Ch 2 Breaking The Habit
"Sanguine imbuor, tam alte vadens
Ut recedere vel pergere pares sint labores;
Reverti nunc tam arduum quam praeceps ruere."
Beau approached the Cullen house with a mix of trepidation and anticipation, his new vampire senses heightening the experience to an almost unbearable degree. The world seemed sharper, more intense—every rustle of leaves, every creak of the house, and every scent carried on the breeze was amplified. The house, which had once felt like a sanctuary, now loomed like a monument to all that had changed.
His memories of the house were vivid, yet now everything seemed foreign. The sleek, modern lines of the architecture, once inviting, now felt stark and unyielding. The large windows that had once flooded the interior with light now seemed to peer into his soul, reflecting his unease. The contrast between the house's timeless design and the alienation he felt was jarring, like a place both familiar and strange.
As Beau drew closer, his enhanced senses picked up on subtle details he'd never noticed before—the faint scent of wood polish, the way the grass whispered under his feet, and the cool, crisp air that carried the scent of the nearby forest. His heightened vision caught the smallest details—the texture of the wooden beams, the faint scratches on the porch, and the way the shadows stretched and bent as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
Edythe was waiting on the porch, her figure still and poised, as if she had been expecting him all along. Her presence was a beacon, drawing him closer even as his mind battled with the onslaught of new sensations and emotions. Relief, fear, love, and uncertainty swirled within him, each one vying for dominance.
Their eyes met, and time seemed to slow. The world around them faded, leaving only the two of them suspended in that moment. Beau's footsteps faltered slightly, but he pressed on, his pace quickening as he saw the concern etched in her golden eyes.
Edythe stepped forward, her expression a mix of relief and anxiety. She reached out, hesitating for a fraction of a second before her cool fingers brushed against his cheek. The touch sent a shiver down his spine, anchoring him amidst the chaotic storm of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Her thumb traced the line of his jaw, her touch feather-light, as if she feared he might disappear.
"Beau," she whispered, her voice laced with an emotion he couldn't quite place.
Beau leaned into the touch, closing his eyes briefly as he allowed himself to savor the comfort it brought. Her touch was like an anchor, grounding him amidst the chaotic storm of emotions that had been threatening to overwhelm him since his transformation. For a moment, everything felt right—like he was where he belonged, like he hadn't lost everything that made him who he was. The fear and self-doubt that had plagued him since he first awoke as a vampire began to recede, replaced by the simple, undeniable truth of her presence.
But that comfort was short-lived. A wave of self-consciousness washed over him as he became acutely aware of the others standing nearby. He glanced around, his gaze meeting Archie's first, who looked at them with a mix of curiosity and something else Beau couldn't quite place.
Edythe seemed to sense his discomfort and turned to face the others. "Leave us," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for protest. "Go hunt."
Archie looked as if he was about to argue, his mouth opening to speak, but Royal intervened, scooping him up like a child while Archie was momentarily distracted, still glancing between Edythe and Beau. "Come on, let's give them some space," Royal said, his voice light but his expression unreadable.
As Royal carried Archie off, Beau caught the briefest nod from Royal, a peculiar expression flickering across his face as he gave Beau one last look before turning away. There was something in that look—approval, perhaps? Or understanding? Beau couldn't be sure, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that they were finally alone.
The silence between them crackled with an almost palpable tension, like the charged air before a storm. Beau could feel the energy building, the unspoken words hanging in the air between them. He and Edythe stood only a breath apart, and the magnetism that had always drawn them together seemed to intensify in that moment.
Edythe's hand slid from his cheek to rest on the back of his neck, her touch light yet firm, as if she were afraid to let go. Beau's heart—dead though it was—felt like it might burst from the intensity of it all. He had spent so long trying to deny his feelings, to push them down, but now they surged to the surface with a force that couldn't be contained.
Their eyes locked, and in that instant, all the fear, all the uncertainty, melted away. Without a word, they moved toward each other, closing the final inch of distance. Beau's hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer as Edythe tilted her head, her breath mingling with his as they hovered on the brink.
And then, like a dam breaking, they kissed. It wasn't the soft, tentative kisses of before, when they had both been holding back. No, this was something else entirely—fierce, desperate, and consuming. It was a kiss born of months of longing, of countless nights spent apart, of fear that they might never have this again.
The passion they had both bottled up for so long was unleashed, and the world seemed to explode around them. Edythe's lips were cool and smooth against his, but the heat of the moment made everything else fade away. The kiss deepened, both of them pressing closer, as if they could fuse together and become one.
Beau's new vampire senses made everything feel sharper, more intense. He could feel every point of contact, every brush of her skin against his, every tremor that passed through her body as she clung to him. His mind was a whirlwind of sensations—her scent, her taste, the feel of her body against his—and it was all too much and yet not enough.
