Ch. 4

"How are you feeling Malachi?" I asked after Alice had left and I could hear her telling Jacob everything.

"I'm OK. Good thing I'm a Vampire right? If not, your boyfriends attack would have hurt like hell." He said.

"Ex-boyfriend..."

"What do you mean ex-boyfriend? You didn't break up with him because of this did you?"

"He had it coming... he's been this way for 10 years and it's been driving me insane.. and tonight was the last straw with his attitude." I replied shrugging.

"Oh... wait who's outside?" he finally hear Alice talking to Jacob.

"Don't worry, it's just Jacob and Alice. Alice is explaining to him about what just happened. Basically Jake will stand guard outside the cottage, and will warn me if Edward is coming in case I don't sense him first. We will be staying here at the cottage together." I gave a flirty smile. "Unless that's a problem?"

"Nope not a problem." he smiled a sexy smile at me, " So what do you want to do?"

"How about we get to know each other... I mean since we will be living together." I said with a small giggle.

"OK. So how long have you been a vampire?"

I sighed, "I was turned into a vampire about 10-11 years ago. Yourself?"

"About 13 years now. I was changed by my girlfriend at the time. I didn't know she was a vampire until she bit me and I was in pain for 2 months. How were you changed?"

"I was changed by Edward. We had planned for him to change me after our wedding; which was the only thing he wanted from me before he would change me. But we were practicing for our wedding night and he lost himself and bit me."

"How long were you in pain?" Malachi asked obviously engrossed in my story.

"Little under 3 days. I've been with Edward and his family since then." I heard Jacob laughing outside the cottage. "And I've been dealing with his crap the entire time I was a vampire... at first I thought it was just because I was a new born but after the first year mark and he didn't stop that I was in for a miserable life."

"Wow..."

"So why did you want to join this coven or family?" I asked.

"Oh that's an easy one. I was tired of roaming around alone, and I heard about the Cullen family from the Irish Coven that I ran into a few months back. Now what actually made me stay was you."

"Me?" I squeaked out.

"Yes, you. This may sound strange but the moment I saw you I felt drawn to you. Like something pulling me to you, and just the thought of you being away from me hurt." I stood there shocked. I had just had this conversation with Alice. "Did you feel the same way or and I insane?" All I could do was nod, not trusting my voice to come out normal. Sensing that I was freaking out Malachi changed the subject, "Why don't you tell me about your families special abilities?"

I took a deep breath and started, "Well, several of us have abilities. Alice, can see the future. Either by searching for a specific outcome or by the vision just hitting her. But none of her visions are concrete until the person in the vision has made up their minds. Edward can read people's minds. No matter what your thinking he can read it. Jasper, who is Alice's husband, can control the emotions in a room and from one person. He used to use that around me a lot when I was still human." I laughed then continued, "I'm a shield. I can keep everyone out of my mind, including Edward. But after years of controlling it I am now able to drop my shield and people can see what I'm thinking."

"Wow, I had heard that this coven had very special vampires but I had no idea." Malachi said plopping down on a chair.

"Do you have a special ability?" I asked sitting on the arm of the chair that he was sitting on.

"Yes I do, but I don't like to use it. I was cursed with the ability to control anything with a soul, whether it's living or dead."

"That's a very powerful ability, Malachi. How come you don't like using it?"

"I don't like using it because it's too controlling and forces people to lose their free will. When I was human I was never allowed to think for myself, my mother and father chose everything for me dealing with my future. The girlfriend that changed me... she was their idea. They said that she was good for me and would help me to grow up." He finished with a laugh. "They got that completely wrong."

I stood up and watched the horizon, it would be getting light soon and I needed to go talk to Billy Black. "Malachi, will you be OK alone here for a while?" I asked just as the sun rose.

"Yeah, why?"

"I have to go run some errands. I'll be back later... try to stay away from the main house. Jasper, Alice, and Emmett or at least one of them may stop by."

"OK well, safe traveling Bella." Malachi replied but I was already half way out the door.

"Jacob." I called. When he came over to me in wolf for I said, "I need to go and talk to your father about something... care to run with me?" He barked a quick sound which I took for a yes and off we ran toward the reservation.