Bree's Story

3. A New Beginning

Bree's POV

We had only travelled about twenty feet into the forest when Carlisle spun around – at a blinding speed – to face me. He took two small steps toward me, closing the distance between us and put his hands on my shoulders. It felt nice – not in a romantic way, but in a way that made me feel like I was a part of something, like I was a part of the family. It felt similar to when my father would hold me that way each weekend, when I arrived at his house. It was a comfortable feeling.

"Okay, Bree," Carlisle said. "This will probably seem extremely strange to you, but you have to learn how to hunt… Cullen style."

"Uh-huh," I respond slowly. I was trying to hide the fear on my face, but my frantic looking eyes gave me away.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "It's not very difficult."

"Sure," I said nervously and he laughed quietly in response.

"Don't worry," he repeated. "Just use your senses and follow your instincts. It will come naturally."

"Okay, so what do we do?" I asked.

"Firstly, listen. A few miles to the north, you'll hear the heartbeats of some deer. Now, smell."

I followed his instructions, letting my hearing range outward through the forest. Sure enough, I could hear the thumping beating of a group of small hearts, just a little ways to the north. I used my acute sense of smell to find the scent of my meal. When I found the aroma of the deer, I was pleasantly surprised.

When the Cullen's were leaving the clearing I heard the beautiful blonde, Rosalie, mumble something very quietly. It sounded like "I wonder if she'll stay when she smells them," but she had said it in a way that made me almost afraid of the taste. It was obvious that she did not extremely like the taste of her vegetarian meals, and that made me fear that I couldn't cope with living like the Cullen's. But smelling the scent of the deer made me feel confident that I had made the right choice in joining my new family.

"I know they don't smell very appetizing, but you'll get used to it," Carlisle said. He must have been trying to read the expression on my face and was misinterpreting it.

"No, they smell great!" I said enthusiastically. "I don't understand what everyone's complaining about. Sure, their aroma isn't like humans, but their scent is mouth- watering in its own way. They smell delicious!"

"Hmm…" Carlisle murmured.

"What?"

"Newborns generally find the scent of deer almost repulsive, especially those who have tasted human blood before."

"Well, I guess I'm a little eccentric," I said in an excited voice. I was too happy. I knew I would be able to fit in with the Cullen's and that had me almost bounding with joy. "Can we just eat already?" I almost laughed. It reminded me of how I would complain when I was human and didn't get dinner on time. "The smell is driving me insane."

"Sure." Carlisle seemed astounded at my response so he stood there dazed. But I wasn't having that. I needed to hunt, to feel the warm blood radiating through my body. So I grabbed his hand and sprinted to the north, at full pace. As soon as he was running with me and I was sure he wasn't going to stop, I let go of his hand. He was slowing me down and I needed to go faster. He stayed a few metres behind me and after just forty-two seconds we had both slowed to a jog, so we wouldn't frighten the deer with our approach.

I crouched down low, peering through the small shrubs that were keeping me hidden from my prey's view. Carlisle copied me, crouching at my side. Keeping completely silent – as only a vampire could – I glanced through the gaps between the braches and leaves again. I could see the place on the neck of the deer where the blood pulsed the strongest, just as easily as I could hear its heartbeat.

Without even a second of hesitation, I leaped out from my hiding place and had a struggling deer in my unbreakable grasp, my lips parted at its neck, revealing my razor-sharp teeth. My teeth effortlessly broke through the soft skin of the deer's neck, and as I drank, its struggles became more and more feeble. My thirst was intense and I drank in a frenzy until the lifeless body finally ran dry.

I rose to my feet just a moment after Carlisle. He had taken down one of the other deer, although he wasn't really thirsty.

"That was different," I said, struggling to come up with the right word.

"You did well, Bree. I'm impressed," he encouraged. "I know that must have been quite bizarre for you. You've only ever hunted humans and you're so young. It's not easy to live as we do, but with time, I'm think you'll fit into our family very

well."

"Thank you. That wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined," I replied truthfully. "Why does everyone think animal blood is unappetizing? I enjoy the taste."

Carlisle winced, then looked at me like I was speaking another language. "I don't understand… maybe it's… no… it's just not normal."

"What?" I questioned.

"Your appetite is bothering me again. I've just never seen anything like it ever before. It's strange to me."

"Is there something wrong with me?" I asked, almost worried. What if there was a problem with me? What if I was strange? Nobody would accept me. I'd be an outcast. But before I could get too concerned, Carlisle interrupted my panicking.

"Everything's fine. Nothing is wrong with you, Bree. I think that maybe you are just well suited to this life. Maybe you were meant to meet us. Maybe it was meant to be," he said, joking now.

"Well if it was meant to be, I'm glad." I smiled as I spoke. I didn't care that I was a little different than the average newborn vampire. I was thankful for whatever it was that made me this way. It would help me fit in with the Cullen's so much easier, and hopefully soon I would be just like them.

"Yes. Hopefully you'll fit in well and be able to return to living a normal life again soon. Well… as normal as possible." Carlisle's words gave me a good outlook for the future. I could picture myself in a few years time, chatting casually with Alice, the smallest Cullen, my eyes a beautiful golden topaz.

I set off – in a blissful mood – toward the place I had last seen the other Cullen's, so I could follow their trails through the forest and find the house I would now call my home.