Hello! I hope everyone is doing well. :)

BIG thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, and favorites this story. You're all awesome! (And thank you for the well wishes. I'm still not feeling that great, but hopefully it'll get better soon.)

Thanks to Fran, Mr G and Me, and Monica03 for their help. Any mistakes you see are my own.

SM owns everything Twilight.

Now ... on here's vampire Bella. ;)

Even though my gaze remains on Edward, my peripheral vision is excellent.

With my new, sharper vision, I see things I might have missed before—like the subtle glances of apprehension Emmett and Alice share with each other and their parents, as well as the other unfamiliar faces in the room.

Edward swallows thickly, taking slow, measured steps toward me as he holds out a hand, looking as if he wants to calm me and grab me, simultaneously.

"Bella," he starts, his voice low. "You're a vampire; you were hit—"

"By a car that Royce was driving." From the edges of my vision, I see Emmett shift, his lips pulling down into a frown as he stares at the floor, but I don't comment on it. "I was in the hospital, Carlisle tried to help, but it didn't. My mother bit me to save me, but she almost killed me, and you saved me. Speaking of, where is my mother?" I ask, my eyes darting from face to face as I search for her.

"She's … out," Edward hedges, and my eyes fly back to him.

"Your eyes," I whisper, bringing a hand up to sweep underneath the delicate skin there. His eyes are a deep scarlet, glittering in the muted light of the room. Up close, I can see flecks of onyx and gold swimming in the red. "What happened? Did all of that come from me?"

Taking my hand, he gives me a small smile as he places a kiss on my fingers. He shakes his head once before his grin turns cold. "No. It's not all from you."

The coldness in his tone makes me shiver—both in apprehension and delight.

"So who—"

"Later," he interrupts. "Your mother hasn't dealt with your … delayed waking very well. But Bella, wait ... if you remember being bitten and the accident, then what are you upset about?"

"Are you kidding me?" Pulling my hand away, I grab fistfuls of my hair on either side of my head. I tug and wince, feeling my skin pull uncomfortably. Taking a deep breath, I try again. "Look at my hair! It hasn't been my natural color since I entered my early teenage years!"

Edward stares at me blankly, blinking once … twice … and then bending over, resting his hands on his knees, he erupts in laughter.

There are a few random giggles from the audience at the door, but I pay them no mind.

I'm focused on the jerk laughing at my misery right now. Huffing, I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot against the floor, scoffing in disgust when I catch a glimpse of my hair in one of the broken pieces of mirror near my feet.

Kicking it away, I wince as it shoots away and a strange man with tan skin and black hair jumps to avoid the trajectory. His eyes are as golden as Carlisle's; the color is seemingly brighter and richer against his complexion.

Instead of looking annoyed or frightened by my outburst, he merely looks amused.

Remembering my manners, I apologize. "Sorry."

He waves it off, still staring at me with an amused grin while Edward continues to laugh.

The man looks between the two of us, shaking his head. "I'd stop if I were you, Edward," he says, his tone accented, and I immediately know who this is.

Eleazar.

And he has a point.

"Listen to him," I advise Edward, nodding in the other man's direction. "Don't laugh at me, you shithead. I'm not happy about this."

Edward straightens, and then suddenly, he's in front of me, his hands framing my face as he stares deeply into my eyes. I gasp—not at the shock of his sudden movement, but at the fact that I could easily see it and follow every movement he made.

"Bella," he breathes, resting his forehead against mine. "I'm just happy you're okay. And complaining about something trivial."

I smack his stomach, doing a combination of a grimace and a laugh at his grunt of pain. It's amazing how much more strength I have now than I did. Before, it was always the opposite. Now, I have the upper hand, and I have to admit, I kind of like it.

"You're a jerk."

"And you're a vain pain in the ass."

"It's not vain, asshole! That's my style! It's how I express myself."

He rolls his eyes, removing his hands from my face, but it doesn't escape my notice—or anyone else's—that he doesn't let me go. His arm slips down my back, his hand resting lightly on my hip.

