Immortal Beloved

Chapter 19

By the time Carlisle and I returned to Forks, the day was growing long. Our drive back had been silent. I was in no mood to chatter, and Carlisle took the hint not to try. We listened to the classical station until it played a morose piano piece. The arrangement was altered, but it was the same melody which had played in Edward's car the day I had first kissed him. I turned the radio off, leaving us in silence.

I got home to discover the party in my home had changed. Emmet and Alice were gone, now replaced by two young women. The first, a pretty, curvy brunette, smiled brightly upon seeing Carlisle, and Carlisle in turn beamed and gathered her up in his arms. They shared a deep kiss. I glanced to the other, this one broad and tall, like an Amazon warrior. She had thick blond hair which cascaded down her back in waves and framed her gorgeous face. She met my gaze, but gave me no greeting.

Carlisle pulled away from the brunette, although he did not release her. "Bella," he called to me, "let me introduce you my lovely wife, Esme."

Esme smiled at me warmly. Pulling away from her husband, who was reluctant to let her go, she approached me to grasp both of my hands in hers. "I've heard so much about you from Ana. I'm glad to meet you at last."

"Ana hasn't told me about any of you," I said honestly, and Esme laughed.

"I expect as much," she said. She turned to the other woman. "Please, Bella, meet my daughter, Rosalie." Rosalie's expression didn't change, but she did nod to me once.

"Daughter?" I asked.

"Adopted," Rosalie said coldly. She turned to Carlisle. "I'm only here to for an update. Jasper saw a few more mutts move into Forks, but they're avoiding us."

"That's a good sign," Carlisle said. He walked over to Rosalie and placed a kiss on her forehead. The corners of her lips turned up subtly, then she turned away and walked out the front door.

I distantly felt a pang at this paternal display of affection. I hadn't thought much of my father in the last century, as any time I did, I would feel overwhelmed with the sadness of his loss. I wasn't left to meditate on this for long, however, as Carlisle was quick to fill Esme in on our meeting with the werewolves.

Esme looked to me as Carlisle told her of the agreement. "Where would you go?" she asked. I shrugged without a word. She gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze, much like Carlisle had done earlier. "If you like, you can come with us."

"Join your coven?" I asked. She nodded with a hopeful smile. "I have Ana."

"We would welcome her as well," Esme said. "I feel terrible that it's come to the point that you feel you must leave your home."

I attempted a smile, although it didn't feel very convincing. As was apparent by their golden-colored eyes, the Cullens were vegetarians—they subsisted off animal blood entirely. Although it got the job done, animal blood was in no way as satisfying as human blood. "I can't give you an answer right now."

"Of course," Carlisle said. "One thing at a time. We have a feral to catch, after all."

Carlisle discussed his general approach to the situation: he and his coven mates would continue to patrol Forks as well as the area around Christo Rey, taking care not to venture into the wolf pack's territory too much. I was told to continue my life as normal: attend the high school, act naturally, and keep watch my classmates and teachers while I was there. My task was more than simply socializing; I was now responsible for the safety of the school, and I had to keep my senses on alert in case James should return.

"A hunt such as the one James has taken on requires a lot of energy," Carlisle explained. "When he returns, he will need to feed frequently. And, as Alice has seen, he's bringing his mate with him, we can expect the possibility of several casualties. They will take victims amongst the people of Forks and Christo Rey. We must try to mitigate that as much as possible."