***
I stood in a black dress, the hot sun hitting my back as I stared down at the 4 fresh graves in front of me. I watched as they were lowered down in the ground, emotionless eyes staring at my family being buried. I felt a hand rub my shoulder, trying to comfort me, but how could you console someone who'd lost their entire family. I couldn't bring myself to cry, how could I?
They were terrible.
How do you mourn the people that harassed you, your entire life? The disappointing child, the child that wasn't even supposed to be. It wasn't like it was my fault, maybe Dad should've kept his dick in his pants. Still, I stood in front of the graves, sadness coming off my body in rolls. My ears tuned into my surrounding, hearing how people began to leave the already commenced funeral, none of them wanted to leave an 18-year-old girl by herself after her family was just murdered...
because of me.
Soon, everyone left, and here I was, left still staring at the graves, the dry dirt covering their boxed corpses. I stayed, staring at them before looking up at the sky solemnly before I heard footsteps come towards me. I sniffed the air, smelling the familiar scent of my godmother, Lydia. I turned my head to stare at her as she looked at me with a comforting stare.
I walked towards her, quickly enveloped in a hug before she pulled away and stared at me. I knew this would only last an hour or two, as I had to be on a plane in an hour going all the way to Forks, Washington to live with my Uncle Charlie. An extremely cold, and small place.
"It's okay, we got them, they're dead now," she murmured in my ear. I nodded as I hugged her tightly because this was all my fault.
"Do you remember what I told you?" she whispered in my ear. I pulled away from the hug and looked at her with a nod.
"Never forget your roots, embrace my inner beast, love it and it shall love me," I recited. She was extremely close to my mother, my birth mother that is. She taught me all of my heritage, she and her brother even trained me into what I am today. My mother was a type of Shifter, specifically not a Wolf Shifter, but more accurately a Human shifter.
There were small but unique differences between us and them. They shift into their wolves, their wolves are them. We had wolves, spirits apart of our bodies that bind themselves to our souls at the time of our birth. We had a different type of connection to the world around us and our wolves give us the knowledge we seek when we need it. My wolf's name was Adrea, and she was actually pretty talkative, but right now she remained silent to allow me to grieve, as she sat in the corner of my head comforting me simply by being present. Our mothers give birth to us in wolf form, and we come out as wolves. Then after a couple of days, we, very painfully might I add, shift into our human forms.
It matters not if someone mates with a human, there were no half-breeds. You either had the genes or you didn't. I was blessed with the genes, along with the alarming strength, sense of smell, hearing, and speed of a wolf as both a human and a wolf, it increasing when I had to shift.
My birth mother had dropped me off at my Dad's doorstep as soon as I'd shifted into a tiny baby and left soon after that. Giving birth was taxing on a wolf, especially one who lacked the mental and physical want to take care of herself, and her body was soon found, dead.
Lydia drove me home, helped me pack the last of my things, fed me, then gave me thousands of kisses on my face before we finally broke the pack bond.
"I, Lydia Smoke, Luna, set you, Audre Swan, free of the sacred pack bond, and bid you goodbye my dear," she said.
My chest enclosed in pain making me involuntarily wince as I felt the mental connection shatter, a tear falling from my eye, which I quickly wiped away.
"Never forget Audre, I'm your god mama, you can always come back," she said making me nod as I look up at her with a small smile.
I was now sitting in a pair of sweats, a hoodie, and a denim jacket over it with my headphones in staring out the window of the plane I was currently on. Since the majority of my belongings were sent ahead, I was just left with my school backpack that had my schoolwork in it.
Oh, how I wanted to live with Lydia, but she and her husband already had 4 rowdy teenage sons and the last thing I'd want is to make things more complicated for the two of them. I could've stayed with her brother, my god-father, Thomas, but he'd just met his mate, and I didn't want to interrupt.
Plus, the memories of this place ran too deep, I needed someplace fresh, somewhere where I wasn't reminded of the bullshit, someplace that always felt like home. So going to Uncle Charlie was the best decision.
Knowing this would just be one of 3 planes I'd have to get on to get from San Jose, California to Forks, Washington I closed my eyes, and kept them clothes as I begged my body for sleep.
***
I walk through the small airport at exactly 4:13 AM tightly gripping my backpack straps as I looked around for my Uncle Charlie. Uncle was a really sweet man, he always treated me like I was one of his own and I loved him very much. I hadn't seen him in maybe a year or two, but we've gone longer and he'd never changed. When my family and I'd visit, he used to wake me up in the middle of the night when everybody else was asleep and we'd eat cookies or cake, he called it our bonding time.
