Chapter Five - Dangerous

(Inspired by: Love is Dangerous - Blink-182)

The musty smell of worn books is over taken by the scents of mint and earth rolling off of the man before me. Dust twinkles in the harsh, bluish-white light that shines down. The obnoxious clacking of students at the computers fills the silence that stretches over us as I lose a grip on a cool and confident. I glance away from Alec. My mind jumps to conclusions; I imagine that this is the part where he says it was all just a big misunderstanding, a mistake, but come up with some cliché that pretty much just adds salt to the wound.

"What about it?" I manage to keep my voice stable as I blink up at him.

His eyes lose their edge; emotions being revealed in the clear, lovely pools of azure. Alec's midnight locks cast a curtain over his face as he bows his head, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his dark, denim jeans. I patiently await my rejection, feeling stupid for the flirting earlier.

"I wasn't sure what to think of it… or how you felt; the whole thing happened so fast, y'know?"

I relax slightly, letting go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. He is right though. Friday felt like a world's away to me after everything that happened over the weekend. Hell, I feel like a different person… with hair to prove it.

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, gnawing on the soft skin. I tuck some hair behind my ear, not sure what to say or do or even think. I don't know where we stand and obviously, he doesn't either. It feels good to know I'm not alone at the very least, but that doesn't solve the problem at hand.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Yeah, I do."

Perfect timing, as usual, my thoughts shift over to Jacob. Another thing that happened "so fast". The kiss, the confession of undying love this morning. I realize in that moment that I'm in way over my head. When your eyes are bigger than your stomach, you overfill your plate and I had unknowingly overfilled my plate.

"…I guess." I catch the last half of Alec's speech, mentally face-palming at the fact that I'd drifted so deep in to my thoughts as to miss what he was saying at such a vital moment. I feel my face heat with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry; could you repeat that?" my voice is strained with mortification.

Alec smirks, shaking his head. He steps closer to me, a sudden movement that catches me off guard. His body doesn't radiate heat, but rather this chill that I find absolutely hypnotic. Being in such close proximity, I can finally place his earthly scent; it's a forest after it rains. The sweet, yet subtle aroma combined with mint has my mind spinning and my mouth watering.

My eyes flicker between those smoldering eyes and his full lips. I just want to kiss him, just a little a kiss; a harmless, innocent taste of what being bad is like. I have a feeling it would taste really good.

"We'll have to see what fate has in store for us." He whispers.

My heart tries to jackhammer its way from the confines of my chest as he tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his hand straying to rest on my cheek. I step closer to him as well, my hands meeting the hard ripples of his stomach as my fingers curl in to his black V-neck.

Our noses brush as he leans closer, his eyes searching mine for something. I don't know if he ever finds it.

"You're nothing like I thought you'd be," Alec sighs, his other hand finding its way to my hip.

I lick my lips, "Disappointed?"

He grins, shaking his head as he closes more of the distance.

"Not yet."

Just as our lips are about to collide, the shrill bell signals the end of lunch. I swear, with luck like mine, I'm going to die a virgin.

So, turns out, I don't see Alec for seventh hour because my whole family leaves early, including me. Jake called Bella with some hurried story about finding a girl near the house. She's hurt, bloody, and human. I don't know how things like this happen to my family. I don't think it happens to everyone like dad once tried to convince me, but we race home none the less.

When we arrive, Carlisle beat us there.

As we walk through the door, I can smell it; a hybrid. I don't know how I can tell, but I do. It's a strange combination of human and animal. Life and earth almost, only it smells nice. Not nearly as good as Alec nor as mouthwatering, but nice all the same.

We follow the scent to the dining room where a girl, no more than about sixteen, rests on our table. Her wavy locks are a few shades off from white, somehow slightly gold when the sun hits them, and curl at the tips. A light tone of barely-there freckles sprinkle over her small, button-nose. The girl has a beautiful, elfin face and very pink lips. Her skin is a tone or so warmer than my own and she's of a smaller build, yet somehow curvy.

I'm a little envious of the girl's nearly perfect features. She remains in her bloody clothes with multiple bandages around her arms and legs. I can smell the blood, the trauma rolling off of her. There's a scratch across her forehead and a wound on her neck, somewhat like a bite.

She was attacked.

"What happened?" Alice asks as she wanders over to the girl.

She only steps so close, afraid she might lose control, but how could she? Can't the smell the sickly-sweet smell of animal running through her blood? Am I the only one? I glance at each member of my family, all looking stoic. I don't understand how they don't notice.

Carlisle watches the girl carefully from his place where he holds Esme close to his side.

He looks away from her and to Alice, "I'm not sure. The wound on her neck suggests she may have been attacked, but I couldn't be sure of what. She might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know what a human would be doing out so far from town though, especially alone."