"We'll figure out a way for you to express yourself," he assures me.

"Why does that sound like it can't be done, but you're just placating me?"

"Why do you think your hair changed in the first place?" He shoots back. "The transformation essentially gets rid of any human scars or damages."

"So it restores you to factory settings?"

My remark receives a tittering of laughter, and I suddenly remember we're not alone.

Looking over, I give everyone a wave, grinning sardonically. "Hello, familiar faces … and unfamiliar faces. I'm sure you already know who I am, so I don't need to introduce myself."

Clearing her throat in a clearly human gesture, a woman with an olive complexion and rich, dark hair steps forward, her golden eyes glowing. She steps forward, but Eleazar reaches for her hand, entwining their fingers and pulling her back slightly.

She rolls her eyes and rapidly mutters something in a foreign language with such smoothness that it leaves me speechless. Eleazar sighs heavily in response, shaking his head as if he's exasperated with something.

One of the blonde women at the door snickers, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"You should know better," she teases. Like everyone else in the room, she's clearly an animal drinker, her eyes a bright gold, complimenting her pale skin tone and light—almost white-blonde hair.

"He never learns," the woman says, her accent a little thicker than her other half's. She turns her attention to me, smiling softly. Immediately I get motherly vibes from her, just like from my own mother and Esme.

The thought of my mother makes my mind drift, wondering where she is and what she's doing. Edward said she wasn't coping well with my prolonged awakening. I wish he would have elaborated on that because I'm extremely concerned for her.

I want to see her with my own eyes, to tell her I'm okay and that everything will be fine. But I don't even know where to start looking for her; surely, Edward has to know … or perhaps Esme. I recall her going after her when my mother left, clearly upset at the news she heard from Carlisle about some guy's mate who is still asleep.

Then, there's the other elephant in the room.

Emmett.

He keeps staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, his mouth opening to speak, but he immediately shuts it when Alice nods encouragingly.

What is his deal?

"Bella?"

Whipping my head to the side, I raise a questioning eyebrow at Edward, who looks amused.

"Carmen was speaking to you."

Awkwardness floods me as I look back at the woman, but she's not upset at my lack of attention. "Sorry."

She laughs, though it's not light and airy like I expect to be. Much like the rich deepness in her voice, her laugh is also rich, and in my head, I can easily see her hanging out in a swanky jazz bar from the twenties with cigarette smoke hanging heavily in the air.

"It's quite all right," she assures me. "I remember how overwhelming it is when you first wake up."

"That's … one word for it," I reply, spotting a tiny spider on the far corner of the wall scurrying up as fast as it can go.

Belatedly, I realize I recognize the maroon walls and wooden beams of the room.

While I had been in my head, I had seen flashes of these walls; had I opened my eyes and looked at them? Or was it something else?

I must have briefly opened my eyes because there's no possibility I would have seen them any other way.

"It'll take a little bit of time, but you'll adapt."

Once more, I snap myself to attention. "I hope so. I feel like I have the attention span of a goldfish or something."

"Well— "Edward starts, only to clamp his lips together when I point a finger in his direction.

"Not a word."

Holding one hand up in surrender, he gives me a crooked grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Sure."

My eyes narrow at him, not trusting him for a second. I keep my gaze on him before slowly turning back to the woman, who looks just as delighted as mother did when I told her Edward and I were dating.

"I'm Carmen," she says when she realizes she has my attention. Turning to the man at her side, she waves a hand in his direction. "This is my husband, Eleazar. We've known Carlisle for a long time."

"You make me sound so old," Carlisle playfully complains.

"If the shoe fits," she jokes before holding an arm out to the blonde woman who had spoken moments ago. "And this is Irina, one of our daughters, in a manner of speaking."

Gracefully, she steps forward, standing beside Carmen and offering me a welcoming smile. Seeing her stand beside Carmen is a little humorous; for one, there's no way they could ever pass as mother and daughter. They look to be around the same age, give or take a couple of years on Carmen's end. If I had to take a guess, I'd say they're both in their mid-twenties, though that could be from something else.

