it's short, but it's something.

I sprint away, through the woods surrounding La Push, and to my front door. I open it and storm in, stomping and yelling, like a human would do. I realize it isn't necessary for me to make excessive noise, but I am rather angry.

"Carlisle! Alice!" I call. They're in front of me before I can blink. I read Alice's thoughts, and they reek of regret and fear. I upturn my lip and snarl at her. Carlisle puts a protective arm in front of her.

"Edward! It is not her fault!"

"I fail to see that!"

"Just let me explain-" Alice begins, but I hiss to cut her off.

"Alice. Do not. Attempt. To explain. Anything," I growl. "You had to have seen this!"

"I did, yes, a few days ago, but-"

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

"No…"

"Mind telling me WHY, Alice?!"

"I didn't want to ruin your happiness until I absolutely had to!"

I roll my eyes at her. Alice's sentiment, while somewhat nice, is unappreciated in these circumstances. "Carlisle, who changed her?"

"A human-feeder. He used to follow James around… do you remember Isaac?"

I snarl reflexively at the mention of his name. I had an encounter with Isaac long before I knew of Bella or Jacob. It was during my rebellious stage…

I was walking the streets of London at night, looking for potential sustenance. Listening for screams, gunshots, those sorts of things. And then I smelled him. Isaac, you understand, has a foul smell for a vampire. Like roses, which are, in my opinion, the worst-smelling common flora. I wrinkled my nose at his awful smell, but whipped round to see who smelled so awfully unappealing. That is how I caught sight of Isaac. As far as vampires go, he was average in looks. Red hair, three shades brighter than mine (I like to think of my own hair as bronze), but there was something about him that made him look sinister. Perhaps it was his deep-set eyes, his narrow nose, or the way his chin came to a point, reminding me of a gargoyle or a snake.

I cocked my head upon seeing him, dropping my defensive position. I meant him no harm. "Hello, comrade!" I said, in order to drive my non-violent point home.

"Hello," he hissed, not in a scare-tactic way, in a natural-voice way. "Hunting?"

"If this territory belongs to you, comrade, I am only too happy to feed elsewhere."

"No, no. No need to fuss. I was simply inquiring."

"Well, yes, then. And you, sir?"

"Isaac," he introduced, a sinister smile creeping onto his demonic face. "And yes, I was hoping to feed tonight, but not much is looking promising, is it, Mister…?"

"Edward. No, nothing is really looking up," I jested, smiling. And the returning smile I got from him was so evil I scarcely can think of it without getting shivers down my spine. "However, I best be going."

"Why so soon?" Isaac asked.

Then I started to get uncomfortable. I turned my back to him, and started to walk. I swallowed, though unnecessary to do so. "Thirst beckons," I said uneasily.

"Surely we haven't finished talking."

"I believe we have, comrade. There's nary a thing left to say."

I shuddered as the stench got closer to me, just behind my back. I snarled.

"There, there. No need to get dodgy. I have a proposition."

"State your business, then,'' I murmured.

"You and I, Edward, are alike. Our ability, though slightly varied between us two, is very similar. I am able to see through spoken pretences, yet you can read every thought… I say we team up. Make a coven. Who knows the things we could do!"

Another redundant gulp of venom. "With all due respect, friend, I have a family already. I am… vacationing, if you will."

Isaac stepped a few feet back, and I turned to face him once more. He sneered at me. "A family! Creatures like us gave up family long, long ago! The soulless can make no connections! We merely form groupings for gain!"

I don't know what came over me, but I sprinted over to him and held him up by his throat. Thoughts of Esme and Carlisle spun around in my head, and I didn't understand how this man could say what he did in all good faith. "You would be wise to leave, Isaac."

He laughed and pushed me away easily, stepping on my chest. "As would you, Edward."

I was about to retaliate, but then he ran off, leaving me alone and rather frightened.

"Yes, Carlisle," I snarl. "I remember."

"I'm sorry, Edward."

Emmet runs in the door abruptly, smelling of the forest. "Are we gonna kill Isaac?!" he asks enthusiastically.

"It looks that way, Emmett," I muse, "it looks that way."

---

"Edward," Jacob asks, breathless and rugged from running to my house, "I know it's urgent, but why'd you call me here?"

"It's someone I know," I blurt.

"What?!"

"Someone I know changed Bella. He's coming… she's coming here… and I haven't an idea what they want with us."

"Us?"

"A vampire and a werewolf being in love isn't so common. We can count ourselves lucky the Volturi are not yet involved."

"Yet?! Edward!" Jacob yells, obviously taken aback by the information.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I should have built up to it. You do understand the gravity, though?"

"Of course I do, Edward, and you know I would go to the ends of the earth for you, but this is all just a little hard to swallow at the moment."

"I understand completely," I say, and fulfill a fleeting thought of Jacob's by pulling him into my arms. Being the smaller one of us two, I'm a head-support. He kisses the top of my head and thinks, I love you, my little mind-reader.

If my heart still could beat, it would be fluttering.