They broke apart, gasping for breath they didn't need, their foreheads resting together as they tried to steady themselves. Beau's eyes flickered open, meeting Edythe's gaze. Her golden eyes were filled with a mix of emotions—love, relief, desire, and something deeper, something that made his cold heart ache.
In that moment, Beau knew that nothing else mattered. Not the changes he had undergone, not the doubts that had plagued him, not the fear of what he had become. The only thing that mattered was that they were here, together, and nothing could tear them apart.
Jules led her pack into the charred remains of the once grand house, now reduced to a blackened skeleton. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt wood and something else, darker and more sinister. The fire department had arrived too late to save the structure, only managing to prevent the flames from spreading. Now, all that was left were the smoldering ruins. Despite days having passed it still radiated heat like the dying embers of a once-raging inferno.
The house was a haunting sight, almost impossible to reconcile with the place she'd spent the night happily partying with Beau. The walls, once tall and imposing, were now crumbling, the wood brittle and blackened. Shattered glass crunched underfoot as Jules stepped cautiously over what used to be a window, her sharp eyes scanning the wreckage. The roof had caved in, leaving the house open to the elements, and the sky above was a dull, oppressive gray, as if even the heavens were mourning the loss of what had transpired here.
The air was heavy with the lingering smell of smoke, mixed with the unmistakable stench of death. Jules' heart pounded in her chest as she walked through the debris, her mind racing with thoughts of Beau. The last time she had seen him, he had been fleeing the reservation, his face set with a grim determination. Now, standing amidst the ruins, Jules couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. That she only had herself to blame.
It was why she'd neglected coming here for so long, and had to force the others to come with her when she was ready. She wasn't, but knew it had to happen eventually. Time for her to face the results of her own failure. Failing to run fast enough, to act in time to save him, to do anything. Her fists clenched at her sides, the nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to keep her expression neutral.
If she never came here, pretended she'd never chased him down and let him slip right out from under her. For a few distracted days she could pretend nothing had happened, that Beau was off on a trip somewhere, and it was only a matter of time until he came back to her. Yet that day never came. Charlie would have to learn the truth eventually, keeping it from him longer would simply be cruel.
She had already cried for Beau Swan, the boy she had once loved. Began the process of grieving she was certain would last her entire life. Once Elliot had told her what Beau had wished him to tell her, she almost attacked him. Knowing in that instant that anything they did would ultimately be useless. By the time they'd make it to Seattle, Beau would already be dead. Victor wouldn't waste a second opportunity delivered directly onto his lap.
Her eyes, still puffy and red from crying, betrayed nothing of the turmoil inside her. She had to be strong, for the pack, for Charlie, and most of all, for Beau. But the uncertainty gnawed at her, a persistent doubt that refused to be silenced. They hadn't found his body. There was nothing to bury, no closure to be had. And that fact, more than anything else, filled her with a cold, creeping dread.
As she knelt down to examine a particularly charred section of the floor, Jules felt the eyes of her pack on her. They were waiting for her to lead, to make sense of the chaos. But how could she, when she didn't even understand it herself? The weight of leadership pressed heavily on her shoulders, but she refused to let it show. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not now. They needed her to be strong, especially when the world felt like it was doing everything it could to break her. Crush her spirit to dust and force her to cry like a little girl for the rest of her life, she wouldn't let it. She was Jules Black, named Alpha until the tribe no longer needs a protector and there was nothing the world could do to her now. There was nothing else left to give, it had taken everything else, yet she was still here, still fighting. In that truth she found the strength to move forward.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Lee's voice, calling her over from the far side of the house. "Jules, you need to see this."
She rose to her feet, her expression hardening as she crossed the room to where Lee was standing. He had been digging through a pile of debris, his hands blackened with soot, and now he was holding something out to her—a picture frame, the glass cracked and the photo inside almost completely obscured by ash.
Jules took the frame from him, her eyes narrowing as she studied the image. The photo was barely recognizable, but she could make out the faces—Victor and Joss. The two Vampires who hunted Beau, both now dead, but at what cost? Her heart twisted with a mix of anger and sadness, but she quickly shoved the emotions aside. There was no room for that now.
She tossed the frame aside without a second thought, the glass shattering to pieces as it hit the ground. Her voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Victor's dead."
But even as she said the words, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that there was more to the story. The scent of vampire was strong here, but there were other scents mixed in with it, one in particular that made her stomach churn. A familiar one, though she had to be sure. After all, she'd rather be wrong this time.
"Lee," she said, her voice taking on a more urgent tone. "There's the scent of another Vampire here. Find out who it is."
