Four
'Luna doesn't know about any of this. I doubt she's even noticed how different we are...' a voice trailed off. I'd been dreaming that there was cake but as soon as I tried to touch it, the white fondant turned a startling crimson shade, dripping droplets onto the cream carpet with an echoing splash. When I looked up, I saw the decapitated head of the pretty, silver wolf that I had helped save.
'Shhh...she's waking up.' Alice hissed from above me. I groaned, ignoring the discomfort in my neck as I cracked my eyes open.
'Hey there.' Alice whispered, sweeping my hair out of eyes.
'What happened?' I asked, feeling groggy.
'You fell asleep while I carried you home.' I sat up so quickly I was Jasper, who was kneeling in front of me was blurry for a few seconds. I had to blink rapidly to get my vision back to normal.
'Oh no, Silver. What happened to her?' I demanded.
'Er, Silver, is fine. Carlisle patched her up enough to get her to the vet.'
'Oh...I wanna see her.'
Esme frowned. 'She's a wolf. As soon as she's better she'll be released.'
'Oh great, so she can get shot again? Gee how nice.' I snapped standing up. Rushing upstairs, I slammed my door. It's not like I wanted to keep her as a pet, but I didn't want her getting shot at either.
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As the days slowly grew warmer, I ventured further and further into the surrounding forest. I wasn't searching for the wolf, not really, but I was becoming more and more adventurous. I was having these urges to leave the house more and more; It was strange but I got the feeling the trees were calling me with their whispers that quietly rippled through the leaves as the wind blew.
After my morning run in the forest, I pulled off my sneakers, skipped into the living room and plopped onto a cushion, resting my elbows on the cushion with a rare sunbeam, appearing out of the clouds and slipped through the trees, instantly warming my side. I wasn't fully absorbed in this tiny novel I was doing a book report on, which is why I sensed a certain unease from my family who had become living statues. Shutting them out, I scanned the novel. I was definitely going to breeze through this book report. Even as a kid, I had been a bookworm like my dad, which is why my language wasn't as bad as some people in my situation.
Reading the last page of a chapter, I snapped the book shut, looking up as a plate of chicken alfredo was placed in front of me, momentarily distracting me but like always, I saw Bella's pinched expression. I felt a sense of guilt that Jasper couldn't shut everyone out.
'Sup?' I asked looking at the four aliens in the room. Esme was the first to sigh, irritated that I'd caught on, but it was Emmett I turned to, seeing as he was staring out the window, something he rarely did. Usually, the hulk watched me as if I was the most entertaining person he'd ever met. Well, it was an even divide between Renesmee and me.
'We're going to have a visitor today.' His tone sounded hollow. I couldn't help but flinch.
'Oh, so another alien like you?' Alien, a word I had been using in my head because there was no other explanation for their bone-white skin, the hard texture of their skin and their eyes that changed colour. It was however the first time I had said the word aloud. Still, I was expecting some sort of reaction, they however didn't seem to care or notice, save for Alice, and Edward who smirked at her. It was scary to know that Ed could read minds and I often wondered if he knew I was different too before I firmly shut my mind off. No way in hell could they ever know I was different. What if I was a different sort of alien and an enemy to them? The questions that constantly bubbled in my mind was making me a tad obsessive.
'Demetri is a little different than us, but you're quite safe.' Edward lied. However, the look Bella shot at him told me otherwise.
Liar, I thought savagely before shutting off my mind. 'Whatever.' I said turning back to my plate. Of course, I would have delivered an explosive reaction had it been my mom's brother that appeared. Turning back to my food, I shoveled down a small mouthful, burning my mouth in the process, but the pasta was too good to wait.
'Why don't we go into town this afternoon to shop? We have your counselling session, today.' Esme asked as she sat behind me, switched the TV on and flicked through the channels finding a scientific show.
'Oh, is it today, in town?' I asked stabbing at a chunk of chicken. I was not thrilled at the idea of going to a hospital, but since it was a country hospital, maybe that would be okay. I was still debating with myself when Esme disappeared, only to return with pink hair ties, a brush and a spray bottle. I let her brush out my damp long lengths that Rosalie had cut for me so it sat halfway down my back. Once my hair was in two low plaits and I'd finished my lunch, I went back to my book as I had an extra thirty minutes before we had to leave. Biting down the anxiety that gnawed in my belly, I read until I heard Esme begin to gather her things. With a sigh, I stretched, lazily stood up and trudged upstairs to brush my teeth. I took such a long time; Edward appeared at Alice's bathroom and gave me a pointed look. Flipping him the bird, I went back to brushing my teeth trying to ignore his hurt emotions.
'Come on, it won't be that bad.'
'Back off alien, or I'll take another three minutes,' I snarled through a mouthful of peppermint suds. Spitting before I could choke, Alice appeared, taking my hand and tugged on my hand.
