( outfit for
chapter above )

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chapter fourteen
ethics.

Christina would think that while running the trees would blur by her, much like when she was human and running on Carlisle's back. It was to her delight that she could focus on every tree, and every small creature that ran away from the two predators racing through the trees.

She followed faithfully after Carlisle, even though her legs begged her to go faster and beyond the trees that were limited around their house. Once they hit ten miles deep in the woods, Carlisle halted in the clearing of trees. Christina stopped shortly, inches away from his back as she looked around the open field.

"I want you to close your eyes," Carlisle muttered softly. He stepped behind Christina, her ears picking up every crunch of his steps until his hands rested on her shoulders. Her skin lit aflame as his thumbs danced around her sleeves. "What do you hear?"

Christina let out an airy laugh, bringing a melody into the forest. "I can't focus on anything with you right behind me," she joked making him chuckle in response. The breath from his laughter settled around the hair on her neck.

"Would you like me to step back?" he asked softly.

She shook her head negatively before taking a calm breath in. "I hear you breathing... there's small animals running in the trees around us... I hear...." She opened her eyes before looking over her shoulder at him for approval. "Elk?"

He nodded her head. "Where?"

"North-East," she answered looking forwards. "Right through those trees."

Carlisle dropped his hold on her shoulders. "Show me."

The glands in her mouth salivated at the thought of jumping at the elk that were less than a mile away. As the newborn came closer to the group of elk, she slowed her movements until they could be barely heard. She stalked through the trees until her eyes settled on the buck. Crimson eyes turned dark as she could hear the buck's blood pump through his veins. She waited until his head was down, resuming his meal at his feet before pouncing and landing with a thud.

The rest of the elk ran as Christina's teeth dug into the main artery in the animal's neck. As soon as the blood reached her tongue, her red eyes closed in ecstasy. She could almost moan at the taste of the warm liquid running down her throat and chin. The meal lasted shorter than she expected, and she let go of the neck with a pop of her mouth.

She turned her head towards trees as she heard soft footsteps come closer. She hissed before noticing it was only Carlisle, with his hands up in front of his body to show submission. She cut off her hiss before standing up from the buck and walking towards him with a smile.

"How'd I do?" she asked once she was in arm's length.

He smiled with a nod of his head. "Very good... but—" He leaned forward before licking the side of her mouth where blood rested from her previous meal. "A little messy."

Her crimson eyes darkened at Carlisle's affection, making him chuckle. She blinked through the lust that rested in her bones, as she brought up her hand to her chin and cleaned up the rest of the blood lingering.

"Let's go find you some more to eat."

After managing to take down four more elk, Christina leaned against a tree to watch Carlisle finish his meal. She mentally took notes on how to be more neat with her meals as she glanced down to the front of her now ruined dress.

"It'll become easier," Carlisle mentioned as he handed her a napkin from his pockets. She smiled gratefully before trying to wipe the front of her shirt and neck.

"Can I see her?" Christina asked, handing back the napkin.

Carlisle folded in into his pocket to dispose of later before nodding his head. Christina smiled brightly before grasping his hand into hers and leading the way home.

As soon as the house came into view, butterflies erupted in her stomach as excitement settled in.

Two native boys walked out of the front door, greeting both Christina and Carlisle. She smiled softly back at both of them, a little uneasy about why they were here.

"Sam asked me to come check on your transition," Jacob explained as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Said he'll allow the transformation and won't start a fight."

Carlisle nodded his head thankfully. "Give him my appreciation."

Jacob nodded once before looking at the young mother. "It's gonna take some getting used to the red eyes."

"Me and you both," Christina grumbled, hoping to see some sort of difference in them— even if she only went hunting once.

"We're the test," Jacob stated, pointing his finger between him and Seth. "Make sure you can handle us before going inside."

Christina nodded her head in understanding as Carlisle gripped onto her shoulders.

"You'll be fine," Carlisle whispered softly, sending chills down her spine at his proximity. "I'm right here."

She nodded her head again before taking a deep breath in through her nose. Almost immediately as the scent reached her nose, she pulled away in disgust. The smell of wet dog reached her over sensitive nose harshly, making her cough as it lingered in her lungs. The stench was a lot worse than how any of the Cullens previously described it.

Both wolves chuckled at the mother's response, as well as Carlisle as he patted her arm in comfort.

"Holy shit," she gasped. "You really do smell."

"You're not much better from our end," Jacob teased before nodding his head in approval.

Alice appeared on top of the stairs with her hands up as the group went to move into the house. "Wait!"