Lee hesitated, his eyes searching hers for a moment. Jules could see the conflict in his expression—he already knew what she was asking, what the answer was, but didn't believe it. She didn't blame him, she wouldn't wanna be the one to tell her either. But she couldn't afford to falter now. They needed answers.
"Lee," she repeated, her voice firmer this time.
Lee nodded, lowering his head as he inhaled deeply, sifting through the layers of scents that clung to the air. It didn't take long for him to identify it, and when he looked back up at Jules, his expression was one of grim resignation.
"It's her." he said quietly, confirming what Jules had feared.
The confirmation hit her like a punch to the gut, but she forced herself to stay composed. There would be time to grieve later, but right now, she needed to stay focused. Beau had been here, but where was he now? The thought of him lying dead somewhere in these ruins, his body consumed by the flames, made her sick to her stomach. But there was no time for despair. There was only one place she could think of that might hold the answers she needed.
Knowing what the alternative was, she'd almost prefer it. Better to have him die than 'live' as a monster. Then she could mourn him as she was now and lay him to rest, be certain that even if he was gone that he wasn't in pain anymore, that he'd found peace in either heaven or oblivion, whatever came next. What would they even put in his coffin? They'd have to bury something for Charlie, but it'd be an empty box.
The elders taught her everything their tribe had learned in their conflict with the bloodsuckers throughout the years. When turned the person they were is dead, inhabiting their skin is a monster with only the slightest similarities to their past selves, it was only a matter of time until that faded too. Their human memories disappear, along with it goes their humanity.
No matter what happened here, Beau was dead. Simply thinking the words was enough to break her resolve right here and there. She couldn't break now, not when the others were looking to her for answers. She needed to be strong, even if it was only a front, for them.
Her eyes dragged across her packmates. Paula, as the assigned 'pack animal' had brought her phone, and was lazily browsing the internet as everyone else searched. To be fair to her, it wasn't that big of a house, and she'd neglected to order the pack again after getting them to follow her. She didn't want to overuse her power so much that they resented her. She remembered how bitter Samantha's orders had made her feel.
Quil and Emma were feverishly digging through the ruins of the destroyed house, desperately searching for Beau's body. Their skin and clothes blackened with soot and ash. They liked Beau, everyone in the pack did, even Lee had come around eventually. They also knew what he meant to her.
She silently thanked them for always being such loyal friends. She'd be right beside them had she not caught the scents of her rival, the monster she despised with every fiber of her being. An empty blackness blossoming out from where her heart had been as her mind played through the most likely scenarios.
Jay and Lee searched with far less enthusiasm, either they didn't care or had come to a similar conclusion as her. Even if he was here, it wouldn't change anything if they found him.
Them and every other member of the pack relied on her, needing her to not fall apart without Beau at her side. She'd told Beau herself that she wanted to stand on her own feet. It was time to prove it. To the others, and most importantly herself.
Jules was the Alpha, heir to the great Edna Black. Not that it mattered to her, she loathed her long dead ancestors to this day. A stupid name didn't make her leader. She was a leader because nobody else wanted it, or had the strength to carry the mantle. To make the decisions necessary to ensure their safety. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. That was certain.
Even Lee, the most insubordinate of the whole pack by far, had ceased challenging her, becoming an informal second after the 'incident' with Beau, needing someone to lead the others in a hunt while she was stuck in a daze. Coming to terms with her own monstrous nature.
It didn't matter if she was a monster, she knew for a fact there were far worse ones out there, herself and the pack were all that stood between them and innocent humans. That was all that mattered.
Lee was surprisingly capable when he wasn't going out of his way to be a dick. Or asking her out, even if he was drunk, she was determined to never let him live it down. Like she'd ever be a rebound girl for Samantha's ex, seriously. It was likely never to be made official, he was too hot-headed to be trusted with that kind of power. Everyone thought it, there were no secrets in the pack. That was enough for him to begrudgingly accept it.
"We're leaving," Jules announced, turning to face the pack. "We're going back to Forks. To the Cullen house."
The pack members exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them questioned her decision. They trusted her, even if they didn't fully understand what she was planning.
As they made their way out of the city limits, the oppressive weight of the city's destruction lifted slightly, but the tension among the pack remained palpable. Jules could feel it in the air, the unspoken questions that hung between them like a thick fog. But she didn't have the answers—at least, not yet. Not quite ready to accept the truth that lay right in front of her, hoping with every fiber of her being that she was simply wrong.
Once they were far enough away from prying eyes, Jules signaled for the pack to stop. They gathered around her, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.
"Shift," she ordered, her voice carrying the authority of an Alpha. "And be ready for a fight. We don't know what we're walking into."
