Chapter 4: Bloodlust
Emmett was enthralled to finally be surrounded by the forest again. The sights and sounds of the woods flooded him as they exited the structure.
"Stay close by me no matter what." Edward warned his counterpart.
His enhanced sight picked up every detail of nature as they followed the trail. Black beetles and centipedes crawled in and out of the weathered bark of the towering trunks. Dew rolled down a blade of grass in the night's mist. Every grain of dirt and sand making up the earth ahead of them could be seen with Emmett's naked eye. He could almost enjoy it if it weren't for the aching flame in his throat.
When they were about a quarter mile away from the castle of a house, Edward stopped and perched upon a rock.
"Look, there are important things you need to know before we go any further. Our coven is strong because of the relationships we have with each other. Carlisle is like a father to me and he expects me to teach you the way of our family. I know he already explained that it is your choice on whether you stay or go, but we want to prepare you and give you options."
"I want to know everything." Emmett's words dripped with honesty.
"You are craving blood right now as I'm sure you already figured out. Especially because you are so new, it's going to be a huge focus of your existence. Our species main diet is humans... But our family survives solely on animal blood. We never hunt people. We resist the urge no matter how difficult. It is our family's number one rule. We value life instead of taking it away." Edward hopped off the stone and walked over to a puddle, staring at his reflection in the water.
The boyish vampire waved at Emmett to join him by the small pool.
Emmett gazed down at himself in the water as well. He was much larger in mass than Edward and at least six inches taller than his new acquaintance. His reflection bore the transition he underwent. He was sturdier and much more attractive. The purple undertones in his cheeks balanced well with his jet black hair. Emmett's musculature was intricately defined which made him brawnier than before. His skin now matched the Cullens.
But his eyes were stained a horrific ruby, nothing like the delightful honey colored irises the rest of them possessed. I look like a monster. Emmett stepped away from the puddle, feeling slightly horrified.
"They'll change in time if you practice our ways," Edward promised to him with sincerity and continued, "but you have to be careful at this stage. For another year at least we'll supervise you on hunts."
"How did you know what I was thinking?" Emmett raised an eyebrow perplexedly.
"I'm able to read minds. Some of us have special gifts. But anything we were skilled at in the past life carries over tenfold in this one." Edward explained to the hulking newborn beside him.
"You must've known I was planning on sticking around then. Besides, your lifestyle only seems right." Emmett offered seriously, trying his hardest to ignore the extreme dryness in his mouth.
"Yeah. I knew." The bronze haired vampire hinted with a crooked smile.
"But what should I tell my relatives when they ask what I am? Don't I have to lie—"
Edward cut Emmett off abruptly. "You can never go back to your real family. This life must be completely secret to humans. It's hard to comprehend at first but that is the price we pay. What if you slipped up and killed one of them? They must believe you are dead."
Emmett was slightly crestfallen but his bond felt stronger to Edward, a boy he had just met, than the McCarty's who raised him. It was just unfortunate that they would be losing a vital provider of the family. He wished he could help them out in someway.
"Carlisle and I will arrange some money for your humans. Now let's focus on your first hunt. Attune your senses further and allow yourself to listen to the forest... Your instincts will take over from there and I will follow you." Edward instructed, crouching nearby to observe the newborn.
Emmett listened for any sign of life in their proximity. Pine, leaves, and dirt were the strongest smells that entered his nose. But when he focused, he identified the scent of the flowing liquid he desired so badly. He could hear the wet pumping of the animal's heart. It was not far off. Venom rushed over his tongue and filled his mouth.
He bounded away from Edward straightaway and sped through the forest like a bullet. The wind around him whipped at his skin and face as he bolted through the brush with immeasurable speed. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
Blocking Emmett's course stood a looming boulder but he chose not evade it. The large vampire's body slammed into the stone and cracked the solid rock into tiny fragments when he struck it. It did not avert Emmett in the slightest and he continued to forge his way to the scent of blood.
A bull deer sensed a predator approaching and it stomped its hoof in alarm. The frantic animal had wildly leaped away in its attempt to flee but Emmett was already hot on its tail.
The large vampire sprung onto the stag's hindquarters and the creature immediately buckled under his weight. The taste of blood sent the newborn into a frenzy. Emmett bit into the deer's thick neck and started to drain the pitiful creature of its blood.
It was a decadent flavor that subsided the burn immediately. As the warm liquid traveled down his throat, Emmett's eyes rolled back in relief and pleasure. It finally soothed the unquenchable fire that would not cease.
When the deer was completely empty, Emmett regained normality. His gaze wandered to his tattered clothing which was ripped from the hunt and soaked in the animal's fluids. Emmett dropped the carcass and flicked his eyes around in search of Edward.
"I bet you feel better." The bronze-haired vampire landed in front of him and multicolored leaves flew up from the ground at his impact. Edward had been observing him from the treetops.
"Much." Emmett replied simply.
"Lets head back." Edward had begun to stalk in the direction of the house.
The pair ran in silence through the quiet midnight.
Emmett's thoughts now swirled about the breathtaking blonde woman that saved him. His mind was untainted by bloodlust and his focus was now solely on his angel. He wanted to know everything about her.
"Edward? Can I ask you something?" Emmett questioned the smaller vampire and halted in his tracks.
They were near the edge of the woods but still out of ear-shot of the mansion.
"You're wondering about Rosalie." Edward faced him with a serious expression.
"Yes."
The aloof female's distance pained Emmett for reasons he could not decipher.
"She's certainly an enigma. Rose is extremely difficult to be involved with. The two of us clash so much that we dislike spending time together. But she's like a sister to me in that way... Sibling rivalry if you would." Edward explained and leaned against a tree trunk.
"But Emmett, Rosalie had a difficult human life that I'm sure she will share with you one day. It made her very vain. She's untrusting. She's stubborn. It would take me a millennia to understand her and I'd never want to. Either way, there is a reason she brought you to Carlisle."
Emmett drowned in Edward's words.
"What the hell do I say to her? I really don't want to do the wrong thing." The brawny newborn pleaded to the bronze-haired boy in front of him.
"What kind of hopeless romantic do you think I am?" Edward rolled his brooding eyes dramatically and shook his head. His expression was stormy as he gazed into the direction of the Cullen residence.
"Rose may seem impossible but just prove to her that you're different. Even this hunting trip was a test... to see where your loyalties would lie. But don't tell her I told you any of this or she'll murder me!" Edward chuckled darkly and then punched Emmett in the shoulder. "I'm going to throw up though if my little brother keeps asking me about women."
"Who you calling little?" Emmett growled in a playful manner and shoved Edward into a tree. The bark splintered as the boyish vampire crashed into it with incredible force.
"Wow, you're strong! Newborn or not. Ow." Edward rubbed his stony shoulder and flitted across the field.
Emmett followed suit, the two men laughing hysterically as they bursted the doors of the mansion.