Chapter 2

The Hunt

The anticipation was building, as we passed in and out of cities. After driving for almost 1144 miles, 6 days non stop, I was beginning to get restless. We only stopped for bathroom breaks and food for me. I was starting to get a tingling sensation in my legs and then they went numb. I tried to reposition myself, hoping to feel my legs again. I didn't want to stop when we were so close to Forks, but I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Dad, can we pull over for a sec." I asked with a look of discomfort on my face.

"Sure sweetie!"

We pulled onto the side of the road and I hopped out of the car, stretching my legs as I walked along the edge of the forest. I watched as the towering trees swayed in the wind. There was a sweet scent of pine and moss in the air, and I heard the deer running through the forest. As I enjoyed all of my surrounding, I realized I was ready to go.

I got back in the car and nodded to my father letting him know I was ready to go and we were on the road again.

Come on, I thought to myself as I looked out the car window with my chin resting in my hand. I felt like a child asking; are we there yet? over and over again. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw my father's eyes watching me as he quietly laughed to himself. I rolled my eyes and slowly repositioned myself.

The scenery was beautiful as we passed through the forest filled with wild life. I caught a glimpse of the deer running through the forest, jumping gracefully over the fallen tree stumps. As I watched them running as fast as my father was driving, I could hear their hearts beating, pumping their blood through their veins. My mouth started salivating!!

Dad I think I'm getting thirsty, I thought to myself not wanting anyone else to hear me.

Sweetie we can't hunt yet, he said using our newly discovered power, you can hunt as soon as we get home.

I don't know if I can wait that long!!

You have to sweetie. We'll be there in less than an hour, he said as he winked at me through the rear view mirror.

Ok, I can try, I replied with a discouraged look on my face.

My thirst was so unbearable. My hands started to feel a little shaky and my head was starting to hurt. I can do this I told myself. It has never been this bad; I use to go months without hunting.

I tried thinking about things I would get to do in Forks, to distract me from how thirsty I was. It wasn't really working until I saw a sign on the side of the road.

WELCOME TO FORKS

"Yeah!!" I squealed in my seat.

"Baby!!" my mother said covering her ears.

"Sorry mom," I said as I leaned over the seat to kiss her cheek.

"I think our daughter is actually happy, my love," my mother said to my father as she grabbed his hand.

My father looked at her and nodded as he lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed it.

I was happy and my father already knew it. I wasn't going to be the freak that hid in the house. It was time for me to be myself. Well kind of!!

The car suddenly turned onto a hidden road and the other cars and truck followed. As we drove up to a big beautiful house, I saw my grandma and grandpa standing on the porch welcoming us home. I jumped out of the car before my father could make a complete stop, and ran throwing my arms around my grandpa.

"I missed you Charlisle" I said hugging him.

"I missed you to Renesmee" he said as he kissed my forehead

I heard a little cough behind him and soon realized my grandma was behind him.

"Oh, Esme! Your house is beautiful."

I released Charlisle and went to Esme, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a gentle hug. I always felt I had to be a little softer when it came to Esme. She was so sweet and dainty. I was afraid I would break her if I was to rough, even though she was as hard as a rock.

"Hi sweetie" she said in bell like tone. "I have the house all ready for you. Come in and I'll give you a tour."

"Esme is it ok if I get a tour later. I want to take care of a few things first." I was hoping she would assume I had human needs to take care of.

"That's fine sweetie!! I'll tell everyone to start unloading the truck. Go take care of yourself." She said with a smile.

"Thank You Esme"

I didn't want to wait for everyone else to hunt. I was so thirsty and I couldn't wait any longer. My father did say I had to wait till we got to our new home and we were here, so I'm sure it would be ok for me to go. With that decision I was off.

I ran through the woods, letting the wind blow through my hair. The smell of the forest was similar to our stop on the side of the road. It smelled cleaner, sweeter than any other forest I hunted in. I stopped for a second to look around and get familiar with my surroundings, noticing every tree marking and stump sitting on the forest floor. After trying to remember my path, I continued through the forest running faster as I went, until I heard a sound coming from my right.

