gift or curse (A Twilight fanfiction)

Chapter 12

Loneliness was something I had become used to, so when I checked the library and found it empty, I was quite content to emerge myself in books for the rest of the week.

On the fifth day however, I was asked to join the coven for mealtime. Without thinking, I followed my messenger, but when I suddenly smelled humans, I abruptly stopped walking. Right, mealtime. That's a thing I hadn't thought about. I didn't want to be anywhere near human blood. I trusted myself and my determination, but seeing as this was a large coven and there would probably be a lot of blood, I'd rather not tempt myself.

"Sorry, I can't come." I stopped breathing and began my retreat, only to be halted by footsteps behind me. As I turned, I saw Felix and two others I had seen briefly, but didn't know by name.

"What's the matter, afraid they will bite you?" the youngest one asked. He looked remarkably like Jane. His face just as angelic, the same color hair, perhaps a tad darker.

"No," I answered, cautious not to anger anyone, "I just don't want to drink human blood."

"Have you ever tried it? You might like it. They smell so good, don't they?" The boy kept pressing me.

Felix added with a look of disdain: "I think she's afraid, look at her, she's trembling."

I was, but only out of anger. The third one, a woman who was a little shorter than I, seemed to understand and tried to reign the situation in.

"Leave her be. Remember Carlisle? Their convictions are strong, so let them."

Why were they comparing me to Carlisle? Only because he too didn't want to harm humans?

Felix and the kid weren't planning on listening to their companion, I could see them thinking up new sneers and I had it.

"Stop trying to persuade me. Walk on and go eat and leave me."

The change was instantaneous. Felix closed his mouth with a loud clashing sound of his teeth. All three of them straightened a bit and walked passed me without an other word. For the first time I was beginning to wonder if there had been something in my words that made them obey so readily. Something Aro had said popped into my mind.

It was his chuckle I now heard from a little farther away. I couldn't see him, but I heard him order someone: "Take her outside, into the forest to hunt."

Outside sounded good, but there was one objection and I quickly asked the empty air in front of me: "When Demetri comes back-"

"Do not worry, my dear. He will find you."

A shiver of anticipation stirred my desire. Of course he would.

The same vampire who had stood up for me just now, returned to me and smiled. "Geia. Come with me, I will show you the way. Maybe you'd like to change first? I guess hunting in that dress will damage it. Oh, and sorry about the situation with Felix and Alec, they can be a real pain. You're Ariadne, right? Call me Chelsea."

I instantly liked this vampire. Her Greek greeting made me smile happily and she was right, I couldn't possibly hunt in this expensive dress.

She took me to a walk in closet that seemed to contain all the clothes from all the vampires and much more.

"Each resident has it's own section, you'd better not touch anything of those." She giggled and moved on to racks with no name above it. "These you can pick. They are arranged by size. When you are done with an outfit, you can deposit it here", she pointed at baskets behind each rack of clothing. "Be sure to put them in the correct one. Left is if you want it back, right, if not."

I looked down at the dress. It was hardly in need of a wash and still smelled the same because I didn't suffer from human stuff like sweat. But maybe Demetri was bigger on hygiene than I was. He sure seemed like that sort of guy.

From a rack I picked out some tight black trousers and a long sleeved button-up tunic that was gray, but had golden stripes on the sides and golden buttons. Behind a screen I quickly changed and then carefully folded the dress and put it in the left basket behind Demetri's clothing rack. Chelsea grinned at me as I shrugged.

"If you decide to stay here, you'll get your own", her eyes sparkled when she said that. "I sure hope you do, it would be nice to have someone to talk to. My husband is often away and there are too many boys here. And Jane is a bore."

I stifled a laugh. Yes, staying just received a few merits.

Chelsea led me through a whole bunch of tunnels, until we came outside on the edge of the village. There she gave me directions how to get to a few reserves south of Volterra. It was night, so no one would notice me and gratefully I said goodbye.

"Don't worry", Chelsea waved as I walked away, "I'm sure Demetri will be here very soon."