Like Carlisle, they appear youthful, but their eyes tell a different story.

There's age and wisdom there; something you only see from someone who's lived a long life.

Another is the height difference. I'd say Carmen is around my average height, but Irina is tall. Like she might be comic-book Amazon tall. She towers over Carmen, the latter's head only reaching her collar bone.

"Hello, Bella. It's nice to officially meet you. We've all heard so much about you … and not just from Edward."

I raise an eyebrow in question at her words, my eyes drifting toward the other Cullen's in the room. It would make sense that they had spoken about me, considering my presence not only affects Edward and Alice's life but theirs too.

However, I don't think she's referencing them.

"And who else would be speaking about me?"

Her eyes twinkle with mischief, the corners of her lips pulling into a smile full of secrets. With a wave of her arm, she beckons me forward. "Come; come meet my sisters and their mates. I think you'll be surprised."

Looking to Edward for any clues, he shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as if he doesn't have a clue what she's talking about. I narrow my eyes but start to follow her out, only to stop when Edward steps between us.

"Irina, she needs to feed. Can't this wait?"

She rolls her eyes. "And how do you think she'll get outside, Edward? She'll have to go downstairs where the front door is," she says plainly as if she's explaining something to a toddler. "On the way out, she can meet the rest of the family."

I snicker. "She has a point. I'd prefer to use a door rather than jumping out a window like an animal … or a stalker."

This time, it's Edward who rolls his eyes, and he starts for the door, placing a hand on the small of my back as he leads me through, muttering under his breath about how everyone in his life is a pain in the ass.

Pulling on his shoulder, I mumble an apology as he winces and hisses out a curse, rubbing at the injured area. My newfound strength will take some getting used to; it's odd to think I'm stronger than the Cullen's are. I don't want to hurt any of them, nor do I want to hurt my parents, so I'm going to have to constantly remind myself to mind my grip.

Half apology and half placating, I press my lips to Edward's, lingering there a little longer than needed. When I pull back, his eyes flash in lust, the black completely overwhelming the scarlet glowing there.

I shiver, making a mental note to ask about that again.

I vaguely recall Edward mentioning he'd kill Royce, but did he actually do it?

The fact that he could have that asshole's blood in his system is disturbing for reasons I won't get into right now.

Now, I need to focus on Edward, the new members I've yet to meet, finding my mother, and getting rid of this burning in my throat … and not necessarily in that order.

"Everyone being a pain in the ass is a reflection on you," I tell him, leaving a hand on the base of his neck. "But we love you anyway."

I freeze at the mention of the word and hear the distinct sound of someone holding their breath behind me. Weirdly enough, it doesn't feel wrong.

It's way too soon to throw that word around so early in our relationship, but I don't feel like I'm going to barf or run away screaming at the thought of it.

Sure, I like Edward; I like his company and his sense of humor, but using that word is way too soon.

I, too, wait for his reaction to the "L" word, but he acts as if he didn't hear it.

"Or maybe because I'm cursed," he shoots back. "Come on, let's get this over with."

As we turn to head from the room, I notice Alice staring at us, her eyebrows drawn together as she bites her bottom lip. Even Emmett is looking between us with a puzzled expression, scratching the back of his head as his mouth opens and closes wordlessly.

Only the adults seem amused, hiding their smiles behind their hands.

When my eyes meet Alice's, she opens her mouth to say something, but I shake my head once. She doesn't need to say anything; if he isn't going to bring up the "L" bomb I just dropped, then neither am I.

Thankfully, she lets the subject drop and heads out of the room.

Emmett starts to follow behind, but I reach for him, calling his name.

He freezes slightly, his shoulders tensing. "You should feed," he blurts out, rushing from the room and not meeting my eyes.

I follow behind him, darting out at lightning speed. Honestly, I feel as if I'm a jittery mess, filled with sugar and caffeine.

Too bad that's not possible anymore.

