𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 / 𝐈𝐕.

IV.

a chill

THERE'S a chill in my bones as I sink into the tub, the warm water soaks into my feverish skin. Closing my eyes, holding my breath I dip further into the water. My knees hit against the faucet, feet flat against the porcelain as noise falls away from my ears. Under the water, there's an illusion of calm, a peace that I can never hold onto for long. And when I emerge from the shallow water, it's torn away with the sounds of the outside. 

Somewhere in the house, I can hear Edward talking to his parents over the phone. I lay my head against the edge of the tub, glancing outside at the withered trees and jagged mountains that feel so cold and distant. As unwelcoming as the small town that is on the postal address for this house. 

 "Don't look at me like that," I mutter, my eyes darting up towards the deer mount that sits over the bathroom door. Its dead brown eyes follow my movements as I force myself to clean up, ever watchful as I attempt some normalcy by bathing. 

There's nothing that I can quite put my finger on, but Alaska has disoriented me. I don't eat, I barely sleep, and have spent my nights on the back porch reading Virginia Woolf to Edward out loud. Any strange sound, a door swinging open on its own, the unfamiliar wolves howling at night, and the many taxidermies that haunt this old hunting lodge startle me. The last time I felt this odd, I was being hunted by vampires and guarded by shifters from the treeline. Now, there's nothing out here for miles that can cause this unsettled feeling. 

Maybe it's cabin fever. Maybe I've completely fallen apart. 

"Heather?" Edward opens the door just a crack, doing his best to give me privacy and allow me to grieve my life. "We're going to have company tonight, the Denali sisters are coming to meet you. I'm going to go pick them up in town, do you want me to pick you up a pizza or anything?" 

"Yeah, sure. Something like that." I tell him, my stomach churning uncomfortably at the revelation. Company, vampire company. It doesn't matter that they follow the same diet as the Cullens, it causes the hairs on my neck to stand and a shiver run down my spine. 

"You alright? Do you need me to get you anything else while I'm gone?" When Edward hasn't been letting me be alone, he spends his time doting all over me. Making sure I'm as comfortable as I can get knowing I'm about to go through the most excruciating procedure in the world. Blood turns to venom and skin becomes ice, left frozen in time. 

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." I say, sinking back into the water that's slowly growing cold. 

He closes the door and I listen as his footsteps disappear as he moves through the house. It was far too big for the two of us, even though we've been here a week I still haven't been inside every room. According to Edward, Carlisle and Esme had bought it back in the 60s when it had been a hunting lodge that struggled to bring visitors in during the off-season. They'd bought it as an escape, in case one of their children drew too much attention to the family, they had a sizable lodge in the mild of the Alaskan wilds. 

 After Edward has called out a goodbye, I pull myself out of the tub. Shivering, I cross the tile and grab a towel out of the closet. Each white, plush towel is embroidered with the Cullen clan crest and I can't help but roll my eyes, it seems excessive. But as I moisturize my face, I can't help but wonder what plans they have for me once I've turned. Would they let me keep my last name? Would I become a Cullen or Hale? Or did they have some new alias waiting for me on the other side? 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

They're intimidating, the Denali sisters. And I can't be more glad than I am right now that Edward struggles to read my mind. Three sisters who resemble sculptures of goddesses: tall, blonde, and gorgeous. And my fears aren't soothed when the eldest, Tanya, gushes over Edward. He laughs her compliments off and squeezes my hand in reassurance, but I'm not comforted. Kate, the middle sister, would be a lot less intimidating if she hadn't been showing off her flashy electrical powers to me when she first arrived. And the youngest, Irina, looks like a woman who's just learned that her husband died at sea. I am at the bloodsuckers' mercy. 

"It is so nice to have finally met you, Heather. Edward never talks to us, but Carlisle has said only the best about you." Tanya tells me as we sit around the dining table. The wooden chair creaks under me as I shift uncomfortably under her amber gaze.

"Oh, really?" I nervously ask, wondering what exactly the patriarch of the Cullen clan has said. "I hope the actuality of me doesn't disappoint."

"Oh no, not at all. You've definitely done something right since you managed to catch Edward's eye. We always thought he'd just stay sad and lonely forever." Kate laughs, leaning back in her chair with a smirk across her face. "He rallied his whole family to fight an army of vampires for you."

"Well, we had help," I say, in the corner of my eye I can see Edward stiffen. His eyes shift around the table at each of the sisters.

"Yes. So we heard, and I apologize that we couldn't have come and helped. But the timing-"

"You went against ancient rulings with your choice of allies," Irina speaks up suddenly, her eyes narrowing at me. Her nose crinkles and her sisters freeze up.

"I'm sorry?" My nails dig into my jeans, and I sit up straighter from her statement.

"Your werewolf friends slaughter our kind with no remorse or care. He would still be here if it wasn't for them." She snaps and Edward grabs at my hand to stop me from responding. But my blood boils, my heart hammers away at my ribcage.

"Irina, Laurent was going to kill Heather. The pack were just doing their job by protecting Heather." Edward calmly speaks, his voice unwavering as Irina's eldest sister tries to soothe her.

"That's not true, he wanted to change and be like us." Irina stands from her seat, glaring down at my boyfriend.

"Then why did he leave?" I ask, pushing my chair back from the table. "And those ancient adversaries are my family. Who happened to actually help the Cullens when there was trouble unlike you."

Without another word, I storm out of the dining room. Edward calls out to me, but I don't dare turn back. My vision blurs as I make my way back to my bedroom, the hinges whining as I slam the door shut. Sobs leave my mouth as I lay on the bed, regret screaming at me as I cry into my hands.

The full moon shines into the dark of the bedroom when Edward creeps in. He keeps the light off and pulls me into his arms after I've long stopped crying.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think she'd bring that up until the moment it happened." He apologizes, his voice a soft murmur and his hands gentle as they run through my hair.

"I'm the one who fucked it up," I say, knowing I should be apologizing for embarrassing him and his family. "They're your family too, I shouldn't have spoken out of line."

"And the pack is your family, we wouldn't be here if they hadn't helped us against Victoria. There's nothing to apologize for, Irina is the one who spoke out of line." Edward assures me before kissing my temple and breathing in my scent.

For a while he holds me in silence, my eyes feeling heavy as I rest against his chest. The wind howls outside, causing the glass panes to shudder against its force. But I'm safe in his arms tonight.

"Why don't I read Virginia Woolf tonight? You try to get some sleep, Heather."