This was my entry for the Thirst Contest. It was a plot that had been rolling around in my head for a long time and I just had to get it out. I took the shot when the contest rolled around knowing this story wasn't exactly what the judges were going to be looking for, but needing to get this plot bunny out into the world. There is so much more still to be said in the story and a whole world that is lurking around inside my head just waiting to burst free. Maybe one day I will turn this into the full story it deserves to be. But for now...
THE CLAIMING
AD 2197
It all started in 2114. That's when the first mysterious case was diagnosed in Serbia. A woman had come into the local doctor's office sweating and unable to breathe more than shallow breaths. She broke out in hives the next day, then vomited non-stop before she had a heart attack and died. All this happened within forty-eight hours. As they say, it was all downhill from there.
The disease, which was named The Sweating Plague – or The Sweats for short - spread at an alarming rate. Serbia's population quickly declined by eighty-seven percent in one month. It couldn't be stopped, and the surrounding countries, despite their regulations and the closing of all borders, were quickly taken over by the virus. The human population in Europe was declining so fast and so voraciously that it was quickly understood that the end of humans on Earth could be imminent.
After it spread into China, South America, and the U.S., the Volturi began to worry. When the U.S. population dwindled to a measly two million in the span of eight months, civil wars broke out between those who were left, and a new proclamation was issued from them.
We were going to make ourselves known.
There were no more people in charge of the kinds of weapons that have the power to destroy us. There was no need to hide anymore.
In Aro's mind, the food source was killing itself off, and if there was no intervention, there would eventually be nothing left to sustain vampires. Already in Europe and Asia, humans were so scarce that vampires had started to gather the healthy ones into camps so they could have a food supply. Wars were breaking out, much like the wars in the south, which Jasper had been a part of. Humans were dying in those wars, being ripped apart by starving vampires. The same was starting to happen in the U.S. All major governments of the world had completely collapsed.
There was no order.
In his proclamation to the world, Aro stated that it was up to us, the vampires, to save humans from themselves and save our natural food source. That's when the camps were built.
Early 2116
Every remaining vampire was ordered to Voltera to receive their orders. My family, the Cullens, were no exception even though we had been 'vegetarians' for centuries. Carlisle was sent to head up medical research and implement all human care in North America. With my mind-reading gift, I was to be sent to the different camps and facilities to keep a watch on those who would be overseeing them. Among other things, I had to make sure they weren't hoarding humans for themselves and to ensure breeding was being taken seriously. After all, they had to breed in order for us to sustain ourselves for eternity.
Just like cattle…
Disgusting.
And Alice…Aro kept her.
Then there was Carlisle. The fact that he was supposed to be in charge of human breeding was nearly his undoing. He is definitely not the same person he was during the first four hundred plus years of his life. The process has taken a serious toll on his conscience.
Aro wanted humans to be implanted with six embryos at a time to raise the chances of having multiples. When Carlisle explained how dangerous this was for the humans, Aro almost had him killed and threatened his family for questioning his plans for our survival. He's been quiet ever since, especially since he has Alice.
Twenty years ago, the Volturi started to separate the humans into different groups based on smell and taste. They figured out they could breed the better smelling humans and create a weird sort of 'upper class' who were given better food and education. After all, when they were auctioned off, who wanted a human that couldn't carry on a conversation as they drained them every week? That was another rule that so many of our kind struggled with.
No more biting humans.
Only drain them via a cut or I.V. Too many were dying from the blood lust induced by biting. Only after a human had supplied blood for its owner for five years could they be bitten and disposed of if the owner desired.
Which brings me to today…
May 29th, 2197
I was sent to the Tier 1 camp nicknamed Honey, in the mountains of what used to be Colorado. Two humans had gone missing recently, and it was my job to find out if someone here was skimming off the top and taking some humans for their own. As you can imagine, losing a human is not something that often happens with our super senses and abilities, so there had to be foul play.
Arriving at the gate after a three-day run from southern Mexico was welcomed. All I wanted to do was figure out who the corrupt person was and go home to my island off the coast of Honduras.
I leaped over the gate that kept the humans confined to a fifty-mile radius. There were a handful of small city centers where the Elites were educated and fed within this border. The lower humans were only given five to ten-mile radiuses and forced to live ten people to one apartment and treated more like cattle. Here, they were allowed small, single dwellings in neighborhoods and free movement about the camp as long as they were back inside their homes by nightfall.
"Edward, sir." The guard ducks his head in respect, and I inwardly roll my eyes. I take off my dark charcoal cape—a gift from Aro - and hand it to him.
I hate that damn thing.
"Where is the head of this camp?" I ask. Before he can answer me verbally, I already know.
I take off at a sprint towards the riverbank where her home is and make it there in less than two minutes. She swings the door open for me and greets me with a large smile. "Ah, Edward, sir. You are most welcome."
She eyes me slowly before allowing vulgar thoughts of the two of us to take over her mind. "If you don't mind, refrain from your unnecessary and annoying fantasies. They will never happen." I pass her and enter into the most ostentatiously decorated home I've ever encountered. There are paintings and pictures of her in various sex acts covering almost every inch of her walls.
"So, the rumors are true. You are a vegetarian and a prude. Or does being a vegetarian make you a prude?" She huffs out a quick breath of laughter.
I spin around to face her. "I'd watch your tone if I were you. After all, it was under your watch that two Elite humans went missing."
The seriousness of the situation causes her humorous smile to fall. Flashes of public executions carried out by Jane and Alec cross her mind. Almost immediately, I cross her off the list. She fears the Volturi too much to ever think of crossing them.
"Tell me, Amelia, exactly how did that happen?"
She gestures over to a large red sofa inside a small sitting room off the foyer. Everything in there is the color of blood. I sit, and she follows. "Would you like something to drink?" She snaps her fingers, and her human appears. He looks to be about twenty-five and is bruised quite badly along his arms. He also happens to be naked.
"No." I snap at her.
"Just thought I'd offer." She says with a smirk. At least I know how to get under his skin.
"Not exactly. I've grown tired of these types of stupid games in my eighty years of service. You'd do well to remember that."
The threat has its desired effect. She drops her smirk and presses her lips into a thin line.
"They went missing seventeen days ago. We believe they floated downriver for ten miles where someone was waiting with a car on the outskirts of what used to be Denver."
