Mimic | Jacob Black

30. Crushing Reality

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"When Aro told me all of this for the first time, I had no reason to be sceptical beyond general disbelief. Aro seemed oddly disconnected from his personal feelings about mimics, but asking any of the other Volturi members showed that they held clear hostility towards mimics. Caius, in particular, was the one that began movements to hunt them down."

That didn't surprise River. Caius was the most vocal about his distaste for letting River live.

"Of course, it was no easy task. Mimics didn't exactly have a big flag broadcasting their status to the world. Without a bond, the mimic trait is quite literally undetectable. That's what they concluded, anyway. Because the mimicking wouldn't happen in that case, and so they would just be a normal human–or vampire–to everyone else, even themselves." Carlisle gave River a knowing look. "That's why I said nothing when I first met you. Edward had already been talking about the identical scents prior to then, I realised before you first came to visit. I'm glad I've had nearly ninety years to get used to controlling my thoughts around Edward, otherwise he would have seen that in my mind."

"But why hide it from him? From all of them?" River asked, gesturing towards the door. Especially since the vampires that were home would definitely be hearing this now.

"Because it's not the type of thing that concerns them. Telling them wouldn't benefit them in any way, it was easier to just let it be a thing of the past. But then, you went to Italy and the Volturi found out, which meant you did as well, so I was really left with no choice but to tell you. But the others here know now," Carlisle said. "Please understand my reasoning."

River could tell that very last part wasn't for him. It confirmed that the others were listening.

"So you wouldn't have told me if I didn't find out? Wouldn't I have still found out at some later point even without the Volturi?"

"I suppose you could have. You said you were starting to notice strange things not long before your trip," Carlisle recalled. "But I believe the majority of mimics go their entire lives without realising they're special in some way. Even those that are bonded wouldn't always find out, as only vampires–and I suppose werewolves, too–can smell human scents. Not every person will have a run in with a vampire, so those people can still live normally, as well, since the bond is still invisible to other humans. And... I knew telling you if you didn't know could only make your life harder."

"But because I was already aware of it..." River trailed off.

Carlisle nodded. "In this case, leaving you in the dark is more dangerous than telling you the whole story."

River tried to think back to the first time he properly met Carlisle–as a vampire–and at first nothing strange came to mind, but then he remembered their last interaction that day.

"Is everything... alright?" River asked. "You seem a little... distracted?"

Carlisle blinked, then smiled and shook his head. "Oh, I'm quite alright. Sorry, you just... you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. That's all."

"So, what? Not understanding that I need to control my emotions was more risky?" River said. When he saw the surprised look on Carlisle's face, he added, "Edward told me after we left your house that night Bella started the vote about her mortality."

"Ah, I see. But yes, he is correct. Mimics seem to be more intune with their mind. Almost like the trait makes it stronger–or... more volatile, I'd dare to say. If the Mimic really did lose his mind, then that proves to be the catalyst for the decades that followed. I'd relate it to vampires, in the sense that we have to constantly keep our desires restrained, lest we want to risk slipping up and accidentally taking lives. The mimic trait isn't too different from that."