up. He can hear us." Edward responded.

My heart began to race as I realized they knew I was listening to them. As if on cue, I could hear them moving towards me. I knew I couldn't take them all but I'd be damned if I let them take me belly up. Swinging around the corner, I could see them staring at me, their amber eyes wide in surprise. I could feel the ripple of change shoot up my spine as my bones and muscles began to morph and change. Suddenly, a crippling pain ran through my body and a hacking cough escaped my throat. I could feel my lungs seize and all of the air in my body was being sapped out. I could see one of the vampires race to my side but the instant his cold hands touched my arm, I recoiled back as if burned and a visceral growl vibrated past my taut lips, stretched over my large fangs.

The room lurched forward and I could feel the change recede back. Sweat was pouring down my body and big black stars were invading my sight. I was losing myself but I could suddenly feel myself being lifted from the ground and being carried to the couch. Turning my head up, I could see the worried face of the vampire who attacked me staring down at me.

"Carlisle, is he going to be ok?" He asked, looking towards Carlisle who was making his way towards me. I still couldn't breathe and I could feel myself losing consciousness again. I was trying hard not to lose it but it pushed down on me like a weight.

"He should be fine Emmett but we've got to get some air back into him before he passes out again." Carlisle responded distractedly.

I could feel Carlisle's hand quickly removing the bandages around my ribs and the feel of his cold hands gliding across my hot flesh felt soothing. I could feel my eyelids flutter closed and again, darkness seized me.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So this chapter is only slightly shorter than the rest will be but I wanted to first let you guys get a feel for the new character and everything before I really jumped into the story. This is also the first time I'm writing in first person so it's kind of new and strange for me. Just a heads up, although this story is set in the bookverse, I have taken elements from the movie and incorporated them into the story.

I will pose a question to my readers since it's you who will be reading this story. Who would you rather see Akando with? Emmett or Jasper?

Initially and 'canonically' when I created Akando, he's meant to be with Embry. I never create OCs and place them romantically with preexisting characters that aren't gay BUT I've always felt Stephenie Meyer was trying to tell us Embry was a homo. First of all, she portrayed him as the quiet, sensitive one in the group and then the actor they got to play him in the movie looks pretty gay. But then when I started writing this story, I figured no one would want to read about them since he's not really a popular character. Then I decided I really wanted to write Akando with a vamp only because I would love the interspecies ramifications of that pairing. I've never liked Edward and I figured between Jasper and Emmett, I'd be most attracted to Jasper only because I'm not a fan of big muscles but now that I've written this chapter, I like the idea of AkandoxEmmett so now, idk.

The choice is now up to you!