You're not drowning, you're not lost
You're not broken, you're not star crossed

Keep ya far keep ya far from what I know
You'll be fine, you'll be fine just don't look closely... now

Run straight through the valley, and into where you want it to be
swim past the shadows
in the words that echo off the streams
If you're lookin' for truth, don't come looking for me
You're better off not knowing
Its your own story, Its the safest place you'll ever be

Echosmith – Safest Place

Chapter 36: The Hunt

Lexi

I felt so strange.

Rosalie coaxed me away from the bookshelf I'd backed into and effectively crushed. Turning around, I gasped in horror when I realized the damage I'd done to the old-looking books.

"Were those expensive?" I asked in a high pitched, panicky voice. I felt like I should be blushing and my heart should be pounding as the other people – no, vampires in the room moved to the side. I needed to remember I was in a room full of vampires.

Shit, shit, shit, I thought without control. I looked at Carlisle, who seemed to be the leader, and he offered me a kind smile despite the fact that I'd unknowingly destroyed half a library.

"Everything is replaceable. Please, Lexi, go hunt and we can talk some more."

Rosalie slowly reached out, taking my hand in hers. Her grip was warm and firm, but not threatening. She wasn't a threat, I realized. My mind reeled – I felt like a caged animal.

Edward stepped forward. "It will help you to hunt," he urged. "May we come with you?"

"Hunt," I repeated slowly. "Hunt…"

"The burn you feel… in your throat?" he asked.

"How did you...?"

He gave me an understanding look. "We all suffer from it. It's just something you… deal with as one of our kind. But drinking will help it. And to get something to drink, you need to hunt."

I gulped in fear, which only ignited the fire in my throat that was suddenly noticeably burning even hotter. Yes, there it was I realized. Every swallow, every breath, every tick of the clock made it burn hotter and hotter. Ouch, I thought. "It hurts."

"Come," Rosalie prodded. "Why don't we take you hunting together?"

Okay, so I wouldn't have to alone. That helped – a little. I paused mid step, my body immediately frozen. "Will I have to kill something?"

Rosalie paused, mid-step and exchanged a fleeting glance with her family members. They were completely silent for a moment as an awkward pause settled over the large room.

She gave me a kind smile. "Not if you don't want to. I can… help."

I chewed my lip, running my razor sharp teeth over it again and again. "What if I can't kill anything? What if I try and I just… can't? Will I starve to death, or… or will my throat still hurt like this? Because this really, really hurts."

Another awkward glance around the circle of people standing around us. "You… might be surprised."

I glanced at the other people in the room – two women who had been noticeably calm and quiet in the corner. One stepped forward – the girl, or at least – the one I thought was a teenager. She looked like she'd been dying to tell me something the entire time I'd been awake.

"I'm Alice," she zipped to my side. I inhaled sharply, but tried not to look so shocked. "You're going to do fine. I know it," she laughed.

A caramel haired woman stepped forward, offering me a caring, motherly smile. She approached much slower than Alice had, her gait soft and almost tentative. "She's got a knack for that. I'm Esme. I'm Carlisle's wife."

The burly dark haired man slung an arm around her shoulder and flashed me a wide grin. "And one heck of a mom."

"Emmett is my husband," Rosalie explained when I gave him a questioning look. Wait, they were all together? This was the strangest family I'd ever met. Their names all sounded familiar, like I'd read them in a book a long time ago. I tried to think back to where I knew them from, but everything before the fire scorching through me was a confusing blur. I saw flashes of places, things, people… but nothing seemed to want to stick in the front of my mind, the wide open place where I could focus and see them clearly long enough to make any sense. Which was immediately frustrating because I felt like I suddenly had so much room for thinking and remembering things. Everything was all too much to take in...

"She's your mom?" I asked. "You look so..."

"Young?" Alice chimed in again. "We are. Esme and Carlisle pose as our… adoptive parents. My husband, Jasper and Edward's wife Bella went ahead to make sure we were clear to hunt."

"Hunt," I repeated. I didn't hunt. I didn't even really like being physically active – nor was I competitive.

"Once you've eaten, we'll explain more," Rosalie said, appearing on my other side. I remembered the pain in my throat and felt myself wince. It felt like someone had ripped my tonsils out with their bare hands. How on earth could they stand it?

