a/n: This chapter will again be told from a different character's POV.

Chapter 5: The Hunt

It was awful having them here, especially around Nessie. It was unsettling to watch her start to bond with them. Yes, she could bond with almost anyone because that's who she is and I loved her for it, but sometimes I do wish she would stop being so trusting. And something about them had changed.

"Carlisle, I believe it is time," said Demetri and to whatever god was out there I prayed it was time for them to leave. "And we will require it fresh." No such luck.

"You can't," Carlisle opposed.

"Here," he replied simply.

Carlisle chuckled. "Just because we don't live near them doesn't mean we can simply sit by and let you kill innocent people."

"If you'd like us to not finish them off you could just say so."

"I bet you're really good at taking orders," I said, which he only responded with a condescending smile.

"And rest assured we'll be careful with our venom as well," said Giselle, breaking her silence. Her hair was half up, held by a very intricate gold clasp. I had never seen her wear it (or anything else actually) once during the time they were here.

"Forgive me if I don't take your word for it." Yes.

"So you would have us dry up?" she asked. "Aro won't be happy to hear that."

"That isn't what I'm saying."

"Will you be escorting us?" she asked. And it was probably the best thing to do.

"No, I can't." What? Then what are we supposed to do?

"May I suggest the fledgling? We hear she has impeccable tolerance," Demetri said gesturing Bella.

We all moved closer towards her as she pulled Nessie closer. "I'm afraid that isn't what I had in mind either. Rosalie will come with you."

"Excuse me?" I said a little more emotional than I had wanted. I walked next to him and whispered between my teeth. "Carlisle, what do you think you're doing?"

"Please excuse us for a moment." I followed him into the next room.

"What's the meaning of this? Why me?"

"Rose, listen, you're the only one I can trust with this."

Well, that was true, but, "Carlisle, I can't."

"You can't or you won't."

"More like I really don't want anything to do with them."

"Rosalie, you know very well that you're the only one strong enough to control yourself around them."

"What about Bella? She's got some super freakish self-control going on."

He arched an eyebrow at me. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"No, but what are they going to do? Snatch her and take her away?" Actually they could very well do that, not likely, but still.

"Please, just this once. I'm sure they won't be here until they need to hunt again."

"Fine, but I won't be happy about it."

"Thank you."

"Rose, can I have a moment?" asked Edward just as I was preparing to leave.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You know they are up to something, right?"

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock."

"Nice," he said. He really didn't look like he was amused by our usual banter. "Well could you try getting some information from them?"

"Trust me, I would like nothing more, but I wouldn't know where to begin." It's not like I knew the first thing about either of them, especially not enough to get something out of one.

"Well, I think I know something that might help," he said. "There's some tension there."

"Between them?"

"Before she blocked me, I got a hint of it from Demetri. I at least know he has a thing for her."

"Okay, I could maybe use that. You know I'll try my best, but this is still pretty much a long shot."

"I know," he said as Emmett came in.

"Hey babe, you 'bout to leave?" he asked coming over for his departing gift.

"I'll leave you two alone," said Edward.

"No, wait," I exclaimed, which confused both of them. "Honey, why don't you go wait for me outside with those two. I'll be right there."

"Okay?" he was confused, but he left without even a question. He was sweet that way.

"Are we to leave now?" asked Demetri the moment I set foot outside the house.

"Yes, in a moment," I said. Emmett was waiting just between them and the house. Even when he didn't know it, he always did the right thing. I came up to him and our fingers intertwined just so naturally. I got on my toes and gave him a quick peck.

"You're cute," he smiled so cheekily. Pulled me in to give me the usual departing treatment.

"Don't miss me too much, okay?" I said. From the corner of my eye I checked them out. Nobody felt confortable watching two people show affection, that's a given, especially those two people were us. They were no different; she had averted her gaze so much that you'd think her sight was set a thousand miles ahead. Still she kept her composure and didn't look nearly as uncomfortable as him. His eyes didn't know where to land, except on her for a few mere seconds.

"Not possible. Already am," Emmett said as she kissed my hands and left for the house.

"I'll be back by sunrise," I hoped.

"So what is your ingenious plan to drink from them without sucking them dry or transform them?" I had to ask.

"Relax, Blondie. You will see soon enough," he said. I swear if my death wouldn't be imminent I would have chopped off his head for calling me that.

