All characters and what not in the following story are the creative property of Stephenie Meyer.
This is the part where I apologize profusely for how long it's taken me to get this chapter out. You know how it is, life can get a little crazy sometimes. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! The next one should be coming soon :)
Chapter 7
Denali
Carlisle and Esme returned not long after the girl's heart began to race. We were relieved when they arrived – if they'd been much later it could have been after the girl awoke. Newborns are very alert and feel threatened at the slightest movements. There's no doubt if our parents had arrived after her eyes opened she would have attacked them first and asked questions later.
"Isa, how long has her heart been speeding?" Carlisle asked in a professional tone.
"Not more than half an hour, father. You've arrived just in time." I said.
He checked over the girl on the floor then turned to Edward and I and smiled. His eyes dropped briefly to find our hands clasped tightly between us before looking back up.
"I can't express how pleased I am to see the two of you together. Edward's been waiting many years to tell you the truth of his feelings. I'm sorry he didn't tell you sooner Isa, but I wasn't sure how you'd handle it. He wanted to talk to you about it as soon as he returned from South America, but when he told me of his feelings and desire to make you his wife and mate I warned him to give you time. I was hoping eventually you might see that you were drawn to him as well though I was unsure how long it would take. I knew that you viewed yourself unworthy of marriage and after so long I was beginning to believe you would never think of it on your own. I'd hoped that living with Esme and me would give you the idea, perhaps hearing our nightly activities would insight some kind of desire inside of your long dead heart." He smiled apologetically then winked at me before turning back to the girl.
"You did a very good job with her, Isa, she's healed completely. I'm sure she'll be gaining consciousness soon. I'm not sure she would have made it if you'd drank from her, she'd lost so much blood."
He paused for a moment, looking into my eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. His expression was a confusing mixture of surprise, love, and pride.
"Isa, the first time I tasted human blood I was almost unable to stop. You almost died that day. You are the most extraordinary creature I have ever met. You have never bitten a human in the 130 years you've been a vampire and the first time you tasted blood on your lips you didn't drink a single drop. I can't find the words to tell you how proud I am of you. You deserve happiness and although I'm sure you believed you were happy before, there's nothing like the joy of having a mate. Trust me, Isa, you know how long I lived before Esme. I don't want you to live any longer without that kind of happiness for yourself. The same goes for you, my son. I'm excited for you both." He beamed.
Edward looked elated and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist. Carlisle stood beside Esme with his arm around her shoulder, and we waited for our new sister.
After another half hour, her heart sounded as though it would burst from her chest, then sputtered, and died.
Worry began to boil inside me when her eyes didn't open. Several more minutes passed and she remained still, eyes closed, deathly. In my impatience for her to awake I made a terrible mistake. Just as a human would do, I carelessly shifted my weight from one foot to another. As soon as I moved I knew it was a bad idea.
The newborn flew from the ground and grabbed me around the throat before anyone had a chance to react. She pinned me against a wall by my neck, her vibrant red eyes glaring into mine. She wanted to kill me, but she wasn't sure how. I could see the confusion on her face when she realized that the force she was exerting on my throat should have decapitated me. The wall behind me began to give way, and small pieces of plaster dust fell to the floor.
The girl didn't know it, but she was close to severing my head from my shoulders. I attempted to scream but my windpipe was crushed.
Then everything went black.
While my brain stem repaired itself, I dreamed. I hadn't dreamt in so long I couldn't even remember what it was like, but I didn't remember it feeling so real.
I was in a bright field during daylight, dressed in a light sundress. For a moment I'd hoped I was dreaming about being human, but when I looked around I could see thousands of tiny rainbows of light bouncing off my skin.
I sighed and examined the field more closely. What I thought was a field was actually a bright meadow in the middle of some very green, mossy woods. The meadow was filled with wildflowers of all colors, and it was easily one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.
As I walked around I became less confident that I was alone in this small utopia, and I began to grow cautious. A twig snapped behind me and my defenses kicked in. I whipped around so quickly that my surroundings blurred, and when I stopped I found myself face-to-face with Aro, the most powerful of the Volturi leaders.
I tried to scream loudly but no sound came from my efforts. Then, I felt the pain.