"I'll feel better if I eat?"

She gave me a reassuring nod. "I know it hurts now, but we'll make it better. You might have to drink a lot the first time-"

"-Drink?" I interjected. "Blood. Vampire. Right," I said in a stilted voice. I had to drink blood. Because apparently I was a vampire now. A small, high pitched laugh bubbled from my throat – half astonished, still half horrified. I was a vampire, and I had to drink blood now to survive. They didn't mean eat, I realized. They meant drink. The rest of the family sensed my apprehension – they had to. They began walking toward the doors leading out to the outside and talking amongst themselves. Petty, silly things like the weather. I could tell they were trying to make me feel better. They had to know this was the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to me, and they were trying to make me feel comfortable. But I still couldn't help but panic.

"It's only hard the first time," she whispered reassuringly. "After today, you'll never pause to hunt ever again. Once you see how easy everything is now that you're… well, one of us… you'll see."

I walked forward, eager to do anything to quench the burn in my throat. It was an odd sensation; the fire was at the front of my mind (which suddenly felt huge, by the way) but felt like it had its own separate compartment. I could suddenly use other parts of my mind to focus on other things – ticks of the clock, the cars on the highway, the movement of everyone around me, my own breathing… it was a little dizzying. But… I wasn't dizzy.

Rosalie paused in the doorway – the office had a set of French doors leading out to a small patio behind the house. The neatly stained deck led out to a sprawling backyard that ended at a babbling river. Could I see the river? No, but I could certainly hear the water streaming over the rocks. Weird, I thought. The forest served as a backdrop, the thick ferns and tall, moss covered trees looming in the distance. I'd been here before, I realized. It felt fuzzy – like trying to remember something from when I was three.

"Would you go ahead?" she asked politely, her voice soft. I followed her gaze to Carlisle, who nodded and gave me another gentle smile – they were trying to be nice, but they kept looking at me like I was some kind of a time bomb. I didn't understand – was I dangerous?

Edward glanced between me and Rosalie and nodded. That was strange – they looked like they had just had some sort of unspoken conversation. He motioned to Esme and Carlisle, who gave him a grin before joining hands and walking in front of us to the patio. They took a few steps into the grass before Carlisle turned to look at me.

"We'll be out there making sure it's safe for you, Lexi. You can do this," Carlisle offered. With that, they turned and were off like darts into the trees. My eyes focused in on their retreating forms as they dashed away, easily following their movements for what I could only guess was… a mile? Holy crap, I thought. I wouldn't be needing contacts to do schoolwork anymore that was for sure.

Alice bounced on her toes, looking like a little kid that was impatient to go get ice cream. Edward snickered, but didn't say anything as he joined his… sister? Emmett and Rosalie walked with me onto the grass.

"Am I even… dressed okay? Wait, where did these come from?"

I realized I was dressed in a stylish pair of jeans, some dainty slip on flats, and a pale, flowy linen shirt. The material felt soft and delicate on my arms as I followed the four of them further into the yard.

Alice laughed. "You're welcome."

"I think you'll find you're dressed fine for hunting. Those are just clothes we had lying around," Rosalie assured me with a knowing smile. I returned it, albeit shakily. She and the Cullens were being so kind to me and I was practically a stranger. I must really be in dire straits, I realized.

I blinked, scanning the forest with my new eyes. It felt so different to not be in burning agony anymore – it felt like a lifetime ago that I was burning.

"How long was I out?"

Emmett swung his arms in circles as if he was getting ready to play a sport. "Bout three days. Seemed like forever, didn't it?"

I nodded, turning my attention back to the trees. Now that I was focusing on the woods instead of everything else, I was suddenly overwhelmed. It was all so stimulating – the smells, the sounds, the sights – I could hear, see, taste, hear, sense… everything. It was difficult to not let it all overwhelm me and curl into a ball crying right there on the lawn. I swallowed back my fear.

Oh.

There it was again.

The fire.

My throat ignited into flames again as I realized I did need to do something about it – it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Do you want to start?" Rosalie asked gently, touching my arm. "Just try running. Do what feels natural and the rest will come. Just follow your instincts and your senses will do the rest."

