Blood Moon

EDWARD

6 Months Ago...

Another day.
Another day of the same thing. Again. High School. Sometimes I wonder why do I bother with all this.
But, it's only for a second. I do it for my family.
The only good thing this cursed existence has given me.

Wait, today is different. There's someone new in Forks High.
People are very excited about it. It's not everyday this tiny town has these kind of news. The sheriff's daughter.
Isabella Swan.

No, Bella. She has corrected everyone who called her by her full name.
I can see in the other students minds. She seems normal, ordinary. 
I don't know why they're making such a big deal out of it.
Maybe it's cause she is new. Teenagers, go figure.

After a period of hearing mostly thoughts about the Swan girl I get to the Cafeteria to hear more thoughts about her.

This is ridiculous. There's must be something more interesting for these people to think about.
I decide to tune them out.
It works for a while, them Jessica Stanley says my name.
I continue to pretend to eat, but tune into their conversation.

Jessica is telling the new girl everything she knows about the Cullens.
Which is how we're adopted and my siblings date each other.
You don't know the half of it, Jessica.

I try hear the Swan girl's thoughts. Let's see watch she thinks of the freaks.
Probably the same everyone does. How beautiful we all are. Them her instincts will kick in and she won't understand why she wants to keep her distance from us. 

I try to hear what she's thinking, but...
This is impossible. There's nothing.
What the hell? This has never happened before.

What is wrong with me?
I turn to look at her, she is staring right back. I concentrate.
Nothing.
Maybe there's something wrong with her.

The bell rings. Everyone gets up to leave.
I don't tell my family what happened. I don't understand it.
I will talk to Carlisle later, he might know something about it.

Alice seems distracted. But, she is reciting a poem in her head. I let it go.
She deserves her privacy. They barely have that with me around.

I sit down at my usual table in biology.
I tune out the students chatter around me.

I have never encountered anyone whose mind I couldn't read. What's so special about her? 
Maybe, it's not her. 
Maybe, I'm losing my ability.

I see Bella entering the room. Maybe I will try again. I might be able to get a read on her being closer.

It happens in a fraction of a second.
Her smell hits me. I feel the burning in my throat. My mouth fills with venom.
The monster inside me is ready to attack.
The sweetest scent.
I want to kill her. I hold myself back. Barely.
I still haven't made up my mind.

Her blood. I want it. I want to kill her. These humans around me couldn't do anything. I would have to kill them all. But, it'll be worth it if I get to taste this. 

I'm still thinking about all the ways I could kill her when she sits next to me.

I hold my breath. 
I can't kill her. It would ruin everything. The life we built for us.  
My family would pay for it, too. 

I can control myself. I can. The monster scoffs. He wants her. I want her.

I can... lure he after class.

Introduce myself. Be charming as woman tend to think I am.

Get her to follow me without anyone seeing.

It would be so easy. Get her to the woods and pounce.
The monster is grinning now. He likes that idea.

Our secret would be safe. 
My siblings would forgive me.
Rosalie wouldn't care either way.
Emmett and Jasper would understand.
Alice would tell me she did not see it in time to stop it. 

Esme, my kind mother. She would forgive me, of course. She would not hold it against me. Or any of us.

Carlisle, my father, my mentor. He would be disappointed in me.
But, he would forgive. He has before.

I imagine what I'll say to her.
I stop. My head is clearing now that I'm not smelling her blood.

I will not do it. I refuse to be a monster.

The bell rings again and I flee the classroom as fast as I can. Well, as fast as a human can.

I try to change my schedule. All I have to do is stay away from her.
I can control myself. 

And she is there again. In a stuffy room with only another frail human.

So easy. It would be so easy.
I imagine myself lunging at her. 

No! I get out of there. I get in my car and I'm driving away from Forks.

I hate her. 

Isabella Swan.

Bella. I scoff to myself.

Who does she think she is?

A frail, pathetic human made me flee my own home.

I'm in Alaska. Tanya made me run far from the Denali's home.

I can't deal with her advances, too.

I bury myself in the ice.

And I try to forget her smell. I fed on a few animals. I can think clearly now.

I could have ruined everything. I was so close to doing so.
The monster would have won. 
I could never look my family in the eye, again. They would forgive me. 
But, that's not enough. I would not be able to forgive myself.

I was weak. Apart from Carlisle, I should be the one with more restrain. But, even though I'm miles aways from Forks. I'm still thinking about it. Her blood. It calls me. The monster's still here. I think about going back and sinking my teeth into Bella Swan's neck.

Weak... 

I was so caught up in my self-loathing I didn't hear the newcomer's thoughts.

"Well, this is something..."  The stranger thinks when he sees me lying in the snow.

I'm on my feet before he can think again.

He is like me. Dangerous.

I get ready to attack if needed. He only looks at me.

I take a good look at his face. He is very young in appearance. But, something in his eyes tells me he is older. Older than me.

His eyes are red. The eyes of a monster. 

"There's no need for that." He says pointing at my stance. " If were to attack you, I doubt you'd be able to stop me."

I straight my posture. But, keep my eye on him. Still ready.

"I wouldn't be so sure." I say. It's not smart to antagonize this stranger, but I can help it. He looks so sure of himself. I hate it.

" I would." He smirks and I want to wipe it of his face.

That's when I realize what he is wearing. A hood. And a neckless in the shape o a V.

Is he?

"You're eyes." The stranger says. " You're from the Denali Coven."

"I never thought I'd see one of them." He thinks in... awe?

"No." I say but he doesn't look convinced. I am close to the Denali's territory after all. I decide to be polite. 