I was sure it was the tiny foot steps of a deer walking along the forest floor. I came to a quick halt and crouched down. I listened as I slowly followed the sound of moss and dirt being shifted under the deer's hoofs. My foot steps were light and almost none existent as I slowly approached my prey. As the deer finally came into view, I could hear its heart beating. As I slowly approached the deer, getting ready to pounce, it took off running for its life. It must have sensed me. I was never really that good at hunting.

Crap!! I really wasn't feeling to well and now I had to chase a deer. I felt a sharp pain of hunger in my stomach and I knew I had no choice. The deer ran so far ahead of me I was forced to follow its scent. The trees were a blur as I passed them running deeper and deeper into the forest. Its scent was getting stronger as I got closer. My eyes focused as I finally found my prey. It jumped over boulders and tree stumps. Jumping side to side as it ran, hoping to throw me off. After 10 minutes, of this silly game of hide and go seek, I had trapped it. I watched it as it struggled to get around me, with one little jump I landed on top of the deer and sunk my teeth into its neck. Its blood was so warm, so satisfying. I didn't stop until I got every last drop.

I had never felt so good after feeding. I felt stronger and faster. But still, as I stood there looking at my dead prey, guilt started to set in. I hated killing, but as my father put it, it was all part of the food chain. And now smaller animals were going to benefit from the rest of the deer and my father always assured me nothing would go to waste. I guess he was right, but I still never felt right about it.

I looked up and saw the sun was beginning to set. It was time for me to head back before my family got too worried. I looked around trying to remember where I came from. The forest looked the same in every direction I turned. I smelt the air hoping I could catch a familiar scent, but there was nothing. I slowly walked trying to remember my path, as I continued to smelling the air. I froze when I finally caught a scent. It was a pungent smell of pine, moss and something I couldn't put my finger on. I wasn't sure if I had ever smelt it before, but it reminded me of something.

What is that? I asked myself.

The scent slowly got stronger and I heard the breath and heart beat of something. I wanted to run, but my body wouldn't let me.

I can defend myself if I have to, I thought.

Then again, I remembered, I didn't know how to fight. By the sound of the breath and heart beat this thing was circling me. My heart started to race, I crouched down, growling baring my teeth. I was hoping to scare away whatever was out there. Its breathing and heart beat started to quicken as I felt it getting closer. My muscles tighten as I prepared to fight or run if I had to. I held my position looking out into the forest hoping to see what was out there.

Suddenly everything went quite. I couldn't hear a breath or a heart beat. I couldn't understand how I couldn't hear its footsteps. What was this thing?

Whatever it was, it stopped. Had it run away?

I sniffed the air trying to catch its scent. It was still there, hiding in the trees. So I stayed in my position and scanned the forest surrounding me.

I wish my family was here, I thought to myself.

I decided it was time to run. I slowly started to straighten my posture, still paying attention to my surroundings. I heard a movement in front of me and something stepped out from behind the trees.

I only saw the color of rust at first as I quickly crouched down ready to fight. My eyes started to adjust and I saw a large wolf standing in front of me. I growled hoping to scare it, forcing it to run away, but it didn't. I didn't want to kill another animal but I felt like I had no choice. Now I was the one being hunted. It stood there watching me. I had to take it down it before it attacked me.

I jump in the air hoping to land on top of the wolf, with no luck. It just simply stepped to the side, and I swore I heard it laugh. It didn't charge at me, it still stood there watching me as I hurried back onto my feet.

What kind of wolf is this? I asked myself, glaring into its eyes.

As I was crouched down staring into the russet wolf's eyes, I didn't see the eyes of a predator. Its big dark brown eyes were full of compassion and kindness. Again I had the odd sense that I have seen those eyes before. Something wasn't right. I put my hands up as if I were waving a white flag. I slowly straightened up while still keeping eye contact with the wolf.

"I just want to go home," I said pleading with the wolf.

