EPOV
I needed to escape the house and the new vampire that was now sitting down stairs so when my brothers suggested a hunting trip, I was more than eager to go with them. It had been a few days since any of us had eaten and it was beginning to show. Our eyes were darker than normal and Jasper's small frame would shake slightly. Jasper was the newest member of our family and he needed to feed more often than the rest of us.
It didn't take us long to reach the out skirts of the city, where we were met by a small forest. Before we even reached it, Emmett confirmed that there was what sounded like deer's in the woodland. It always amused me how he had this ability to sense his next meal right down to the size and colour of the animal.
"At least eight. They're small but they will do" Emmett spoke quickly and quietly as his head arched towards the trees. I could hear him plan how he was going to take down these animals quickly and without a sound. He turned to me and smiled knowing that I could hear what plan he had settled on.
"You ready brother?" Emmett smiled. I nod my head and position myself, ready to play my part in his plan. I didn't particularly enjoy killing the animal so I was happy to be the one to chase it into Emmett's path. I closed my eyes and hear Emmett move quickly to the other side of the forest when the slight rustle of a deer grazing caught my attention. It was close. I focused on the sound of its heart, locating where it was before moving. The trees past me in a blur as my feet barely touched the soft, moist ground. It takes me no more than three seconds to reach the small brown deer, catching it completely off guard. I could have snapped its neck before it even looked up but I enjoyed the chase. I wanted to give this animal a chance to get away. Of course I knew it wouldn't, not with Emmett readying himself in the trees. I slowed my pace as I ran straight for the deer. Its small legs moved quickly as it darted this way and that, trying to run for its life but I moved in its path, making it change direction. Emmett didn't take his time as the deer approached him. He sprang down from a large tree, landing softly on his feet. His teeth sunk into the deer's neck and quickly ended its life. The chase never lasted long and we always took the animals life quickly and as less painfully as possible.
Emmett looked up at me and I could hear him offer me some of his meal.
"No you have this one. I'm going to go and find another" I say before running towards the next deer. I could hear the thoughts of Rosalie as she sprang gracefully onto the deer in front of her. She was concerned about getting blood on her dress.
"Typical" I laugh out loud.
We spent no more than two hours hunting and once we were all satisfied, we headed back towards the house. Alice had confirmed that there was going to be another air raid tonight though it was going to be nothing in comparison to what happened earlier today. I still couldn't help but feel guilty at our knowledge of what was coming. All of those people...I knew that Carlisle felt the same way.
Just before we reached the house, Alice and Jasper approached me. I knew that they wanted to talk to me about Grace.
"Edward, I just don't understand?" Alice commented. "How can she...I mean she looks human. I could hear her heart beating...how is that even possible?" Alice didn't know how many times I had asked myself the same questions since I found out what she was. It didn't make any sense. Everything we had learnt about our kind never once mentioned a way for a vampire to look human.
"I don't know Alice, I honestly don't. She is different like Carlisle says...different than any of us" I reply as we walked down the same street that had been hit this morning. None of the shops that had been there stood untouched by the bombs.
"Not all of us" Jasper said quietly. I quickly looked at him and his face was apologetic for even thinking that I was similar to her.
"He's right Edward. She can read minds like you" Alice added warily. This was a dangerous subject to bring up and they both knew it.
"She's nothing like me" I growl feeling every muscle in my body tense. Again Jasper fills the space around me with calmness.
"She's scared of us, but mostly of you" Jasper spoke quietly.
"Good" I reply bitterly, though I knew deep down I didn't mean it. We continued to walk in silence until we reached the front door of the house when Alice stopped me. I looked down at her as her eyes pleaded with me.
"No Alice, I'm not going to talk to her" I say hearing her plea. "Once this air strike is over, she can go back to her own home and back to her life before she met us. As far as I'm concerned, it will only be Carlisle that will have to see her again. If it gets too much, we can leave".
"Why are so you so scared of her?" Alice asked unexpectedly.
"I'm not scared of her Alice! I just don't want her here or anywhere near us! I don't trust her! We don't know what she is or why she is here and she hasn't answered any more questions. We haven't come across another vampire for over nine years and then we move here and she just happens to show up? I don't believe in coincidence Alice" I say reaching for the door handle.
"She's afraid of you" Alice reminded me again before I pulled the handle down.
"I still don't trust her" I say quietly before stepping into the hall way. I glance into the dining room where Grace was still sat at the table. She turned around to face me, her face giving away no expressions. Not being able to hear her mind was becoming a serious problem. Without saying anything I turn away from her and walk upstairs to find Carlisle in his office, reading one of his books. He looks up from the book before shaking his head. He had been looking for any information on whether it was even possible for a vampire to look human. This was the one thing that was worrying us all.
"Nothing at all?" I ask Carlisle just to be sure.
"Nothing" he said frowning before burying himself in his book again. This was causing him as much stress as it was for me though it was for different reasons. I was worried about how dangerous she was whilst Carlisle was worried about her feelings. Just as I get to my room, I hear the faint sound of Grace's heart beating. I stop just outside of her door and listen to the slow rhythm...dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum. I shake my head as I turn away from her door and walk inside of my room before falling into the chair in the corner. I pick up the book that was lying on the table and try to lose myself in its words.
Two days later...