"Do you think one of your guards may have lost his willpower and decided to have a little snack?"
Her mind quickly flashes to two guards named Oscar and Peter. "Maybe Oscar or Peter. But I seriously doubt it. They struggle a lot with the blood lust but have never lost control. The two that went missing were from their sector."
"Where are they now?" Her mind flashes to their two posts near the second city center. "I'll go visit them now, and let you know if I need anything else."
She nods, but before I can leave, I hear a question in her mind just before asking. "Is it true you and your clan were vegetarians even before the plague?"
I look over my shoulder at her and nod. "Yes." I turn and don't give her another chance to ask the second question in her mind because the answer will undoubtedly be no.
When I arrive at the second city center, I find Oscar and Peter waiting for me by the water fountain in the town square. Humans are milling about, going from one building to another, or gardening in their yards. I avoid all eye contact with them. I hate being here and them thinking I'm just like the rest.
As sunlight peeks out from behind a cloud, it reflects off our skin and lands millions of tiny rainbows everywhere. The humans don't bat an eye.
"Amelia called and told us you were coming," Oscar says as I close the last few feet.
"Did they taste good?" I ask, throwing them off balance, hoping I can encourage a memory to come forward of them taking the humans for themselves. "How did it feel to bite into them?"
Both of their minds fill with past hunts and thousands of human deaths at their hands over hundreds of years of existence. The tone is intensely wistful.
But, nowhere in their memories is biting a human in the past hundred years.
Sigh.
I was hoping to have this wrapped up quickly. Unfortunately, it looks as if that will not be the case.
"I have no clue what you are talking about," Peter says.
"I didn't touch them." Oscar defends.
"Are you sure about that?" I ask again.
"Absolutely," they say in unison.
Another truth.
"Then let's get down to business. Show me where they lived. I understand they were a couple."
"Yes. Benjamin and Angela were both up for the Claiming in one month."
They turn, and I follow. We walk at a human pace for about two blocks before turning down a narrow residential street lined with colorful little cottages. I'm taken back for a moment because I've never seen them be allowed frivolous things like paint before. There's not enough manpower left to make such things. Everything now was always whatever color it was made in.
"They're painted," I remark.
"Yes," Oscar says. "There's a human here who figured out how to make stain from wildflowers that grow in the spring and summer on that mountain." He points to one in front of us. "It doesn't interfere with anything, so Amelia lets them."
The pastel pink, blue, purple, and green cottages look picturesque against the scenic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.
"Here we are." Oscar points to a light blue cottage to my left. After practically tearing apart the place for any clues, I come back empty-handed. There are no pieces of paper to find no food, and no clothing.
However, there is a pile of ashes around the side of the house. When Peter sees where I'm heading, he speaks. "They burnt everything they didn't take with them."
"Maybe to try and mask their scent." Oscar offers.
"Maybe," I mutter. I can't help the small smile that creeps onto my mouth.
They're smart and resourceful. They managed to escape a heavily fortified camp and evade capture. I like them already.
"Have you interviewed the humans that were close to them?"
"Yes, but we got nothing." Oscar says in a 'duh' tone. "That's why you're here." He then taps his temple and nods to me.
My eyes narrow at him.
"Why don't you go round them up. I'll be in the town hall. Don't make me wait too long."
I turn and walk away, needing to be away from them—from here, from this place of hopelessness and death.
Eighty-one years down, three-hundred and nineteen years of mandatory service to go.
And I'll hate myself for every single second of it.
I'm only waiting for fifteen minutes before the first person is brought in; a mousy looking girl of around sixteen comes fumbling in and is ushered down the aisle in the middle of the room. She's sat down in front of me. Peter turns and leaves while Oscar remains and sits in one of the pews filling the room. She glances over at him in fear and thinks about all the times he's been too rough with the humans. Broken bones seem to follow him around like the plague.
"How many bones of the Elites have you broken ?" I ask him. His eyes widen imperceptibly for a moment before I can feel anger beginning to well up inside him. "You know the rules, Oscar. You can't injure the Elites. It can affect their flavor, and the Volturi hate that. I suggest you heed my warning, or I'll have to report you."
He grinds his teeth together before giving me a tight nod of acknowledgment.
When my eyes return, the mousy girl gives me a hesitant smile. "What is your name?"
"Jenny."
"How did you know Angela and Ben?"
Her mind takes her back to the schoolhouse, where both of them were instructors. Jenny's older sister was Claimed a few years back, and it seems like she's spent most of her time in Angela and Ben's home since then. "I was…"
I cut her off. "I already know," I state. "Were you living with them?" Her mental no, is all need to continue, never letting her speak. The quicker I get this done, the sooner I can leave. "How often were you with them?"
Oh, um…I don't know… I wait while she thinks it over. As soon as she settles on four nights a week, I'm onto the next question. "On any of those four nights, did you ever hear them speaking of running away?"
Her thoughts are alarmed as her eyes widen. Wait, I didn't say that aloud, did I? How did he know?
"No, you didn't, but I can read your mind," I answer her mental questions. I allow her to have a few moments before continuing. "Did you ever hear them speak of escaping or see anything unusual?"
His eyes are yellow. Why? "Um, no. I never suspected they were planning on leaving."
"Think back to the last time you saw them. What were they doing? What were they saying?"
Oh, um, I don't know.
Memories flood her mind of sitting with them in their tiny cottage and eating an apple. Both Angela and Ben were smiling at each other and seemed at ease. But…wait. In her memory is a strained look from Angela to Ben when Jenny mentions she'll see them tomorrow as she leaves.
"That'll be all, Jenny. You've told me all I need to know."
Her eyes widen for a moment before she nods and leaves, Oscar guiding her. Must be nice to be able to hear what everyone is thinking. At least you'd know you could never be lied to.
A flare of anger and resentment rises in her as she thinks about how her surrogate parents left her here to fend for herself, knowing her fate is to be Claimed in a few short years and die a few years after.
I cringe inwardly.
I wish I could do something to help her – help all of them – but there is nothing I can do at all. The Volturi have such a tight grip on this new world and all the humans left in it. They sit atop their throne while other less powerful vampires do their bidding, paying with everything for time served in their service.
