Chapter 3 – Sisters

I loved living in Alaska. The snow was beautiful and the wildlife was varied. Some times Irina and I would go away for days, just hunting. Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar asked us about our years with the Volturi. If she could, Irina would blush. I rolled my eyes, "It was interesting living with them. Besides feeding on humans, they were a very sophisticated and refined clan. They questioned us on several occasions on why we fed the way we did and that got old fast." Irina patted my hand, "Yeah, but once we got the key members of the Guard on our side, the interrogations ended." She and I smiled brightly at each other. Tanya and Kate looked between us. "Do you mean Demetri and Felix?" Carmen asked. I hid my face in Irina's neck. She laughed, "Yes. I got Demetri in less than a month. But Isabella," she nudged my face with her chin, "Couldn't seal the deal with Felix." I pulled away from her, "Stop it. I told you I'm not interested in that."

Eleazar rolled his eyes and smiled, "Sounds like 'girl time.' If you'll excuse me." He dashed out the glass-paned double doors. Kate giggled and pulled her legs up onto the couch. "Ok, now that he's out of the room, I want details." Irina went into her tales of sneering Demetri time and time again. When she was done, the focus fell on me. I sighed, "Felix definitely wanted a more physical relationship, but that wasn't something I've ever wanted." Carmen blinked, "So you've never……?" I shrugged, "I have no idea. But I don't think so. I mean, when I was with Felix, I felt anxious, like it was my first time doing anything like that." We discussed my relationship and it was concluded that I never have been with a man. Irina and Kate decided that they would help change that status. Only Tanya respected my request to not trying to change my "status. I really liked all of Irina's sisters and they welcomed me as their sister. For two days straight, the five of us sat in the living room talking. They told me about their pasts and Carmen told me how she met Eleazar.

Soon, Eleazar joined us for hunting. "You have no interest in finding out who you were as a human?" Eleazar asked me. I shock my head, "Aro was the last resort. His power didn't work on me." Eleazar found that fascinating, "Hmmm, a shield?" I looked at him, "A what?" He smiled, "That was role in the Guard. I detected the abilities of others. You are a 'shield.' Even now, you are blocking me. And I doubt Kate can hurt you." I smiled, "Maybe. Jane and Alec couldn't affect me either. Jane hated me for that." I smirked, "Yes, Jane prized herself as Aro's best Guard." I smiled, "Well, maybe I should have joined the Guard. She would have been knocked out of that position very quickly." Eleazar told me about all the ones he found, including Demetri, Chelsea and Felix.

For our hobbies, my mew sisters and I enjoyed shopping, dancing, gossiping, redecorating, driving and listening to music. Tanya loved designing new clothes and I would help her make them. Irina would shop for shoes and accessories to go with the new ensembles. Something I learned to be good at was computers. I learned a lot about them and how to rewire them, so that they could be touched sensitive to our hard skin. Tanya had taken to designing on the computer and Carmen, Kate and I convinced her to sell her designs to boutiques in California. To go with Tanya's clothes, Irina and Kate started designing accessories to go with them and Carmen and I designed the shoes. Soon, the lines were coming out faster than Tanya could sell them, so we decided to start our own company online and Eleazar helped us. From time to time, I would get feelings of familiarity.

When I would have disputes with Tanya, the way she glared at me brought on the feelings. Also, when Carmen would take up for me and when Eleazar would annoy me, more feelings would emerge. While thinking about a design for shoes, I tune just came to me. It was familiar and when I hummed it, I would feel better. I would feel secure somehow but I didn't remember where it came from. I think I knew that song from when I was human. Part of me wished I could remember where I came from, but it was pointless. As more time went by, it became more likely that I wouldn't find out who I was. Feeling this way, somehow, this brought back feelings of familiarity. But oddly enough, this feeling wasn't about me. It was about someone I knew. When I wrote these feelings down in my journal, I would temporarily put them away so that I could focus on the life I had now.

When I would sit with my brother and sisters, just playing cards or laughing, I had the sense that I had never had that before in my life. Another feeling I wrote down; I thought I was an only child. But more feelings contradicted it. When Carmen would brush my hair and select my clothes, I had the feeling that I at least had a sister. I tried to not let my sisters know about all this because I didn't want them to worry. I looked out my window, wondering if there was anyone out there who could help me remember who I was. I found myself staring at my own reflection, trying to remember my human eyes. What they looked like? I tried to imagine myself with green, blue or hazel. None of them seemed to fit. "Isabella?" I looked up. Kate was peeking into my room, "Yes?" She sat at the windowsill with me, "I wanted to shoe you….." she noticed my face, "What is it?" I smiled, "Nothing." Kate studied my face as I looked over her work, "Isabella, something's wrong. I could tell." I tried to smile but it faltered, "I was just thinking. About my human life." Kate was going to interject, but I held up one hand, "Of course, I'm still going to wonder, but I try not to dwell on it." "Isabella, all you have to do is say the word and we can start looking." "Thank you, Kate. I know, but I have the feeling my human life was full of pain and I'd rather not remember that." Kate and I resumed our work. Tanya was also worried about me. Painful or not, she still believed I should try to find out who I was.

"Irina, let's go," I called out to her. Carmen, Irina, Kate and I were going out dancing. The four of us got into Kate's car and we were off. As usual, all eyes were on us as we entered the party. We were known as the Denali sisters. As far as the public knew, Tanya was the eldest and I was the youngest. Carmen was the only one married and she lived with us, along with her husband. On other days, Carmen and I would go swimming in the lakes. The water would freeze a human to death, but it didn't bother us. Carmen, Eleazar and I would always get into debates with Tanya, Kate and Irina. The six of us were happy and this would bring on more feelings of familiarity. Not just sitting with people, but people with similar traits.

Irina and I have been here for almost a year and Tanya was telling me about their family that I would be meeting soon. She told their leader that they had a new sister and were very anxious for them to meet me. I waited anxiously myself. I heard Tanya on the phone with him. "Carlisle, I can't wait for you to meet her. You would really like her." I stifled a giggle. I saw the picture of the family she spoke of on the mantle; the Cullens. They were another clan that lived as we did; feeding on the blood of animals. Tanya said they would be here soon and that I would like them. Looking at their picture, I was sure she was right.