Chapter 5

The ride to the Cullen's house took a while longer than Rayne thought. And for that, she was greatful. Along the way, she asked Jasper a couple of questions due to her nervousness.

"So...who all is going to be there? Do you think they'll like me? What if they don't want us to be friends anymore after tonight?"

"Everyone will be there. Carlisle, my adopted father. Esme, his wife. Emmett, you already met. My adopted sister Rosalie. Alice, Edward, and Bella Swan. I think they'll find you to be a little amusing. Emmett already does..and he is often at times a good judge of character. So..they may decide not to harrass you too much. If they don't...we'll just have to keep that a secret then won't we?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry for all the interrogation questions. I'm just really nervous. Wait a minute..Bella? Bella is going to be there? Why?"

"She's Edward's girlfriend."

"Oh...right. I forgot. Well, I guess that's okay. She does annoy me a little bit. Not like Alice. I like her a little bit better. She's kinda cool. Bella...I don't know. She just has this strange aura about her that I've found to be very unsettling lately and it seems to get worse every time I see her."

"Really? Do you know what it is?"

"No not yet. But...I do have a theory."

"What would that be?"

"Well..it's...this is going to sound really strange coming from someone like me when we hardly really know anything about each other..but...it just...it has something to do with her blood...I guess. Her scent as well."

"Her blood and scent?"

"Yes. Her blood feels like it's gone through a small change. Barely noticeable by other people, but I can tell it went through something horrendous and then...just healed itself back the way it used to be. And her scent. Something is totally off about it. Mostly I've faintly getting the scent of something dead...like nearly a few centuries if not quite a few decades old...and then it changes into something like that of the forest. Like there's an animal..a dog or wolf that she's hanging around...and his scent is rubbing off on her as well. It's mixing together with the scent of whatever is dead, but the dead scent is far stronger than the other one. I can tell. It's kinda creepy."

"You can tell this...just by feeling her scent?"

"I can feel her aura Jasper. Her life force if you will. I can feel that about people. Always have since before my mother's death. She had the gift too. So did my father."

"I see."

Before Rayne could say much more, she abruptly felt her breath be taken away by the sight of a beautifully structured house in the middle of the woods.

"Wow. You live here?"

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"Like it? Like it? I totally LOVE it! This place is beautiful! Oh I wish I could live in a place like this. It feels so peaceful here. Unlike back down there in the town."

"Maybe you can one day."

"I hope so."

Carefully getting out of the car, Rayne then nervously began to wring her hands together as she followed Jasper to the front door.

"Stop that. There's nothing to be nervous about. I like you. I know that they will too. Just be yourself."

Hearing Jasper's words ring out inside her mind, Rayne then took in a big gulp of breath and slowly left it out to help calm down her nerves before she felt nauseaous and Jasper sending out calming waves onto her to help ease her mind a little bit more.

Opening the front door, Jasper stepped back a little and motioned for Rayne to go on inside.

Walking in slowly, Rayne immediately began to take in all the wonderful sights that Jasper's house had to offer her.

Suddenly feeling hands upon her shoulders, Rayne then turned her head to the side instantly froze up and flush tremendously upon meeting Jasper's close gaze with her own.

"I was going to hang your outer shirt up on the hook until later."

"Oh...umm...okay. Thanks."

Rayne gently bit down on her lower lip to physically stop herself from letting out a soft moan upon feeling Jasper's hands slowly slide down her arms, taking her outer white shirt with them, and then leaving her figure all together with a feeling of wanting more.

Before she could ask him a question, Jasper then pointed out that they were going to take a small flight of stairs up into the den and kitchen.

Following behind him closely, Rayne began to finally get a sense of calming down from her nerve racking high.

Stopping just before they reached the kitchen, Rayne politely greeted Jasper's family one by one as they were introduced by his adopted father Carlisle.

"We're sorry to not be joining you tonight Rayne. We just got back from a heavy trip and had eaten along the way."

"That's okay. This all smells great. What is it I'm having prepared for me then?"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you are hungry. My wife Esme is cooking up some fettucini chicken alfredo with a good helping of salad. Do you have a dressing in mind for your salad?"

"Ranch. If you have it. If not..then I'll eat it as is."

"I think we have some around here somewhere. So Rayne was it? How do you know my son?"

"We have all of our classes except for Home Ec together. Lunch as well. Pretty interesting to say the least, but, I'm not complaining. He's a tough guy to beat when it comes to test scores."

"I see. What was your best score?"

"98."

"That's really good."

"I guess. This jerk got a perfect score. But next time..it'll be my turn in the spotlight. As for history...we've been assigned a project together. It'll take us most of next week to complete it, but I guess it should be fun."

"What kind of project do you have to do?"

"A recreation of what life was like back in our assigned time. Have to make the costumes, the food, act out what they did in their lives, how they talked, you know."

"What time was given to you two?"

"The Civil War."

A tense silence suddenly filled the air. For moments nobody moved. Then suddenly, Carlisle remembered they had company over and spoke out to help ease the tension.

"Oh..I see. Well then, I'm sure you two will have a lot to talk about then to get ready for this project."

"I think so. I was thinking of making the costumes if you can get me the material to make them and I was also going to be making the food."

"Well it sure sounds like you two have a lot of grounds to cover." was all Carlisle responded back before he was interrupted by his wife announcing that Rayne's dinner was done and ready to eat.

After finishing off her meal as politely and as fast as she could, Rayne was then a bit surprised to hear Carlisle announce that he'd like to talk to her in the den with his family present.