Want a human to feed yourself? Depending on the bidding, it could be anywhere from two years to a hundred of servitude. More years are expected to be leveraged for the level of tastiness and aroma of the human. Of course, the Elites go for the most, which is why Aro is so upset two have gone missing.
It's disgusting.
But Aro still wants innovation. Technology continues to be developed. Planes keep flying. Fancy cars are still being made. The only difference is that these things are all done by vampires now instead of humans.
As Oscar opens the door to lead the next human in, all I can hear are his very loud thoughts about how good this human girl smells. He leans in and takes a whiff while locking his muscles tight, fighting the instinct to drink her blood right then.
When I look up, I see a girl that looks to be around twenty years old. Her brown eyes are oddly translucent and deep, not at all like so many other brown eyes I've seen over my years. They're transfixed on me as she walks closer, her mouth falling open ever so slightly. She takes a deep breath and falters a little in her step.
Annoyed, Oscar uses his hand to push her along the rest of the way. She gingerly reaches out and pulls the chair across from me out, and sits. Her long brown hair falls into her reddening face as she looks down at her hands in her lap.
When I listen to find out the reason for her blush, I hear nothing. I narrow my eyes at the top of her head and concentrate. I've never had to before, and that frustrates me. But somehow, she's hiding her thoughts from me. Maybe the Jenny girl told her I could read minds, and she's refusing to think of anything.
Impossible. Humans always are thinking of something. If they try to think of nothing, then usually I can hear them saying, "Think of nothing. Think of nothing." over and over again.
But this girl…nothing.
I suck in a breath to ask her why I can't hear her thoughts, and flames erupt in my throat.
The flames are nothing compared to the dull ache I've received from every other human in my long existence. The flames are completely and utterly all-consuming. There is no other thought in my mind except for how I can get away with tasting her blood without being killed by the Volturi for eating an Elite without competitive bidding.
Outwardly, my eyes widen in shock and desire while my body clenches tight. I just barely catch myself starting to lunge at her across the table. Venom floods my mouth like never before. I must look like a wild animal with the way Oscar's thoughts frazzle, and he steps back away from me.
The girl – the best smelling girl in the entire universe – leans away from me in fear. At least, I think it's fear as I still can't hear her thoughts.
I grip the table in between us, and it shatters. The wood splinters and shards fly everywhere. A few end up in her hair while most land on the skirt of her sundress. She stands quickly and starts to back away from me and my intense staring.
Or more like glaring.
"Oh no, you don't." Oscars grabs her by the arm and stops her retreat.
"What's wrong with him?" she asks and nods to me.
Hearing her speaking voice does nothing to help me hear her mental voice.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Oscar says to me. He tries to step into my line of vision, and I growl at him. Nothing will get between me and my prey.
That thought brings me up short and restores a fraction of my sanity. In those few seconds of lucidity, I'm able to realize what is happening.
Now that vampires have been limited, and humans have been separated by smell and taste, so many of my kind have found something Aro calls their 'singers.' A human's blood will sing to a specific vampire.
I briefly recall Emmett losing control a couple of times in the 1900s for two of his singers.
I close my eyes and stop breathing. But not before I utter lowly, "La Tua Cantante."
Oscar's mind is silent for a brief moment as he registers what I just said. Only three seconds later, and he is doubled over in laughter.
"Hahaha! The vegetarian has encountered his singer!" His laughter continues obnoxiously. "Oh, this is perfect! Let's see how all that righteous self-control holds up now. You'll be front row at her Claiming, bidding away. Hahaha!"
I'm able to hear her small voice say, "Vegetarian? The stories are true?"
When I feel a wave of her heat and breath hit my skin, I make a run for it. I sprint at full speed until I'm out of the little town square and halfway up the closest mountain. Only then do I allow myself to again breathe. The fresh air allows me to think and remember.
Remember that I couldn't hear her mind.
Bella
Oscar can't seem to stop laughing. I'm not sure what to do now that the vegetarian vampire is gone.
Vegetarian.
There have always been rumors of vampires who don't drink human blood and survive off animals. Until now, there has been no proof. But seeing the odd, yellow- gold of his eyes and Oscar's declaration, I can only assume what he said is true.
The only problem is the way he was acting wasn't anything like what I would think a vegetarian vampire would act. He seemed crazed and desperate to get to me. His eyes were like a laser burning into me. I have never seen a vampire act like that, and it honestly terrified me.
And to think I thought he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen when I first walked in.
"What did that mean? La Tua Cantante." I ask aloud, hoping Oscar will answer me. He's still laughing lightly and smiling at the door where the vegetarian disappeared. He doesn't usually talk with us humans, but he seems to be in an exceptionally good mood right now.
"Your blood sings to him." His laughter starts up again, "You smell better to him than any other human ever. Ha! The vegetarian! I can't wait to tell Peter! The prodigal son of the vegetarian!"
"Can…are we done here? Can I go back to the schoolhouse and finish teaching?"
"Um, sure. Why not? Maybe Edward is lurking out there, waiting for his opportunity to try and sneak off with you. I'd like to see that. Good luck!"
His merriment and statement are a little terrifying. Thinking about how the vegetarian – Edward, I think he said – could be waiting to pounce on me makes me want to stay here.
And never leave.
"Go on." Oscar shoves me in the back towards the door. His smile is a mile wide. "Let's see if you make it there."
I gulp and take the smallest steps possible. The merriment leaves Oscar's voice as he begins to lose his patience with me. He gives me another hard shove. "Hurry!"
Deciding there is nothing I can do one way or the other, I begin walking at a normal pace. I can't stop him if he wants to eat me. The only comfort I have is knowing that if he were to eat me without a proper Claiming, he would either be killed or have five hundred years added to his service. I just prayed that would be enough of a deterrent for him to leave me alone.
My eyes never stop moving as I briskly walk across the town square. I'm looking for any sign he may be lurking behind something and just waiting to attack me. When I hear some gravel crunch behind me, I take off in a useless sprint to the schoolhouse. I can hear Oscar's loud laughter behind me. "Run, girl, run! He's coming to get you! Hahaha!"
I slam the door shut behind me as my chest heaves with deep breaths. The faces of the children are alarmed after they see the panic on mine.
"What's wrong, Miss. Bella?" little Carlie asks.
