--chapter 33--
Brooke Hale
Crap. What the hell did Crystal do? This is the problem with newborns. Always careless, always causing trouble. I tend not to make new vampires because I have to clean up their messes. I thought that Crystal would be smarter -- she started out that way -- but now, I'm seriously regreting changing her. I should have just killed her, but then Ryan would turn on me. Sigh. I should really shut my mouth sometimes.
Anyway, thanks to wolf-girl and half-vamp, I now know what Crystal's been up to. Maybe taking these small breaks away from town is a bad thing. Oh well. It didn't end in vain after all. I'm much closer with Jacob now. We're at the 'Friend' stage now. Took me quicker than I thought it would.
***
I opened the door of Crystal's hotel room. She locked it. Did she really think a thick wooden door could keep a vampire out? Sigh... again. Newborns. Crystal bolted up on her bed. She was watching some show about singing high school students. TV these days...
"B-Brooke, you're back." She said. It amazes me how people are scared of me. I mean I look at myself everyday in the mirror and I see a sweet, innocent girl. Well, maybe except from the sharp teeth, maroon-coloured eyes, evil smirk...
"Yeah, everyone needs a small break here and there," I said as I explored the items on her dresser. Necklaces. Tons of them. Plus a bunch of silver bracelets.
"So, where did you go?" She asked.
"Seattle, Washington, not so far from here but far enough." I replied.
Hmm... I thought. I am definately borrowing these earrings. I held up the silver hoops with dangling blue beads to my ears and looked at myself in the mirror.
"D-did you have fun?" Crystal asked yet another question.
I sighed and turned around to face her. She looked tense and stiff sitting on the large queen sized bed with her hands laid on her laps. I leaned on the vanity chair.
"Are these questions going anywhere?" I asked.
"Just pure curiosity."
"Anything you need to tell me?" My right eyebrow raised.
"N-no."
If Crystal had a heart, it would probably have been beating really fast.
"Hmm... okay." I said and turned around.
I glanced at the mirror while she gave a sigh of relief. I turned around again, sped to her and grabbed her by her throat. She rose by two inches.
"Listen carefully, and listen good. You can't try to lie to me. I made you undead, and don't think for one second, that I won't flip the switch to 'dead'. Understand?" I snapped.
Crystal nodded her head (well, sort of. I was kinda sucking the life outta her) and I let go. She fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.
As she tried to stand up, I took the earrings and left saying, "I'm borrowing these by the way."
When I was in the creme and brown hallway, I wondered what else happened while I was gone. So far, Crystal had changed someone. But what else? Did this new vampire kill loads of people? Do the Cullens know?
From now on, I will take shorter breaks and I will not keep my newborns unsupervised because all this is causing unnecessary drama.
I don't want to go down that road again.
***
I got a phone call from Bella. She said that "I should come over immediately". I wonder what's up now.
***
I arrived in three minutes flat. As I walked into the house and was greeted by glares and stares. There were more vampires than before. There was Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and three others. Two were blonde, the other brunette.
"Hello Brooke. These are Rosalie, Alice and Jasper." Carlisle said and pointed each one out respectively.
Rosalie run a full body scan, and seemed to approve. Hmm... blonde, dresses well, mean look on her face... We will definately get along. Alice walked over to me and hugged me. I was taken by surprise. This was another Cullen I would along with. Jasper stood there very still, and simply nodded. Cold. But not as bad as Edward.
"Big family." I commented.
"We believe in 'the more, the merrier'." Carlisle said with a smile.
"Or 'safety in numbers'." Edward directed at me.
I rolled my eyes. He's still not over that? I mean, he's the one who attacked me. If anyone should be holding a grudge, it should be moi.
Edward glared at me (more so than before) and then I realised that I forgot to put my shield up! Stupid mindreaders. Well, it comes in handy for me and my allies, but my enemies... not so much.
I turned to Bella. "So, what's up?"
"We wanted to make a deal with you regarding the matter that happened a few days ago." Carlisle answered instead.
I guessed that they had prepared before that he would be the one speaking for them. Probably didn't want a recap of what happened last time. But it was fun...
"Um... which was...?" I asked.
"The newborn?" Edward prompted.
"Crystal?! Nah, she's basically harmless." I said.
"No, the other one." Edward said impatiently.
"Which 'other one'?" I asked.
Edward looked annoyed. Then he smiled. "She still didn't tell you? She's better than I thought." He said.
"What's going on?" I looked at everyone.
"Crystal changed someone." Carlisle replied.
"Yeah, that part I did know. What about him?" I said.
