Amnesia

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A Second Chance

It had been a few years, maybe a decade or two, but Maeryn was still very lonely. She had been running for a very long time, and had been living in isolation as well, only coming in contact with humans when she fed and only coming across similar nomads just like herself. Some fought her, remembering she was once part of the Volturi, others let her go her own way, believing this was her punishment for ever joining the Volturi. Maeryn could not care less. She lived her eternity, alone and sad.

At least that was until the day she ran through the green lands that surrounded Forks Washington. A familiar smell hit her nose, but it was too late as she was tackled to the ground by a growling Emmett Cullen. Maeryn hissed and used her gift slightly to get him off of her. Emmett growled in pain as he let her go and waiting until his arm no longer was cracked. But Maeryn had fled is grip and was running, only to be pushed down once more by Jasper Hale. Maeryn tried to use her gift once more but Bella Cullen was using her shield to protect Jasper and her other family members who had joined the scene. Maeryn hissed in frustration.
Suddenly, the small one, Alice Cullen, skipped over to Jasper and Maeryn and placed her hand lovingly on Jasper's shoulder, calming him down increasingly. A small pain filled her heart and longed for the touch of her own mate. Her dead mate. But she also knew the Cullens had nothing to do with the attack on the Volturi castle twenty years ago. "It's alright, Jasper. She won't hurt us." She whispers in his ear. Jasper debated letting Maeryn go shortly before standing up, pulling her with him. Maeryn brushed the dirt off her clothes and hair. "My apologies for intruding your territory. I had no idea where I was until it was too late." Maeryn said politely, keeping her hands beside her body to show the Cullens she meant no harm. Truth be told, ever since she was freed from Chelsea's gift she had the freedom and time to rethink her loyalty. Sure, the Volturi felt as a family but some things where not okay and only took place because Aro wanted to increase his power, but his never ending hunger is what was fatal to him in the end.
Jasper took a few steps back but never leaving his ready to attack posture. Now that he was no longer blocking her view she could look at the remaining family members. Of course there was Dr. Cullen, Carlise and his mate Esmee, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, Bella and Edward. She followed the row of vampires until her eyes settled on the brown shapeshifter and a tall, skinny girl. The shapeshifter, Jacob, was about 10 feet in length, had russet brown fur, dark intelligent eyes, and looked very swift.
The girl was Renesmee, the daughter of Bella and Edward. She had inherited both of her parents' exceptionally good looks, having the facial features of her father Edward (high cheekbones, perfect eyebrows, straight nose, strong jawline, and full lips), as well as his unusual bronze hair color, with her eyes being chocolate brown, just like her mother Bella's were when she was still human. Her hair was curly and portrayed as ringlets that fall past her waist. She had pale skin, which had a blush to it because her heart pumps blood, with a faster beat than a normal human heart, and had perfect shiny square teeth. Unlike her family, Renesmee's skin glows slightly in the sunshine like back-lit alabaster rather than sparkle like diamonds. Thanks to the blood flowing in her veins and her heart beating, she has pink rosy cheeks, shell-pink lips, pale lavender eyelids, and pink palms. Her scent is a balance of both vampire and human, with enough vampire scent to keep it from being too appetizing to vampires, she also has a dimpled smile as opposed to her father's crooked smile.
And behind Renesmee was a boy she had never seen before. He was tall and had the same bronze hair as Renesmee and Edward had. His eyes where a deep chocolate brown and curiosity was shown in them. His skin was pale and Maeryn could hear his heartbeat, but he wasn't exactly human. His blood was a mix of human, vampire and also a slight hint of the stench that the shapeshifter spread in the air. It was not appealing at all to her. His body was slim, but muscular at the same time and he wore a simple light blue jeans with a white shirt which had small specks of blood on him. Animal blood.
Suddenly, Esme carefully took a step forward. Her motherly facial expression visible. Maeryn had never seen anyone look at her like that after her own mother passed away. She felt like sinking down on her knees and curl in a ball, and she would have if she still was a human, but she couldn't. She could never show anyone her weakness. No one would understand.
"Are you alright, Maeryn?" She asked softly. Maeryn didn't know how to respond to that at all. The Volturi was not exactly the kind of people to ask if you where alright. The only time they would ask you that was before they would give you the next punch in a training session, if they would even ask. "Yes. I am sorry once more for intruding. I promise I will not hunt on your land." She whispered hoping the Cullens would let her go in peace. "It is alright dear. You are still so young. Would you like to freshen up a little before you leave?" Esme asked motherly again. Maeryn didn't understand why this vampire would care. Especially since twenty years ago she was ready to attack her family simply because of the hunger for power of one other vampire.
