Pale Faces || Damon Salvatore

Twenty

Everything dissolves into panic, the room seeming more small and claustrophobic once Rosalie herds her way into the room and takes Renesmee from a shocked Edward. Jacob storms in, stressing over why he can't hear Bella's heartbeat, his words falling short when he sees her laid out, deathly  pale, on the bed — eyes closed.

I can't focus, can't concentrate. I know I have to shake myself out of this state, but I can't find it in me to do so.

We're too late. She's dead. My sister, my twin, is dead. It's too late, and she's gone... And we're too late. Her child will be raised without a mother, Edward will have to see his daughter every day for the rest of his life and know she killed her mother.

Bella is dead.

"El," Damon says, shaking my arm, "We have to help outside, we have to move the wolves away from the house."

I ignore him, looking down at Bella as Edward breaks down, running his hands along Bella's skin carefully — afraid to break her.

"She's gone, El, we have to go." Damon says softly, attempting to keep me calm as he tries to direct me from the room. I feel his hand on the small of my back, hear his words in my ear, but I can't find it in me to do anything other than blink away the tears in my eyes.

"We have to go." Damon says finally, and I feel tears slip down my cheeks.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she was supposed to be like us.

"Go," Edward yells, "Go get rid of the mutts outside." His tone is hostile, and I don't argue with him.

Instead I allow Damon to walk me from the room, gather my thoughts, push all memory of her pale, mangled body from my mind, and make my way outside with Damon.

There is anarchy on the outline of the woods, shape shifters and vampires fighting as if they've just had their favourite chew toy taken away from them. Damon sends me a reassuring glance, before he launches himself at one of the wolves attempting to sink its jaws into Alice.

I clench my teeth, feeling my canines sink down and the veins under my eyes beginning to show. I let my anger at their trespassing consume me. I let the sorrow of my sisters passing flow through me and guide me to take it out on these intruders — these pests.

How dare they come to our home and try to take our family from us?

I leap from the porch, sinking my canines into one of the wolves fur as he jumps for me. He whimpers, falling to the ground easily once I let go of him. I move onto the next, pulling it off of Jasper with ease and biting into its neck all in one stride, sucking blood from its veins and feeling it slither down my throat. I close my eyes to enjoy it, having been far too long since I've had something warm to drink. Something that struggles, that tries to get away. No human, or fake vampires like the Cullens will ever understand the feeling of life draining from right under your fingertips, they'll never understand how addictive it is. How hard it is not to take it all. To keep it for yourself.

I lift my head, dropping the wolf to the ground and share a look with Damon, who stands with blood dripping from his mouth, his canines extended and his eyes darkened. I can imagine we look similar; the veins, the dark eyes, the blood, the canines. He grins at me, licking his lips — which does nothing but drag the blood further across his skin.

I can accept him as he is, this way. This is who he wants to be, this is how he thrives. I understand, I'll always understand in a way Elena could never — maybe that's why he chose me in the end.

We're monsters, we're supposed to be monsters. We're supposed to kill, and drink blood, and care none for the human lives around us. It's in our nature to seek power, and to be selfish of things that we want, or have. We're not team players. We're the nightmares in the dark, the bang that sounds from the unlit woods next to you as you're walking how from a late night study group. We're the shiver that runs down your spine as you pick up your pace and walk faster... Faster...

But never fast enough.

Damon spins in a flash, grabbing the next wolf off of Emmett and baring its neck skilfully, he grins over at me, before dropping his head, his face disappearing into the brown fur.

I smile at the sight, taken over by my emotions and my inability to care for the lives in my hands.

I block all thoughts of Bella from my mind, refusing to think of my dead sister, or anything other than the searing anger sizzling in my bloodstream.

It's almost like I see red, losing control of my thoughts and actions as if a switch had been flicked. I must've bitten every opposing wolf so far, and been close to ripping Alice's throat out.

I almost don't hear Jacob when he comes onto the porch, but it's difficult not to hear him when he shouts.

"Enough! It's done! You can't hurt her." Jacob growls, and the wolves cease to move, staring up at him as if he's grown another head subconsciously.

What does he mean it's done? I'm still raring to go. My anger still rages underneath my skin, and my canines have no intention of retracting. There's still so much blood left to be drawn, so much more life to be taken. My mind is still focussed on one thing: killing.

"Jacob Imprinted." Edward explains, as if it makes everything more obvious.

Which, apparently, it does to everyone but those of us who don't have a clue what the fuck he's talking about.

My gums begin to ache, not satisfied yet by the amount of blood they've drawn — wanting more and more until there's no more left to give.

"They can't hurt her. It's their absolute law, pack imprints are to be protected, not harmed." Edward says, and I'm still confused by the word 'imprint' but no one seems ready to explain it to me.

Assholes.

"And Bella?" Alice asks, my sisters name sending a wave of sorrow through me that I try to push back.

Edward looks up at her, a small smile gracing his lips. How the fuck can he be smiling? Bella is dead. She is dead an she is never coming back. How dare he smile at a time like this. How dare he not grieve her. It's his fault she's gone in the first place. If he hadn't have gotten her pregnant she wouldn't have died. He hasn't got the right to smile.

Edward looks at me, obviously having heard my thoughts, but doesn't retaliate, "The venom is working. It's pumped into her blood. I could hear it travelling."

Wait...

My canines retract, the veins underneath my eyes disappearing and I sense Damon come to stand next to me. The thoughts of killing disappear almost instantly as I step forward.

"She's not dead?" I ask, relief streaming through me.

Edward grins, shaking his head, "Only in the way she's supposed to be."

Well Bella, you little shit, I'm going to kick your ass for scaring me when you wake up.

I just want to say thank you guys so much for every single one of you who's stayed with me throughout the entire story. I know I take forever to update, which can be a pain, but I appreciate every vote, read, and comment every single one of you guys do.
I have written a sequel, so don't fear! It doesn't end here. There's going to be a lot more interaction between Mystic Falls and Forks in the future.
Again, thank you guys so much for reading!
— Lou_Louxoxo