Third Person

Cassia had been pacing the room for hours nonstop. Waiting. Waiting. And more waiting.

Her patience was running dry.

"Where the hell is he?" She snarled, venom spluttering out of her lips. "He should be here by now!"

The two other bloodsuckers in the room watched helplessly and uselessly as their leader pace rapidly up and down the area.

"I told him not to make a spectacle of himself! Not to draw attention to himself. I told him not to just run off and do whatever the hell he wants!"

"Maybe he just got caught up?" One of the supernatural twins, Dash said.

This angered the leader, Cassia, who scowled at her crony.

"Caught up?! He has no business being caught up!"

Then as if on cue, the man of the hour entered the room with a pleased smile on his face.

Cassia snarled and charged for him with supernatural celerity, shoving him against the wall.

"What the hell took you so long?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just got caught up."

Dash laughed. "I told you!"

"With what, huh?" Cassia spat. "I told you to do one thing! Not go off on your own little adventure. If this is the life you want Connor, then you better prove how badly you want it. Or so help me, I'll pull your tongue out of your head."

His eyes were panicked.

"Now, did you do what I asked you to do?" Cassia said, dropping him down.

"I did that and better." Connor said with a smirk and gestured to a small cloth. "I found the hybrid."

Cassia turned to the object and then to Connor. Her smile grew as she snatched the cloth and breathed in the scent.

"The hybrid dropped it on their run." Connor said.

"Well well, Connor. You do seem to be of use after all." She whispered

She breathed in the hybrid's scent before laughing sinisterly and vindictively.

"Our plan's going into place." She said. "We will obliterate those Cullens once and for all!"

"But first…I want that hybrid's head on a platter!" She growled, staring blankly into the distance before clenching the cloth in her fist.

Alex Mazzola

My shift ended at Bobbie's Diner. Yes. I got a job. Finally! Sound the alarms! Gather the matching band and blow the trumpets. Alex Mazzola's finally got a job.

I needed a part-time job if I was going to support myself when I go to Boston Conservatory of Performing Arts next fall.

Yep. I'm going to do it.

I've been trying to talk myself out of it for so long but I've dreamt of becoming a dancer for as long as I could remember, to have a chance to showcase what I can do, and now I'm ready to take that chance. And Boston Conservatory offers that opportunity for me to enhance my skills and reach my goal.

Of course, my parents would disapprove. They disapproved of everything I did. But this wasn't about them. It was about me and what I wanted for my future. And I have the only person I need who's got my back.

And that's Seth.

"I'm off, Bobbie." I told my boss as I shrugged my denim jacket over my uniform and wrapped a scarf around my neck, whilst he swept the diner floor.

"See you around, Alex. Don't forget your food." He told me.

I smiled.

The dude was nice. He had a diner policy for all his employees, that we could take food every Friday night.

I grabbed my food and was on my way out to meet my brother outside whose shift usually ends around this time at Krusty's Grill.

But I didn't see his Bobcat pickup truck in sight.

It was past dusk and the streets were deadly quiet. I could literally hear a flickering streetlight a couple of yards from me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Where was my brother, Justin?

Did he just ghost on me and leave me stranded in the middle of the night?

"Unbelievable." I shook my head as I began calling him as I walked.

I decided I would walk to his work where I hoped he still was – or else I would kill him if he wasn't – which was only a couple of blocks from where I worked.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

No answer.

"Dammit, Justin." I muttered as I slipped my phone back into my side-bag.

As I crossed over to the other side of the road and along the sidewalk, I felt a sudden gust of wind whoosh past me, blowing my hair to the side and I could hear an eerie, ominous echo that came with it.

That ought to have caused me to halt in my tracks.

I frowned as I stared into the dusky horizon before bending down, still on high alert, hitching my skirt up slightly to reveal the miniature compound crossbow I kept hidden in between my black nylons.

I paused as I retrieved the bow before spinning my body around to target the potential interloper.

But all I found was a stray cat sprinting away from me with my sharp object.

I exhaled a heavy breath I had no idea I was holding in.

"You can never be too paranoid, am I right?" I whispered.

I shook my head and slipped my crossbow back in before resuming my march to Krusty's Grill.

I arrived at the restaurant to the door slightly ajar, the 'Closed' sign still dangling on the door.

Justin must be in.

"Um, okay you won't believe what I had to do to get here. I had to walk a whole lot of yards to get here and almost got mauled by some stray cat because you were late. You're gonna need to explain yourself, big bro –" I paused as I entered into an empty restaurant.

"Justin?" I called.

I scanned the open room. The mop in the bucket was on the opposite side of the room, and half the chairs were placed on the tables whilst the other half still on the ground.

I frowned.

"Justin?" I called again as I walked over to the bar.

I heard a croaking voice.

I walked around the bar to see my brother tucked behind the counter on the ground, his body leaning against the stool.

I rolled my eyes.

"Renny –Renes – Ness, is that you?" He muttered out almost inaudibly and breathlessly, I was surprised I even heard it.

"Nope. Just your awesome younger sister." I laughed.

He looked wrecked. His eyes were red and circled. His lips were dripping with some sort of liquid. He must have either been in a deep funk or he was drunk or high.

"Justin. Don't tell me you're getting high again? I thought you left that all in sophomore year."

He laughed sickly. "Nope." He sniggered like death. "I can't get high."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. Well at least you have to be drunk." I told him. "Don't tell me you're still drowning your sorrows over your breakup with Renesmee. That was over a year ago, bro. It's long been time to get over it."

