L I S A

I'd lost the desire to see the world; the pain wasn't my enemy but had turned into a wonderful companion of mine during this journey. It offered me something the others had denied, a lifetime company.

I was way too much comfortable with a throbbing back but still it was like I'd finally been granted the desired peace, like I was finally free from the restraints of life and a sweet darkness was crowding me, devouring me gradually.

The dream was like any other where I was engulfed into a nightmare but there was a glimpse of hope, a beacon to lead my way even when I wanted to run away from the world as swift as it was possible. Only I failed to overcome my conscience that I ended up following the illuminated way.

My eyes struggled to adjust with the light making me squint before I was out of my slumber from tip to toe. I was dreaming no more as the light was interrupting the tranquil darkness of the room through the windows hung on the wall. The curtains did me no favor in extending my already prolonged nap.

The house seemed to have been built in the early days of twentieth century. It had the posture and screaming discipline of traditional men and women that included the plain colors of walls. But the most striking feature of that room was I was lying on the only comfortable bed, in a house!

I'd gone unconscious so many times now that it was hard to keep a track and every time I'd wake up with a throbbing head no matter how sweet my dreams were.

I perceived my grubby image in the mirror beside the bed and I stunned at my awesome reflection. I was in a black tank top that covered down till my thighs and blue hot jeans that subtended a little below my top. My hair was loose curls and combed before my breasts and my face was lightened in high-spirits.

I was looking awesome and the scar of knife was no longer ruining my flawless skin, it was as if its presence had disappeared for good. But then the pain . . .

I must've felt the pain 'cause of hitting the ground. I thought.

I gradually climbed out of bed and with another look of myself I rushed towards the main door. I might've momentarily frozen at the picture of a throng of inhuman beings either chattering in delight or engaging in a fleeting skirmish at meters away.

My eyes didn't blink for once as I processed the danger in the near environment. In their eyes, crimson vengeful eyes, I could perceive the hatred, anger and thirst towards my kind. What had I gotten myself into? That backstabber, terrible excuse of a friend had brought me to a village full of bloodthirsty monsters!

My heart skipped a beat as I got in the sight of the predators.

They all gazed at me; girls glaring green-eyed and boys staring with a familiar old need. I felt more at distress than scared. All that attention, I wasn't used to it and all of a sudden my eyes scanned the neighborhood for that one face, one particular and well-defined familiar face.

"They'll grow fond of you." I jumped at the soothing yet amused voice coming from the corners.

I recognized the voice from the early moments in the forest. He was that friend whom I'd vaguely remembered. What had Edward called him again? Malcolm was it?

"I believe we haven't officially been introduced." He stretched out his right arm forward, "I'm Malcolm Davis."

"Elisabeth Brown." I said returning the gesture.

He gave me a slight warming smile and scanned my face-just my face as if seeking something he was longing for. His eyes offered the warmth of home until they went to get troubled by his thoughts.

I shifted my gaze away to the people outside who no longer found me good enough to stare at. I sighed on the inside in relief. I was not that prominent after all.

"Where's Edward?" I asked drawing his attention to anything but my face.

"Hunting." I marginally hopped at that simple verb even though I shouldn't have been this surprised but maybe this was something people like me could never get used to. He'd gone to get himself a good drink and I was creeping out on the fact that the drink would be a blood of my kind.

I felt a light tug at my arm and then I was suddenly facing him, into his deep ebony eyes. His brown hair was perfectly tucked behind his earlobe while some other strands rounded on his forehead.

"What?" I couldn't ask more as his lips were just at half a finger's length away from mine. His cold breaths masked my face and I turned white akin to a snowflake.

"I was stunned when he said he couldn't read your mind after all it was I who taught him that. I didn't think you'd be able to resist me but . . ." He murmured softly against my face all the while looking into his own trail of theories.

"What, are you immune to magic?" He questioned roughly.

I wasn't sure how to answer that. I didn't even know what he had meant by that! I was going to panic soon if he kept searching me with those freaky eyes. It was as if they're made to make one blurt out their secrets but instead it just gave me creeps.

"I don't know." I hesitantly responded under his grip.

I kept budging my eyes to different places to avoid any direct contact with him; it both made me nervous and wanting to run off.

His grip soothingly alleviated and he drew himself back claiming his normal breaths again. Meanwhile my heartbeat was at a race with my mind's speed; my heart won eventually.

"Hello." Someone greeted in a playful tone from behind.

I twisted back expecting a walking infant but encountered a woman about in her early twenties. I was taken aback by her beauty and playfully mischievous voice that came as an atrocious reminder of a grave recent loss.

"Hi." I greeted back with awe clear in my tone.

"You look less bruised than this morning." She continued after a short giggle.

"You're the one to clean me up?" I amazed with appreciation.

"I, Julie cleansed your wounds, Martha cleaned you up and after that Josephine dressed you into some decent clothes."

My clothes were so not decent. I thought.

But it flabbergasted me somehow why would vampires really care so much for an ordinary being. Did we taste better if we're all cleaned up?

"Thank you." I said politely returning her with a momentary smile.

I was struggling with a slight problem which I wasn't really comfortable sharing with anyone else than my kidnapper but he couldn't fall into my sight. How long did it take to hunt down a damn human! He was a vampire. He should've mastered it by his third time!

"I just am glad you and your friends put so many efforts for me." I thanked breaking the awkward silence.

As I'd tried to steal a glimpse from the other vampire I realized he had left a while ago, probably when Julie had come inside.

