Chapter Two: It's a Dog Eat Me World Out There

Vampire Crayons

They continued to stare dumbly at me, as if the glares from the dogs before weren't enough, after I'd had my turn speaking; until finally the empath began to speak. "So what you're saying is that we have to take you in because we are your last resort?" He pronounced each syllable carefully to be sure than his words were understandable despite the slight southern accent.

"What I'm saying," I corrected, "Is yes. However, you have to take me in as well because it is your responsibility. If you Cullens started this war you should finish it."

"What war?" exclaimed the newborn, making it all too obvious that she did not believe for a second what I had just said.

I glowered at them, hiding my shaking hands underneath the table where they could not be seen and continued with a much needed, apparently, explanation. "Since your stalemate between you and the Volturi a year ago they have been busy trying to bring in the best recruits from their army to bring you down. You see, you're a threat to them now with your large numbers and unique talents. Even the Romanians have started to build their rebel army as we speak. But I know things that Stephan and Vladimir do not:" I tapped my temple. "There are more kinds of creatures out there than they can fathom."

"The Volturi seems to have caught wind of this idea to search out other species to join, or- at least- force to join them. The Children of the Moon they had once sought out to kill they now breed. It's the only thing they think can compete with your dogs here. The Volturi trapped my brother; unfortunately the idiot practically led them to me. So I did what I judged to be right and found the source of the problems. You."

"Us, you think we're the source of the problems?" Esme squeaked.

"Not entirely. The Volturi always had the potential to become corrupt, especially with power-mad Aro at the reins."

My arch-nemesis from the living room scene sauntered forward. He went until he was behind the red-headed girl's chair, wrapped his overgrown arms around her shoulders. He spoke in booming defiance. "The last thing we need is another mythical freak show in this town. We all know our top priority is to protect our people, in addition to that I must always do what's best for my imprint. I vote 'no' for letting the little she-beast stay."

"Here-here," chorused the other dogs.

"Don't decide these things when you barely know anything about me. I don't think I could be considered a liability to anyone of you!" I spat through my teeth like liquid fire, scalding and lethally hot. "I absolutely hate dogs!"

"Good, then stay off our lands!" One shouted back.

Carlisle cleared his throat and rubbed a hand against his marble-like chin. "Well, none of us have ever encountered a Kumiho before, Hana; if you could give us the facts…"

I nodded my head full of respect for the vampire coven's leader. "As I said before, Kumiho are fox-shape-shifters, with the ability to transform whenever it pleases us." The dogs began to grumble. "I'm not venomous or anything but I do drink the blood of humans, but only willing ones. I kind of do a 'glamour' thing with my eyes to get them to…er… lend me an artery."

"That's so cool," smiled the one snared in the dog's embrace. "So you seduce your prey, suck the life out of them, and run off to join all the other forest critters." She sighed wonderfully. "That sounds wonderfull."

I'm sure I wasn't the only one that gave her a look that clearly questioned her sanity. "I don't kill anyone."

"Of course," scoffed whom I began to assume was the leader of the dogs' pack. "She says she doesn't kill anyone, and that's all fine and dandy until we find out it was all a lie and the neighbors end up dead."

I rewarded him with my best sneer and opened my mouth for a well deserved retort when Carlilse interrupted me, saying: "We don't judge others, Jacob, and we haven't judged you despite our differences." Silence furred thick on the tongues of all other's in the room while he finished his speech. "Perhaps it would be best if those in this household had a brief meeting on the subject of Hana staying here."

The other vampire's nodded and the pack leader reluctantly did too, the she-vamp he hung around squeezing his arm reassuringly. She smiled and said in almost a happy tone, "If you wouldn't mine, Hana—."

"Hana-san," I finally corrected with enough bite in my voice to make her step back the tiniest bit.

She cleared her throat. "Erm, yes, Hana-san. We will now decide whether you stay or whether you go."