Ah! This chapter took even longer than the last one. Major kudos to washingtongirl-91 for the wondrous help, and you were the one who got all my creative juices flowing. =] R&R please. Enjoy!!
Chapter 8: Bloodlust
"Forks?" I asked warily. "Where's that?"
"Washington." Alice had walked out of the other room and was carrying a laptop. She set it in my lap and I laid eyes on the greenest page I had ever seen. "And you'll need these," She added as she flicked a box at me. Brown contacts.
"Thanks." I muttered as I opened the box and took the package out. I pressed the lens into my left eye, and my perfect vision kept focusing on microscopic scratches and dents. I took out another one and put that one in.
"They're uncomfortable, but they help," She told me.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I can see the future, remember?" She replied, tapping her forehead. Oh yeah, I thought. I remembered the laptop and looked down.
It was a page that had assorted pictures of what I assumed to be Forks. One was of a green sign that said in slanting letters: Welcome to the Town of Forks. All of the other pictures were of forests that were blanketed in a haze of green; the trees, the tree trunks, the ground, and even the air looked green.
"I don't think I can stand that much green," I said truthfully. Alice trilled a high, pealing laugh.
"You get used to it," She assured me with a smile. I looked at Edward, and he smiled reassuringly. I smiled helplessly back.
Well, I guess," I realized that I had no other choice. I looked back into Alice's wide tawny eyes and gave her a martyred look. "I have no choice, anyway." I said grumpily. I then realized something important when I was thinking about
"Edward, where are my clothes?" I asked him, twisting on his lap to face him and give him a serious look.
"Uhh, I left them in the house." He said truthfully.
"Well, how will I get any clothes?" I asked.
"We can go shopping!" I heard a new voice trilling along with Alice's at the same time. I looked over at Rosalie, who had gotten to her feet and she looked almost as excited as Alice.
"Uh-oh, be prepared, Bella, they can be pretty hardcore shoppers," Emmett rumbled from the other couch. Alice shot him a glare. He just laughed.
"We're only bad to you," she snapped at him.
"Well, that's true," He agreed, nodding.
Carlisle got up and checked his watch.
"Is it time to go?" I asked, standing up too. He nodded at me. Edward stood up next, and bent down to knock my knees out from under me. I let out a small squeal when my feet left the ground, but he caught me in his rock-hard arms. He flashed me a dazzling smile, and the sunlight that was streaming in through the window reflected off his teeth and threw rainbows around the room. The smile awoke the covetous monster in my tummy. It purred and grumbled, but I bound and gagged it—I had no particular desire to set it loose in front of my new family. Edward must've noticed the dilemma in my eyes, so he let me down and locked his arms around me. The tight embrace would suffice to keep the monster happy for now.
"It's okay, love." He murmured in my ear. "We can deal that out when we get home—just hold your breath for now." What about holding my breath? That wouldn't help my yearning.
"Why should I hold my breath?" I asked, pulling my head back to look at him.
"Because then you wont smell the blood," He said slowly.
"Oh, I was thinking of something else." I said. I expected the familiar blush to creep onto my face, but I would never blush in this body again.
"Hmm," He replied, looking out the window.
"Can we go now?" Alice whined impatiently from behind me.
"Yes," Carlisle said, and flitted to the door. The rest of the family stood and followed him; they all seemed to be suddenly carrying bags. I walked forward and joined them. I held my breath and walked slowly out the door and down the hallway. I was completely oblivious to my surrounding area and my mind was focused on not concentrating on the bloodlust that I could taste on my tongue. Edward walked beside me at some point and linked his arm with mine. His presence soothed my mind and made it easier to walk. I was amazed that only a second had passed since I walked out the door—it felt like hours.
I darted into the safety of the elevator, and the rest of the Cullens filed in after me. Their sweet perfume blocked out any other scent that might've lingered in the elevator from previous inhabitants. Just as Carlisle leaned over to press the close button, and man clad in a brown pinstriped suit dashed forward and caught the door. I swore under my breath. The elevator was big, but almost not big enough to fit all of the Cullens plus the man. I was hyperaware of his beating heart, and Edward started to hum lullabies. I figured he was trying to drown out the sound of the man's pulse.
