Chapter 7: The Baby
His coal black eyes snap to mine and in an instant he is crouched and snarling at me, protecting the small body with his own.
I hold completely still, not moving or breathing, petrified the slightest movement could make the man snap.
I can't let anything happen to that baby.
I slowly let my eyes fall from the pair as I take a quick survey of the forest around me, hoping to find something–anything–to help me save this young life.
I'm immediately paralyzed by the scene in front of me. I'm not sure what I expected to find, but it was never this.
A young, ghostly pale woman lies at the base of a tree in a river of blood with a large, gaping hole in what used to be her abdomen.
I struggle to process the scene in front of me. It just doesn't make any sense. Why cut the child from the woman's womb? Surly just draining the woman would have been so much cleaner and easier. This . . . this is even inhumane for a vampire.
I slowly lift my eyes back up to his, hoping my slow pace will assure him that I am in no way a threat. I'm not met with the cold-hearted gaze of the murderer I expected, but with the eyes of a man who looks scared and broken. This gives me hope I can play on the small touch of humanity he still has.
"Please," I whisper. "Please, don't hurt him, he did nothing to deserve this."
The man looks almost confused as he slowly starts to come out of his crouch, still protecting the infant with his body. I almost smile at the progress I've made with only a few words.
I slowly take a step forward, and he takes a quick one back, his eyes narrowing and another growl coming from deep within his throat.
I quickly put my hands up in front of me, desperate as I plead with him for this new life. "Please," I beg. "You don't need to do this. Please, just give him to me. I . . . I'll take him to his father. Doesn't he deserve that: a chance to grow up? Anyway, he must have, what, a couple of ounces of blood at best, right? That's not even worth the effort."
"You've already found him," he whispers and I am shocked by the sound of his voice. Like his eyes, it's not cold, but light and almost cooing.
"What?" I ask, not following in the slightest.
"Her father. You've already found him." He looks down at the baby in his arms and lightly cradles, the apparent her, back and forth.
My stomach sinks.
"Oh, God," I gasp. "You killed her father, too?"
His eyes snap to mine and I know immediately I've said the wrong thing.
"I didn't kill anyone," he hisses from behind clenched teeth.
Our eyes both snap to the girl swimming in scarlet. A pained sound escapes his throat as he drops to his knees, clutching the baby tightly to his chest. The baby's wails seem to diminish and I take a quick step forward, afraid he is crushing her, before realizing her heartbeat is still steady and strong.
As he stares at the woman from his spot of the ground, I finally allow myself to take in his appearance. He's wearing a pair of blood-covered jeans and a grey tee-shirt. His dark, almost black hair, is cropped pretty short, only an inch or so longer than what would be considered a buzz cut. He has a beautiful face and body, neither of which surprise me, seeing as what he is.
I can't help the slight pang in my heart as I take note of how much he looks like a Cullen.
"It doesn't have to be this way," I try again. "Please, just give me the baby." I take hesitant steps forward until I am less than a foot away from them. "If you give me the baby I can take her to her family."
He looks so small and lost as he looks up at me from his place on the ground. I am sure at this moment, were it possible, tears would be filling his eyes.
"You don't understand," he whispers. "I am her family. I am her father."