I shut my eyes and take a second to compose myself. I don't want to scare the children. "Nothing. I just…thought I saw a mountain lion on the hill behind the general store. It was probably just a boulder that caught the sun's light at just the right angle."
I can tell the older kids don't believe me.
I shove off the door and walk to the front of the room. "Now, where were we?"
"The second wave of the Sweating Plague." Carlie offers.
"That's right. Now, who can tell me what happened after the first civil war of the western shores when the second wave hit?"
Edward
Get. A. Grip.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Did her smell have something to do with why I couldn't hear her mind? Or was she blocking me somehow? Or could I not concentrate on her thoughts because of the way she smelled?
Oh, God. Her smell.
I never imagined a human could smell so unbelievably good.
I stand here in the wilderness for a long time. The sun sets, and night engulfs the mountainside. I stand there for hours as I try and regain my senses, breathing slowly and centering myself.
I suddenly feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull out the slender black piece of plastic and metal to look at the screen.
Dread fills me.
It's Aro. He's calling from his personal number. That is never good.
"Hello, Aro."
"Why did Amelia call me and tell me that you had run away from your duties?"
I sigh. "One of the humans I was interviewing…she's my singer."
"Ahh. The vegetarian encounters his singer. Does this mean I can count you in for her Claiming?"
There is mirth in his voice, and it angers me. I haven't had a human's blood in almost two-hundred years. I refuse to let this human change that.
"Absolutely not."
"Really?" I can hear his surprise and disappointment through the phone.
"Yes."
"Can I trust you to complete your assignment? I can't let you jeopardize the finding of two missing Elite humans. You will regain your composure and control and resume your interrogations. Is that understood?"
I answer through clenched teeth. "Yes, Aro."
"Very well, then. I will speak to you soon."
"Goodbye."
I hang up the phone and slip it back into my pocket. It is the middle of the night now, and as I make my way back down the mountain, I drain a couple of sleeping deer, hoping it will somehow satiate me and help tamp down the urge to kill the delectable smelling human.
It only takes another thirty seconds before I'm back in the town square and standing in front of Peter and Oscar. "Bring the girl back to me." I don't bother to wait for their answer and enter back into the town hall and retake my seat.
While I wait, I close my eyes and breathe deeply, digging inside for the strength I will have to have not to kill this girl.
When the doors swing open, both Peter and Oscar are with her looking more like the guards they are. The two of them must have gotten orders from Amelia to protect her from me.
"No."
I hear her soft voice, and my eyes find hers. She's scared, trying to turn around and leave when she sees me waiting at the table.
Something in her soft brown eyes tugs at my long-dead heart. For some reason, I don't want her to be afraid of me. Her trembling makes my stomach twist.
I clear my throat after swallowing a mouthful of venom. I try to make my voice as soft as possible. "I'm sorry about my earlier behavior. Your scent caught me off guard."
When it becomes clear she is thinking about what I said and trying to decide if she should believe me, I sigh with defeat. I honestly can't hear her thoughts.
I try a little harder, looking deep into her eyes, trying to find some door buried deep in them that will open to me; allow me to hear what is going on in her mind.
"Please, take a seat," I say, running out of breath. I don't wait and purposefully suck in a long pull of air through my nose.
Yep. Definitely, still, the most delicious smelling creature that has ever inhabited Earth.
I try not to show just how much I want to rip out her throat. I think it works when she closes the last bit of distance to sit across the table from me.
Our eyes never leave each other.
"Why can't I hear your thoughts?"
"What?" she asks, twisting her hands in her lap nervously. "I don't know. Is that your power?"
I can see the shocked and intrigued look on Oscar and Peter's faces as I try to block out their thoughts. I'm trying my best to concentrate on her.
"Yes. I can read minds. But not yours. Are you doing something to block me?"
Confusion is clear in her expressive eyes. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just sitting here, freezing to death in my nightgown because they dragged me out of bed."
I finally break eye contact with her and look down. She's wearing a thin, white nightgown with cap sleeves. It's short and barely covers her knees. When my eyes are drawn to her nipples straining against the thin fabric as she breathes, I look away, embarrassed.
"Here." I remove my heavy-duty jacket and offer it to her. I wouldn't be able to concentrate with her nipples on display.
She hesitantly takes it from me. "Thank you." She stares at me like she's trying to figure out a hard math equation as she slips it on.
"What's your name?"
"Bella." She crosses her arms over her chest, pulling my jacket tighter around herself.
"Do you know why I'm here?"
She bites her lip for a moment before it escapes her top teeth. The way it plumps back up after being bitten is very distracting in a way I've never experienced.
"Jenny said you were asking questions about Angela and Ben."
"Yes. I want to know where they are. How they escaped?"
"How do you know one of your kind didn't eat them?" Her tone is a little bitter and slightly angry.
"Because I can read minds, and I've spoken to all of them."
"Well, obviously, you aren't that good at reading minds, or else you'd either be quite angry or either entertained with the descriptive words running through my head right this second." Her lips quirk up just a fraction as she tries to hold back a smug smile.
I can't stop my smile. "I'd probably be amused." I wager. "And you're the first person I've ever encountered that I couldn't hear. Maybe there is something wrong with you."
Her mouth pops open in indignation. "There is nothing wrong with me."
"Are you sure? After all, you are the only common denominator in my inability to read minds."
Her mouth snaps shut in anger as her soulful brown eyes narrow at me. My smile only widens in amusement.
I can't help but keep teasing her.
"Now that we have it settled that there is something wrong with you, not me, let's get down to business."
She grinds her teeth together, and I hold my laughter back just barely. The deep red color of her face is quite complimentary to the bit of white from her nightgown peeking through the top of my jacket.
"You were close to the missing couple?"
It takes her a few seconds to unlock her tense jaw before answering. "Yes."
I watch her closely, looking for any sign of deception.
"Do you know where they went?"
"No." Her eyes tighten a fraction when she answers.
"Did you know they were planning on running away?"
"No."
"Do you know how they escaped?"
"No."
There is a tightening of her eyes again.
"Have they ever talked of running away before?"
"Everyone does. But we know it's useless. Your kind always find us. There is no escape."
When she sits back in her seat, I realize we were both leaning towards each other across the table. The sadness and defeat in her tone is heart-wrenching.
