14
Renesmee's human scent filled my car and I was honestly thankful that she had a human's scent. No family member would ever ride with me if a vampire's scent filled the space. We drove into Forks and she showed me numerous boutiques and small little hole in the wall stores.
I kept my distance from the half breed as we moved from store to store. The clothes here were so ordinary, so very beneath me. We wouldn't even let our cubs wear some of these clothes. But I knew I was in no position to be picky and I figured a simple blue sleeve racer back shirt and blue shorts would be all I need at the last shop. However, my shopping buddy found numerous clothes and jewelry.
"You sure aren't the shop til' you drop kind of girl." she pointed out and I glanced at her.
"I wouldn't wish these clothes on my worst enemies." I said observing a few on a dress rack. The prices were high and I would never understand why.
"You shop at high end places for designers I assume?" she asked and I shrugged.
"Sometimes." I replied as I moved to the front of the store. "I usually have my clothes made." As the woman scanned the clothes, I heard the door open and some laughter coming from it. I didn't think anything of it until a hand smacks down on the glass counter in front of me. I glance up to see Mandy staring at me with a vicious look.
"Well looky here, little miss rich girl out shopping. Probably spending daddy's money." she said acidly. I looked back at the checkout girl as she slid her card back over to me. Renesmee watched with a bit of curiosity and nervousness. "You know we got some unfinished business." As the girl folded my clothes and placed them in the bag, I just looked at the Native girl. I knew why there was hostility and I had to admit that I was the cause of it.
"I apologize for how me and my cousins acted in the principal's office. It was rude." I replied seldomly before grabbing the shopping bag. Both Renesmee and I moved to leave, but Mandy and her two black leather cladded older women behind her did not move.
"You know, I may have actually forgiven that piss poor apology if you weren't going around stealing our men." she said. My body froze a bit at her words and I focused all my attention on her now.
"What do you mean stealing your men?" I asked.
"Vitanja, let it go." Renesmee said lightly. She rolled her eyes over me.
"You and your little band of misfit cousins coming to our school and flirting with our guys. It's bad enough the whites come on our land like we're some kind of tourist attraction and then here you guys come, the rich black family with your money and snobby attitudes. And now Paul is following after you like a lost puppy." she said angrily and my eyes began to dilate some and I tilted my head.
"So what are you going to do about it?" I asked lowly. She puffed her chest out and got in my face and her hands reached up to shove me, but my body hardly moved. Her human strength was like wind to me. She looked at me stunned and confused and came up with her hand to smack me, but I caught her hand quickly.
"Vitanja!" Ness said in shock, and I gave her hand a light squeeze which was just enough to heavily bruise her hand. Mandy let out a scream dropping to her knees immediately in pain. Her two friends dropped to get her and I took this chance to walk around them as if they weren't even there. I left the store and walked out to my car. Ness followed quickly and we got in my car and took off.
"Wow that was cool." Ness said.
"She'll live. I didn't even break her hand." I said calmly watching the road now.
"I… I'm sorry for what she said to you." she said.
"Why are you sorry?" I asked coolly.
"I… I don't know. You've been around long enough, I'm sure, to experience racism and I've watched enough movies that anyone saying "stealing anyone's man" comes from a place of bitterness and anger." she said and I leaned back in my seat some.
"You're a half vampire… I don't know how your age is affected, but I know I will be on this planet long enough for racism to die out. Or at least I hope I out live it. I could care less about what Mandy thinks of my relationship with Paul. If she disrespects me again, I will do more than just bruise her flesh." I said angrily and coldly. It quiet in the car now and I realized, I had no idea where I was going. I merged on the shoulder of the road and just looked at her now. She didn't look worried or afraid to be in the car. "Thank you for shopping with me." I didn't sound thankful and we both knew this, but she smiled nonetheless.
"Your welcome. I hope in the future we can be friends." she said. I leaned back caught off guard by her words.
"Why?" I asked. She shrugged giving me a sort of mystified look.
"Why not?" she asked. Because you're not one of us. You are of another animal kingdom to us and that means you will always be a threat. I wondered if I should drive her home to her coven. I was sure Mother would not approve, but that thought made me want to do it.
"I'll take you back to your coven." I said and she chuckled some as I merged back onto the road.
"You can call them my family you know. What if I always called your family a pride?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Nothing, because that is what we are. Family is a human term, not an animal term." I said.
"But aren't you all more human than lion?" she asked.
"Our souls are intertwined we are not more of anything." I replied.
"That a nice way of thinking about it. Turn off this road here. You were completely knocked out the last time you were at our place." she said. Even though I could find their home by smell alone, I decided to follow her instructions and drive into the trees. I was content on quiet, but it seemed the half breed did not have that in mind.
"So has your pride ever gone to war with any other lions or vampires?" she asked. I kept my eyes on the road before looking down.
"Once. Some vampires from Italy came, but our medjay were enough to drive them out of the land. We never met them face to face. They never got close." I explained.
"Italy…" she said lightly looking ahead in deep thought. I didn't ask what she was thinking because I didn't want to know. We finally made it to the front of her home. It was nice and polished. Jasper and Emmett were waiting on the front porch. I crinkled my nose at them and Ness looked at me.
"It was really nice getting to hang with you. I hope your date goes well." she says. I glanced at her and just nodded. "I'm guessing you won't help me take my bags inside?" I just looked at her as if she was crazy and she smiled and nodded.
"No I'm pushing it, I know." she said and finally got out of the car. "Uncle Emmett can you help me with my bags, unfortunately I got a lot."
"Oh boy. Sure!" he said. In seconds he was standing by the back of my car. I hissed lowly, not liking how close he was, since his sit was full on dead. I looked at Ness who arched a brow and smirked.
