Chapter 10
BPOV
I was in a car, and it was dark. After sitting there for an hour that was all I could come up with. I knew there were people with me, because I was wedged between two of them. Plus there was obviously one driving. None of them talked, or made any noises at all, as a matter of fact.
After about another hour the car stopped. I was pulled from the car and was being shoved inside a building. I heard a door close behind me and the bag was yanked off of my head just as a hand was thrust over my mouth. I was tied up and gagged within the next thirty seconds.
When they left, I sat there, utterly helpless, taking in the scene around me. I was in a large, spacious room that smelled like dirt and rust. It was dark, omitting a lamp right next to me with a nearly dead light bulb. The floor was a rough wood, and from what I could see the walls were crème colored, with streaks of something that looked like blood. All I could think was: vampires.
Another door opened and a dark figure stepped through. I could tell, even from a distance, that he was a thirsty vampire, and that I would be the meal.
"Hello," he said. "I am Laurent. It's a pleasure to have you here."
Two more vampires came up behind him, and in the light from the open door, I could see James standing there, crouched like a cat about to attack its prey. Beside him there was a girl with flaming red hair. She was crouched in the same position, an evil smile spread across her face.
"James," said the girl, "which piece do you want, the leg or the arm?" she laughed menacingly.
"Quiet, Victoria!" Laurent scolded her. He was tall, with an olive skin tone and dark hair. "She has a right to know why she is here, at least!"
"Fine!" Victoria said. "But make it quick! I'm hungry!" She licked her lips, drooling. Laurent turned to me and snapped his fingers. Two more vampires appeared and removed my gag. One was a girl, with strawberry blonde hair and liquid topaz eyes. The other was a boy, and he was very tall and muscular.
As soon as they left, I screamed. I was angry and scared. When I was done, I turned to the trio of vampires in front of me. "Why? Why am I here? What's going on?" I was yelling at them, but tears were streaming down my face.
"Bella. Bella, Bella, Bella." Sighed Laurent. The quadruple use of my name made me want to smack him. "How could you not have known? Now I have to start from the beginning. But I won't." He turned to James. "James will tell you everything."
"But –" James began to refuse, yet he stopped when he saw the look on Laurent's face. It was obvious who was in charge. "Okay," he sighed, defeated. He turned to look at me with his menacing red eyes.
"Well?" I said expectantly. "What's going on? Why? How? You have to tell me!"
"It was years ago," he said. "Victoria, Laurent and I were hunting. We found someone, another vampire, wandering in the woods, fighting off a pack of shape shifters. She had been near the human territory for quite awhile, so we kidnapped her. We weren't planning on doing anything to hurt her, so long as she told us what we wanted to know about the humans in this area. But she refused. She is an animal eater, like Edward. She was protecting them. We were searching for an incentive to get her to talk, but nothing would break her. Then, one day, Edward came.
"He wanted her back, but we wouldn't let her go. Eventually he told us that if we needed anything, then he would do it, so long as we let the girl go. So we made a deal. We would let her go once he brought us information on humans.
"For months he tricked humans, herding them into our grasp, but it wasn't enough. We still refused to let her go. We needed more, but we also needed better humans. We then hatched a plan. One of us would go in as a spy, the strongest around human blood. That one was me.
"I got contacts, and trained myself to be even more immune to the smell of human blood. I was to hunt and trap alongside Edward, but he refused. He thought he had satisfied us enough to get the girl. But he was wrong. We threatened to kill her, so he once again gave in to our demands.
"I was enrolled into Forks High school and we came up with a plan. We had a trap set to capture a human, any human, with blood like no other. Unfortunately, after months of searching, we had not the satisfaction of any good find, only average humans.
"Then, when I changed my schedule to see if I could start over, who should arrive but you? In that warm, stuffy office I smelled your blood the moment the door opened, and I knew I had found what I was looking for.
"I became your friend, tricked you into trusting me. Part of the plan was ruined by Edward's stupid little sister, Alice. She tried to interfere, to keep you out of harm's way. But that was impossible from the moment you found out about us, about what we really are.
"Edward, moved by Alice's pleading and begging, eventually tried to save you as well. So then I told you he was evil. But it was really me all along. And in order to get what we wanted, Edward had to come into the picture.
"Your confusion was perfect. It was at your weakest point that we had complete control over you. Your confusion at the betrayal of trust was perfect. It was just the right moment for Alice and Edward to 'explain' everything to you and supposedly whisk you off into safety. And you wandered away from Alice's truly caring protection and right into our grasp. And now here you are."
He stopped, staring at me and smiling evilly, yet I could tell he was sorry. But Laurent and Victoria were cackling behind his back. They were obviously amused at my poignant trust.
"Who was it? Who was the girl?" I finally asked.
"Tanya, of the Denali clan." Laurent said. He motioned to the two vampires in the doorway. The girl came forward.
"I was Edward's girlfriend. We had broken up, but he was trying to get me back. And then I was captured. I told him not to do it, not to try and save me. I knew I would be fine on my own. But nevertheless, as a damsel in distress, Edward had to act in accordance with them. I've been trapped here ever since." She looked at me with sorrowful eyes, apologizing for me being in here, even though we both knew it was Edward's fault.
But now he could never save her. I knew it. They were ruthless characters that strove for the best, and once someone knew what they were up to, they made sure that that person was never again free of their grasp. He would never save Tanya, even by sacrificing me. Nothing could ever change that.
I realized I had to accept the truth, too. Edward was dumb. James was evil. And I was going to die at the mercy of three vampires. Why me?