The sky was heavy with thick, dark clouds, looming over the vast clearing like a portent of things to come. The distant rumble of thunder echoed through the mist-shrouded mountains, a familiar prelude to one of their family's rare indulgences: their beloved baseball game.
Carlisle stood at the edge of the clearing, his golden eyes sweeping across his family. They moved with graceful efficiency, setting up bases and preparing for what should have been a carefree afternoon. Esme, his wife, smiled warmly from first base as she adjusted the field. Rosalie and Emmett playfully nudged each other, Rosalie's striking beauty matched only by her fierce competitiveness. Jasper, calm and composed, stood off to the side, analyzing the surroundings with the quiet precision of a strategist. Alice, light and ethereal, bounded around the field with infectious excitement, her visions guiding her every move.
And then there was Edward. His bronze hair caught the dim light as he stood, seemingly lost in thought. But it was clear to anyone who knew him that his mind was far from still. As a telepath, Edward was never truly alone; the constant hum of thoughts from those around him always filled his mind. It wasn't something he enjoyed, but he had learned to live with it. Today, though, something gnawed at him, a sense of foreboding that went beyond the storm that approached in the distance.
The sound of footsteps—a cadence too swift and too light to belong to humans—interrupted the peaceful preparation. In an instant, all the Cullens froze, heads turning as one toward the sound. Three figures emerged from the dense forest, their pale skin and scarlet eyes betraying them as vampires.
Carlisle stepped forward, his calm demeanor unwavering. "Hello," he greeted the newcomers with a polite smile, his voice gentle. "I'm Carlisle. You're welcome to join us, if you'd like."
The trio stopped at the edge of the field. A tall, dreadlocked vampire with a relaxed posture stepped forward first. "Laurent," he introduced himself with a nod. "This is Victoria, and that's James." His voice was smooth, almost disarming. Behind him, the woman—Victoria—shifted uneasily, her fiery red hair a stark contrast against the gloom of the forest. James, the third vampire, stood silent, his intense gaze locked onto Alice.
"Baseball, huh?" James finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "Mind if we join in?"
The Cullens exchanged cautious glances. Edward, ever vigilant, immediately delved into the minds of their guests. Laurent's thoughts were neutral, calculating the risk of this encounter but with no immediate ill intentions. Victoria, though nervous, seemed to follow James's lead. But James… Edward's eyes narrowed. His mind was a swirling tempest of predatory instincts and bloodlust, focused entirely on Alice.
The game began with forced pleasantries. Laurent joined Carlisle and Esme on one team, while Victoria and James stood with Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. Alice, ever the optimist, remained bright and cheerful despite the undercurrent of tension that only her family could feel. But Edward stayed on edge, his mind constantly connected to James's dark thoughts, each one more dangerous than the last.
The game unfolded like a dream, the Cullens' movements swift and precise, their vampire strength and speed on full display. The cracks of the bat echoed through the forest, mingling with the distant thunder. Yet through it all, Edward remained alert, his eyes darting from James to Alice. He could hear the shift in James's thoughts, the sudden spike of recognition.
She's the one… the girl from years ago…*
James's thoughts sharpened, memories bubbling to the surface of a different time, of hunting a girl who had escaped him. Alice.
Edward's entire body tensed. "Jasper!" he hissed under his breath, his voice so low that only his family would hear. In an instant, Jasper's head snapped toward Edward, sensing the imminent danger before Edward's next words confirmed it. "James remembers Alice. He hunted her when she was human."
Jasper's eyes darkened, his usual calm replaced by a fierce protectiveness. Across the field, James's thoughts grew more erratic, rage bubbling within him. The scent of Alice, though different now that she was a vampire, had sparked something uncontrollable in him. The fact that he had been thwarted, that she had survived his hunt, enraged him.
Carlisle, still trying to maintain civility, stepped forward. "Let's keep this game friendly, shall we?" His voice was calm, but the unspoken warning was clear.
But it was too late. James's lips curled into a feral grin, his body tensing like a coiled spring. "Friendly? Oh, I don't think so," he spat, his scarlet eyes locking onto Alice. "I never finished what I started."
Edward growled low in his throat, stepping protectively in front of Alice. "You won't touch her," he warned, his voice deadly. "I've already seen every move you'll make."
Laurent, sensing the volatile shift in the air, took a step back. "I'm not part of this," he muttered, hands raised in a gesture of surrender. He glanced at Victoria, who looked torn between fleeing and staying with James.
"Laurent!" Victoria hissed, panic creeping into her voice as she backed away. "We need to leave."
But James was beyond reasoning. His bloodlust, his thirst for revenge, had taken over completely. With a snarl, he lunged at Alice, but before he could even reach her, Emmett and Jasper were on him. The force of their combined strength sent James crashing into the ground, the earth splintering beneath them.
James roared, thrashing violently, but Emmett held him down with ease, his grin one of pure satisfaction. "You messed with the wrong family," Emmett growled, tightening his grip.
Jasper, his face a mask of cold fury, focused on controlling James's emotions, forcing a wave of calm over the chaotic frenzy that boiled inside the nomad. But it wasn't enough to stop the rage that fueled him.
Rosalie, watching from the sidelines, shot Alice a quick glance. "You want to finish this?" she asked, her voice cool and dangerous.
Alice, usually so poised, hesitated. She didn't remember her past—the time when she was human and the moments that led to James hunting her were nothing but a void in her memory. But looking at James now, seeing the hatred in his eyes, she knew that this was something that had to be done.
With a nod from Jasper, Emmett hoisted James up, holding him firmly. "Now's your chance, Alice," Rosalie said, stepping back to give her room.
Alice moved forward, her steps graceful yet deliberate. She didn't need to remember her past to know that James was a threat, one that had to be eliminated.
With a single fluid motion, she gripped James's head and twisted. The sound of the bones snapping echoed through the clearing, a grim end to the fight. His body fell limp, and the forest was silent once more.
Victoria, who had been frozen in place, finally broke free of her fear and fled into the trees, her fiery hair disappearing into the darkness.
Edward let out a breath he didn't need to take, his eyes scanning the field to ensure his family was safe. The threat was over—for now. But the storm that had begun with this encounter wasn't finished. It had only just begun.
Present Day*
The past had a way of creeping back when least expected. Now, as the Cullens prepared for a far greater battle against an army of newborns, led by the very vampire who had fled that day—Victoria—they knew that the consequences of that encounter still haunted them. And among Victoria's army was a newborn vampire with no memory of her past, a girl named Bella.