Hunter's Moon (The Hunter's Moon Saga; Edward BXB)

2: Could You Take Away His Soul?

Edward and I are at his house, staring at a huge picture of the Volturi, as I'm wearing a formal long sleeve and a golden tie with my sleeves rolled up, as he's in all black. "The Volturi are a very old, very powerful family. I guess they're the closest thing to royalty my world has." He says, and I notice someone who looks like Carlisle on the far right side, and point at him with my left index finger. "Is that Carlisle?" I ask, and put my hand down. "Yeah. He lived with them for a few decades. Described them as very refined. No respect for human life, of course, but a respect for the arts and the sciences, at least. And the law. Above all, the law." He says. "Vampires have laws?" I ask. "Not very many. And only one that's regularly enforced." He says. "What is it?" I ask. "That we keep the existence of our kind a secret. We don't make.. spectacles of ourselves, and we don't kill conspicuously. Unless, of course, you want to die." He says. "You gotta stop talking about that. I can't even think about someone hurting you. I will walk my ass right through Heaven or Hell to bring yours back." I say, biting my right thumb, and he chuckles. "I admit you're the only one I know stubborn enough to do so. Cor, the only thing that can hurt me is you." He says, and I shake my head, looking down. "And I don't have anything else to be afraid of." I say, and put my hand down, looking up at him. "That's not true." I say. "Victoria? She'll come for us one day. Alice will see when she decides, and we'll be ready." He says, and I nod. "I could protect you, if you change me. It's me she's been after. She could use you to get to me." I say, as he steps closer to me, smiling. "Cor, you already do protect me." He says, as I have my left hand holding his collar. "You're my only reason to stay alive, if that's what I am." He says, shaking his head. "But it's my job to protect you." He says, and I sigh. "From everyone except my sister." He says, as I'm looking down, and look up at him, and turn around, seeing Alice, smiling. "It's time! It's time. It's time. It's time!" She exclaims, taking my right hand, and I look back at Edward, smiling, and notice a man on the far left side of the painting, and gasp, having a flashback. I'm being carried by the man, as he's wearing sunglasses, and I'm two, as we arrive to the Police Station, while I'm crying. "Sh. Little one. Your Mom and Dad must be worried sick about you. You're not ready to learn about who you are and what you are to become." He says in an angelic tone, and takes off his necklace with his right hand, and puts it around me, as I stop crying, and teeth on it, and he chuckles lightly, and we walk in, and see my Dad. "I believe you were looking for him? I found him outside by a burning house." He says, handing me to Charlie, and he hugs me close. "Thank you." He says, and the man nods, and I snap back into reality. "Are you okay? What happened?" Edward asks. "I had another flashback. That man is the one who saved me from Carson." I say, pointing at the man on the far right side with my right index finger. "What? That's impossible." He says, as I put my hand down. "Why?" I ask. "That's Caius. He's the coldest of all of them. Why would he?" He asks. "He said I wasn't ready to learn about who I am and what I am to become. What the hell am I?" I ask. "I don't know. All I know is that you're human." He says, and I sigh. "Come on. Everyone's waiting downstairs." Alice says, and I sigh, and stop at the top of the stairs, hearing soft, classical music in the background, and see everyone smiling at me, and I smile back, and we walk down the stairs, and I see Carlisle approaching me. "Sorry about all this. We tried to rein Alice in." He says, as Alice lets my hand go, and I look down, smiling. "As if that were even possible." Esme says, as I look at her, and she puts her arms around my back, as do I, and she spins me, as I give a small chuckle. "Happy Birthday, Cor." She says. "Thanks." I say, and we release, and I see a flash behind me, and turn around, seeing Alice holding my camera, and I give a small smile, as she's smiling. "I found it in your bag. You mind?" She asks, and I shake my head. "Dating an older man. Hot." Emmett says to Edward, as I look at them both, and Edward and I both chuckle. "What?" Emmett asks. "You first, Rosalie." Alice says, as I look at them both, and Alice hands her a black box with her right hand, as she takes it with her left, and offers it to me. "It's a nerdy tshirt about social interaction. Alice picked it out." She says, as I take it with my right hand. "Thanks." I say, and she nods, and I look to my right, and see Alice pushing Edward and I to each other, and she holds up the camera. "Show me the love." She says, as I'm looking down, and look up at her, and she snaps my photo, and she walks over to grab another gift with her right hand, and walks back over to me, placing a box in my hands that feels empty, as I'm smiling. "This one's from Emmett." She says, and I shake it, as I turn around, looking at him, noticing Rosalie's by him, and he's smiling at me. "Already installed it in your truck. Finally a decent sound system for that piece of shit." He says, and I shake my head. "Hey! Don't hate the truck. It has really good air conditioning." I say, smiling, and we all laugh. "Open Esme and Carlisle's." Alice says, as I look at her, and she places and envelope in my right hand. "Just a little something to brighten your day." Carlisle says, as I look at him. "Yes, you've been looking kind of pale lately. Even though you may dislike the heat." Esme says. "It's actually perfect. Thank you." I say, smiling, and begin to open it, and cut my left index finger on the paper, and feel it sting. I look up at it, and see it's bleeding. "Ouch. Paper cut." I say. Shit. I'm holding my finger, and put it down, looking up, and see Jasper coming towards me, and feel Edward push me, and I go flying into the wall, and hit the table, feeling glass embed my right arm, and I fall to the ground, groaning, and hear growling, as I slowly lift my head up. "Jaz, Jaz. It's ok. It's ok. It's just a little.. blood." Alice says, as I sit up, holding my arm, and see everyone looking at me, as Jasper snarls. "Get Jasper out of here." Carlisle says, and vampspeeds to me, and touches holds