AN: Hey guys, it's been a while! I hope everyone is safe and healthy, and that this chaos gives way for change. We desperately need it. I wrote this chapter a bit longer, to make up for lost time. I hope you guys enjoy! 3

Kiera couldn't sleep. Thoughts about Paul and what it all meant rattled through her skull, taking up precious real estate that Kiera had reserved for her upcoming math exam. The warmth of Paul took its place in Kiera's core, beating in time with her own heart, reminding her she was forever attached to a stranger. It was the most terrifying thing to ever come to fruition.

She frowned, wondering what it all meant. Kiera didn't love him, she'd just met him. And no matter how hard she searched, she didn't find the innate draw that a Diwata mate would have on her. He didn't even feel separate from her anymore. Paul had already wormed his way into her life and made a home in her heart, and she didn't even know his last name.

Dawn was quickly approaching, timid beams of light inched across the earth, the morning fog rolling in behind it. Kiera sat up in her twin-sized mattress, wrapping her comforter around her and staring out the window.

Her life had become a series of segments. A repeated routine that she couldn't break out of. Wake up, go to class, eat lunch, go to class again. Come home, to homework. Sleep. Maybe eat that day if she could stomach it. It'd only been three days since The Incident, as she likes to call it, has happened. Bella had asked what's wrong, had seen the torn look in Kiera's eyes-

How does one explain imprinting?

Did Bella even know about this? Kiera sat up straighter. Did the Cullens? Even if she were around the same age as most of them, they'd been awake longer than she had. Maybe they had an idea of how to break it?

When Bella had called, nervously asking if Kiera wanted to watch the Cullens play baseball, Kiera silently cheered for the excuse to see them again. She slipped on her sneakers, mourning the freeing feeling of being without shoes already. A pair of shoes on a Diwata was like clipping the wings of a bird. It limited movement, shrank access to the warm cradling hands of the soil. Her shoes would keep her from fluttering about, too absorbed in how uncomfortable she was to really relish the moment.

Snagging a baby blue baseball cap from her cousin's room, Kiera paused. Ramona's bed was made like it always was, the corners untouched and the sheets perfectly smooth. Nothing hinted at Ramona having been there last night, even her scent was starting to go stale. Kiera shook her head to clear herself of the concern growing in her gut.

Her cousin was always one to overwork herself. If she'd been away more often this week than she had in the past few years, that wasn't enough to cause concern. Maybe she was simply busy. Maybe she'd found herself a new lover, Kiera mused with a tiny grin.

Ramona could use the stress relief.


Seeing the Cullens home would never not be a breathtaking experience, it was decided. The home was too pretty in the light of day, almost seeming like an entirely different place from the first time she saw it. Beneath the golden rays, it looked less like a possible murder spot and more like what you'd expect from someone filthy rich.

Kiera glanced at her image in the rearview mirror and shrugged. She'd at least attempted to look humanoid today. Though her thick dark waves were brushed, a rarity to be celebrated really, they'd been trapped under the baseball cap to keep them off her neck. Even with the gloom and doom of Fork's weather, the humidity more than made up for the lack of heat. Along with her stolen sweater and beat-up sneakers, Kiera was fighting back an embarrassed blush.

Her looks had always been a soft spot in general, but her blushing had been a trait she hated most.

She remembers a time her face would seem stained red as if the flush on her skin were stuck there permanently. Reminisces a softer, shyer time when everything she said was heavily monitored and only her thoughts were her own. Kiera pushes past her blush, trying to find a facial gesture that would have her on equal ground with the Cullens. The girl who blushed easily and loved even easier had been killed that day in the forest.

Kiera would make sure she stayed dead.

Alice clapped her hands excitedly as she jumped out of the car, the bright yellow Porsche doing terrible things to Kiera's sensitive eyes. She'd been at the door the second Kiera had opened it, claiming she'd be the one driving. Normally, Kiera would have just smiled and gone with it, but this time she just rolled her eyes. Yeah, she was dying. People needed to stop making a big deal out of it, it was just a fact of Diwata nature.

She'd tried to make a joke, but it'd come out more passive-aggressive than she'd have liked. "What, you aren't going to carry me inside?"

Alice pointedly ignored her, the smaller woman a constant bout of sunshine to Kiera's ever-growing cloudy attitude.

"You might want to ditch the jacket." Alice smiled, eyes turning into falsely pleasant half-moons. "It might stink up the house."

"Huh?" Kiera said dumbly. "Does it smell that bad? Maybe I should wash it…"

"It just smells like your... friends." Alice chose her words carefully, opening the front door with a flourish and then following Kiera with a graceful spin. She ends with her arms elegantly held aloft, her feet in perfect fifth position as if she'd just danced to music only she could hear.

While an odd one, Alice did have the kind of gazelle-like grace any prima ballerina would turn green over.

Kiera only shook her head with a wry smile, snuggling into the jacket. "Not a chance. And I'm sure you smell just as pungent to them as they do to you. You all still smell a bit too much like a flower shop, if I'm being honest. It's not the easiest on the nose."

Alice only shrugged. "That's fair enough."

"It'll get easier the more I hang around. I'm not used to these growing senses." Kiera stumbled as Alice suddenly latched herself onto her, the small vampire gripping Kiera tightly.

