Chapter Sixteen: So Fuckin' Special - Bella

"I don't care if it hurts. I wanna have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. I want you to notice. When I'm not around. So fuckin' special. I wish I was special. But I'm a creep. I'm a weirdo. What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here" - Creep (Radiohead)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

"I don't like it." I said aggressively. "Angela should be off limits."

"He said he has a connection to her, nothing more. I don't believe he means any harm." Carlisle said with more confidence than I had.

"Should we warn her about this man? Esme asked from her spot on the couch, she was leaning forward clearly worried about Angela.

"Is Angela the point here? He could pose a threat to us, if the Volturi are looking for him. I know that's reaching but it is a possibility, he said he doesn't share their values. There is also something about him I just don't trust, and I can tell he is hiding something huge from us." Rose spoke clearly and earnestly, doing her best not to sound biased.

"Perhaps, but we don't share their values either. More to the point, the Volturi do not just hunt down our kind without a violation of the law." Carlisle looked pensive but shook his head. "We just met the man, and if he is old enough to have created Aro…"

"He is older than you think. He predates Rome." Edward interjected and I tried not to scowl at him.

"Jesus." Emmett said, whistling.

"He is also into medicine, cars, and pretty much everything else. I think he means right by us. But there is something you should know. He can sense our abilities; he knows I can read minds and Alice has visions. And Bella, he explained why I cannot read your mind." Edward looked at me and I almost did a double take as a sensation of joy crossed my face before settling into something darker.

"There's a reason beyond being a freak of nature?" My sarcasm was sharp and came from a place of poor self image that had built up over the last year.

"You have a defensive power, a mental shield. It is why you can block my ability. Who knows what that might extend to?" He looked almost hopeful, but his tone came across as trying to teach something to a toddler. I sneered at him and was about to respond when Carlisle spoke, interrupting my anger.

"She could block Aro." Carlisle said with raised eyebrows.

"Or Jane." Rosalie visibly shuddered.

"Um… who?" They said the names as though they held great importance and it just made me even more confused.

"The Volturi. Aro can see every thought you ever had with only a touch. Jane and Alec are their most powerful enforcers." Carlisle explained. "I'll go over all of that tomorrow as planned."

"Sure." I nodded, although I hated being in the dark about things that felt so important.

"Not to change the subject, well actually staying a bit on subject, but I have a question for Bella." Alice said with a wide smile. "Do you think you are strong enough to resist humans?"

"No idea, although I feel in control of myself. But I'm honestly not sure." I shook my head, I knew where she was going with this, and I wanted nothing more than to have my best friend there to lean on. She had been my anchor, my confidant and my friend in such a way that I could barely remember a time when she wasn't a part of my life. Those distant human memories of my visits to Forks and spending time with Angela had come alive with renewed context, and even then we were close enough to prefer each other's company. It made me realize how much I had missed by staying with Mom instead of moving back home.

"Good, I was just curious. Please, let us get back to the debate about our new friend. Personally, I think we should trust him. I don't get killer vibes from him, well definitely cautious and unsure vibes, and okay that sounds a bit silly, but you get what I mean." Alice stuck out her tongue and everyone chuckled softly.

"Yeah I think he could be cool. If not, I'm pretty sure I could take him." Emmett replied enthusiastically, and looked almost excited by the prospect of a fight. Rose just rolled her eyes at him, and then pulled Emmett into her embrace and wrapped a possessive arm around his waist, but glanced at me for a split second with a look of guilt on her face.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Emmett, and I don't think he is an enemy." Carlisle furrowed his brow. "I believe any more debate would be redundant at this point. Until we know more about him, I think we should remain cautious but receptive. Is everyone in agreement?" Everyone nodded in acceptance even Rose didn't object. I cautiously nodded as well, I didn't have a reason to mistrust him, but I needed to know more about his feelings for my friend.

"Good, let's table this conversation for another day." Carlisle said which ended the conversation. We all split up and everyone started towards their rooms, I retreated to mine as well and closing the door for the first time in my new home felt oddly satisfying. I moved over to my computer and found copies of all my files from the computer at home. I didn't know who had done it, but I was very grateful not to have to recreate anything. Then I began to write, and completely lost track of time as I started the book I had been stewing on for a long time.