I cut in, inspecting her closer. My parents caution me not to get too close, but I have to make sure my instincts are right. I take a deep breath of scent, catching the slightest hint of shifter on her. It's masked by the human blood on and within her.

"She's not human… not entirely. I can smell animal in her; she must be a hybrid." I say.

Everyone exchanges a glance of confusion before they gather closer. Every single one of them takes a big whiff before their noses wrinkle back.

Esme nods, "You're right… how'd you sense that, Renesmee? It's hardly even there."

I shake my head, contemplating the same question. How did I, when not even a single vampire in the room, sense it?

"I could smell it when we walked through the door. I guess hybrids can smell other hybrids." I offer with a shrug of my shoulders.

Carlisle smiles at me, "We'll look in to it later. For now, we need to focus on what to do when she wakes up and how to figure out what happened."

"Where's Jake?" mom cuts in, her head craning around the room in search of her best friend.

Speak of the Devil and the Devil shall answer; Jake comes in through the back door in his usual attire of jean shorts. He radiates heat from his recent shift, a look of hostility on his features.

"I'm right here," he snaps. "And I know what happened."

With an overly dramatic opening, he recalls the tale of what happened. His story is overly long, but all that had happened is that he heard something outside and when he went to check, the girl was about a mile out from the house. She was bleeding, nearly unconscious, and whimpering.

As Jake tells his story, I watch the girl as her body begins to heal itself. I hear a few bones snap in to place and watch as the scratch on her forehead knits itself together, forming a bruise before disappearing altogether. The gash on her neck does the same. Her heart, moments earlier was a weak, misplaced rhythm, picks up. It's fast, loud, and strong.

The nameless hybrid's eyes flutter open to reveal a vibrant chartreuse. Everyone has fallen silent, waiting for what she'll do. I'm the closest to her so she looks to me first, studying my face with those intense green eyes. They aren't afraid or confused; just quizzical.

"Can I have some water?" she asks, her voice raspy.

Acting fast, I grab the water from the bar and help her sit up. She takes the glass, sipping slowly before she looks around at us. The girl takes in each face. As my hand meets her skin, her thoughts flood in to my own. She is trying to debate whether they are friend or foe; she can smell the death of a vampire on them, but me, she trusts instantly.

She's like me. I can feel it. she thinks.

The girl hands me the cup and I place it on the counter. I turn back to her, smiling slightly. Someone has to start the introductions.

"I'm Renesmee, but you can call me Ness. This is my family; Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward, and Bella," I tell her, pointing to each person as I say their name. "That man right there is Jake; he found you in the woods. You were hurt."

The girl nods, but says nothing else. I bite my lip, realizing she doesn't know what to think of everyone else. I glance at me dad to see if he hears her thoughts too, but he looks puzzled. I decide there's only one way to figure out what happened to her.

"Um… can you guys step out for a second? I don't think you're hovering is helping our guest." I say as I cast a pleading gaze to Carlisle.

Before anyone can argue, he complies.

"Come, let's give the girl some air."

Reluctantly, my family leaves the room. Once we're completely alone, the girl turns to me and takes a moment to assess me before speaking.

"I'm Kylie."

"Do you remember what happened?" I ask.

She scoffs, "I don't think I'll ever forget."

I wait patiently for her to go on. Kylie looks down over her dirt-crusted, blood-matted clothes and meets my eyes with a look of guilt crossing her face. She bows her head, clearing her throat.

"You seem to have done a lot for me, but would you mind lending me your shower? And… um, some clothes?"

I smile, "Of course not, come with me."

As I guide her to my room, after ensuring she'd be alright to walk, I wonder why she trusted me so easily and why I did the same for her. She doesn't seem like a danger in the slightest bit, but perhaps, hybrids just know other hybrids are safe. It's a strange concept considering how different we actually are, though I suppose it could be plausible.

Once Kylie has showered and is dressed in my fresh, clean clothes, she rests on my bed. I sit on the edge, not wanting to push her for the details of her attack, but my nosy side is dying to know what the hell happened out there. I pick at the fuzz on my comforter as I contain my impatience.

"I ran away," she says suddenly.

I look over at her to find her gaze focused out the window as the rain pounds against the home, forming tiny beads as they drip down the smooth glass like tear drops. The color of her eyes has dimmed to a dark emerald, shiny with tears of her own.

"He came for me because I was turning sixteen."

"Who?" I whisper.

"My father; he's a werewolf. He knows that I'm like my mother and he wants to change me in to some sort of shifter-wolf hybrid. He chased me across the country from Virginia over the last year; he tries to find me on every full moon to bite me, but I'm always ready," Kylie pauses, looking somewhat annoyed.