More vampires agreed to her thoughts as Rosalie and Bella hissed at the thought of having Maeryn in their house. "I don't think your coven members agree, but I thank you for your offer." Maeryn said, feeling more and more like fleeing, especially since four other shapeshifters had come to join.
One had gray fur with black spots. He was sleeker than the other pack members and swift.
Then there was a wolf who had chocolate brown fur, which was lighter on the face and a smallish gray wolf, which seemed to be a female wolf.
And finally the last wolf was tall and gangly, and had sandy coloured fur and oversized paws. They all gathered around and got in angles where they could easily attack Maeryn if she made one wrong move. All four wolves remembered Maeryn's scent and quickly made the link that she was dangerous.
Suddenly, Edward let out a sigh and turned to his wife and his sister. "She is no threat. Aro had Chelsea bind Maeryn to him. She won't hurt us." He said. Oh right, the mind reader. Many members of the family loosened up a little but kept their bright amber eyes on her. Edward turned towards Maeryn. "I think you should hunt, and maybe it is not your first idea of feeding, but for as long as you are staying you can survive on animal blood." He explained. Maeryn scrunched up her nose in disgust but wouldn't argue.
Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper and Bella would join the hunt, seeing as they also still needed to hunt. Jacob snarled slightly and the other wolves also relaxed a little bit. Esme and Carlisle to show Maeryn how to hunt animals and teach her some tricks, Emmett and Jasper to keep Maeryn under control if she would lose her self-control and Bella to use her shield if Maeryn would decide to use her gift. And so the hunt began.
They ran deep into the woods until they suddenly stopped. Maeryn stopped as well and watched the five vampires carefully. Suddenly Esme turned towards me. "Hold still for a minute," she said, putting her hands lightly on Maeryn's shoulders. "Now close your eyes, and listen closely" she murmured. "What do you hear?"
Maeryn let her ears range outward, seeking something different than the small hum of life that surrounded her. There was an open space near them - the wind had a different sound across the exposed grass - and a small creek, with a rocky bed. And there, near the noise of the water, was the splash of lapping tongues, the loud thudding of heavy hearts, pumping thick streams of blood. It felt like the sides of my throat had sucked closed. "By the creek, to the northeast?" Maeryn asked, her eyes still shut. "Yes, very good sweety." Esme said approving. "Now... wait for the breeze again and... what do you smell?"Mostly the other vampires around her, but also the rich, earthy smell of rot and moss, the resin in the evergreens, the warm, almost nutty aroma of the small rodents cowering beneath the tree roots. And then, reaching out again, the clean smell of the water, which was surprisingly unappealing despite her thirst. Maeryn focused toward the water and found the scent that must have gone with the lapping noise and the pounding heart. Another warm smell, rich and tangy, stronger than the others. And yet nearly as unappealing as the brook. Maeryn wrinkled her nose.
The other vampires chuckled. Probably remembering their first time smelling this smell. "I know - it takes some getting used to." Bella said. "Five?" Maeryn guessed. "Seven. There are two more in the trees behind them." Jasper said. "So, do I just attack like I would normally do?" Maeryn asked. She had never hunted on animals before. Most animals where much smarter than humans and knew she was a dangerous predator and would make sure to get away as fast as possible. Humans on the other hand are lured in by her looks, her smell, her voice. Everything basically. "Yep. Only hunting animals is much more fun. They like to fight back." Emmett said jokingly.
Maeryn listened and breathed in the scent. Another bout of baking thirst intruded on her awareness, and suddenly the warm, tangy odour wasn't quite so objectionable. At least it would be something hot and wet in her desiccated mouth. She actually couldn't really remember the last time she hunted. Her eyes where probably pitch black. But then again, she hadn't really looked at her own reflection in months.
Her eyes snapped open. "Don't think about it," Esme suggested as she lifted her hands off Maeryn's shoulders and took a step back. "Just follow your instincts."