Thursday, September 15, 2005 - Bella

It was morning before I stopped to take a break, and even then I could've kept writing for hours. I had written more in one night than I had over the course of the entire year. It was a dark story full of mysticism and adventure. With ancient evils pursuing total domination and a group of heroes rising up to defeat them. I wasn't done, but I had over a hundred pages completed. This was mainly due to my new ability to move, as I was finally able to write as fast as I could think, and as ideas formed I could get them down very very quickly. Too quickly in some cases, because I could type faster than the computer could keep up and frequently had to stop and jot down hand written notes. When I finally left my room, Carlisle met me in the hallway.

"Are you ready for this?" He asked, smiling widely.

"I think so, lead on." I tried to smile back, but my headspace was all wonky because I had just been trying to figure out how I was going to get my heroes through the villain's ultimate plan.

We ended up following a scent line traced into the forest by the Cullens many times, and Carlisle quickly caught the scent of something to hunt. I had fun trailing my new prey, mimicking his movements. It was far too easy to sneak up on the cat, especially since its attention was focused almost entirely on a small herd of deer drinking from a creek. He motioned for me to watch so I crouched down and waited patiently for him to make his move. Then he closed in silently, rendering the cat immobile in less than a second. Then he bit into the animal's thick flesh and wrapped his lips around the wound.

The grotesque and slightly sensual way Carlisle drained the poor animal was hard to watch. But he didn't kill it. Instead he stopped and beckoned me with his eyes. I took a deep breath and almost growled at the aroma filling my lungs and tickling my throat as my thirst erupted. He pulled back and cut off the flow of blood with his finger and nodded towards the wound. As I bit down Carlisle released the vein and a flood of the thick liquid filled my mouth. I had no trouble drinking greedily and had to be pulled away as the animal ran dry. Carlisle was clinical about it and kept his face passive as I looked around for more. He glanced towards the deer the mountain lion had been hunting, and waited for me to act. I shrugged off the idea of stealth and ran as fast as I could towards the healthiest of the herd. The target wasn't hard to pinpoint, the young male smelled cleaner than the other two. But he was partially hidden in the protective shadows of the adults flanking him.

Carlisle intercepted the adult directly in my path leaving my prey wide open for my attack. As I closed in, I crossed a new scent trail, this made the musky and slightly distasteful deer seem utterly vile in comparison. I turned and followed my instincts, using my new body to push myself to speeds I couldn't fully comprehend. The distance I traveled seemed irrelevant, even though in the back of my mind I realized it was quite far from where I was merely seconds before. As I closed on my new prey the scent grew stronger, and my lust for it grew in equal proportion.

Suddenly I ran into something hard that knocked me to the forest floor. Instincts took over and I lashed out at the attacker. Carlisle dodged out of the way just as my nails closed within an inch of his chest. As soon as I recognized him, I felt my mind reassert control over my body. He was in a low crouch braced to deflect me again. I closed off my lungs instantly realizing why he had stopped me, that tantalizing scent was human.

"Oh god I'm so sorry." He blinked and looked at me like I was insane. After a couple of seconds his expression melted to one of awe.

"Bella, you stopped." He was staring at me with such pride that I felt the old impulse to blush. Instead I just mimicked my old mannerisms and felt a pang of disappointment that the blood no longer flooded to my cheeks.

"Of course, I stopped, I can't go after people. I'm sorry I lashed out at you, it felt like the right thing to do." I needed him to understand that it wasn't him I was attacking; it was just an instinct. But he straightened up from his crouch and beamed at me.

"That was amazing Bella." Carlisle seemed awed, but also a touch confused. "Your progress has been exceptional, but unusual. Mason's hypothesis that you are a shield may account for this, but I still don't fully understand. You've shown a level of restraint that is more impressive than a vampire ten times your age. Alice mentioned your bout of anger. Could you tell me about it?"

"Yes, I'll tell you what happened as long as you explain yourself. Why didn't you tell me about Edward?" I said, crossing my arms. He nodded a couple of times and paused for a second probably to order his thoughts.

"It was an obfuscation, and for that I humbly beg your forgiveness, and I'm truly sorry for hiding that fact from you. The reason was selfish, I honestly was not confident that you would accept us if I told you that truth. Most of the family has been trying to give hints about this life, so you could make an informed decision. To the point that if you were to die, we would all grieve for a very long time."

The implication was simple, they already loved me as a member of their family. I felt my anger completely dissolve, and I couldn't really think of what to say. "It also wasn't your secret to tell." I said with a frown, it was something that only could come from Edward himself. "No wonder Rosalie has been so cagey."