With the silence weighing in, I think about what she's said so far. Werewolves, as far as the Volturi are concerned, are forbidden. I bunch my hands in to fists and let out a ragged breath. Fear curls in to my stomach, shooting ice through my veins.

"He didn't know that I had already changed for the first time years earlier. How would he know when he never even calls? My mom was expecting it, but she didn't do anything to prepare. She would tell me all the time how she couldn't fight someone she loves. She wouldn't fight them because love it stronger than any fighting force and he wouldn't fight her either for the same reason, but he never loved her. She didn't know that because she let him kill her,"

Kylie sniffles, clearly in pain of having to retell her story. "He sent something else after me this time, something I didn't know existed… they smelled like your family. When they caught me, they bit me too," she whispered, rubbing her neck where the gash had once been.

"Then they just… left." Her eyes flash over to mine, "What are they? Your family, I mean, and… I guess, you too."

I smile slightly, "Well, vampires. We all are."

Kylie almost laughs, staring at me like I'm crazy. She looks away to wipe away her tears as she lets out a breath. Her eyes find mine again, the incredulous look faded and replaced with a calm sadness.

"That sounds insane… but I guess if I exist, vampires could too. Your family smells weird, dead almost."

"Some of them have been alive for a very long time." I agree-to-disagree, not really sure what she smells. I've always felt that my family smelled fine, normal even, but I guess that's because I've been around them all my life.

She looks at me, her eyes curiously examining me before she leans close for a big whiff. I laugh slightly, amused by the girl in front of me. Kylie is very strange, but she's also the first person I've met who is somewhat like me. Her eyebrows crush together as she sits back.

"You don't smell like them." She says it more so as a fact than a question.

I shake my head, "I wouldn't think so. I'm half human. I was born while my mother was still human, but my father is a vampire. I've been called a hybrid."

Nodding, she leans back, accepting my statement. Kylie pulls her thick, white-blonde hair over her shoulder and deftly braids the wavy strands as her vivid eyes flicker over to mine once more.

"What exactly are vampires?" she questions, smiling slightly.

I laugh, shaking my head as I pull my legs on to the bed. Sitting indian-style, I scratch my temple and grin as I think of how to describe my kind.

"Where should I begin?"

For the next hour, I explain to Kylie everything there is to know about vampires, or as much as I know at least before telling her the little that's known about my kind; the hybrids. She listens intently, visibly absorbing the knowledge I offer before I run out of things to say.

"Vampires drink blood, right? Have you killed people? Your family, I mean." She asks, looking a bit uncomfortable for the first time since I've been in her presence.

"Yes, well… no, we don't. They drink blood, yeah, but they're what you would call vegetarian in the sense that they don't drink from humans. They get their nutrition from animals, but none of them really enjoy killing to survive."

Kylie doesn't look comforted by that; in fact, she tenses up. Pulling her knees up to her chin, her limitless locks of hair fall around her. I hadn't noticed before had incredibly long her hair is, but she's almost like the real-life Rapunzel. Her pale arms lock around her, eyes dimming with indecision and silent pain.

"I'm the perfect prey then," she whispers, her voice shutters.

I shake my head, reaching out. I touch her hand and she looks at me, eyes shiny with tears.

"We won't hurt you."

"You wouldn't know. I'm a shifter; I can turn in to any animal I can think of, sometimes even other people." Kylie tells me.

I stare at her, confused. Jacob is a shape-shifter, but he can only change in to a wolf. For a moment, I think about the stories I used to listen to on La Push beach, surrounded by the others in his pack, with a bon fire flickering as the smell of salty waves wafted around us.

I was a child again, just for a moment.

Jacob sat close to me, his heat offering warmth and protection from the chill in the air. The sea was calm, washing up along the sand, but we wouldn't get wet. We sat far away from the waves, huddled around the fire as Billy told stories of their tribe. I was only the second outsider to attend the meeting. Their original leaders were stuck within the wolves, keeping them in that state for eternity.

It's the only form they're able to take today.

I look back to Kylie, shaking my head again, "No one here will hurt you. My family is very different from other vampires. They want to help you. They'll even offer protection if you need it," I pause, searching her expression for a sign that she believes me.

"We don't want to hurt you." Jake says.

Kylie and I both jump, looking over at Jake in a mix of surprise. I hear Kylie's heart kick up a few notches as the half-naked Jacob shuts my door behind him. I make room for him on the bed and he takes a seat, his eyes never leaving hers. It's almost like they're in a trance, a bubble for two.

I pause, trying to take in what's happening, but it ends almost as quickly as it began. Kylie drops her eyes, blushing furiously as Jake clears his throat and quickly glances at me, a look of shame burning his chocolate orbs. He forces a small smile, but bows his head.