"I know my fate and what awaits me after I enter into the Claiming. A short life of torture and then a brutal death. After all, it is what I was bred for."
The venom in her voice sends ice running through my body. It's impressive since I'm practically a block of ice myself.
I tear my eyes away from hers and suddenly get the urge to explain myself. "We're not all like that," I say, looking back into her beautiful eyes. "Some of us are only here because we have no choice."
"…says the vampire who can walk out of this compound at any given second. Says the vampire who gets to live without fear of being eaten."
She's right.
"I know it's not the same, but I never agreed to this." I gesture around us and then at her. "I was a vegetarian for a hundred years before the plague. I tried to convince others to take up my family's lifestyle when the humans started to die out, but as you can see, it fell on deaf ears."
"Is that why your eyes are different?"
Her timid question is very welcome from her brief interrogation. "Yes. The animal blood dilutes the red and turns them this gold color."
"You said, family. You're not the only vegetarian?"
"No. There are quite a few of us, but we're only a tiny fraction in a sea of human blood drinkers."
"Why were you a vegetarian before the plague?"
I sigh a long breath. "Because I didn't want to be the monster my victims thought I was."
It's quiet for a long moment, both of us staring at each other. I can't quite tell what she's thinking from the way she's looking at me. Like I'm a puzzle. A 3d puzzle…with no edge pieces.
"Ah, hem." Peter clears his throat and looks at me like I'm crazy. "If you're done exploring your existentialism, you could continue with the interrogation."
Oscar is wondering if her smell is driving me crazy and having some weird opposite effect on me. Like if she's making me tell her what I'm thinking instead of the other way around.
Interesting theory. I should explore it some more.
Bella's yawn grabs my attention. "I think we're done here for the night. I'll pick this up tomorrow morning. She's no good to me asleep."
Or is she?
We lock eyes, and she gives me a tiny smile. "Thanks, I guess. Any human would be tired if you dragged them from their bed at one in the morning." When she's halfway to the door, she spins around. "Your jacket."
"Keep it. It's cold outside." She halts her effort to slide it off her shoulders and shrugs it back on.
"Thanks." Her head dips down before she leaves, shutting the door behind her.
Unfortunately, Peter and Oscar are still here.
"Can you really not hear her?" Oscar asks, tapping his temple.
"I really can't," I tell him, annoyed. The way he's thinking about her delicious smell irks me.
"Is that why you were cozying up with her?" Peter asks. "To flirt with her and gain her trust, hoping she'll spill all her secrets?"
Cozying up? Flirting?
I wasn't flirting, was I?
I replay our interactions and…
Well, I'll be damned. I was flirting.
I decide to agree with his assessment, knowing I'm lying. "Yes."
"Smooth." Peter says at the same time, Oscar says, "Smart."
"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen." I hastily get up and follow her scent to a quaint lavender cottage near the end of the small housing lane. I wait outside until I hear her breathing steady after a long hour of tossing in bed before I sneak inside.
When I find her tucked deep into her covers, a low fire warming the one-room home, I take a seat in a small recliner by the window beside her bed and stare at her, hoping to hear her mind in such an unguarded state.
She starts to toss and turn a couple of hours later. When she starts to speak, I realize she's dreaming, and I still can't hear her thoughts. At first, her words are jumbled and indistinct. The more she spoke, though, the more I was able to understand.
"Vegetarian vampire."
I snickered right before my stomach fluttered. She was dreaming of me.
"Beautiful."
My nerve endings sparked.
"Golden eyes. Thirsty."
Her nocturnal reminder pushed her smell – which I had somehow been able to ignore – to the forefront of my mind. My mouth now feels like an incinerator.
Red hot.
Burning.
No. Don't let your thirst control you. You are more than just a vampire.
I let Carlisle's words that have become my mantra run on a loop through my head. I lock every muscle I have and take a long, deep breath. Her scent bombards me. It is still the most deliciously enticing smell ever, but I will prove my dominion over it.
She thankfully distracts me again with more talking.
"So beautiful. Kiss me."
There is no way she could be dreaming of me now. Impossible. And yet…I wish that somehow, she was.
When morning comes, I slip out of her cottage and go back to the town square, sitting on the fountain in the middle. On top, there are carvings of the sun, the moon, and the stars. That's what the Volturi started referring to themselves as around ten years after we revealed ourselves.
I inwardly roll my eyes. It's hard to imagine someone can be so full of themselves.
When the humans start to file out of their homes, going about their daily tasks, a few of them look to me, wondering why I'm still here. Jenny spread rumors about me and why I was here, and yet, they expected me to be already gone. At least that is what most of them are thinking. By their estimation, I should be done with my investigation because of my mind-reading abilities.
"Back to woo her some more?" Oscar appears next to me, smelling of blood and sex. It's clear he's just eaten and been with Amelia. "Trying to get her to spill all her secrets should be easy enough. Flash her a smile, blow your breath in her face, so she gets a good whiff…all trade secrets we all used to get a good meal back in the day. The chase was always the best part for me. Getting them to trust me enough to leave with me." He laughs darkly.
"Idiots."
I shudder in disgust as countless women throughout hundreds of years flash through his mind. All of them dead, drained by him while they fought fruitlessly to escape.
"Did you need something, Oscar?"
"Well, since it looks like you'll be here for a while, I told Amelia the humans were going to need a new teacher." He looks down at me. "That's what your project does. She's the teacher in town." He takes a survey of the few humans walking from place to place. "I'm supposed to ask her who should take over while you work your magic, vegetarian."
As we wait for Bella to show, I do my best to block out his thoughts as he replays his night of sex with the head of this Elite camp.
The moment Bella turns the corner at the far end of the square, I see she is surrounded by children. She's laughing and smiling and spinning in circles. The children copy her, doing everything she does, even when she pretends to pick her nose. I laugh when they all make retching noises and then do it anyway. The merriment and adoration on their faces as they look to her is awe-inspiring.
But nothing can touch how wonderful and beautiful she looks as she smiles and laughs with them. She is practically glowing.
I stand and try to tame my hair, hoping it's not too unkempt looking, and straighten out my clothes. Her eyes are drawn to my movement, and my stomach plummets when her smile drops. Confusion mars her radiant smile and then turns to fear when she looks to Oscar on my right.
