With One Look

Chapter 14

Still Isabella's P.O.V.

I had been traveling a very long time. It was already in the mid nineteen hundreds and I was growing tired of traveling around the world, visiting others and see the sights over and over again. I started staying in different places for longer periods of time. I was becoming tired from all the traveling. I felt it was time to start settling down, I felt like a country without a home.

I was in the state of Alaska, in the a town called Denali and needed to hunt. I was still vacillating between humans and animals, but today I wanted to hunt animals. I was hunting more animals than humans these days, still trying to lose the habit of feeding on humans. My eye color was more gold than red now, but it was still noticeable that I had at some point hunted a human.

When I entered the forest I smelled the scent that told me this place was another vampire's territory. So I sought out the vampire by following its scent, which led me to a nice house that sat between the mountains and the forest. I cautiously approached the house when a male vampire followed by four females came out to greet me. As I regarded the vampires before me I looked once again at the male and was shocked.

"Eleazar, is that you?" I asked as I approached slowly not wanting to spook the females.

"Isabella, what are you doing all the way out here?" he asked with a smile on his face. He approached me and pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly to his chest. When he released me and stared into my eyes he gasped. "I don't believe it, you've been hunting animals," he said.

I nodded and explained what had happened and how I saw the little girl's face every time I fed. I told him I remembered, Carlisle's choice of feeding and decided to try it for myself, explaining that I was alternating back and forth between humans and animals, but was gaining more control and was feeding mostly from animals now. He was astonished at how I had taught myself this, and it was then that I saw that he too had golden eyes and had been feeding from animals.

"You too? Let me guess, Carlisle?" I asked with a chuckle. He nodded.

"Yes, we've kept in touch since I left the Volturi." It was true that Eleazar left the Volturi not long after he met his mate, Carmen. I had never met her but he told me a little about her before he left. Aro had let him leave with the promise that if he was needed he would return to help. (Much as I had agreed, but I have not been called back, thank god, which I assume had something to do with Caius.) He agreed and left and I haven't seen him since, and by the look of things his coven had grown.

"Speaking of Carlisle, one of his coven members is visiting us for a few weeks," he said. I furrowed my eyebrows together, not realizing that Carlisle had started his own coven, but why wouldn't he? Why be alone when you can have others around? It was then that I wondered who all was in Carlisle's coven and if he had taken a mate. For some reason that bothered me, but I couldn't figure out why. That's also when another male vampire joined the females in front of the house.

"Come, I'll introduce you to my family," he said. He took my arm and led me to the others. When we stood in front of his family, Eleazar introduced them starting with his mate. "Isabella I'd like you to meet my mate, Carmen, and these are our daughters, Irina, Katrina and Tonya, and this is Carlisle's son and first companion Edward. Family, this is an old friend of mine, Isabella Swan. We were in the elite guard together while in the service of the Volturi."

We all looked at one another for a few minutes and I was beginning to think I wasn't welcome when Eleazar's mate, Carmen, stepped forward and gave me a hug.

"Isabella, it is so nice to finally meet you. Eli has spoken of you many times and I feel as if I've known you for ages. Welcome to our home," she said with a smile. The others welcomed me as well, though Edward only nodded in my direction.

After I was shown to a guest room I cleaned up a bit. I was standing at the top of the stairs ready to descend when I heard one of the girls speaking, but to whom I didn't know, which caused me to pause.

"I don't know what to say to her after her breakup with Caius, I don't want to make her feel bad, but I'm dying to know what happened," she said. I heard a shushing sound and I could tell they knew I was there. I continued down the stairs and smiled.

"It's fine if you wish to ask me about Caius. It's been a long time since our breakup and it doesn't bother me any longer," I told them as I took a seat and waited for them to bombard me with their questions. After answering all I could I told them I needed to hunt. That was the reason I was at their front door - to ask permission, not knowing whose house this was.

"I'll go with you, as long as you're hunting animals," Edward said flippantly as he stood up.

"Edward, there's no need for that tone of voice. She is no different from the rest of us; she's just trying to change her diet," Eleazar said.

"Yeah, and it's only taken her over a hundred years to learn our diet," he said sarcastically.