It was only after Alice pulled away and beamed brighter than she had any right to be, that Kiera realized she's basically promised Alice more time together in the future. If it didn't make her so reluctantly warm at the thought, Kiera would have scowled and explained her words away.

Part of her begged to stop heading down this road, warning bells already ringing and singing out Paul's name. It wasn't just another person to get close to, to learn to love and adore, it was someone who could end her life when they decided they were unhappy with her. The very real fear of befriending creatures who would kill you with a snap of their jaws was something Kiera had never particularly entertained, having never thought she'd end up here.

But meeting Bella had imploded her world. Chaos and creatures she'd spent most of her life avoiding were demanding a piece of her, and Kiera couldn't shove away the sharp hissing pain in her slow beating heart. It'd been Ramona and her for so long, Kiera wasn't even sure if she had enough room for more than Bella at this moment.

Their human friends weren't much more than acquaintances. People who would be dead and gone before Kiera could really blink. A thought tugged at the corner of her mind and Kiera rightfully kicked it to the side. Bella was going to be a vampire someday. If Edward were still stupid enough to deny both himself and Bella's desire for eternity- Kiera would have to hit him with a few bolts till he came to his senses.

"There, there," Kiera muttered, awkwardly patting Alice's artfully spiked raven hair. Was her hair naturally just that easy to manage, or did it take a while to learn how to style it? Maybe it was just a vampire thing.

Alice's answering giggle brought a smile to Kiera's face, and she allowed Alice to pull her along by the hand to where the family was once again waiting in the living room. Kiera gave a sheepish wave, knowing they must have heard her words. Esme and Carlisle were as wholesome looking as ever, their hands collapsed tightly as if they couldn't bear to let go.

"Welcome back, Kiera." Esme said softly, only releasing Carlise's hand long enough to rope Kiera in her strong arms.

Kiera could forgive Esme for then passing her around like a well-loved family pet, getting hugs or pats from the present family members. But she couldn't ignore the weird sniffing thing they were doing. More than once, golden eyes glanced over her as they took in her scent, narrowing at what they found.

"So you really are hanging with the wolves." Rosalie scowled. "It's faint, but I can still smell them on you."

Kiera shrugged, nervously trying to ignore the bubbling stream of words forming in her throat. She'd share the imprinting tidbit whenever Bella came, having noticed her brunette's friend's absence along with her bronze haired boyfriend. He must have gone to pick her up.

"Yeah, I'll probably be seeing them a lot more now." Kiera's gaze flickered across Rosalie's modelesque features, frowning at her upturned nose."Have any particular hate for the wolves, Rosalie?"

Rosalie startled before rolling her eyes. "They are just of-"

"Rosalie." Esme warned, an astonishing glint to her tone. "Be nice about Kiera's new friends."

Rosalie shrugged. "I was just going to say they are a bunch of dudebros who smell like a threat. A foul threat."

"There is a woman with them, so while they might resemble a frat, I doubt Leah wants to be grouped with them. And sorry to break it to you, you guys are the ones who smell. They smell like forest to me, like warm earth." Kiera said cooly, lips pursing.

Rosalie looked troubled but bit back whatever she was going to reply with, glancing at Jasper with a cocked eyebrow. Jasper himself seemed to be gritting his teeth, possibly grinding them with a tense jaw. His pale brows were furrowed and threatening to shadow butterscotch eyes, which were locked onto her with the focus of a sniper. His gums must be aching, she thought with a furrowed brow.

He seemed to be holding himself back, though Kiera didn't know why. He'd been one of the ones to give her a pat on the shoulder, his fingers lingering there for what felt like an eternity. Was he holding himself back from snapping her neck and draining her? Or was he just the angriest of the group, because Kiera was getting sick of not knowing what was wrong with him.

"Excuse me for this," Kiera said, folding in on herself. She brought her arms around her waist, fingers gripping tightly onto her jacket. "But what's your damage? You always look at me like I spat in your rabbit or something."

Kiera was just as shocked as the Cullens were at her biting tone. She hated confrontations, used to cry every time she was in one, but she didn't exactly need some southern vampire giving her scathing looks every time she came around. It kind of killed the mood. She watched patiently as Jasper opened and closed his mouth, looking like a stupidly beautiful fish.

"Forgive me." He finally seemed to have found his voice, his hands clenching into tight fists at his side. "That smell on my jacket is rather unpleasant."

Kiera's cheeks colored slightly. It was Jasper's jacket? He was probably upset that she'd kept it so long. And if the wolves really smelt that badly to the Cullens, his jacket being covered in it must be coming off as rude.

"Oh. I didn't think about their smell getting on here. I wouldn't have worn it around them if I had." Kiera shifted uneasily. Where the hell was Bella? "Did you want it back?"

"No," Jasper ground out. "It's yours."

Slightly insulted on behalf of the wolves, of Paul, Kiera simply nodded and kept her mouth shut. With a tiny grimace on her face, Alice stepped into the conversation, sweeping Kiera off to the side with a flurry of questions. Whatever Jasper's issue was, he'd best keep it to himself if he didn't want an angry Ramona breathing down his neck. Alice's exuberant self stepped to block off Jasper, her body a small wall. It did little to ease the unexpected tension building in Kiera's shoulders, the both of them hiking up higher to settle by her ears.

