Her Final Days

Chapter 15

FLASHBACK

LA PUSH, WASHINGTON, 1936

Rosalie frowned as she and the rest of the family were pursuing their latest four-legged conquest through the woods of La Push. It was yet summer, and she had been a vampire for the last three years of her life.

At first, the Cullen family had consisted of Carlisle, Esme, and Edward. Last year, Emmett had joined the family. Emmett was a happy guy who just happened to be in the woods when he was mauled by a bear. Rosalie saw the bear and tore it to pieces. She then found Emmett and brought him to the Cullen's house, begging Carlisle to save his life.

Within a few days, Emmett McCarty Cullen had been reborn.

His addition to the Cullen family was a happy one; he was generally a happy guy who liked to play practical jokes on people. He even didn't seem to mind the Cullen diet of eating animals, as he grew up in the woods and often hunted for his family's meals.

When the Cullens went on that fated trip to La Push, they had no idea that they were being followed.

7-year-old William Johnson had snuck away from his foster parents for the third time that day. His exasperated babysitter, a girl named Isabella Braumlein, was chasing after him. She was 17 years old and already too old to be running about with the younger children.

But when she caught up to William, they could not believe what they saw before them: a group of people eating a deer. Belle knew that the Quileutes hunted deer and other mammals, but these people were vampires. Eating a deer in broad daylight.

Guess Old Bram Stoker got it wrong, she thought to herself as she reached for her charge. She was sure Mr. Stoker had gotten many other things wrong about vampires as well.

Carlisle turned and saw a young boy staring at him. So did the others. Rosalie stared out the corner of her eyes and there was a group of men staring at the Cullens. Belle and William's disappearance into the woods had certainly brought attention to the Wolves.

A stern look from Jack Clearwater told William that he was in big trouble while a softer look from Mercutius Black told Belle to have patience for William, as the boy had lost his parents when he was a small boy.

One of the Wolves said, "Why do you invade our lands?"

"We were in the pursuit of our meal," said Carlisle.

"Why would your meal be in the form of a deer and not a human?" said another Wolf.

"I guess Bram Stoker just doesn't understand vampires," said the third Wolf.

"I think he lied about vampires," said Jack. "He lied about vampires and vilified them. But here, we see them as creatures that can be...tamed."

"My name is Carlisle Cullen," said Carlisle, "and this is Edward, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie. What are you called?"

"I am known as Ephraim Black," said Ephraim, "and this is Levi Uley, Quintus Ataera, Jack Clearwater, and Mercutius Black. The children are named William Johnson and Isabella Braumlein."

Emmett laughed as he looked at the little boy. "You're weird," said William.

"William!" Belle snapped as she stared at him. "Don't call him that!"

"I don't mind," said Emmett. "It's not every day we meet people like you."

Rosalie looked with regret at the young girl standing among the men. She was just 17, but held her own with the men. Ephraim said, "You shall stay with us until we can figure out what to do with you." He led the Cullen family into the village, with scores of Quileutes staring at the vampires as they passed by.

For the next few days, the Alpha Wolf and the Elders of the village held a huge debate about what to do with the Cullens. They were vampires, but yet, they feasted on animals. There was one question that no one could answer: "Should the Cullen Coven be destroyed?"

Edward and Emmett had built a small house for the family to stay in, assisted by the ever inquisitive William. Rosalie had taken to wandering the village, with the girls all glaring at her with jealousy; Esme was busy helping the boys and Carlisle was called to treat Belle's grandmother Irma, who had accidentally cut her hand while slicing vegetables.

While the older woman sat in an old chair healing from her injuries, Belle had insisted that Carlisle drink some tea, which she claimed could help control a vampire's habits and behavior. Carlisle had politely declined, but that didn't stop Belle from offering tea to her grandmother.

Rosalie looked upon Belle with hatred, the same look she would later give to Jacquelyn (Belle's granddaughter) and Bella Swan herself. Just then, Ephraim approached her, saying, "You do not appear to be friendly."

"Why do you say that?" she snapped.

"I have observed your clan," said Ephraim, "and from what I see, your leader is also a doctor, and he is willing to help people; his mate is a kind-hearted woman who cares for others despite her...vampiric nature. Those two young men are both hardworking and a delight, but as for you...you appear to have a heart that's made from stone."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Rosalie.

"It does a person no good when they have a heart of stone," said Ephraim. "I know your story, Rosalie Hale. You were one of the richest girls in Rochester, engaged to marry one of the richest men in the city. But his friends attacked you and left you to die. Carlisle Cullen noticed you and he refused to allow you to die, so he rescued you..."

Rosalie glared at Ephraim as he repeated everything that he was told about her. How dare he know everything about me! she fumed in anger. Who does he think he is? But all the same, Ephraim had the right to know everything about the Cullens, as no one still knew what to do with them.

Just then, to her shock, Rosalie found herself crying.

She never really cried before; she thought that crying was a sign of weakness. But how and why she was crying now just didn't make sense. Neither did the fact that she felt an arm snake around her and she found herself sobbing into Ephraim's shoulders.

Ephraim looked around him, then at the girl he held in his arms. Not even Belle Braumlein would dare allow herself to get that close to any young man, and certainly *not* before she turned 18 years old. But this was Rosalie Hale, and she was never really open about her feelings before, not even when she had gotten Emmett.

Rosalie wanted to scold herself for crying, but she couldn't. Not when she was reminded of how and why she became a vampire. She had been young and foolish, loved the whole idea of love and marriage, and she thought that Royce had loved her. She had allowed that idea to cloud her judgment and she felt that her vampirism was a punishment for her foolishness.

How right she was.

But then, something had happened, something that she did not foresee. Something that, if anyone had found out, could ruin whatever new life that she had created with Emmett.

Rosalie Hale had kissed Ephraim Black.