"I am Edward Cullen."

"Ah... Carlisle's coven." 

"Aro will be interested." He thinks and I try not to grind my teeth. 

"You're from the Volturi's guard." I state and he nods.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. Really? Small talk? Fine.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're far away from Volterra." I say with the same smirk he gave me.

"Thankfully."  He thinks. What? I try to not look confused. As far as I know the Volturi don't like having to leave Italy.

"Someone broke the rules. I'm on their trail." He says instead.

"They sent you alone?" I can see his eye twitch.

"Of course. I can handle it by myself." He is polite but I can see the question bothered him.

An image flashes in his mind.

A blonde girl with marble skin wearing the same hood. 

"Are you sure you can do this alone?" She taunts him.

There's something about her face that's similar to his.

"Yes, dear sister." He says through gritted teeth.

Sister. The twins.

I remember the stories about their gifts. Hers causes pain. His cuts off all senses.

I feel fear. He could take me down easily if he wanted to. And here I am trying to get a rise out him.

He sees the panic in my face. I can see he's confused but it passes. Then it's only realization.

Of course. If I heard stories about him. He's heard it about us. About me. 

"You're the telepath. Stay out of my head." He snarls. He is ready to attack now.

This is not what I wanted. Problems with the Volturi is the last thing I need right now. 

I don't get ready to attack like I want to. I hold my hands up.

"I wasn't trying to. I can't help it sometimes." It's a lie. I was very much trying to, but he doesn't need to know that.

"I'll tune you out, but it's harder since we're the only ones here."

He still ready to attack, for a moment I think that's exactly what he's going to do. Maybe I can run before the mist comes out of his fingers.

Good job, Edward. Just what you needed. A fight with a member of the volturi.

He stops and relaxes. It might be a trick.

"I'll apreciate it if you try." He says. 

There's silence. We're just looking at each other. His mind is blank, he's trying to keep me out.

"So, you're Alec." I say trying to distract him with conversation if he's still planning to attack.

"Yes. I apologise for my manners. I should have introduced myself." And he is polite again.

"I never told you why I was here. You did, my manners aren't better." He seemed ready to kill me, I'm not sure if he really let it go. And I can't be, now that he knows I can hear him. So, I try to get him to focus on something else.

He raises and eyebrow and I say the first thing I can think of that will maybe interest him more than a fight.

"I guess you could say I ran away from home. For a while, at least." 

"Why?" He seems genuinely curious.

"There was a girl. A human. She is my singer." 

"La tua cantante. Did you let go of your ridiculous vegetarian diet?" He says it like he's disgusted by it. But, it doens't quite reach his eyes.

"No. I thought about it. But, I ran before I could do anything I would regret." I answer truthfully.

"I don't undestand. Why would go through that trouble? Why deny yourself the most amazing pleasure our kind can experience?" He's perplexed. He really doesn't understand why we choose to be like this.

"I can't speak for the rest of my family. But, I don't want to be a monster. I quit our way of living for some time..." I'm not sure why I'm telling him this. Talking about my darkest moment is not necessary to distract him. But, I do it anyway. "Believe me, when I tell you. It was not worth it. The pleasure of drinking human blood was not worth the guilt, the loss of the humanity I have left, leaving my parents... Not worth it."

It was not worth it. I realize it now. Just like killing the Swan girl would not have been. I can't make the same mistake again.

Alec's still quiet, he seems intrigued. I can't tell for sure, because he's still trying to keep me out of his thoughts. I have no idea how, but whatever he's doing, it's working.

"Worth it? Some of us don't have anything else." 

He slipped. What does that mean? Before I can dive into his thoughts again, he controls it. There's nothing. That's starting to get on my nerves. 

"You're loss." He smirks. His voice nothing like I heard in his head. There something about him I can't quite put my finger on. Like there's more to what he's showing me.

I realize the monster's whispers about the human have stopped. I'm focused on something else now. He's distracting. Exactly what I need.

I must have lost my mind because I offer to help him.

"I can help you. You're trying to track someone. I can try to find their thoughts." I thought he was going to like my idea. But he glares at me.

"I told you. I don't need help." Right. His memories. He doesn't like being seen as incapable.

"I know you don't. But, I need a distraction. Something to think about other than the human." I turn it around. I'm the one that's not capable. He might like it better this way.

He stares at me. I feel a methaphorical shiver run down my spine. I tell myself it's simple fear of someone that could be more dangerous than me. But, deep down I know there's something else. I ignore it.

His thoughts are still blank. Damn. How is he so good at blocking me? Carlisle has lived with me for years and never suceeded. 

To be fair, I don't think he's ever tried.

"Alright. I'll let you assist me." He's so smug I almost regret offering my help. Why am I doing this again?

"You'll let me?" I sneer. I can't help myself. There I go again. He's going to attack me now for sure.

"Yes." He deadpans and starts walking.

Huh. 

I wonder if Alice is trying to see me. If she sees me follow one of the Volturi on a hunt. Or if she sees me turn around, take advantage now that he's turned his back on me and run. Run back to Forks. Run back to them and far away from one of the most ruthless members of the guard. Like I should.

If she saw it, I'm sure she's cursing my name and calling me an idiot. Because, I choose the former. 

For some reason, I follow him. I got myself into this, might as well see it through.

"I have been tracking a scent. It goes this way. Follow me." Alec says and runs.

I roll my eyes at his demanding tone but I'm right behind him.

Well, between killing a human in a school classroom, making my family flee to start new somewhere else and helping out one of the Volturi, the latter seems like the better choice.

This way I won't ruin everything.

I hope.