I was grateful when he stopped at the next floor and I was able to take a safe breath. I inhaled and exhaled repeatedly until we reached the lobby, where I took another deep breath and held it. Edward led me over to a chair, and we sat while the rest of the Cullens talked to the clerk.
"You are doing very well," Edward noted in my ear after a couple minutes.
"Thanks. I almost lost it in that elevator." I admitted. He laughed a humorless laugh.
"Well, I guess it's good that you have no need to breath, because it will be much worse on the plain." He muttered darkly. I gasped when all this clicked in my head. Will I loose control on the plane? I asked myself what would happen if I did. I tried not to let myself mull over these thoughts, and Edward helped me.
"Let's change the subject," He suggested. I nodded softly. "Let's see," He continued. "What do you think about going to Forks?" He asked finally.
"I think I will learn to like it. Will I have to pretend to go to school?" I said.
"Hmm. Not for a year or so; I don't think you can control your thirst. After this graduation we will be moving to different state. We can't stay in one place for too long because people are bound to notice if we never change our appearances for years." He answered in a hushed tone.
"Oh. I never thought of that." I whispered back. He nodded and we sat still for a couple minutes. Those minutes felt like mere seconds; time flew by so fast in this body that I could barely keep track of it. The rest of the group walked up and joined us by filling up the rest of the chairs and the one couch.
"We arranged for a rental car to be brought here. I didn't think it would be safe to have a human drive us to the airport." When Carlisle said this he shot a worried glance at me. My eyes narrowed.
"I'm fine, but thank you for making the extra precautions." I said.
"You're quite welcome," He flashed me a gleaming smile. I smiled meekly back at him.
After ten minutes of sitting in silence, a sleek, red convertible sports car slunk into the parking lot of the hotel. I expected this to be the rental, so I got up and started to waltz over to the door. I stopped when something felt wrong; I was alone. I looked back at Edward and he had one eyebrow cocked, a quizzical look on his face. I flitted back to the chair.
"Isn't that our car?" I asked him confusedly.
"No, of course not. We got a black one, not a convertible. That's too conspicuous." He answered.
"Oh," I sat back down and looked out the window at the car again.
A startlingly beautiful woman stepped out of the driver's side and she was dressed as if she had stepped out of a fashion magazine. Her long, billowing hair fell to the middle of her back and was a so-bright-you-almost-have-to-cover-your-eyes shade of fire engine red. She grabbed a small bag from the trunk of her car and walked closer to the door. After she had shaken her hair out her eyes, she opened the door and danced into the room. She did a quick once-over of the room, and her eyes widened at the sight of all eight of us sitting together, looking as beautiful as ever. Her eyes were a strange shade of violet; like a lilac-y reddish color. I frowned, and then it hit me: red. Blue contacts over red eyes. Only vampires can have red eyes. I gasped, and turned to Edward.
"She's a vampire!" I hissed furiously in his ear. He put a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
"I noticed," He whispered calmly back. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she had a sharp intake of breath. Those violet eyes went from narrowed, to wide as saucers in less than a second. What's her problem? I asked myself. I guessed that he had realized that she was staring, so she recollected herself and walked faster than before to the counter. She told the girl behind the counter that she needed directions to some place or another, and the clerk smiled and turned to the computer to print them out. She shot a quick glance at our party and scuttled over to us.
"Hi," She stood awkwardly by a couch and greeted us.
"Hello," Carlisle smiled warmly.
"I'm not meaning to intrude, but are you guys the Cullens?" She asked in a high soprano voice. Carlisle and Edward looked startled at this turn of the conversation.
"Why, yes, we are. And who are you, might I ask?"
"Oh! I almost forgot," She giggled. "I'm Olivia," She held out her hand and Carlisle shook it.