"We'd do anything for our neighborhood, our brothers and sisters." She replied gently.

I strove against myself to not believe that Edward had actually convinced them to think that I was a vampire. No! They'd simply catch that lie soon after inhaling my scent.

"I know but I'm not one of you." I mystified at her words.

"Yes but Edward is and being his suitor you'll become one of us. Soon." I took a while to digest the spoken words as if my mind had stopped working and I was being dragged out of my sanity, again.

"His what . . . ?" I blurted.

🥀 🥀 🥀

E D W A R D

Ecstasy ran through my body more heightened and swiftly than any of the other usual hunts. Perhaps that was what being in a clan did to us. With our acquaintances with us to share the pleasure gave us a harmony and peace the solitude was never been able to offer.

And I'd admit that it had been a while since I enjoyed this feeling. Even though I didn't get my cordon bleu of AB Positive but this feeling was enough to suffice; besides my throat wasn't itching anymore.

We ran either stumbling into one another or tucked beneath each other's arms. The Brotherhood was something I'd always craved to be a part of but unfortunately the guys at home couldn't give me anything else apart from a sense of strong disgust or jealousy.

Why that? I wasn't a turned vampire but a born one and they just didn't seem to get over that fact.

However I'd tried to keep my profile as low as possible. I never looked for unnecessary troubles but how could one stay silent when the wound was too deep to ignore. So yeah, I'd had many outbursts; some survived through them and some didn't hold much luck.

After the incident with my father my mother moved out of the town along with me but when the time came the bloodthirsty rulers put forward a search committee until I was found and brought before the king at the age of just twelve-the consequence of being the son of a rank-holder Lord.

I had to not only survive the criticism on my personality put by others but also rise to Mason's expectations.

Mason. He was the one to find me, blackmail me, capture me, persuade me and give me a place among his best assassins. Although being the monster that I was, I'd credit only myself for that hard work. Building a tough personality that no one could break through was wearing and it hurt when someone did, her . . . Stacey.

"Good you're here." Mal let go of a sigh.

"Is something wrong?" I asked in wariness.

"Go to your lassie before anyone decides to have a nice feast." He rolled his eyes gesturing towards the girls on the threshold of Martha's house.

Lisa was one of them, playfully smiling while thanking Julie. I couldn't hear them at that distance but they're close enough to perceive and read their thoughts.

She's so beautiful. Oh I wish I had a skin so unblemished like that! I'd look like the midnight sky where the moon glimmers so sweetly. Julie wished.

Oh Julie! You're good just the way you are! I muttered silently.

I quickly made my way towards them before Julie could allow herself to fall in love with Lisa. Now we wouldn't want that, would we? I could tell from my past experiences that Julie was far more protective and a jealous girlfriend.

"His what . . . ?" Lisa screamed and it almost seemed like she had just seen her ghost.

"Edward you didn't tell her?" Julie slowly turned towards me raising an uncertain brow.

Even Lisa was gawping at my direction now or rather glaring as she processed her thoughts in order.

"Oh I get it! You haven't asked her yet!" Julie shouted in exhilaration.

I gave Lisa a questioning look having absolutely no idea of the current ground I was standing on. And then I read Julie's elated head.

Of course . . . I knew my tall tale was going to come and bite me someday.

"Yes. You haven't really asked me to marry you yet sweetheart." Her voice held the clear sarcasm towards me, "I mean I do need confirmation if I'm going to turn for you." She finished.

I gave her an incensed look. Two minutes! That was all she needed to ruin my perfect mood.

"I was going to ask you soon." I mumbled with clenched teeth.

"Is today soon enough?" She continued.

Oh she was playing with fire! She had no idea how patient I'd been with her otherwise I swore to God if she wasn't my task she would've been in the midst of this village right now tied to a pole as they all had the honor of tasting her to a gradual end of her mortal life.

"Julie I need a moment with my soon-to-be wife." I said without giving her a second glance.

She left silently just as she'd appeared here with slight giggles stuffing her mouth until they're audible.

"Bride. Turn. Ed-" I locked her mouth with my palm.

My next movements compelled her to obey my steps and I held her pinned against the wall inside the house before she could continue.

I leaned in the gap of her neckline and lifted my mouth up to her ears until I was sure only my desired person could hear me.

"We're surrounded by vampires with heightened hearing. If any of them found out you're Mason's girl, they'd drain you out before I could stop them." My voice was light, so light that only I could hear myself mumbling them but still it held the fear and threat I was meant to demonstrate.

I leaned back from her and waited for a response. In the answer she just nodded with a plain face.

I was glad she understood this time.

"But I'm no one's girl. Don't call me that." She reprimanded.

I gave her a slight nod before taking her hand. She gave me a perplexed look as I marginally dragged her outside to my clan.

Surprisingly but there're a few ones I wanted her to introduce to, the closest of my family. She had already met Martha, Julie, Josephine, Malcolm and the last two ones were Jacob and Christophe.

Jacob carefully took her hand and perched a slight kiss on her knuckle whilst giving me an envious stare behind his playful eyes. Christophe however took a little interest in her. He introduced himself and until she gawked at him, everything was going great.

Christophe vigilantly read her eyes taking his time while Lisa's heartbeat hit the top. He gazed at her softly with a disturbed look in his eyes but Lisa was filled with uncertainty, anger and fear.

She became pale in a moment's gap. Her lips parted so I gradually took her little finger in my ever so light fist.

"You . . ." She whispered wide-eyed.