"That's enough, Edward. You had Carlisle to help you through learning your feeding habits; she's doing this on her own. Have you forgotten how hard it was for you to go back to feeding on animals after your rebellion period? And even then you had Carlisle's help," he said.

"But over a hundred years, Eleazar," Edward said snidely.

"Edward!" Eleazar began, but I cut him off.

"It's alright, Eleazar," I said, and turned to Edward. "I will admit that I wasn't trying very hard to learn this way of life, but when I heard of Carlisle's way of life many years ago while we were with the Volturi I thought it disgusting to tell you the truth. I wasn't the only one who thought that; all the members of the Italian coven thought it disgusting, but when I was ordered to feed with the brothers one day something happened. You see, I only fed from criminals at the time because that's the way I survived from the very beginning of my vampire life. I did not know any other way," I said, hating to remember what I was about to reveal.

"On that day in the throne room I fed from a young woman,hating it, but I was ordered to do so. When I finished feeding I looked down and found a young child crying, scared half to death. The woman I killed was the child's mother, and every time I fed thereafter I was haunted by that little girl's face. It took me a while to remember Carlisle's way of feeding, but when it finally dawned on me I began experimenting with his diet, alternating back and forth between humans and animals. I had to be discreet you see, being Caius's mate. No one would understand why one of the King's mates had golden eyes from feeding from animals, so I did this to keep my eyes red. I did this from that day forward, and after I left the Volturi I have been weaning myself off humans. I admit, regrettably, I've not tried my hardest, but I am winning the battle and I will keep doing so until I have won. I don't need some condescending adolescent teenage vampire to point out my faults, because I'm sure you have your own," I told him as I walked away and headed for the forest to hunt, leaving Edward where he stood.

I spent a few weeks with the Denali coven enjoying our conversations and reliving memories of my time with my friend, Eleazar. I even enjoyed my conversations with Tonya, Irina, Kate and Carmen, although Tonya was a bit standoffish, which I was sure was due to the way I talked and ignored Edward. She seemed to have a crush on the boy.

I also found out that Kate had a gift; she could physically shock you with electricity with one touch and had the ability to control the amount she sent you. She was surprised when she tried it on me, thinking I was only a shield and wanted to see if it worked on me. I guess Eleazar hadn't explained my gifts in detail to his coven. Of course I knew what Eleazar's gift was. I knew he could tell a vampire's gift when he looked into their eyes, for that's how the Volturi and I had originally learned of my gifts.

Time was getting close for my departure from the Denali coven and Eleazar told me that I should visit Carlisle and his coven. He said that Carlisle often spoke of me and had missed our conversations. After saying this, Edward spoke up.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"Eleazar furrowed his brow. "Why is that, Edward?" he asked.

"I j...just don't think it's a very good idea, I mean she still feeds from humans and we don't allow anyone around us who does such a thing," he replied reluctantly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Carlisle has many friends who still drink from humans."

"I will not allow it, Eleazar!" Edward yelled.

"Well, we'll just see about that, Edward won't we?" He said as he walked over to his phone, picked up the receiver and dialed. Seeing this, Edward stormed from the room, like the adolescent child I knew he could be, followed by Tonya as Eleazar spoke on the phone.

"Hello, Carlisle Cullen here. How may I help you," I heard from the other end of the phone.

"He must be at work," Eleazar said as he covered to receiver to speak to me and then returned to his call.

"Carlisle, you will never guess who is visiting with us at this very moment."

"Eleazar, it's good to hear your voice. Who is visiting your home? It must be someone of importance for you to be phoning me," Carlisle said with a chuckle.

"Indeed it is. Isabella Swan has been here these past few weeks."

"Isabella, is there...with you...now? he asked, sounding a little shocked.

"She was traveling and has been for some time. She actually stumbled upon us, wanting to ask permission to hunt in our territory, and she was surprised to find it was I who lived here."

"Really? Wait, you mean to tell me she is feeding from animals?" He asked.

"Yes, well she is trying. She fluctuates back and forth, but she is doing rather well in her endeavors."

"That is fantastic news, Eleazar. I'm happy to hear it."