Kiera took a subtle whiff of her newly given jacket, defensive for a pack that wasn't really hers settling in the scowl on her face. Jasper stayed where he stood, watching like he was helpless and couldn't be bothered to move. He's lucky she wasn't Ramona. Ramona would simply give him a look that'd make any man crumble. At least human men. Kiera wasn't sure if it'd work on a vampire, let alone one with as many scars as Jasper had.

The slight shifting of air was the only sign of Edward and Bella's arrival, Bella's face as red as a cherry tomato and a pout on her lips. Edward was his usually smug self, probably proud of being able to make Bella flush like she did. Kiera softened at her friend's evident happiness, regardless of her pouting, and slunk over to drop her head on top of Bella's. The brunette was roughly four inches shorter, a fact that endlessly amused Kiera and annoyed Bella.

"Alright, is everybody ready?" Carlisle called out, his handsome old school Hollywood features fond as he stared out at his family.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett whooped, easily swooping up both Kiera and Bella like footballs under his massive arms. Kiera's heart leaped to her throat when he sped them out a side door that apparently led to the garage, accidentally choking on her spit much to Emmett's joy..

"Language!" Esme chastised him, blowing in like a summer night's breeze.

"Put the girls down, Emmett, they are not pigskins." Carlisle said as he came up behind his wife.

Kiera could barely keep her gasp contained. She was too busy staring at the small sea of incredibly expensive cars to realize the rest of the coven had trickled in, Edward and Alice's having their own weird and nearly silent conversation that left Jasper looking even more sullen. Rosalie saw Kiera's open mouth and sniffed delicately.

"Nice cars." Kiera managed to say, wiggling out of Emmett's grasp. He obviously let her but kept holding Bella like the stumped human child she was. "I like the red one, very nice. Ferrari red?"

Rosalie blinked before nodding reluctantly. "Yes. It's a BMW, and it's mine." The way she spoke shone with the love she held for automobiles. It spoke of endless hours dedicated to tuning it herself, to fixing whatever monstrosities it'd been unfortunately given by human hands.

Kiera recognized the fire in Rosalie's eyes from her time spent with Sebastián. His hand would trail so tenderly across the hood of whatever car he'd come across, uncaring of the eyes that watched him. His expression had been so soft, so content- a younger Kiera had only hoped he'd love her half as much as he loved cars.

Younger Kiera had been an oblivious idiot.

Unwilling to travel down that memory from hell, Kiera focused on keeping her face from showing any of the hurt she held. Something like respect was starting to form behind Rosalie's unwavering gaze. Kiera sent her a wry grin and was silently pleased to note the small smile she'd gotten back.

After bickering back and forth and who was going to take who to the field, it'd been decided Edward was going to of course take Bella out there on his back. She looked queasy at the thought of it and had gulped, making Kiera ponder if she could back out of the baseball game now. She'd been carried by Ramona before, of course, but Ramona actually gave a damn about her and held her head close as she ran so her neck didn't break at the pace.

Kiera doubted the Cullens remembered being human enough to think of that.

And when she'd somehow ended up paired with Jasper. Pointedly, he'd asked if she'd allow him to carry her to their destination, hands twitching at his sides as he spoke. Kiera let out a half-strangled noise of indignation before allowing her arms to ring around his neck. He'd picked her up carefully, but with firm hands, like she was both breakable yet something too wild to keep a loose hold of.

Jasper was a beautiful weirdo and Kiera was debating if she liked him or not. He was a walking, barely talking man of contradictions; he was gentle with her, but looked at her like something to eat. It brushed something in the peripherals of her awareness, tickled at her ribs in a funny little dance. Kiera narrowed her eyes at him as the world turned into a hazy blur, wondering just which side of friend or foe she should place him on.

Everything around them was one big grey and green smudge, looking less like a place renowned for its wildlife and more like an abstract oil painting. Her eyes adjusted much faster than usual, able to pinpoint the exact moment a finch took flight, it's cinnamon hued wings caught mid beat. She caught the glimpse of a smile from Jasper when she let out a small gasp and she eased into where she was cradled into his chest. The ride was over faster than she would have liked, the world coming back to her in bigger pictures rather than the snapshots of before.

When he set her down oh so timidly, his pale fingers clutching at the edges of her sleeves, Kiera pretended she was suddenly itchy. She subtly ripped her hands from his to scratch at an itch that didn't exist, her face burning. She blamed it on the pure unfairness that was vampiric beauty. How could anyone stay stable and sane around such beautiful creatures? Bella was a prime example- even now her friend was sucking in a delighted breath at something her Edward was doing.

Kiera still thought Edward looked like a sickly Victorian child, a true product of his time. The irony of her own thoughts didn't escape her, and she unintentionally smiled at Jasper. The mirth that was reserved for poking at Edward made her forget her questions surrounding the Southern vampire. But despite the confusion in his butterscotch eyes, Jasper smiled back automatically, the sight softening his usually sullen and sad face. He offered her the cap that must have fallen off and she blinked in surprise.