"I don't wanna get over it." He snarled before his voice broke. "She was my first love."

"And she won't be your last, okay!" I told him.

He growled groggily.

"She's moved on with someone else. I think it's high time you should too."

I knew my brother had strong feelings for Nessie but I had no idea he was borderline crazy whipped for her. I knew during the entirety of their short-lived relationship that Nessie's heart was somewhere else, it was always with Jacob but I did know she cared for my brother. I understood why she held off telling me that she was with Jacob, a couple weeks after she broke up with my brother. She didn't want to hurt my brother and she didn't want me to think she did my brother dirty, that she used him.

I didn't blame her at all. Jacob was her imprint. Just as Seth was mine. You can't run away from that kind of epic love.

That was something my brother needed to understand.

Jake and Ness were the real deal. And they were going to be endgame.

"It's hard…" He whimpered like a little puppy who got his paw stepped on.

"I know it is." I sighed.

I bent down to help my half-brother off the ground.

"Come on, Catpiss Everdrunk. We have to get you home. Let's get you in a shower and into your own bed." I told him as I supported him on my shoulder.

"W-wait. We have to…We have to lock up." He said, stumbling for the keys in his pocket.

I snatched them from his grasp. "And the keys to your truck?"

"I can drive."

"Yes, you can. Doesn't mean you should. Not in this state." I said. "Now. Give them to me."

He sighed as he dug into his back pocket and handed me his keys.

"Okay. Let's go." I said as I walked us to the door. "I got you, bro."

As we walked out the restaurant, I let go of my brother.

"Just…Stand there!" I said to him before I turned around to lock the doors.

"It's a full moon." I heard him gasp.

"What?" I asked as I glanced back at him.

He was looking up at the night sky. I followed his gaze to see the huge full moon at its peak.

"Yeah, it's a Super moon. Moon is at its peak." I told him.

He glared at me, with bloodshot eyes and teeth bared.

I widened my eyes.

"I have to get out of here!" He grumbled.

"Justin…" I murmured calmly.

He growled once more before taking off into the distance, with so much celerity.

"Justin!" I shouted. "Dammit."

I ran to his truck and hopped in before starting the car.

Or at least trying.

It didn't budge.

"Come on! Come on!" I half pleaded-half commanded in a whisper.

The engine roared after a few seconds.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, buckling my seatbelt on before driving off.

… …

"Justin, where the hell are you!" I glowered to myself as I searched the vicinity.

I could hear the sound of clanging metal or steel coming from the back as I drove.

That's not gonna drive me insane. I thought to myself.

I had been driving for at least ten minutes in the middle of the night. He could not have gone far, could he? It was dark and misty. I couldn't see what was ahead of the road. It was the coldest night of the year. And one of the many cold nights of Oakland Woods. Then I heard the vague sound of screams echoing from the woods.

"Justin." I murmured to myself before I turned the wheel.

I headed north into the way to the woods and hit the gas, following the direction of the screams.

I could hardly see through the mist and fog now smothering the windscreens windshield.

What if I ran into something?

I groaned as I turned the heat up to help alleviate some of the mist on the glass and rolled down the windows.

I heard another scream.

This time it seemed to be getting closer, more definitive and distinct.

I accelerated.

"Ah!" I heard a shriek before I heard growling before the headlights caught the sight of a boy crouching to the ground.

I stopped the car and took a second to catch my breath before slowly jumping out of the car.

My eyes were now fixed on my brother clutching the leaves of the ground with his head buried in them, his body, heaving heavily.

I shut the door.

"Justin?" I said.

I heard a faint growl coming from his direction.

A familiar gust of wind washed over me. I spun around to scan the vicinity before turning back to my brother.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Get away from here!" He snarled at me.

The aggression in his tone was menacing, almost animalistic and vindictive.

"Let me help you!"

"No! Get back! Get away from me!" He gestured with his hands, growling under his breath.

"It's okay!"

"I can't control what's going to happen! Go away while you still can, Alex!" He growled.

"Justin—"

"Go!" He roared at me, his face now looking back at me.

With glowing sunset orange eyes and bared canine fangs for teeth, claws protruding out of his fingers, he looked like a vicious wild animal ready to feast on his prey.

My eyes bulge and my mouth agape.

I found myself taking steps back as Justin emerged from the ground, growling like an animal and his body heaving as evident in the misty air coming from his mouth.

I stumbled over something which caused me to fall back onto the ground as I watched my brother make his way towards me, his eyes piercing through mine like I was some weak and injured deer.

I shakily pulled my crossbow from my hose and directed it towards him.

"Justin! This isn't you!" I cried.

He snarled at me as he began to lunge and pounce for me.

My brother was about to kill me. He was out for blood.

My blood.

That's when a dark figure appeared out of nowhere right in front of me, covered in dark leather and jeans. The man howled and crouched down, with Justin automatically mirroring him.

The unobtrusive man growled, although it wasn't as uncontrolled as my brother's growl was. It was a very authoritarian growl. It was as if he was commanding my brother to stop.

And he did.

Although, his conquest was short-lived and he was now screaming and grumbling in agony again as he fell to the ground. Then I heard bones breaking.

I cried, throwing my hands over my mouth.

"Ahh!" My brother shouted.

The man glared at me.

I gasped.

Ray Parker.