The pack members nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. They stripped off their clothes, tucking them away safely before letting the change take over. Jules felt the familiar heat coursing through her veins as her body transformed, her muscles rippling and expanding until she stood on all fours, her senses heightened to their fullest.
The pack was ready.
With a final glance at the smoldering ruins of the house, Jules turned and led the pack back toward Forks, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and resolve. Whatever had happened to Beau, she was going to find out. And if the Cullens were involved in any way, they would answer for it. The pack followed close behind her, their powerful forms moving swiftly through the forest as they raced toward the Cullen house on a warpath, ready for whatever awaited them.
Beau walked into the Cullen house. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect as he stepped inside, but he knew he couldn't avoid this any longer. his senses overwhelmed by the vividness of the world around him. Every surface, every texture, was sharper and more detailed than he could have imagined. The house itself, with its modern yet timeless design, seemed to pulse with a life of its own. The rich, polished wood floors gleamed beneath his feet, while the expansive windows allowed the silver moonlight to flood in, illuminating the sleek, minimalist furniture and the elegant staircase that spiraled upwards.
It drew a stark contrast to the last time he'd visited the place alone, where the place seemed to be haunted, like a house in the post apocalypse, perfectly preserved yet completely empty. Now it was as if they'd never left. The missing personal items and decor that had the place feel like a home instead of a house returned with its inhabitants. Yet despite its familiarity it felt…different, wrong somehow, in a way that felt impossible to place.
Then he realized what it was, the house was the exact same, all that had changed in that time was him. The house was like a mirror to its residents, timeless, unchanging, while he was completely unrecognizable from who he'd been as short as a week ago.
Despite his heightened senses, his injured eye created a frustrating blind spot, forcing him to move his head constantly to take in the full beauty of the space. The open floor plan made the house feel even more expansive, the high ceilings giving it an airy, almost ethereal quality. It was a stark contrast to the tension simmering beneath the surface, a tension that Beau could feel in the very air as he moved silently beside Edythe.
Edythe finally broke the silence, her voice soft and uncertain. "Beau, it's good to see you."
Beau nodded, swallowing hard as he struggled to find his voice. "Yeah, it's… good to see you too."
The awkwardness between them was palpable, and Beau could sense that she was just as uncertain as he was. This was the first time they had really spoken since she'd left him, and there were so many things that needed to be said, so many questions that had been left unanswered. But where to even begin?
"Do you… want to go upstairs?" Edythe asked, gesturing toward the stairs. "We can talk in my room."
"Sure," Beau replied, his voice more strained than he intended. He followed her up the stairs, his mind racing with all the things he wanted to say, but none of the words seemed to make it to his lips.
Edythe led him to her room, and as Beau stepped inside, he couldn't help but take in his surroundings. Her room was a strange mix of the past and the present—great-depression era artwork lined the walls, clashing with the early 2000s emo decor that seemed to define her style since they'd met. It wasn't his style so she hadn't picked it up from him, maybe she was trying to stay hip? It was a curious blend of two eras, much like Edythe herself.
"I like your room," Beau commented as they entered, trying to break the awkwardness with small talk.
Edythe smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Thanks. I've always had a thing for the art from that period. And, well, I've been listening to a lot of Linkin Park lately." she added sheepishly, her posture shrunken
"Linkin Park?" Beau repeated, surprised by the mention of the modern band. "Really?"
Edythe offered a small smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "They're quite new, but I try to keep up with the times when I can. I've been listening to their album on repeat. 'Hybrid Theory and Meteora' they're... something else."
Beau chuckled softly, the tension easing slightly as they found common ground. "I have the same CDs," he admitted, finding comfort in the familiar topic. "One of my favorites."
"I know." Edythe breathed, almost too quietly for him to hear, her honey-colored eyes still stuck gazing at the floor. "That's why I first picked them up."
The small talk did little to ease the tension between them, but it was a start. For a moment, it almost felt like things were normal between them again, like they hadn't been through the hell that had torn them apart. But the weight of the conversation they needed to have hung over them like a storm cloud, and it wasn't long before it came crashing down.
They both started to speak at the same time, their words tumbling out in a jumbled mess before they stopped, each waiting for the other to go first. It was Edythe who finally broke the awkward silence, her voice soft and filled with regret.
"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes downcast. "For everything. All of it."
Beau felt the phantom sensation of his chest clenching, responding to the sincerity and pain he felt in her voice. The sensation painfully real despite the knowledge that there is nothing in his chest to cause it. It was quickly followed up by a surge of anger that he had been holding back for so long. "Why did you do it?" he asked, his tone sharper than he intended. "Why did you leave?"
Edythe winced at his words, as if they had physically hurt her. "I didn't want to believe Archie's visions," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to believe that your fate wasn't set in stone, that you could have a normal life without me, that you could be happy and healthy, without the fear of what some monster might do to you."
