HUNTER ─ emmett cullen

VI. Tales Of The Van Helsings

Chapter Six
Cherilyn

"Let me start from the beginning." Grandmama begins. She, me, and the rest of the Cullens are siting in the library; I'm sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace with Emmett by my side. Grandmama is sitting in her chair, and Edward Cullen is standing strangely close to her, his expression filled with concern. The others are closer to the bookshelves, Carlisle being the closest to Grandmama.

"Abraham Van Helsing was a vampire." Grandmama says bluntly.

"What?" I nearly gasp out.

"He was a part of the Volturi, and in the 1800's, he saw that vampires were getting out of control with their hunger and killings, so he came up with the idea to create a new species; one that could blend in with humans, not be controlled by their thirst, and could kill vampires. He had sex with a human woman and their child became the first of this race. That child was trained to hunt and kill vampires, and when she was of age, she had sex with a vampire apart of the Volturi to create a new hybrid, and so has been tradition for centuries."

"Then how come we're here and not in Volterra?" I ask through clenched teeth.

Grandmama bows her head; from sadness or shame, I'm not sure. "After my mother died on a mission, I saw how corrupt the Volturi really were. They didn't care about my mother. They don't care about anything but power. So I left."

"And they just let you leave?" Esme asks.

"They did with me." Carlisle reminds her.

"I came here to London, met Merik, and together we had your mother. We agreed to keep the truth of our family history hidden; we did not want your mother to grow up thinking that our mission and purpose is built a bunch of lies."

"What about the corpse in the hall?"

Grandmama sighs. "Dominic Harding was a friend of mine when I was at the Volturi. We spent a lot of time together, so it makes sense why the Volturi would send him to kill us."

"But he wasn't targeting you,' Jasper says. "You were here alone for four years. If he wanted to kill you he would have tried."

"So then why were Mom and I the only targets?" I ask. "And why would the Volturi send Harding to kill us if they created us?"

"When the deer population gets too great, you let a wolf out into the habitat. But when the deer population starts to get too small, you put down the wolf," Jasper says grimly. "Perhaps this is the Volturi trying to put down their wolves."

I push myself off of the couch and start walking towards the door, ignoring the calls of my grandmother and other companions.

When I reach the outside of the house, I feel a hand wrap around my arm. I know it's Emmett before I turn towards him.

"Want to go to my gym?" He asks.

Punching stuff sounds like just the thing I need. "Let's go."

-

"Want to talk about it?" Emmett asks as I hit the punching bag again.

"What's there to talk about?" I grit out as I punch the bag again.

"It's okay to feel angry—"

"Angry? No, no I'm pissed," I punch the bag again. "My grandmother lied to me," Punch. "I'm a half vampire created by vampires," Punch. "And the vampires who created me are trying to kill me." Punch, punch, punch.

"The Volturi will keep sending more people unless you go there and confront them."

"I know." I swipe at my sweaty forehead then punch again.

"I'm coming with you." He insists.

"You don't have to keep up the act."

Emmett grabs onto my fist and stops my next punch, spinning me towards him. "What act?"

"The killer is dead, your family is safe from discovery. You don't have to pretend like you care."

Something like pain crosses his features. "I'm not pretending; I do care about you," He lifts his hand up and caresses my cheek, making my already flushed cheeks turn crimson. "I care about you a great deal."

I shake my head. "Y-you can't mean—"

"I do mean," He insists. "You're my friend, and if that's all you want from me, then I'll gladly stay your friend. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more."

"That's not funny." I step back from his touch.

"I'm not laughing."

"You're a vampire, I'm a vampire hunter. It would never work."

"Things are way more complicated than that now, but even if they weren't, it could still work. It's not like my family is on your kill list."

I let out a sigh, cursing my heart for fluttering at his words. "Even if we ignore the complication of my profession; I'm aesexual, I rarely feel sexual attraction. Would you be willing to be in a relationship where you rarely have sex?"

"There's more to a relationship than sex. I know I flirt and may seem like a physical guy, but I'm really not. I want to be with you; I don't care if we never have sex, I don't care that you hunt my kind. All of those things are second compared to what we feel, and I know you feel the same way I do. I can sense it."

"Emmett..." I plead, but I don't know what I'm pleading for. For him to be wrong? For him to ignore his and my feelings and keep us in denial?

"Cherilyn." He whispers, brushing my cheek yet again, and this time I don't move away. I let him caress my cheek, then I let him trace my jaw, then my lips.

"Are you okay with kissing?" He asks softly, his golden eyes flickering between my eyes and mouth.

I swallow hard. "Yes, but no tongue."

Without any hesitation, Emmett leans forward and brushes his lips with mine. Despite being made of stone, his lips are soft, and they're as cold as the rest of him, but I don't mind it. This time the cold feels good, I welcome it, I absorb it.

Emmett leans away from me after a few moments, and I'm left craving his touch, missing the tenderness and comfort it provides.

"I'm coming with you to the Volturi." He repeats, and his tone leaves no room for argument.

"Alright, but promise me you won't be reckless."

He scoffs. "Me? Reckless?"

I roll my eyes. "Just promise me."

He places a kiss on my forehead. "I promise, Cherilyn."