"Maybe you should let me tell her she needs to find a replacement for herself for a few days," I tell Oscar. "It doesn't seem like she likes you all that much."
"Do whatever you please. I don't care who tells her; I've got my own shit to do." Flashes of running along the fifty-mile radius perimeter to check for scents – human or vampire - fill his mind.
In a flash, he's gone, and Bella relaxes a tiny bit. When I start to walk towards her at a human pace, she quickly shoos the children into the schoolhouse and stands straight to face me. I can see a small bit of fear peeking through her calm façade.
I don't want her to be afraid of me and decide to do everything in my power to show her she has nothing to fear. It will be hard, but I'm up for the challenge.
"Good morning, Bella. I hope you slept well."
She dips her head for a moment before meeting my eyes. "Other than the interruption, I slept fairly well."
"Right." I stare into her eyes and try to remember what exactly I was supposed to tell her.
"Did you need something?" she asks.
"Yes. Oh. I need you to find a replacement for yourself for today and tomorrow. Possibly three days."
"Why?"
"I need to speak with you some more. I think it will take a while since I can't hear you." I tap my temple, and she scowls at me. I don't like reminding her of why I'm here. Especially since the real reason I want to speak with her some more is out of sheer curiosity and intrigue.
"I can't think of anyone right off the top of my head, especially since I had only just started my training to become the new teacher because Angela was due to be claimed in a couple of weeks. Did you know she was the teacher before she left?"
"I did not, and I'm terribly sorry about the situation I've put you in. Is there any way I can help?"
She raises a brow at me questioningly. "Don't pull me away from my job to interrogate me."
My lips quirk just a little. She's smart and quick-witted. "Sorry. No can do."
"Bella." We both turn and see a darker-skinned man marching to her side, his eyes darting angrily at me. "Is everything okay?" Wordless longing and hope fill his head as he walks to her.
She sighs heavily, seemingly perturbed by his presence. "I'm fine, Jake."
"Is this a new guard?" He juts his chin towards me as he reaches us, taking his hand and putting it on her lower back. She steps away just a little to try and avoid the contact.
My word, she looks beautiful today. So gorgeous. She is so amazing. I wonder if enough time has passed since I last asked her out. Should I wait a while longer, or should I just do it? I know she said she didn't see me like that, but I know she would if she just gave me a shot. I just love her so damn much.
Some strange feeling engulfs me. One I've never felt before. It's sort of like anger, but not quite.
"No." Her face brightens like she just remembered something. "Jake, is your sister any better? I know she's been sick for a week, but I could really use her help."
This Jake guy thinks about his twin sister and how she was up and moving around this morning. "She's better. Why are you asking?"
"Well, it seems like I'm going to be busy for a few days, and I was hoping Rebecca could take over for me. She's the brightest student Angela ever had, and she's one of the only ones who has finished school and hasn't been Claimed."
His mood soars. She's presented him with some problem he can solve. If I help her, maybe she'll see me differently—a knight in shining armor of sorts.
I can't suppress the chortle of laughter that breaks from my mouth. They both spare me a brief glance before looking back to one another. Bella is curious, while Jake is annoyed. "Of course. I'm sure she'd be more than glad to help."
I'm successful in holding in my laughter this time as he runs through scenarios of trying to convince Rebecca to teach. It seems she was looking forward to her new assigned job collecting wild berries and mushrooms in the forest.
Ones that were supposed to enhance the human's flavor, according to Aro.
He was now planning to offer Rebecca anything she wanted, including a lifetime of servitude if she would help him in his quest to win Bella's heart.
I did my best to suppress a growl. Only my chest rumbled, so I'd call that a success.
"That's great, Jake. I really appreciate it."
"Anything for you." He leans forward surprisingly fast for a human and kisses her cheek.
The look of surprise and then annoyance on her face put my mind at ease. He practically skips away as she glares at his back.
"Ahh. The unwanted suitor." I say. Her eyes meet mine. "Every story has one."
"I thought you couldn't read my mind." She cocks one enticing hip and places her fist on it to rest.
"I can't. But I can read his." I nod to where Jake just was. "It seems he believes if he helps you, you'll fall madly in love with him."
Her face pinkens with what I am assuming is anger or frustration. "I've told him time and time again; I don't see him that way. Ugh! I know he means well, but it's getting old after two years of staring at me and asking me to go out with him over and over and over again."
I would love to offer up my services for me to make it clear to him her feelings, but I don't think she'd like that.
There is a loud round of laughter coming from the schoolhouse, followed by the chant of "Do it! Do it! Do it!"
"Ugh." She groans and stomps away, ignoring me. I smile and follow behind her. "What are all of you up to?"
I laugh as she sees a little boy standing on a desk in the middle of the class, holding a booger perched on the tip of his index finger. His mouth is hanging open, and his eyes are wide as he stares at the green goop.
"What is going on?" Bella demands. Her fists immediately fly to her hips. Her very lovely, curvy hips. "What are you doing, Michael Newton?"
The little boy in question points his clean index finger at a little girl with long black hair. "Leah said she'd beat me up if I didn't eat this." He shoves his booger right in Bella's face. She stumbles back and almost trips. I flash to her and catch her under her arms.
She startles and pulls away from me. The whole room filled with children turns deathly silent. They're wary of the new vampire and wonder what he wants. Is he mad? Why did he help their teacher? No vampire has ever helped them before.
I hold my hands up in surrender to her. "Sorry. I just didn't want you to get hurt."
Hopefully, she can see the honesty in my eyes.
Her shocked expression turns thoughtful before she looks down, clearing her throat and smoothing out the flowy blue dress she's wearing.
"Thank you." She says lowly.
"I'll just…wait out here. I can see I'm making the children uncomfortable." I swiftly leave and move back to the fountain in the middle of the square. The minutes seem to stretch on forever before I see Jake and his sister Rebecca – who looks quite unhappy – turn the corner and enter the schoolhouse. Even though she is upset she is having to sub, Rebecca's thoughts are warm and happy when she speaks to Bella. When Rebecca tries to pry information out of her about what I want with her, Bella just looks at her deeply and shakes her head, trying to convey something. "He can read minds." That is all she has to say before Rebecca seems to understand not to speak or think of anything that could harm them.