'Yes, back off alien.' She trilled wrapping a secure arm around my waist.
'Children, please.' Rosalie sighed as she walked into the bathroom to hand me my denim jacket and Ugg boots.
'Not the Uggs!' Alice trilled almost murdering my eardrums, going to snatch them, but Rosalie had already guessed what she was going to do and blurred out of sight to reappear at my left. Sticking my tongue out at Alice, I grabbed my boots, giving Alice a pointed look.
'You and Bella are hopeless!' Stamping her foot, she disappeared.
'Thank you.' I called out after her. Smiling, I took Rosalie's hand, which surprised her, and pulled her out of the bathroom.
'Well, I think you look cute.' Emmett teased as I passed him to go down the stairs. Lucky I was still holding onto Rosalie as my Ugg slipped on the last stair. She alone saved me from my skull making a mess of the steps.
'See? They'll be the death of you.' Alice chirped from somewhere in the house.
'Well at least I'll die cute.' I hollered back as Rosalie righted me with a glare.
'Are we taking your convertible?' I asked as Rosalie nodded shortly. Esme, not one for driving was happily sitting in the passenger side, the top was up for obvious reasons but, I still took care as I clambered in, I knew how much she loved the car and didn't want to get on her bad side-not that I'd ever seen it. Bella, however had told me horror stories of how Rosalie had openly disliked her when she had been human and it made me wonder why I was treated so differently. I knew it made Bella jealous even though they were good friends now. Chomping on my bottom lip, I rested my head against the headrest and proceeded to nap.
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The household was tense. Jasper's emotions as usual, louder than the rest. His anxiety washed over me like a tidal wave making me stumble as if I was hitting a force field. Edward wasn't much different, but his worry was solely for his daughter. Had something happened to that freaky kid? Anger and worry washed over me and I was out of the car, my bags whipping about me, as I realised too late, I was still holding on them.
Was it the visitor Carlisle had said would arrive sometime soon? Had he done something to the kid? Either way, I was pounding up the stairs, making my presence well known. Emmett appeared at the top, stopping me from hitting his chest with those perfect reflexes of his, looking perfectly at ease. Freaking liar, I snarled at him as I felt Edward flinch.
'I'm home.' I trilled, loudly, as if they couldn't hear me, skidding to a halt in the living room, my eyes as wild as my hair as my eyes flicked over the newcomer, before doing a double take. Dark, dirty blonde, carefully styled in expensive clothes, Demetri seemed to like black which suited him. Tall, lion-like, yet frozen in place, but it wasn't his frozen state that had me doing a double take. It was his piercing, scary blood-red eyes, staring at me, tracking every minute movement I made, and as soon as I locked onto them, I froze, both mirroring the shock each other was feeling. Something ticked in the back of my brain, my sixth sense, my body began to hum on instinct. Whoever this newcomer was; he was dangerous and I needed to run as fast as possible. Distracting me with a shift of his feet, Edward and Alice did their secret conversation thing, while I turned to look at Renesmee who was staring at me, her mouth hanging open. I hadn't been one for theatrics, so my stillness had thrown them all for a loop. They were all watching the freaky alien and I, while casting glances at Alice as she searched for the future.
'Carlisle, you have got to be joking.' Demetri suddenly groaned forcing my attention back to him. His voice, like honey, and as attractive as the Cullen's, had me reeling. I didn't want to be attracted to his voice or anything else about him. Stamping the thought, I looked at Edward whose confusion was so loud, it was all I could feel for a moment.
'What was that?' Edward asked, frowning as he mulled something the visitor had said in his head. For a second, I wished I had his ability.
'You brought one of them into your home? Are you trying to get yourselves killed again?'
'Again?' I squawked, looking at the Cullen's in mock horror. 'Oh please, like anyone could kill…a bunch of aliens.' Cackling to myself, I tossed a small bag at Renesmee. I went to head for the stairs but the visitor was suddenly in front of me. Losing all train of thought as he closed the distance between us, made my skin crawl and I shuddered as I honed in on him. His emotions were switching at the speed of light so it was difficult to pinpoint what he was feeling, just like my families, but suddenly three aliens behind me were snarling. The air whooshed out of my lungs as my sight disappeared only to return a second after I hit my back on someone's body, luckily my buzz was radiating over my body so I wasn't injured but the impact had left me winded.
'What are you talking about? Luna's just a human.' Rose snorted as if my race was something to be ashamed of, it wasn't, and I was about to kick out at her, even if it meant a broken toe but whoever it was that was holding me, pulled me away from her as if they had guessed my intentions. I suddenly realised it was Edward; his emotions calm as he studied the alien in front of him like a hawk.