"It's very nice to meet you, Olivia. I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife." Esme spoke this time and the rest of the family—Edward and I excluded—either nodded or said hi back. Carlisle stood up and I felt an introduction coming on. Sure enough, he walked over to the pair of chairs where Alice and Jasper were sitting and held his hand out.
"This is Alice," Alice smiled softly, "and her husband, Jasper." Jasper gave a tight-lipped smile. He walked over to the loveseat where Emmett and Rosalie were. Olivia followed close behind.
"Emmett and Rosalie," Emmett grinned largely, while Rosalie gave a smile that was clearly full of un-welcome ness; Olivia looked scared of her. Then they came to us.
"Lastly, Edward, and the newest member of our large family, Bella." Olivia's eyes raked over Edward's body and I felt a growl building in my chest. How dare she look at him like that? I felt the cold surge of jealousy wash over my body and my mind. I kept my head, though, for when she looked at me, I managed to keep my voice clear.
"Hello, Olivia," I tried to smile, but I'm not sure if it came out right.
"Hello," Edward whispered. She smiled back and turned around to face everyone.
"It was so nice to meet you all," She trilled in her high, annoying voice. Ugh, how I disliked her—even now, so soon after I met her.
"You're quite welcome to travel with us." Alice piped up. Edward shot her a glare, and I sensed that he didn't like Olivia either. There was something off about her, I could just feel it.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Esme chimed in.
"Where would we go?" she asked, curiosity coloring her luminous features.
"We live in Forks, Washington. What about you?" Esme said.
"Forks? Never heard of that place... Anyway, I live in Italy." She said. Edward's brows rose.
"Italy?" His serious tone had a hint of suspicion in it, "As in Volterra?"
"What's Volterra?" I whispered in his ear.
"I'll explain later," He whispered back. I glanced up and saw Olivia biting her lip.
"No, not Volterra—but I'm close, though." She had perked up in an instant.
"Hmm," Edward said, but I could still see the hesitation in his eyes. She smiled as if to back up her lie—I only thought it was a lie, but Edward did too, so I thought I would stick with him.
"Anyway... our car is here, so I think we should start leaving now," Esme said nervously.
"Alright," Edward said briskly as he gripped my arm and I was drug to the door.
Fortunately, three cars came because it would be hard to fit all nine of us into one, so Edward and I got our own car, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper got one, and Emmett, Rosalie and Olivia got the other.
"Oh, I would hate to be Emmett right now," I told Edward as I slid into the silky leather seat of the car.
"Me too," He sighed when he got in the driver's seat. He turned the key in the ignition and it purred like a hunting panther. He pressed his foot down on the pedal and the car lurched forward. He apparently knew where the airport was, because he was speeding along the narrow roads of London.
"I think Olivia is hiding something," I said after a few minutes of quiet time. Edward took a deep breath and then sighed.
"Me too. I tried to get that through to everyone, but they didn't grasp it right. She's a terrible liar, even for a vampire. I know she's with the Volturi." His voice turned angry towards the end.
"By the way, you owe mw an explanation." I prompted him.
"Oh, yes. The Volturi." His face twisted in disgust when he said the name. "Even I know about them—I haven't met another vampire in decades—they consider themselves royalty, and they decide the vampire do's and don'ts. The three Volturi leaders are Aro, Cauis, and Marcus, along with their many guard members. They have their own protected city deep in the heart of Italy. They have their guard go out of the city to fetch them food so they can feed. But sometimes, they get together a group of tourists, whom they lure into the castle with tour bribes, and feed on them instead." I tried hard to suppress a shudder. "If any human knows about the existence of the vampire world, they must choose to become a vampire themselves, or be killed. They have some interesting characters on their side. There is Jane, Who has the ability to make people imagine that they're in pain. Her brother Alec is like the antidote to Jane—he blocks out all senses. Sight, feeling, hearing.... and Aro is quite powerful as well. Just by touching the palm of his hand to a person or vampire, he can see all of the thoughts that that mind had ever had. This way he can find out their weaknesses. I think I got everything. Any questions?" He turned to glance at me. I shook my head numbly.