Maeryn let herself drift with the scent, barely aware of my movement as she ghosted down the incline to the narrow meadow where the stream flowed. Her body shifted forward automatically into a low crouch as she hesitated at the fern-fringed edge of the trees. She could see a big buck, two dozen antler points crowning his head, at the stream's edge, and the shadow-spotted shapes of the four others heading eastward into forest at a leisurely pace.
Maeryn centred herself around the scent of the male, the hot spot in his shaggy neck where the warmth pulsed strongest. Only thirty yards - two or three bounds - between them. Maeryn tensed herself for the first leap.
But as her muscles bunched in preparation, the wind shifted, blowing stronger now, and from the south. Maeryn didn't stop to think, hurtling out of the trees in a path perpendicular to her original plan, scaring the elk into the forest, racing after a new fragrance so attractive that there wasn't a choice. It was compulsory.
The scent ruled completely. Maeryn was single-minded as she traced it, aware only of the thirst and the smell that promised to quench it. The thirst got worse, so painful now that it confused all her other thoughts and began to remind me of the burn of venom in her veins. It was a human. A delicious, clean human with blood so sweet it seemed like a treat compared to the stench that was coming off of the elk she hunted moments ago.
There was only one thing that had any chance of penetrating her focus now, an instinct more powerful, more basic than the need to quench the fire - it was the instinct to protect herself from danger. Self-preservation. Maeryn was suddenly alert to the fact that there where five, strong vampires around her. She knew she had to get to the source first before they would attack her for the same blood. At least that had been the case in her years as a nomad. But these vampires where not nomads. They had smelled the scent too, and instead of tackling her down to get to the blood first, they picked her up and dragged her as far away as possible, until the scent was no longer around and Maeryn could calm down. Jasper used his gift to calm her down and Maeryn slowly gained control over herself once more. "I am alright. I'm sorry for reacting like that." Maeryn said feeling ashamed of behaving like that in front of people who tried to help her. "It is alright, Maeryn. You are just not used to hunting animals, and human blood is much more appealing than animals but it is possible." Carlisle said. Maeryn nodded her head and calmed down further following Jasper and Emmett while they started to climb.
The vegetation thinned as they climbed higher; the scent of pitch and resin grew more powerful, as did the trail Maeryn followed - it was a warm scent, sharper than the smell of the elk and more appealing. A few seconds more and she could hear the muted padding of immense feet, so much subtler than the crunch of hooves. The sound was up - in the branches rather than on the ground. Automatically Maeryn darted into the boughs as well, gaining the strategic higher position, halfway up a towering silver fir. The soft thud of paws continued stealthily beneath her now; the rich scent was very close. Maeryn's eyes pinpointed the movement linked with the sound, and she saw the tawny hide of the great cat slinking along the wide branch of a spruce just down and to the left of her perch. He was big - easily four times Maeryn's mass. His eyes were intent on the ground beneath; the cat hunted, too. Maeryn caught the smell of something smaller, bland next to the aroma of her prey, cowering in brush below the tree. The lion's tail twitched spasmodically as he prepared to spring.
With a light bound, Maeryn sailed through the air and landed on the lion's branch. He felt the shiver of the wood and whirled, shrieking surprise and defiance. He clawed the space between them, his eyes bright with fury. Half-crazed with thirst, Maeryn ignored the exposed fangs and the hooked claws and launched herself at him, knocking both of them to the forest floor.
It wasn't much of a fight. But Emmett was right. This was much more fun than hunting a human. This animal at least tried to fight for their lives before it was too late. The lion knew from the beginning what she was and wasn't going to give up his blood easily.
His raking claws could have been caressing fingers for all the impact they had on her skin. His teeth could find no purchase against her shoulder or her throat. His weight was nothing. Maeryn's teeth unerringly sought his throat, and his instinctive resistance was pitifully feeble against her strength. Maeryn's jaws locked easily over the precise point where the heat flow concentrated. It was effortless as biting into butter. Her teeth were steel razors; they cut through the fur and fat and sinews like they weren't there. The flavour was wrong, but the blood was hot and wet and it soothed the ragged, itching thirst as she drank in an eager rush. The cat's struggles grew more and more feeble, and his screams choked off with a gurgle. The warmth of the blood radiated throughout her whole body, heating even her fingertips and toes. The lion was finished before she was. The thirst flared again when he ran dry, and she shoved his carcass off her body in disgust. She could not understand how the Cullens did this. How they could never give in to the temptation of warm, sweet human blood. The good blood. After the lion's blood, human blood felt like a drug, and she had to get into rehab to get rid of her addiction.
