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: Isabella
I stood in the lake and cupped water in my hands, letting it wash over my face. It had been several weeks since the twin nomads had visited. My routine had grown monotonous, and I was craving social interaction. I almost regretted passing up the opportunity to travel with Lacy and her brother. But it was for the best; I wasn't interested in Martin, and it would be wrong to lead him on.
I had watched the forest transition from spring into summer. In that time, my eyes gradually shift back to reddish orange. My eye color was a badge of pride. Of course, that pride was not founded on anything solid. No more humans had been through the area, so I hadn't had an opportunity to test my restraint.
I was still horrified with myself for killing those humans. I had lost myself completely, become an animal instead of a person. Well, I wasn't technically a person anymore, but the idea was the same. I couldn't help but replay the scene in my head; one of the downsides to having a perfect memory.
Despite my guilt I still craved human blood. When I returned to my animal diet, I found it far less fulfilling than before. Caribou blood was barely palatable, and predator blood was just decent. But every time I considered switching my diet, I would remember the cries and limp pale bodies of those hikers. I shook my head to dispel the thoughts. There was no use lamenting over something I couldn't undo.
I stepped out of the water and watched the crystalline droplets fall from my fingertips. I walked over to the boulder and laid down to dry off. The light refracted and danced across my skin as I bathed in the sunlight.
Once I was thoroughly dry, I got up and redressed. I decided I would take a run around the southern perimeter of my territory. Maybe, if I was lucky, I would find a predator to hunt.
I started running south and took a moment to enjoy myself. A pushed myself into a sprint and let my arms gather momentum. I grinned as I felt the wind whip past me and watched the trees blur by. My hair flew behind me like silk and warm summer air filled my lungs. As I took a breath, I caught the scent of vampires nearby and slowed to a stop. Nervous excitement filled me.
I glanced around and spotted sunlight coming through a large opening in the trees. I raced over to the meadow and stood at the edge to wait. This was perfect - nice and open in case things took a turn for the worse. I was optimistic based on my last interaction with vampires, but I couldn't be completely sure of their intentions. The vampires entered my hearing range and cautiously approached. I stood my ground. If they were being careful, it was unlikely that they intended to attack me. Plus, these ones smelled nice, like vanilla and sweet fruit, somehow that made me calmer.
A few seconds later a group of three light haired female vampires emerged from the trees. The four of us stood for a moment, sizing each other up. The center woman was short and voluptuous with curly blonde hair. She had a soft round face and high cheek bones. By the way she stood, I could tell she was the leader of the group. Her companions had similar appearances. The woman to the left was the tallest of the three and had a more muscular build. She had a strong, well sculpted face with full lips framed by shoulder length, straight, blond hair. The woman on the right had long wavy strawberry blond hair and a lithe build. She had an ovular face and a button nose. She appeared to be the youngest of the three but still appeared physically older than me. The women all shared the same symmetric features and flawless skin that seemed to be so common among vampires. But most notable though, were their golden eyes. I wondered how they managed to get that color; it was less aggressive than the blood red eyes I had seen on the nomads.
As I finished examining them, the leader broke out into a huge smile and the women on either side of her mirrored her. I was briefly surprised by the action but composed myself and tentatively smiled back.
"Hi there, sweetheart." The leader said in a smoky alto voice.
"Hello…" I said shyly.
"I'm Tanya, and these are my sisters Kate and Irina." She said gesturing to her right and left respectively. "Is this your territory now?"
"Now…?" I questioned.
"Yes, we hold a permanent residence in Denali national park, south of here. We visit the area every few months for a change in prey pool. You weren't in the area when we last visited." Tanya explained.
"Oh, then yes, I suppose this is my territory now." I told them awkwardly. I still felt as though it was wrong to claim this area as my territory. I just lived here - territory made it sound like I would attack if they trespassed.
"And you're out here alone?" Tanya continued questioning.
"Yes" I told them without elaborating.
"Who changed you? Your sire should have stuck around to raise you. Though, you do seem to be incredibly well behaved for a newborn." She told me. I couldn't stop staring at their eyes though. Before I had a chance to control myself, I blurted out the question in my mind.
"What's up with your eyes? Shit sorry, that was rude." I winced and rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. But Tanya burst into bell-like laughter echoed by her sisters. I was relieved I hadn't offended them. For all I knew, they could have had some special vampiric health condition that made their eyes golden.