So, as I sat down, kicking my legs a bit, staring at my Nikes, waiting for my Uncle scent to come up. My nose has never failed me and soon my head snaps up to see my Uncle looking around confused, with his hands on his hips as he looked around for me.
I couldn't help the thousand-watt smile that came upon my face as I stood up and began jogging towards him, the emotions of yesterday instantly washing away. He turns and sees me, a smile instantly coming to his face as he jogs a bit. Once I reach him I bring him into a big hug, hearing him let out a grunt making me instantly let go.
"Audre, I see you're still as strong as ever," he huffed out making me giggle as he brings me into another hug.
"I missed you so much," he told me all the while with a giant grin on his face.
"I missed you too," I said, the sound muffled by his jacket, but I'm pretty sure he heard it. I felt safe, safer than I'd ever felt with my family. He smelt like pine, tobacco, and peppermint, he always had, so it was comforting in a way.
"Come on, let's get you settled," he said as he rubbed my shoulders. It was raining outside, so we quickly rushed over to his police cruiser. I felt the rain pelt against my hoodie before I got inside the passenger side of the cruiser and got in. I felt the coldness around me, but I wasn't bothered by it, my wolf keeping me warm.
As soon as we were both situated, he started the car and drove off.
"Bella's going to be really happy to see you," he said making me quirk an eyebrow.
"Bella's here?" I asked and he nodded.
"She got in just a week ago, she's staying with me for a while," he told me and left it at that.
Bella and I were close as kids, and by close I mean I loved her dearly. We'd always spend time together when we were both at Charlie's, but I hadn't seen her in years as she stopped visiting him. I knew it made him sad, but I always tried my best to stay in contact with him over the years to cheer him up.
"I enrolled you at the high school, you could start today, but I figured-" he started but I cut him off.
"No, I want to start today. Maybe it'll keep my mind off things," I told him with a sigh, and he nodded as he looked at me sadly rubbing my shoulder.
He didn't know how they treated me as they kept up a good front when he wasn't around when'd we visit. I wasn't dumb, I knew why they treated me like they did. It was because they couldn't even pretend that I was apart of the family since I didn't look like them. I'd taken after my mother vastly, from her chocolate brown skin, black hair, to her dark brown eyes. Much different than my Dad's brown hair, his wife's blonde hair, their 2 sons with dirty blonde hair, and especially the greenish-blue eyes they all had. Sometimes they even hit me when any of them were having a particularly bad day, but since they were human, I could hardly feel a thing.
They made fun of my hair, how curly and big it was, they made fun of how dark my skin was, my weight, anything that came to mind. Fortunately, my breed of wolves was by design, a very proud race. I felt no shame about how I looked, I rather liked it. Sure it did hurt, a lot since they were supposed to be family but after living with their constant verbal abuse it tends to grow on you. I found it rather funny how they directed their hateful words towards me when it was their father and her husband that went out and slept, with a woman who looked just like me.
"I could drop you off at home for a shower, then you can ride with Bella to school," he told me back to his cheery attitude. I'd slept all through the flights so I was well-rested, and my body was trained to go many days with rest, thanks to my godfather, Thomas, who'd been training me since I was like 4.
I agreed to his terms, and soon the hour-long ride drifted into a comfortable silence. I observed the foggy city, watching as the rain pelted the windshield. I stared in awe at the site of the greenery. I could smell, feel the health of the forest around me and I couldn't help but keep my gaze on it, now a bit ansy to go for a run.
When we arrived at the family 2-story house, I looked up with a small smile before following Charlie inside. The house had 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms since it was bought in the early stages of his marriage to Bella's mom, but life isn't perfect, so he was left all alone in this big house so the only stage of their marriage was the early stage.
The house seemed to welcome me, as Charlie showed me my room which already held the boxes I'd shipped a week ago.
"I remembered that your favorite color was green so..." he said as he opened the door to reveal a greyish-white room with a queen-size bed in the corner covered in a green duvet with dark grey sheets. The carpet floor was brown, and a desk sat on the other side of the room, vanity on the other, and a closet next to that. My things were in boxes and suitcases at the foot of the bed. I smiled at the room before turning and hugging Charlie.
"Thanks, Charlie," I told him, hearing his small chuckle before he placed a small kiss on my forehead.
"Settle in, school starts at 8," he told me with a smile before he left, closing the door. I sighed as I walked over and sat on the bed, laying back with a groan.
'Are you okay Audre?' Adrea spoke up.
My eyes sprang open as a small smile came to my face.
'Yes, I'm okay. I love it here, wide-open space for us to run' I told her.
'And your family?' she asked.