"She has wanted to tell you the truth from the beginning, and absolutely hated hiding everything from you when it was clear you would be a part of our lives. Anyway, from what I understand his hesitation was only for a second, before he did what he could to keep you from dying." The explanation wasn't enough, but at least it was something.

"A second, that's one hell of a second." I mused, almost laughing at the absurdity of losing so much in the measure of a single breath.

"All choices are ultimately made in the moment, even choices we stew upon for a year. I struggled trying with my decision, I desperately wanted to give you back your human life. I'm deeply sorry for my failure." I started to shake my head before he even finished.

"Carlisle, no, don't think like that. I cannot imagine trying to weigh an offer to someone as young as I am, how could an eighteen year old truly appreciate the consequences of immortality, or in my case a restored vitality and expect me to make a mature decision?" I made my tone as supportive as possible.

"Your maturity was never a part of the equation. After I learned why you came to Forks I knew you would be able to make the choice. The question was ultimately whether you belong with us." I nodded in understanding, although it was nice to be acknowledged like that.

"Whether I fit into the family dynamic even if I never ended up with Edward?" I guessed. It was a question that had crossed my mind before.

"Exactly." He agreed without outward emotion.

"So you didn't just want to turn me into a vampire bride for Edward?" I teased, but couldn't completely hide my underlying doubt.

"No, I wanted you to be a sister to Alice, Rosalie and Emmett and a daughter to Esme and myself. A full and valued member of our family." He answered seriously and sincerely.

"Wow. That's…" I searched for a word to describe what he had just offered me, but only one expressed how I felt. "Humbling."

"We don't change much, due to how we are created we are pretty much locked in place. Occasionally something comes along that changes us, usually another vampire. For me it has happened several times, but each time it was unique and powerful." He sounded wistful and nostalgic. Smiling at something remembered.

"Tell me, I'm very curious how your family came together." I said softly, encouraging him without pushing. He looked at me fully and moved to lean against a nearby tree. He seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment before starting.

"I found Edward first, he was dying of Spanish influenza in 1918, his mother had just died and he was alone. I was a doctor on the ward, and we had spoken several times. I was taken with how perceptive he was, and I tried to explain what I was when I offered him this life but he didn't really understand." I couldn't quite interpret his tone, perhaps a bit proud of the child he had chosen, or disappointed in himself for turning Edward in the first place. I reasoned if he hadn't I would probably be dead.

"That's why he rebelled?" I asked, wondering how much he knew about Edward's choice, even though I barely understood the distinction he explained to me.

"Perhaps it was a part of his motivation, but it was mainly due to his sister. He always thought he concealed his reasons, and I wasn't about to disabuse him of that belief. Still, I have often thought he drew the wrong conclusion from his time out in the world. Most of our kind kills indiscriminately, even at his most brutal he only preyed on those who were predators themselves." He paused, despite looking proud of his son and gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for going on about Edward, I know you are angry with him."

"It's okay. Up until yesterday I thought I was in love with him." I shrugged, really not sure of my own feelings on the matter.

Carlisle nodded, and continued without dwelling on that fact. "Esme was next, I found her washed up along a beach. Her body was broken, and just clinging to life. She looked so beautiful, even as battered as she was that I turned her that instant. I found out much later the reasons why she was in that condition, but I'll let her tell you that story. Rosalie…" He sounded so much in love when he spoke of Esme, but as soon as it switched to Rosalie I started to shake my head.

"I want Rose to tell me her story." He nodded at my request before continuing.

"Alright, when I found her, I thought she would be perfect for Edward, but they never got along as anything other than siblings. When she found Emmett, he had only narrowly survived a fight with a grizzly bear. He would've died from his injuries, but she carried him over a hundred miles back to me. Resisting the pull of his blood, she begged me to turn him. They've been together ever since." The idea of them together for decades made me feel extremely guilty. I couldn't fathom why she gave into that kiss, but at some point we would have to talk about it.

"What about Alice?" I asked pushing the story along, I didn't want to dwell on Rose and Emmett for too long.

"Alice finding us was about as you would expect. We had just moved to Philadelphia and one random evening Alice knocked on our door. She introduced herself and Jasper and said they were there to join us. It was a strange first couple of weeks, but soon they were just a part of the family." He was smiling at the memory, and I wished I could see what had happened, like some flashback in a movie.

"Alice explained a little, but do you know why Jasper left?" I wanted to get the story from someone a little more detached from the emotions. Carlisle was about as far as I could get while still getting a real answer.

