Chapter 19
TANYA'S POVIt has been almost a hundred and one years since I last saw my mate. Believe me, they were not very pleasant years either. It was made even harder the last few years when I lost my dear sister, Irina, to the Volturi and then Kate met her mate, Garrett. It was especially painful to watch them fall in love and connect almost immediately. It made me ache for my mate and the pain became more unbearable as the days went by. Standing out here, in the snow covered landscape of Alaska, like I have done many a countless day over the last century, my mind goes back to that night on Titanic and when I first laid eyes on her.
My sisters and I were amusing ourselves with the Astors and Guggenheims at dinner when I saw a flash of light that came from behind me. Carmen and Eleazar decided not to join us on this trip and opted to stay and visit Spain once more.
I looked around and saw the strangest human staring in wonder at her surroundings. She had a small device that would make a bright light flash every so often. I now know that it was a digital camera, but a hundred years ago it seemed so out of place. Even her attire was different. Not even the third class passengers wore what she was wearing.
The young woman seemed transfixed by her surroundings; it looked, as if she had never seen people of this class before. I watched her walk out of my sight and I couldn't help but know who this woman was. I felt a pull towards her and could do nothing but obey this instinct.
I excused myself, much to my sisters' confusion, and followed her scent down the main staircase to the lower decks. It was a heady scent too. An earthy smell mixed with something else I cannot put my finger on. Whatever it was, it made my senses go into overdrive. I had to find out more about this human.
I hear her muttering to herself and see that she has stopped at the bottom of E deck. She seemed immersed in a piece of paper. I descend the last few steps and stop just above her and see that she was looking at directions and it seemed she couldn't find her way to some place on the ship. I silently inhale her heavenly scent and almost regret it. The venom pooling in my mouth caused me to lock myself in place. That has never happened in a very long time.
This must have set off her instincts too because her heartbeat increased and she froze. I watched as she folded the paper up and stuck it in her pocket. She turned around and stared up at me. When our eyes met I knew instantly this strange human was my mate. She tried to back away from me but I matched her step for step until she bumped into the wall across from us. I took that as an opportunity to make myself acquainted with her.
I leaned into her and pressed my nose close to her neck, which caused her to turn away from me. That was a bad idea Love. I inhaled several times and wrapped her heavenly scent around me, it made my eyes roll back and that had never happened in all my existence. I muttered my approval and that caused my mate shiver, whether it was from delight or fear, I did not care.
When I asked where she was going she only stuttered. I wonder what kind of effect I had on her and if she felt the pull of the mating bond that I felt. She told me that she was looking for the third class dining facilities. I committed her lovely voice to memory. I could listen to her lovely voice forever and hope to do so. It was her voice that kept me near to insanity over the years. When I heard a voice similar to hers I would set off in search of my mate only to return home disappointed.
After I told the human I would join her in the third class, I went in search of clothes that would be more suitable for a third class passenger. It was then that Kate and Irina found me and forced me to tell them what had happened. They both were happy that I found my mate, but concerned that she was a human. It was meaningless on their part because I would never do anything to harm my mate even if it caused me great pain.
We followed her scent down to F deck and followed the familiar sounds of music coming down the hall. I was a bit upset by her not listening to me to wait but understood that she must have listened to her instincts to run and hide.
Upon entering the dining hall I spotted Abigail several feet away holding a mug of ale. She was talking to a Russian peasant and I knew he tried to press his charms onto her. That made me growl and do serious harm to him. If Irina and Kate were not there to stop me, I probably would have. I walked up behind Abigail and watched as the Russian ask her to dance but changed his mind when he saw us standing there.
After I told her what he said someone grabbed Abigail's hand and dragged her to the floor. I grabbed her other hand and followed. The tingling that ran up my arm and into my chest was a sure sign that she was my mate. We spent the next few hours dancing or watching others dance and sing. Several times someone would approach us and ask for a dance but I declined and, to my delight, so did Abigail.
Kate suggested that we take Abigail up to the boat deck and get her some fresh air. Seeing that she was getting a bit unstable on her feet, Kate stopped her drinking after someone had handed her her eighth mug of ale. I had spent the entire evening trying to figure out the strange human and it was not until the ship hit the iceberg and the panic in Abigail's eyes that Irina figured out the truth behind her behavior.
I'm not sure whether I'm happy that she can time travel. At first, I was happy that my mate has an ability but over the years I saw differently. If she could go back in time, and she could, how much of the past does she change when she goes back? Were we destined to meet on that ship or was it some chance that she chose Titanic to visit and I was there at the same time? I spent the last century pondering these questions.