Sheepishly she takes it from him, their fingers ghosting across each other. Even his hands were scarred, razor-thin silver crescents embedded in flawless skin where someone tried to bite his fingers off. Kiera eyed the marks curiously, swallowing the desire to ask about them. It was a desire that was more like a deep-seated need to know, to find out how Jasper had survived that fight. It was instinctual to hide behind the curtain of her dark hair, allowing it to block off the hunger for knowledge in her eyes.

Instead, she focused on how he had stilled just before she had fully pulled away. He was marble; pale and unwavering and utterly bewitching- for a moment, Kiera wanted to sink her own teeth into him, to see her own row of marks left behind. She stamped that spark of a thought out before it could burn into anything more. It'd been a cruel thought, to see someone's body marked with scars and to be left wanting to leave your own.

She sent Edward an anxious glance, hoping he hadn't heard her thoughts. Edward's ochre eyes gazed only an innocent curiosity, before he was swept back up into the waves of Bella's babbling. Secure in knowing he hadn't heard, Kiera watched Jasper carefully tuck his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans. She prompted him with a questioning look, using her arms to hold herself in place.

"For a second, I could feel what you were feeling." Jasper answered after a moment's hesitation. Once again, his southern drawl pierced through. Kiera didn't want to talk about her and her otherness, she would rather harass Jasper into talking about himself. Any kind of attention on her these days was starting to feel suffocating.

"What part of the south are you from?" Kiera asked, almost pleading with him.

His demeanor shapeshifted within an instant. Standing straighter than before, with his hands behind his broad back, he spoke with a firmness that made Kiera chuckle. He bent elegantly at the waist as he spoke, a tingle running up Kiera's back at the sight."Born and bred in Houston, Texas, ma'am."

"Oh, no, please don't call me that." Kiera couldn't help the deep cringe on her face, not stopping even when Emmett outright cackled from somewhere behind her.

Jasper's confused look gave him an almost helpless air. "Oh?"

Rosalie sauntered past them both, her blonde ringlets swaying with every step as she spoke, "No woman likes to be called ma'am, Jasper."

"I liked to be called ma'am," Esme said with a smile. "It's polite."

"Correction, no young woman likes to be called ma'am." Rosalie smirked, dodging the fake outraged swipe of her mother.

"My apologies. I did not mean any offense, I sometimes forget myself." Jasper said. "I forget that times are changing, too."

"That's the way of the world, my friend. It's always changing." Kiera shrugged, lifting her arm to draw Bella close.

"Are we actually going to play baseball, or are we going to be boring all day?" Emmett whined with a childishness that wiped any sense of fear of him from Kiera's mind. "We only get to play during storms you know. What if it passes?"

Kiera raised both eyebrows and looked around at the gloomy but clear sky. "And where is this storm?"

"It's not far from us," Edward said. "We don't need the rain, only the thunder. Race you!"

Edward and Jasper began to heckle one another as they blurred their way to the field, pushing and shoving like siblings do. Bella and Kiera rolled their eyes simultaneously from where they stood, sharing a look. She was not the tiniest bit jealous that she couldn't run with them. Not at all. That'd be absurd.

"Like children." Kiera muttered, shaking her head.

"Come on Kiera, you're just mad you're too weak to join in the fun." Emmett teased, mouthing an 'ow' as Rosalie lightly smacked his chest in admonishment.

"When I hit my Metamorphosis and become an immortal, it'll be over for you fools." Kiera jeered.

"That's the attitude I like to see! It's so on." Emmett crowed, jogging at a human pace to the outfield.

Esme welcomed the girls with a bright smile behind her umpire's mask. Her and Bella fell into easy conversation, speaking of a more dangerous game that had nearly put an end to Bella's life. It'd been the only part Kiera had been interested in, honing in on details she'd missed when Bella had told her. Something like jealousy pulled at her hair like maddening little goblins, reminding her that she and Bella were only new friends. Her history with the Cullens was clear with the way she spoke to Emse, only taking breaks to boo at Alice or Emmett, the playful jeering coming easily.

Watching the Cullens play was cathartic. Like rain it cleansed her jealous thoughts, a fondness replacing it. Despite missing more than half the game, still not quite able to see every move made, Kiera knew she would agree to come out again next time. If she could, she'd find a way to siphon off the happiness that wafted from the family and bottle it for later. She could see why Bella loved this family- their happiness was addictive.

"I wish it could always be like this." Esme whispered from next to Kiera.

Esme's eyes were on Edward's thin frame, his boyish smile so wide and careful while he played with his coven. His bronze hair was more disheveled than usual, only growing worse when Jasper took a moment to ruffle it further, laughing at his brother's scowl. She could see why Esme wished for her children to be free and wild, allowed to express who and what they are without consequence. She could only guess how broken her heart must get when any of her children suffered. The love on her face made it clear that even without a blood bond, Esme was more than just the mate to their coven leader.

She was truly their mother.

Kiera's longing for her own mother was squashed down by her own two hands. She didn't need that woman, the one who had left her in pain and never bothered to come back. Maybe she didn't even want her actual mother, Kiera frowned. Maybe she just wanted what a mother should have been, what Esme was proving they should be like. It was only out of pure unluckiness that Kiera had gotten landed with such a cold birth giver.

