Summary:
In a world dominated by vampires, humans are forced to donate blood and abide by the strict rules of the vampire government. Bella has never experienced life in an all-human world and one day the only life she knows shatters to pieces when her parents are killed by a vampire. She is adopted by her parents' friends, who happen to be vampires. Her life turns upside down as she moves to an all-vampire town. Will she have the strength to go on after all that she has endured? Will one special vampire heal her wounds as she struggles to live a life amongst vampires? Edward and Bella pairing, AU, OOC
~Disclaimer: I do not own. SM does! I just play with the characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 1
Bella's POV
OoOoOoOoOo
It had been a little over a year since my parents were killed. I can’t even imagine how much they suffered when they had been attacked by that vampire; that monster. I can still remember that life changing night when my world shattered into a million pieces. The look on the police officer’s face as he took off his hat and gazed at me with remorse-filled eyes, standing at my front door as he said, “I’m so sorry,” still haunts me until this very day. I will never rid myself of that horrid image. The worst part is that the vampire that had attacked my family was free, living his or her life in peace while my parents rested six feet below the ground. I could feel the tears pool in my eyes. I quickly wiped away a tear with the back of my hand before it had a chance to fall.
Humans weren’t allowed to meddle in affairs that involved vampires. If it had been a human who had killed my parents, there would have been justice. But since the murder was caused by a vampire, the vampire government ceased control of the case, meaning that the case was closed. We were just cattle to them, or as they called us ‘walking blood bags’.
After my parents died and there was no justice served, I crawled into myself, refusing to eat, to speak and…to live. I wanted to die. School was a struggle and I disconnected myself from my friends. And then, eventually, they gave up on me too. The only person that supported me and comforted me until no end was my best friend Angela. She had been my rock when my fragile world fell to pieces so many months ago. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to live without Angela by my side.
And then of course, my world crashed and burned again. My grandmother had died a few days ago of a heart attack, sending me back into a state of depression. My grandmother had been taking care of me after my parents died. I loved her dearly and I felt so guilty that I didn’t tell her how much I appreciated her…her company…her words of wisdom…her loving smiles…and those chocolate chip cookies she would bake for me after school. Everything had almost seemed normal with grandma and Angela around, almost…almost livable. But now, since grandma’s passing and leaving my best friend behind, I would never awake from my nightmare. My world stayed dark like the starless night, never seeing the light of hope again. I was trapped in this nightmare. And the worst part was that I was alone.
And now here I was, looking out from the rear passenger seat window, watching the green blur go by as we drove to Forks, Washington; the vampire town. I shuddered slightly, a shiver running down my spine. Crimson eyes locked onto me from the rearview mirror.
“Bella? Are you alright?” Charlie asked concerned as his brow furrowed.
I nodded weakly.
“It’ll be fine, kiddo. No need to worry,” he tried to sound reassuring as he glanced at me again. “You know, when we get home, Renee has prepared something special for you to eat. Although, I’m not sure it will be edible,” Charlie joked, a small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth, revealing the tips of his fangs.
I glanced away, watching the endless blur of green with false interest. Home. Charlie said we were going home. There was no home for me anymore, just a place to stay; a roof over my head and that was all. Charlie and Renee, my new adoptive vampire parents, had befriended my parents two years prior to their deaths. It was an awkward friendship, in my opinion, and most would agree with me. Humans and vampires weren’t friends. When Charlie and Renee would come to visit, I could sense that they were extra cautious around me, trying not to frighten me. The truth was, all vampires terrified me, including Charlie and Renee. Vampires were as trustworthy as a hungry lion, once the hunger hit or ‘the thirst’, the nearest human would become their meal. Most vampires, my adoptive vampire parents included, kept themselves fed to avoid ‘the thirst’. But that didn’t make me feel any better or safer. They were vampires after all…bloodsuckers...human feeders.
After grandma’s funeral, I locked myself in my room. I waited for the darkness to swallow me whole, hoping I would disappear into the nothingness. I couldn’t shed a single tear. I had used up all my tears after so much sorrow in such a short time. Charlie had to break into my room and physically pry me away. And that wasn’t a problem for him. Vampires were inexplicably powerful. Their strength and speed was incomprehensible, otherworldly in the eyes of humans.
