Chapter 3: The Cullen's

Jackson POV

I ran through the forest and came to a small town. There wasn't much here. I slowed down my pace to a normal walking speed. I passed a sign declaring 'Welcome to Forks, Washington'. My phone buzzed in my pocket, I fished it out and read the caller ID.

Incoming Call: Emma

A picture flashed on the screen of a beautiful girl my age. She was stunning; the sight took my unnecessary breath away. She had flowing wavy blonde hair, it was so shiny, her blue eyes lit up in delight, they were full of love and happiness. Her lips were a pale pink, curved into a tempting smile. Her cheeks held a slight blush as if she had been laughing. It was pure beauty captured in an instant. I was immediately drawn in. Who was she? But if she saw me now she would be terrified of the creature that I am.

I let it go to voicemail. Who ever it was didn't want to know me now.

The phone beeped, I looked at the screen again 87 missed calls from Emma.

Wow, she was really trying to get a hold of me.

Maybe she cares for me.

I shoved that thought away, no one could care for me, and it was ridiculous to even hope.

As I stood there looking at my phone contemplating listening to her messages a silver Volvo pulled up next to me.

"Get in," said the driver in a low demanding voice.

I looked at him and recognized his features; he looked like me in a way, the same pale skin and dark circles. His face was angry as he focused on my red eyes. I looked into his, a pale yellow topaz color.

"I said get in, or I will make you get in," he shouted through gritted teeth.

I was slightly afraid. But I was sure that if I was a vampire then so was he. I got in the car and closed the door. He took off driving without say a word.

"Who are you?" I asked. He stared at me and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"I don't think you should be asking questions, who are you and why are you on our territory?" He asked still apparently upset. What was with these guys and their 'territories'?

"Umm, my I.D. says Jackson Root, and I was sent in this direction by a boy that said I was on his territory." He seemed to be listening to something else. I don't want any trouble, I don't know what is going on the boy, wolf, whatever he is can't be right…

"Can't be right about what?" the stranger asked. I staggered. Did I say that out loud?

"No, but I can hear everything that you are thinking." His honesty shocked me, how is that possible, how can he do that?

"We have powers," he answered simply.

"We?" I asked uncertain as to what we are.

"Yes, vampires." I froze. Was it truly possible, could I really be a vampire?

"Yes, it is possible and yes, you are a vampire."

Him answering my own thoughts was becoming frustrating. How could I be a vampire if I didn't crave human blood?

"What?" he asked me shocked taking his eyes off the road to stare at me.

"What? I didn't say anything!" I replied frustrated.

"You said you didn't crave human blood, how?" he asked surprised.

"I don't know." He seemed impressed.

"Don't be amazed by that, I still have killed animals, I can't help it." I hung my head ashamed and felt sorry for myself.

"Really?" he asked surprised, "You have hunted animals for blood instead?"

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Well then, I guess you will fit right in," he answered with a smile. The first one I had seen.

"Fit in with what?" I asked.

"My family, that is were we are going," he answered, "I'm Edward by the way, Edward Cullen." He reached out his hand and I shook it.

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We continued our drive in silence. I am sure he is listening to everything that I am thinking, yep, he smiled. Great. At least I am not alone. My phone vibrated in my pocket again, I knew without looking that it was Emma. I had no idea why she wanted to talk to me. Even my own mother had stopped calling days ago, but the calls from Emma were like clock work, about every half an hour my phone would buzz. I was so tempted to open it up, hear her voice maybe I would remember something anything.

"You don't remember anything of your human life?" Edward asked astonished. As we pulled up to a giant white house I saw a group of people gathered on the porch, they must have known that Edward went out looking for me.

I shook my head at his question. Absolutely nothing. A complete blank I don't even know how or why I was in Seattle.

We exited the car and made our way to the house. I was surprised to see that the group of people that had the same features that Edward and I had. Pale skin, dark shadows under theirs eyes, and incredibly gorgeous, their eyes were all a creamy topaz, very different then the blood red color of my eyes.

The leader stepped forward and offered me his hand.

"Welcome, I am Carlisle Cullen this is my family." He introduced everyone to me.

"This here is my wife Esme," she gave me a large smile, "This is Emmett and his wife Rosalie," Emmett grinned and Rosalie kept a blank bored face. She was pretty, but nowhere near as beautiful as Emma. "And this is Alice and her husband Jasper," Carlisle continued. Alice jumped at me and gave me a hug, her husband just laughed as if it were her typical behavior.

"I have been seeing you for days, I am so glad we have finally found you," she said with a high whimsical voice, she reminded me strongly of a pixie.

"You have already met Edward, the only family member we are missing is Bella, Edward's mate. Well, why don't you come inside and we will get to know each other," Carlisle offered.

As I walked into their beautiful home I was surrounded by white. It was a beautiful place. We all sat down in the living room. Carlisle spoke first.

"Can you tell us what happened? I can see that you are a new vampire, who did this to you?" he asked with concern. I decided to answer honestly.

"I remember being attacked, but I never saw who or what it was. There was immense pain but I completely blacked out once I smelled the blood, then I woke up like this," I gestured at my body, my different but similar body.

"Hmm, that is interesting, you don't remember anything from you human life?" he asked.

I shook my head sadly; I remembered absolutely nothing.

"I see…" We continued to think until Edward broke the silence.

"Jack tell everyone about your hunting habits, I am sure they will be quite as intrigued as I am," he said.

I looked around hesitantly. What would they think of a vampire that didn't drink from humans? I saw Edward smile encouragingly at that thought, so I threw all my cards on the table.

"I am not lured by human blood, I can't smell it at all, but I have hunted animals," I hung my head, not wanting to see their faces.

