My Adventures with the Cullen Family

Memories and Feelings

Esme stepped forward, hugging me and saying, "It's nothing my dear. You're one of our children now. We want to help you however we can."

I stepped away from her as she spoke, my fingers digging into my skull as one of my human memories surfaced. It's not her fault, I thought, as my knees buckled and I fell to the ground, still trying to force away this vision from the past. No matter what I did, I could still see the vision perfectly.

I was four years old, trying to spell difficulty. It was one of many words my father insisted I learn, and as always when I had trouble, he'd give me incentive to spell the word right. Each misspelling resulted in him lashing me with a horse whip he always kept handy. I begged and cried, but he was relentless, not allowing me to escape until I had spelled the fifteen words for that day. I barely made it to my room before I collapsed.

I returned to the present, focusing on Esme & Carlisle's faces, only a few inches away. They were kneeling on the ground beside me. I stood, forcing myself to stand steadily, even though my legs felt like jello. "What happened Alisha?" Esme asked, her motherly face full of concern. And she doubts whether she would be a good mother, I think wryly. I explain to them what happened, making Esme hug me again. "I was trying to find a way to tell you guys that my family is sort of a touchy subject, but I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily," I concluded.

Esme's eye were full of reproach as she said, "You shouldn't hide things like that from us. We want to help you. Was that the first time that happened?" I shook my head, causing her to gasp. "It wasn't the first, nor the last. I stayed until I finished high school, but as soon as I could I ran. The day I was changed," I said, looking down, "Was my twenty-first birthday. I had just gotten my first job in my chosen career field." "What did you do?" Carlisle asked softly. " I was a registered nurse. I still am actually. I wasn't supposed to start until a week after I was changed, so I used that time to hunt. I went to work, nervous that someone would notice I wasn't human, but I was fine." "You worked around people one week after you were changed?" I nodded. "I didn't want to lose my job, so I had to report for work. Every couple years I would move so no one noticed I wasn't ageing. It was during one of these moves that I tried to starve myself to death. It didn't work, so I went back to draining animals." Carlisle smiled slightly. "I tried to starve myself in the beginning too." "What?" I asked, shocked. He nodded, recounting his story as he had countless times before for the others.

I was still absorbing what he told me when I heard a noise in the trees. Listening, I could tell it was a wolf. His mind shows a clear objective from Jacob. He's to see what has kept us. I told Esme & Carlisle what I had gathered, and we waited in the center of the clearing for the wolf. He appears a few moments later, bigger than Mufasa and gray with black spots on his back. He disappears a moment later. "He stayed wolf so that he could tell them we are ok. He'll be back to speak with us as soon as he phases."

He came running up a few moments later. He was shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a pair of jean shorts. He was tall and muscled, although still slender. His skin was the same russet as Jacob's, but seemed to shine more in the weak sunlight. His har was as black as night, cut short. His eyes were an earthy brown. He greeted Esme & Carlisle, then looked at me.

I couldn't stop looking at him, trying to absorb every inch of him. He walked forward more slowly now, as though he was underwater. I was rooted to the spot, unable to move or breathe, barely able to think.

~~~~~

Embry's mind was swirling as he looked at the vampire next to Carlise & Esme. She's so beautiful, he thought as he walked closer. Her eyes are so deep, like looking into the ocean, and her hair is so dark, except where the sun brings out the gold. He could barely move as every tie that held him to the Earth was severed, but he kept moving toward his sole purpose in life. The still, silent figure next to Carlisle & Esme was the only thing connecting him to the Earth now.

"I'm Embry Call. What is your name?" I need to know her name. I want to look at her forever, talk to her, make her happy forever.

~~~~~

Alisha blushed, something no other vampire could do, as she shyly said, "My name is Alisha Caroule. It's very nice to meet you Embry." He smelled like the forest, a woodsy scent that I couldn't get enough of.

~~~~~

Alisha, what a beautiful name for such a perfect woman. Embry moved closer, until they were standing toe to toe. He stroked her blushing cheek, noticing the vampire coldness with the human blush, but not caring.

"I've found my soul mate," Embry & I whispered at the same time, then kissed, hesitantly, then passionately.

~~~~~

I wonder how Sam and Jacob will react to this, Carlisle thought as he observed Alisha & Embry. Embry's imprinted on Alisha. A werewolf has imprinted on a vampire! Dear Lord, what else could happen that our legends never predicted.