"That's a harder question to answer. It is somewhat complicated, and I do not know all the particulars. But essentially Jasper was close to a century old when Alice found him in 48'. He had lived a violent life, and had grown tired of that violence. In waltzes Alice, promising him a new family and peace and most importantly her love. In exchange he gives up the hunt and human blood. I imagine it must've felt like a fair trade, but even after fifty-six years he was still struggling with his thirst. I think our lifestyle just caught up with him, and he could no longer resist the impulses." It was an impossible thing to wrap my head around, I couldn't understand that hunger even with the newborn thirst bucking at my mind, threatening my control every second.

"Alice said as much. She was also a little vague about something else that I'm worried about. What is the treaty with the Quileute?" The question caught him off guard and he nodded.

"They are werewolves, noble warriors who protect these lands from creatures like us. Because of our peculiar nature, we established a treaty with them. A contract that they could reasonably say we are in breach of by turning you. How on earth do you know about them?" Carlisle looked shocked, and it was my turn to shake my head at him.

"Billy Black told me that the pack would come for me at the wake." He looked surprised and I was a touch shocked that Alice hadn't told him already.

"That's troubling. I'll call a parlay and we'll settle this soon. Until then, you should probably stay within our territory, I'll show you the map when we get home. Bella, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for my part in the deception. I was trying to consider the best chance for you to have a happy life, and if I chose wrong…" I held up a hand to stop him.

"It doesn't matter now, and honestly I think you did the right thing by turning me. I'm much happier as I am now, at least so far. The rest, well I know you were trying to protect me, so I'm inclined to forgive you this time. But don't ever lie to me again like that." My anger felt sharper than when I was human, and he almost seemed a bit afraid of the threat.

"I love you Bella, and I will never lie to hurt you. Can you trust that?" Carlisle spoke with a father's love, and for a moment it was like Charlie was asking me to forgive him.

"Yes, I can trust that. You and Esme are very important to me. You're the kind of parents I wished I had, not that Charlie and Renee are bad parents. That sounded bad didn't it?" I frowned but Carlisle only chuckled.

"Humans do not get to choose their family. One of the perks of our kind is we can choose, and my family has chosen you. Do you accept us?" He offered a hand, and I realized it was an official offer to join him and his family forever.

"I do." I took his hand and found myself in a hug that made me feel loved and secure.

"Thank you." I said, pulling away. He smiled and sighed softly.

"My question earlier." Carlisle asked as he turned back towards the house, we would eventually have to run back, but a walk felt right to finally talk and maybe get some more information about my new reality.

"After Edward told me, I lost control. I killed a tree and wounded several others. Afterwards I sat there trying to reconcile my new anger with who I used to be, and I noticed the sunlight on my skin. Is that why they always avoid sunny days at school?"

"It would break our most important law, to not reveal ourselves to the humans." Carlisle nodded.

"What are the rules?" I looked over and he nodded again.

"I've told you about our main law, the rest is practical to our existence. Our physiology is very unusual. Anatomically speaking most of our organs are vestigial, and are mainly used to store blood which is then turned into what I call venom. That substance is what allows us to move, because otherwise we have more in common with a block of stone than we do with flesh and blood. The venom exists in several forms through our bodies, but the primary form is saliva, which is the substance that we secrete when we feed. A single bite from one of us will turn a human being in a matter of days."

"Funky. So my body is completely different?"

"Yes and no, we don't really change as I said before. You will never age, you cannot cry, and you cannot have children. I'm sorry." He said it in as detached and clinical a way as possible, likely in an effort to deflate the emotional strings attached to some of those changes.

"That doesn't bother me, I never wanted kids. Go on." I urged.

"Your hair is as strong as your body, but it does not grow. A need to clip your locks would be a permanent choice, if you were able to even cut the hairs. We don't sleep, we don't eat human food, and we are incredibly strong and fast. While we do need blood to survive, that choice is not limited to humans. I do need to warn you, animal blood will give you what you need to live, but it will never fully satisfy your hunger." He looked at me thoughtfully then, clearly curious about my response.

"That's a lot. I have no intention of ever hurting a human if possible." I stopped and leaned against a nearby tree. He smiled widely and released a small breath of air which he must have been holding in. "So, when you told Angela, did you tell her about the accident?"