"What's happening to him?"

"He's shifting! He needs to be away from human contact."

"Wait, as in werewolf shifting?"

"It's a super moon. Our emotions are not only heightened but it affects our shifting as well. Everything is heightened. The pain is intensified and the need to kill only gets stronger." He snarled at me.

"You need to get out of here before he kills us both!"

My brother shrieked and cried out in pain.

I swallowed a lump.

"Why isn't the Super Moon affecting you?"

"I've had years and years to learn control. Your brother needs to learn. Now go!" He growled.

"No—Wait. What are you going to do with him?" I asked.

"Take him somewhere away from here!"

I remembered.

There was a clanging noise coming from the back.

I jumped off the ground and ran over to the back of the truck to retrieve the bag of steel and set it on the ground.

I unzipped the duffel bag and pulled out shackles and manacles that were in it.

"I think you might need these." I said to Ray Parker, gesturing to the chains.

Ray Parker stared at them before turning back to my suffering brother, screaming for his life as a bone cracked. I winced in pain for him.

"He won't have a lycan-bout just yet. Fifteen more minutes at most before his next episode."

"His episode?"

"His bloodlust." Ray said to me. "His next bloodlust before he fully shifts into a wolf."

"Wait – Wait. How long does this last?"

"For an experienced wolf, it could take minutes or hours. For him, it could take the wolf the whole night till the moon falls." He said to me. "Some don't even survive the first night of the shift."

I gasped.

That is comforting. I thought sarcastically.

Justin could be put in this type of anguish for the entirety of the night. He had an animalistic alter ego that consumed him every night of a full moon and I was nowhere to help him. Why wouldn't he tell me he was in so much pain?

Maybe he tried and I didn't listen.

Now I feel like an ass of a sister.

"Don't worry. It isn't his first full moon." Ray Parker said as he walked up to my brother in torture. "Although, it is his first Super Moon."

"You knew?"

He stared blankly at me as he hovered over Justin's pained body.

"I've been with him every night he changed." Ray said to me. "Me and his nuisance of a friend."

Luke.

So Ray Parker, a rumored serial killer, someone who Nessie and I swore was so bad we needed to stay away from, had been helping my brother with his wolf secret all this time?

"Thank you." I said to him sincerely.

He blinked at me, his lips pursed but he acknowledged my gratitude with a simple nod of the head before bending down to help Justin up, carrying him bridal style in his strong grasp.

"W-what can I do to help?" I asked.

"You need to go home, Alex."

"He's my brother. And I wanna do everything and anything I can to help him." I said. "Please, Ray. Let me help."

He stared down at my crying brother clutching his chest in agony and wincing in pain as another one of his bones breaking in his grasp.

"How fast can you drive?" Ray Parker asked me.

I stared at him.

… …

Quickly, Ray and Justin hopped onto the back of the pickup whilst I drove us to the place Ray ordered me. Justin's second wolf episode, or lycan-bout as Ray called it, was approaching as my brother suddenly became more vicious and bloodcrazy.

"Faster, Alex!" Ray commanded.

"I'm trying!" I called as I accelerated, trying to put more speed.

"Make a right turn!"

"Your right or my right?" I asked.

"We both have the same right, Alex!" He growled.

"Okay!" I replied as I turned right around the tree before rushing straight through the quiet, leave infested forest, owls hooting in the distance.

"Ahh!" Justin roared out.

I gasped, looking through the rearview mirror to see Ray trying to control a shaking wolf with fiery orange eyes. But then something weird happened. His eyes shifted to a cold, still, bright blue.

"Stop! Stop! Stop here!" He muttered to me as we halted at an abandoned, burned house.

"Wait, your old house?" I asked.

He didn't reply to me as he automatically jumped off the truck with supernatural celerity and grace and into the house.

"Bring the chains!" He called.

I frowned as I rushed to grab the heavy duffel bag.

"Ugh!" I groaned as I could barely hold the bag in both my hands. "Ask the human to grab the heavy bag of chains. Awesome." I muttered to myself as I walked to house, dragging the bag in with me.

When I entered, I felt the familiar eerie energy I felt when I first walked into the house with Nessie when we came to ask Ray some questions. It wasn't a comfortable feeling. I honestly felt this house was haunted. Even with its rubble and debris floating in the air.

"Ray?!" I called.

"Down here!" His voice echoed.

I walked around the house, following his voice to where I was currently in a room, likely the old office.

"Where?!"

I gasped when I watched the shelf automatically split in two and a door opened, where the wall should be, which ultimately led to a ground level flight of stairs.

I widened my eyes before pushing the duffel bag down the stairs until it hit the ground and began descending down the wooden flight of stairs to what looked like a basement or lair.

"Where is he?" I asked.

Ray gestured to the cell where my brother was growling in, chains already enclosing both of his wrists.

"Let me out of here, Ray Parker!" He snarled. "Or I swear to god I will rip your head off with my teeth!"

My eyes bulged.

"Keep quiet!" Ray ordered, preoccupied with making some sort of mix.

"So…this is your lair?" I asked as I examined the room.

It wasn't much, although, there was a table and a chair, an old laptop, a couch and a shelf of what looked like herbs and liquids.

He didn't reply.

"Don't mean to sound like I'm hating on your obviously rad pad." I laughed.

He glared at me.

"But…you don't still live here do you?" I asked.

"No. I have an apartment downtown." He said.

I nodded.