my arm, as I gasp. "I'm sorry, I can't." Alice says, as I look at Edward. "I'll have to stitch this up in my office." Carlisle says, and I look down, and back to my arm, and back to Edward. "Check on Jasper. I'm sure he's very upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now. Edward." Carlisle says, as Edward and I are making eye contact, and he looks upset, and turns around, and walks off. We're in Carlisle's Office, as classical music is playing, and hear taking glass out of my arm, as I have it extended outwards. "I never wanted to have a party." I say. "It's not your fault. Jasper hasn't been away from human blood as long as the rest of us." He says. "How do you do it?" I ask, and he looks up, smiling at me. "Years and years of practice." He says, and looks down. "Did you ever think of just doing it the easy way?" I ask, as he's stitching my wound, and I'm holding onto his right left elbow"No. I knew who I wanted to be. I wanted to help people. It brings me happiness, even if I am damned regardless." He says, looking up at me, and sets the needle and threat down. "Damned? Like Hell?" I ask, and he looks down, and back up to me, and down again. "Carlisle, you couldn't be damned." I say, and look down. "You couldn't. It's impossible." I say, and look back up to him. "Thank you, Cor. You've always been very.. gracious about us." He says, looking at me, and back down. "So that's it? That's why he won't change me?" I ask, shaking my head. "Imagine the situation in reverse. Hm." He says, touching my chin, lightly, with his left hand, and puts it down, and I see him walk over to a candle and just long match. "If you believe as Edward does, could you take away his soul?" He asks, and sets the bowl on fire next to me, and blows the match out, and I look at the burning bowl, and back up to Carlisle. "I know you heard what I said about the Volturi and Caius. What do I have to do with them and why was Victoria hunting me my entire life?" I ask, and he looks down, and back up to me. "What is it?" I ask. "The Volturi have a legend. A myth." He says. "What myth?" I ask. "That a child born on the thirteenth day of the ninth month will come face to face with the Father of the last Hunter, salvation to all vampire kind will come." He says. "Thirteen. The thirteen children." I say. "That's correct. But it's believed, that a new hunter could be awakened after thirteen are killed." He says. "Wait.. does that mean? I'm a.." I say, and he looks down, and back up to me. "Not if the last Hunter is killed." He says. "Wow. That's a lot to take in." I say. "A vampire who hunts vampires. The Ultimate Hunter." He says. "That's why they kidnapped me. To raise me to hate vampires and make me one myself." I say. "That's correct. There's something else." He says. "What is it?" I ask. "My Father was the first Hunter. And.." He says, and pauses. "And?" I ask. "A Hunter is past down from blood. Or considerably within marriage." He says. "Wait.. you were a? Does that mean?" I ask, stammering. "Yes, we're related." He says. "You met Caius before he took you back to your parents. I was there." He says. "What do you mean, you were there?" I ask. "I was at the Hospital the day you were born. I delivered you myself. Then I gave you to Caius, and he hid you to protect you safe." He says, and I blink three times, quickly. "Hang on. Are what are you saying? Are you saying that I'm.. adopted?" I ask. "Yes. You're birth parents were cruel, evil people who wanted to raise an army of Vampiric Vampire Hunters and bring the world into eternal darkness. So Caius set their house on fire." He says, and I look down, and back up to him. "God, incest." I say, and he chuckles. "No, of course not. You're not actually related to Edward." He says. "Thank you, for telling me. Whatever great you are." I say. "Five greats." He says. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I ask. "I didn't think of it until I heard you talking about Caius." He says. Edward and I soon arrive home in my truck, as he's driving, and he stops the car, and I look at him, and forward, and down. "You can't protect me." I say, and look at him, and forward and down again, shaking my head. "From everything." I say, and look back up to him. "Edward, at some point, something's gonna separate us." I say, and shake my head. "It's gonna be an accident or an illness or old age." I say, and look back down. "As long as I'm human. And the only solution is to change me." I say, shaking my head, and look back up at him. "That's not a solution. That's a tragedy." He says. "You're not gonna want me when I look like a Grandfather or probably try to kill you of what's in my blood." I say, looking down, and I hear his door open, and I see him get out of the car, and shut the door. He walks over to my door, and opens it with his left hand, and we look at each other. "Cor, don't you not understand my feelings for you at all?" He asks. "Carlisle told me how you feel about your soul. You were listening, weren't you? I don't believe that about your soul. So don't worry about mine." I say. "You should go inside." He says, and I step out of the truck, and he shuts it behind me with his left hand, and steps backwards, as I step forwards, and I look down. "It's still my Birthday." I say, and look up at him. "So can I ask one thing?" I ask, and he looks so sad. "Kiss me?" I ask, and he leans forward, getting closer to me, as I gasp, and we begin kissing, as it's still filled with passion, and we both gasp, and stop, and if he could cry, he would. So I do it for him instead. And we press our foreheads together. "I love you." I say. "I love you." He says, and pulls out a golden heart necklace out of his right pocket. "I know you said for me not to get you anything. But I couldn't help myself." He says, and places it in my right palm. "In there is a picture of us from Prom." He says. "Thank you." I say, and he turns around, and walks off. I'm in my room, sitting in my chair without a shirt on, as I have my camera hooked up to my laptop, and print out of picture of me and him from the party. I hold it with both of my hands and fold the right side of the picture backwards, to cover up the side that has me on it, so only he is left. I put the picture on a page in my scrapbook, and hold it down with my left hand, and grab four pieces of tape, and tape the corners of the page into the scrapbook.