Beau's anger flared at her words, a sharp, bitter laugh escaping his lips. "And now I'm the monster," he said harshly, his words laced with bitterness. "Isn't that ironic?"
Edythe flinched at his tone, the pain in her eyes cutting through his anger. "Beau—" she started, but he cut her off.
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, his voice tight with emotion. "If you don't want me around, just say the word and I'll-"
Edythe's head snapped up, her expression pained as she cut him off sharply. "No! Don't you dare finish that sentence! It was all a lie, Beau. Everything I said that day, it was a lie. I didn't expect you to believe it so easily."
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he forgot himself, his anger boiling over. "I trusted you!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the room. "I didn't believe you'd ever lie to me, no matter the reason."
Edythe had no answer for that, her eyes filling with remorse as she stared at the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice filled with regret. "I'm so sorry."
There was a long, painful silence before Edythe spoke again, her voice so quiet that Beau almost didn't hear her. "Do you think you'll ever be able to trust me again?"
Beau's anger cooled, replaced by a deep, aching sadness. "I don't know," he admitted honestly.
Edythe's face fell, but she quickly composed herself, her eyes meeting his once more. "How can I fix it?" she asked, her tone filled with a quiet desperation.
"Just be there for me," Beau replied, his voice steady. "Be there long enough for me to know that you won't leave again, that I won't wake up one day and find you're gone."
Edythe nodded, her expression solemn. "I understand. I'm not going anywhere Beau, I promise. unless you ask me to go."
Beau hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why didn't you come to see me after we met…on the road?"
Edythe's eyes filled with pain as she replied, "Because you were right. About everything you said. 'Sorry' isn't enough to fix what I've done, and it never will be. I thought that by getting Victor and keeping you safe, I could make it up to you somehow. But now I see how stupid that was. And… I realize now it was more for me than for you. Even when I was gone, I was still obsessed with protecting you."
Beau's heart ached at her words, but he forced himself to respond. "I never wanted that for you. Everyone trying to solve my problems is what drove me to act in the first place."
Edythe's frustration boiled to the surface, and she snapped, "It wasn't your problem, it was mine! You wouldn't be in Victor's crosshairs, or Joss's, if it weren't for me."
"And if you died trying to protect me, it would still be my problem," Beau shot back, his voice rising as his anger returned. "And a far worse one."
Edythe's eyes blazed with emotion as she countered, "Then what about what you did!? Did you really think I—or anyone else—would feel better knowing you immolated yourself just to get Victor?"
Beau's temper flared, his voice loud and filled with frustration. "What was I supposed to do!? Just wait around for Victor to kill me, or let someone else die trying to get him?"
"I don't know." Edythe murmured, her eyes low and posture shrunken, a far off look entering her eyes as she seemed to look past him. She opened her mouth to argue but then stopped, her voice trailing off as the fight drained out of her. She looked down, her shoulders slumping as crimson tears welled up in her eyes. "I was so scared when I was rushing to Seattle," she whispered, her voice breaking. "And then I found you… your body… you were so close to dying…"
The raw emotion in her voice cut through Beau's anger like a knife, and he felt a pang of guilt at the sight of her tears. The pain and fear in her expression were real, and it shook him to his core. He stepped forward, his hand reaching out to touch her arm in a gesture of comfort.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice filled with remorse. "I won't do anything that reckless again. I promise."
Edythe pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him, her golden eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. "I can't lose you again, Beau," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I won't survive it."
"You won't have to," Beau replied, his voice firm as he gently wiped away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere if you aren't. We're in this together, no matter what happens."
Edythe looked up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable as she searched his face for sincerity. For a moment, she hesitated, as if she didn't want to believe him, but then she seemed to crumble, collapsing into his arms with a soft sob.
Beau wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she cried into his chest, the tension between them finally breaking. "Together," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper.
They stood there for what felt like an eternity, clinging to each other as if they were the only thing keeping the other from falling apart. Beau stroked her hair gently, his heart aching for the pain they had both endured. He knew that things wouldn't be fixed overnight, but in that moment, he knew that they could start to heal. Together.
The night was still, an eerie calm settling over the Cullen residence as Beau and Edythe stood together, the connection between them tentative but real. The bond they had fought so hard to reclaim, after all the pain and distance, was finally within reach. Beau could feel Edythe's cold hand resting against his cheek, her thumb brushing gently over his scarred skin as if trying to reassure herself that he was really there. For the first time in a long time, he felt like things might actually be okay. They were together, and that was enough.
As their conversation trailed off, the night air suddenly grew thick with tension. Beau's newly heightened senses picked up a distant rumble, like gathering thunder. The eerie calm settling over the Cullen residence was about to shatter.
