Tooth and Claw

Two Hearts

The Cullens obeyed Charlotte's wishes and left her alone, as they felt that she needed her space.
She thought she was going to be alone for the whole day, until she heard a knock at the door that afternoon.
"Hey. Do you mind if I come in?".
Charlotte looked up from her armchair and saw Seth standing against the door frame.
He looked just as attractive as when she had seen him the day before. And being around him again made her think more about how she looked, instead of thinking about the horrible thoughts that were going through her head regarding her father.
"Sure. Come in" encouraged Charlotte as she got to her feet.

"Cool room" commented Seth as he stepped inside.
"The Cullens made it all ready for me while I was transforming, but I haven't had a chance to put in any of my own things from my old house yet. All my stuff is sitting in boxes downstairs" replied Charlotte.
"Well there's no rush, you don't have to decorate or fill this room just yet. You've got all the time in the world"
"Yeah, I guess I do"
"Listen, I know you've probably got better things to do, but I wondered if you'd like to take a walk with me through the forest"
"Carlisle doesn't want me to leave the house".

"We wouldn't go near any towns or anything, and I don't think there will be any humans randomly walking through the forest. So you'll be completely safe" promised Seth.
"I don't know. I haven't left the house without Carlisle yet" admitted Charlotte.
"You would be safe with me. I wouldn't let you get hurt, or put you in a situation that would be difficult for you. Werewolves can also read each others minds when we're in wolf form, so I could get help if we needed it in an emergancy. But if you don't want to come outside I won't make you, we could just get to know each other in here".

"You know what, I think it would be nice to leave this room" admitted Charlotte.
"Cool. Let's go then" grinned Seth, as he began to head towards the door.
"O.K... Have you spoken to the Cullens?" Asked Charlotte.
"I didn't tell them I was taking you out, no"
"I mean have you spoken to any of them since yesterday?"
"No. Me and Jake came here a few minutes ago, he went to find Nessie, and I went to find you. I haven't spoken to anyone"
"Good. Let's get out of here then".

Once they were outside, Charlotte instantly relaxed. She hadn't even realised how tense and anxious being inside the Cullens house by herself, had made her, until she felt the freedom of the outside world calling her and calming her nerves.
"So. Tell me more about you. You said you can read minds, when you're a wolf. What's that like?" Asked Charlotte, as her and Seth started their walk through the woods.
"It's cool. Although sometimes it can be a bit much. It used to be worse though, when we were all one pack, as there were even more voices inside my head back then" revealed Seth.

"Wait, you used to be one pack?" Questioned Charlotte.
"Yeah. Sam was the alpha, since he was the first one in our generation to become a wolf. We were all one group, until Jacob got into a disagreement with Sam. You see, Jacob is the grandson of an alpha, so he had every right to challenge Sam and take over. Instead, he just decided to leave the pack. I followed him, since he was my best friend, and Leah came too because she's my sister and she wanted to keep me safe. Embry and Quil are old friends of Jacob, and although they stood against him beside Sam at first, recently they decided to join our pack" explained Seth.

"Wow. I guess it's not easy being a part of a big pack" said Charlotte.
"It's not. But like I said, it's easier now that the two packs are seperate. The alpha's can communicate now which is good. It's not the same as having access to each other's thoughts, but they can have conversations while in wolf form" revealed Seth.
"Do the two packs fight much?"
"Na. We had one little disagreement a while back, but that was it"
"What about in the pack, do you guys argue a lot?"
"Oh every single day, that's what makes it fun".

"I guess it must be like being in a big family, with lots of siblings" sighed Charlotte.
"It is very similar. Jake is like the big brother of the group since he's the alpha" replied Seth.
"It must be nice having siblings. I always wanted one, as being an only child could be lonely at times"
"Having an older sister can be a pain though, as Leah always thinks that she knows best, and she's always trying to protect me, even when I don't need it"
"She's just trying to keep you safe"
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side not hers"
"I'm a girl, so I'm often going to agree with her... Though I have a feeling that she doesn't like me very much".

"Why do you think that?" Asked Seth.
"It was just a vibe I got when she came round yesterday with the rest of the pack" shrugged Charlotte.
"She doesn't hate you, I promise. She's just not a big fan of vampires. And since she's over-protective of me as well, she's worried about me getting hurt" replied Seth.
"Her fears aren't misplaced, I could hurt you, I don't know my own strength yet"
"Oh she's not that worried about you physically hurting me, she's more concerned with my mental health"
"I don't follow".

"She thinks you're going to reject me, and she's worried about what that will do to me. Leah doesn't think that vampires can really love properly, since you guys don't have hearts. But I disagree, I've seen how much the Cullens care for each other, and that is real love" admitted Seth.
"She's right though, my heart doesn't beat any more" reminded Charlotte.
"That doesn't bother me, and it shouldn't bother you. I don't want you to feel bad about anything my sister says, just ignore her like I do. If she does say anything really hurtful, just tell me and I will have words with her".

"Oh. O.K... It's strange to have so many people invested in our relationship" admitted Charlotte awkwardly.
"I'm sorry about this. You didn't ask for any of it" apologised Seth.
"You didn't ask for it either, so I don't blame you"
"I'm glad... Have you had many relationships before?"
"No. I liked this one guy, but he didn't like me back. So I've been avoiding guys ever since"
"How could anyone reject your affections. You're amazing"
"You don't even know me"
"Have you never heard of love at first sight?"
"Heard of, but don't believe in"
"So you're a cynic?"
"I guess so".

"Well I'm a huge optimist, so we're complete opposites when it comes to our views on the world" grinned Seth.
"Some say that opposites attract, but I don't know if I agree with that" admitted Charlotte.
"I look forward to bringing you over to the light sight, and a world filled with positivity" teased Seth.
"Do your worst"
"I do love a challenge Lottie".
Charlotte stopped walking and frowned.
"What? Has no one called you Lottie before?" Seth questioned.
"No, my friends call me Charlie" answered Charlotte.

"Oh, well I can call you Charlie instead if you'd prefer" offered Seth.
"No, I like it. It'd be nice if you had your own nickname for me" smiled Charlotte.
"Lottie it is... Well Lottie, I think it's time we started heading back. We don't want Carlisle to get worried"
"No. He might stop us from seeing each other"
"Just let him try".