AN:I'm sorry that i didn't reply to many of my review last chapter, but my computer got taken away again, so your going to have to escuse my lack of input for who knows how long. Actually, i'm at the library because i promised that i'd update today, and i really don't want to break any promises today. Hope you Enjoy! Oh, and by the way, i wrote this at 1:00am on new years eve, and you can kind of tell i was a LITTLE bit out of it.

Chapter 13

Bella's Pov

I could feel a gentle, cool hand caressing my face, trying to wake me without actually causing a disturbance. I instantly knew that it was not Edward, though the similar in almost every way it felt alien to my senses. After I few minutes of confusions, I remembered that I was with Alec, and the hand belonged to him.

I opened my eyes to find Alec's face only inches from my own. He removed his

hand from my face, and his expression was sheepish.

"I don't actually know where you live," he told me reluctantly.

"Oh, right." Somehow I was scared to go home, afraid that Edward would be there, waiting.

It was as if he could read my mind because he soon responded, "We don't have to go home if you don't want to."

"Did you know that Edward can read minds?" He looked confused for a moment.

"No. Do most vampires?"

I looked at him quizzically. "Exactly how many vampires have you come across?"

"Not including the ones tonight; three."

"Really?"

"Ya, that's pretty sad isn't it?" I could feel a faint smile touch my lips.

"A little," I responded.

He chuckled, "How many vampires have you come across?"

"Only about 100 if you count all of the ones I saw in Italy when I was talking to the Volturi and the rest of their guard." His face somehow grew a few shades lighter at the mention of the Volturi. "It would seem you've heard of the Volturi."

He nodded, but his mind seemed to be somewhere else. "They didn't kill you?" he asked, his tone sounding slightly shocked.

"No, they didn't. Aro seems to think that I'm special. It appears that my mind is a safe place that can't be penetrated. I'm the only mind Edward can't read."

"Does it surprise you that your mind is safe from others? Most minds are all the same, operating in the same way, even though I've only spent a few hours with you I can tell you're different than the others around you."

I shot him a curious expression before continuing with my next question. "Can you do anything odd?"

He smirked. "Odd? Sure, what do you consider odd? Drinking blood? Poison coated teeth? Deadly strength? Ghost-like running ability? The ability to sense others talents and feelings, being able to counteract others by manipulations? Incredibly enhanced senses?"

"Wait, you can understand people, break into their minds and reverse the things that others have done to them, like the way Jasper can manipulate the feelings of those around him?"

"Yes, I thought everyone could. Well, everyone like me, I meant."

"No, they can't." He seemed troubled by this new piece of information, but did not ask any more questions. "But wait, you said you could tell that I was different than others after only spending a few hours with me. With your power, wouldn't you be able to tell that instantly?"

"I would be able to with any other person, but like you said, your mind seems non-existent. It protects its own secrets."

"So you were playing with my mind when you were asking me those questions?"

"No, you're a lot calmer when your talking, and no offense, but you were totally flipping out."

"This seems kind of weird, but the style you use to talk is a lot different than your brother's."

"Ya, he was always the one to dwell into the past. I was always the one to move on immediately, and I also liked to keep up with the times."

"How come you keep using past tense? You're both still here, you're both still the same, so why do that?"

"Edward's changed a lot. He's nothing of what I remember," Alec stated in a monotone.

"I'm not so sure he has, tonight well, it's just that he's never acted like that before. Did you see his family's faces, they were just as shocked as you were." I really didn't want him to get the wrong idea about Edward. Something was wrong; he was not himself. That much was obvious.

He glanced at me. "You know what; you're weirder that I thought."

I grimaced and turned away from him, I was not sure what he was talking about, but I knew little of him and what he may be possible of. He seemed entertained by my actions, and although I knew he could not get inside my mind, it was as if he could.

I turned back around, and cocked my head at him. "You said you could see what others' talents are. How?"

"I'm not really sure, it's kind of confusing." I met his gaze, waiting for him to continue. "When I look into a person's eyes I can see every aspect of their life, their faults, talents, beliefs, hardships they've faced, their thoughts. I can see everything the person has had to face, and see why he is what he is." He shook his head, his black hair falling over his eyes. "I can tell if someone is being manipulated by others own gifts, and somehow reverse it."

"Does that mean you can see everything about me?"

"I told you, it's like you don't exist, nothing is hidden within your eyes, to me it's as if your soul doesn't exist."

"If you can't sense anything about me than how come Jasper can manipulate my feelings, and Alice can have premonitions? She only has a premonition when someone's mind has been made up. That would need to mean that her subconscious knows what I'm thinking, right?"

"You ask way too many questions, and to tell you the truth, I don't know why. Anyway, it would seem you know more about vampires than I do, and I've been one for more than 100 years."

Our conversation had seemed to end, so I took a moment to view out surroundings. We were in a clearing that was encircled by tall pine trees with mossy trunks. I assumed that when Edward had begun to chase us Alec had just run to get away, and this is where it had led us.