"I believe you." Kylie whispers, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair.

My family eventually returns and meet Kyle, although, she doesn't say much to them. I can tell she doesn't think of us as threats, but not exactly trustworthy allies yet either. I don't blame her though. Her own father nearly killed her over the last year.

Carlisle calls for us to meet him in his office, wanting to discuss the pretense of what happened to Kylie. We arrive at his door and Kylie grabs my wrist, her thoughts flooding my mind. For a moment, I wonder if she realizes she's doing this. She smiles at me, nodding.

You do? I demand from my thoughts.

Her smile stretches wider, I do. I didn't know anyone else could though. My mother could and her mother before that. It's an ability that runs in my family.

My eyes widen as I stare at her. This is insane; someone who is like me in more than one way. I realize now that I may have a real friend, at least a chance at one if I don't screw it up. My second thought is that this is way better than passing notes; no one else will ever know what we think.

Can anyone else hear us? My father has the ability to hear thoughts. I tell her.

They only hear if I want them too. She thinks, her eyes lit with excitement.

"Is everything alright?"

We both whip around to face Carlisle. Smiling down at us, my grandfather stands in the doorway of his office. I bite my lip and glance at Kylie. Her cheeks are slightly pink, but she continues to hold my wrist in her titanium grasp. I offer her an encouraging smile before looking to Carlisle.

"Of course."

We've been settled in Carlisle's study for over two hours as Kylie shows him her abilities. She shifts in to multiple animals, showing no restrictions on that part, but shifting in to humans is much more difficult for her to sustain for longer than a few minutes. She tells him little about her thought-to-thought projection gift, but she doesn't go in to detail. Carlisle takes some blood from her to examine in the back room, which she has no objection to.

"Well, Kylie, I'm sorry to have prodded so much, but there's so much we don't know about you. To help you and protect you from your father, we'll have to better understand what it is exactly you are." He tells her.

Kylie nods quietly, her eyes focused on him, "I've always wondered why I was so different; it'd be nice to have some answers. Anyhow, if the least I can do is give you a little blood after all you've done for me, I'm more than willing."

"Don't feel obligated, Miss Chambers. We just want to help. In fact, our home is open to you for as long as you wish."

The shifter shakes her head, "Oh, Dr. Cullen, I wouldn't want to impose on your family. I'll have myself ready to leave as soon as my clothes are clean."

"It's no problem, child. Truly, we'd be more than happy to accommodate you here. Where do you plan on going from here anyhow?" Carlisle watches her carefully, awaiting to see what her next excuse to leave would be.

"I'm haven't figured that out yet." She whispers.

"Then it's settled. You'll stay with us." I smile as Kylie looks over at me, attempting an angry face, but ultimately failing as I beam at her.

Once Alice has finished her measurements and Esme has stuffed the poor girl sick, Kylie returns to my room. We both change in to pajamas as Carlisle enrolls her at our school. She'll be attending with my family tomorrow and from the strings Carlisle is able to pull, she'll have all my classes with the exception of my health class. Kylie rather have gym.

By midnight, we've decided to have a mini-slumber party. Once I'm sure everyone has gone out to hunt, we show each other our histories through a single touch. I learn that Kylie hasn't stopped moving since her mom died. Before that, she lived in the same town where everyone thought she was a demon.

I show her my life from the time I was born till now, excluding Alec from the mix. I don't want to risk her thoughts slipping in to my dad's. He's my secret. I can't help the possession I feel over him, but it's there and I refuse to share him. She thinks the Volturi are freaky, which they are, but she finds her father far more scary.

Kylie smiles at me as we curl under the covers, I feel like I've known you forever.

Well, we did share our whole lives already and you didn't even buy me dinner first, I joke.

Rolling her glowing eyes, Kylie sighs and lays back. I've never had a real friend before; it was always just my mom and I.

Are we friends? I ask.

Kylie rolls over, smirking at me. Only if you promise not to drink my blood.

Lifting her pinkie, she holds it out. I remember making pinkie promises with Jake a thousand times when I was little, but I hadn't made one in so long. They're such childish things.

You don't smell that great anyway. I laugh as I hitch my pinkie around hers.

She laughs out, mock-offense plastered over her jaw-dropped expression, You don't exactly smell like roses either.

I roll my eyes and tuck the blankets closer to my body. Though not a single word has been uttered since the first hour we met, I found a new friend in Kylie. A friend seems to be an understatement; more like sister. Our lives have been so different, our backgrounds not even remotely similar, and our species are even farther from being the same, but we both feel the same way about one thing.

We have no idea who we are.

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