"Why can't it be?" Kiera asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because life- especially a life like ours, doesn't come without its trials." Esme said. The word 'ours' felt heavier than normal, the word carrying a weight Kiera felt included her. It made her eyes prickle and her mouth turn cotton dry.

"At least we have a hundred tries to get it right," Kiera said. "My cousin likes to say that. Makes things a little less dark." She shifted in place and forced an indifferent shrug.

She could feel Esme look at her, and she wondered what she saw. A younger Kiera would have fit into this family with ease, she was sure. With a shyness that had bordered on painful and tooth-achingly sweet, she had been someone Esme would have been proud of. But that Kiera wouldn't have bothered with making friends with Bella. Would have preferred the company of her own people, too swamped with fearing humans and their odd quirks.

The ball whizzed past Bella's head and straight into Esme's hand, the sound of thunder doing little to blanket the loud crack it made as it landed. Esme let out a relieved breath and gave Bella a beautiful smile.

"You alright sweetheart?" Esme asked gingerly.

Bella shrugged. "Not the worst thing to happen to me on a baseball field."

Emmett let out a bark of a laugh, only to flinch when Esme's head snapped towards him. Esme's classic beauty was washed away by an animalistic snarl, her perfect white teeth bared as she launched the ball back to Emmett.

"Emmett, do be more careful. Your sisters are a bit more frail than you are at the moment." Esme scolded. Her ugly lion's grimace smoothed back into her sweet features once more, shaking her finger.

Kiera pinked as the realization hit that she'd been included once again. The bright giggle from earlier bubbled in her chest, and she couldn't stop it in time, her laugh momentarily erasing all the exhaustion from her face. Bella only joined in with her friend, the both of them doubling over and taking turns to gasp out funny little additions to the conversation, only fueling their laughter more. The two 'fragile' girls leaned against each other, even as Edward bounded over to check on Bella.

Kiera only laughed harder at his concerned face. He looked like a mother hen, having clearly taken after his coven mother with her overprotective nature. Or she'd simply aggravated that particular feature of his with her constant fussing. He wouldn't need to one day, when Bella was turned. At least not about her safety. If anything, it'd be everyone else's safety he'd have to worry about. Newborn vampires were notoriously brutal creatures, every monster knowing that Newborns were unstable and nearly unstoppable. Bella had told her of Edward's refusal to turn her, that she'd be far too gone in her bloodlust to remain the same Bella.

But surely he'd changed his mind, since they were back together with the promise of forever?

"Careful, Eddie boy. She'll be stronger than you one day." Kiera grinned. "We will tag team you."

Edward moved before she even had the chance to blink. Kiera's hair lifted with the force of his speed, and she blinked up at him in confusion. He seemed so tortured, seething with anger and something she thought was an agonized pleasure. Jasper was at her side not a moment later, his face leaning into Edwards as he bared down at his brother. He must have felt what Kiera had seen, and it must have been bad enough for him to care enough to step in.

"She will never be a vampire." Edward spat.

Kiera gaped. "What do you mean? You guys are together, right? You can't spend time together forever if she's human."

Jasper's words were more of a growl, eyes the color of slick tar. "Watch how you speak to her. She didn't know."

"Know what?" Kiera asked, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Edward doesn't want to change me still," Bella mumbled with the telling annoyance of an old argument never changing. "He thinks he's protecting my soul or whatever."

"I agree with him," Rosalie said, letting the silver bat rest against her toned shoulders, watching the scene before her with calculating eyes. "I still think it's asinine to even have brought her into this, but well…." She shrugged and took a lazy swing, the bat singing as it arced through the air.

"But humans are so breakable," Kiera continued, uneasiness filling her.

Something dark whispered in her that Edward didn't want to turn Bella because he instinctually knew it'd take away the best meal of his life. Bella was his singer, her blood called to him and filled him with such a violent hunger, that even his love wasn't always enough. Turning Bella would change her, make her blood turn to venom. Then what would he drink?

Edward's eyes turned black with anger and he tried to dodge his brother. Jasper held onto him tightly, snarling viciously. His warning from earlier had fallen on deaf ears, Edward's sharp teeth snapping at the air in front of Kiera's face, only for Jaspers' scarred hand to grab ahold of it in a tight grip. She trembled in place, her only comfort the electric zinging of her blood. Blue sparks danced between her fingertips, the humming of electricity steadily growing louder. She could smell ozone building up, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her.

"Edward, I didn't mean it. My thoughts haven't been kind lately, but you can't tell me as a vampire that yours are any better." She searched his twisted face for an ounce of understanding, nodding slowly at his flinch. "I'd rather not shoot my best friend's boyfriend up with lightning...so please calm down. You're scaring me."

Like a switch had been flicked, Edward went limp in Jasper's arms. Shame, annoyance, pain- every emotion under the sun took a second to shine on his face before being replaced. Kiera waited for an eternity before forcing the flow of lightning to dissipate. The field was deathly silent, and Kiera wanted to pull her hair out. She didn't like trying to use her ability due to its unstable nature, but her fear must have triggered it anyways. Now she knew she'd have to explain what the hell just happened.

"Way to go Pikachu!" Emmett's voice broke through her tired silence, sending a ripple of shock through her.