Irina's theory was confirmed when Abigail cried out and then disappeared on us. Panic set in and we took off in search of her. It is difficult to describe but I still felt her on the ship. Kate and Irina went and looked around the first and second-class decks. I went down to F deck and found her trying to break the bars from a locked gate. Ecstatic that I found her, I ripped the gate from the wall and carried Abigail up to C deck. I saw that she was trying to figure out what I was and make sense of the 'inhuman' strength I displayed downstairs. I was too worried for her safety to think about anything else. When asked again I took a chance and kissed her. It was divine. Before I could go further, I was yanked back and thrown through three walls and stopped myself before going through the fourth.
I was too absorbed with Abigail that I failed to realize that there was another creature there hunting. One that even made the vampires weary and that was a shifter. Not a shape shifter, one who could change into an animal, but one that can change his or her appearance to take the look of another human. They even replicate their scent to fit in. They are cunning creatures and do not follow anyone, human or others, laws. They only do and take for themselves.
Not many people know of this superstition and nor do we want them to know. I have only met one once before, in the late fourteenth century. It took all mine, Kate and Irina's ability to destroy the thing and now it has my mate. The only thing on our side is that the ship is sinking and many of the humans are above deck. It would be difficult for him to shift into someone that is not close to him.
Kate is by my side immediately and I tell who is here. She nods her understanding and we charge the shifter. I have never seen one this big before. They are usually small and delicate creatures. He was concentrating too much on my mate to notice we were there and we tackled him. Kate, then, used her ability to immobilize him. Irina took Abigail to the boat deck while we destroyed the shifter.
It was too easy taking him out and that did not sit well with Kate or me. His taunt to Abigail brought back a memory from a very long time ago when I was still a newborn. It's a story that became a legend and then an old wives tale. I was too preoccupied with my mate to think about it at the time, but I now believe the story is true in all its forms.
After I kissed Abigail again and threw her into the ocean, I knew our time was running out. If she was meant to witness the sinking of the ship she would have to stay here until it went under or enough of it to return to her own time. When Kate and Irina said her their goodbyes I am left alone with her. I could see the distress in her face as she sees and hears the people around her. I tried to comfort he but I could tell it didn't' work. It was then she told me how long I would have to wait to see her again and I thought my dead heart would break. After that, she disappeared.
Throughout the last century I have spent my time between periods of anger and desperation. Anger, because I am not with my mate. I guess it was desperation that made me go after the Cullen's son Edward. It was also desperation to make me forget about her and try to live a normal life. It didn't work. Edward was the only member of their coven that did not have a mate. He did reject my advances and on some level I am glad that he did.
We came across the Cullen's when they moved up to Alaska in the sixties. It was then that Alice told her story of meeting Abigail in the diner right before she met her mate, Jasper. I made her describe the human and knew that it was the same person. After telling Alice my own story, we made a deal to help each other out in finding this elusive time traveler.
It took another five decades to hear from Alice again. I knew Abigail was alive and somewhere in the country but could not pinpoint her. Alice had tracked her down in Colorado and found the store she worked at. If my heart were beating it would jump for joy at hearing the news. I immediately made reservations on the next flight out of Alaska and to join the Cullens at their home. I had never been through the state but I know it is beautiful. They had bought it a month ago and decided that they liked it enough to start making renovations.
The reason I did not come sooner was because Alice made me wait. She saw that if I arrived sooner it would make the bond between us longer to form and almost not to form at all. I did not want to jeopardize the bond and so I waited.
We arrived at the house at five p.m. and were told that Alice would arrive within the hour. It was the longest hour in my existence. If it hadn't been for Jasper's gift, I most likely would have driven myself mad. I spent the hour either pacing the family room or sitting stock-still. I could tell Kate was anxious to meet Abigail too. She spent the last century worrying about how her new sister was doing.
I sighed when I heard the car approaching the house. Finally, I can be reunited with my mate. Hearing them get out of the car and Abigail tripping on a step, I almost launched out the door to see if she was okay, but was stopped by Kate and Carmen. They sat on either side of me and kept me there. Alice called and said to wait to meet Abigail because it would make her too agitated if we all showed up at one time. Abigail just found out that morning what we were. I'm worried how she will take the news of me being her mate and that I'm a vampire.
Listening to them outside I become distracted by her behavior. It almost sounds like she is drunk again. I look at Kate and see her chuckling. She must assume the same thing. When they enter the house everyone freezes when we are assaulted by her scent. It has been too long since I have smelled her and it takes all my centuries of control to keep me on this couch.
A very amused Bella walks in and tells Kate and I to wait five minutes while Alice fixes her something to eat. During this time, she tells us about Abigail's latest jaunt back to a 1958 dance and drank a few too many cups of spike fruit punch. Everyone in the room chuckles at Abigail's low tolerance to alcohol.
Kate and I, finally, walk at a slow human pace to the kitchen. As we get closer, her scent gets stronger and it's just the same as I remember on Titanic. She is sitting at the kitchen island eating. I see Alice give a slight nod and a huge grin as she keeps Abigail's attention. I walk right up to her and stare in wonder at how beautiful she is.
"Hello, Abigail." I said and am rewarded when she turns to look at me.