SM owns.

Thank you Mommakat! You are the bestest in the westest! (Yea, I said it!)

KPOV

They were beautiful. I'd been leaning casually against the wall for only a few minutes before they walked through the door. I'd quickly grown tired of my last human conquest. He was a nice man and very sweet but that wasn't enough to hold my interest, so out of boredom I'd found myself at another restaurant in hopes of finding another tourist to excite me for a while. I was more than pleased when I'd spotted them. I knew nothing about them but my gut told me they were what I was looking for.

I openly stared at them. The man was tall and handsome. He had chestnut hair that was cropped short and a chiseled jaw. I figured he was in his mid to late thirties. His lips were on the thinner side but I didn't mind that at all. He had broad shoulders and big hands. The latter pleased me very much. Hands were so important. When his blue eyes met mine, a small yet seductive smile spread across my face of it's own volition.

I turned my attention to the girl he was with. She was much younger than him, not a day over eighteen I'd guess. She was very petite with a porcelain angel's face, so open and innocent with big brown doe eyes. Her hair was long, thick, and a rich lustrous mahogany color. I'd been interested in women before and though this girl was very pretty, I didn't want her. Her blood though, it was so fragrant. Venom rushed to my mouth but it was easily overlooked. I'd mastered my bloodlust centuries ago. I just wanted to be closer to her so that the smell was more potent. Of course I would resist the blood itself, but the scent I would not.

I wasn't sure whether it was astonishment or boldness that allowed them to stare back unabashedly but either way, I decided to go over to them. I walked slowly but deliberately. The porcelain angel's face flushed the loveliest pink I'd ever seen before she averted her eyes from me. She was shy. I internally giggled with delight. Shyness was a quality I didn't possess on my own but I adored it in others

The man's eyes widened in surprise as he realized my destination. I smiled just a bit wider, inserting a bit more warmth into it. When I was in front of them, I extended my hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Kate," I said sweetly. His reaction was delayed only fleetingly. He grasped my hand and shook it before introducing himself as Phil. His hand was gloved and he didn't recognize the difference in our body temperatures luckily. "Nice to meet you," I replied before turning to the girl. "And you are?"

"Bella," she replied, staring me directly in the eye. Her expression was slightly bemused. She didn't say anything further though so neither did I. I turned my attention back to Phil and cocked my head a little.

"If this will totally ruin your evening then don't hesitate to say no, but my friend has stood me up. I was going to just go ahead and eat alone but maybe I could join you guys instead?" I asked, composing my face in a helpless but hopeful expression.

Phil raised a questioning brow to Bella who winked at him in response. He rolled his eyes at her before turning back to me. "Sure," he smiled brightly.

I hadn't been sure of their relationship at first. He was far older than her and while that didn't necessarily rule out an intimate relationship, they just didn't seem to be a couple. They also bore no resemblance to indicate a familial relationship. I still wasn't quite sure what they were to each other but I was sure whatever it was, it was platonic. The restaurant was slow tonight so we got a table right away. We opened our menus and perused them over some introductory chit chat.

"So are you from around here or are you just visiting like us?" Phil asked.

"Oh, I live here with my two sisters, Tanya and Irina. We live just outside of town not too far from here," I replied. "Where are you guys from?"

"Arizona. Phoenix to be exact. We just got here yesterday," he answered.

"Arizona?" I repeated. "You left all that sun to come to this ice box?" While this was a perfect place for me, I thought that humans preferred to be somewhere sunny and hot.

Phil snorted and shook his head. "Believe me, it wasn't my idea, but Bells was determined so I couldn't say no," he said throwing an affectionate smile her way. She didn't get to see it since she didn't look up from her menu but smiled shyly into it. She had been so quiet and I wanted to draw her out a little bit. I didn't want her to feel excluded from the conversation.

"What made you decide to come here for vacation?"

She stiffened in her seat and her hand gripped the menu just a little tighter. Her jaw clenched as anger mingled with sadness flashed in her eyes. I hadn't expected that response but I tried not to show my shock. She recovered quickly with another smile. "The activities. Mountain climbing, hiking, and white water rafting," she answered.

I could tell there was more to the story. I was intrigued as to what it was but I didn't say anything. We'd just met and I highly doubted she would go spewing information she'd already decided to withhold from me if I probed.

