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Devon listened attentively to Alice as she explained the plan she had in mind. She handed him contact lenses of the same color as the boy's eyes before they turned red and told him that although it would be challenging at first, he had to control his strength and speed.
Devon carefully absorbed every word from Alice. He had to remember to pretend to breathe, blink, not walk with such a straight posture, be cautious with his great strength, and walk slowly.
It didn't seem too complicated, or at least that's what Devon thought. Additionally, Alice, Emmett, and Edward would stay outside for a while in case things got complicated, and Devon preferred to leave. They would be there to support him no matter what.
The car stopped in front of the house, and Devon opened the door to step out while keeping his hands in his jacket pockets. He could feel the cold air, but he didn't actually feel cold.
He looked at the other three before walking towards the house and opening the door as he always did. The scent of his mother and Bella reached his nostrils. He could identify each of them, and the need to... take their blood completely invaded him.
He brought his hand to his mouth and nose in a foolish attempt to avoid sniffing them, but it didn't work. He tried to focus on anything else. He didn't want to harm his family. He didn't want to be like his father, hurting people he was supposed to love. He didn't want to be like him in any way. He wasn't a monster. He refused to think otherwise.
He tried to sigh, more out of habit than necessity, and a big smile appeared on his face as he continued walking, but he didn't stop to see where Bella and his mother were.
"I'm home!" he announced as he rushed upstairs.
"Dinner will be ready in half an hour," his mother's voice echoed from downstairs.
"I ate before coming," he shouted from the top of the stairs before entering his room.
"Alright. Then Bella and I will have dinner alone. Charlie has work late because of a case."
"Fine."
And without any further exchange of words, Devon entered his room and collapsed on his bed. However, he wasn't surprised when Edward appeared in front of him. Devon remained with his eyes closed as he tried to relax. His head was spinning, and he somehow felt nauseous. Maybe it was just the sensation because he was pretty sure he couldn't vomit.
"That was well done," Edward said, taking something out of his pocket. It was Devon's phone, which he quickly handed over.
"Thanks," the boy muttered, taking the device in his hands.
"Devon..."
"I want to be alone," he interrupted, looking him in the eyes.
Edward said nothing for a long moment, but he finally nodded.
"I understand. For a newborn, you're doing very well. But in case you start feeling... desperate, just go for a run and try to hunt some animal," he fell silent for a second, "you can also call me if you want to talk to someone."
Devon smiled a little and nodded.
"I don't hate you," he suddenly said, "in case you were wondering, I don't hate you. And I really appreciate you saving me."
Edward nodded, but his gaze reflected a certain sadness.
"Then I'll go."
Devon nodded once, and Edward disappeared quickly. He glanced out the window, where Alice waved goodbye, and Emmett gave a peace sign. He smiled at them as he bid farewell with a small hand gesture and finally watched them get into the car and drive away down the road.
Devon's smile vanished suddenly, and the first thing he did was lock his door and sit in a corner, hugging his knees and hiding his face between them. He wanted to cry, wanted to feel frustrated, wanted to feel his face wet and the warmth in his cheeks from the myriad of emotions flooding him at that moment. But there were no tears.
He felt everything, but it was as if his body wouldn't let him show it.
He stood up as anger and despair began to engulf him even more strongly and went out the window to run into the forest. Once he was far enough, he let out a loud scream from the depths of his chest and began to hit the tree trunks. He needed to release all that he felt somehow, and he couldn't find any other way.
He uprooted a couple of very leafy trees from the roots and threw them as far as he could while continuing to scream and let out all the pressure on his chest.
He wasn't sure how long he had been like that, but when he realized it, he was sitting against a tree he had torn down, and the night had fallen.
He looked at the sky with something akin to longing. The shock was beginning to fade, and his brain was slowly processing everything that had happened in the last few days.
It definitely wasn't a dream.
"Rough day, huh?"
He was startled to hear a voice coming out of nowhere. Devon stood up and assumed a defensive posture, but he realized it was that guy Ronan who had spoken. He was leaning against a tree, playing with a nice ring.
Devon sat back on the ground, staring fixedly at the earth beneath his feet.
"I guess so," he replied after a moment, "what are you doing here?"