Walking in and sitting down on a nearby chair, Rayne then waited patiently for Carlisle to say what he wanted to say.

"Rayne..I'm sure you are probably curious as to why Jasper's eyes were blood red that day he nearly snapped at you in Art class."

"Not really. I had forgotten all about it until you just mentioned it now."

"Well, I'm sure he must've told you that his cold skin was due to a condition that he's had for a very long time, am I correct?"

"Yes. I just assumed that his eyes that day were due to the same condition."

"Well...that was a lie."

"Uh huh. Go on."

"You see...for our protection. No one in the town or where ever we go too must know this secret about us. Bella...she found out through Edward. You however, shall find out through me and my family."

"Okay. So...what is it that they or I couldn't know?"

"There are times, Rayne, where we'll experience a hunger like no other. Or our emotions will get the better of us and we can hardly control ourselves around others. Our eyes will change color from this amber golden brown color to the blood red you saw that day. Our skin, is forever ice cold. Our speed, is impeccable. Our strength, immeasurable. We have survived solely on the feasting of animals to save the loss of as much human lives as possible."

"Human lives?"

"Yes. We...that is my family and I, excluding Bella until a later time after already having discussed it; are vampires."

"Holy shit. Really?"

"Yes. Now you know our secret."

"Heh...hehe..cool."

"Excuse me?"

"That's cool. I mean, sure it must be hell to live on as you are when you were changed to forever be like that in all, but, to have that kind of near god-like speed, immense strength, and excluding that whole hunger for human blood thing, the blood red eyes bit is kinda hot. On some people that is." Adding that to finish her sentence thinking of how utterly gorgeous Jasper looked with those eyes that day and producing a small chuckle out of his brother Edward.

"You...you aren't afraid of us? Of what we could do to you?"

"Hell no. So what if you need to kill a human life or two here or there, shit happens. But you and family aren't necessarily doing that. You are feeding off of animal blood. That's great. I mean sure, once in awhile you may slip up and take a human life but so what! Shit happens. Both good and bad to all of us and you all aren't an exception to that either! So..big deal. Human life here, human life there. As long you still feed on animals mostly throughout your whole time in a town or city or whatever, I don't care. Feed on the damn animals all you like. All I ask in return when you do, is rip off the heads of those motherfucking rats. God I hate those disgusting things. UGH! I hate rats!"

"You don't care that we may slip up and take a human life whether we want too or not?"

"Nope. If it's my sister...then it'll be personal. Everybody else...have fun."

"I see. You are indeed a strange being Ms. Rayne. Very well then. I have decided that you may keep our secret. However, know that if you speak of it to anyone, I'll kill you myself to protect this family."

"Don't worry, I won't. I like you all too much. However, I do have a somewhat selfish request."

"What is that?"

"Well...if anything should happen to me..will you and your family keep an eye on my little sister for me? I don't trust that old man. After all the hell he's given me back in the day before moving here, I don't doubt he'll take up the drink and do it again. This time..to her."

"Very well, we promise."

"Thanks. But also, if she's dying, could you change her? Or me perhaps?"

"If she is younger than fifteen, no. It is against our way. And it would have to be done outside the country. Due to a treaty we have with the Wolf clan, we can't turn anyone into a vampire unless they are of age and have given consent."

"I see. That sucks. No pun intended mind you. But...if you had no other choice, would you change me?"

"That would have to be your decision to make in the end. And once it is done, it can't ever be undone."

"I know that. So...this wolf clan. Would it happen to have anything to do with the scents I've been getting off of Bella recently? She's got a fmaily friend or member that's a wolf or something?"

"A friend. Jacob Black. He and his clan are shape-shifters. They can transform into a large wolf. Like a werewolf."

"Huh...interesting. I like dogs, but I'm more of a cat person. Always have been. And nonpoisonous snakes too."

"That's, as you've said before, interesting."

"I know. Now, is that all?"

"For now."

"Cool. Well, it's getting late I best head back home now."

Before Carlisle could say anything more, Alice abruptly spoke up.

"You should stay Rayne. There's going to be a really bad lightning storm soon and it's best if you stay the night. I'm sure your father won't mind."

"Step father. Guardian. Whatever. That jackass is NOT my father."

"Oh...okay. Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry Alice. I just hate it when people call that ass my father. Especially after all he's done to me."

"How many times has he beaten you Rayne?"

"How-how did-"

"That's Alice's power. She can see the future, present, and past. She's a psychic. Edward can read minds being a telepath, and Jasper has the ability to feel and manipulate others emotions. He's an Empath." Carlisle interrupted Rayne explaining his adopted children's powers.

"I see. Well..I don't think that's any of your business."

"Has he ever touched you?"

"You can see my life for me can't you? Why don't you tell me then? Has he?"

"N-Y-He-"

"He did. Many times. Beat me. And...'touched me' as you so eliquently put it. So what? Shit happens. Just goes to show you that even bad shit can happen to good people. Big deal. It happened, dealt with it, and forget it. There, life much better."

"Until he does it again."

"Geez Alice, just drop it okay? Where am I going to crash then Ms. Fortune Teller?"

"With Jasper."

"Oh I see...WHAT?"

"You are going to stay with Jasper. We all have to leave to hunt and you are going to explore the house while we're gone. Then you'll get tired and fall asleep in Jasper's bed."

"Ha...like hell I will."

"I've seen it. It'll happen. Trust me."

"Whatever. Go on your little hunts. I can see the blood red beginning to pop out."

"Alright. see you in the morning."

"Later."