"Oh well there's definitely a lot of fun in that. Is it just you two, then?" I asked. Bella went rigid again and Phil jumped in to answer.

"Yup, just us. Have you eaten here before?"

I didn't miss the sudden change of subject but overlooked that as well, despite my growing interest. Bella remained quiet throughout dinner, only speaking when she was spoken to. Phil more than compensated for that though. He was talkative and funny. I found out through the course of our conversation that he was Bella's step-dad and they would be here for two weeks. He was single which made me wonder where Bella's mother was. He had flirted shamelessly with me and I was sure that didn't go unnoticed by her.

Was she pissed at him for being so forward with me in front of her while her mother was not around? Why were they traveling without her anyway? I didn't want to cause any more tension, so I left my questions unasked for the time being.

After they'd eaten and I'd pushed my food around on my plate, we all left the restaurant together. The street was lined with tiny little shops and bars that Bella wanted to explore. Once we got outside Bella turned one way and Phil turned the other. He didn't notice but I did. Though she had been quiet all night, I'd found myself paying her most of my attention. I had no idea why I was fascinated with her but I was. I wanted to get to know her, befriend her even.

"Bella," I called making her and Phil stop walking in their opposite directions. "Where you going, honey?"

She smiled an impish smile that went past me to Phil. "Oh, I figured maybe you two would rather go and get a drink or something. I was just going to check out the shops so you know, you guys could be...alone," she said.

My eyes widened in surprise. Well apparently she wasn't pissed at Phil at all. She was encouraging him! I'd held off on my own plans to seduce him in fear of upsetting her more than she already seemed to be. More questions about her mother arose in light of this turn of events but now that I had some sort of unspoken go ahead from her I put my head back in the game. I glanced back at Phil who was smirking at Bella.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Bella rolled her eyes and turned away from us. "Have fun," she sang over her shoulder. "I'll find my own way back to the cabin later."

I frowned at her retreating form as a feeling something close to panic suddenly coiled in my belly. Denali was usually a pretty safe place for humans but she was a small and attractive young girl. She didn't know her way around and who's to say she wouldn't get lost and stumble upon some creep who wanted to take advantage of that? I wasn't sure letting her roam around on her own so that I could sleep with Phil was such a great idea.

I turned back to Phil to see if he was at all uneasy about the situation but he wasn't. He stepped closer to me and grabbed my hand. The worry I felt must have shown on my face because he was quick to assure me.

"She'll be fine. She's small but she's scrappy. She can take care of herself," he smiled and chuckled lightly. He seemed to care a lot about her and hopefully wouldn't disregard her safety for a night with me. I smiled and stepped closer to him. I followed him to a bar at the end of the block. I glanced behind me to see where Bella was headed but she was already out of sight. When Phil and I got to the bar, I stole away to the ladies' room. I was still worried about Bella and decided to call my sister to keep an eye on her.

BPOV

I chuckled to myself remembering the look on Phil's face. All throughout dinner he had been slobbering over Kate. I couldn't blame him though. She was alarmingly beautiful. I also felt a little sick satisfaction in the fact that she had made him forgot about Renee. I knew that it was weird that I was really hoping for them to sleep together to spite someone who probably didn't even care but I couldn't help it. Renee had abandoned us and I wanted nothing more than to disregard her the way she had us.

On the way to the restaurant, I'd spotted a bookstore cafe that seemed like my kind of place, low key, cozy, and quiet. I'd planned to come back one day before we left but since I'd found myself alone, I figured I'd just go now. I walked in and the delightful aroma of rich brewing coffee filled my nose. I walked right over to the counter and ordered myself a mocha with two extra shots of espresso. I didn't know exactly how long I would give Phil before heading back to the cabin but I figured it would be some hours.

After paying for my coffee, I began a slow stroll through the shelves before eventually ending up in the kids' section. Whenever I went to a bookstore, I always browsed the children's books. Yes, I know I'm technically an adult since I turned eighteen but I still found comfort in the books that had helped me fall asleep as a child. I still loved to see the pictures and read the simple words that held messages and morals I still carry to this day.