The walls swirl along with me as I walk, coming together in a beautiful merge of colors. It's amazing how I can see everything so clearly now, whereas before, I wouldn't have been able to.

Out in the hall, the dark maroon walls are gone, replaced with soft mint green, beautifully complementing the rich, dark wooden beams along the ceilings. I gasp at the pictures adorning the walls, some in color and some in black and white.

A few, I can tell, are truly black and white and not just printed with the effect.

One such picture, for example, captures three women—one of them I recognize as Irina—staring into the camera, their expressions stony and emotionless.

Distressed wear and tear from the years it's been around show on the edges, some of the photo turning yellow with age.

It makes me wonder when it was taken and who these other two women are.

Laughter trails behind me, and I come to a stop, feeling like my legs should wobble from the sudden halt in my movements, but I never do. I remain upright and still as a statue.

"What?"

"Nothing," Carlisle replies when no one else shows signs of answering me.

Even Edward.

The jerk.

"It's wonderful to see you enjoying your new abilities, that's all," he continues, his grin growing. "However, I must tell you that you're going the wrong way."

Moving his head subtly to the right, he sweeps an arm out while extending the other elbow in an old-fashioned gesture. Walking to his side, I pass by Edward, flipping him off as he laughs.

"Where did you think you were going?" he asks, following behind his father and me.

Over my shoulder, I flip him off again, taking his father's offered arm. "You're an asshole; sorry for the language, Carlisle."

"No apologies needed," he tells me with a chuckle.

"It's just funny, that's all," Edward continues.

Even though I can't see him, I know he's right behind, hovering like the creepy stalker he is.

I frown at the slow, steady pace we're going, wondering why we can't move faster now that everyone here is a vampire; there are no humans to startle, so why are we still going so slowly?

The answer comes to me just as quickly as the question enters my head.

I'm more than likely to get lost in this mansion they call a house.

"You could have given me a hint instead of letting me wander around."

"You could have also asked where the stairs were," he counters.

Blindly, I reach back and slug him in the stomach, grinning when I hear the breath leave his body in a puff of air. Looking at him over my shoulder, I feign confusion.

"Forgive me for being … what's the word I'm looking for …" I pause, tapping my bottom lip with my index finger as we come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh, right. Disoriented and a little confused after everything I had been through."

Remorse colors his features briefly before he narrows his eyes. "You weren't that disoriented and confused."

"Prove it."

Our banter draws laughter from our audience … plus a few more.

Spinning around, I spot two women from the photo standing off to the side, leaning casually against the wall. Through a hazy memory, I seem to remember them in other black and white photos, with Alice's voice in the background, telling me her 'cousins' had helped out with a photoshoot she did.

They're just as beautiful as Irina, with a pinkish pale skin tone and blonde hair so light it almost looks white. Just like everyone else, their eyes are golden, standing out brightly on their face.

They both smile warmly at me, their expressions welcoming and inviting.

The woman nearest to me has silky straight hair, hanging down almost to her waist. Behind her, with an arm wrapped loosely around her waist, stands a rugged-looking man, his brown hair shaggy and hanging over the tops of his ears. Surprisingly, he's not clean-shaven like the rest of the male vampires I've seen.

He has a well-trimmed beard, but it doesn't look bad; on the contrary, it compliments him.

Upon first glance, it doesn't seem like they'd be suited for each other, but the longer you stare, the more it makes sense for some odd reason.

Beside them is the last woman, her blonde hair resting in loose curls over one shoulder, wearing a slinky shimmering pink, off-the-shoulder dress that looks more appropriate for a night out.

"Hello, Bella," the woman nearest to me greets. "I'm so glad you're awake. You had us all worried there."

"That's what I'm good at, being a pain in the ass."

All three laugh; while the man's is deeper and masculine, it's still rich and melodic, just like the women's.

"I'm Kate. This is Garrett—"

"Her better half," the man in question interrupts with a smile.

Kate rolls her eyes, and upon first glance looks annoyed, but I can see the love for the guy in her eyes as she looks at him.

"That remains to be seen. And this is my sister, Tanya."

