After the confusing and heartfelt day I had, all I wanted was to be alone. I gave Brian's hand a light pat and said good night. As I got into my room I closed the door, turned on some soft music, curled up on the futon and thought. I thought about everything I hadn't let myself think up to that point. I thought about Rachel, my friends in DC, my friends in LA, John, my mom and, hardest of all, Chase. Just visualizing his cute four year old self running around with a huge dimpled grin plastered on his face was enough to make me break down. Not wanting to make noise, I bit on my fist and breathed through my noise. I spent the rest of the night silently and violently shaking out my grief over everybody I would never see again.

Sometime around dawn I had run out of fuel for my pity party. I had nothing from my past left to think about and analyze. I uncurled and laid on my back. I turned my thoughts toward my present. The first face that popped into my mind was Brian. In just a couple of days I had opened up to him more than anybody else. He was kind and funny and smart and good with languages (and a great masseuse). And I'd be damned if he wasn't the best looking man I'd ever seen! I could easily visualize his tall frame with strong arms and broad shoulders. He was muscular but lean, not bulky. He had a strong jaw and high cheek bones. His dark hair made him look fierce and wild, but his lips were constantly tilted up and on the verge of a smile. But what affected me the most were his eyes. No matter if they were black or golden, they held a light in them that could pierce through any armor or wall before them. I remembered how it felt when I looked into them and that feeling- no need- to be consumed. Thinking about Brian, warmth spread through me and I was surprised to find that I shivered with desire.
Wow. This body is so much more hornier than my human one, I silently noted. In an attempt to derail my increasingly dirty thoughts about Brian, I thought of the first face I could think of.

Renesmee. An adorable bundle of excited hormones. I smiled, thinking of her, and I envied her innocence. It was admirable that she was able to hold onto it living in a lifestyle that relied so heavily on death. I knew it probably had to do with how Edward and Bella had raised her. And Jacob. I hadn't seen a lot of him in Renesmee's lesson on her family, but I saw enough to know he was important to her. Also that she was hiding something about him. I just hoped he wasn't human for her sake.
Now for my future. I would stay with the Cullen's for now. But I could not forever. I knew I had to start making money, if only to buy my own clothes. But I was still only 17. I had a feeling Alice could help me and I resolved to ask her about it.
I sighed and sat up. Looking out of the window-wall I saw that it was well past dawn. I got up, showered and dressed, ready to face a new day.

As I walked down the stairs, I was hit with a mouthwatering smell that turned off any logical thinking I had. I was a predator, nothing else. I dropped into a hunting crouch and jumped to the lower landing. Mid-jump I was pulled down into an enormous rib breaking hug.

"Ye dinna want to do that, lass," Brian warned from behind me. I just growled and struggled with his grip. Being only a few months old, I easily broke his grip and tried to run toward the smell. He jumped me again, pinning me to the ground. Unconsciously, I flexed my physical shield. Brian flew backward, hitting the wall behind him. He growled and fell back into a hunting crouch, but now was in front of me. Before he could lunge, a massive pair of arms were around me, doing a fairly decent attempt to crush me.

"Whoa there!" said Emmett like one would to a horse. Even when serious he still had a smile on his face. The smell started to move away and I hissed in protest. I broke through Emmett's arms with some difficulty and was about to hop over the banister when I was stopped.

"Enough!" growled a very annoyed Brian. I was instantly frozen in place. I could not move as hard as I tried. Mentally I was furious and growling and hissing with gusto, physically I was doing nothing.

"She must leave. Now!" hissed an angry Rosalie from the stairs above us.

"She didn't mean it Rose," Emmett responded. "Feisty though. I'll give her that."

"She could have killed Charlie! Imagine what would have happened then."

Whose Charlie?, I silently thought.

"But she didn't. Drop it Rose."

"No. I will not drop it. A newborn is dangerous. Especially one with her gifts."

"Rose...," Emmett pleaded, but Rose just huffed and stomped off.

Bitch ,I though.

Brian just ignored them and walked straight up to me. He cupped my face and stared into my eyes.

"Come back to me, a leannan," his sweet breath caressed my face and his tantalizing scent overwhelmed my senses. I no longer could smell the human scent and my blood thirsty haze went away.