"It is okay. I have been doing this for centuries," she assured me, which wouldn't you know did not work.

"Why though?" I couldn't help myself from asking.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean why did you never, you know?"

"I might be preying on humans for blood, but I do believe each life is important," interesting coming from one of the Volturi. "Slave or not, everybody has a purpose" And there it was.

"I never knew the Volturi didn't finish their meals."

"That is because we do," he said.

They both became silent, which I was not complaining about, but I did need them to talk. "So do you not eat with everyone else?"

"Different circumstances call for different measures," she answered abruptly.

"So what were your circumstances for taking this measure?" I asked and it seemed I was not the only one interested in the answer. Not that I really was.

"When I was a little girl I was always stronger than most people my age, and sometimes older. I was always told to never reciprocate when confronted and I obliged. I was harassed greatly during my earlier days, but I still did not break my vow. But one day I returned home to find that those insolent children had decapitated one of my birds. I was never told to hold back when fighting for something other than myself so I did not. I had almost finished them off if I had not come to my sense in time. I knew then, even before I was transformed that I had to hold myself back at all time," she explained.

It was a nice try. "Wouldn't have pegged you as a boxing fan."

"People are not easily understood; intentions usually are," she chimed.

He seemed completely thrown off by the conversation. "She just plagiarized Myke Tyson's life story. Mind giving me her True Volterra Story?" I tried baiting him.

"Not my story to tell," he said.

"Another way of saying you don't know," I muttered making sure he could hear me. They were so annoyingly good at not showing their frustration. "So maybe you should be the one doing the asking."

"Not my pl–"

"Yes, I got the gist. So let's try an easier one. Why are you here?"

"You already know the answer," she said.

"I may be blonde, but I am not stupid."

"No, just very transparent," he said.

"This should be far enough. We're at least two town over and I'd never be seen near here, so this is probably a bad neighborhood," I reasoned.

"Minutiae," he huffed.

"Our house, our rules," I reminded. Just as I turned away from him I realized she had already started to move along, towards the very loud club music from down the road. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I know what I am doing. You will see," she said. I didn't believe her of course, but what else could I really do to stop her.

She led us to the origin of the noise and into the ladies room. "Would you be so kind to block the door?" She was looking my way.

"Excuse me?"

"Well we cannot be preoccupied with it while we are feeding, would you not agree. Lest you were planning on joining us," she said.

"Fine." I closed the door and held a foot at its corner.

A girl came out from one of the stalls and was instantly shocked to see a guy in there. "Are you supposed to be in here? Ah, whatever, I don't care." She seemed very drunk.

"I like the way you think," she said as she walked up to the girl. "You will also not care when I cut your wrists and start drinking from them."

"What?" the girl let out.

"It is okay. Mind over matter, this will not hurt you. In fact you will enjoy it," I heard her whisper into her ear as she took out a small blade from her hair clasp and sliced two very thin lines on her wrists.

A moment later both of them were stuck to her wrists like leeches. It was incredibly disturbing to watch. It was unsettling how both of them had such a satisfying look on their faces; it was even more unsettling that the girl seemed to enjoy it even more than they did. I was glad that it didn't tempt me.

At all.

Was that supposed to happen? How could it? I'd faced it before and I knew very well how much blood tempted me, like everyone of us, but why did it not this time? Was she in my head?

But when they both let go I knew the reason, not a single drop of blood was exposed. Until they let go and blood started rushing out of her wrists. And it was back.

She faced the girl again and told her to forget everything that had just happened. Then she came towards me.

"We can't just leave her there," I said.

"If you would move out of the way," she said.

"No." I stood my ground, but he immediately pushed me out of the way.

She opened the door and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Help! A girl here cut herself!"

As soon as a small wave of people rushed in with fear and panic they blended into the crowd and slipped out. Panicked, I left the club as fast as possible to hunt them back down.

I guess there was no need for the rush because they were just outside, waiting.

"Took you long enough," he said.

"We need to move to the next one," she said.

"Next?"

"One full human isn't enough to feed one vampire, how could less than one satisfy us both," he explained.

"Next time stay outside if you do not think you can resist," she said looking me eerily in the eye.

As soon as we got back I really had to get in a hunting session with Jasper.

END OF CHAPTER