The woman gives a curt nod, her expression now blank and cold. She says nothing, which doesn't bother me, but the way she's staring unblinkingly at me does.

For some odd reason, I have a feeling she's sizing me up, and I don't like it. Vaguely, I remember hearing about her. Through a hazy memory, I remember Alice saying she and Edward had dated some time ago.

Does she have feelings for him? Is that what this is?

If so, she's going to have a fight on her hands.

Edward places a hand on my hip, squeezing once as he pulls me into his side, no doubt knowing I'm about to say something.

"Don't," he breathes into my ear.

I shoot him an irritated look but decide to play nice for now.

Of course, that doesn't stop the hard look I send her in return.

"Nice to meet you." Even to my own ears, my voice sounds stiff and barely controlled. "This is your home? It's nice."

I take a look around, admiring the mint walls and cherry wood throughout the space. The furniture is done in chrome and soft brown leather, gleaming in the light of the fire. It looks cozy but rustic, something you'd expect to find in a hunting lodge or ski resort rather than a home.

"Thank you," Kate replies. "It's been home for a long time now; almost thirty years."

My eyes bulge at this bit of information, wondering how they managed to live in one place for so long without anyone noticing their differences. I'm sure in some way it can be done with makeup and such, but I think that would only work for so long.

After all, there's only so much it can do.

"How?"

Kate smirks, shaking her head lightly. "I forgot you haven't seen the outside. We're in the middle of nowhere. It's easy to be forgotten out here."

I nod in understanding, my eyes meeting Tanya's once more. When I find her still staring at me, I can no longer hold my tongue.

"Do you have a problem?"

Tension falls heavy over all of us, except for Kate and Garrett, who shoot Tanya an annoyed look.

"Not at all," Tanya replies smoothly. "It's nice to meet the girl who's captured our Edward's attention."

I raise an eyebrow at this and turn to Edward, sliding a hand over his neck and pulling him down so I can look at the back of his neck, head, shoulders, and finally his chest.

"Uh," he starts, but I ignore him and keep going.

I walk around him, pulling down his collar and lifting his shirt; he squirms away, trapping my hands between his.

"What are you doing?"

Shrugging a shoulder, I turn back to Tanya. "That's funny; I didn't see any names on Edward's body … and unless it's somewhere I can't look at in front of an audience, it appears he's his own man."

Huffing a laugh, he pulls me into his chest, kissing me swiftly before moving his lips to my ear. "Oh, I have something with your name on it, all right."

"You'll be lucky if I investigate that … if ever, Romeo."

Pinching him lightly, I smirk when he jumps back, turning my attention to Tanya, who now looks amused.

I'm extremely confused and wonder if this woman is bipolar. It wouldn't surprise me, considering I'm still not convinced Edward is completely normal.

"What? Are you nuts or something?"

Tanya's smile grows, and she claps, ignoring Kate and Garrett's sighs of irritation. "Nothing. It's wonderful to see Edward has met his match, that's all. It's about time; he's been alone far too long."

"Uh, okay."

Tanya laughs again but hisses as Kate reaches over, the tips of her fingers glowing white. She jerks away, though it looks as if she's convulsing slightly as well.

"You're such a bitch, Kate!"

"And you're a troll! Let her have a chance to relax before—"

She's cut off as a figure darts into the room, standing in front of Tanya in a protective stance. Garrett reacts similarly, pushing Kate back and glaring at the newcomer, who is very familiar.

I blink, wondering if I'm seeing things, but after the fifth time, I know I'm not. He's very different from the last time I saw him; gone are his glasses and hunched posture with a skinny frame. He stands taller, and his muscles aren't larger, but they are defined. His hair still hangs in front of his eyes like a grunge wannabe, but there's no doubt it's him.

"Arthur?"

He glances over at me, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration as he stares. "Do I— You look familiar."

Tanya grabs his hand, kissing his palm in a surprising move. "Babe, this is Bella. Remember? You knew her from Forks. You spoke about her a little."

