She knew it was too late when she arrived at the small town, the sun setting its face as evening began to dawn upon them, wiping away the day and bringing forth a new one. She smelt the stench of freshly spilt blood, it burned her senses and made her body tickle with want and thirst, yet nothing seemed out of place. No one was screaming, no one was rioting, everyone wandered about their own business, exploring stalls and selling goods. Children ran around shouting giddily, whilst their mothers stood in hordes, whispering about the latest rumor, they were all unawares of the monsters in their presence, their very lives at stake.
She stood straight, smiling at the fellow villagers, ignoring their curious gazes as they focused on her unnatural beauty and pale skin, an oddity in such a warm and sunny location. And said 'Hello' to a few passer-by's as she made her way to the source of the smell, hoping she would find Emmett.
She couldn't spot Edward, and she couldn't smell him either, guessing he had obviously stayed behind to regroup with Carlisle. They would likely be planning to re-locate the coven, they couldn't afford to linger here, not after two deaths had happened in a row, they would need to go somewhere safer for Emmett to learn self-control somewhere where it would be easier to blend in.
She found him in his house. The small level above the bar, which had been closed since his disappearance. The lights were off and everything was so dark, so morbid, so dead. She found his body crouched and curled into itself as he cupped his face, trying to block the smell. His hands were stained in red, his mouth dripping with blood, and his chest rumbled with snarls. It was hopeless, and his state which obviously wasn't helping the situation. She had to hold her breath as her throat began to sting. She still hadn't hunted, and her eyes were as black as his.
The body of what she assumed was a villager was tucked against the wall, opposite to Emmett's position, a small, petite figure, wearing a summer dress, such a pure sight, marred by the stain of red dripping from her throat. A woman. Her hair was black and it cast across her bowed head, curtaining her face, hiding the marred skin of her neck. It made it easier to examine her when her face was hidden, made her death less real.
She blinked away the tears which would never fall, turning from the sight, and focusing on the man crumbling before her, not fully understanding why he mattered so much, when all she knew about him was his name. She was falling deep into a trap she should stay far away from, or else his rejection would hurt more than it should.
"Emmett..." She breathed, and his dark gaze shifted, moving up to her, eyes black and unfamiliar. She didn't know what to do, she hadn't dealt with a new-born before, never mind one which evoked such strange feelings from her. She did remember her own transformation, the terror, the shock, the fear. She remembered Esme approaching her and hugging her, telling her that it would be okay, how nice it felt to not be alone.
Her feet carried her forward, past the limp body and onward to the broken man before her. He pushed himself back, shaking his head, and she feared that he hated her, that he was angry at her choice to save him. Which would be understandable and completely reasonable, but it broke her none the less, his rejection was hurting her far more than she thought it would, far more than she wanted it too.
"Emmett, I'm so so-" She carried on her approach, but his voice cut her off, his hands raising as he groaned, the thick smell of blood bombarding him and making it difficult for him to concentrate. Pushing himself against the wall, she feared he would crumble the brick-work, bring the building down on top of them.
"Don't come near, I don't want to hurt you." She was silent, shocked, her eyes wide in the dark lighting of the setting sun. Evening approaching and walking upon their day. He looked so scared, and she realized that she was way off with her realization, he wasn't scared of her, he was scared of himself. Her heart broke and she ignored his warning, falling to her knees before his form and wrapping her hands around his own and pulling him, happy when he gave in and stood up.
"It's Okay..." She breathed tenderly, pulling him forward slowly. He towered above her, and she kept her eyes on his as she led him to the bathroom, her grip tight and secure as they walked past the dead body, blood pooling on the floor, the stench making both of them tense and uneasy.
"Sit down." She ordered quietly, relieved when he sat on the ground, his hands clenched to his side and his breath non-existent. She fetched a bowl from the side of the bathtub and filled it with water from the latch by the sink, and a towel from the cupboard, thankful that said items were easy to find.