Pikachu? He thought she was a cute and cuddly little lightning mouse? Not some freak of nature, even by Diwata standards? Kiera didn't know if that was heartwarming or insulting.

"Here, your hair is all staticy." Alice bounced over, tracing small hands over Kiera's dark locks.

Carlise, Emmett, and Rosalie herded Edward to the treeline, their mouths already moving faster than Kiera could see. Jasper stayed were he stood in front of her, taking in deep breathes, allowing Esme to place a calming hand on his arm. Her best friend stared open-mouthed after her boyfriend, before shaking her head mutely.

"I'm so going to yell at him for this. That was just utterly embarrassing." Bella groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"Usually I would excuse him, but I haven't felt that threatened in a while. Even amongst the Volturi, and Jane literally tried to make my insides fire." Kiera muttered.

"Jane?" Jasper's voice was sharp as he slowly turned around. "How come I was not made aware of this?"

"Because you might have pulled an Edward." Alice rolled her eyes. "Jasper is a bit of an overprotective fool, especially when it comes to us."

"It must be a supernatural thing. Ramona has tried to behead people more times than I can count." Kiera shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell us about your power, dear?" Esme asked, clearly put out. She let Bella come into her arms, rubbing the human girls shoulder soothingly.

"Oh, Esme," Kiera sighed. "I didn't keep it front you on purpose, I just don't know your coven all that well. Sharing all my secrets in one go wouldn't be very smart."

"No, I guess not." Esme said with a soft voice.

"Excuse me, I'm going to go talk to my boyfriend." Bella muttered, brown eyes set on the treeline. Even if he were getting the shout-down of a lifetime by Rosalie, for her and an angry Bella to tag team him? She almost felt sorry for the dude. Almost. Bella walked off the field and disappeared into the forest, a swell of misplaced pride growing in Kiera's chest for her friend backbone.

"Don't be too hard on him Bella," Esme shouted after her. "He's already getting it from Rose!"'

Jasper snorted. Kiera rubbed at her temples, the beginnings of a mean migraine forming. Any energy she had before the baseball game was now gone. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and possibly sleep for another seventeen years, but she still hadn't broached the topic of imprinting. With all that's happened without a few hour's time, Kiera doubted she'd get any answers today. Instead, she turned to Jasper with her hands on her hips.

"Take me home?" Kiera asked.

Jasper frowned but nodded. "Of course."


The storm had moved, catching Kiera and Jasper in its midst. Resting her forehead on the window only did so much for her headache. She thought forlornly about how cold the Cullen's hands were, and how sweet they'd be across her sweaty brow. She must have said it out loud, causing Jasper to huff out a laugh. Kiera swiveled her head to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"Here." Jasper murmured, reaching out to her without taking his eyes off the road. Kiera eyed his hand curiously, her face breaking into a grin when his intentions clicked.

Smiling, Kiera took his cool hand and rested in above her eyes. She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her, letting out a small groan. Touching skin to skin like this, Kiera knew he could feel what she felt. But as tired as she was, she wasn't worried about it. All he would feel is her sheer exhaustion from the day. But as funny as the situation was, Jasper's smile only twisted into a frown that got deeper with every minute.

"I apologize for my brother," Jasper said. His remaining hand gripped the steering wheel, threatening leave indents. "He's an emotional idiot. He never should have acted that way with you."

A jolt of apprehension ran through her and Jasper's grip tightened, the steering wheel giving out an unsteady grown. Carefully, she took Jasper's hand and set it back on the wheel. Jasper only frowned more.

"I thought some pretty terrible stuff. I thought he didn't want to turn Bella because then his meal would be gone." Kiera admitted.

"Our thoughts are normally our own. It's just harder for Edward, he can't shut it off. I won't make excuses for him, but his relationship with Bella's mortality is a sensitive topic. If you think I or Rosalie or even Edward himself think beautiful things all the time, you're mistaken." Jasper said.

"If he doesn't turn her, the Volturi will. He doesn't have a choice. And shouldn't Bella get a say? It's like he's stuck in ye olden days." Kiera sighed, rubbing at her temples again.

"Edward...means well. And maybe you are right, he is a little stuck." Jasper allowed with a twitch of his lips.

"If I could change her, I would." Kiera said. "She's the first friend I've had in a while, losing her isn't an option."

"She's part of the family. We won't let anything happen to her." Jasper murmured.

The car rolled to a stop in front of Kiera's house. With Alice, Kiera had felt so embarrassed by her small home and it's cracking paint. But something told her Jasper could care less about her house and what it looked like. Aside from a curious glance that she barely caught, Jasper kept his eyes on her face. Either he was better with people than he first appeared, or he really didn't care about how broke Kiera was.

It was a change of pace from Seb, at least.

The streetlights cast his handsome face in shadows, the starkness of their depth only highlighting his ochre eyes. Memories of traversing the south with Ramona were reflected by his desert blonde hair, his small smile warming her like the scorching rays of the summer sun. She wondered how old he was, what time he'd lived in Texas. Maybe in another life, where they were both human; they could have traveled the sandy plains together, allowing their tender skin to bask in the heat like lizards. They could have shared water canteens and raced their horses. Maybe he would have fallen in love with the shutter of a camera as she had, and they could have taken pictures of other wanderers. They could have been friends.