He turned to look at him, but Ronan was already squatting in front of him. His face very close to his.
"Just wanted to see you again. You seem like a very interesting person, Devon. I want to get to know you more," he said.
Devon furrowed his brow a bit, but a small smile appeared on his face.
"How did you find me?"
Ronan let out a small laugh.
"After all the commotion you made? I'm surprised I'm the only one who came to make sure you were okay," he let out a short laugh, "but I consider myself a good tracker. Very good, in fact. Once I know your scent, no matter where in the world you hide, I will find you."
Devon nodded, letting out a small laugh. Now he felt a little embarrassed about everything he had done. Although deep down, he would have preferred to see Edward rather than Ronan.
"Edward mentioned that you guys are something like relatives. What does that mean?" he felt curious and couldn't help asking.
"Eddy is an idiot," his voice sounded slightly irritated as he rolled his eyes, "Edward is my younger brother. Biologically speaking. We both died around the same time, and Carlisle turned us after we got sick."
Wow. That did take Devon completely by surprise. Of all the things he could have said, he didn't expect those words in a million years.
Ronan chuckled a bit at his counterpart's evident confusion.
"But he said your last name was Denali, if I remember correctly."
Ronan nodded.
"Well, Cullen is not Eddy's original last name," he dropped completely to the ground to sit, "for a while, I was also a Cullen. Jasper had already joined the clan when I decided to leave and join a different coven. The Denali clan, in Alaska. They are also vampires who have a diet based on animal blood," he explained.
"Why did you decide to leave the Cullens?"
He shrugged.
"I guess I wanted something new. Don
't get me wrong, I love them a lot, and they are people I would give my life for, but I always ended up fighting with Edward over everything, and one day I got tired of his... changing attitude. I told Carlisle that I wanted to try something new. The Denali accepted me with open arms because, even though I wanted something new and different, I didn't feel well enough to completely distance myself from my original family, and I didn't want to be a nomad. I wanted a stable place I could call home and come back to every day. So, I adopted the Denali surname, and I've been with them for several years. But... I wanted to come back to the Cullens for a while. I never imagined it would be at such a complicated time."
Devon almost burst out laughing. He found it amusing that Ronan was telling him his life as if they were lifelong best friends having a beer at a bar or catching up after not seeing each other for a while. It didn't seem like they had been introduced less than six hours ago.
"But tell me, pretty boy. What's bothering you so much?"
Devon stared at him for a moment until he decided to speak and tell him how confused he felt at that moment about being transformed. His brain was still processing it, but he was slowly beginning to accept it. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. Nothing could be the same as before.
Ronan listened attentively without interrupting, staring at him without making him uncomfortable and nodding or shaking his head when necessary.
Devon was truly fascinating in his eyes.
"...more or less, that's it," he finished explaining.
Ronan placed a hand on his counterpart's shoulder.
"I understand," he spoke gently, showing a friendly smile, "it's normal to feel so bewildered right now. I still haven't fully assimilated that I'm actually dead... but I also understand that unlike you, I didn't have a family waiting for me. My parents had died when I was sick, and I feared my brother would die too. But it was a great relief to know that we would be together for much longer. It's hard at first, but at some point, you'll have to get used to it. You should take advantage of spending more time with your family while you can."
That was true. Ronan was right in every word.
"I'm actually happy to know that I'm still alive," he spoke in a low voice, "it's just strange. Vampires were a silly fantasy story for me, but now that I'm in this situation, I might even say I feel like an idiot. I still think it's a crazy dream, and at some point, I'm going to wake up in the hospital with a doctor scolding me for getting into trouble again."
Both let out a laugh.
"I assure you it's not a dream. But don't beat yourself up about it. It's a process, and gradually, you'll start to process what's happening. Don't try to rush it."
Devon nodded.
"Thanks, Ronan."
"Don't mention it."
Both stood up and started walking back to Devon's house, having a rather casual and less deep conversation than a moment ago.
Devon said goodbye to Ronan before climbing into his room through the window, and Ronan returned to his own home.
He couldn't explain it, but Ronan felt happy for deciding to come back at that moment.
I leave you an image of the little brothers 🥴 things are getting out of control but I can't help it. I live for drama and making these two blood relatives was going to set the world on fire.