PROLOGUE: IN THE WOODS.
"We're going out to hunt. We'll be back later," Esme Cullen announced to her family, her voice flowing openly through the large house. It was vast and open, and her gentle voice carried with ease. Despite no one being in the same room as her, she knew they would hear her. They could be whispering, and someone would hear it from the other end of the house. That was one of the perks ( and downsides ) of being a vampire, having the enhanced senses. Trying to keep a secret from someone was nearly impossible, but at least it made communicating easier.
It was a quiet and relaxing night for the Cullen family. Lately, there wasn't much going on, and that was okay. Sometimes, it was nice to have a peaceful life, at least while they could. Nothing strange or abnormal was going on, and that was a nice change of pace for a family of vampires. Esme had always craved a mundane experience; for now, it seemed this would be the closest she could get.
They had recently moved from Forks to their home in Anchorage, Alaska. It wasn't uncommon that the Cullens had to move often for the sake of their safety. They preferred staying in their home in Forks, Washington, but sometimes they couldn't afford to stay there, not when they had already been there for so long. They had to move around occasionally to decrease the risk of any of the humans becoming suspicious over the fact they weren't getting any older. They couldn't stay in their homes for long without risking their exposure.
Esme hoped they could move back to Forks one day, but that probably wouldn't be for a while. They had to let some time pass, but in the meantime, it was a good chance for them to explore other areas of the world. Sometimes, the Cullens scattered and lived in different parts of the globe, but they were all together at the moment. She loved it when they were together. Knowing they were all right, it felt more secure to have the family all in one place.
No one seemed upset about the fact that they were all together. Overall, they felt more comfortable in the same household, and Esme wouldn't have it any other way.
There wasn't much sound in the house besides Edward's music upstairs, which was always on idyll whenever he passed the time. The Cullens had no trouble finding ways to keep themselves entertained. It was one of the many skills they had mastered since obtaining immortality.
Sunday nights, such as that night, were ideal for hunting, just before the start of a new week. There wasn't much going on, and they knew humans were less likely to be out now.
Most people were at home with their families, decreasing their chances of running into anyone. It was the ideal time to hunt and refresh for the next week. Fortunately, they had developed good self-control and didn't need to hunt as often. Still, it had been a few weeks, and Esme was beginning to feel the itch return to the surface.
Deep down, a small part of her craved the taste of human blood. Their family had learned to adapt and to thrive on animal blood to spare the humans wherever they lived, but sometimes, it was in their nature to crave more. But she had to push that thought aside. She knew better than to think it. Otherwise, it might become too strong to resist, and she and their family had gone through a painstaking amount of effort to adjust to their vegetarian lifestyle.
Animal blood was enough to keep them alive ( metaphorically speaking ), but it didn't change the fact they were still vampires. Esme wanted blood, real blood. But at the end of the day, she was willing to put aside her selfish desires for the benefit of her family. She couldn't do anything that would risk their existence getting exposed. If they were told, that would be the end of them. She couldn't imagine anything worse.
Esme didn't want to think about it. She tried to stay focused on the present. It was the only way to keep herself sane from those heart-wrenching thoughts, the reminder of their agonizing existence. She was soon joined by her husband, Carlisle, who was also eager to get out with her.
His thirst was better contained, but she felt he was more excited about spending more alone time with her. As much as they loved their family, getting some quality time with each other was nice. It was hard to do that when they were always so worried about someone else.
"Are you ready?" he asked, giving her a smile. He was beautiful, one of the most gorgeous creatures to exist, in Esme's opinion. Even after all this time, he always took her breath away momentarily.
"Always," she responded, giving him the same smile.
Carlisle took Esme's hand, and they walked together toward the door. The night outside embraced them with its cool darkness, and the scent of the forest beckoned. Their footsteps were nearly silent as they moved through the shadows, effortlessly blending into the night.
❛ ━━・❪ ❁ ❫ ・━━ ❜
As the day dragged on, they cleaned many miles of land. At one point, they had approached a field. A family of deer was crossing, and Esme could feel the hunger aching in her throat. She often felt guilty for killing these innocent animals, but it was better than killing innocent humans.