"I'll carry them to your door, but that's it." I said and got out quickly. The smell of them was everywhere. Emmett was still standing there, smirking as I opened the back door and just grabbed some of her bags.
"I can only imagine how you girl's day went." he said and I didn't reply. I just shut my door and moved over to steps of the porch. Jasper was already there with his hands out.
"Let me help you with that." he said. I placed the bags in his hands, making sure our skin didn't touch in the process. Jasper arched a brow at me, a sign he noticed it.
"Renesmee…" I could hear Bella's monotoned voice from the top of the stairs. Ness smiled up at her and moved up the steps. "You should have told me you were out with her. Does Jacob know?"
"Mom we had fun, it's okay. Everything's fine." she said.
"We don't know that we can trust them. You don't need to go off with one of them." Bella said lowly, as if whispering would somehow make her words any less hearable. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand at their being too many vampires and I was sure the rest was going to come out. I moved back to my car.
"You need to let us know when you plan to do something like this." Jasper said carrying the bags up the stairs.
"Don't worry," I said moving over to my car and opening the driver's side. I looked up at them, "I won't be coming near any of you again if I can help it." I got back in my car and immediately drove off. I didn't care if they approved of me or even liked me because I didn't entirely like them either. On my way home, I ran my car through the car wash before heading back home. I lounged in my room until it was time to get ready. Once I was dressed, I walked down the steps and noticed my parents and brothers were waiting for me at the bottom.
"I'm not going to prom." I said with embarrassment.
"Where are you meeting him?" Mother asked.
"Emily's home." I replied.
"Who is Emily?" Father asked.
"Sam's imprint." I replied.
"Good. We might as well know their loved ones." Mother said placing her hands on her hips.
"Not everything is was, Mother." I replied.
"It is when it comes to situations like these. If he does anything to make you uncomfortable, oversteps in anyway… he will live to regret it." she threatened quite seriously.
"We are meeting for dinner and whatever happens next, happens." I stated and she frowned at me, and Father took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.
"We trust your judgement, Vitanja. We know you can handle yourself. But Paul is still a young hormonal boy." he said.
"Yeah meaning, if he tries to take your virginity…" Micah started seriously.
"We're going to take his virginity." Leonardo finished. My parents just nodded in agreement with the threat. I knew they serious, and I knew this was a big deal for my family. I have heard and respected their concerns. A lioness going on a date with a wolf, it was absurd. No one had ever done anything like this since Maverick and Andromache.
"I will be back tonight." I assured with a smile before moving out the door once more. It was a little after four. I was making good time, I thought. I got in my car and took off. Through the drive, I casted my family from my thoughts. I didn't want to think of what Paul and I were. I just wanted us to be normal. As I neared Emily's house, I saw Leah, Seth and Jared on the front porch. Jacob was just exiting the house when I got out of my car. They all immediately saw me and I felt mildly nervous as I approached them. Seth gave a big smile.
"Hey Vitanja!" he said happily. I smiled at him.
"Hey Seth." I replied lightly and looked at Jared and Jacob. "Is he here?"
"Yeah just finishing up getting ready." Jared said. Jacob grinned.
"You should have seen him earlier." he teased. Jared let out a quick laugh.
"Yeah right. "What if this shirt is too ugly?"" he asked.
"What if my cologne's too much?" Jacob asked.
"What if the place I take her too isn't good enough?" Seth added as they all began to laugh. The door finally opened and Paul came out glaring at them.
"Okay, shut up now." he said before finally looking at me. He was in a brown sleeveless hoody that showed his broad arms and long blue jeans. His hair was combed and tamed and he just gave me the same noticeable stare I was giving him. He took a step down the porch as I took a step up to get a closer look at him. His scent intoxicating, and it was not just the Axe body spray he had on, no I smelled right through that. He had a natural nature musk that reminded me of an open field.
"You look very nice." I complimented.
"You look amazing." he gushed. I just smiled wide at his words.
"Oh god." Leah said as she rolled her eyes and moved back into the house. Paul didn't even acknowledge her as she just gazed down at me.
"Are you ready?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yeah totally. Want to ride with me?" he asked. I nodded still smiling.
"Sure." I replied and we moved down the steps and over to his jeep.
"Hey use protection you two!" Jared called. We both tensed and looked at him, Paul with a glare and me a look of embarrassment until we moved to his jeep. He opened the door for me and then got in himself. He reversed and we headed back into the woods. I looked back at my car as we passed it and I felt mild reserve leaving it here.
"Don't worry, no one's going to steal your car if that's what you're worried about." he said. I shook my head.
"No it's not that." I lied before looking at him. "Look tonight, I don't want things to be weird between us. I don't want to think about us being a lioness and a wolf. I just want us to be us." He smiled coolly and nodded.
"I want that too which is why I want to change up our plans tonight." he asked. I tilted my head at him.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked. He smiled some.
"Dinner and some tree climbing. It's supposed to rain tonight, but only lightly. Sometimes I go deep into the forest at night. The trees are incredibly beautiful when it rains at night. I don't know it's hard to explain, but the moon illuminates everything. With our special eyes, we'll see things differently than most. I've never taken someone with me before. Maybe you'd like to experience that with me." he offered and I was curious of these things that he has seen and I nodded.
"I would love to see what you see." I replied and he smiled warmly gently placing his hand over my own which rested atop of his center console. I looked at his hand as it rests atop of mine. He was a shade lighter than me, but our hands still had beautiful brown shades that blended perfectly together. It was at that moment, I knew he and I weren't so different after all. I found myself smiling at this realization.