'No, she's not. Are you all blind? How could you think she's a human? You're just trying to get yourselves into trouble again. First Renesmee and now her? Gah, how could you lot be that stupid?' That's all I understood because he started letting loose what had to be a string of insults in a different language. His reaction to me caused the hum in my body, which had been pretty quiet up until now, appear in my hands, moving swiftly through my body until I was barely the buzz back from Edward. I didn't know how long I could hold it back since I'd only ever used it quickly to zap the humans who suddenly touched me, so this was something new. I didn't want to hurt Edward, he was protecting me after all, but the buzz was humming deep inside, growing brighter, louder until I realised with a start; I was about to hurt him. I looked to Bella, silently wishing for her to do that shield thing I'd heard her talking about with Rose once.
Please let go, I can't…I groaned in my mind. Half a second later, Edward let go, stepping back from me. Too late, I realised the telepath had been reading my thoughts this whole time.
'Oh shit.' I muttered as fear and shock, and anger washed over me in waves. My secret was out. Shutting my mind off, I stared at the alien who had messed everything up for me. I didn't care who he was but he was going to pay.
'What's going on?' Jasper asked suddenly his alarm distracting me for a second.
'He; that red-eyed freak has ruined everything!' I growled, my voice gravely, crouching, rushing at the wide-eyed freak with a screech I didn't know I had in me, hitting him with the force of a two-ton truck. Glass flew in slow motion as we fell. We landed before the glass did. He landed on my back while I somehow landed, gracefully. Before I could jump back, he grabbed me with a grip that would shatter a normal person's leg. Instinctively, I threw my hand out thinking only of shattering his grip. His piercing scream, as well as the searing pain in his left wrist, the second it exploded, lit up the meadow as I sprinted for the safety of the trees. Luckily for me, my mind had shut off my empath skills, otherwise, I'd have been screaming along with him, instead of streaking through the trees, throwing myself over the river, vanishing out of sight.
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Twilight came far too slowly. I knew that in my haste to run, I hadn't even thought about how I would survive the night in the upcoming storm. I knew enough about lightning to know that standing under a tree was a bad thing, but I hadn't actually read up on the science of it all. And, like every woman in a horror movie, I stumbled over a thick branch and fell as I walked through the endless trees, landing spectacularly awkward in the mud while in the distance, thunder boomed. 'Just great, you know, today was already crap. I had therapy, and some freak has come to the house I finally feel safe in and I've broadcasted my powers to them all, and if that's not bad enough, I'm lost in this stupid forest! What else could go wrong?' I demanded as I was suddenly but not surprisingly drenched in torrents of rain.
'Wonderful.' I muttered to myself. Pulling myself up to sit behind a very large pine tree that offered a little protection, I buried my face in my knees and burst into a steady stream of hot tears.
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'Luna! Lu, wake up honey,' someone urged as my body was roughly shaken. Rattled, my brain which had never hurt before, made me instantly nauseas. Disorientated, I wondered what could possibly be wrong, until the scent of wet earth and pine trees seared my senses, too strongly, I wondered why I was outside. Opening my eyes a crack, I frowned. It was pitch black, the clouds were covering the stars and moon, but being as pale as he was, I saw Jasper kneeling in the mud, his hands, cupping my chin, which should be like ice, were warm to the touch, while his eyes, merely inches from mine, frantic with worry. Beside him, was my silver wolf, visibly uncomfortable. I stared at her, her worry, overriding her sense of hate she felt for the alien she stood next to.
A figure in a black coat appeared in a blur, eliciting a savage growl from my wolf while I stared in shock as I remembered what had happened hours ago. The visitor, my outing myself and then the attack. My stomach dropped when I stared at his healed hand. I thought I had blown his hand up. How was it still there? Had I dreamt the whole thing? No, it couldn't be, I had hurt him, I was sure I had. Yet, here he stood as if I hadn't done any damage to him at all.
Swiping soggy hair out of my eyes, I felt terrified. I had to run, to get away from this freak before he decided to kill me. Try as I may, Jasper held me firm. The hum in my body turned into a buzz but I couldn't zap him, could I? He must have guessed what I was about to do because he distracted me by pinching my chin. 'Hey, now, you don't have to attack me. You're safe with me.'
'He'll kill me.' I whispered, staring at the red-eyed one. Beside me, the wolf snarled as several pairs of feet appeared, their eyes lighting up the forest.
'I think you're well protected, honey.' Jasper promised as the red eyes freak rolled his eyes, pulled off his jacket and tossed it at us before disappearing. Bundling me up, Jasper scooped me up. Holding onto him for dear life, I buried my head into his warm shoulder.
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I was hot, too hot and the worried emotions hit me like a tidal wave as I fought to the surface of whatever it was keeping me under. I felt groggy, was this what it felt to be sick? Whatever it was; I hated it with a fiery passion. Jasper's emotions, brighter than the rest felt relieved as he read my scattered emotions.