Then, a sound broke through the silence, a deep, rhythmic thrum that sent a shiver down Beau's spine. He froze, his senses sharpening to an almost painful degree as the sound grew louder, closer. It was the unmistakable pounding of heavy paws against the forest floor—a chorus of beating hearts, each one throbbing with anger and anticipation.
Edythe's golden eyes met his, filled with both fear and determination. "They're here," she whispered, her voice a thin thread of tension.
Beau swallowed hard, his newly heightened senses now picking up the scent of the approaching wolves. The earthy musk of the forest mixed with the sharp tang of sweat and adrenaline, the air thick with the primal energy of the hunt. He knew this moment would come, but that didn't make it any easier to face.
The door creaked as they stepped out onto the wide porch, the cool night air a stark contrast to the firestorm of emotions raging inside them both. Listening intently to the sounds of the approaching, each beat of their oversized hearts resonating with the approaching thunder of the wolf pack. He was able to count out at least 8, perhaps more. The entire pack had come to visit, and it didn't feel like they came for a social call.
In the dim light of the moon, they appeared—a dark, looming presence at the edge of the clearing. The pack was formidable, their large forms almost blending into the shadows of the surrounding trees. Their eyes, reflecting the faint moonlight, glowed with a dangerous intensity that sent chills down Beau's spine. They spread out, encircling them like a noose tightening around its prey.
At the front of the pack stood Jules, shifting to her human form in a blur of motion, her posture stiff and unyielding. Beau could see the iron mask of the Alpha firmly in place, hiding whatever emotions might be churning beneath the surface. But when Jules' gaze landed on him, her control faltered.
For a brief, heart-wrenching moment, the mask cracked. Her eyes, red and puffy from crying, locked onto his crimson gaze with a look of raw, unfiltered pain. The sight of his changed appearance—a single crimson eye staring back at her—seemed to shatter something deep within her. Her lips parted slightly, as if to speak, but no words came out. The heartbreak was plain in her eyes, a deep, soul-crushing sorrow that stabbed through Beau's chest like a knife.
But just as quickly as it appeared, the moment was gone. The stoic Alpha returned, her face hardening into a mask of cold resolve. Jules' gaze shifted from Beau to Edythe, her expression now filled with a murderous intent that left no room for doubt.
"You took something from me," Jules said, her voice low and deadly, each word dripping with venom. "So, I'm going to take something from you in return. An eye for an eye you bloodsucking bitch."
The pack responded in kind, their growls rumbling through the air like an oncoming storm. They were tense, ready for battle, their hackles raised as they prepared to strike. He looked into the eyes of those he'd once considered his friends at the reservation, some looked sad, others enraged, most were concerned. Lee in particular, was watching the unfolding situation with his massive lupine form poorly concealing his worry. He agreed with the sentiment, it wasn't a good situation, but nobody was getting hurt, not while he was right here.
Beau's heart clenched in his chest, the fear and desperation rising like a tidal wave inside him. He couldn't let this happen. Not now, not after everything they'd been through. He took a step forward, his voice trembling with urgency. "Jules, please—don't do this. I'm sorry for leaving you like that, but I had to stop Victor. I didn't want any more blood to be spilled trying to keep me safe. If you want someone to blame, blame me. Don't make Edythe pay for my own actions."
But Jules didn't even glance at him. Her eyes were locked on Edythe, her focus so intense that it was as if Beau wasn't even there. The hurt in her gaze was gone, replaced by a cold, unyielding fury.
"How could you come back to Forks after breaking the treaty not once, but twice? Our ancestors would be spinning in their graves if they found out." Jules spat, her voice shaking with anger.
Beau turned to Edythe, his confusion mounting. "What is she talking about?"
But Edythe remained silent, her gaze never leaving Jules. A slow, cold smile curled on her lips as she finally responded, her voice laced with a mocking edge. "Bringing the entire pack with you to fight me this time? Because you know what would happen if it were just the two of us again."
Jules' entire body tensed, the thin thread of her control snapping as she shifted back into her wolf form in an instant. A snarl ripped through the night as she lunged at Edythe, her powerful jaws aimed directly at her throat.
But Beau was faster. He threw himself between them, catching Jules mid-air and hoisting her above his head with a strength he was still getting used to. Her massive form thrashed wildly, her snarls echoing through the clearing as she tried to break free, snapping her jaws just inches from his face.
"Both of you, stop!" Beau roared, his voice cracking with desperation. The force of his shout seemed to hang in the air, freezing everyone in place.
The pack hesitated, their growls faltering as they watched their Alpha struggle in Beau's grasp. Jules' powerful limbs kicked out violently, her claws raking against his skin, his momentary surprise at being wounded quickly faded as he held tightly on. The pain was intense, but he didn't let go. He couldn't.