He still appears confused and shakes his head, releasing a frustrated growl. "Maybe. It's familiar, but I don't know for sure. She doesn't look the same."

"It's okay," she says soothingly, pulling him for a hug, and she kisses him, immediately groaning in lust.

Kate pretends to gag and taps on Tanya's head. "Take that elsewhere, please. We have company."

Embarrassed, the pair looks down at the floor. "Sorry," Tanya mutters before pulling Arthur away with a salacious grin. "Come on, Arthur; let's go to our place. It was nice meeting you, Bella!"

With movements even too quick for my new eyesight, they blur from the house, leaving a gust of wind in their wake.

"Ugh. Newly mated couples are the worst." Everyone laughs at Kate's comments, but she pays them no mind and focuses her narrowed gaze on Edward and me. "Don't you two get like that, got it? I'd hate to have to shock you."

"We make no promises," Edward says, a suggestive wink toward me.

I level him with a blank look. "Really? Cause I can. You're getting way too ahead of yourself, there, bud."

Pulling me tighter against him, he bends us back slightly, so he's leaning over me, his lips hovering over mine.

"You can't resist me."

"Oh, really? What gave you that impression?"

"All the times we've made out. I have that effect on you."

Raising an eyebrow in challenge, I meet his gaze unblinkingly, surprised that this is another benefit of being a vampire; there's no need to blink.

When I go back home, I'm challenging Jasper to a staring contest. There's no way he'll win against me now.

"Oh, yeah?" I breathe, sliding a hand over the back of his neck, raking my fingernails through his hair. He hums in pleasure, his eyes closing in contentment. "You think you're so irresistible and charming?"

"I know I am," he murmurs, his lips brushing against mine every time he speaks.

"Maybe I was just playing into your fragile ego and pretending so you'd feel good about yourself."

"Or maybe … wait, what? I do not have a fragile ego … and you were not pretending. Were you?"

Pulling back with a smirk, I shrug. "We'll never know."

Once more, everyone laughs as Edward sputters, trying to form words. However, the only thing that leaves his lips are broken sentences.

Carlisle steps forward, clearing his throat as he tries to hide his grin behind his hand. "Let's come back to this at another time, shall we? There are more important things to attend to now. Bella needs to hunt, I'm sure."

The burning in my throat flares, sending me back to awful memories of lying immobile and unable to move or speak. I try to block them out, but all I can focus on is the uncomfortable feeling in my throat.

The sensation of something pulling at my skin crawls over me, starting at the crown of my head and slowly inching its way down my body.

Panic sets in as I realize what's happening, and my eyes shoot over to Edward, who must see the fear on my face. He reaches for me, his hands framing my face.

"Bella? What is it?"

I try to speak, but my voice is trapped, only releasing a squeak as my mouth opens.

From the corner of my eye, I see Eleazar step forward, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration as he stares.

"Bella?" Edward says again, drawing my attention to him once more. "What? Are you okay?"

Slightly, I shake my head, the movement hardly registering as the numbing sensation continues to creep down my body.

In my head, I beg for Edward to help me, screaming for him to keep alert and mobile. There's no indication that he can hear me, so I try harder, remembering that before, I imagined everything shooting into his brain from mine.

It'll hurt him, I'm sure, but I don't know how else to do this.

Imagining my pleas shooting off like an arrow, I can only hope that he'll hear.

Moments later, I get my answer.

Edward flinches and squeezes his eyes closed, a groan of pain screeching from his lips. He staggers back and takes me with him since he's still holding on to me for dear life.

We begin to fall, but Emmett swoops in, catching us before we land and probably ruin the house. I feel like we're moving and wish I could turn my head to see where we're being taken, but between Edward's grip and this paralyzing numbness, I'm still as stone.

"Bella, please," Edward whispers, his hands trembling so violently it feels as if he's shaking my head. "It's okay. You'll be okay."

Murmurs from concerned voices fill the space, each of them firing off anxious questions that run together in a jumbled mess of words.