I did as she suggested, turning and taking off into a run. Holy hell, I took off like a rocket. It only took me a split second to realize I was surging through the green woods, flying around trees and stumps and everything around me. I was running so fast it didn't seem like it could be real – could it?

I heard a laugh behind me, then another on my right. Edward, I realized. He was sprinting beside me, his legs churning so fast it looked like something in a movie. Another set of footsteps – heavier – and I realized it was Emmett. Rosalie came sprinting up to his side, a laugh bubbling out of her mouth as they met my pace and kept it. Glancing up, I realized Alice was overhead, doing a series of acrobatic twists and flips through the treetops. She would land and gracefully lope a few steps on the ground like a speedy gazelle before catapulting into the treetops to use the mossy limbs like an acrobat would.

I slid to a halt suddenly, my body rigid with… something. I picked up a scent of something. While the rest of the woods smelled of moss, mud and leaves, this smelled like food. It was like being at the mall and suddenly catching a whiff of the food court. It wasn't entirely appealing as far as scents go, but it wasn't awful. My mind told me to go after it – to chase it.

Go, a tiny voice seemed to whisper. Now. I turned my head to the south – wait, how did I know that was south? And paused.

Chase it, it seemed to whisper again.

I stiffened. My mind was telling me to hunt it. It knew that whatever was causing that smell would somehow ease the pain in my throat. How did it know?

I wasn't used to this – this intuition, this voice telling me what I needed to do to get to the thing that would ease my suffering.

Edward appeared at my side. "Instinct," he said softly, motioning ahead with a bob of his head. I was momentarily dazed and distracted by the perfect planes of his face and golden eyes. They were all so pretty…was I that pretty now too? Wait, food! I needed to focus. I peered through the thick foliage and realized I was staring through nearly a half a mile of trees to where a small herd of something four-legged and deer-looking stood drinking from the stream. Alice leaned over a tree branch above, her eyes bright as they darted between me and the animals as if she was watching a movie cliffhanger.

He smirked. "Elk. Those are elk. A good starter as far as hunts go."

"What do I do?" I asked, my voice quivering slightly.

Rosalie and Emmett circled back, joining me. "Do what feels natural," she urged.

"Just run on over to them and say hello," Emmett laughed. "You'll figure out the rest as you go."

He chuckled again like he was in on some sort of secret. I glanced at him, realizing he was only teasing. His golden eyes glimmered with jest as Rosalie elbowed his side.

I swallowed again and bounced on the balls of my feet. "I'm a planner, Emmett. I'm not really a 'figure it out as I go type of girl'.

He laughed with Edward as Rosalie put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezed. She offered another kind smile. "You can do this," she assured me. Her words and touch were comforting and almost… motherly. I nodded.

"Come on. Together," she urged. I felt fidgety, like I was going to burst out of my skin if we didn't move. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into a run, but this was different – this was predatory. I copied her stance, crouching lower and making my footfalls consciously quiet. We dodged around fallen trees and branches, our footsteps silent and stealth-like as we ran together through the woods. It only took a split second before the elk were in front of us, completely unaware of what was going to happen. My throat throbbed with agony, and I realized my tongue felt like sandpaper and it was just too much I couldn't-

I stopped on the opposite side of the bank, suddenly frozen with fear. I couldn't hear the little voice in my head anymore telling me to go, to hunt – all I could see were the elk. The poor, unsuspecting elk. What did I do? How would I kill them? My throat burned with a miserable fire as I balked and pulled Rosalie to a halt beside me. I couldn't really kill them, could I?

"Lexi, come on!" she pleaded.

The elk were aware we were there now. Their heads jerked up from where they were drinking from the stream, their eyes wild as they sensed imminent danger.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I watched them scatter and start to flee, their hearts thumping in their chests as their hooves clattered against the rocky bank.

"I… I can't..."

Edward skidded to a halt beside us, glancing at me. "Emmett!" he bellowed, motioning to a large animal darting up the bank. Looking over, I watched the dark haired vampire come flying out of the green forest in a gigantic leap, soaring through the air only to land soundlessly and gracefully in front of the elk. I shrieked and covered my mouth as I watched him effortlessly grab the animal and quickly snap its neck. It went limp in his arms and then it was over. The others fled upstream, away from their fallen friend and out of danger.