I sighed at the thought of them. Sure they were terrible people, terrible, abusive people, but they didn't deserve to die. Not so, gruesomely either. I was with Thomas when it happened, training when the police called me at 3 in the morning or so. They said someone issued a noise complaint, and they'd found their bodies dead, all shot by an 'unknown assailant' that took the liberty to take my father's and stepmother's jewelry before they left the house.
Lydia, Thomas, and I, of course, knew who was the culprit, a band of hunters who'd been tracking our pack for a while, ones we thought we got rid of, but unfortunately they'd tracked my scent to my home, smelling me throughout the house. There was no doubt that they knew my family was human, but they'd killed them anyway, for just associating with me.
I couldn't help but think about what would've happened if I were there.
'Don't think like that Audre, this isn't your fault, you know that' Adrea reminded me.
'I know, I know' I told her quickly.
'Will you miss them?' she asked.
'No, of course not, they were terrible, but I still, they didn't have to die' I told her honestly.
With a huff, I sat up and began to go through my suitcases to find something to wear. Most of my clothing choices were ripped baggy jeans, a couple of pairs of leggings, many large hoodies and shirts that I'd thrifted along with many pairs of sweats. I only spent actual money on shoes, shoes that took up 3 large moving boxes. Shoes were one of the only things I liked, I wasn't passionate about them, but I liked to think I had a great appreciation for them.
The bathroom was connected to both my room and Bella's room so that means that'd we be sharing it, which I didn't mind of course. So after finding my shower cap and my hygiene products I took a well-needed shower, before rushing back to my room. I dried myself off, moisturized, and put on some fresh underwear before I checked the time seeing it was now 6:07 AM.
I pulled on my outfit of choice, which was just a large pair of grey sweats, a dark blue and greyish white HOWARD hoodie, and a pair of white socks. I took off the hilariously large shower cap, followed by my scarf letting my long braids fall down my back, pulling some of it up into a half up half down style. I laid in bed, closing my eyes for a brief second.
Well, that was until I heard the door to the bathroom open making me sit up, only to reveal Bella. She looked at me with wide eyes before she let out a squeak as her face turned red, running up to me and embracing me. I fell back a bit, but I couldn't stop the chuckle that came from my mouth.
"Audre, I've missed you so much," she exclaimed as she held me tightly, well as tight as humanly possible.
"I've missed you too Bells," I told her with a laugh.
"I didn't know you were coming. How long you staying?" she asked as she released me from the hug, sitting beside me. I rub my arm sheepishly.
"For a while," I told her making her smile.
"Are you going to the high school?" she asked and I nodded making her let out an excited squeak before she hugged me again.
"So how have you been, how's your family?" she asked making me sigh, knowing she didn't know. So it was probably best that I tell her now.
"Um, my family died," I said giving her an awkward smile. She covered her mouth as she looked at me with wide eyes.
"Oh my god, Audre, I'm so sorry I--," she tried but I waved her off, bringing her into another hug.
"It's fine Bella, you didn't know, and I'm doing okay now," I half lied to her with a laugh. I didn't exactly know how to feel, but I felt something. She looked around the room before she chuckled a bit.
"I see you still have a shoe problem?" she asked making me roll my eyes as I stood up.
"And I see you still have a sun deficiency, aren't you from Arizona?" I asked tauntingly making her glare at me a big as she pushed my shoulder.
"I gotta go get ready, see you downstairs?" she asked, and I nodded with a smile as I watched her walk out the room, and into the bathroom before hearing the shower turn on. With a sigh, I got up and began to try and at least make things a bit more organized for myself for when I got home.
So, I put all my clothing suitcases to the side, pushed my boxes filled with my shoes there next to them, then laid out my hygiene products and accessories on my vanity. It didn't take long, especially with me using my speed, so I then pulled started on a bit of simple makeup.
Simple brows, mascara on my already long lashes, and some eyeliner. I then pulled on some large hoop earrings and my denim jacket from earlier before I began looking through my shoe boxed for some shoes to wear eventually just deciding to put my Air Forces back on, pulling them on after hiking up the ends of my sweats a bit.
I went over to my backpack, opening it to see the new notebooks and binder Lydia had packed for me along with a full pencil case. I looked through it some more, finding my small jar of vaseline, applying some to my lips before I pulled on my backpack, grabbing my phone and headphones before leaving the room.
I bounded downstairs to see Charlie sitting down having a cup of coffee. There was a kettle on the stove boiling as well.
"Hey Audre, I got some cereal in the cupboard if you want any," he offered and I smiled, nodding as I prepared myself a bowl of cereal. I sat down next to him eating my cereal, quickly finishing it.