My mind couldn’t wrap around the idea of Charlie and Renee wanting to care for me. In my eyes, vampires couldn’t love and yet, they had families. They reproduced offspring and sent their little bloodsuckers to school just like us humans. How could a species so heartless care for their young? All they ever cared for was blood, blood and more blood! Maybe they adopted me because they wanted to eat me. I snorted at the last thought, causing Charlie’s crimson orbs to shift to meet my gaze.
“Bella?”
“It’s nothing,” I whispered, tracing needle pricks in my arm with my fingertip.
Charlie sighed. “I know this can’t be easy for you. But Bella…” he hesitated, shifting in his seat. “…we are here for you if you want to talk.”
I didn’t respond as I traced the bruise on my arm, wincing as I pushed down on it. I wondered if I still had to donate blood once a month. It was a rule after all, a strictly enforced rule by the vampire government. Humans were to donate blood at least once a month. All humans who didn’t abide by this rule were punished by death. It was either a ‘do or die’ situation.
Once the blood was collected, it was taken into the storage facility at the blood bank. Another percentage of the collected blood was distributed throughout vampire bars, restaurants, schools and hangouts like malls and movie theaters, while the rest of the blood would end up on the freezer shelves in vampire “grocery” stores. Fresh blood was the most expensive since it just came from the host or the unlucky human as I would call it. The vampire would have to go directly to the blood bank and purchase the blood. The fresher the blood; the more satisfying.
“Will I still have to donate blood?” I asked unexpectedly. I couldn’t control my sudden outburst.
I heard Charlie groan, clearly uncomfortable or unwilling to answer my question. “Unfortunately, yes. There isn’t much I can do,” he said somberly, meeting my eyes again.
“Okay,” I responded, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘More bruises,’ I mouthed, running my finger over the sensitive skin of my arm.
“No. No it’s not okay. I hate seeing you go to that damn blood bank,” Charlie admitted angrily, causing my eyes to widen. He actually cared if I donated blood? “Dr. Cullen, our town physician, is working on a special synthetic blood supplement,” he said suddenly, his voice hopeful. “But it hasn’t been successful,” he added with a sigh.
“Synthetic blood?” I raised my eyebrow.
“Yes. Dr. Cullen doesn’t believe in blood banks either, Bella. Sure, it’s better than being…” he hesitated again. I could hear the slight crack of the steering wheel. “…than being hunted,” he said carefully, trying to hold in his anger. His anger? Did he really care? Was this all an act?
“Care? He actually cares about humans?” I asked incredulously.
“Bella, not all of us are monsters,” he answered seriously. “We’re all not bad.”
I snorted again.
Charlie suddenly pulled the car to the side of the road. My eyes widened as he turned around in his seat to face me. Shit! I should have kept my mouth shut. Stupid Bella! My heart beat furiously in my chest as his crimson orbs locked onto my chocolate brown ones.
He blew out a deep exasperated breath. “I know that you don’t feel comfortable around us. We can sense it. Like I sense it right now,” he spoke softly. “But I want you to know that Renee and I care for you. We promised your parents that we would take care of you if anything should ever happen to them.”
“So you’re obligated to take care of me because you both prom-”
“No. That’s not true,” Charlie growled lightly, interrupting my statement. I saw the tip of his fang press into his bottom lip. “We have cared for you since the first day we met you, Bella. Why is that so difficult for you to understand that?”
“Because you’re vampires,” I breathed, hoping that I didn’t anger Charlie too much. I couldn’t keep my thoughts to myself. ‘Shut up, Bella!’ I screamed internally.
“Again, I hope you see past that. It’s not what we are but who we are,” he placed his hand over mine, causing me to flinch from his touch. “And all we want is to take care of you, become a family. You deserve love and not all this heartache you’ve experienced in the past year,” Charlie’s thumb stroked the back of my hand.
I was speechless as I gazed at his soft crimson eyes. I didn’t expect him to say anything like he had. Charlie was a vampire of few words. He wasn’t the talkative type at all. Maybe he and Renee really did care? He continued to gaze at me with a soft expression etched onto his face. I nodded. He then removed his hand from mine, turning around in his seat as he pulled back onto the road.
The rest of the ride to Forks was quiet. My mind had a lot to digest about what he had said to me. Maybe I did have a chance at happiness once again. Maybe, just maybe…
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