Unexpected [Rewritten Version] | Twilight Edward x OC

Chapter 12: Prospects

"You've seen so many things and witnessed a world I did not even know existed," Edward said, his eyes never leaving her face. "I wish you could tell me more about it."

Irene stayed silent for a few seconds before she turned away from the cliff and began walking back towards the forest. "One day, maybe," she replied. "For now, we must feed. Let's go hunt together."

Edward did not reject her offer and gladly followed her. It was quite mind-blowing to him that, since the protection detail around Bella's house had begun, he and Irene had never been paired up and, let alone, hunted together. He had wanted to, but he knew very well that he could not behave the same way with her as he did with Bella. When he was with Bella, she loved to have him around and would keep her window open for him to come. He could show up at any time, Bella would have been overjoyed. But Irene was different. It was hard for him to contain his feelings for her. At every moment of the day, Edward wanted to be with her. But he was not certain Irene would appreciate that. Or rather, he was aware of the inner battles fought in her head, despite not having any access to it, and he did not want to make it harder for her. So every little moment he got to spend with her, he would cherish them at the fullest.

Crossing the forest in quest of their dinner, Edward observed Irene move among the branches. He had never truly seen her in action, but seeing her gracefully run and dodge the trees and bushes was a spectacle her would never get bored of. The way her auburn hair waved in her back or the way she'd jump was like watching a prima ballerina at the Opéra de Paris. Her beauty was truly unprecedented. Perhaps he was biased - he knew he was definitely biased - but she was the most gorgeous and ethereal person he had ever laid eyes upon.

Eventually, they encountered a mountain lion which Irene let Edward handle first. Irene climbed up a tree to survey the area. Despite the daylight having died a while ago already, her eyes had no difficulty spotting a deer eating grass meters away. Travelling from tree to tree to the animal, she was about to attack it when Edward unintentionally stepped onto a twig. The sudden cracking noise frightened the animal, who ran away.

Irene jumped off the tree and perfectly landed on her feet. "You just made my deer run away!"

Edward could not help but chuckle, "Sorry."

Irene only sighed but the grin on her lips was enough for Edward to know she was not mad. He felt incredibly lucky to be able to witness such a magnificent sight that was her smile and felt blessed to see her warm up to him as the day passed. Their first encounter, when he had deemed her hostile, was long behind them like a far, distant memory. Now every time he was fortunate enough to be in her presence, he'd inevitably feel his dead heart coming back to life and his non-existent blood rush up to his face and ears. It still bewildered him how he could even feel such feelings and that her, only, was able to make him behave this way.

"Tell me, can you remember your human life?" Irene asked as she followed one of the many animal scents in the forest.

"I have distant memories but they are getting darker as the years pass," Edward replied. Vampire memories were stronger than human ones. Upon the transformation, most of a vampire's human life is being wiped out and they only retain the basis information that is their identity. It was in fact very rare, and almost never happens, for a vampire to retain full memory of their past, making Irene and Tony unique. "But I think I was close to my mother, but not so much with my father. They both died from the Spanish Influenza. My mother caught it tending to me and refusing to leave me. Carlisle, who was tending to us, told me he believed my mother knew of his true nature and asked him to do anything in his power to save me."

"So he turned you."

Edward nodded. "He has always been there for me, even when I was not the easiest to deal with."

"What do you mean?"

"I... rebelled once, and left him and Esme for a short time to live as a 'real' vampire," he admitted. "I fed on human blood. Criminals only but... these were still lives I have taken."

"If you went after them, then they must have deserved it," Irene said. "You might have saved more lives by killing them than by letting him live. We may be the monsters, humans can be cruelest than a creature designed to feed on blood."

She had witnessed it in both her lives. Her father was the prime example. All the doctors who experimented on her or lobotomized Tony too. Besides, the twins used to feed on human blood too and, akin to Edward, only targeted criminals. She was well aware that her moral compass was not the best, but some people could not be redeemed. Not all people could be saved. Some simply enjoyed torturing others.

The conversation did not go further as Irene found another deer to target. She had no difficulty pinning it down to the earthly ground before sinking her sharp fangs on its neck. The thick and metallic blood flowed down her oesophagus as the same feeling of euphoria and ecstasy took over her as the animal slowly grew to become still. She then straightened up, licking away the blood on her lips, and stood up.

"You have some..." turning to Edward, Irene saw him pointing at the corner of his lips. "Wait."

Edward walked to her and gently pressed his thumb on the corner of her plump lips and brushed it against her skin, swiping away the drop of blood and his eyes never tearing away from her. In this instant, it was as if her body forgot how to move. It was as if her unworking lungs lost all the oxygen it contained as a sweet and delicious chill ran down her spine. Her dead heart was erratic and her mouth grew dry, her lips tickling as he teasingly rubbed his thumb on her bottom lips as if feeding that growing desire bubbling in her stomach and daring her to move. Her hand twitched. She wanted to grab him by the collar, pull him in to taste his lips and from the intensity in his eyes, she could see he was fighting with every bit of himself to remain still and not do the same. She wanted to feel him against her, his skin against hers, his hands all over her, she wanted him all for herself.

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Irene took a step back and tore her eyes off him. "I should head back home." And before Edward could reply, she left.