"Did you bring the chains?" He asked.

I nodded, gesturing to the duffel bag.

He then marched over to retrieve the heavy back with ease and walked over to the cell where he kept my brother in. He pulled the shackles out and began draping them each around the cell doors to safely secure that Justin doesn't break out during his episode.

"So this is where you kept my brother all this time?"

He nodded.

"And where I went to when I first shifted."

"How many full moons has Justin had to go through?" I asked.

"In the past year…" He paused as he recalled. "Twenty-seven,"

"27 Full Moons?" I gasped.

In the past year?

"It takes time to gain control over your body on a full moon. It took me years."

"How long can it take?"

"A decade." He sighed as he locked the chain before turning to me, shrugging his leather jacket off.

I widened my eyes.

10 years?

It could take my brother ten years to learn control?

"Wait…How old would that make you?" I questioned.

"Not as young as I am, but not as old as you might think." He told me.

I frowned. "Okay…That's frustratingly vague."

He didn't reply as he resumed to mixing a bunch of herbs and liquids.

"What are you doing with those?"

"I'm mixing a healing remedy for him. He's going to wake up in pain tomorrow after the shift. It takes longer to heal than normal immediately after a full moon." He told me.

I watched as he reached for a blue and green plant but stopped in his tracks.

"Could you grab and break apart one of those for me?" He gestured to the plant.

I nodded as I walked over to him and pulled a plant out from its bed of soil.

"What is it?"

"Aconitum." He told me.

I frowned as I crumbled the plant into the mixer.

"Wolfsbane."

I widened my eyes.

Wolfsbane. Isn't that supposed to be the plant that is poisonous to wolves?

"I've heard of wolfsbane before. It's uh…Felicity mentioned something about it to me one time. I think my dad as well. It's aconite, a plant invented by the Greek goddess Hecate. It's poisonous to wolves, causing frothy saliva, impaired vision, vertigo and often times leaves the wolf in a comatose state and even death."

Wait. He was going to kill my brother?

He sighed. "I'm not going to kill your brother."

That is not comforting.

"A small sprig of wolfsbane in a mixer of other herbs and liquids isn't lethal to a werewolf. It also a medical healing remedy. It's a lesser of evils." He told me.

I frowned.

The supernatural world is weird.

Renesmee Cullen

After boarding on a flight to New York a day after my…

I don't want to say it was a fight. It was more of a tiff or argument…that left me currently annoyed with him. With Jacob.

Anyway, whatever was going on with me and Jake would not hinder my New York experience. First thing on Monday I would be attending the Columbia University college tour and on Friday I would be going to the Art Gallery showing with none other than Nahuel.

First and foremost, I made sure this wasn't part of his agenda to woo me or whatever from the onset. I did that so everyone in my life could stop worrying about him. Also, it was an opportunity like this you can't pass up.

He and I were art enthusiasts, our love for art was a good conversation starter which was one of the reasons why we have this 'friendship'.

Just a friendship.

I think he eventually did get the hint. I mean, of course he made flirtatious advances, I think it was just in Nahuel's nature to be charming but I think has finally come to grips with the fact that we'd never be anything more than friends.

Ever!

I disembarked the plane when I landed on JFK and hailed a cab as I left the airport.

The ride was just as I thought it would be. Amazing.

I still remember New York from when I lived here for a year with my parents. Although, we did live in New Hampshire where my parents went to school at Dartmouth, we always popped in and out of the Big Apple when we had the chance.

We went to Central Park every two weeks, we had –more like I had– fun at Six Flags, we took pictures on the Statue of Liberty and the Met steps. We attempted to visit the Empire State Building but never got the chance to.

Long story short, it was a supernatural vampire problem that stopped us from going.

But this time will be different.

The cab dropped me off at the Four Seasons hotel and I checked in. The attendant handed me my keycard.

"Thanks,"

"You're welcome, milady." The young attendant said to me with a wink.

I rolled my eyes at him but smiled politely before making my way to my room with my week-long luggage in my grasp.

I keyed into Room 115 and waltzed into the decent hotel room with a view overlooking the city.

I rolled my suitcase in and placed it against the small closet before making my way to the bed and collapsed onto it.

I sighed.

I needed to let my parents know I've arrived safely because I sure as hell know they timed my departure from the airport to my landing so that they know when to start being paranoid.

Parents. You gotta love them.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and opened it to see the image of Jake and me that I used as my screensaver. I managed to smile at the photo of me smiling lovingly to Jacob as he looked into the camera.

Jacob.

My man. My wolf. My imprint. My handsome beast. My one and only.

I missed him so much. I should be angry at him since our argument last night was still raw and etched in my brain but my heart was aching for him. Aching to be near him.

I was abruptly pulled out of my train of thought by an incoming call on my screen and buzz of the phone. I gasped out a breath I had no idea I was holding in and came back to earth.

Nahuel.

I bit my lip before answering the call.

"Hey, Nahuel!" I replied.

"Renesmee, mi cariño." I tried to ignore the petname. "I assume you've landed safely in New York?"

"Yeah! I'm currently laying comfortably on my hotel bed."

"Well, then I regret to be the one to break your relaxation." He said.

I frowned. "Why?"

Then I heard the busy streets of the city in the background.

"Where are you?" I chuckled.

"I'm in Time Square. Currently on my way to grabbing a lunch bite to eat at one of the best restaurants in New York City…Wait for it." He paused for effect. "Boucherie West Village"

I chuckled.