"Bella," Eleazar says, from somewhere to my right, ignoring the other people in the room. "Focus on pulling your shield away. It's okay; nothing can hurt you now."

"Yeah," Emmett whispers, smoothing a hand down my hair in a gesture of comfort. "You're a total badass."

It takes me several minutes, but I'm able to pull the numbing sensation away from me. It snaps back toward the center of my head like a rubber band. I gasp with an unneeded breath, sitting so quickly I have no doubt I would have shot myself across the room had Edward not been holding onto me.

Pushing the hair away from my face, Edward laughs, laying his forehead against mine. "You're remarkable."

"A remarkable pain in the ass?" I question, my voice no louder than a whisper.

"Yeah, that too," he murmurs, kissing me lightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"What happened?" He stares into my eyes, that unsettling shade of red glittering in the muted light of the room. It reminds me of Laurent, though Edward's eyes hold compassion and warmth, whereas Laurent's only held contempt and evil.

I bring a hand up to my throat, my fingers brushing over the smooth, polished feeling skin there. "The pain in my throat. It reminded me of my transformation and when I couldn't wake up. I—I just remembered that—I remembered the pain, and I didn't want to experience it again."

Eleazar hums, tapping a finger against his lips as he stares thoughtfully at the wall, lost in his head. He says nothing, and clearly, no one expects him to, as Carlisle steps forward, his face pinched in regret.

"Nothing offered relief? The drugs I gave you?"

I feel bad for doing this to him, but I'm not going to lie and say it was a cheerful, pain-free experience. I'm sure he would want the honesty since he's a doctor.

Slowly, I shake my head, biting the corner of my lip. "No. I'm sorry. The only relief I got was when I was in my head."

"You shielded yourself," Eleazar says, his focus now on me. "You shielded yourself from the pain and created somewhere comforting for you. The only problem is, you couldn't escape it."

Carlisle looks thoughtful at his friend's words before speaking. "What did you feel—"

The pain flares once more in my throat, and he must see the grimace on my face because he shoots me an apologetic smile. "Forgive me. Go hunt. Edward will go with you."

"Me too," a third voice says from directly behind me.

It's then I remember that Emmett had caught us and was sitting with us the entire time. I try to move but find I can't because Emmett is still holding us.

"I'm not into threesomes, so don't get any ideas," I tell him, pointing a finger in his face. "Can you let us up now?"

He looks bewildered by my comment but forces a laugh. "No, I wouldn't dream of it."

The expression on his face is troubled, marred with a deep frown and wrinkles between his eyes that look right on his otherwise carefree face.

I want to ask him what's wrong with him, but now doesn't feel like the right time; not with several eyes on us.

The one thing I've learned about Emmett is that he doesn't do honesty well when there's an audience; we're kind of alike in that way. If someone asks us what's wrong in front of someone else, we'll lie through our teeth just to get them to leave us alone.

Standing, I brush imaginary dirt from my clothes that appear to be a size too big. Pulling the black shirt away from my body, I raise an eyebrow in Edward's direction, wondering where the clothes came from.

He's unapologetic in his response. "The shirt is mine, and the shorts are Irina's. She's the closest match to you, physically. You didn't have any clothes, and there wasn't any time to grab them on the way out of Forks. There was just enough time for Rosalie, Jasper, and your dad to say goodbye in the hospital garage before we left."

I nod in understanding. "I should call and let them know I'm okay. Will someone do that?"

"After your hunt. They'll want to speak to you."

"Okay. Let's do this."

Sweeping an arm out, he gestures ahead, leading us toward the back of the house. "Follow me."

I trail behind, hearing Emmett's heavy feet behind me, as well as two more. Peeking over my shoulder, I see Alice and Carlisle following as we walk through the expansive dining room and kitchen, the silver glittering in the recessed lighting above.

Even though the walls are painted a mint green throughout, it complements the house greatly, giving it a comforting resort-like feel.

Of course, that could just be me and my weirdness.

"Is this … normal? This many people going?"

