Elijah and I settled into an uneasy routine.

I would spend my days with Leah – she was five months pregnant with Jacob's baby (something I was extremely excited about since she had given me the news) –, who liked to boss me around asking me to do all sorts of things for her.

After sunset, Elijah would come to my house and we would watch TV, or go to the movies, or play Scrabble. Now that he was sure humans could get pregnant with vampire babies, Elijah was being careful around me, as if afraid I would jump him any chance I got.

And I would have. Except I like doing ordinary stuff with him as much as I enjoyed being ravished by him. So I played along with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing and not a single complaint escaped my lips. I was sure eventually he would succumb to my charms. Every time he touched me, I felt his lust.

That's what made the routine uneasy. It made me feel like we were waiting for something.

And one day, I woke up tired of waiting. I missed how it felt to have him inside of me. I missed everything about sex, to be honest. I was young, I was immortal and I was horny.

When twilight came – the violet deep darkness of twilight – I went to him before he could come to me.

The house was just as I remembered. It had a certain graciousness I couldn't get enough of. I walked I as if I owned the place but everything was dark inside. I searched the place but I found nothing. Upset and still horny, I sat on the couch, closed my eyes and tried to remember the touch of Elijah's cold hands, the softness of his lips, the-

I sat upright, eyes opened. Someone was watching me. I didn't know how I knew, but I was sure. Someone was inside the dark house, watching. I searched around with my eyes. I whirled quickly to face the rest of the room, straining my own eyes to see into the shadows, trying not even to breathe.

"Elijah...?" I called in a contained whisper. I knew any vampire would hear that.

But no one answered me. I was sure Elijah would if it were him. He wouldn't want to scare me like this. I shook my head. I was being paranoid. Since when had Renesmee Cullen been afraid of anything?

I tried to slow my heartbeat but the feeling wouldn't leave me. Something in my head kept saying, get out of here, there's something in here, something evil, something that wants you. But that was crazy.

Something moved in the shadows. My scream froze in my throat. I held motionless, but my heart was beating so loudly I knew it hardly mattered. Helplessly, I watched as a shape in the darkness moved out of the shadows and toward me. It seemed almost as if the darkness itself had come to life and was taking a humanoid form before my eyes.

"Do I frighten you?" The voice was pleasant. He had curled dirty-blond hair and light blue eyes that contrasted with his pearl-white skin. His face was delicate and yet masculine enough to attract me. He was very well built, remarkably good-looking, even more so than Elijah. He wore casual clothes, a dark green long sleeved shirt and jeans. He was still smiling faintly. "I'm sorry I frightened you." He didn't sound sorry at all.

"I'm not frightened!" I snapped. "I was just startled. Which is hardly surprising, what with you lurking in the dark like that."

"I've been known to lurk," he admitted. "But interesting things happen in the dark. You know that." He was laughing at me, I could sense it. He had taken a step closer and I found myself admiring his beauty.

He gazed at me so fixedly I had trouble swallowing. With his eyes on my lips, he murmured, "Oh, yes."

"What?" My cheeks and throat were flushing, burning with blood. I felt light-headed.

"I can see why he didn't tell me."

Then, in one step, he moved toward me, so that we were close enough to touch. I couldn't breathe. I could smell rosemary on him. His eyes held mine and I couldn't look away. They were like no eyes I had ever seen, blue as the sky. He leaned toward me, bending his head down to mine. I felt my own eyes half closed, losing focus. My head tilted back, my lips parted.

He made the mistake of touching my face. I was flooded with pain, with emptiness. I knew who he was and I knew what he was doing. I saw this was a game to him. I felt the annoyance, the grudging respect. There was something else too, something hot and fierce that scared me. My strength returned to me and I jerked back away from him, stumbling against a chair.

What was happening to me? Was I so desperate, so deprived of sex that I wanted to kiss Elijah's brother?

Guilt weighted me down. For a few minutes I had completely forgotten about Elijah. It was unbelievable. I hadn't thought it to be possible. Now his image filled my mind and the longing for him was like a physical pain in my body. I wanted Elijah and him only.

I blinked and breathed hard gathering the courage to look at the vampire in front of me. There was pure fury in his eyes, a dark wave of menace. Then he calmed himself and smiled, a swift brilliant smile. But it wasn't him who spoke.

"Get away, Niklaus." Elijah moved and I saw him, standing in the shadows of the dark hall.

He didn't look at all reassuring. His face was very still, absolutely impenetrable. But I felt such relief it hurt. I slumped and heard my own breath sigh out. I took a few casual steps toward Elijah, hoping he would speak again. Or move. But it was the other one who did.

"Brother," he said amused. "Who is your friend?"

"I'm Renesmee Cullen," I told him against my will. Then I realized he was in my head, willing me to speak. I fought him out.

"Aren't you sweet," he observed.

"Not especially."

He laughed. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Elijah?"

Elijah looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do. "Nessie, this is my brother, Niklaus. Vampire King of New Orleans."

I tried hard not to gasp. It didn't matter. They ignored me.

"Are you quite attached to your friend?" asked Niklaus, his voice sarcastic.

Elijah was tensed. "She's mine," he said, his voice cold and smooth.

The Vampire King inclined his head, but he gave me the once-over again. "Well, if you will excuse us, Nessie," he said, "my brother and I have business to discuss."

Elijah seemed to relax. I didn't. But having no choice in the matter, I turned my back and walked away.