"Do you care to join me, mi amor?" He probed in a suggestive tone.

I rolled my eyes but then contemplated.

"Sure, why not?" I laughed.

Couldn't hurt to grab some food. I was starving anyway.

… …

"You were right. This is the best restaurant in New York City." I told him as I swallowed my meal as we sat at one of the restaurant tables.

"See! I told you!" He replied with a mouthful.

"Well, I'll get back to you on that when I eat at every restaurant in New York though." I told him.

"Nope. It's still going to be the best."

I laughed.

"So how come your wolf lover-boy didn't make it to the trip? Trouble in paradise?" He remarked, his lips curving into a small smile.

I narrowed my eyes at him, sending daggers, but only for a second before I dropped my head.

"Sorry. I kid. I kid." He snickered. "Although judging by your facial expression, I don't think I'm kidding as much, am I?"

"He has work and I need to do my own thing every once in a while. We don't have to be tied at the hip, 24/7." I told him. "And no. There's nothing wrong between us. We're still the same."

He nodded, smirking. "Well damn. You can never have too much hope, am I right?"

I gave him a small smile as I fiddled with my fingers.

"When are you going to your college tour?" He asked me.

"On Monday." I replied.

He nodded. "You don't mind if I joined?"

I thought.

Do I really want to entertain him when I'm supposed to be focused on my potential future college?

Well I could use company. Having someone I know from home will probably put my worries at ease. Make the daunting prospect of venturing off on my own away from family and friends not seem so daunting.

"You know what, I don't mind at all." I told him with a smile.

"Good. Because I am good company to keep on these kinds of things. I'm an expert."

"You went to college?" I asked, almost shell-shocked.

"Why? Are you shocked?"

"A little." I scoffed.

"I wouldn't call it 'going to college'. Back in Brazil I used to roam around the universities to meet new people. And prey on new people. I had a thing for what you American's call, 'sorority girls'?" He winked at me.

"You're disgusting." I mentally gagged.

He guffawed. "Sometimes I enjoyed one or two professors and deans."

"Nahuel! Stop!" I laughed hysterically.

He smiled. "I really like your laugh."

I smiled, my cheeks blushing as they always do whenever I received a compliment from someone. More so when Jake gives me compliments.

I stared at my plate when I caught him staring right at me, mesmerized.

"Felicity mentioned you're planning on living together next fall?" He told me.

"Well that's if our dormitories approve of selecting our own roommates." I told me. "Wait, when did Felicity even tell you this? I'm surprised you're even on a first name basis."

He rethought his words, and looked as if I caught him in a lie, but it was only for a brief second before his smile washed it off.

"Oh, right. She actually mentioned something when we were planning your birthday party."

I frowned.

Felicity and I hadn't even made concrete plans about living together until a couple of weeks ago. My party was at least 3 months ago. Felicity at the time hadn't decided which college she wanted to go to between Columbia and Harvard.

Had Nahuel and Felicity met up after that?

And if they did, why would Nahuel lie about it?

"So have your family figured out what they're going to do about Carter and his powers? And the inevitable return of that vampiric creature Charles?" Nahuel asked, changing the subject.

I stared at him blankly.

"You do know Charles will return right?"

"My grandfather has a theory that he might have backed out given the protective fortress we've put around Carter."

We haven't heard from Charles in months. And although that isn't long in the supernatural immortal universe, if he was desperately seeking out for his son he would've tried a long time ago.

"Or he's probably carefully orchestrating his plan, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. It's called catching your enemy with a blind eye."

"You certainly know a lot about that, don't you?" I grumbled.

"I'm just saying…" He said. "Someone who really wants something, especially someone as sadistic as him, patiently waits for the perfect moment to attack. Doing things abruptly, rashly and blindly isn't how a criminal thinks. They plan before they attack."

"Oh, well, my family will make sure he won't get the satisfaction." I reminded him.

The Cullens would not back down from any potential threat.

"I agree. I agree." Nahuel said with a smile.

I nodded.

… …

On the Monday, I woke up bright and early in the morning and excitedly hopped into a cab and made my way to Columbia University in Upper Manhattan, New York. My future college.

After paying the cab driver his meter, I took my first step onto Columbia grounds and inhaled the wonderful air as I watched all the students of the school walking around with smiles and laughs on their faces.

"Here we are, Nessie." I said to myself become clasping my fists together and grinning from ear to ear.

"I made it!" I smiled.

"Yes you did." Nahuel's voice lingered in my ear.

I smiled as I turned to my side to see Nahuel walking up to me. Dressed in some Capri pants and Ascots and a polo shirt, you would think he's about ready to puck a hole in one at a Golf Country Club any minute now. He had his arms around his back.

"Hey." I said with a wide smile. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem."

"Gosh! I'm so excited." I said as I adjusted my tote bag on my shoulder as I began walking, with him following closely on my side. "You know, I've dreamt of attending Columbia pretty much half of my life. A family friend of mine used to attend the school. You remember Kate Denali, right?" I asked.

He nodded. "Vividly." He muttered. "I called her Thunder Girl."

I chuckled. "Yeah, anyway so she told me in her hundred upon hundred years of living, she will never forget her time here. And to think I could possibly be among the few people who could attend makes me so giddy."

"I'm glad to see you so optimistic."

I frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, according to this pamphlet. Columbia only accepts 5.1 % of the thousands upon thousands of applicants in the US."