"I'm surprised you didn't ask right away sweetheart. I could see the question in your eyes the whole time." She said as her laughter died down. "To answer your question, we have golden eyes because of our diet. But you should know that because it seems you share our taste."
It dawned on me - these vampires fed off wildlife too. My eyes weren't turning orange, they were turning gold. I smiled brightly, pleased to know I would have eyes like theirs.
"Where did you learn of our diet little one?" The tall blond, Kate, asked curiously.
"Nowhere, I woke up here and jumped the first thing I found that smelled edible. It wasn't until later that I consciously decided to feed off of animals." I recalled.
"Well, it's incredible that you are able to maintain our diet as a newborn." Tanya praised. My mood fell instantly.
"Your praise is unneeded… I already slipped up." I mumbled dejectedly.
"Hey, you're not alone, we've all slipped up before. It's heart wrenching but you have to learn to forgive yourself." Irina, the thin strawberry blonde consoled me. I kept my gaze down and didn't respond. The girls flashed over and surrounded me, each placing a comforting hand on me. I tensed at the contact but gradually relaxed. How long had it been since I had been touched? The last time must have been before I woke to this life months ago.
While I appreciated them trying to cheer me up, they didn't know the full extent of what I'd done. I hadn't just killed a person; I had killed a child and that was unforgivable.
We stood in silence for a while, and they eventually took my lack of response as a queue to change the subject.
"Well, we had intended on hunting here over the weekend but since this is your territory now would you allow us to hunt alongside you?" Tanya asked. I just gave them a nod, still feeling mellow.
They smiled at me encouragingly. Tanya lifted her head and scented the area. She took off north and her sisters followed, waving for me to join. We dashed through the forest together and crouched as we neared a herd of caribou. I looked at Tanya, who seemed to be the natural leader, and she gave the signal for us to go. I shot forward and took down a buck by the horns, biting into its jugular. We toppled to the side, and I drank my fill. I tried to focus on keeping myself as clean as possible. I didn't want to embarrass myself by getting covered in blood the first time I hunted with others.
When I broke away from the buck, I tried to discretely wipe the blood that had trickled down my chin. I cringed when I saw that I still managed to get some blood on the front of my shirt. I hadn't quite mastered my table manners yet.
Tanya smiled at me kindly when she noticed my embarrassment.
"Don't worry sweetheart, no one can make a clean kill without training and practice. Would you like some advice?" She asked and I nodded eagerly. "Although it goes against instinct, try taking a shallower bite, that way the blood won't flow faster than you can drink it." She instructed.
We hunted until dusk and Tanya and her sisters continued to mentor me. I hoped they would stay in the area for a while. I felt as though we had already established a friendship.
Eventually I led them back to my lake base and they inspected it. I suddenly became hyperaware of my shabby living conditions. The lake base wasn't much, just a pile of my stuff and a bolder to lay on.
"So, this is where you live… Have you ever thought of building a little cabin or something?" Irina said. "Not that I don't like it of course. It's very, er… minimalistic."
If I could have blushed, I would have. It had been a several weeks and I certainly had the time to build a log cabin. It just hadn't occurred to me that living off of so little was abnormal. Kate grabbed Irina's hand, and she let out a yelp. I was slightly confused by the interaction but decided not to question it.
"Ignore Irina, she has no filter. This is a lovely spot, great view." Kate covered for her sister.
"It's okay… I know it's not much. I woke up here alone with no memories, so I've been pretty aimless so far." I said awkwardly, ducking my head in embarrassment.
"You said you never met your sire, right sweetheart?" Tanya asked softly and I nodded.
"I don't know who changed me. The only other vampires I've met were a pair of nomad siblings who came through the area a few months ago and offered to let me travel with them. But it came with the expectation that I would become romantically involved with the brother, so I declined."
The women shared a meaningful look and seemed come to a decision because Tanya turned and addressed me.
"How would you like to visit our home and meet the rest of our coven?" She proposed.
"As much as I'd love that, I don't think it's a good idea. I'm trying to stay away from civilization until I get control over my thirst." I told her, feeling disappointed.
"We live in Denali National Park so there will be no humans around. And I promise that if we by chance come across one, we will help restrain you. Is that your only hesitation?" She asked and I nodded. I was trying not to show it too obviously, but I was giddy about their invitation. I gave them a shining smile which they returned.
I hoped they might consider letting me visit sometimes or potentially even let me join their coven eventually. I had learned so much from them through the day and they had taken me under their wing as if we were family already.