"No, I didn't. She asked a lot of the right questions, and I wasn't in a position to lie to her, but entrusting her with our secret. It was a dangerous and potentially lethal choice." Carlisle looked almost ashamed with his decision.

"Thank you, for both of us. I wouldn't have brought her into this life, I would have tried to protect her. But knowing she will be there for me, it makes me feel like I haven't lost everything." I let a smile out to try and soothe his guilt, and then continued before he could respond. "What else should I know. Do, you… we have more family out there?" I had to correct myself, I was a part of the family now. Carlisle beamed at me and nodded.

"Yes, we are close to another family we refer to as cousins. We are not biologically related if that is what you mean, but they share our values and we consider them family. There are five of them currently, Tanya is the eldest and is effectively their leader. Kate and Irina are her sisters for all intents and purposes, having been turned specifically to be a part of their family. Carmen and Eleazar joined them much later but adapted to our way of life rather quickly." Carlisle decided short and simple rather than going deep into family history was a better choice.

"They sound fascinating. Did you teach them?" I kind of attributed everything to Carlisle, I wouldn't even be surprised if he was the great vampire overlord.

"Not at all, they came to the decision on their own after centuries. It is unusual, but not entirely unheard of. Alice, for example, adopted this lifestyle before joining the family. My time among the Volturi showed me that every one of us is unique, and each vampire must make a choice at some point to embrace their nature or resist it. I have found that those of us who choose not to feed off of humanity have closer and more human ties, my coven is not drawn together out of some form of loyalty or necessity, but by love for one another."

"Coven, Volturi, I guess I have a lot to learn." I smiled over at him, hoping he would take the hint. He smiled graciously in understanding.

"Most groups of vampires call themselves covens. I suppose it is almost a designated term, like a flock of birds or a gaggle of geese." He suggested, pausing and giving me a chance to interject.

"Or a murder of crows." I added softly.

"Heh, yes. The Volturi are arguably the first coven, and undisputedly the most powerful. They value art, literature and above all the law. They have an elite guard of gifted vampires that they send out to enforce our laws when something draws the attention of the human world. Of course, they have no regard for human life, it was why I eventually left them. For all their refinement, I found them merciless and brutal in their treatment of anyone not like us." He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I respect the Volturi, I just hope I'm never sitting in front of them in judgement."

"Because of Angela?" I guessed.

"Yes, her knowledge of our kind is forbidden. If they were to find out about her, she would have to be turned or killed. Which brings me to a bit of a touché subject, what are your thoughts on Angela joining us at some point in the future?" The question made me almost stop in place, his tone careful and almost dispassionate.

"I have to admit there is a selfish part of me that wants her around forever, but that would be so selfish."

"As a practical matter for debate, there is a reason why I told her. Esme already thinks of her as another daughter, you, Alice and Rosalie already love her. Emmett and Edward both adore her, and to say she isn't already a part of our lives would be insulting to her." His argument made sense, but I couldn't agree.

"Maybe in a few years after college depending on where her life takes her. I hope she is far away from us by then, and out of danger." I said, feeling a deep need to protect her.

"You sound like Edward." I shot him a glare, he held up his hands. "Just making a point."

"Fine, yes. I feel protective of my friend. My human friend." I said with a frown. "And not to put too fine a point on it, but the entire reason I'm angry with Edward is that he didn't protect me."

"Bella, I understand your anger, I respect it. But I can see Edward's point of view as well. He was only trying to do the right thing." I had to admit with a clearer head the point was entirely valid. I just wasn't sure how to get past it.

"Let's get back. I should probably talk to him." I looked over and he nodded. We picked up the pace and were back at the house in minutes. I caught sight of him through the main window sitting at his piano in the main living room. Intellectually I had moved on, forgiven him. Yet emotionally something boiled down in the pit of my new stomach, akin to my thirst but stronger angrier.

"I need some time." I said off hand to Carlisle and turned back towards the forest. He initially reached out to stop me, but pulled back and let me go.

I ran for a long while, without a real direction. I passed the same scent as before and found I had complete control of my impulses. I felt the instinctual pull, the scent was intoxicating but like an addict who had beaten the beast it held no sway over me. I knew I had already passed Port Angeles, and was closing in towards the outskirts of Seattle. It was early in the day, but the clouds were already beginning to pour down rain.

