From Eden

betray the moon

Laurent steps into the nestle of trees I'm reading in one day. The afternoon sun is low in the sky, and everything is silent. I heard him coming, of course, but Laurent has never hurt me. He stands over me, greets me like we are old friends. We hug. He smells like a fresh kill and he has blood on the corner of his lips. It smells like iron, but also sweet and tantalizing. Like a barbeque sauce that Mike's left sitting in his lunch bag all day. Well, I imagine that's what it would smell like, because barbeque sauce smells awful. "Why are you here, Laurent?" I ask, settling against a tree a few steps away from him. We are both on guard, though neither of us will strike.

"I am here to check up on a... Pet I met last year."

I nod. "Of course you are."

Laurent steps forward, I do my best not to flinch. Before he speaks he trails his fingertips down the side of my jaw, smiling and shaking his head. "We haven't seen each other in seventy years, and it appears as if you have not fed."

"I haven't fed since then."

"What... A shame, you were... So powerful." He grins, bearing his teeth.

"I am still powerful. I think you would do well to remember that, Laurent." I jerk my chin toward him, and every step I take he matches. He gives me one last look, communicating everything that needs to be said, and then he is gone. If I had been human, and sometimes I wish that I was, I wouldn't have been able to see him go. But, as I am not human, I watched as he took three large steps toward the tree line. Then, he is gone. I've settled into my reading spot again when I, on instinct, let my power roll over the land. I let my feelers crawl across the earth, seeking anything that I can find. I've barely sat down when I feet it. Sorrow, pain, excruciating grief. I curl at the waist, gripping my hair as I gasp, my eyes burning with foreign tears. Humans are usually such fickle creatures, with dulled emotions and motivations, but this... Whoever this is... They're excruciating.

I focus, driving away the pain so that I can see who's in the woods, feeling for everything like they're going to die. Everything stops when I realize who it is.

It's Bella.

She, like she has been lately, is somewhere where should not be.

I find her in under thee minutes, clearing the tree line before she even processes that I'm there. Laurent is there, too, watching her. He meets my eyes and bares his canines, no smile on his face. He's challenging me. He knows I won't let him kill on my land, but what is his game? Is she really trying to egg me into a fight? Is he trying to kill me?

I decide it doesn't matter and I'm in front of Bella before Laurent can move. I back up until she's boxed in by my arms, which I extend backwards to keep her from movie. I can smell her. She smells good, like strawberries and grief. I try not to breathe, but the way she's clutching my bare arms and pressing her face into my shoulder make everything incredibly hard.

"Greta?" Her voice breaks. I shake my head, taking several steps back as Laurent moves forward, still out of Bella's sight ability.

"Bella, stay behind me. Don't move. Try not to breathe." I call louder, "Laurent, stay back!" He steps into the light and we're shining in the sun. Rainbows reflect everywhere off of him, white light reflecting off of me. I think, somewhere in my head, that I should cold cock Bella and hope she doesn't remember, but then if she is Laurent's pet... Who am I to interfere with this?

"Oh, Thomasin... You used to be such a good girl. You used to mind your own business." He cocks his head, and grins.

"That is not my name anymore, Laurent. You should respect your elders." I bare my teeth at him, and I watch as he instinctively cringes back. It's only a split second, though, and then cocky Laurent is back.

"Oh, my apologies, Greta. What a strange, old name to have chosen. Remember when you were Thomasin? When you would have joined me in having this snack? The Cullen clan doesn't care, don't you know?" He leans forward, "They left her here."

Bella screams past me, but directly into my ear. "Leave them out of this, Laurent! They're coming back, and Ed-Edward.... He'll be mad!" I crouch as Laurent takes several measured steps toward Bella and I.

"Oh, yes." He chuckles. His hands never leave his pockets, "I'm sure he's coming back. That's why Greta doesn't know who we're talking about, isn't it? She doesn't have a clue, Bella?"

Laurent has always moved fast, but he's never been faster than me. Not until today, when he's fresh off of a feed and I haven't fed in decades. I kick off from the ground, making sure to push Bella off balance so she won't move before I can reach Laurent. He and I collide, falling to the dead grass of the clearing and grappling at one another. It sounds like a storm, like thunder, and I can hear Bella screaming like lightning in the dark. Her voice is broken, and she's howling my name. She's pleading and grasping at her hair from the ground.

Laurent and I are almost at a standstill when I hear the rough pounding of paws against the ground. They're coming our way and instinctively I pause. My momentary distraction allows Laurent to sink his teeth into my shoulder, but then... The wolves break through the tree line. They're snarling, staring us down, and I can feel Laurent give pause like I did. His teeth are still stuck in my shoulder, venom sealing them in. It's going to hurt like a bitch when I rip them out.

I twist, throwing Laurent through the air toward the wolves over Bella. He lands and avoids the wolves, running back toward Bella and I with the monstrously large animals in his tail. Bella scrambles toward me and I wrap her in my arms, throwing her to the ground. As the wolves pound toward us, paws on the ground and tossing up dirt as they go, I cover her body with mine. She's staring at me, gasping for breath, and I can feel the fear leaking off of her.

"Don't worry," I whisper, breathing just as hard as she is without the need to, "I'll protect you, Bella. The wolves won't get you, and no vampire will lay a hand on you." Her arms wind around my back and she turns to look above me, toward the sky. I can smell the scent of the wolves - something like forest fire, dead antelope, and rotting wood - envelop me. I can feel a wolf's panting breath on the back of my neck. I can hear the growl building in its throat. "I will not let anything kill you or anyone else in this town."

She doesn't respond, staring up at the wolf. Eventually, it moves on. I can feel the rumbling vibrations as it lumbers away and I lift my head to watch it go after it's pack. Bella says my name again, voice shaking like her hands on my back, and I know I have explaining to do. Hopefully, though, she won't tell anyone. I can't risk a visit to Volterra.