"Oh, and I went out yesterday and bought some of that cappuccino mix you love so much," he said with a chuckle. My eyes bulged as I looked at him with my mouth agape.
"Really?!" I asked as I stood up. His head gestured to another cupboard making me smile widely as I took one of his to-go cups and began making my little cappuccino mixture. I could never seem to find this specific mix in San Jose, they only had it Forks, so I couldn't help the happiness I felt.
"Thank you, Charlie," I said with a smile as I screwed on the lid before taking a sip, sighing in content.
'I haven't seen you this happy in a while' Adrea spoke.
'It's something about this place Adrea' I told her.
"No problem sweetheart," he said with a grin. I take another sip before taking my cereal bowl and washing it out before setting it on the drying rack right as Bella came down the stairs.
"You ready?" she asked me as I just shrugged.
"Bye Charlie," she said with an awkward wave before she grabbed an apple followed by my hand. I wave at Charlie with a smile as I hastily grab my to-go cup, before I'm pulled outside by Bella hearing a faint goodbye from Charlie.
It was still really cold like earlier, but it was brighter out. The rain had stopped, but the ground was still wet so of course, Bella slipped a bit before we made it to her truck.
It was a rusty old reddish-orange truck that looked like it'd been driven through hell, but I like it, it had a sort of charisma, and it smelled like lavender and pine so I wasn't complaining. The ride was filled with Bella's incessant talking about nothing in particular. She told me why she was in Forks, her mother wanting to travel with her boyfriend as he was a baseball player.
She also told me of this weird kid that left after like 2 days of being around her, and I just shook my head at her as I kept my eyes on the trees. Oh how badly I wanted to go for a run, being in my human form for too long took its toll on me after a while, it made me sluggish, and depressed after a while. My wolf was my natural form since that's how my kind is born.
Soon, Bella pulled into a high school parking lot and everything seemed normal up until I stepped out of the car. It seemed like everyone's head turned towards me as I walked toward's Bella, and there was this scent in the air, something I'd smelt before, a kind of hardened flesh smell, along with a slight hint of bear blood. One thing stood out with one of them, honey and freshly baked pastries.
"Uh, Bells?" I asked her as she stepped out of the car. She looked at my uncomfortable facial expression before she moved her eyes around to see the many people staring at me, making her chuckle at me.
"Small town, new kid," she said as she laughed a bit at me. I huffed before she locked up the car and began to walk side by side with me. I felt a group of specifically intense stares at me making me turn my head, seeing a group of unnaturally pale students that frankly, looked too old to be in high school.
I stared into their golden-amber eyes, as the scent from earlier made sense, my lips curling up in a small growl, one that only they could hear. There was a small staredown as I resisted the weird urge I felt to walk over to them. I walked beside Bella before I turned my head up, directing my eyes back in front of me as I walked with Bella inside the school, the stares only seem to increase as whispers begin.
"Who's that?"
"How does she know Bella?"
"Her and Bella can't be related right?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes, I understood how it looked as if Bella and I could in no way be related, but black people fucking exist, what the fuck? Suddenly a boy with black swooped hair slid in front of us, with a camera around his neck, and a kind smile.
"You're Audre Swan, the new girl," he stated holding his hand out for me to shake which I did warily.
"Hi, I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of this place. Anything you need! Tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on," he said all at once. I chuckled at him as I released my hand from his.
"Thanks, but I think I got this one," Bella said to him with a small laugh.
"Wait are you guys, like, related?" he asked with scrunched-up eyebrows making both Bella and I nod our heads.
"We're cousins," I said as I sipped my hot drink.
"Ho-- actually nevermind," he said making me smile and wink at him.
"Good choice," I said as I nod my head at him.
"That's a good headliner though, 'They're Cousins!' you're front-page news babe. We don't get too many new students, especially from out of state. Well, except for Bella here," he spoke making me just laugh at him before we walked to the office to retrieve my schedule.
Bella helps me find my first class, which is her's as well. Apparently being the chief of police, Uncle Charlie was able to pull some strings.
The day drags on until I find myself in the gym with Bella as everyone sets up for volleyball. I laughed at Bella's awkwardness as I flipped my braids. The game starts, with Bella avoiding the ball like the plague.
'Be careful Audre' Adrea reminded me.
'I know you're not talking, you're the competitive one here' I shot back.
'Newsflash, I am you' she retorted.
I just chuckle a bit as I stand near the net with my legs bent, watching as the ball flies into the air, the setter tossing it to me. I take a couple of steps back as I jump into the air, trying to now hit the ball too hard, watching as it soars to the ground on the other side of the net.