"Very well done, Maeryn." Esme said as she walked towards her. "Yeah, nice catch." Emmett said and held his hand in the air. At first Maeryn thought he was about to attack and she hissed, letting her defensive nature take over as she howled over and made her back hollow. "Calm down. I only wanted to give you a high-five." Emmett said as he held his hands up in defence. Maeryn let go of her defensive statue and looked at him confusingly. Emmett chuckled and playfully shoved her before hunting himself, followed by his family members.
After everyone was full and satisfied, they returned back to their house and Maeryn slowly followed, not sure what to do. But once inside, Alice grabbed her hand happily and dragged her up the stairs. Maeryn got once again scared and was ready to use her gift when Alice said the following. "So you go shower and then I will make you look pretty again." Maeryn was so dumbfounded by this that she let Alice drag her towards the bathroom where she took a shower, her first one in ages, and used all of the shampoo's, shower gels and whatever not Alice handed to her. Once she was done, Alice placed her in a fancy, silk bathrobe and placed her on a hairdresser chair. Alice first dried her hair and put that in a messy bun. Soon her entire make-up collection was spread on the table in front of them and Alice let herself go with the different blushes, eyeshadows, mascara's, nail polishes and of course, lipsticks. Afterwards she worked on Maeryn's hair which she put in an elegant ponytail which fell over her right shoulder in it's beautiful golden brown state.
Alice pulled her off of the chair and gave her a dark blue, fancy yet simple dress and matching high heels to put on. Alice finished off the look with a pair of (real) diamond rings in her ears, a pure golden necklace with a ruby hanging from it and a silver with diamonds (once again real) laced in it on her left wrist. "There. No let's show everyone else." Alice said as she skipped down the stairs while holding Maeryn's hand. Maeryn felt very uncomfortable and confused as to why Alice would do this for her. A simple shower would have been more than enough to grant the Cullens her eternal gratitude. "Tadaaa." Alice sang as she showed the family the new Maeryn. Maeryn felt uncomfortable and looked to the side where a window was, and she saw her own reflection. She looked beautiful, as always, but Alice surely enhanced her good features. But what scared her the most where her now, golden eyes. She had gotten so used to her ruby red ones that she couldn't imagine any other colour but black and red would exist in her pupils. But it did. And the beautiful, natural colours Alice had used made the eyes pop our in a good way.
"Welcome the newest Cullen!" Alice said. That brought Maeryn back from her own image to the living room she was currently in. Did Alice mean the mysterious boy that was now sitting besides Jacob in human form? Maeryn had never seen him in his human form before. He was 6'7 and was easily the tallest person in the room. He is of Native American descent. His body was tremendously thick, toned and muscular, similar to that of a serious bodybuilder, though balanced by his tremendous height so he doesn't look out of proportion. Jacob was also extremely handsome, with his dark good looks, raven-black hair, russet skin and deep-set twinkling dark brown eyes.
"No, she means you." Edward said, answering her question. "Me?" Maeryn asked seriously shocked. "Don't think we all agree." Rosalie said, slightly hissing through her teeth. But Emmett tapped her on her shoulder, making her cross her arms and glared out of the window in silence. "Don't worry about Blondie. She had to warm up to me too, even though it took a couple years." Jacob said as he lovingly placed his arm around Renesmee's shoulders. "But why? I mean, I haven't exactly been kind towards you at all. Besides my old coven brought you many troubles in the past." Maeryn said. She really could not understand why these vampires wanted her to be a part of their coven. "I just cannot stand the thought of you being by yourself any longer. You made your mistakes, but you didn't know any better." Esme said. "Besides, you showed today that you are willing to adapt to our diet, even though it won't be easy. So if you'd like, we would welcome you into our family." Carlisle said as she gently placed his arm around Esme's waist. Maeryn thought for a little while. She hadn't had a family since she became a vampire. Yes, the Volturi was a quite close coven, but they where in no way a family. The thought of being a part of one again filled her cold body with a warmness she hadn't felt in a very long time. They offered her a new life. A second chance. More than she could ever repay them for, and slowly a wide smile, her first smile in decades, slowly spread on her lips as she nodded her head. "I would love that. Thank you." Esme smiled warmly at her and gave her a hug, a motherly hug. And if Maeryn had been a human, she would have cried happy tears. She had a family again.