I checked my clothes and found them in good shape, with no trace of blood anywhere. At the first opportunity I went into a convenience store and stole a pair of sunglasses. I took my time, but slowly I made my way into the city. I immersed myself into the world of humans even though it was a bit overwhelming. It was during these first few hours that I finally understood the struggle to hold in my instinct to kill everything around me. Yet my shield made it easy to avoid those horrible impulses. If I got too close and I stopped breathing. After a few times, I attempted a small breath and while I felt the flare of thirst, I found I could quickly build up a tolerance. Far more quickly than I thought possible, I let in more and more of the scents of those I passed and soon it wasn't much more than a minor discomfort.

Hours ticked by, and I ducked into a library when there was a break in the storm and the sun got too high in the sky. I spent hours picking titles off the shelves and reading through an entire book in minutes. It wasn't just thrilling, it was a revelation. I read titles on pretty much every genre, from a science fiction book I had been wanting to read for a while, to a cookbook that I had been eyeing at a bookstore in Phoenix but never picked up. Then I finally got bored, and I realized evening had fallen. I finished the book I was in the middle of reading, and I left the library without any real idea of what I wanted to do next.

I walked for almost a mile, into a more commercial part of town. That's when I heard the music, coming from a bar halfway down a busy street. The line to get in was around the block, although the bouncer was occasionally letting in pretty people. I pulled off the sunglasses and walked up to him, he turned to tell me off but with one look he gave me a lascivious smile, and immediately moved the rope and let me in. I stopped the smirk from revealing my amusement, and gave him a bored look. The dance floor was a writhing mess of flesh and bodies, dancing almost as one being. They smelled of sex and sweat and the salty metallic aroma of human blood, it burned deep in my throat but the sensation was almost becoming pleasurable.

I made my way out onto the dance floor and surrounded myself with the warmth of those humans who had no idea how much danger they were in. I felt powerful, in charge of both myself and their lives. It was a rush, and when I caught the attention of a beautiful young man who had the eyes of half the women on the dance floor, I let myself be pulled into his embrace. I pressed my hard body against his in time to the music, and drank in the sheer joy of the moment.

Then his hands began to wander, and I pushed him away. Unaware of my own strength he flew into some people nearby and collapsed in a lump on the floor unconscious. The crowd parted, although they didn't know what had caused his affliction. I vanished into the crowd as a small group pulled him up and off the floor. Then without missing more than a few beats the dancing continued. I lost myself again, until another came up behind me. The scent was different, and it dawned on me it was a woman.

I turned around to face her and found someone just a few years older than me, dressed in full goth. She smiled at me seductively, I moved closer and closed my eyes as we began to move together. I could feel her hot breath on my neck, and then she pushed out which made me open my eyes to look at her. Her expression was lustful, and in the next instant her lips were pressed against mine. I opened up my mouth and let her tongue mine, after a few seconds she gave off a pained sound and pulled away, blood dripping from her parted lips.

I felt my body tense and pulled her against me, my mouth went to her throat… instinctively retracting my lips and parting my teeth. There I lingered, the pulse of the music all around me, the heat from her skin and the scent of her blood inviting me in. I just had to bite and I would have her, I could consume her and be satisfied. I could see how it could happen. That first kill, my first kill. She was right underneath me, almost willing to die. I could see the consequences, my first would lead to my second and onto an endless cycle of death and blood. It would be easy, it would be right. I was a vampire, they were only human after all. Only food…

I reared my head back and gritted my teeth in revulsion as my mind finally forced my body to fall in line. I immediately pushed her away, gently and found that she was crying. Her hand went up to her mouth which was still bleeding, and she quickly ran off the dance floor. I watched her go into a bathroom and only then did I realize I was in over my head. I moved towards the exit and pushed my way through the crowd trying to leave. Once I was out into the fresh air I felt immediately better.

I took off towards Forks without a look back and ran all the way to the house. I knew they were waiting for me, but there was also some drama. I didn't hesitate at the door. Once inside I found a scene I could barely understand and would never have expected.

Author's Notes:

Bella is a strange case, I couldn't really go against canon and have her be a viscous animal. Yet I had to explore her version of newborn thirst. I hope this struck the right cord, and her outing wasn't too short. I thought about adding an entire sex scene, but had a second thoughts as that would feel gratuitous and out of character.

If I ever did a spin off from this story it would start here, with that girl Bella kissed. She accidently sliced her tongue on Bella's teeth, but was it enough to turn her? I'm not sure but it sounds kind of fun.

Next Chapter: Heroes and Monsters - Angela

Please take a moment to leave a comment and as always thank you so much for reading this far!