I land with a huff as we're given the point.
"Woah, you're really good at this," a girl said. She had a wide smile on her face, but I could sense the jealous aura coming off her as she looked at me and then behind me. I quirk an eyebrow turning to see a guy with blondish-brown hair staring at me along with a couple of other of his teammates.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," I told her. Of course, I knew, I played 4 sports at my last school just to feel something half the time. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track. Also, both Thomas and Lydia encouraged it, because our kind thrives in athletic environments and since we can't shift all the time, sports tend to take the edge off a bit.
Before the girl could say anything else, I heard steps come my way, turning to see the same guy from before walking towards us.
"Hi, I'm Mike. Newton," he said staring me down. Okay, I hate it here.
"She's got quite the spike doesn't she," the girl says emerging between the both of us. Honestly thank you.
"I'm Audre," I told them and the nod.
"I'm Jessica," the girl introduced herself.
"I heard you and Bella are cousins?" she says, Mike quirking an eyebrow as I turn towards Bella who was still off standing.
"Uh, yeah," I say keeping it that as I decide to just wave and walk away to Bella.
The day drags on, and eventually, I find myself talking to my Trig teacher, Ms.Ramos, about a couple of assignments after class.
"Well I don't know where you were at your last school, but go over pages 90-173. It'll be due in the next couple of weeks because we were informed of your situation, so take as much time as you need, I just ask that you get this in before midterms," she told me with a kind smile. I nodded as I wrote it down, thanking her before I walked out of the classroom.
The hallways were abandoned as I sniffed out the way to the lunchroom, but of course, I was stopped, by a group of leeches.
"You're Audre Swan right," said a small girl, a kind smile on her face as she sported a pixie-like haircut.
"Yes, and you all are?" I asked trying to be nice. The vampires I've met were either family or tried to murder me. So when it came to them I never really knew how to approach them. These guys, however, were yellow-eyes immortals going to a public high school so honestly, I couldn't even bring myself to think of them as actual threats. Well to me personally. If I remembered correctly this was the Olympic coven, and while they might not be a threat to me, I know a few red-eyed immortals who would consider them a threat. Not that'd I'd care if they were red-eyed, because I could give less than a shit about humans.
'Humans are terrible anyway' Adrea reminded.
'Agreed' I said.
'Well, except our humans' Adrea said again, making me chuckle a bit as I agreed yet again.
"Well, I'm Alice Cullen," the girl said with a smile.
Sure I could smell the death on her, but she gave off a very kind, weirdly wise vibe. They introduced themselves to me, one by one until there was one shaggy-haired blonde at the end.
"Jasper," he said. My eyes met his and I couldn't stop the hitch in my breath. His body language shifted, as he stared at me in awe. I took a step back as he took a step forward before I heard a small excited squeal coming from Alice before they went right back to Jasper.
Mate.
'EEK, finally we found them!' Adrea yelled.
I winced at the sound in my head before gathering my bearing, finally ripping my eyes from his before looking at all of them, waiting for something to be said.
"We know, you know," said Rosalie. She was a pretty blonde, really pretty actually. I nodded at her response.
"Okay?" I asked. Why were we even doing this?
"Look we don't--" started Edward but I cut him off.
"I know. Look, the Quileute's and I are in no way the same. I could care less about what or who you drink. The only humans that I care for are Bella and Charlie," I told them as I folded my arms.
They looked at me, surprised by my answer, but I noticed Edward's shift in his body language at the mention of Bella. My eyes bored into his before I noticed the protectiveness that came off him at the simple mention of her name. I chuckled at him.
"You're mated to her, aren't you?" I asked with a smirk. His body shifted as he let out a small growl which made me laugh.
"It was nice meeting you all," I said with a nod before I began to walk around them, only for my wrist was grabbed.
'He's TOUCHING US!' Adrea continued to holler.
I flinched a bit from the loudness as I turn myself around, watching as the Cullens walk around me, leaving to the lunchroom before I turned around to face Jasper knowing what he now wanted to talk about.
"Yes?"
5092 words
okay, a couple of notes, I decided to make bella edward's mate instead of his blood singer because the point of a blood singer is literally to like die, and since my main character is her cousin i don't want her to think like that so i figured it'd just be easier to make them mates. plus it gives me an opportunity to put some more depth into their relationship.
also, this isn't my first time attempting a twilight fanfiction, but i think i like this one, so maybe this one will stay posted. if you recall any of my others, those are currently under revision, but give me some time as this is my first year of college and I'm struggling a bit.
i love you guys though, even though this is only the first chapter, i appreciate you guys for even choosing to read.
so vote, comment, tell me what ya think !?