I can't believe I'm negotiating with an animal, I thought to myself.

The wolf looked at me, as he tilted his head in confusion.

"What am I doing?" I said out loud, "So much for being normal!"

In the argument with myself I had forgotten about the wolf standing in front of me. I looked up at him and was surprised by the expression on its face.

The wolf looked at me with a grin. He knelt down, as though it was allowing me to pass. I figured I would try.

I slowly walked passed him, never once turning my back on him. It too never took its eyes off me as I stepped away from it. When I felt I was far enough away I took off sprinting as fast as I could. I ran in the opposite direction hoping it wouldn't follow me.

I have never encountered such an animal. It was larger than any other wolf I've seen. It seem smarter almost human like. I had so many questions running through my head. I had to find out about that wolf, and are there more like it?

I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was running, because all of a sudden I hit what I thought was a rock.

"Daddy," I screamed throwing my arms around him.

He picked me up into his arms giving me a bone crushing hug. I noticed as I pulled away from him he had the most peculiar look on his face.

"Renesmee, where have you been?" he asked.

"I needed to go hunting and I didn't want to wait for any one so I chased a deer and a wolf came out of no where," I continued rambling until my father stopped me.

I didn't think I made any sense, but my father did catch one word; wolf.

"You saw a wolf?" he asked sounding angry. "Are you ok sweetie? I'll kill them if they.." and he stopped all of a sudden.

I looked at him very puzzled. He turned his head trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"You'll kill who, Daddy?" I asked peeking around his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression.

"Don't worry about it sweetie. You can't stray to far from home around here. We have boundaries."

"Boundaries?" I asked more confused then ever. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you? I'm not a child anymore, stop treating me like one."

I was so angry. I wanted to know what was going on. What was my father hiding from me?

"Sweetie let's head home now, it's getting late and your mother is worried," my father said trying to calm me down.

"Fine!" I said stomping my foot to the ground.

I followed my father as we ran home. I started to recognize some of the trees as we passed them and I realized it was the same path I had taken. The house came into view and I saw Emmet standing on the front lawn.

"Renesmee, you smell like a dog," he teased me as I past him.

"What did you say?" Rosalie said, appearing out of no where along with the rest of the family.

Everyone had a shocked look on their face as they all approached me. No one moved, they just stood there staring at me until Esme approached me.

"Renesmee, you're safe." Esme said as she hugged me. "Don't you ever scare us like that again?"

And with that everyone but my mother and father surrounded me. Grabbing me and hugging me. Telling me how worried they were and so on and so on.

As I struggled to get out of everyone's grasp, I noticed in the corner of my eye my mother and father talking. Then out of no where, my mother started yelling at my father. I have never seen her yell before, so I quickly ran to them only catching the end of their conversation.

"What should you tell me?" I asked my mother.

"Baby there is a lot about forks that we haven't told you, and maybe it's time you know."

"I don't think she's ready for this my love," my father said through his teeth.

"She has to know Edward! And we need to be the ones to tell her, before she gets herself hurt."

"Fine, let's go inside and we'll talk about it. We can tell her what she needs to know."

I noticed my father put an emphasis on needs to know, but I ignored it. I watched as my father gave my mother a pleading look. I knew he didn't want to tell me anything, but my mother was forcing him.

As I stood there listening to my parents and now the rest of the family chiming in on what I needed to be told, the russet colored wolf popped into my mind. It was such a beautiful creature, its dark brown eyes and its beautifully colored coat had me mesmerized. There was something about this animal that had me stuck. Was I ever going to see it again?

Whoa!! I thought to myself. It's an animal and that's it. What am I doing? I couldn't help feeling like a freak at that moment, but I still couldn't get that wolf out of my head.

Renesmee, stop that! an angry voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up at my father embarrassed, and nodded.

I stood there still puzzled not able to say a word. I felt my father put his arm around me as he gently led me towards the house. My mother walked along the other side of me, as the rest of the family followed.

Was I finally going to get some answers?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

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