Thanks to Joreyna for revising. Enjoy.
Rosalie, Emmet, Esme and I all sat on a rock, waiting for Edward and Bella to arrive. Carlisle was marking our bases while Jasper and Alice threw a ball back and forth for practice.
A thought occurred to me as I sat there playing with my hair and drowning in my own jealousy. How could Bella stand to be around so many vampires at once? Didn't it frighten her? Wasn't she the least bit worried that one of us would snap off at her and drink her oddly delicious blood?
And Edward, too. Wasn't he afraid of getting to close? She was, after all, the particular scent that drove him mad. Not only that, but he could kill her with one small crush of his fingers.
I breathed in the scent of the field, the air moist with rain and heavy with its cold steam. This was where I had demonstrated my strength to them, even if only a small amount. I smiled happily at those memories, however frightening they seemed. I was happier then, thanks to Jasper. I should have just asked him to keep me happy forever, to make me calm for as long as I existed so that I wouldn't have to feel things like remorse—or jealousy.
We all heard laughter coming from the trees; their footsteps came behind us far off in the distance, hand in hand yet again. Rosalie strode off towards the bases while Emmet, Esme and I went to greet them.
"Was that you we heard, Edward?" Esme asked them, watching their stance and how shy Bella seemed.
I got the feeling that she was more worried about us liking her than us wanting to suck her blood. Alice had skipped over to us like the little fairy that she was. "It's time."
Thunder shook the sky before Alice and Emmet darted towards the field. Edward soon followed, leaving Bella to me and Esme.
"Shall we go down?" Esme asked, in her motherly voice that I so adored.
She looked to me and then to Esme as we walked over to the sidelines. "You don't play with them?"
"No, I prefer to referee—I like keeping them honest."
She glanced up at me and I realized she was waiting for my answer. I was so used to someone reading my mind and telling everyone else that I had forgotten how to speak up for myself. I laughed quickly and flashed a smile to her. "I'm not allowed to play."
She was confused.
I chuckled to myself darkly. "I'm too strong for the sport. I always burn the ball to smithereens or dent the bat."
She understood then, hiding a smile behind her lips. "Edward told me, that is your strength."
"And a difficult one it is." I whispered without even looking at her. I was watching the sky in all its rumbling glory.
Esme and Bella chatted for a bit, catching my attention only when she asked if she thought Esme minded that Bella was wrong for him.
"No. You're what he wants. It will work out, somehow." I could sense her worry and Bella could see it on her face.
Bella's glance was at me again. I took a breath which seemed to make her more relaxed. Esme went to start them on the game, leaving me with Bella. "You're not afraid?" I asked her, letting the full intensity of my eyes catch hers.
She lost her thought for a moment but came back to it once I blinked. "I'm more afraid that you won't like me."
"Me or the whole family?"
"Both. Edward said that you are the newest and most human of them all, so you feel a bit more deeply than the others. I can easily see why you wouldn't like me. And the others, well Edward already assured me that they liked me. With the exception of Rosalie."
I nodded. "Rosalie is a trifle." I glanced down at the ground, kicking the dirt. What was I to say, that I liked her? I didn't…not yet at least. "You fit right in, so there's no worry of us not liking you."
I knew she wanted me to tell her straight out that I did or didn't like her. But I wasn't going to let the human have what she wanted. Not yet anyways.
Esme began to explain the rules to Bella and they watched with contentment. But all I could see was my jealousy blinding my eyes. My mother was not even paying attention to me. What a soiled little child I was. I was nineteen and jealous over my mother giving attention to another woman practically my age. It was ridiculous.
I focused my energy on not being angry, but that only made it worse. Damn humans, always getting in the way of my life. I should just leave right now and—
Alice gasped, Edward was at Bella's side and before my jealousy could even touch me again, I knew that we were to have trouble.
We had company.
"Alice?" Esme asked.
"I didn't see—I couldn't tell." She was whispering now.
The hair stood on the back of my neck. What was I going to do? I practically flipped when I met Heath's cousin, Melissa. I prayed to God that I wouldn't go ballistic and kill everything in my path—not like last time when I was frightened.