I turned to study Alec; his shaggy black hair had once again fallen over his eyes, although from where I sat, I could see his eyes. They were the color of liquid gold, rather than topaz or butterscotch, but eerily beautiful all the same.

Almost every aspect of his face resembled Edward, expect for his jaw, which was

more angular, and his cheekbones which appeared to be a little more prominent.

Though almost identical to his brother, his attitude was almost the complete opposite of Edward's. Edward had a temper and was always so cryptic. Alec seemed to have no temper at all, and seemed to be more reserved and shy than Edward.

I was enchanted by him, his presence caused my guard to drop and I allowed my eyes to move to his body, seeing that everything he wore was black, his jeans, shirt, even his shoes, and it suited him fine. He looked that he was comfortable with who he was.

His eyes lifted to meet my gaze, and in them I could tell that he was accustomed to solitude, and had been all his life. He lived alone not because he had to, but because that was how he preferred it.

I realized now that the reason for him meeting so few vampires was not because

of ignorance, but of not wanting to.

The silence seemed to not bother him, and he seemed to have visibly relaxed. He enchanted me; I was amazed that someone such as him could even exist, just as I was with Edward.

"We should probably get you home, it's eight in the morning, and your Dad's probably freaking out because you didn't go to see him yesterday after school."

"How do you keep doing that? I thought you couldn't read my mind, I thought you said it was as if my soul didn't exist."

He rolled his eyes. "Soul, no. Intelligence, yes. I can't see what you think, but I can see things about your family, and instead of all of being able to see everything that has happened to you in your life, I can only see what has occurred in the past few hours. It's almost like watching a movie, normally I hear the thoughts of people, and it makes it seem as if I had actually lived those experiences as they did."

"And you said I was confusing," I muttered under my breath.

I turned back to him. "Yes, we should go back to my house, I take it you figured out how to get there."

"Yes. Now climb on my back so we can go, I'm getting antsy just sitting here like this in the open."

"In the open, are you kidding me? We're in the middle of the woods, who's going to find us here?"

"Many things live here that are much more dangerous than I am," Alec said gravely.

My eyes widened. "That's exactly what Edward keeps saying! What lives here that is so terrible?"

"For one, werewolves."

"So? My best friend is one of the werewolves you're talking about."

He stopped suddenly, and pulled me around to face him. "You're telling me that you're best friends with a werewolf, and dating a vampire?" he asked, skeptical.

I nodded cheerily, "Great, isn't it?"

He turned away from me, and began to bang his head repetitively against the nearest tree. When he was done he turned back around to face me. "I really can't believe that this is actually happening. I must be mad, or maybe I died back in Chicago and this is all an incredibly odd dream."

I smiled, and patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is actually happening."

He shook his head and lifted his had to brush back his hair. "Come on, let's go. Wouldn't want your dad worrying more than he needs to."

I climbed car carefully onto his back and pressed my face between his shoulder blades, he smelled delicious, but different than Edward or Alice. It was sweet and rich, and just as enchanting as his eyes were.

"So, anything else dangerous live here?"

"Yes, but they scare the bejesus of me, so I'm not about tell you about them."

"That's no fair," I pouted.

"Yes, it is, and stop pouting! You're making me laugh, and I just know I'm going to end up slipping on one of these rocks. It's so slippery."

"Yep," I said, "Slippery with dew. You know what? I love mountain dew, it's one of the best drinks ever, next to coke that is."

Alec's pace slowed, but did not stop completely. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hmm, let me think. No. My boyfriend just dumped me, and chased me away screaming that he likes another girl."

Alec shot me a peculiar expression. "I can be your boyfriend if you want." I knew that he was serious.

"I don't even know you! I've known you for a matter of about three hours!"

"So?" I rolled my eyes.

"No."

"That hurt," he said.

"Get over it."

"No." Sheesh.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm stubborn, that's why!"

"Oh my God, we're losing it!"

"Pretty much."

At that moment Alec stopped, swung me around, and kissed me. The kiss was soft

and pure, not forcing, just sweet. I could feel my heart racing, my breath catching in my throat.

"You shouldn't have done that." I said to him.

"Your fastly beating heart's telling me I should have."

"No. Leave me alone, you're getting me confused."

"This is fun. I feel dangerously close to cracking, I think it was seeing what you saw when you were looking at me earlier." I felt my cheeks growing red with heat.

I grabbed the key from underneath the eave, and unlocked the door.

"I'm going to get dressed, stay here and don't move."

"That's not a nice thing to say to your savior." I paused at the foot of the stairs and glanced back at him.

"Fine you can go sit in my room, just don't touch anything."

"I promise I won't touch a thing, except maybe a chair of course."

"Whatever."

B/N: I had the strongest urge to add something to the end but I held it in. Can you believe how complicated this story is getting?! They kissed. If Edward was himself, he'd freak. It was kind of cute though. And there is something or another in the woods too. Why is life so complicated? I'm not a big fan of mountain dew. Sorry, I'm done ranting.

A/N: 'kay i'm done with that, please review and don't kill me.