I writhed on the ground whimpering for several moments before I realized I was back with my family. Edward watched in horror as I grabbed my throat and attempted to cry out in pain only to be thwarted by my broken neck. The newborn nearly took my head. Luckily she wouldn't have gotten far with it, but I couldn't imagine how excruciating that would have been. I was already in enough pain, and intense pain at that.
I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings by this point. Though vampires heal quickly I had suffered a large amount of internal damage. She'd effectively severed my head from my neck, only she hadn't torn through my thick outer shell; my skin was the only thing holding my head in place. I could feel the nerves and tendons repairing where they had snapped under her hold. Several cervical vertebrae and my hyoid bone had also been crushed and were now reassembling themselves. She had been only a fraction of a second away from severing my spinal cord completely. Only a newborn could decapitate a vampire with a single hand. I stayed on the floor while my family tried to calm the girl down.
When I'd found her in the street she'd been alone, though it was obvious she had been beaten. I'm sure she was very scared and confused, and I could not blame her for hurting me.
But God, it hurt.
"Where the hell am I?" She screamed though I only barely heard her.
"You're safe," Carlisle said soothingly, "No one will hurt you here."
"Then why are you holding my arms?" She continued to struggle against their binding hold. Esme moved to help when she knew I would recover. She grabbed the girl tightly around her waist.
"Because we're not sure we can trust you to not hurt us. We're only here to help you, we saved you from the alleyway. Well, Isa saved you. When she found you it was obvious you were close to death. I won't ask you to relive that memory now but can you remember your name?"
"Rosalie. Rosalie Hale." She flipped her hair as she said this, which I assumed was a human habit left over from her life.
I was still in immense pain but I was becoming more aware and my hearing was starting to clear. I felt a gust of wind filled with Edward's scent brush my face, announcing his presence at my side. He gently placed one hand on my back and one in my hand. "Are you alright, my love?" His voice sounded frantic.
I nodded slightly and the pain was immense. I winced and Edward's face wrinkled in pain.
"Just squeeze my hand if it hurts too bad to talk." I squeezed very hard. He winced slightly but did not pull away.
"My throat burns." Rosalie choked.
"We can take care of that, but we have to trust we can let you go. Will you attack us?" Carlisle asked tentatively.
"Not if you can help me feel better." She said.
"I promise I can help you as long as you promise not to hurt anyone." She nodded in agreement and Carlisle released her.
Edward accompanied our father on the hunt only to protect him, though he was reluctant to leave my side. He knew Esme would care for me, and only he could protect Carlisle if the girl's emotions were to change.
By the time they returned my voice had returned and most of the pain had subsided. Edward came straight to me once they arrived.
"How are you, Isa?" He asked tenderly.
"I'm better." I winced. It still hurt somewhat to talk. "How did she handle it?" I whispered. Carlisle had taken Rosalie to her room to console her while Esme stood in the doorway.
"Not very well. She didn't want to live. She was attacked and raped by a group of men." I gasped in horror, then winced again. He continued quickly so she wouldn't hear. "The group was lead by her fiancé." He said sadly.
We sat in silence for a moment listening to the angry sobs coming from Rosalie's room.
I briefly wished that she had taken my head and successfully burned it for two reasons: firstly so that she could have expressed her anguish and anger on someone who truly deserved it, secondly so that I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt that had taken me over. Any semblance of happiness left from my emotional union with Edward was replaced with self-loathing in that moment.
She shouldn't have had to deal with this. She shouldn't have been changed. She deserved for her soul to go on as was intended. I froze with stress and Edward eyed me nervously. All I could think about was the poor girl and what I had done.
Carlisle returned from her room a while later. He said that it would take her some time but eventually she would be content with her new life.
"She's torn between liking her new self and despising it." Edward said, listening to her mind. "Though she very much likes the way she looks." He smiled. "She can't stop staring at her reflection."
I remained on the floor, frozen and silent, for the rest of the night. The others planned our trip to Alaska where we'd decided to go while Rosalie overcame her newborn thirst. Edward hesitated when our parents moved to the couch to talk, but eventually he joined them. I didn't want him to leave but I was unable to compose myself enough to stop him.
