INNER DEMONS (edward cullen)

𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓮

The nomads emerged one by one from the forest edge, ranging a dozen meters apart. The first male into the clearing fell back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark-haired man in a manner that clearly displayed who led the pack. The third was a woman; from this distance, all Charlotte could see that her hair was a startling shade of red, similar to Charlotte's own. She could see that the three nomads all shared the same brilliant blood-red shade to their eyes. 'Human drinkers,' she thought, watching as Edward nodded at her, confirming her thoughts.

The three vampires closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward the Cullen Coven, exhibiting the natural respect of a troop of predators as it encounters a larger, unfamiliar group of its own kind, minus Charlotte. As they approached, Charlotte noticed how different they were from the Cullens. Their walk was predatory, constantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch and attacking. They dressed in the ordinary gear of travellers: jeans and casual tops layered in heavy, weatherproof materials. The clothes were obviously worn out, and they were all barefoot. Both men had cropped hair, but the woman's orange hair was filled with leaves and debris from the woods.

The leader, a dark-haired man, smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth, his head tilted as he took in the large group in front of him. The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between the men facing her, and the loose grouping around Charlotte. Her posture was distinctly feline and threatening. The second male hovered unobtrusively behind them, slighter than the leader, his dark blonde hair and regular features made him seem alot less dangerous than the others. His eyes, though completely still, somehow seemed the most observant. 

The dark-haired man, still smiling, stepped toward Carlisle. "We thought we heard a game," he said in a relaxed voice with the slightest of French accents. "I'm Laurent, and this is Victoria and James." He gestured to the vampires beside him. Their smiles were disturbing and sinister.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family: Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Charlotte and Edward." He pointed us out in groups, deliberately not calling attention to individuals. Charlotte refused to make eye contact with the new vampires, afraid that they might notice her differences.
"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked smiling, teeth still on show. Carlisle matched Laurent's friendly tone, "Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be
interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?" His questions seemed welcoming but Charlotte knew they were anything but. Laurent shook his head, glancing at his companions, "We're headed north, but we were curious to see who was in the neighbourhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time." Carlisle nodded at the nomads, his eyes subtly remaining on their positions. "No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

Laurent's expression changed from shock to interest at this new revelation. "Permanent? How do you manage that?" There was honest curiosity in his voice. The other nomads seemed disinterested at the conversation, and were watching the coven closely. "Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?" Carlisle invited. "It's a rather long story."

James and Victoria exchanged a surprised look at the mention of the word 'home', but Laurent controlled his expression better. "That sounds very tempting." His smile was realistic. "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." His eyes moved appreciatively over Carlisle's refined and smart appearance.

"Please don't take offence, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," Carlisle explained. "Of course." Laurent nodded, "We certainly won't intrude on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway," he laughed. A shiver ran up Charlotte's spine as she realised that they could have crossed paths and she would have been unaware of the danger her scent posed to her.