The Immortal Children

Just a Substitute

Eventually, I was forced to begrudgingly leave my post by the window. Hours had passed by. Days. And yet the most alarming thing that had hit the Cullen's house was a leaf that seemed even more dry than normal. Propelled by a sudden gust of wind, it had made crackling sounds as it brushed against the outside of the window, which seemed much louder than they should have since I had the hearing of a vampire. But it wasn't a threat to anybody except for Emmett. It was his job to rake the yard.  

As I left my position by the window, I felt defeated. You would think that us not being attacked was a good thing. And yet, there was an aching in my chest that didn't seem to leave. there was a wariness in my gaze that seemed to be permanent, as well. The threat was still out there. We weren't safe. If anything, the more time that passed, the more danger we were in. I was positive that we weren't the only ones utilizing the time to form a battle strategy. 

It wasn't until I had exited my bedroom, made my way down the stairs, and entered the family room that I remembered how embarrassed I should be in front of Seth. He had overheard Ashlynn and I getting into trouble with Carlisle. I was sure that any mature image I had managed to create around him was gone now.

Hidden up in my bedroom, it had been easy enough to avoid facing the embarrassment. If my mind wandered towards Seth, I would force the thought from my head, not ready to wonder what he made of my punishment the other day.

But now, with Seth laying on the couch just feet away from me, I felt my humiliation come rushing back. At least he was asleep, which meant I didn't have to face him yet. Despite the fact that I had been holed away in my bedroom for days, I knew that this was one of the rare moments Seth had allowed himself to sleep. 

Werewolves needed just as much sleep as humans, but the pack didn't seem to care. It was as if they were constantly moving, patrolling the forest. Renesmee had visited the main house the other day, and while I hadn't left my bedroom,  I had overheard her conversation with my sister. She told Ashlynn that, originally, the pack only watched over Quileute territory. After she was born, though, Jacob had insisted that they patrol Forks and the Cullen's home as well. Anything to protect his imprint. And now, with me and my siblings here, it seemed that the pack was working twice as hard. 

I just didn't know if the extra patrolling was to help ensure our safety, or to make sure that we weren't going around draining people dry. Something told me it was the latter. 

As silently as I could, I tiptoed around Seth. All I had to do was make it to the front door. After being attacked in the forest, I knew what I was doing was dumb. I shouldn't go hunting alone. Still, I reasoned that if I hunted very close to the house, I could still find small game, like rabbits and squirrels. It would take a lot of them, but eventually they were bound to calm the burning in my throat. 

"What are you doing?" For the first time since becoming a vampire, I was so startled that I jumped. Immediately after, my instincts kicked in, and a small hiss escaped me as my body swung around. There was no fury inside me though, no tingling taking over my body as my power longed to create flames to defend myself. I would know his voice anywhere. 

Seth was sitting up sitting now. While his voice was thick after just waking up, and his short hair was sticking out in different directions, his eyes were alert. I looked at him for a second, my embarrassment coming back to me, and reached for the doorknob. "I'm just hunting. Go back to sleep". 

 Apparently, Seth wasn't interested in sleeping more. He kept his eyes trained on me as he sat up and stretched. He stood up and walked towards me, and suddenly I remembered that I was supposed to be embarrassed around him. Thankful that vampires couldn't blush, I looked down at the ground.