I wasn't thinking about anything while I was frozen but regret, responsibility, and a little bit of self-loathing. I didn't resurface until the next morning when Rosalie came out of her room in a fit. She was acting exactly as a newborn should, thirsty and angry. She came through the living room knocking things down and throwing breakables at us, screaming that she was thirsty and to make the burn go away. Immediately they took her hunting, it always calms newborns to sooth the thirst. When they returned and she had time to recover and regret her actions, she turned to me.
"Isa?" She asked tentatively. I nodded slightly. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I didn't know what I was doing when it happened. Carlisle told me that you found me. I'm sure they've probably told you my story by now. I want you to know that I don't hate you. While I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole situation, I'm still thankful to you for what you did for me. They told me you've never bitten a human in all the time you've been alive and you broke your abstinence to save my life. I need you to know you have no reason to feel guilty for anything. You did what you felt was right. You've also given me the opportunity for revenge." Her eyes narrowed and her voice turned cold. "Right now the only thing I'm sure of is once I am in control of my thirst I'm going to hunt them down and destroy them. My ex-fiancé will know I'm coming by the time I get to him." She clenched her hands into fists. "I don't want to allow any other part of that bastard into my body, especially not his blood." Her voice was seething with pure rage and disgust. I could feel a newborn mood swing coming, so I decided to change the subject, breaking my silence of the morning.
"Thank you Rosalie, I appreciate your assurances. I promise that once we leave here and you're able to hunt whenever you'd like, you'll begin to enjoy your new life."
"So you've decided where we're going?" She asked, intrigued.
Carlisle stepped forward to answer her question. "We'll be heading to Alaska, there will be plenty to eat and few humans to stumble upon."
"Do we leave now?" She asked.
All heads turned to me, still somewhat frozen on the floor. I stood and nodded, locking eyes with Edward. He moved swiftly to my side but did not attempt to touch me, though I wanted him to. I reached out and grabbed his hand. Despite the worried look on his face, he smiled warmly down at me. I squeezed his hand as a silent reassurance and smiled slightly. I would be okay; I just needed to recover. Rosalie's words had soothed my nerves, though some of the guilt lingered.
We left almost immediately for Alaska. When we left I didn't pack much, except some clothes and all of the elements from the prehistoric bird project Edward and I had been working on in our spare time. Since we didn't know when we'd be able to return, I wanted to make sure we had everything we would need. I wanted to finish the project and introduce the species to the scientific community.
We stopped along the way so Edward and I could hunt. Rosalie joined us, despite having fed just hours before. She could hunt as often as she wanted, and no one was going to stop her.
It was obvious she was trying very hard not to act upset around me and I appreciated that. Though I wanted her to express her feelings I didn't want to know if she disliked her new situation.
We hadn't told the girl yet, but we were actually going to visit relatives in Alaska in a town named Denali. In fact, none of our newest members, Edward included, knew of our fellow vegetarian coven. As we approached I was beginning to feel excited about seeing them. We had not visited them since a decade or so before Edward was changed. I regretted not contacting them sooner to arrange a visit, if for nothing else but to check up on them. The excitement I felt began to lift my mood, and by the time we reached Alaska I was ready to be somewhat myself again; whoever that was, anyway. My new relationship with Edward was confusing and I felt as though I was losing myself to him. In a good way of course, only at the time it was terrifying.
Not long after we crossed the border Rosalie wanted to hunt again. She caught the scent of a mountain lion and darted toward it without a second thought. Luckily Alaska has always been scarcely populated compared to its size, and Rosalie was able to hunt in peace. Esme and Carlisle accompanied her regardless.
Edward started to follow them but my body craved a moment alone with him.
"Don't go?" I asked softly as I reached my hand out for him, begging for his touch. He was by my side and in my arms almost too fast for even my eyes. He pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around my waist in earnest. He pressed his lips to the top of my head and held me close, my head resting against his chest. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck with one hand gripping his untamable hair. My face was pressed into the crook of his neck, and he continued to press his lips to the side of my head. The bridge of my nose and eyelids were blessed by the warm, silky feeling of the skin of his neck and a new, stronger wave of goose bumps and electricity raced down my spine.
He was kissing my head. I was terrified, excited, and tempted to do the same to his neck all at once. I froze again, and this time he noticed.
"Are you alright love?" He didn't pull out of our hug for which I was grateful.
