Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.

This story is non-canon and contains fem slash.

Author's Note:

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Last updated/edited on 10/01/2024.

First Person POV: Nameless

I flew through the woods following an appealing - or at least better than normal - scent. I had been gorging myself on caribou and other herbivores for the last several weeks and it was getting old. I hoped my appetite wouldn't stay this large forever.

Although I couldn't conjure up many memories, I wasn't starting from scratch. I realized now what I was - a vampire. And I knew what I was supposed to eat - humans. But If I had been human before this life then it didn't seem morally sound to feed off my previous species.

My implicit memory remained intact. I could still tie my shoes and bathe myself fine. However, my explicit memory was iffy at best. I had some vague memories from my childhood. When I focused, I could recall short bursts - dance lessons with my mom, playing in the summer rain with my dad. But when I tried to concentrate on the detail of my parents' faces, it got fuzzy. My mother's face was clearer than my father's though, which told me he probably wasn't around as much. But from the memories I still had, I could tell that they both loved me. I wondered if I would ever see them again but dismissed the idea. I was dangerous now, a threat to humans. It was best that I kept my distance. Not to mention that voice… you can't come back to Forks. I wondered what the story behind that was. Clearly the individual that left me here must have known what I was becoming.

I leaped over a fallen log as I continued my hunt. I assumed that the animal I was tracking was a predator. If humans were the ideal diet, it would only make sense that something higher on the food chain would smell better.

As I came within range of the creature, I slowed and crouched in the shrubbery. Peeking through the leaves, I identified the mystery creature as a black bear. I circled behind the black bear and then creeped forward. The bear began to rise defensively, finally sensing my presence. Without hesitation, I threw myself onto the bear's back, linking my arms loosely around its neck to suffocate it. The bear reared up and began to struggle, trying to dispatch me from its back. I tightened my arms marginally to maintain my hold but heard the snap of the bear's neck breaking. I jumped off to the side as the bear collapsed forward.

Damn… I had been hoping for more of a fight. I had seemingly infinite energy and running the perimeter of the area only provided so much release.

I sighed and stepped over to the bear. I bit into its neck and drank my fill until the vein ran dry. It was always more satisfying to feed off of an animal while their heart was still beating but the blood quenched my thirst regardless. The black bear's blood was far sweeter than the caribou blood I was used to. Caribou blood was fuel enough, but it was bitter and gritty.

I dug a hole properly sized for my kill and buried the corpse. Even though I was in the middle of the forest, I didn't want to leave evidence of my hunting behind. Plus, it wasn't as if I had anything better to do with my time. Then I headed back to the lake - my home base.

When I arrived at the lake, I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the cool water. I scrubbed myself down and then rinsed my clothes. I had yet to perfect feeding neatly, but I had improved a lot since my first kill.

I had no soap, so the red blood on my shirt just spread through the fabric, staining the originally white fabric darker pink with every wash. I there was no one around to impress anyway. I glanced down at my reflection in the water. My bright red eyes had started to tinge dark orange; I thought that was odd since I knew vampires were supposed to have red eyes, but it didn't bother me.

I finished washing my clothes and set them out on a large boulder to dry. They were getting ratty now, with several tears in the fabric, but they still covered everything important. I always struggled to keep my strength in check when handling my belongings. I had ditched my shoes all together after the tread had worn through in a matter of days.

I lifted my hands out in front of me and admired the sunlight reflecting off my skin as I waited for my clothes to dry. If I had to be a monster, at least I was a beautiful one, I mused.

A new fragrance broke me out of my thoughts, two scents, both pleasantly sweet but in a way that didn't ignite my thirst. One scent was like brown sugar and the other similar with a touch of cinnamon. Vampires, my instincts told me.

I rushed out of the water and over to the boulder to retrieve my clothing. I had never met another vampire before, and I wasn't planning to do so in the buff. I slipped my clothes on even though they were still damp.

As the vampires came into range, they slowed their pace, likely scenting me too. I fought the instinct to take a defensive stance. These vampires had no reason to harm me, surely? At the very least, I reasoned that they wouldn't attack me without cause. I would greet them with cautious optimism and see where diplomacy got me.

Two individuals stepped into view. They approached me cautiously as we observed each other. I took in their appearances, both were striking. The woman who led was curvy with pin-straight, black hair that fell to her lower back. She had a square face with a strong jaw and looked of Asian descent. Her companion had similar but more masculine features. I assumed they were likely twins since they appeared to be the same age.

"Greetings, youngling, I am Lacy, and this is my brother Martin." The female greeted me, introducing herself and the male next to her.

"Youngling?" I asked her, surprised that she could guess my age accurately.

"Yes hun, your eyes are bright like a newborn. Though the color is a bit different than I've seen before." She told me as the pair continued to approach slowly. Lacy and Martin seemed cautious, but thankfully not hostile.

"What's your name newborn? Is this your territory?" Martin asked me. He had been watching me closely while I spoke to his sister. I felt uncomfortable under his inspection but suppressed the urge to fidget. I thought back to my remaining human memories. What had my parents called me…?

