Bree Tanner
"Please! She is just a child! She had no idea what she was doing!" cried Esme hopelessly.
"We will take full responsibility for her, please," begged Carlisle.
"The Volturi don't give second chances," responded Jane coolly.
We were standing in the middle of the meadow where Riley had led us to fight the Cullens. All of the newborns in his army now lay dead around us, there lifeless bodies strewn around the field. A head here, a torso there... it made me sick.
"Felix?" Jane wickedly smiled.
The large vampire began to move toward me, his eyes pulsing red with venom. I scrambled back as he reached towards me. I squeezed my eyes knowing this was it... I was going to die.
"No!" bellowed a deep voice.
The ground hit me hard. Rosalie Cullen whispered urgently in my ear, "Run as fast as you can to the river! Don't stop until you get there! We will come to find you."
My body reacted faster then my mind as I nodded and jumped up. I willed my legs to propel me to the woods. When I reached the tree line and risked a look back. Emmet, Jasper and Carlisle were charging at the Volturi ready to engage in combat. Jane shot her eyes in the direction of each one whispering the word "pain" under her breath but nothing seemed to be happening. Weird. Vampire powers always worked! Unless...
"Lyanna," I breathed.
That's when I saw the silk-like bubble that engulfed the meadow, projecting from the dead, gifted vampire, Lyanna.
A shield! Of course!
When a vampire with that ability died there shield lingered around the area for a day. Now, none of the Vampire’s powers worked.
"Bree go!" Carlisle yelled.
I turned and ran for the river faster than light. My feet pounded painlessly down on forest floor which was littered with tree roots and shrubbery. I wove in between the trees with a frazzled grace; I had to make it to the river if I wanted to live.
But how will the Volturi ever forget?
I would be on the run forever. Was that a life worth living? Eventually, Aro would send Demetri, the tracker, after me and I wouldn't have a chance.
I was not particularly fond of what I'd become. I didn't want to kill, like most vampires. I tried to keep my human morals in tact but that was almost impossible when every human that walked by smelled like a piece of my favorite cake. I couldn't ever see my family again without risking all of there fragile lives. My mother, father and my younger twin siblings Tucker and Melanie were gone forever. I was alone in this world. But maybe...
No, the Cullens already have a large coven there isn't room for me! I scolded myself.
But there lifestyle was exactly the way I wanted to live as a vampire. Feeding only on animal blood and gaining self control to the point where I could coexist with humans. If I ever got out of this, I'd live like them, as a good person.
I heard the small, rapid heartbeats of the fish in the lake about a mile away.
Almost there!
I leapt up, bouncing back and forth between the trees. I flipped off the last branch as if it was a diving board and landed silently on the bank of the lake. Though the water was murky, I could clearly make out the creatures that swam in it. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of two deer that had must have been here before me. I also picked up the vague smell of the newborns that accompanied me as we had made our way to battle. All the newborns that were now dead. That would be me, if the Volturi caught me. I began to hyperventilate on habit.
Attempting to calm myself, I took a deep breath. I felt a cat fish swimming beside my feet. With speed and grace I snatched it from the water. The spotted brown fish wriggled in my hand. I'd never tried anything but human blood as that was all Riley provided us with. I cautiously bit into the fish. The warm blood trickled down my throat as I felt the fish relax in my cold hands. It didn’t taste as good or fill me as much as a human's blood would, but I could definitely make do that way. I threw the lifeless fish into the shrubbery behind me.
The trees abruptly began to shake and I whipped my head around to see Esme Cullen flip off the last branch as I had done.
"Are you alright dear?" she questioned coming toward me.
Though urgant, her voice ran with honey, soft and silky.
"I-I'm fine," I stuttered.
I rose from my seat on the bank and turned to face her.
"What's going on? Where are Jane and Alec?"
"Chased 'em off right after you left. They aren't known for fighting battles when there might be a chance they don't win. But they'll get their revenge," Emmett said at the edge of the woods.
I gasped, I don't have a chance!
"Emmett! Don't frighten the girl! Poor baby," she mumbled staring at me.
Carlisle appeared beside Esme, "We have to go now, if we have any chance."
So this was it. This is where they'd leave me alone and unprotected from the Volturi. At least they had been kind enough to give me a head start.
"I'm so sorry that I put you in danger. I want to thank you for giving me time to run. You should be safe now because they'll come for me. Thank you," I stammered.
Carlisle put a hand on my shoulder, "Bree, you are part of our family now. We will be here to protect you no matter what."
I couldn't believe my ears. Me, apart of their family! I couldn't put them in this danger though.
"Th-thank you, but I can't put your family in this danger. You have the human to look after."
"I don't," Rosalie said appearing beside Emmett, "I'll take care of you Bree, and we won't leave you."
Emmett grinned and kissed Rosalie on the cheek.
"She's right Bree, we won't leave you," said Carlisle.
I stared up at him and cautiously smiled.
Esme patted Carlisle on the back, "We have to get back to the house."