"Not usually," Carlisle answers with an understanding smile. "With your mother, only two went, but we had Alice's visions as a help. And ordinarily, there are no people this far out. But there's been a few known to venture out, looking for bigger game. With you, Alice can't see anything, so we're just being cautious."

His statement about Alice not seeing me reminds me of what I had heard when I was immobile. She still couldn't see me even after I had been changed, and I love that fact.

"I'd say I hate to make things more difficult for you, but I'd be lying," I tease her. "I freaking love it! Ha! I can still block you!"

"So you heard everything we said?"

"Yup," I reply, my gaze landing on Emmett as he balks at my admission. I try to catch his attention, to tell him without words that I'm not mad at what happened, but he refuses to look at me.

I guess I'll have to do it the hard way, then.

"I could hear you, but I couldn't say anything," I continue. "It was rough."

She reaches out and squeezes my hand, giving me silent comfort. Seconds later, she rolls her eyes, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as we come to a stop at the back of the house.

"You're such a pain! Why can't you be normal?!" she questions in mock outrage. "It made everything so difficult! The accident, when you would wake up, what you'd wake up like— "she trails off in a heavy sigh. Though she has a teasing grin, I can see real frustration and guilt in her eyes and in the tightness of her jaw.

"It's not your fault, you know? Shit happens. And look, everything's good now."

"Yeah, I know," she tells me, pulling me in for a hug. "It'd be great if you could control that gift of yours, though."

"We'll work on it later," Eleazar says from somewhere in the house.

"All right," I say, clapping my hands once. "Let's get this over with."

Edward opens the door, and immediately, my breath is taken away.

Ahead of us is nothing but land and trees, standing tall and proud among the snow-covered ground. Rays of sunshine peek through the branches, illuminating several spots on the ground, the snow glittering under its rays.

Slowly walking around, I instantly understand Kate's comment; there's literally nothing out here besides this cabin-looking mansion. And it looks just like you'd expect to out in the middle of a snow-covered expanse.

With a huge window in front, thick logs surround the home, casting a warm orange light through the glass, thanks to the fire and soft lighting.

It's a cozy-looking house, deceiving eyes because on the outside, it does not look as massive it is on the inside.

The house is surrounded by trees in the back, land, and mountains on either side, and more land, huge rocks, and sporadic trees in the front, creating a makeshift driveway—if they could even get a vehicle up here in the first place.

Thick blankets of snow cover the ground, and what amazes me, even more is there are hardly any disturbances in the fluffy powder.

"Where are we?"

"Alaska," Edward replies, watching me with a look of wonder on his face. I raise an eyebrow in question, wondering what he finds so fascinating, but he shakes his head and continues. "Denali, to be exact."

"Wow," I breathe, completed awed by the landscape … and a little miffed that I missed traveling out of state with no memory of it. "I'm paying attention to the scenery next time. I've never been out of Washington. Thanks for robbing me of that, by the way."

"Sure; I should have let you stay in Forks where you would have massacred the whole town; family and friends included. That would have been a good idea."

"Damn you and your logic."

Shaking his head, he motions toward the back of the house, where we came from. "Come on, let's take you hunting."

Excitement is clear on his face, and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Wow, this is the most emotion I've seen from you. Calm down."

Unapologetic, he brushes off my words. "I've been thinking about it for a while now. Let's go."

He holds out a hand to me, his body tensing as he puts one foot slightly in front of the other, while his other hand balls into a fist, slightly raised from his side. Belatedly, I realize he's preparing to take off in a run; he's only waiting for me to take his offered hand. Carlisle and Alice match his posture, and it's funny how I never noticed little details like this before.

I suppress a smirk and shake my head, jutting out my chin. "You guys go ahead."

Edward shoots me a look that clearly says that's not happening. Rolling my eyes, I huff. "Fine. Go slightly ahead. Emmett and I are going to have a few words."

From the corner of my eye, I see Emmett's eyes bulge and him subtly shaking his head, no doubt throwing pleas in his head for his family not to leave him alone with me.

Too bad he doesn't have a choice.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!