Jules shifted back to her human form, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she glared at Beau with a mixture of fury and heartbreak. "Let me down," she ordered coldly.
Beau's dead heart ached as he slowly lowered her to the ground, his mind racing with the weight of what he had to do. He couldn't let this spiral into a battle—not when there was still a chance to stop it. He could see the conflict in Jules' eyes, the war she was fighting within herself. She was hurting, just like he was, but she was also angry—angry at him, at Edythe, at the world for taking so much from her.
Sensing that this was his moment to deescalate the situation, Beau began to speak, his voice raw with emotion. "Jules, I confronted Victor. It was my decision. I didn't want things to end like this, but they did. Edythe…saved me in Seattle. It was a choice between death or becoming a vampire."
For the first time since she arrived, Jules looked at him, truly looked at him. Her eyes, filled with a deep, seething bitterness, locked onto his. When she spoke, her voice was cold and final. "It would have been better if you were dead than a monster."
"Don't you talk to him like that!" Edythe snarled, her words laced with a fiery intensity, moving aggressively as the pack tightened the circle around them. He gently reached his hand to hers, weakly pulling on her fingers, the simple gesture deflating her aggressive posture in an instant.
The words hit Beau like a physical blow, leaving him breathless. The weight of her words crushed him, the pain and rejection in her voice cutting deeper than any wound. He stood there, frozen in place, struggling to process the brutal truth in her statement. Jules, the girl who had been his best friend, the one he had trusted with his life, now saw him as nothing more than a monster. Maybe she was right.
The pack's confident posture began to falter, their unease growing as they glanced at their Alpha. The unity they had displayed moments ago was beginning to crack, the tension between them shifting to something more uncertain. His ears perked up as he recognized why.
Before Beau could respond, the Cullen family arrived, their presence instantly commanding the attention of the pack. They moved with a quiet grace, encircling the wolves with a calm but firm stance. Carine stepped forward, her voice gentle yet authoritative as she addressed Jules.
"We have returned, as you can clearly see." Carine began, her tone measured and calm, tentatively closing the distance until she was face to face with Jules. Whose eyes were still locked with Edythe, her expression full of barely contained hatred that radiated out from her very being.
"I can understand the confusion" Carine stated, her tone as measured as a metronome. "However, I must emphasize: Beau's transformation occurred beyond Forks' boundaries. Ergo, the treaty, in its technical sense, remains intact. I hope that we can find a way to forgive my daughter's mistake so that our people don't have to come into conflict."
Jules' gaze shifted to Carine, her expression unreadable. The tension in the air was thick, the unspoken threat of violence still hanging over them. For a moment, it seemed as though she might respond, might challenge the offer of peace. But then, without a word, she shifted back into her wolf form. Her eyes locked with Beau's one last time, a look of sorrow and anger mingling in their depths. And then she was gone, leading the pack away into the dark woods.
Beau stood there, his dead heart heavy and aching with a pain he couldn't fully understand, wishing desperately for his organ to act like it was supposed to. To be dead, cold, unfeeling, like the rest of his body, safe from the pain of rejection. The way Jules had looked at him, the way she had spoken to him—it was as if he were a stranger to her now, a monster in her eyes. The bond they had shared was shattered, replaced by something cold and unforgiving.
As the pack disappeared into the night, Beau was left standing in the clearing, surrounded by the Cullens, yet feeling more alone than ever. The realization settled heavily on his shoulders—no matter how much he tried, no matter what he did, things would never be the same again. Jules, the one person who had always been there for him, now saw him as something to be feared, something to be hated.
The weight of that truth was almost too much to bear.
Hours passed like minutes as Beau stood rooted to the spot, watching the place where Jules had disappeared into the forest. When he finally turned back to the house, each step felt heavier than the last, his mind a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Thankfully, Edythe and the rest of the family had given him some time alone.
Beau walked back into the Cullen house, his mind still reeling from the intense confrontation with the wolfpack. The echoes of their snarls and the searing pain of Jules' words haunted him. The house was quieter now, the family deep in conversation elsewhere, likely discussing their future in Forks. Beau felt like an outsider in that conversation, like he had no right to be part of it. So he stepped out.
Instead, he found himself gravitating towards Edythe's piano. The instrument sat elegantly in the corner of the room, its polished black surface reflecting the soft glow of the house's ambient lighting. He hesitated as he reached the bench, his fingers trembling slightly as he hovered them above the keys. It was the first time he had touched the piano since his transformation. The familiar urge to play gnawed at him, a small comfort in the midst of the chaos his life had become.
