For the first week, Luke managed the veggie diet OK, but he still had the red eye giveaway. Once his eyes changed to gold, we'd know he was coping.
Whenever he hunted, two others had to go with him, one at least was either Emmett, Jacob or Jasper. Once, when Jacob was on patrol, Emmett and I were accompanying Luke in the huge first outside the main house. Luke would keep making comments about Jacob, and giving reasons why he was the better man. I have him a look and he shut up. Emmett was WAY stronger than I was.
Luke's newborn strength was wearing of, so he was more like the rest of us, which helped. When we went to school he'd travel separately so no-one knew he lived with us. He was still Luke O'Connor to the rest of the world.
At school, Jacob in a different class, English was the same as ever. Today we had a quiz on the Morganville Vampires, a series of books about a group of humans living in a town ruled by vampires. It was fairly long, and we had to work in pairs. Eve at the back was still sitting on her own, so she came to work with me and Luke.
"Hey freaks! How's life. I love these books. There's a goth girl, called eve! Just like me. She married a vampire... I wish vampires were real, I'd marry one any day, even if I had to spill blood." She was going all dreamy now. She obviously didn't know me all that well.
The blood comment got Luke's attention. I was avoiding visions at the moment, so I whispered quietly, so only a vampire could hear.
"You spill her blood and you'll have to marry her. Then you lose hope of me, don't you? No blood." He looked disappointed. It was still hard for him to be around humans, so I'd changed my classes so I would be able to keep an eye on him all the time. Jacob wasn't too pleased.
"Hey, so, you wanna go out tonight, get a steak? Raw steak. I know you love it. Fresh?" Flirt. You dirty little flirt! But way to tempting.
"Ok fine, but no hitting on me." He wouldn't follow the rules, but I sure would.
He made an almost silent 'yes' sound and did a mini air punch. I suppose that's his idea of a victory.
After class, Jacob came to find us. I made sure to tell him straight away so he knew to stalk Luke the whole way. "Luke and I are going hunting tonight." I held his hand, Jacob's that is.
Come along and watch him. You know he could get touchy.
That could mean WAY to many things. Ugh, bad thought, right now I really need Luke's memory blank.
"Luke, you know you can blank your thoughts, can you blank others?" Ok this was curiosity now.
"I don't know, I've never tried. If you let me in I can try on you? I'll be able to see if it works. Your facial expressions will go totally blank." He was going to send me some pretty strong images then when I did let him take control of my mind. At least I had control on what happened to me, he just made it happen. Kind of. Ok I'm not talking sense right now, I'll change the subject.
"Luke, how far in are we going?" We'd gone about a mile into the forest, with Jacob walking behind so far back, even I couldn't sense him. I hoped he was there at all.
"As far as possible. I don't really want anything to find us." He emphasized 'thing' meaning 'dogs'. "Ok, this is fine. First I need to be touching a part of you. The closer to the brain, the better." He leant forward and rested his forehead on mine. I bent my head so my mouth was as far away from his as it would go. "Now I need you to close your eyes." I scowled at him in warning. "I've learnt my lesson." I closed my eyes. "Now you're going to feel like something is trying to break is way into your head. I need you to open that space and let me in." He got to work. He put his hands on my shoulders and sighed. I wondered how this looked for Jacob, but obviously not serious enough, because he was nowhere to be seen. The I felt a kind of push at the front of my mind, like he was travelling through the skin where our skin touched. I tried to pull him in, but that didn't work, so I opened a 'door' in my head and my mind felt open, and a lot less private. "You're scared? Now you need to let me read you." I relaxed and just, sort of, gave him access to what I was thinking. I'm not sure how.
I then felt way to open and panicked. My mind snapped shut and I felt a kind of shock where his skin was touching mine. He broke off in shock, surprised. "Don't worry, it is a bit of a shock the first time. Try again." I rested my forehead on his, and he put his arms round my waist. Slowly, but I didn't react, so he kept them there. It was quite relaxing, but still felt wrong. I felt that push on my mind again and let all the barriers down at once. He let down his as well this time, and I could see everything he thought. He was trying to do well, but not for himself, for me. He was trying not to show he loved me, but I could read him now. Then he gave me a vision. Oh my God I feel backwards.
I love you.
That was it. I tried something. A vision to him. But not like my usual ones, just me thinking.
I don't want to, and I shouldn't, but I think I might just, a tiny little bit, love you too.
Why was I saying this? What was I doing? I shouldn't be saying that.
Yes you should. You need to let what you feel out, before it destroys you.
He said. I could see him saying he wanted to try something, then I saw what it was. No, bad idea, that's Jacob's, not yours. He blanked me, he really blanked me. Only for a second, because then instead of continuing my past thoughts I thought fresh, new things. He said I could open my eyes, so I did. He was watching me, for my reaction. But I decided I would let him.
He moved his mouth forward, and moved one of his hands to hold my chin. He gently pulled me towards him, and his other hand found the back of my neck, in my favourite spot. Then, out of pure love and want and wish, he put his lips to mine.
He kissed me.