Edward's speech lasted about five minutes, and that was long enough to get us to the airport. He swerved into the parking lot and turned the car into a space. We got out of the car and joined the others.
As soon as I stepped out I was hit by a wave of heat. The burn intensified in my throat and I gasped. Swallowing convulsively, I decided not to make a big deal about my thirst. I took even breaths—I was trying to get used to the smell. I walked stiffly over to Edward and locked onto his arm.
"If I try to break free, hold me back, please." I hissed through my clenched teeth. He looked down at me in alarm.
"Alright," He said as we walked closer to the entrance. I felt like my fingernails should be digging into his arm, but I knew better than that. Edward was too rock-hard for me to penetrate the surface of his skin. I looked at his face, and he seemed to be in agony. I looked over his body once to look for some sign of a disturbance, but I saw nothing. Then I saw my hand: My fingertips had sunk through his skin, and the ends of my nails were about a centimeter into his arm. Letting out a small squeak, I released his arm and stared in horror at the five nail-shaped holes on his forearm.
"Edward! I hurt you.... How could I hurt you?" I was utterly confused. I though he would be invincible. Or was I just super strong?
"Its fine, love," He assured be as he lifted his non-injured arm and stroked my cheek. Even though his skin was cool, it seemed to leave a burning trail of fire behind it. "You're just a little strong, is all. Look," He was watching his arm, so I looked down at the holes. I sucked in a little gasp when they closed up before my eyes.
"How...?" I stared in amazement at his perfectly smooth arm. "Never mind, I'll just get over it." I said when we approached the security line. I held my breath when I handed the man my ID. He took a brief glance at it, and then did a double-take. He looked between me and the card maybe four times before he let me go. I grabbed the tray, and put my watch and my cell phone on the cold plastic. They went through the scanner successfully and then it was time for me to walk through the gates. I bit my lip before I passed through. Were there any weird qualities about vampires that might set off an alarm? I guess not because every one of the vampires with me passed through neatly. We retrieved our things and rushed off to our gate.
Esme handed out boarding passes and we all got in line to give them up.
"Just to warn you," Edward whispered in my ear when we were in line, "There will be a lot of people on this plane, and you must keep in control. Hold your breath and hold onto me—but not too hard." He chuckled at the end. I shot a tense glance at him before he handed the man our passes he checked them and let us through.
As I walked down the small path to the door of the plane, I might've started hyperventilating at one point. Edward told me to take a deep breath, and I obeyed. We all walked through the door at once, and two effects were instantaneous. One, all heads in the airplane—and there were many—turned to look at the troupe of beautiful beings entering. Second, I felt a boiling hot wave of the scent of blood roll over me, and I was sputtering and gasping for clean air.
I knew Edward said it would he hard, but I never thought it would be this hard. My mind was becoming clouded, and I was somewhat aware of Edward dragging me to a seat in the back of the plane. I sat by the window and took deep breaths. I was once again trying to get used to the tantalizing scent.
After a while, I began to lose control.
My head started reeling and I couldn't think straight. A new monster had reared its ugly head and this one was not passion, greed, and lust, but thirst, violence, and bloodlust. Its presence was not glowing and warm like its brother, but cold, black, and hurtful. It ripped its claws at my chest as it tried to break free. My muscles tightened and I felt the venom flowing freely in my mouth. Edward must've noticed my rigid form, because he leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. His vampire scent blocked out as much of the blood scent, so my mind cleared fast. I sensed that this would be the longest flight of my life—not even to mention that it was a sixteen to twenty hour long one—so I made myself comfortable in Edward's arms. I closed my eyes, even though I knew I could never sleep again, and tried not to think.
Thank you for having so much patience with me. I was slacking on my part as to give you something to read, so I feel bad, and I am sorry. Please forgive me. =[
Oh, and as a side-note, if you review (which I hope you do), please no insults or anything. I can't stand flames.