He closed his eyes, letting the muscle memory guide him as he began to play the melody he had drilled into himself over the past few months. But as his fingers pressed down, he forgot to adjust his newfound strength. The force of his touch was too much—the sound that emerged was a discordant crash as the keys splintered beneath his hands.
Splinters of jagged wood bounced harmlessly off his hardened exterior, the sensation barely registering as he watched the piano crash into the hardwood floor. His heightened senses and reaction times only allowed him to watch in vivid detail as it crashed straight through the meticulously maintained pristine floors.
Horrified, Beau jumped back, staring in disbelief at the shattered remains of the piano. It had been so precious to Edythe, a piece of her soul expressed through music, and now it was destroyed by his own carelessness. The realization of what he'd done sent a wave of embarrassment and guilt washing over him.
The rest of the Cullen family appeared almost instantly, drawn by the noise. They gathered around him, their faces etched with pity. Beau wanted to disappear, the embarrassment burning through him even though his body no longer produced heat. His eyes began to burn, an unfamiliar sensation for someone who thought he could no longer cry. Instinctively, he wiped at his eyes, only to pull his hand back in shock. The liquid staining his fingers was a deep crimson, thick and foul-smelling.
A wave of nausea hit him, which quickly fell to the wayside. The scent triggered something primal deep within him. The sight of the blood was like a match to dry tinder, igniting a fierce, all-consuming hunger that burned through his throat and spread throughout his body. His senses sharpened to a razor's edge, the world narrowing to the scent of a small group of deer that had wandered too close to the house. Before he could even form a coherent thought, his body was moving, propelled by a hunger he couldn't control. The transition from man to predator as swift as it was terrifying.
As Beau lost himself to the overpowering hunger, the world around him sharpened into a hyper-realistic landscape, every detail vivid and crystal clear. The forest floor was a carpet of decaying leaves and twigs, the smell of earth and rot mingling with the metallic scent of blood that now coated his hands. His vision was filled with vibrant hues—the deep green of the pine needles, the dark brown of the tree trunks, the inky blackness of the night sky replaced by a gorgeously vibrant navy blue.
The deer, startled by his sudden presence, had only a moment to react before Beau descended upon them. He moved with a speed that felt unnatural even to him, his body a blur as he closed the distance in a heartbeat. The first deer didn't even have time to flee; Beau's fangs sank into its neck, the taste of its blood hitting his tongue like a shot of adrenaline. The liquid was foul, bitter, and nothing like what he had imagined, but the hunger driving him cared little for taste. He drained the animal in seconds, feeling its life force ebb away as his own strength surged.
It was the best thing he'd tasted in his entire life, he knew it the instant the bitter liquid touched his throat. It was like drinking a cool glass of water after being forced to cross the Sahara desert. His body convulsed in ecstasy as the fire burning his body cooled, yet didn't stop entirely.
The other deer scattered, their hooves thundering against the ground, but Beau was already moving on to the next. He leaped, his body soaring through the air, landing with predatory precision on the back of a second deer. His hands, now more like claws, dug into its flesh as he brought it down, his fangs tearing into its throat. The animal thrashed beneath him, its desperate cries echoing through the forest, but Beau's grip was unrelenting. He felt its pulse weaken, its struggles growing feeble as he drained it dry.
The third deer had managed to put some distance between them, but Beau was faster. He was on it in an instant, his mind a chaotic swirl of hunger and instinct. He didn't even think—he simply acted, driven by the primal need to feed. He caught the deer by its hind leg, yanking it back with a force that would have shattered bone had it been human. The deer fell, and before it could rise, Beau was on it, his fangs sinking into its side. The blood was warm and vile, but he drank deeply, the world narrowing to the single act of feeding.
As the last of the deer fell limp in his grasp, Beau stood amidst the carnage, the blood of his prey staining his hands and face. The forest, once alive with the sounds of nature, was now deathly silent, the only sound his own ragged breaths. It was only when the last deer lay lifeless at his feet that he came back to himself, the haze of bloodlust lifting.
The family of deer, now lifeless and broken, were a stark reminder of the monster he had become. The taste of their blood lingered in his mouth, and for a moment, he felt the urge to retch, the revulsion at what he had done warring with the satisfaction of sating his hunger. Beau stared down at the carnage in horror, his hands shaking as he tried to process what he had done. The deer, now just lifeless husks, were a stark reminder of his loss of control, of the beast he had become.
This wasn't what he wanted—this mindless, uncontrollable hunger, this raw, primal instinct that stripped away everything he thought he knew about himself. Beau had always known there would be a price to pay for becoming a vampire, but now, standing amidst the mangled bodies of the deer, he realized just how high that price truly was.
"I'm drenched in blood, wading so deep
That to retreat or press on are equal trials;
Turning back now as grueling as plunging ahead."