Five more minutes pass before I see Bella leave and slowly walk her way towards me.
"So," she says as she squares her shoulders and heaves a big sigh, "let's get this show on the road. What do you need to know?"
I slowly lean in close to her, holding my hands up to let her know not to be afraid. When I get right by her ear, I try to ignore the frantically pulsing artery in her neck. "Actually, I don't care about the two that escaped," I whisper. "I'm not here because I want to be doing this for Aro. I'm here because I have no other choice. You see, he has my sister and won't set her free until the rest of my family completes their servitude for him."
I lean back and can see the sadness in her eyes. "I was hoping you could take me somewhere we could talk…alone."
"Alone?" she questions, her pulse still racing.
"Yes." I look around at the people milling around. "Peter and Oscar should be done with their perimeter check soon, and I'd like to be gone before they get back. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."
She bites her lip nervously as she mulls over my request. Her brows scrunch together adorably as the wheels turn furiously in her head. I can almost feel her thinking.
After a long seventy-seven seconds, she nods. "There is a meadow filled with wildflowers a couple of miles this way." She points to the north-west. "I go there to collect them and then boil them to make colorful stains."
A radiant smile lights up my face. I flash in front of her, and she stops in her tracks. "So, you're the person behind all the colorful cottages."
She blushes deeply and tucks her chin. "Yes. I guess I am." She doesn't look back up as she steps around me and continues on her way.
The next four days are…everything. I knew I loved her by the middle of the second day and that she knew something about her friend's disappearances by the morning of the third. My next thought after that realization was that there was nothing I was going to do about it. In fact, I was hoping I could convince her to do the same. Disappear.
It was in the middle of the fourth day when I told her how I felt about her. She didn't say anything, and I understood. I was still an unknown vampire in a world where they had been nothing but harsh and cruel to her and everyone she loved. But I was determined to prove to her that she could trust me.
Love me.
The ten days after that were nothing short of amazing. I could see her trust in me grow every day. I told her all about Carlisle and how he found me, Esme, and Rosalie. How he taught us there was another way to live other than through the violent deaths of humans. I spoke a lot about Alice and what she meant to me, and how Aro had separated her from Jasper. He was supposedly somewhere in South America trying to strategize how to defeat the Romanians and their followers who had risen up against the Volturi.
Bella spoke at length about her triplet younger siblings, who were sent to live in a different settlement within the camp. She missed them fiercely and swore she would never leave them behind, or any of the children she taught, just to save herself. She saw it as her duty to protect them in any way she could.
She. Was. Amazing.
So brave. So self-sacrificing. So intriguing. So beautiful, inside and out.
On the eleventh day, while we were lying in the middle of the field of wildflowers, she let me kiss her. It was soft and sweet and very brief, but oh, so wonderful. I was sure my heart was going to resurrect itself and start beating like a jackhammer and break out of my chest. She had the power to bring life back into my long-dead heart. When I told her that, she launched herself toward me and cried into my shoulder.
"Edward. What are we going to do?" she cried.
"I'm going to win you at your Claiming, and we're going to be together."
"But what about my little brothers. I can't leave them behind."
"I'm sure my family wouldn't mind helping us out and Claim them. We stick together and do for one another whatever we can."
Her big brown eyes bore into mine, tears pooling in the corners. "Edward…I…I…I can't even begin to thank you for what you're doing. For what you say your family will do for you if you ask."
"For us." I correct her. "I have finally found the other half of myself, and I will do anything to make you happy because if you are sad, then I am too. And by extension, my family."
She cried for a long time after that. When she was done, we kissed and kissed. In the evening, I crawled in bed with her and held her as she slept. That's when she whispered in her sleep, "I love you, Edward," and I was sure I had died and gone to heaven.
A week after that was when the summer Claiming was taking place. The twenty oldest Elites were to be "harvested" and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Thankfully, Bella had at least two years before it was her turn.
I had already called Aro and told him there was nothing to find out—the two missing Elites seemed to have escaped on their own, with no help from inside the camp. He then told me it was now my job to figure out how they did it and fix whatever loophole there was to prevent further escapes.
I didn't call and tell him about the crudely dug tunnel I found two days later that led from three-hundred feet before the perimeter to two-hundred feet after. It was hidden under the root system of a large tree, a door made of the roots themselves to disguise the entrance. In all honesty, it was brilliant. It had to have taken them at least a year to dig it.
I was sure Bella knew about it.
The night before the next Claiming arrived, and I had been consoling Bella all day. She was set to lose some good friends and was very distraught. After crying herself to sleep in my arms, I got a call from Amelia. She needed me to come to her home and fill her in on whatever I had found. Aro had called her and was asking questions about my investigation.
I unwillingly dragged myself from Bella's bed and ran to Amelia's home. Once inside, I had to endure too many sordid fantasies from her mind than I care to admit. The longer I stayed and the more questions she was required to ask by Aro, the more vulgar they got. I caught her a fraction of a second before she lunged at me, intent on seducing me to keep me busy to make sure…
"No!"
I took off and left an Edward sized whole in her living room wall. Panic had seized my insides, making it hard to put one foot in front of the other.
I have to get to her in time. I can't even entertain the possibility of being too late.
But alas, I was.
By the time I got back to Bella's cottage, she was gone. The sun was coming up, and yet, it felt like darkness was closing in around me.
How could I have been so stupid? So naïve?
Oscar had told Amelia about all the time I was spending with Bella. How he was sure, I was truly falling for this pathetic human. Of course, she called Aro and told him. And once Aro knew of my weakness for Bella, he took her for the Claiming.
I swiftly looked at the clock on her wall. I was already so late. There was no way I could make it to Las Vegas before nightfall without a plane. If I hadn't been distracted by Amelia, I would have been able to do it.
Don't give up yet, you bastard!
I don't hesitate one more second before I start running—running faster than I ever have before in my existence.
It takes me all day to make it. By the time I get to the casino where the Claiming is being held, they are winding down. There are only three more Elites left to bid on.
I stop for a moment and close my eyes to concentrate, trying to find where Bella is. As I'm flipping through the hundred or so minds of the vampires here, I finally find her. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and she looks terrified. The vampire circling her and smelling her is fully prepared to bid as high as he can to win her.
She smells incredible.