"We killed him." Edward had a triumphant look on his face.
"So..." I waited for an answer. I really didn't care about this dude Crystal changed. Dead, alive, human, vampire... whatever.
Edward looked dejected. Like he was hoping for me to be in pain.
"So, you weren't building a newborn army?" Renesmee asked.
"No! Why would I? I don't think I have any enemies," Edward snorted. "That are actual threats." I continued while facing him.
He looked like he wanted to attack me again, but it was like something was holding him back.
"So, what exactly was the use of changing him?" Alice asked.
"I really don't know. I left town before that so I'm finding out right now actually. But it was most likely a mistake." I replied.
"Just be more careful with your newborns." Carlisle said.
I nodded.
***
As I was getting into my car, Jacob walked over to me. It was a cold Forks late morning, but he was wearing only dark shorts and black Converse.
"Hey," he said while he approached me. "Haven't seen you in a while." He smiled.
"Remember I told you about Washington?" I said.
"Right. You in a hurry?"
"No, not really."
"Come, walk with me."
I linked my arm with his and we entered the forest. After a while he stopped, listened out for something, and leaned against a tree. I sat on a large rock.
"So, what's up?" I asked.
"I know you know about the Cullens." Jacob said.
I started getting worried. Had Bella and the rest keep their promise not to tell anyone else? Cause if they told Jacob, it would ruin everything...
"I know they wouldn't trust just anyone. Because if they tell another human, the Volturi will surely come after them and you."
Oh, good. He doesn't know.
"So I decided that if they can trust you enough, I can. I'm a," he paused. "Werewolf."
I sat there in pretend shock. "Really?! Are you being serious? First vampires, now werewolves?! This town is way too wierd!" I faked shock.
"You're not scared are you?" He asked looking concerned.
"N-no. Just taken by surprise." Thank God I decided to take Drama lessons in university.
"Um... what can you do? As in, what special things can you do?" I asked.
"I can run faster, I'm stronger, I can phase into a wolf--"
"On a full moon?" I interrupted.
Jacob laughed. "No, whenever I feel like."
"Do you have any, uh, mortal enemies?"
He went quiet. "Yes. Werewolves and vampires are natural foes."
"Then what about the Cullens? You seem pretty close with them."
"I've known Bella for a long time, and I imprinted on Renesmee, so I just try to get along with the rest."
"Imprinted...?"
"Oh, it's when you, fall for someone."
"Like in love?"'
"Yeah, like it's not gravity holding you down to Earth anymore, it's that person."
"So you and Renesmee are, together?"
"You seem shocked."
"I am! You are a werewolf, she's a vampire. Also you don't look like you're in love with her, it's more like you love her. Like a brother, or a really close friend."
"Really?" Jacob asked. "Is that really how we seem like?"
I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. You look like, super protective over her. Like if any guy approaches her, you'll beat them to a pulp like the big, scary older brother you look like."
He thought about what I said for a while.
"I have a question for you." I said and Jacob looked up. "Do you honestly like Renesmee? As in, you know, really like her? Cause as I said before, you act more like a brother than someone who is apprently madly in love with her."
"Why?" He asked.
"No reason." I lied again.
"I really don't know. My werewolf self tells me that she's 'The One', but my human self tells me otherwise."
"What does your human self side tell you?" I was deadly curious. He looked at me then looked down at the forest floor.
"It tells me to wait. To continue looking. Anyway I'm like, twenty-two so I still have time."
"Oh..."
"Were you looking for a different answer? Something like, 'Brooke, I loved you the moment I saw you'?" Jacob said it in a Romeo-and-Juliet-like pose.
"Shut up..." I smiled.
We sat in silence for a while.
"Did anything else happen when I was gone?" I asked. I assumed he heard what we were talking about back at the Cullens, because Rosalie was thinking, 'That mutt better not come in here'.
"Hmm... oh, yeah. Turns out there's another werewolf. A high school girl in Renesmee's class."
"Is that a problem?"
"I don't know. Werewolves don't just travel alone. Especially when they are young. Her pack could come in peace, or have other motives because of the vampires here."
"Also, I heard Crystal turned someone. What happened?"
"The new vampire that Crystal changed took her boyfriend as a hostage. Bella, Crystal and Edward killed the new guy, his wife and daughter witnessed it, also the other wolf. They might be planning for revenge, but Crystal told us if she hears anything suspicious, she'll tell us."
So, that was it. That was the huge secret Crystal was keeping from me. So some guy died and his family are traumatized, it's not our problem. The only thing that concerns us is sticking to the plan and making sure that there are no flaws.
*****