Chapter 30: Blood

Nessie's POV

I walked nervously. Alec hadn't told me what it was that the Volturi wanted. I just knew that it wasn't good. Whatever it was. When we stopped in front of a closed door I smelled something strange. Something delicious. The smell was tantalizing. It made my throat burn. No my throat was on fire.

Alec opened the door revealing a wounded human inside. Blood. It called to every single one of my vampire instincts. My body craved the substance that was blood more than it had ever craved anything else before. My body needed this. I crouched down. Ready to launch myself at my meal.

No! I couldn't hurt this little girl. For I had just realized that the wounded human was a little girl. No older than maybe three or four years old. I stood up. I refused to attack this innocent human child. I didn't know who she was or even how she got here. But I refused to hurt her

But that blood! My thoughts screamed at me. I crouched down once again. My body ready to spring at my target. I felt like I was being torm in two completely different directions. The vampire in me wanted that blood and didn't care about what it would cost. The human part of me wanted to resist and preserve that little girl's life at all costs.

The little girl's screaming broke right through my confused state of my mind. One look at her face told me that she was in dire pain. I did not know what I was doing as I walked up to that girl. There was a fifty percent chance I would kill her for her blood and another fifty percent chance that nothing would happen.

Right now though the bloodlust was beginning to win over. The smell of her blood promised to quench the unrelenting thirst in my throat. When I got to the terrorized girl I stopped. The terrified look in her young face made me freeze. I couldn't hurt this girl. I had to help her. There was a large wound on her right leg and another one on her chest. Her right arm was bent in an odd way.

I bent over her seeing if there was anything that I could do to help her. Instincts seized me and I was suddenly licking the wound on her leg. Coating it with my venom. I watched in amazement as the wound healed itself. I did the same to the wound om her chest. Her crying wasn't as loud anymore. Unfortunately there was not anything I could do to fix her arm.

"It's okay," I tried to tell her. I picked up the small girl and held onto her as tightly as I could. "You're okay,"

"Who are you?" she sobbed. "Are you going to hurt me to?"

"You're okay," I said. "My name is Nessie and no I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?"

"Lucy," she sniffed.

"How old are you Lucy?"

"I'm three," she snivelled.

"Where's your mom and dad,"

"Dead," she cried. "They were killed by people with red eyes and then I was taken here,"

I didn't know how but somehow I was going to help this girl. I stood up with Lucy in my arms. As I started walking back I spotted a very shocked looking Alec staring at me.

"What was the purpose of this?" I hissed at him.

He faltered for a minute. "It was a test the Volturi had set out for you,"

"What kind of test!' I shouted a little too loudly. Lucy's gripped on me tightened.

"They wanted to see how fast you would give into the temptation of human blood. But you didn't give in at all. Why would you fight it instead of allowing yourself to enjoy her blood?"

My own blood began to boil at his question. "Do you mean to tell me that the Volturi killed her parents, injured and kidnap this little girl, all so they could see how fast I would kill her!"

He flinched at the tone of my voice.

"Why does it matter so much to you anyway? They're just humans after all,"

"So because they're just humans that gives you the right to torture them like this? So because they're human they're somehow lesser than vampires? Am I lesser than a vampire because I'm half human?"

"Humans are food. Haven't you ever heard of the food chain?"

"Yes I have," I seethed. "and nowhere on the food chain does it say that the lion sadistically tortures the lamb before finally killing and eating it. No they hunt when they're hungry and they kill their prey quickly. But it seems like many of your kind actually like the torture part. Let me ask you this Alec. Does anything about the Volturi's lifestyle bother you at all?"

He didn't answer.

"Look just because humans aren't as fast, strong, or powerful as vampires doesn't mean that they're worthless or only good for food," God I was starting to sound like a PETA spokesperson. Only for humans instead of animals. Maybe I should start my own organization. VETH. Vampires for the Ethical Treatment of Humans.

"It does," he whispered so low that I almost didn't hear him.

"What?" I asked.

"It does bother me,"

"What bothers you?"

"This lifestyle. Torturing humans. Fighting for the Volturi," he said. "It all bothers me but I'm loyal to the Volturi. I owe them my life,"

We had gotten to my room by this point in the conversation. He closed the door behind himself. Lucy's grip on me was so tight by this point. Her crying had stopped but she was still terrified.

I listened quietly as Alec told me about his childhood. The superstitious villagers that had though he and his sister were witches. How they had been condemned to burn at the stake. How it had been Aro who had gotten there and saved them in time. It was heartbreaking.

"That's why I have to stay loyal to them. Despite what I believe,"

I took a deep breath. "Alec yoh don't owe anyone anything. Yeah he saved you. So now you have to basically be his indentured servant for the rest of his life? No you don't. You have tbe freedom to choose a different path. You could join me and my family,"

He laughed. "After everything I have done your family wouldn't want me. It doesn't matter anyway because, like I told you, I can't leave the Volturi. I don't have a choice. I have to stay here,"

"You always have a choice Alec,"

"Look Nessie I have to go. Aro wants to hear how your test went. I'll be back to bring you two food later if I can," he said before leaving.

"I want to go home," Lucy cried. "I'm scared,"

"I know kid. So am I,"

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