'Luna's going to wake up soon.' Alice whispered as a cool hand pressed against my forehead.
'I know,' Jasper murmured, his relief soothing my groggy mind.
'You didn't know that ten minutes ago,' a voice challenged from what had to be the other side of the room. I sensed anger aimed at whoever it was that had made that snarky comment and zeroed in on Bella who was feeling oddly protective of…was it me?
'Shut up Demetri.' Emmett growled, making me shiver from the tenacity in his voice.
'Will someone put the dog out?' Demetri asked unperturbed. His closeness, had my body contorting as I wrenched myself into full consciousness, before I had even opened my eyes. Standing in my bedroom, my entire family, well, I guess I'd soon know if that's what we were, hovered in a semi-circle. Even Jacob was closer to me than usual; he was eyeing Demetri and having a private conversation with Edward.
Am I in danger of him? I asked Edward who shook his head at me.
'There you are.' Emmett said with a grin while the buzz tore through my body.
Jasper knew I wasn't convinced of my safety. I was gearing up to run, my entire body felt strong, despite my mind being incredibly foggy. I was willing to go out of the nearest window, if need be, when Jasper touched me. His sudden groan alerted me, as I realised with a start, I had zapped him. Alice hissed at me, as I was overcome with a sense of guilty, breaking the semi-circle to grab Jasper away, her eyes narrowed in rage. I got the feeling she would hurt me if I ever did that again. I was crying before I could stop myself.
Shrugging her off, Jasper reached for me, cupping my chin in his hands.
'Shh, it's okay, I'm okay.'
'No, I hurt you.' I sobbed.
'It's fine; you didn't mean to. It's all going to be okay.'
Demetri shifted into my vision and I lost all train of thought; only the rage flowing through my body kept my mind in motion. 'Fine? I freaking blew up an alien and he survived!' I hissed, wrenching out of his hands, I twisted my body, crouching in warning.
'Only my hand,' Demetri reminded me unfazed, as he twirled his hand around. Launching at him, he didn't even stop me as I crash landed into him, electrocuting him. Behind me, Edward and Jasper groaned in unison.
'Luna, stop!' Carlisle ordered. Pulling me away and shoving me roughly, I would have hit the bookcase had Rosalie not been standing in front of it. Needless to say, she pulled me to her chest, not caring if I hurt her or not. Emmett, hovered, suddenly protective of his mate, but my fear of hurting them had already put my powers away. The only one I wanted to hurt was the red eyed freak they kept protecting.
Groaning, Demetri leaned back, shaking her head. 'Ugh, I'll never get used to that.'
'Is Luna as bad as Jane?' Bella asked curiously.
'Worse.' Edward sighed as he shuddered.
'How is that possible?' Alice asked with a frown. I always assumed she and Edward knew about my abilities.
'Because it's not an illusion. It feels like fire or electricity or at least what I'd expect that to feel like.' Demetri muttered as he stared at me. 'What else can you do?'
I snorted. Looking around for something I didn't care about, I charged my damaged slippers. Hover, I ordered, raising my hand. Gasps from several vampires made me feel very smug as I blew them up to smithereens.
'If only you were human, Aro would adore you.' Several hisses had him raising his hands in surrender. Fighting the sheer exhaustion that was making me shake my head, I sighed. Maybe my abilities had limits after all.
'I doubt the feeling would be mutual.' I hissed at him but he only snorted and shakily standing up. I found Rosalie's protective emotions distracting as she pulled me away from the alien.
'Cool it,' she muttered.
'He just said someone called Aro would adore me. Anyone who likes Demetri has to be a creep.' I complained, wriggling out of Rosalie's embrace, only to be joined by Esme who clearly wasn't afraid of me at all. As usual, all I felt was her motherly concern as she pulled me to her chest, Rosalie pinned me between them, while Esme ran her fingers through my messy hair, plucking twigs and leaves, dropping them carelessly to the floor.
'He's not that bad.'
'Can't be good either.' I countered remembering his words about them coming for my family before. Shushing me, Esme sent him a glare.
'Just try taking her from us.'
'I never said she would.; it's not like we can turn her into one of us.'
'It's not possible then?' Jasper asked.
'As far as I know and it's not much; they're an elusive bunch.'
'Indeed.' Carlisle agreed looking at me with wonder.
'When is everyone going to stop speaking in riddles?' I asked to myself.
Demetri took three steps closer before Jasper let out a warning growl that made me shiver.
'You really don't know what you are, do you?' Demetri asked searching my face for a lie.
'No.' I replied in a small voice, uncomfortable with his scrutinizing eyes.
'You're a Dryad.'
'Ah, that explains everything. Not.'