Not once had Grace come out of the room she was in. She had shut herself away from all of us, even Carlisle. Esme begged for me to speak to her, thinking that I might be able to understand what she was going through and give Grace some kind of reassurance. I told Esme I would consider it but deep down I knew that I had no intention of getting too close to this vampire. I had submerged myself in Carlisle's books when he went back to the hospital, hoping to find some small explanation of what Grace was. I read through almost nine hundred years of our history and still found nothing...well nothing useful. One story stayed stuck in my thoughts. One vampire I read about left me feeling cold and uneasy. His name was Zanthen. He was a young man when he was 'born' but quickly became feared amongst our kind as his legend grew. It was not uncommon for vampires to turn against their own kind but that was only usually when there was a conflict over territory or food but this vampire hunted not only humans but his own kind too. What he did was unthinkable. Hunting was only half of the legend...it was the torturing that turned his name into stone, thus being remembered for eternity. It was rumoured that he spent a month pulling apart another vampire, placing each of its limbs far apart and waited for them to find their way back to the body. Once the vampire had reassembled itself, Zanthen would tear apart the body, only for the sick game to begin again. Often humans would be made to play a part in his ceremony. Another story speaks of a female vampire called Sacres, who was in fact Zanthens lover, who betrayed him by handing him over to another of his enemies. Zanthen escaped without being touched and set his mind on revenge on his disloyal lover. Sacres was found in a small village, feeding off of a young girl when Zanthen caught up with her. He spent two years torturing Sacres by starving her. The girl she had been feeding on was kept alive, but was used to teach Sacres a lesson. Zanthen starved Sacres for months before placing the young human, bleeding slowly from a new wound, in front of Sacres. The smell of human blood, being just in reach, eventually drove her insane. Sacres used her own teeth to pull apart her arms from her body.
I hear Alice open my door, bringing me away from the monsters of our history. She looks at the chapter I was reading and wrinkles her nose.
"Ew Edward. Really? Zanthen and Sacres is hardly bed time reading!" Alice sighed.
"You've read this?" I ask Alice completely surprised. She nods looking annoyed before heading across to the door into Grace's room.
"Leave her alone Alice" I call to her but she ignored me completely and walked into the room. I put my book down, sighing at how Alice never listens to anyone.
"Grace I know you must be afraid but honestly, you don't need to be afraid of me or any of us!" I hear Alice say in barely a whisper. I wait for the loud noise of Alice being knocked off her feet but it never comes. I listen harder.
"I'm not afraid of you Alice" Graces small voice speaks. I sit there stunned that Grace was even giving Alice the chance to speak.
"Do you want something to drink?" Alice asks.
"No thank you. Can I ask you a question Alice?" Grace says softly.
"Okay, but only if you answer one of my questions. Deal?" Alice replies. Silence follows as I guessed Grace was considering the deal and whether there was any trap.
"Okay. Is it normal not to remember being changed?" Grace asks, her voice small and unsure.
"Sometimes. Some of us can remember every little detail down to the smell in the air or the sound of being bitten, where as the rest of us can't remember a thing" Alice replied. I felt sorry for Alice for being one of those that didn't remember anything about being changed but also glad she didn't remember the searing pain either.
"Do you remember being changed?" Alice asked next.
"Parts of it yes. I remember that I was walking home when I was attacked. I don't remember much about being...bitten though, just how painful it was afterwards. I honestly thought I was in hell. When I finally came around I was on my own, in a dark room. I was actually by the coast though I have no idea how I got there", Grace spoke quietly and slowly as I listened intently.
"Did it hurt?" Alice asked warily. I knew Alice was trying to learn more for herself too. She had asked me once to describe what it felt like but I could never put it into words.
"Yes. It felt as if someone was pouring liquid fire into my veins slowly. I could feel every drop of it as it pushed its way around my body until it finally came to my heart. My whole body was on fire. My skin felt like it was peeling away as the fire licked keenly at my skin and then I could feel every one of my muscles burning away slowly and yet quickly at the same time. Then as the fire began to fade, it was replaced by this throbbing pain that got worse as my heart slowed down. I couldn't see anything but darkness though it felt like there was someone there watching me. I remember trying to call out for this person to help me...to save me from this pain but my rescue never came. My throat was as dry as sand when I came to and nothing seemed to quench my thirst". I felt everything Grace was describing as if it was happening to me all over again. I swallow deeply and was even feeling thirsty, though I had only drank hours before.
"My turn. Is it unusual... a coven of your size?" Grace asked her next question with more confidence.
"Yes, I think so. I have never come across one as big as ours. Most of our kind travel alone" Alice replied. I wanted to ask Grace many questions of my own but I didn't want to interrupt Alice. Somehow I didn't think Grace would be willing to talk to me. I knew she would be able to hear my thoughts and any questions that were hidden in them.
"How long have you been able to read minds...like Edward?" Alice asked. I sat forward as I waited for Grace to answer one of the questions I had been wanting to ask myself.
"The first time was at the hospital. It was when Carlisle asked me into his office. I knew he was a vampire and knew that he had to know that I was one too. He said something in his head and I responded to it. I was scared that I had been able to do that" Grace sighed.
"And you couldn't hear minds before then?" Alice asked quickly. I heard what Alice had been thinking when she asked her question.
"No" Grace whispered.
Both me and Alice came to the same conclusion at exactly the same time. She could only read minds because of us...because of our presence.