"I just want to wash the blood away." She warned, trying to ease his worry, and his nod was enough of a granted permission for her to make herself comfortable.
She settled down between his legs and set the bowl next to them, dunking the towel into the water and beginning her task of washing away the dirt and blood on his face. She didn't know what too say, but the silence was drowning her. His eyes were angry and averted, so she settled with focusing on the movement of her hands. She started with his hands, the cloth massaging against his smooth skin, washing away the stained red covering his fingertips, leaving nothing but the pale, marble expanse behind.
"How are you feeling..." She asked, glancing up at him, but his eyes were blank, turned away and staring at the wall. He didn't answer, and she didn't push.
She replaced the now red water, throwing it down the drain, her eyes watching as the dark liquid circled and disappeared. Refilling the bowl she set it on the ground next to him. Her eyes raised warily as she began to wipe at his face, cloth running over his cheeks, washing away the blood and grime. His eyes watched her as her fingers moved over his mouth, cleaning away any remnants of dirt, and she could feel his gaze heavy as she worked, it made her movements jittery and nervous, if she were human she would flush in embarrassment under his scrutiny, it didn't help when she was trying her best not to fumble every time her finger managed to come in contact with the skin on his cheek.
"I killed her..." Her eyes rose to his, her words leaving her as she came face to face with how broken he seemed. The guilt swirled within his eyes. "She was trying to help me... And I killed her..." She was relieved that he was talking, but the brokenness of his words made it difficult to comprehend the price of saving his life.
She dunked the blood-trodden cloth into the bowl and sighed sadly. She didn't know how to respond, how to offer comfort to him, when her words would only serve to belittle his pain.
"Am I a Monster?" He sounded so small, so young and fragile despite his huge stature and size, and her hand froze in its task, the cloth nearly falling from its grip in her hand.
She shook her head quickly and placed the towel down, moving her hands to cup his cheeks. "No. Please don't think like that." She begged vehemently, patting his cheek. "Do you regret it, are you sorry?" He narrowed his eyes and bowed his head in her hands, his body shaking as he was overrun with guilt.
"I regret it, but I don't understand, there's something wrong with me. I loved how it tasted, even now..." His voice cracked and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug, shushing the dry sobs wracking his body.
"Listen to me, I know I'm not the best source of comfort, but I can tell you this, there is nothing wrong with you. What you're experiencing is normal for a newly-transformed Vampire. Hunger, and only blood can sate it, but we can sate your hunger without taking life." She said softly, he shook his head.
"How?"
"Animal Blood... It will fill you and help to keep your urges under control." His gaze lifted, eyes red, and she smiled comfortingly. "I saved you, I won't let you become a monster, there are ways, lifestyles I can teach you, so that you can live like this and still be apart of the human world. But you've got to trust me."
He was quite, inspecting her, his eyes tired and wary from the days events, but his nod of acceptance made her laugh in joyous relief.
"Come on, lets get out of here, I need to hunt anyway, and I think you need some fresh air as well." He nodded, allowing her to pull him up and lead him from the bathroom.
"Hold your breath." She encouraged as they made their way through the living room, the stench of human blood concentrated and thick. His grip was harsh and his eyes screwed shut. It was darker outside, the moon already peeking above the mountaintops in the distance. The streets below were empty, the firelight illuminating every window as families settled down for the night.
"Let's go." She said, climbing onto the window ledge, glancing down at the ground below. It was directly over an alley-way, an intersection between the bar and the next house, perfect for a discreet landing.
He released her hand as she jumped, and as she looked up she caught his expression of amazement. "Come on!" She encouraged, smiling and she soon heard him follow her decent as his body landed beside her. She looked at him, catching the look of curiosity as he looked back up at the high ledge of the window.
"What else can I do?" He said, breathing in the fresh air, and she grasped at the opportunity to distract him from the blood still lingering in the air. A grin on her face.
"There's so much more!"