I let out a loud growl and run to where she is. The room is almost empty; only two vampires are left in what Aro calls the Scenting Room. To be exact, one guard, two bidders, and four humans. One bidder is more interested in the boy in front of Bella, and he leaves before I can get there.
Only four seconds pass before I am able to navigate my way into the Room. Once I'm there, her eyes immediately fly to me and my torn clothing. She quickly scans my body, her eyes lingering on the soles of my shoes that are gone from my furious running and my windswept hair that is filled with twigs.
Disbelief and then acute relief flood her features when she realizes I'm really here, and she begins to sob. I don't wait before I run to her, only to be caught by a hulking figure. The guard. "No touching. Only smell." He says.
"I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't know. Amelia lured me away so they could take you. Aro knows how I feel about you."
"I know, I know." She wipes at the tears falling from her face. "Oscar was only too happy to tell me about Amelia's plan to seduce you so they could take me."
"I didn't, Bella. You have to believe me. Nothing happened with her. I love only you. Want only you."
She's nodding her head. "I know. And…I love you too."
It doesn't matter where I am or that I'm surrounded by hundreds of hungry vampires in another part of the casino; this is the happiest moment of my life. The moment I win her, I'm going to grab her and kiss her silly.
"I love you so damn much, Bella. Everything will be okay."
She nods and sniffles, trying to get her crying under control.
Just as I'm about to take a step toward her under the guise of smelling her, I hear Alice's mental voice.
Edward! You have to listen to me. Aro has come to take Bella. She won't be up for the Claiming. I've been having visions where I escape and kill Dimitri, so he can't track me. He knows if he takes Bella, I'll stay and want to protect her for you.
You see, I had a vision of you and Bella.
She shows him and Bella in the throes of passion. The sight sets his insides ablaze until he sees her eyes. They're no longer brown, but a warm gold color.
He wants to take her. Once he does, he'll keep her until he finds out about her abilities. Then he'll turn her.
Abilities?! "NO! No!"
"I'm so sorry, Edward. I swear I'll take care of her."
He looks up to see Alice standing in front of him with four guards surrounding her. They look like a protection detail, but their real purpose is to stop her from escaping. Especially since one is Dimitri, the best tracker in the world.
He's suddenly at war with himself. He's beyond glad to see Alice after almost ten years, but at the same time, her appearance means Aro isn't far.
"Alice. You can't. NO!" I yell at her and then stand between Alice, her guards, and Bella. "You are not taking her. I'll die before I let you take her to Aro."
Bella gasps softly behind me.
"You don't have a choice, Edward." She says aloud. But mentally… When I give you the signal, you have to rip the head off the guy to the right. Emmett is here too, and he'll take the one behind him. I'll take the other two. Especially Dimitri.
The last part is said with such malice, he almost flinches, but thankfully, catches himself. He doesn't want to give anything away. He doesn't relax his defensive stance in front of Bella and even clenches his fist and growls for good measure.
"Edward." Her voice is full of sorrow and pity. "There is no choice. She's coming with us."
Act defeated. Alice says silently.
"No!" he roars, but his shoulders slump in defeat. "Alice, no. Please don't."
She closes the distance between them, her four shadows hot on her heels. When she grabs his hands, he sighs and closes his eyes. "Alice."
"Edward. I know you love her. And I know you and she are going to change the world." He opens his eyes and watches her mind flash from vision to vision. He and Bella are in so many different places, both of them vampires, surrounded by smiling humans.
His brows furrow as she locks eyes with him meaningfully. "What?"
"That's why we have to do this now."
He doesn't hesitate and lunges. He catches the guard to her right, completely off guard. His focus was on Alice, not Edward. It only takes him two seconds to rip off his head. When he looks up, Emmett is wrestling the guard that was behind the one he killed.
When he looks to Alice, he sees one dead guard and Dimitri in a brawl with Alice. He can't seem to land his hands on her. He swiftly moves to help Emmett. He pins the guard's arms down as Emmett wraps his beefy arms around his head and rips it off in one clean movement.
The both of them then jump up and run to help Alice. Dimitri is so distracted by her that he doesn't see them approach. They're able to grab his arms and pin them behind his back, allowing Alice to perch atop his shoulders and bite his neck. His head then makes a dull thump on the ground by his feet.
The whole fight happened in under ten seconds.
The smell of fresh blood gains my attention. I spin around and see the guy guarding the humans has one of them in his grasp. His teeth are sunk into his neck, and he's drinking greedily. I notice a gash on his forearm and remember Alice lunging at the human before she spun around to attack the other two guards.
It had to be done, Edward. I sacrificed him so we could free Bella.
He flashes over to where Bella is standing, stunned, her eyes wide. "Bella, love, it's all right. I won't hurt you."
She snaps out of her daze and meets his eyes. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. Are you?" I grab her hands, but she pulls them away. Her arms are then flying around my neck and pulling me to her.
"Alice. Do we need to get out of here?" I call over my shoulder, grabbing Bella and cradling her to my chest. When I spin around, I see Carlisle and Jasper. Carlisle is holding Aro's head in his hands while Jasper is holding Caius'.
That's when I realize I've missed something huge. I know I had a one-track mind when I got here, but I had no idea just how much I missed.
"What's going on?" I ask, clutching Bella to me. She's pulled her head out of my neck, where she buried it, and is looking around at my family.
Alice smiles brilliantly. "The start of a new world. A beautiful, glorious world where everything changes. One where you and Bella lead everyone, vampire, and human, to a harmonious existence. A world filled with half-human and half-vampires."
My eyes widen comically with shock and disbelief.
"Don't worry anymore, Edward. Everything will work out just fine."
There are so many questions Edward wants to ask and so many reunions with his family to be had, but when Bella shifts in his arms, he puts all that aside. "Bella." He buries his nose in her hair and breathes deeply. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."
"Is that a promise?" she asks as she pulls back. He sets her on her feet but still has his arms wrapped tightly around her. Her hands make their way up to cup his face.
"I swear it," I say fervently.
She smiles. "Good."
"I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too. Forever." She rises on the tips of her toes and kisses me, and my body fills with lightning.
Yep, never letting her go again.
A big thanks to Fran S. Flower (SunflowerFran) for beta'ing this for me. You da best.