A Belated Birthday Gift

Jake had dropped me off so he could go back home and get changed, clean and check up on Billy. The sand from the beach had gotten everywhere. I reeked of saltwater and was going to use the time to get cleaned up. Jake would be coming back after he checked in with Sam's pack. I practically skipped into the house, my cheeks flushed and a smile stretch across my face that wouldn't go away.

I pushed open the door. My whole family was awake and waiting for me to come home, of course. The moment I saw their faces, however, I knew something was very wrong.

My father's face was as hard as stone. My mother's eyes were cast down and she was completely still as a wax sculpture. Aunt Alice's eyes were far as though she was looking into the future. Jasper's face was set in a frown sitting much further away from everyone else. Uncle Emmett was expressionless as Rosalie's face was a beautiful pout. No one looked at me as I came in. Grandma and Grandpa looked as though they would cry if they could.

"What's going on?" I was completely alarmed by the look of devastation about the room.

Grandpa and my father gave each other a look and my father nodded.

"We just found this outside the cottage door," Grandpa sighed.

My father handed me a small square box. Even through the box I could smell the blood coming from inside it. I opened the box, with shaking hands and inside was a small, glass, bottle. My throat burned. Even though the bottle had been cleaned out, there was no mistaking the smell. Inside had been the sweetest smelling human blood. In my wildest dreams, I never knew anything could smell so delicious. Saliva pooled in my mouth. How strong must the blood have been that even cleaned out with bleach, you could still smell its intoxicating aroma. Breathing in deeper, I was filled with a manic desire for just the smallest drop of what had been inside the bottle.

Suddenly, I realized the havoc this small bottle of blood must had wreaked on my family. If the scent was making me mad with desire, what had it done to all of them? Their resistance to human blood took much more work than for me. My eyes grew dark with anger at whoever did this.

"There is a note," My father mumbled.

Inside the box was just a small square of paper. Written in a very slanted thin script, were just three words:

Happy Birthday, Renesemee.