"The statistics don't really bother me." I said.

"Like I said, I love your optimism."

I smiled as paged through the Columbia booklet.

"What's that?" He asked me.

"Oh. This is the Campus Viewbook. Shows all the various faculties and where to find them." I said as I handed it to him.

"Huh," He hummed as he paged through. "I heard it has a great physics department."

"Oh yes! It has seen alumni win 33 Nobel Prizes, the third most of any American institution behind Harvard and MIT."

"You're fascinated with the field, aren't you?"

"I am, but that's not what I necessarily wanna major in. I'm leaning more towards the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences along with the College of Physicians and Surgeons. I could major in both medicine and arts though, although they're both on two completely different sides of the spectrum. I guess we'll see. Who knows?"

He nodded, looking quite impressed.

"Well I'm impressed."

"Why?" I turned.

"I mean, the school is great. I totally believe that but I had no idea."

"No idea about what?"

"About how passionate you are about education. I knew you were a genius but I had no inkling about you being the Second Coming of Einstein." He joked.

"No." I laughed, shoving him. "Do you really think so?"

He nodded, his eyes looking intensely into mine.

"Although, I don't think you'll be handle all that human blood lingering in the air." He teased me, whispering into my ear.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not like you, Nahuel!"

"Oh, you wish you were me." He said confidently.

I smiled at his idiocy before I moved my eyes over to the congregation of students who looked new. That must be the tour group.

"Oh! The tour's about to start. Let's go."

I snatched the book from his hand and briskly walked over the group.

"Hello, potential students. I am Quinn McKibben and I will be your tour guide for today." The blonde-haired and blue-eyed tour guide/instructor said to all of us.

Her introduction earned a wolf whistle from one of boys who laughed with his friends. I bet if he even gets accepted, he will form a frat house.

"Welcome to Columbia University…" The tour instructor for the school said to all of the potential student among which I fell into the category. "One of America's top private Ivy League research universities. Located in Upper Manhattan, it offers students the opportunity to explore what New York has to offer. Established in…" The instructor trailed off, hoping one of us would catch on.

I shot my hand up.

"Yes, to the pretty girl in the gorgeous red top." The girl pointed to me.

"1754!" I replied.

"Correct! Columbia University was established in 1754, formally known as King's College at the time, making it the oldest higher learning institutions in the whole of New York and the fifth highest in the USA. Do any of you know the colonial colleges?"

I raised my hand again.

"Yes to the girl in red."

"Brown, Harvard, Yale, U of Pennsylvania, College of William and Mary, Princeton, Rutgers, Dartmouth and Columbia!" I told her. "There are nine."

"That is correct, Miss…"

I smiled. "Ms. Cullen."

Nahuel smiled at me.

"Well, Ms. Cullen. I look forward to hopefully seeing you roam around these halls next fall." The instructor said.

I grinned, glancing back at Nahuel who smiled sweetly at me as we continued on with the tour.

"Columbia University has been ranked as among the top ten universities in the world. Which might not come as a surprise to some that there's a rate of 5.1% of student acceptance into the school's program." Quinn said.

Some of the many students gasped and said a few words.

"Well I can hear heartbeats rising." Nahuel whispered in my air. "Not that guy. He's clearly in his own world." He said, pointing to the boy with ragged long hair. "I bet he's a chainsmoker, probably a yogi who cries when he sees cats."

I chuckled. "Shh."

"You'll find that notable alumni have achieved a lot post-Columbia. We have the likes of actor Jake Gyllenhaal, billionaire Warren Buffet, politician/news anchor George Stephanopoulos, air pilot Amelia Earhart, singer Alicia Keys and even US president Barack Obama."

Everyone muttered with impressed words.

"Now some of them probably have these fantasies of being one of those notable alumni's. teenage fantasies. I know of one girl here who could easily be up there and I'm standing next to her."

I blushed and rolled my eyes. "Nahuel. You need to seriously stop before my foot accidently hits your groin."

He smirked charmingly at me, throwing his arm over my shoulder.

"Come on. I'm told I'm a good judge of character." He said, pointing to one of the students.

"Is that so?"

He nodded, his teak eyes looking back at me then back to the student.

"That girl over there, now she's an overachiever. Evident in the tape recorder she currently has pointing at the pretty Quinn McKibben. She probably wants to major in journalism, but her self-consciousness and pessimism tells her she isn't good enough. You can hear her heartbeat rise and fall every time the guide mentions a nerve-racking fact about the school. She thinks she isn't good enough, no matter how much she tries."

I stared back at him.

He smiled at me, his teak eyes boring into my chocolate brown eyes before pointing to another student.

"That guy over there, now he's only here because his parents likely forced him into it. He's a trust fund baby, evident in his lacquered hair and expensive clothes. He has no idea what he wants to do in life, he doesn't know what he wants in life. He's at a crossroads. Does he want to follow what his parents want and potentially follow the family business, or does he want to do what makes him happy?"

I frowned. But I could totally see it.

He did look unsure of himself.

"Now this guy over here, well he just wants to meet a couple of girls and have a good lay." Nahuel laughed as he gestured to the frat boy checking the tour guide out whilst his friends laughed.

"That I totally agree with." I laughed.

"Now let's examine the tour guide. She's something. Those thin blonde curls, that soft and rich creamy skin, that ironing board chest, those crazy long legs. She's definitely a beauty." Nahuel said to me.