"I'm fine." Though my voice was somewhat strained he let it go. For now he just wanted to hold me. He moved his head to my shoulder and our cheeks pressed together as his breath and scent and touch overwhelmed my senses.
I jumped back quickly, but Edward kept his cool. He didn't let his anguish show through his unbreakable façade.
"I'm sorry," I gasped. "It's just your breath, and your skin, and your... everything."
"I know, I'm sorry. You weren't ready for it, but before I knew what I was doing it was too late. I just wanted to be closer to you. I'm sorry." He was starting to lose control and his expression flickered for a split second. It happened so fast I couldn't register the emotion, perhaps longing? Torment?
"Edward, you promised!" I said, "I love you, and truly what made me recoil were my own desires! I've lived far too long without this to jump in so quickly. My face is rarely that close to anyone but my prey." I laughed humorlessly. "I was already overwhelmed, so your face against mine was just too much, that's all." I said in what I hoped was a comforting voice.
"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been waiting for this for so long I'm finding it harder to control myself than I planned." He grinned. His voice turned to a quick, quiet whisper, "Did you enjoy it at least?" I almost wasn't sure I heard him correctly.
"Of course, Edward! Every time I'm near you it's almost like I feel alive again. I feel more like a human now than when I actually was one. I don't know how long it will take to get used to the change but there's certainly no turning back now." Hopefully he understood the weight of my words and the true strength of my feelings for him. His smile grew which reassured me he did.
Our family rejoined us and we continued our journey to visit our friends in Denali. The sisters Kate, Tanya, and Irina were impossibly old, even older than Carlisle. In fact, they're so old Carlisle and I seem like children in comparison. Rosalie would be safe there, not only because of their wisdom but also their remote location.
"Greetings Isa! Carlisle! I see you have several new members since the last time we spoke?" Tanya greeted us. Ah, it had been far too long since we'd last seen our loved ones.
"It's incredibly rude of us to show up after so long, expecting you to accept us with open arms. Will you forgive us for not keeping in touch?" I asked. She hugged me tightly and smiled.
"Of course, we already have! You've been busy, it seems, and you have a newborn I see?" She asked, eyeing Rosalie curiously. I introduced Edward, Esme, and Rosalie to the sisters as they led us into the house. I explained that we had changed and cared for each one, starting with Edward. They were excited to hear that he and I were to be married and though they're certainly the most experienced people in the world when it comes to sex, they understood my fears and desire to wait. They were also ecstatic for Carlisle who, after so long, had found Esme – his perfect match.
We consider the Denali sisters as our family partly because they share our vegetarian lifestyle. Also because Carlisle and I look up to them greatly: with great age comes great wisdom, and he and I spent several decades with them long ago, hoping to absorb their knowledge. We're the only two covens in our world who do not consume the blood of people. They're dear friends in a world that mocks our compassion for the human species.
All three sisters were intrigued with Rosalie and her beauty. For the duration of our stay they treated her as they would a daughter if they could bear one. I could tell the attention brightened Rosalie's mood, and I was surprised that within weeks of our arrival she seemed quite comfortable and happy with her new self. I was very pleased with her change in mood and felt as if I had in fact made the right decision in changing her. She certainly was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined she could be. I didn't think I could imagine someone more breathtaking than she as a human, but vampire Rosalie was another ballpark altogether. I told her this often, as did the Denali sisters. We couldn't help but compliment her. Every time she flipped her hair or pouted her lip she looked more and more stunning. Edward told me she'd enjoyed that very much. Apparently our doting affections helped her overcome her wavering dislike for her new self.
The sisters told us we were welcome to stay as long as we needed. We decided that staying with our family while Rosalie overcame her thirst was much better than living in the woods, and promised to stay until she felt she was ready.
The house was huge but our coven had now grown so much that there weren't enough rooms for Edward and I to stay separately. Though he never spoke of it, I knew he was happy about the situation. He was too much of a gentleman to admit it since he knew it made me uncomfortable. Of course I wanted to spend time alone with him but I didn't want things to move too quickly. I certainly spent a lot of time in common areas on purpose. When I wanted to be alone with him all I had to do was go into our room and he would dash in behind me. It was sweet actually, and it became harder and harder to keep my emotions and urges under control.