Edward's glance was only a second for me to have reassurance. I was what he needed. I nodded, and took hold of Bella's arm tightly, ignoring her small grimace of pain.
"How soon?" We were all looking at Edward now, his face in dire concentration.
"Less than five minutes. They're running—they want to play."
"Can you make it?"
Our eyes flicked to Bella.
"No, not carrying—" He stopped mid-sentence, obviously thinking of an attack. "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."
"How many?" The question was directed to Alice this time.
"Three."
That was just enough to get me frightened, and just enough for my heart to kick start. Carlisle heard it, the small flickered beating of one second, and wonder spread across his face for a moment. But it passed just as quickly as the clouds and he turned back to the situation at hand.
Emmet's muscle flexed and bid them to come.
"No." I whispered. It was the first time I had spoke in a few minutes and my voice was a bomb to their ears. "I'll carry her. I'll take her."
Edward's head shook violently. "No, they will come after you, hunt you down. You're too inexperienced."
"Inexperienced?" The thoughts of what I had done, who I had killed, splashed across my memories. He saw them at once, his face grimacing. He didn't want to see anything like that at the moment, so I shut the memories down and waited for my orders.
"Let's just continue the game," Carlisle decided for us before Edward or Alice could make any rash decisions.
"You catch, Esme. I'll call it now." He stood in front of Bella before turning to me.
"They won't be coming from behind so there's no need to worry about the back. Go play."
I said nothing as I flitted past him in a rush towards the field. I planted myself on the outskirts of the field, not really paying attention to the game at all. I watched as Bella placed her hair in front of her face. That did little to keep her scent from coming into my nostrils. I could smell her just as if she were standing next to me. Even her heart was notable over the crack of the thunder.
"Are they thirsty?" I asked Edward.
"No." His answer was immediate, strained, and full of stress.
The footsteps drew right up to the edge of the trees. The game was lost. We all turned to face the trees to meet them head on. Out came two males and a female, more inquisitive than ready for a battle. I was afraid of what I would do to them if they drew close to me with their scrutinizing eyes. Fear was playing into my bloodstream now and no matter how thick Jasper laid on the calm, I was still a rush with apprehension.
Laurent appeared to be the leader, his muscular body quite enticing and his quick smile warm. James, the second male, was plain and average proving to not only me but also Bella that not every vampire was beautiful. And the woman, Victoria, she was the wild one. Her fiery red hair was a marvel to me. Their posture was that of a catlike stance, always ready to pounce it seemed.
They made small talk, Carlisle using the same professional behavior that he did at work, keeping each sentence short of any revelations they might pick up about our feeding preferences and our odd human pet.
The breeze rippled across the field, Edward was as stiff as a board, and James was now examining Bella with his nostrils flared out. Down Edward and James scrunched into a crouching defense against the other, their snarls that of wild beasts from Africa. Neither removed their stance.
"You brought a snack?" Laurent asked, an expression of surprise covering his face.
Edward's lip curled back and he growled with ferocity that I could recall from some distant memory in my past.
"I said she's with us." Carlisle directed this towards James who had only moved slightly to one side.
"But she's human." Astonishment was now his expression.
For a few moments, all seemed to calm. Maybe they would join them back home for a cup of tea and crumpets.
"As soon as we turn to leave, watch them. Go with Esme and Carlisle. Keep them entertained." Edward ordered to me. I didn't look at him, just simply waited. This wasn't going to be a simple resolution. No, something much more dangerous was to occur.
Carlisle then called to us. "We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, Lilly?"
We all formed a blockade around Bella and in only seconds they were moving across the field. I followed Carlisle and Esme, not speaking a word. James walked behind us with Victoria making it apparent that they were together. After some time they excused themselves, claiming their hunger suddenly ravenous. That was partially true and yet it was a lie. They were gone with the wind leaving Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Laurent and I to head off towards the house.
Laurent turned to me and I knew this was what Edward was talking about. Not to keep just them entertained, but Laurent in particular. He wanted me to turn him neutral on being interested in Bella. Two was much easier to deal with than three.
We strode along through the trees at a practical thirty miles per hour ratio towards the house. "I take it you are the newest addition to the family?"