"Okay. You've made your point. Now go profess your love to her before you faint." I said, shoving his arm off my shoulder.

He smirked at me. "Hmm. She's looking at us –"

"Sir!" The tour guide called.

Nahuel acknowledged.

"Yes, mi maestro." Nahuel replied in his soothingly calm and thick accent.

His voice and accent automatically caught the attention of literally every girl in the vicinity. I widened my eyes. I almost felt uncomfortable being near him.

"Am I interrupting you?" Quinn McKibben asked. "Or is it the other way around?"

"No. I apologize, mi belleza. I was just explaining to this lovely young lady how amazing and captivating your tour is. I almost got lost in your beautiful blue eyes and raspy voice. Please forgive me, mi amore." He said smoothly.

Quinn McKibben automatically got tongue-tied and her knees buckled and turned to jelly as her cheeks burned a searing red.

"Well um…" She cleared her throat. I could hear the girls giggling whilst not moving their eyes away from Nahuel.

"So…Moving on…There are three main campuses but the Morningside Heights has the largest academic institutions student accommodation in the state. There you can mingle with fellow students from NYU, Brown University and Yale to name a few."

"Frat Parties are gonna be lit!"

I turned to Nahuel who smiled back at me.

I shook my head.

Oh lord.

Nahuel was very confident and comfortable in his own skin. That was evident in the one time I caught him half naked on my birthday. He adored the attention people gave him, especially the ladies. But I know he also didn't mind it when men gave him the attention too. He was most definitely not a modest man and he wasn't going to hide it.

That's what makes us two totally different people and why we would never ever get along on a personal level in the long term because…

I fiercely dislike arrogant people.

… …

On the Friday, Nahuel and I went to the Art Gallery showing on the NYU grounds. It was jam-packed. Filled with art enthusiasts like us, investors who are looking to make some buck as there was also an auction, up and coming artists as well as professional and famous artists like Yayoi Kusama as guest artist and just anyone who was interested to see what the fuss was about.

"Look at all these masterpieces." I said as I passed by artwork and paintings by famous artists like Frida Kahlo, Georgie O'Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Jason Pollock, Vincent van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci.

"Yeah, it's fantastic isn't it?" He muttered, almost in the same awe in my tone.

"I can totally picture one of your paintings being up here one day." I said to him.

He shook his head. "You don't really think so."

"I really do. You're so good. I remember looking at all your paintings at your house the one time. You should definitely profit from them."

"I used to. I did years ago." He said. "A business owner offered me 4 million dollars to buy two of my pieces, I decided to give him one and kept the other."

"4 million dollars?" I demanded.

"Ever wonder how I could afford the place I live in now? I started selling some of my artwork to earn some spending money whilst I traveled the world after my aunt met her mate and they both ran off to Chile seven years ago." He told me.

I gasped. Wow.

I guess that made a lot of sense.

"That's incredible. So the business owner is likely circulating your name around, isn't he?"

"I didn't give him my name. I gave him a different alias."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm paranoid, I guess. I just wanted to live a simple life. Like I did for 150 years. I wasn't about to change just because of some painting I did fifty years ago." He told me.

I smiled. "Respect." I remarked.

He laughed.

"So what did you do with the other painting?"

He then looked at me, trying to find the right words I assumed. It was as if he wanted to so badly tell me but couldn't, or something (himself maybe) tried to hold him back.

He blinked before smiling and shaking his head.

"I'm keeping it for something special. It means a lot to me and I want to keep it as a sentimental value."

"Well when you're ready to show it, I'll be first in line." I laughed as I continued strolling around the art gallery.

"Oh, I certainly hope so."

I suddenly felt my phone ring and vibrate in my back pocket. I dug into it and pulled it out to see Jake's Caller ID on the screen.

I sighed as I shoved my phone back into my pocket.

I wouldn't say I was actively avoiding speaking to Jake. I texted him every night to let him know I was okay (selfishly, to also know if he was okay and thinking about me too), but I wasn't ready to talk to him over the phone. I was really trying my best not to have Jacob in my brain, clouding this experience for me. As much as I loved him, as much as being away from him hurts me physically along with the emotional, I wasn't going to let it break me mentally.

At least not until I finished my trip.

I personally forgot all about our little argument the second it ended, to be honest, but I know if I call him today, the argument would automatically make a return into our heads and we'll both be vulnerable. I didn't want to deal with that right now.

"Why did you do that?" Nahuel remarked after a while.

"Do what?"

"Ignore your wolf's call?"

I sighed. "I just don't want to talk to him right now."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No." I replied.

He nodded his head understandingly.

I groaned. "If you must know, Jake isn't really a big fan of my being here."

He fake gasped. "Why am I not surprised?"

I half-giggled. "Yeah, well, we had an argument the night before my flight and I'm not ready to talk about it just yet."

"It was about me, wasn't it?" He asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "The topic of your name did come up, yes."

"Hmm." He replied. "He thinks I'm a threat, doesn't he?"

I glared at him. "No. In fact, I don't think he's worried about you. He isn't too thrilled about you always making advances at me every chance you get and he makes that known."

"Well I don't blame him."

I turned to him. "You don't?"

"Well, have you met you?" He questioned, gesturing to my body as he surveyed me. "If I were him, if I were lucky enough to be the object of your affection I would be pissed at anyone who even laid eyes on you for a second."