Time moved quickly while we were there, and well over eight months after we moved in with our family in Denali a thought occurred to me. All eight of us were sitting in the living room, each wrapped up in various distractions. I looked around at all the happy faces in the room and lingered on Rosalie's. That's when I realized –
"Carlisle, why didn't we come here with Edward and Esme as newborns? It would have been much more comfortable!" We had escaped into the wilderness, hiding in its depths, foolishly relying on its protection from prying eyes.
"You certainly would have been welcome!" Tanya said. "Though if you'd brought Edward I might have tried to seduce him while he was single." She laughed maniacally.
I growled lightly at her mischievous smile. "Don't worry, cousin, I would never take your mate. That being said you know me, I can't help what I want. Nor can I help what I think." She winked at Edward seductively before running out of the house. Edward looked harassed and disgusted.
"She has a filthy mind," he said, "Once she learned of my gift she began bombarding me with inappropriate images and memories. It's as if she's seeking to seduce me with her thoughts."
I allowed the growl to rip from my throat, I didn't hold back. "How could she?"
"She can be cruel sometimes, Isa, I'm so sorry for her behavior." Irina said, shaking her head slowly.
"It's alright Irina, I'm just not used to jealousy."
I was jealous. I was incredibly jealous and angry with her! I couldn't believe her for doing that, intentionally trying to change his mind, making him uncomfortable. It made me want to leave Denali that night; she knew how long I'd waited for him, she knew how much he meant to me.
Though Edward and I were not "mates", it was certainly in the cards. Even after a year I still had done no more than kissed him on the cheek. He seemed to become increasingly more content with our relationship as time passed and that made it easier. I felt nowhere near ready to go any further nor did I feel pressure from him to do so. We spent most nights cuddling and reading in our bed while our days were spent in common areas.
Rosalie hunted often and though we all took turns going with her, she seemed to enjoy Tanya's company the most. I didn't mind – Rosalie and I were not especially close. The bond between a vampire and their creator, and vice versa, was greatly respected in our world. I felt a strange maternal love for her that I'd never felt before considering I'd never wanted to be a mother. That being said, she was always a bit distant from me though it didn't seem to be purposeful. I felt as if she was always going to resent me somewhat for what I did to her, even if it was only subconsciously.
Close to a year after our arrival in Denali, Rosalie announced that she was ready to test her control around humans and requested we take her to the nearest town. We explained to her that she would have to get used to the scent of blood before she could go anywhere near a populated area, but that we could take her somewhere in the forest. A majority of the population in Alaska lived remotely and kept to themselves, we knew it would be easy to find a secluded house somewhere in the woods. In fact, Kate knew the perfect home not far from where we were staying, but far enough that no one would suspect us.
We all went to offer her our support, and restrain her if necessary. We made our way there after nightfall, under the cover of night. When we approached the tree line surrounding the cabin, we stopped. Edward told Rosalie to close her eyes and listen. She needed to be able to resist the sound of four human hearts pumping delicious liquid through warm, soft veins. I had to admit the sound made even my mouth water if I concentrated too hard.
Then Carlisle spoke, "The easiest way to stay in control, in case you're feeling tempted, is to hold your breath." As he said this two children ran outside to play and their scent assaulted us. Rosalie's muscles tensed but she did not move. It was strange how delicious the smell was to me after spending a year away from humans, but I quickly pushed the thought from my mind.
Rosalie stopped breathing and was controlling herself beautifully – A human would not have noticed her internal struggle. Then, after a few moments, she breathed in ever so slightly through her nose.
Without hesitation she launched herself toward the children. Luckily Edward knew her mind a split second before and was able to throw himself in her path, giving the rest of us time to react. We quickly restrained her and pulled her away from the house. When we were safe from the scent, she regained her senses.
"I'm sorry, I was doing so well, I thought I was under control. I suppose I was too confident when I took a breath, but I wanted to try." She admitted sadly.
"No one is angry with you Rosalie, you did a wonderful job!" I said in a soothing voice. "You did better than anyone could have expected. To tell you the truth, I was feeling tempted just by the sound which didn't seem to bother you at all."
My words seemed to cheer her, and her mood was bright again by daybreak.