I endured a long stare from him before answering. "Yes, about three years."
He eyed me with interest, something I was unused to from our kind. Sure, humans eyed me all the time, but never an immortal. I guess that was because I had been with my family so long that I became normal to them and no longer interesting, which was perfectly fine with me as I didn't like to be observed all the time.
"You've never tasted anything but animals?"
"It's a difficult way of living, but it is much easier to mingle with humans this way."
We were quiet for a while until we reached home. He viewed it respectively, taking in our scents and even Bella's. At last he turned to us with questions. "How do you keep from tasting her?"
"We don't see her as food." Jasper commented, taking a turn about the living room.
We were all silent then except for Carlisle who shortly answered all of Laurent's questions. Rosalie's fury was more than Jasper could quiet. Esme and Carlisle's worry was mounting into a heap of hopeless plans to keep Bella safe. And I was standing in the midst of this all, trying desperately not to hurt anyone or anything because of my boiling strength. We were also growing extremely worried as to where and what Edward was going to do with Bella. Laurent, as well, was becoming increasingly apologetic as to his friend's behavior. He was just then beginning to grasp the terror of what James meant to do.
The truck pulled up then, the doors opening quickly. James' scent was not far off, but I was comforted in the knowledge that he would not attack at the moment. My apprehension was slowly declining due to Laurent's fearful movements of what was to come. My blood ceased to boil and I was yet again as an iceberg.
They came in through the front door at once and Emmet growled at the sight of Laurent.
"He's tracking us." If glares could kill, Laurent would be the target of assassination.
"I was afraid of that."
Laurent, as we soon found out, could do nothing to stop James. His life was tracking and there was nothing that could get in the way of it. We also came to learn that Laurent was not the leader. It was, in fact, James himself. It was the perfect façade to keep us from finding out anything about their coven while they would learn so much more about us.
"Go in peace." Carlisle finally ordered to Laurent who was departing with a wistful glance at me.
Laurent was gone. Now it was just the family as it had been hours before. Only now, there was a life at stake.
"How close?" And the planning began.
Esme was already on top of securing the house, bringing up the steel metal shutters that I had never seen before but knew were there.
"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female."
"What's the plan?"
"We'll lead him off, and then Jasper and Alice will run her south."
"And then?" Carlisle was hurrying along his phrases, slow enough for Bella to hear but quickly enough for us to think.
"As soon as Bella is clear, we hunt him."
"I guess there is no other choice." And there wasn't any other choice. Either we killed him, or he killed Bella. I didn't like Bella that much yet, but I would be damned if anyone were to kill her. The thought of peering into Edward's eyes if Bella no longer existed…
"Get her upstairs and trade clothes."
Rosalie was abrupt with disbelief. She was obviously not going to take any part in helping to save Bella.
"Why should I? What is she to me? Except a menace—a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us."
I wanted to agree with Rosalie, but I somehow couldn't. My jealousy was still intact, however, as I realized this entire situation was all about Bella Swan.
Esme took Bella up the stairs instead to change her clothes. As soon as they went up the stairs and around the corner, Edward took me to my own room and threw me a bag. "Get whatever it is you need."
It took me no time to realize what Edward was going to use me for. He was making me go with him, go hunt with him. I threw inconspicuous clothes into the bag and threw on a long black coat, tying my hair into a ponytail. Down the stairs we fled, the bags already packed with sleeping bags, a tent, and other various supplies. I flung them around my shoulders. The weight would have crushed an average mortal, but it was as light as a feather to me.
"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella." Rosalie wasn't too pleased about the idea, but there was no time for that. "Alice, Jasper—take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south."
They nodded.
"We're taking the Jeep."
Bella's face was struck with her own fear as the thought dawned on her. Edward, Carlisle and I made up the hunting party.
After it was made sure that they would be tracking us and not Bella, Carlisle ordered our leave. I watched as Edward took Bella into his arms and kissed her. I had forgotten that Edward was not just my brother, but a male. Not only that, a boyfriend to this human. Wasn't he afraid of killing her right then? Though it would be convenient and we could all continue our lives, it wasn't right to kiss her.
But the kiss was only a moment long and before she could even comprehend his actions, we were gone.