I looked over the titles and pulled some of my favorites before settling on a colorful rug in the corner that was scattered with huge pillows and cuddly teddy bears. The first book I picked up was Love You Forever. I sipped my coffee and read through the book slowly. The further I got into it, the angrier I got. Mothers were supposed to love their children forever. No matter how old we got or how badly we behaved we were supposed to be loved by our mothers, if no one else, forever. Was Renee unaware of this fact?

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself I didn't care, deep down inside I knew I did. Renee had hurt me bad. No matter how many times she had made us pack up and completely restart our lives, I stayed with her, supported her, and loved her. Now she had left without me but I still found myself having to restart my life and it wasn't as easy as all the times I'd done it with her. I still had Phil but everything still felt different. Renee had always been my constant and now that I didn't have her anymore, everything seemed more foreign than any of the new places I'd had to adapt to before.

When I felt the lump forming in my throat, I took a long sip of my coffee, trying to swallow it down with the warm beverage. I pushed what used to be one of my childhood favorites away and opened another one. I was halfway through when a somehow familiar yet unfamiliar voice made me look up.

"I thought I was the only one who still read children's books."

I looked up to see a girl who couldn't be too much older than me standing a few feet away. She smiled when my eyes met hers. She came over and moving with all the grace in the world sat beside me before hugging her long legs to her chest. Her skin was pale beyond belief and she had bright molten gold eyes. Her long strawberry blonde hair fell down her back in cascading waves. She was outrageously beautiful and I realized her voice was familiar because it had the same musical lilt as Kate's. The girl had yet to introduce herself, but I would have bet my life she was one of Kate's sisters.

"I read them all the time. They're like security blankets," I said earning a smile from her.

"I know just what you mean," she replied. She held out her hand to me. "I'm Tanya. Kate's sister," she said.

"Bella," I shook her hand and gasped at how cold it was and she smiled apologetically in response.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't wearing any gloves," she said wrapping her arms back around her legs. "Kate told me you were alone so I came to find you and keep you company," she told me.

I smiled. If I wasn't sure I liked Kate before, I was sure now. I had thought I'd be fine alone but now that Tanya was here I realized I really did prefer to have someone with me. I'd been alone enough already.

"Thanks, but you know you don't have to stay here. I'm sure you have something better to do on a Saturday night," I said

She looked at me as if I'd started speaking Martian or something. "Better than sit here with my new friend and read children's books? Bella, please," she replied shaking her head as if I was being utterly absurd. I smiled and shrugged.

Tanya looked through the stack of books I'd brought over to the rug and selected a Fancy Nancy book. It was a series I liked more so for the crazy vibrant pictures and judging by the way Tanya ran her long elegant fingers over the illustration on the cover, I assumed this was true for her too.

"I love all the glitter," she murmured before opening the book. I picked up Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. Tanya and I sat and read book after book. We didn't speak much but I really enjoyed her company. I was glad that Kate had called her and that Tanya agreed to come and stay with me. When we finally read through all the books, we gathered them up and put them back on the shelves.

I glanced at the clock on my cell phone and saw that we had been in the bookstore for a long time.

"It's been two hours, I wonder if Phil is done groping and mauling your sister," I said glancing over at Tanya as she chuckled and shook her head.

"No, the real question is whether Kate is done groping and mauling your step-dad," she replied. "Actually you might want to call him soon and make sure he's alright," she laughed. The sound was like a chorus of bells and I was in awe of it. She stood up and offered her hand to help me stand as well. I took her hand and was surprised to find that it was just as cold as the first time I'd touched her. I didn't gasp this time and she didn't apologize.

"Let's give them another hour, before we call though. Do you want to browse around the shops some more? There's a really great little vintage clothing store on the next block," she suggested. I nodded my head excitedly. I was a huge fan of all things vintage. I followed her out of the bookstore and we started walking down the block together.

"So are you older or younger than Kate?" I asked already guessing she was younger but wanting to make conversation.

"Younger. I'm the youngest actually. Kate's the oldest which leaves my other sister Irina to be the middle child," she answered.

"I've always wanted sisters. I'm an only child and I used to have imaginary siblings instead of friends when I was a kid," I told her.

"I love my sisters. I can't imagine ever being without them," Tanya said and I could see the love she professed for her sisters on her face. I tried to remember a time when Renee had ever worn that expression when talking about me and came up with nothing. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. She clearly imagined being without me.