Kiera gives him one last smile as he writes out his number for her, telling her to call if she ever needs anything. She knows she'll need a new phone before she can even think about calling him, but it was the thought that counts. Turning to get out of the car, she met her own dark eyes in the rearview mirror and choked on her gasp.

It wasn't her that made her gasp. Jasper, who she knew was next to her and should be showing up with her, was nothing but a ghostly mirage. His face was blurred like someone had taken a smudge tool and ran it across his features. The immediate area around him also warped, his edges licking up like sheer flames that moved in time with her breathing. She whipped her head to double-check if Jasper was still there, only to find him cringing.

"We do that." He said, smile slipping into a frown once more. "Hollywood got that partially correct...terribly enough."

Kiera couldn't think, couldn't process. "Must make it hell to get ready in the morning huh?" She muttered, giving her best-lopsided smile.

Jasper's eyes softened and they shared a quiet chuckle. Before she could try to brave the rain, Jasper's door hung wide open and she found the blonde opening her own. An umbrella she hadn't noticed earlier rested in his hand, and he used it to shield her from the worst of the downpour. She smiled to herself, knowing no one's ever held an umbrella for her.

"Alice?" She asked.

"Of course." Jasper said, offering a hand to help her out of the car. "The little pixie would have my hide if I hadn't brought one today."

Kiera let out a laugh at the nickname and made sure to tuck it away for later. Jasper's hand was as cold as a cadaver, sending an icy chill up her arm, one she tried to conceal from her new friend. He must have felt her shudder, but he said nothing. For a moment, they just smiled at each other from underneath the umbrella. Walking her to her door in comfortable silence, Kiera couldn't help but feel remorseful over her initial wariness of Jasper.

"You're not really what I thought you'd be like." She admitted as they got closer to her front door.

"You are and you aren't what I thought you would be like," Jasper said with a smirk. "But this version of you is more interesting, especially with that lightning trick I saw of yours."

"You saw that? You had your back turned though!" Kiera said.

"Vampires have fast reflexes. You didn't see me look over my shoulder when you were getting ready to fry my brother." Jasper chuckled.

"Touche." She fake narrowed her eyes at him, trying to smother her smile. "I'm glad Bella has harassed me into getting to know you and your family. Even if Edward is kind of a brat."

"Give him time. He'll grow on you. Might be like fungus, but he'll grow on you." Jasper said amusedly. "He has a way of doing that."

Kiera thought that maybe, just maybe, the rest of the Cullens would grow on her like fungus too.


For the first time in weeks, Kiera slept soundly. Light snores left her as she dreamed of sandy plains and warm southern sunsets, her dream world cast in soft oranges and pinks. Sand particles sifted through her bare toes, her ankles brushing past cacti that curiously held no needles. With her favorite horse carrying her old camera, she was free to run her fingers against the accordion-style body, unable to feel the heat of the day on its metal knobs.

Kiera wanted to stay in this dream forever.

Knock.

Kiera barely shifted, a frown marring her sleeping features. Maybe if she ignored it, it'd go away. Already she was slipping back into her dream, a pale hand entwining with her own. It gleamed in the sun and Kiera watched in fascination at its aura of iridescence formed a kaleidoscope that shined from its fingers. She wanted to-

Knock. Knock. Knock!

Each knock got louder, her front door threatening to buckle beneath the knocker's frantic hands. Kiera snarled and thrashed, her comforter tangling with her and sending her to the floor in a twisted heap. She fought valiantly against the blanket's hold, cursing as her fist tore a hole somewhere close to the middle. The knocking was accompanied by a hoarse voice calling her name and Kiera froze.

Ever so slowly, Kiera untangled her limbs and got to her feet, padding softly to the front door. Images of the vampire who broke in flashed through her mind, and she spent a moment talking herself down from her mounting terror. The vampire would have broken in if it was here, she assured herself. It was utterly capable of doing so, and Kiera knew it knew no shame either. Not even the decorum of common decency would stop it like it was stopping the person at her doorstep.

Without any way to check who was knocking, Kiera took a calculated risk. Foolishly, lightning gathered at her hands, it's blue neon glow lighting up the dark. She unlocked the door, took a deep breath, and opened.

A fist rushed at her face and Kiera let out a scream. Lighting burst from her fingertips, cackling wildly. It surged through the air as it passed a man's chest, barely missing. The man had dodged with a yelp and slipped in the mud. Kiera tried to coax another volt, but the man scrambled to his feet before she could, snagging both of her wrists and placing his face in front of hers.

"Relax, it's me! Kiera, it's Paul!" Paul rumbled, his dark eyes illuminated by the waning moon.

"Paul, what the hell?!" Kiera yelled. "You almost punched me in the face!"

"I was going for another knock!" Paul said, tossing her hands aside. "You didn't need to try and fry me!"

"Again, you almost punched me!" Kiera threw her arms above her, asking for patience. She was about to go off, to tell him she could have killed him, that he was an idiot- But his face looked so tired and worn that she stopped herself short.

"What's wrong?" Kiera asked with a sigh. She shuddered as rain threatened to drench her, impulsive grabbing ahold of his giant hand to pull him inside. "Take your shoes off. There's a shelf next to the door, you can put them there."