I stared at him, about to say something but bit my tongue realizing I shouldn't. That wouldn't make me a very good friend to Nahuel or a good girlfriend to Jake.

I chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not some piece of object you can claim. You know that right?"

"Of course, I do. You're way more than that. I'm just saying…someone as beautiful and smart as you are shouldn't be surprised that men allure to your presence."

"It's a vampire thing, I guess." I replied.

I heard my mom had it too. I know for a fact Rosalie still had it. Every guy around the world that we come across to literally almost falls to the ground at the sight of her.

"No. It's a Renesmee thing. You just have it or you don't. You definitely do, Renesmee." He told me.

I sighed. "How are your sisters?" I changed the subject.

"I'm sure they're fine. I haven't talked in Serena for so long. Maysun communicates with me here and there, she's currently on a sabbatical in London I think."

I nodded. "That's cool."

He smiled. "Jennie still won't talk to me."

"What happened to you two anyway?" I asked.

"She isn't too thrilled about my hanging out with you." He told me.

"Well can you blame her?" I said, using his words. "You're always trying to hang out with me when she came here for you. She wants to spend time with her big brother. She misses you, Nahuel."

He took in what I said and all of a sudden I watched guilt flood his face as he stared at the ground.

I pursed my lips.

"Sibling relationships are complicated." He said to me.

"I wish I would know the feeling."

"You really want a sibling, don't you?"

"Not really. I mean I used to think about it but it's not like I was yearning for it. I never felt lonely with my uncles and aunts. I have a great relationship with Carter, he's almost like my baby brother. And Jacob was always like a brother to me."

"Now he's your fuck buddy." He said. I glared at him. "I'm joking! Isn't that the loose term youngsters use nowadays!"

"No! It's a jerk term!"

"I'm sorry." He said. "Felicity said that's what you and Jake were to each other."

"Well you talk about Felicity like you were awfully chum." I said to him with a smirk.

But my smile dropped when a memory entered my brain.

The pep rally.

Felicity and I were standing by her locker. I was attempting to console her because something was troubling her and I was hoping she would to talk to me about it.

"Felicity, You're kinda scaring me. What's going on?" I asked.

She exhaled a shaky, cracking gasp.

"Lately, I've been having these visions. I can't exactly explain them but these visions came before senior year began…four months since that night."

…

"Felicity, you all right?" Alex asked.

"Yeah! I'm fine." She said, tilting her head to look at our fellow best friends.

At that moment, I noticed the slight outline of the mark she had on her neck –slightly hidden by a bandana/hankie tied around it – and I came to grips with the fact that it had the same of the same bite mark I left on animals when I fed on them.

My eyes bulged.

It wasn't some hickey someone gave her. It was a bite mark.

A vampire bite mark!

And this was around the same time they threw my birthday party.

A vampire fed on Felicity!

"What is it?"

I gasped.

"Renesmee," He frowned.

I shook my head. "Did you feed on Felicity's blood?" I asked with a murmured whisper.

He pursed his lips.

"Did you?"

"Rens –"

"Did you feed on my best friend?" I demanded.

He tried to answer, his lips quivering but he couldn't.

I widened my eyes in shock.

I couldn't believe it.

Are you kidding me?

Feeding on humans is one thing, which I could accept so long as he didn't kill them but feeding on my best friend? And all this time he didn't even tell me? All this time he pretended like nothing happened?

"You!" I half-shouted, punching his chest with my clenched fists.

"Nessie, you don't understand –"

I backed away from him, as I began causing a scene.

"You stay the hell away from me!" I cried as I stumbled out of the gallery.

Tears began streaming my cheek as I fumbled for my phone and I began dialing the first number I always called when I was in trouble.

"Nessie?" My dad answered immediately.

"Dad! I want to come home!" I told him.

"Nessie. Of course, what's wrong?" He pleaded.

"Just please…"

"I'll book the first flight home for you." He replied.

"Thank you." I said before ending the call and dialing the next number.

Ring.

"Nessie."

"Jake!" I cried. "Look, I'm so sorry! I know I haven't been answering your calls. I don't why I did that. I miss you so much! I love you so much, Jake! I'm so sorry for our fight. It was pointless to fight over something so small. And you right. I'm sorry!"

"Nessie, it's okay. I'm sorry too…Did something wrong happen? Did someone hurt you? Did he hurt you?" He commanded, his alpha voice radiating off the phone.

"No!" I quickly replied. "I just…I just wanted to hear your voice again. I'm sorry."

"Do you want me to come over there?"

"No! I'm on my way. My dad's booking me a flight for tonight." I told him. "I love you, Jacob!"

There was a long pause.

My lips were quivering as I breathed shakily in the cold air. I wrapped my coat and scarf tightly around my body.

"I love you too, baby." He replied. "Be safe, okay? I'll be waiting for you when you get back."

I nodded and ended the call before waving for the cab.

I needed to get outta here.

A/N: Wow. Crazy chapter. Longer than I hoped but I hope it was worth it. So that happened. Who is Cassia and what is her plan? Well that will be explored in the story.

You would remember Cassia from the time Jacob was abducted in Chapters 26 and 27.

Alex's POV was cool to write because I focused on the werewolf mythology of the story that I never got to delve into in Dusk Horizon. As I said before, the Children of the Moon will be a focal point in this story as well as a few other supernatural creatures.

Now what did you think of Nessie's trip to New York? And what did you think of the time she spent with Nahuel?