"I told her she should pay you a visit as well, but Edward says she wouldn't be welcome."

"What...why would he say something like that?" he asked in a shocked voice.

"I have no idea, Carlisle. Here, I will let you speak with her...hold on for a second," he said, handing me the receiver.

"H...hello," I said a little shaky at speaking to the vampire I hadn't seen in ages, and for the fact I had never used a telephone.

"Isabella, my goodness. It is so good to hear your voice," he said softly.

"It's good to hear yours as well, Carlisle," I said lovingly.

"Now, what's this I hear, that Edward said you wouldn't be welcomed in my home?" he asked.

"I don't think your companion likes me very much, Carlisle. We had some words when I first arrived and we haven't really spoken to each other since. He thinks that I should have already converted to your diet, and hates that I still have some red in my eyes, I guess," I told him.

"That's nonsense, I don't know what has gotten into him, but I am so glad that you are trying to convert to our diet, Isabella, and I hope you take Eleazar's advice and come see me before you return to Italy," he said. My god. He thinks I'm still with Caius and part of the Volturi!

"Carlisle, I am no longer with the Italian coven, I left there many, many years ago," I told him...the line went quiet for a few minutes and after a while, I spoke. "Carlisle, are you still there?"

"Oh, yes, forgive me. You shocked me there for a minute. I...I mean, wait...does that mean you're no longer with Caius?" he asked.

"No, Carlisle I am not. I haven't been with him or the Volturi in a very long time. When we first spoke I told you I wanted to travel to see the world and that's what I have been doing, see the sights and meeting a lot of vampires. Oh, by the way, Alistair wishes me to tell you hello and he sends his best wishes," I told him.

"Wow, you have been getting around, and thank you for delivering his message," he said with a chuckle.

"You're welcome."

"Isabella, I would love to keep up with this conversation, but I am at work..." he said apologetically as I interrupted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Carlisle, I will let you get back to your work," I said until he too cut me off.

"No, Isabella, I mean yes, I need to get back to work, but promise me you will come for a visit. I've missed our conversations and long to see you again, will you come?" he asked.

"I don't know, Carlisle, I don't wish to cause any problems with your coven," I told him.

"That's nonsense, Isabella, please ignore my son, and come for a visit...please?" he asked.

I sighed and told him I would, at hearing this he sounded pleased.

Before we hung up he said Eleazar would give me directions to his home and the phone number to his house. He told me to tell Eleazar to call him when I left so he'd know to be home when I arrived. I agreed and hung up the phone. Of course I didn't have to tell Eleazar, for he heard the whole conversation and agreed the moment Carlisle asked.

I stayed a few more days with Eleazar and his coven, and then left with their best wishes and hopes for my return for another visit. Eleazar said he would phone Carlisle and let him know I was on my way.

Edward decided to stay with them, not wanting to be around during my visit with his sire, which I was glad of. The last thing I wanted was to argue with him my entire visit. And for some reason I was nervous to see Carlisle again. I guess I was nervous for the fact that I knew there would be others besides Edward in his coven and didn't know how they would act. Would they be just as condescending as Edward had been? I didn't know. I just hoped all would be okay.

I ran through the woods at vampire speed, but there were many times that I had to walk through cities or towns at a human pace. I couldn't believe how much the terrain had changed through the years. I guess I could have taken a bus, but I loved feeling the wind blowing through my hair when I ran at vampire speed. It took me a little while to get where I was going but it would have been slower if I had taken a bus.

When I arrived in Oregon I followed Eleazar's instructions and found the house where Carlisle supposedly lived. I stayed some distance away from the house until I was sure this was the right place. Although I could smell Carlisle's scent. I still wanted to make sure. Once Carlisle stepped out on his porch I ran up to him and stopped. We stared at one another for a few minutes with smiles on our faces until he approached me and pulled me into a tight hug and whispered.

"Isabella, oh Isabella, how I've missed you so."

A/N: I know this update is a little short, but there will be more fun starting in the next few chapters. We're getting close to the end, only five more chapters to go. Coming up next Bella meets Carlisle's family and we'll see how they take to her, good or bad...humm...We'll have to see. Thanks for reading, huggs.