Alissa Swan

Part 26

After school that day, a random number texted me. I opened it. Hey, it said. This is Alissa, right? This is Edward by the way.

How did Edward get my number? I thought. Well, I'll text him back.

Hey Edward, I said and then sent it. I figured that wasn't enough to send, but it would have to do for now.

You're probably wondering how I got your number, aren't you?

I thought about his question for a minute. I was kind of wondering, but I was kind of happy that he got my number. Now we could chat practically all the time, and we can make amends for whatever reason he hates (or hated) me. Not really, I replied.

Cool. It would take a long time to explain why. Anyway, Alice told me that she told you the truth about us?

Yes. But it really doesn't bother me.

I watched the gray bubble with the three dots that indicated that he was typing. I waited for him to answer.

Meet me in the woods behind the school. See you there in ten minutes.

Okay. I wanted to ask questions, but that wasn't a question statement. It was a demand, and I was going to take that demand.

I arrived at the school. I parked and walked into the woods, where Edward was waiting for me. I walked towards him.

"I know what you are," I told him. "Alice told me, but I also figured it out on my own. I had some theories."

"Say it," Edward said with clenched teeth. "Out loud. Say it."

"Vampire," I said, a little bit scared of what his reaction was going to be like. I didn't think it would be a good one.

"So now that you know," he walked around me, "let's have you meet my family."

"Carlisle, my dad," Edward said. Carlisle appeared behind Edward, who was still walking around me. Carlisle followed him.

"Alice, my sister," Edward said. The same thing happened with Alice, and I got the flashback from the time when she told me.

"Jasper, my brother," Edward said. Jasper appeared and followed Alice around me. Edward still stared at me.

"Rosalie, my sister," Edward added. Rosalie followed Jasper.

"Emmett, my brother," Edward said, as Emmett appeared and followed Rosalie.

"And finally, Esme, my mom." Esme followed Emmett, which now gave Edward someone to follow (Esme).

"Now that you know my family," Edward never looked away from me, "now it's time to ask the most basic question."

Everyone who walked around me stopped and stared at me as Edward continued. I knew what this question was, and I dreaded it.

Edward said slowly, "What do we eat?"

I immediately looked at Alice for some reason. "I don't care."

Edward replied almost immediately. "We're the world's most dangerous predator."

"It doesn't matter," I said.

"Everything about me invites you in," Edward looked at me and then at Rosalie. "My face." He turned to Alice. "My voice." He turned to Jasper. "Even my smell." He turned back to face me. "As if I need any of that." He started yelling, which echoed in the woods. "As if you could outrun me!" He ran to the nearest tree, surprisingly fast. He said in a calm voice, "As if you could fight me off." He broke the biggest branch off the tree. "We're the worst predators to humans," he came back to me, "And you don't even care?"

"No," I said. I didn't. I just wanted Edward. I wanted that face, that voice, and that smell to be mine.

"We could kill you right now," Edward said, "and you don't even care one bit?"

"Not one bit," I replied.

Edward looked away and shook his head. "Alissa, that's not safe. I mean, what if you met Victoria-"

"Edward," Carlisle said, "don't even get Victoria into this. Stop looking at all the worst things that can happen."

"Victoria doesn't even live here," Alice added.

"Yeah, but did you catch Alissa's scent?" Edward asked Alice. "Victoria, Jake and Laurent will more than likely be attracted to that."

"That's true," Rosalie said. "Jake just killed someone the other day. I saw it. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't."

"We'll have to defend her," Jasper said. "Somehow. But with someone who loves her this much," he gestured toward Edward, "Bella will never die from things that he can control." He looked at Edward.

I looked at Edward too. He looked a little embarrassed, but he got over it quickly. Does he really love me?

"If and when Victoria and the others come," Jasper continued, "we need a strong army. We need to build ourselves up for the occasion."

Rosalie had an objection. "There's one problem with doing this right now," she said. "I can't do it in this."

Everyone groaned at Rosalie.

"Not because this is my good shirt," she said. "I need a more flexible outfit to fight." She speeded home and came back about five seconds later.

Jasper continued when Rosalie left. "So, when Rosalie gets back, we have to start fighting each other as practice."

Rosalie came back. "What did I miss?"

Edward answered: "Nothing. We're about to start fighting."

Jasper continued yet again. "So, it's going to be me and Alice, Edward and Carlisle, and Rosalie and Emmett. First is my group, then Edward's, then Alice's. Okay, Alice, come over here. Okay, let's do this."

Carlisle was the ref for this round. "Three... two... one... go!"