I let out a cross between a gasp and a whimper as he carried the lifeless animal over to me. Rosalie squeezed my hand. "It's okay. It's over. It's not suffering."

My throat throbbed as I remembered the pain I was in and not the way Emmett had so gracefully killed it. I choked on my horror and took a few deep breaths.

"Is she gonna be ok?" he asked skeptically, glancing at Rosalie and Emmett. Alice appeared on the other side of the stream, holding her own elk as if it was nothing other than an empty plastic bag.

"Oh good, you got one too," she sighed. She met my worried gaze and grinned. "Well, I didn't see that coming! You almost had it. Then you panicked."

I nodded, still not sure if I could speak. This was hunting? This is what I needed to do? This was awful.

"Is… isn't there anything else I can… eat, or… drink? I'm..."

"Thirsty," Rosalie finished. She sighed and nodded empathetically. "I know the feeling."

"You need to drink. You'll feel better, and we can go back to the house and talk," Edward explained. "I know it sounds weird, but just… drink and you'll feel better. Not completely satisfied, but… better."

Emmett handed me the animal, the limp legs dangling from my arms as I accepted the erm, gift, I guess. I gasped as I realized I was holding what was easily a two hundred pound elk like it was nothing.

"I'm… I'm strong."

"Very. You're a newborn vampire. Nothin tougher' than that," he chuckled. Rosalie nodded with encouragement, and I lowered myself to the ground. I knelt on the rock shoreline, setting the animal down. It smelled… somewhat appealing, that was for sure.

"Right on the artery. On the neck," Rosalie coached. I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut. My teeth cut through the fur and skin with ease and then- oh my goodness.

It was like not eating for a week and then sitting down to thanksgiving dinner. It was a million times better than a cold glass of lemonade on a hundred degree day.

It was relief.

I drank from the animal and felt the warm liquid running down my throat, calming the fire that burned there like hot charcoals and soothing the seemingly never-ending itch that was becoming harder and harder to bear. I couldn't pay attention to the taste, the smell, the animal in my grasp, or any of the four vampires standing around me watching. Nothing mattered but the blood.

I sighed in relief as I sucked the last drops from the artery. I hadn't even realized it, but I was holding the animal upright to drain it. I dropped it with a shudder, jumping away as I realized I had just drained the carcass of all of its blood. It fell to the rocky little beach by the stream with a sickening crunch. I exhaled sharply – half out of relief, half out of disgust. I'd drunk all of its blood, and now it was just a unmoving carcass on the ground. The lifeless eyes stared up at me. They would never blink again, I realized.

The thought should have made me repulse and wretch, but it only made me want more. I swallowed, testing the flames in my throat. It still itched with a scratchy burn, but it was far less prominent.

"Is there any more?" I heard myself wail in a shaky voice. Edward disappeared into the trees on the side of the creek bed, appearing with another limp body.

"I… got you one too," he offered.

I snatched it from his hands much faster than I thought was both appropriate and possible. I was like a greedy toddler reaching for a piece of candy I wasn't supposed to have. This one came easier – I sucked it dry in a matter of minutes, the blood coating the flames in my throat so efficiently I could have cried. I pried my mouth away from the dead elk's neck with a final gasp and shuddered in relief.

I looked over at Rosalie. She nodded, her eyes slowly scanning me as she offered a timid smile.

"That was… good," she said, her voice stilted. I followed her gaze to the front of my shirt.

It was drenched in blood.

I gasped, my hands flying to my face and throat. I was covered in elk's blood. I whimpered, panicking as I realized it was still dripping down my throat, my chin, and all down the front of the silky blouse I wore. It looked like I'd murdered someone in the worst possible way.

"Oh my god, oh my god..." I murmured, holding out my hands. I gasped as I realized they too were shiny with fresh blood. It was everywhere.

I was covered in blood and worse – I was a vampire. How much worse could this possibly get?

Thank you NinkyBaby for beta-ing! Thank you to your guys for sticking around and reading - I still love this story and can't wait to share more of Lexi's change with you.

Thanks again and please review!