"Isabella" I told them. "I suppose this is my territory… I hunt in the area and there's no one else around."

"You hunt here? There can't be many humans coming through." Lacy inquired looking perplexed.

"Oh, I hunt animals." I told them and they shared a surprised glance.

"I see… Would you mind if my brother and I spent some time in your territory?" Lacy asked me and I nodded my agreement. I didn't want to appear overly excited, but I had been alone since I woke up, and I was giddy that they wanted to stay for a while.

I led them over to the boulder by the lake and we each took a seat. We sat in silence for a moment, and I tried to think of a conversation starter. I wasn't sure what the etiquette was for speaking to other vampires. Luckily, Lacy spoke up.

"So, Isabella, how you were turned?"

"Oh, honestly, I'm not really sure… I don't have many memories before I woke up and none of them are recent." I replied.

"Hm… I suppose that's not too unusual. Most vampires retain limited human memories after their transformation. Even for the vampires I know who managed to keep more human memories, those memories are still fuzzy at best. Most vampires remember being bitten, however, since it's generally a traumatic experience." She informed me.

I realized there was probably a lot that I could learn from Lacy and her brother if given the time.

We chatted until sundown and the conversation drifted off naturally. Martin dismissed himself to scout the area, giving me one last glance. When he was out of earshot Lacy scooted closer to me and spoke in a hushed voice.

"My brother seems to be quite taken with you. He's shy though, so he'll never admit it out loud." She whispered.

So that's what the staring was about… I wasn't sure how to respond. I didn't return her brother's interest, but the pair had been very kind to me so far and I didn't want to ruin the tentative friendship I'd formed with them. Well mainly with Lacy since Martin hadn't spoken much. Interpreting my silence as consideration, Lacy continued.

"If you want, you could travel with us. My brother and I are nomads, and we have travelled all over the world. We could teach you more and you could see where things go with my brother. You would probably have to change your diet though." She offered.

That settled things in my mind - I was unwilling to change my diet. That, and she had told me during our talk that vampires mated for life. The thought of a romantic relationship with Martin also really didn't sit well with me. I considered how to let Lacy down lightly, hoping she wouldn't take my rejection personally.

"I appreciate your offer to take me in, but I'm not ready to leave my territory yet." I responded, nervously biting my bottom lip.

"Don't worry hun, I understand. I just thought I would give you the option." Lacy replied with a kind smile, and I relaxed.

"What option?" I heard from the woods as Martin came into view.

"I was offering to let her join us on our travels, but she decided to remain here."

"Oh…" Martin said sounding disappointed.

"Well, we should probably head to the next area. Thank you for allowing us to visit Isabella." Lacy said and then started searching through her pack. She handed me a plastic bag with a clean set of clothes and pair of shoes inside. I looked up, surprised by her generosity.

"For when you want to return to society." She told me. "And here's our contact info, don't hesitate to call me if you change your mind." She said, handing me a small piece of paper.

She and Martin waved goodbye and ran off.

Time Skip:

Another week passed and I was lounging by the lake. Suddenly, I caught a faint whiff of a new smell – an absolutely divine smell. I couldn't help myself as I rose and ran towards the distant scent. The scent intensified as I got closer, and I lost myself to the chase. My instincts overwhelmed me, and I watched through my eyes with no control over my body. All I knew was that I needed the source of the scent, and nothing was going to stop me.

As I flew through the forest, my eyes zeroed in on two individuals - an older woman and an adolescent boy. Humans.

"Did you hear something, Mom?", was all that the boy got out of his mouth before I was upon him. I tackled him to the ground, biting into his neck. My teeth sliced effortlessly though his skin and sweet ambrosia poured into my mouth. I groaned as the heavenly liquid spilled onto my tongue. I heard the woman scream and stumble to the ground through the fog of my blood lust. The boy's heart slowed, and the blood trickled to an end. I rose and stalked towards the woman. She scampered back in fear, and I pounced at her, wrenching her head to the side as I latched my teeth into her neck. I drank greedily, desperate to drain her of every drop of sweet blood. When the vein went dry, I released her body.

Feeling my blood lust finally dissipate, I looked down. The woman's body was pale and splattered with blood. I turned and saw the boy, similarly pale and sprawled on the ground.

The reality of my actions settled in my mind, and I lifted a hand to my mouth, feeling my eyes burn with venom tears.

I had killed these innocent people. I had killed a mere child. I was a monster…

I slowly backed away from the scene. Then I turned and fled, running as fast as my legs could take me back to the lake. When I reached the pebbled shore, I fell to my knees and let out a choked sob. I looked down at my reflection in the tranquil water. My eyes were bright red, with no sign of orange anymore. The color must have been a result of my diet.

I vowed to myself that I would get that color back. I refused to take another human life and mourned for the humans I had killed. A mother and son that wandered too far into the wilderness. I would be stronger from now on, I wouldn't allow myself to make the same mistake twice.