"Really?" asked Carlisle, I nodded my head still not looking up. "Well, that is quiet amazing, I am truly impressed."

I pulled my head up. Really? Impressed? Their faces surprised me; they all seemed to be amazed at this revelation.

"Do you have any idea why?" Esme asked kindly.

I thought about it, well, blood was disgusting to look at; maybe I couldn't stand blood as a human. For some reason that sounded right, but I had no way of backing that up.

"I'm not sure, maybe I disliked the smell of blood as a human?" I asked unsure of my answer.

"That seems possible," said Carlisle.

"Do you know what this means?" asked Edward excited.

"Ugh, Edward get over yourself and your precious Bella," said Rosalie with a glare.

"Rose, calm down." Emmett pulled her to him as if she was going to attack. She relaxed against him forgetting why she was angry.

"You don't think… well, maybe… it would be a wait and see situation there is no way to be sure Edward," said Carlisle. I was confused as to what they were discussing.

Edward turned to me.

"Bella, my mate, is still a human and she falls apart at the smell of blood, it just gives me hope that she will be like you and not crave human blood once she is changed," he said so simply, like this was a normal conversation to have.

He wants her to be like me? So not craving human blood is a good thing in the world of vampires? Edward answered my thoughts.

"In our vampire world, the vegetarian vampire world it is a wonderful thing, others might find it ridiculous. But we try to hold on the humanity that we once possessed. If we can avoid killing humans we must," he answered.

The others in the room were all nodding.

"So this lifestyle works for you?" I asked.

"Well, I am able to work as a doctor and the kids all can go to school with humans and interact with them without attacking. Jasper is the newest to our ways but he has been strengthening his resolve for years now." He looked at Jasper proudly admiring him as though he were his own son. I missed that, it was something I couldn't remember having but I knew it was in my past somewhere. A family.

"You are more then welcome to stay with us as long as you need to, join our family if you want," Carlisle offered. I wanted a family; a place to call home, the forest floor was so lonely.

"I would like to stay, if I am not too much of a burden," I said.

"Of course, you aren't a burden at all," Esme smiled, she seemed so motherly. I was instantly attached to this group of vampires.

"Well, I am off to Bella's for the night, I'll be back in the morning," said Edward as he left the house.

"I'll show you to your room," said Emmett. I followed him up to the third floor as everyone else dispersed through the house.

"Here it is," Emmett opened the door to a nice sized room with a connecting bathroom.

"Thanks, Emmett."

"Sure, Jack, your closet is full thanks to Alice, she loves to shop, just let us know if you need anything," he punched my shoulder in a friendly way and head back down the stairs.

The shower was calling me. It had been weeks since I had been changed into this creature. I needed a shower bad.

I stripped off my dirty clothes, intending to never wear them again. The water felt amazing, it felt so good to be clean. I wrapped a towel around me and headed to the closet. I was amazed to find not a closet but a room full of clothes; everything I picked up seemed to be my exact size, strange. I pulled on a casual outfit, jeans and a t-shirt.

I went downstairs to find Carlisle; I had so many questions.

I found him in his study. I knocked as I peered in the doorway.

"Come on in, I am sure you have many questions," he said with a smile.

I sat down across from him.

"I don't know anything about vampires, do we turn into bats? Do we sleep upside down? Can I die?-" He cut me off, I was rambling.

"Okay," he laughed, "One question at a time, let's see. No we do not turn into bats," he explained with a chuckle.

"We don't sleep upside down, we don't sleep at all," this shocked me, no sleep, okay.

"And we don't die, not really anyways. We can be destroyed but it is rather difficult to do. Only another stronger vampire can kill you or a werewolf," he explained.

"Werewolf? So that is what I saw earlier…" I said thinking out loud.

"You saw a werewolf?" he asked. I nodded. "Where?"

"Not too far from here, he was a boy first, he said I was on his territory and he had a right to kill me, he pointed me in this direction, when I turned around in his place stood a giant wolf," I answered. Carlisle nodded thinking.

"Well, the La Push werewolves know who is in our coven they didn't recognize you, you are lucky that they let you go."

"How do you kill a vampire?" I asked reluctantly unsure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"It isn't pretty, the vampire must be torn to pieces then burned for it to be completely destroyed. If the pieces aren't burned they will eventually heal back into a vampire, but don't worry about it, I am sure you are safe," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Do you have any more questions?" he asked.

"Not right now, thank you." I turned and left the office and headed to the front room where I heard people talking. Emmett was competing against Jasper in a video game. Rosalie looked bored painting her nails and Alice was bouncing up and down on the couch cheering them on.

"Jack! Come here!" Alice called. I sat next to her on the couch as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and the beautiful girl in the picture teased me with her presence. I didn't pick it up; I was too entranced by the photo.

"She loves you no matter what," Alice whispered over my shoulder. I looked at her face she was looking at my phone.

"She is very pretty," she said. Pretty? That is an understatement.

"How do you know? That she-" I couldn't say it, it was impossible.

"That she loves you?" Alice asked with a smile. She tapped her finger to her temple, "I can see it." I still didn't understand. She smiled at me knowingly.

"I can see the future, she is in your future, she is looking for you," she said giddily.

I knew she was looking for me, she kept calling, and she wasn't giving up. But she wouldn't love this, she wouldn't love a beast.

"In your future she loves you, in your future you will always be a vampire. Go listen to the messages, it will only prove that I am right," she sang knowingly.

"Okay," I said as I stood up from the couch. I could do this, I could hear her voice. I walked slowly up to my room and sat down on the bed. I went to my

voicemail and pushed play.