"Um," Paul said. "I'm not wearing any shoes…" He stood there awkwardly, looking comically huge in her small home, his frame soaked.

"Paul, seriously? Mud is a drag to get out of carpet." Kiera sighed again, veering off to get towels for him. "Stay here a second."

"Phasing makes it hard to keep clothes and shoes…"Paul muttered.

"Ramona makes it hard to live when the carpet is ruined." Kiera called back dryly, handing him the armful of towels she'd taken from the hall closet. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Paul stayed silent, working his way through the towels and passing them back to her when he couldn't use them anymore. He bent down to clean up his feet, the mud easily sliding off with a practiced hand. It was clear he was used to cleaning up for himself. That was good, Kiera hated cleaning and definitely didn't want to clean up after a near stranger, bond or not.

She gave him his space for the moment, drifting got the living room and turning on the sole lamp. Paul followed silently, placing his dirty towels in same basket she did, shadowing her until they both sat on the lumpy couch Ramona insisted on getting. He was shirtless, a running theme with the pack it seemed. Clad only in -gross- jorts, Paul looked young. He shifted to look at her, running a hand through his long black locks that gleamed like a raven's feather in the low light.

"I'm sorry for suddenly showing up." Paul started. "I'd just gotten off patrol and gotten home when my mom woke up. She'd decided it was the perfect time to talk about the pack and my phasing, asking if I could just...stop. Like it was some choice. Like I haven't tried."

He was beginning to shake, and Kiera scooted back before she could think. Paul's face twisted into a pained expression, the skin by his mouth growing taut. "I'm in control. I won't hurt you."

"I believe you, but I also know Emily's face didn't just come to be." Kiera said, frowning.

"Emily's face was an accident. She'd been too close when the pack was roughhousing, and she'd got caught by a stray paw. It'd taken weeks for Sam to let us in the house again." Paul said.

"Accidents can happen. Which is why I scooted back." Kiera said. She didn't say anything more about Emily, the regret about misjudging the situation could come to claim her some other night. Tonight she focused on Paul and the urger to comfort him.

With Paul so close, the warmth in her chest had spread, branching out through her veins. Part of it was comforting, to know she wasn't alone. But it was mostly terrifying to know someone could take up that much space inside of you, forging their own path beneath your bones. She cursed not asking the Cullens for more information. Then she cursed knowing Edward was bound to give her another awkward apology for his behavior.

"You okay?" Paul asked, amused.

"I should be asking you that." Kiera said. "Are you okay Paul? Really?"

Paul placed with one of his ear piercings, his expression pensive. "I guess I am. It sucks fighting with her, she knows I don't have a choice. She just gets so worried. And then it makes me worry more, then I get angry cause I don't know how to like...handle being worried I guess?"

"She loves you, enough to argue over your safety. " Kiera said, words clumsy in her mouth. The monster with a green eye talked in her ear, spitting vitriol about how ungrateful Paul was for a mother who loved him. She shoved it away.

"I just want her to have a stress free life." Paul shrugged. "She deserves that at least. She's a single mom with a full-time job as a nurse. She's taken on my finances too, there are only so many hours I can work and still make patrols. She deserves to not worry about me."

Kiera blinked sluggishly and nodded. She wasn't sure she understood fully, but with Ramona in her life, she could at least understand a little. At a time like this, Ramona would pull Kiera into her arms and hug until the sadness dissipated enough to be manageable. So that's what Kiera did. She leaned over and pulled Paul into her arms, awkwardly patting his back. He immediately threw his arms around her, almost lifting her off the couch with his tight embrace.

"There, there." She mumbled awkwardly. "Did you want some hot chocolate or something? Maybe a sandwich?"

Paul's chest vibrated as he laughed. "I could always use a sandwich. Or two."

"I hoped you'd say no. But okay, cool, I'll make one." Kiera teased, pushing back to detangle.

Paul let her, the lack of tension in his shoulders a relief to Kiera. She gave him a small smile and went into the kitchen, shuffling around as she made him a fat sandwich with the rest of the cold cuts they had. She couldn't help him with this problem, but she could always fix him a plate of food in these trying times.

When she'd come back into the living room, Paul was sprawled out on the sofa, his feet hanging off the side. He could barely keep his eyes open, even as he made gimme hands at the plate she was holding. She held it just out of reach for a moment, only giving in when he leveled her with an annoyed scoff. She snickered as he ate, watching with rapt attention. He inhaled his food, almost literally breathing it in. Before she could offer another, Paul let out a large yawn.

Leaning back to check the digital clock in the kitchen, Kiera inwardly sighed. It was just shy of three in the morning, the world outside already starting to return to life with color. Looking back at Paul, she shrugged. Disappearing for a second, she returned with a pillow from her room and a thick blanket used for guests.

"Get some sleep." Kiera said, placing the pillow and blanket on his stomach. Paul smiled at her with warm eyes already half asleep, his voice quiet.

"Thank you, Kiera." He said. "I think I'm glad it had to be you."

Kiera shooed away his sentiments with a hand. "Okay, no mushy stuff this early in the morning. Don't scream if Ramona tried to chase you out."

Paul's chuckles followed her as she walked to her room, a smile on her face.