After they had finished hunting, it seemed time to return. It would take a few hours to get home, but Esme wanted to stay in the house for a short time. She liked to be there for her family. She knew they could take care of themselves, but she still enjoyed feeling needed, and being their mother was the best feeling in the world.
Carlisle came close to her, and they wrapped their hands together. She loved the way her hand fit so perfectly with his. Sometimes, it seemed like they were meant for each other. It was magical.
Their serene moment was broken when they were interrupted by a cry nearby. At first, Esme thought it was an animal, but as she listened closely, she realized it was a child.
"Carlisle," she said, stopping as she listened. "Do you hear that?"
"Yeah," Carlisle replied, listening as well. "It's close... and there's blood."
Esme wasn't sure what he was talking about at first, but then it became apparent. With the next breeze, she knew exactly what he was talking about. The pungent aroma of the blood woke something up within her. She had just feasted on some deer, but nothing was as powerful as human blood. It was triggering even to the most experienced vampires.
"We should check it out," Esme urged. She was more worried about the source of the crying. If a child was left alone in the woods, they could be in danger if something more deadly than them found it.
"Yeah."
They made their way to the campsite, drawn in by the growing presence of blood. It wasn't just human blood, Esme had noticed. It also smelled like a wolf, which was very distinguishable to them. She was sure that Carlisle had noticed it, too.
"Careful. There might be wolves around," Carlisle warned her, glancing toward her protectively. "Or worse."
She wanted to argue that there were no wolves in this area. None that were supernatural, anyway. It was one of the many good things about living out here. They didn't have to deal with the beef they had with the pack back in Forks. But she supposed he had a point. They never knew for sure what was out there. After all, if they were out in this area, what was to say there weren't other dangers as well?
Esme carefully watched Carlisle as they went deeper into the campsite. He was the one who was always watching out for her, but she never stopped protecting him, either. She didn't know what she would do with herself if something tragic happened to him. She didn't want to think about it, so she would continue to be paranoid.
Esme grew tense as she approached the source of the crying, which had already begun to fade into softer whines. It was the cries of a baby, a young one. As she approached the side of the tent, she saw the source of the blood she had been smelling before.
Four figures lay around the campsite, each torn into and drained of blood. Two of them werewolves, with crimson staining their fur. They must have shifted while trying to defend themselves, but still failed. The other two figures were human, a man and a woman. They were all completely bloody. The blood was still fresh, too. The attack was recent.
"Carlisle," Esme gasped, her eyes stuck on the woman at her feet. "This is terrible... who would do something like this?"
"There are many killers in the woods, Esme. We aren't the only supernatural creatures," Carlisle reminded her, voicing the same thoughts she had not too long ago. She knew this already, of course, and she resisted the urge to be annoyed by his constant reminders. She knew he was just doing it because he cared, and that was something she couldn't fault him for. She watched as he frowned, his gaze fixed on the tent to her side. "I can still hear it. I think there's a baby inside."
Esme didn't need any further cue to enter the tent. She pushed open the flap cautiously, glancing down to the ground. They had been right. A baby, who could be no older than a few months old, was lying there. Helpless.
"We need to take her back with us," Esme insisted as she scooped it carefully into her arms. It had been so long since she felt the flesh of a baby. It was so comforting in her embrace, and she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to them, knowing they could have stopped it. "We can't leave her alone."
"Others might come looking for it. What if we take it from its family?" he asked. It was a valid question, but Esme couldn't help but feel skeptical, especially considering the state they had found her in. If someone were to come back looking for her, wouldn't they have found her already?
"It seems like the bodies out there are its family. You don't just leave a baby with strangers, Carlisle."
Carlisle didn't need much more convincing than that, though. He was always a sucker for those in need, hence the reason he was such a good doctor. She knew it wouldn't take much to convince him to let her bring the baby back with them.
"Fine," he said, nodding. "I'm just worried about getting Rosalie's hopes up. You know how easily she becomes attached to children."
Rosalie wasn't the only one that got attached.
Still, Esme thought it was best to avoid those thoughts for now. They'd figure out what to do with the child later. Esme nodded, certain she wouldn't leave the baby exposed to any dangers. She didn't want to think of what would happen if something much worse than them had stumbled upon the campsite.
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