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CHAPTER TWELVE ᴠɪᴏʟᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴜʀ
Soft mists and the sounds of twittering birds blanketed the darkening forest, reaching below the thick treetops like a comforting hand. By early evening, the foggy clouds had drifted from the ocean, hugging the landscape until eventually, they found their way to the territory between the wolves and the vampires, the sweet spot that was no man's land. There, the trees were the barest, the forest floor the clearest, and the sky the most visible. There, as the sun paved the way for the moon to welcome night, the dancing colours of violets and wine stains illuminated the sky.
As I wandered through the tree line with my hunger satisfied, I felt the necklace bounce against the base of my throat, my chin raised to the sky. That evening, the cool metal was perhaps the only comfort I could find despite my surroundings. It had been the first hour I'd had to myself in days, thanks to Alice's constant need to be by my side, to ensure I didn't do anything stupid. I couldn't blame her, not really. It was much like when I'd lashed out at James, and then again I remembered the anger I'd felt after watching the videotape, hearing the tracker talk about his hunt for Alice.
Protectiveness is not an uncommon thing. But it was not protectiveness with Alice: it was far more. She had an urgent need to keep me safe- everyone could see it, and Rosalie had even commented upon it blatantly. The idea of this strength of feeling toward me on her part made me feel warm and immensely full as if I'd hunted day after day, never satisfied until this feeling came upon me.
Despite its small size, the necklace felt heavy around my neck. It took so much of my attention that I didn't notice the shift in the trees, their steadiness against the rushing winds as if they stood tense in anticipation of some threat. The violet colour of the sky seemed sad all of a sudden, the fading colours retreating from the highest peak, fading away like old memories that laid bearings for the new.
"Why do you do this?" I spoke before he came any closer, before his scent had fully disgusted my nose.
William was grinning when I turned to him. "Because you run away."
I shook my head, clenching my hands in tight fists. "This isn't like one of our games of hide and seek."
For a moment, he was quiet, and then he barked out a pathetic laugh, his sharp teeth poking through the gesture. I wondered if he ever used this threatening move on humans. William's eyes slid down from where his head had tipped back toward the darkening sky, and stared at me, his chin tilting to the side.
"No. You always won those, I remember," he said, voice mocking, though I could not see a reason why. "Not this time."
His stance had changed, I realised, as he bent his knees, his arms twisting so they were lowered toward me and at an angle.
I shook my head again. "You can't win."
"No. But I can't lose either."
Like William, I could not win. In a fight, there was always a mutual chance of winning. He was no better than I was, and after many years, I'd been able to observe his fight pattern. But I knew exactly what he meant by his last phrase. He could not lose, so long as I was not winning. But I would lose. I always would. Running was no life to live- especially for one granted with eternal youth. William knew that so long as I could not settle, then I could not win.
He lunged toward me in a feeble attempt to wrap his hands around my neck. I dodged easily, only to find him moving with me, like a mirrored image, swooping down in time to latch around my arm. The force of pulling myself from him sent me scuttling backwards, tailbone smacking against the long trunk of a tree.
"You killed him long before you murdered him," I said sharply before he could step any closer. "You killed Thomas when you turned me into this."
His crimson eyes darkened until they were almost a charred black. "You don't know what you're talking about," he seethed.
"Don't I?" It was working. I was wriggling my way beneath his tightly bound skin. "He was as much a brother to me as he was to you- perhaps even more so."
"None of this is my fault," he snapped, and then his scowl turned into another dark grin. "You should have stayed dead."
As he went to jump upon me again, he was pounced upon, a small body wrapping herself around his shoulders, sending him toppling backwards. William lashed out, letting out a terrible roar as he swung his arms, narrowly missing the girl. Alice backed toward me in her fighting stance, a glare painting her face.
"Try again," she growled. "I dare you."
William staggered to his feet, pushing against the tree, of which its roots hand been yanked from the ground under the weight of his collision. His expression had changed numerous times within a few seconds. He was angry, his eyes lowering beneath a dark brow. His surprise was made obvious by the tilt of his lip and the glint to his eye. But most of all, he was confused. His glowing eyes flicked between me and Alice, finally resting on me with a glare. His face became open, cold, and arrogantly aware as he realised the connection. The link. The feelings that hung in the air.
"I dare you," Alice hissed again.
For once in his life, William didn't have a retaliation. He was not intimidated by Alice and her fiery stance, but by her fierce protectiveness over me, and my obvious attraction. He backed away, sprinting through the trees until he blended in with the colours. Alice glanced back at me once, silently debating whether to run after him or to stay, but as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, she melted, and pushed me back against the uprooted tree.
☾
Alice leaned into me, the bare skin of her chest brushing against my arms. The house was empty. We hadn't spoken a word since the run-in with William but her ragged breaths had said enough of her desperation. I could still feel her hot breath against my chin; the feeling of the smooth curves of her body unfolding beneath my touch was fresh in my mind.
She laughed lightly as her face tucked into my neck. "They're definitely going to smell it on me," she whined, embarrassment tuning her voice up a pitch higher.
I shook my head, trying not to think of the fact.
"You're thinking about it," Alice said, lifting her head and tapping a finger against my thinned lips. I looked away, embarrassed. "You're thinking about him. Stop it."
I would have flushed the brightest shade of red if I could. It was definitely not William that I was thinking about. But Alice didn't need to know that.
"We don't need to worry about that anymore," I said, letting my lips find their way to her collarbone. "I will finish it myself."