As soon as I was myself again, I stopped breathing and stopped fighting against Brian hold on me. Having realized this, Brian smiled at me and said "Back to your old self are ye? Good. Now do as I say. Dinna breathe and run to the forest. D'ye understand?" I nodded with my eyes.

"Good. Now I'm gonna let ye go." He slowly drew his hands away from my face and I felt his hold on me fade away. As soon I could move again, I was running as fast as I could. I blurred out of the house, through the back yard, across the river and into the woods. I ran and ran, something I was getting good at lately.

Sometime later I had run out most of my frustration and could no longer ignore the scents following me. I stopped at the edge of a clearing, walked to the nearest tree and punched it. I watched as it snapped in half and splintered off.

"You tell that tree whose boss!" I turned to see Emmett leaning against a tree.

"Isn't that what I just did to you?" I snapped back.

"Naw. You cheated," he smiled widely. "Want to really fight, you let me know. None of this force field crap!"

"Dinna give her any ideas," said Brian as he sauntered in to the clearing. He gave me a smirk and turned to Emmett. "As it is she ha' already bested ye today." He turned back to me and his eyes glittered in amusement. "Ye're a bonny wee fighter, lass."

"Yes, we heard your little scuffle," commented Carlisle as he walked into the clearing with a slight smile on his face. He was followed by Esme and Rosalie (who still had a frown on her face). I must of looked as miserable as I felt because Carlisle came up to me patted my shoulder.

"It happens to the best of us. All we can do is learn. We are going to make sure Charlie, Bella's father, is not around when you are and you are going to feed at least every other day. Agreed?" He gave me one of those doctors looks. You know that compassionate yet stern look doctors give you when prescribing a treatment you must follow. I just nodded my head and looked down. "Well. That's settled. How about we start now?" I looked up to a smiling face. "Up for a hunt?"

And with that we set out. Carlisle took the lead as we followed a scent trail of a large pack of deer. As we got closer to the deer we started spreading out in pairs. As the only two unmated people present, I got stuck with Brian. We closed in on a segment of the pack and could almost see them. Brian looked at me and nodded. The hunt began. We both lunged at the deer. I took down the biggest buck in sight and wrestled with it. I still hadn't perfected the art of feeding without making a mess so by the time I was done my hair had blood, fur and twigs in it, my clothes were ripped and I had blood spattered across my body. I looked up briefly to see Brian finished with his, leaning on a nearby tree, and pointing to two other deers he had killed for me. I quickly nodded in thanks before sinking my teeth into the nearest one's neck. I drained both of the remaining deer as quickly as I could. When I was done I whipped my mouth and looked at the blood in disgust.

"Nicely done,lass," Brian said huskily. I snorted.

"Ya right-" I looked up and cut off what I was about to say. Before me was a perfectly intact tall beautiful Scotsman with a drop of blood running down his chin and with the most serious expression on his face that I had yet to see him with and his bright golden eyes were staring at me. His eyes roamed my body, making me shiver as a warmth filled my body, and they got noticeably darker. He suddenly looked like lion ready to lunge and I had no doubt I was the gazelle.

I broke eye contact and looked down.

"We should probably rejoin the others," I stammered.

"Aye. We probably should," he said, his voice deeper than usual, but made no move to go. He just stood there, leaning on a tree, staring at me.

"Come on," I sighed. I had an idea and smiled wickedly. "Race ya!" I shouted and sprinted off. I heard him growl and run after me, so I sped up. He was fast, but so was I. I was still stronger than him, so I reached the meadow the others were in first.

"Beat ya!" I said slowing from a sprint to a light run. I turned around and started jogging backward to gloat, but he was right behind me and lunged. He wrapped his arm around my waist and spun me around so I was facing the forest again.

"Hey!" I cried indignantly. "No fair!"

"No. No fair is ye startin' a race wi' no warnin'," he retorted.

"I gave you a heads up by yelling 'Race ya'," I said matter-of-factly.

"That's cheatin'!" he cried indignantly.

"No laddie, that's a technicality," I said, imitating his accent. With that I just smirked and went to join the others who were now waiting for us and watching our exchange with interest and amusement. I just looked at them innocently and asked,

"What?"