The mother's heart dropped as fear fueled her empty veins. She assumed the worst as Alice halted them.

"You need to change first." Alice pointed directly at Christina, who looked down at her blood stained clothes. Relief filled her body as the pixie vampire grabbed her arm and raced them into Carlisle's room on the second floor. "Strip."

Christina wrinkled her nose at the demand before doing what she says and traded outfits with Alice. She immediately put the blood outfit in a bowl full of rubbing alcohol, getting rid of the metallic smell.

Christina slipped into the white flower dress, keeping her feet bare of shoes. Christina admired the silky dress that slitted on her right side, for easy movement.

"Glad you like it," Alice chuckled before opening the door to allow Carlisle into the room. "See you down there."

"Alice?" The mother called before she could disappear out of view. "Is everything gonna turn out okay?"

Alice gave her a bright smile in response. She disappeared as a grin appeared on Christina's face. Carlisle held out his hand which she gladly took, before the both of them walked down the set of stairs.

Christina's stomach erupted in butterflies as she made eye contact with a familiar brown set of eyes. Bella stood next to Edward and Emmett with a beautiful grin on her face.

"Round two?" Christina joked as her and Carlisle stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Just being thorough," Edward replied.

"And since I want to be changed anyway," Bella joked. "I figured I'd be a good guinea pig to test your restraint."

Edward rolled his eyes at Bella's bad joke, but Emmett found the most amusement out of it.

"It won't come to that," Carlisle promised. "We won't let you get that far."

"Just hold on to me," Christina muttered as they stepped closer to the trio in front of them. "Just in case."

Carlisle stepped behind her, and much like he did outside, he held onto her shoulders as they stopped about five feet away from her sister. Butterflies were going crazy with nerves as she took her first breath of air in through her nose.

The metallic scent from Bella's blood tickled her throat— reminding her of how she felt this morning before her hunt. She wanted to cough due to the tickle, but she held back. Her blood was sweet, it made her mouth water in response, but not in a way which made her hungry. She took another breath in, and the tickle remained, but the sweetness disappeared— behind the sweet scent of Bella's blood was the scent of citrus, wild chamomile, and white freesia.

Edward relaxed his structure as he read Christina's thoughts, making everyone relax in response. The young mother stepped forward, making everyone tense up again except Edward. Christina looked back confused at Carlisle's right grip on her shoulders.

"I just wanted to hug her," Christina mentioned.

Edward chuckled as everyone relaxed again. "She's perfectly in control— a rarity for a newborn."

Carlisle let his hold on Christina's shoulders go with an apologetic smile. "My apologies. I should have trusted you better."

Christina waved off his apology. "Better to be safe than sorry." She stepped closer her sister again.

"Just be careful," Carlisle warned. "You're stronger than you once were."

Christina slowly wrapped her arms around Bella, heeding the doctor's advice. She was extra cautious about squishing Bella against her, using the same amount of strength Bella was using on her.

"God, I missed you," Bella whispered into her sisters ear. She felt tears well up in her eyes as the memories of the mother choking on her blood came to her mind. "I thought I wouldn't see you again."

"You saved me," Christina murmured, both sisters pulling away. Christina reached up slowly and wiped away Bella's fallen tears. A smile graced her face as she continued, "I wouldn't have asked to be turned if you weren't there."

Bella nodded her head, matching her sister's smile.

"Mommy!"

Everyone froze as Annie ran into the living room straight towards Christina. Edward stepped in front of Bella to grab onto Christina along with Carlisle.

Annie hugged on her mother's legs with a bright smile. "I missed you while you were sick."

Christina unfroze as she looked down at her daughter. Her heart melted as her eyes met Annie's doe eyes gazing up at her. The young mother ignored everyone's frantic thoughts as she picked up her daughter and held her close— using even less strength than she did with Bella.

"She's fine," Alice insisted as she walked into the living room with Rosalie following behind her. "She's completely under control."

"Probably shouldn't push it," Jacob muttered lowly, casing Christina to glare into her direction. He held up his hands in surrender as he leaned up against the living room wall.

"Are you feeling better, momma?" Annie asked, leaning away from her mother's cool neck. The young girl was smart for her age, she noticed the slight different in her mother the second she ran into the room. Her skin temperature just proved her suspicion.

"I'm feeling much better," Christina answered. She took a small breath in through her nose, and was pleasantly surprised once Annie's scent didn't at all effect her throat of hunger. She was almost repulsed by the thought of biting into her own daughter's neck.

Annie pulled lightly on her mother's hair. "Are you like daddy now?"

Christina pursed her lips at how perceptive her daughter was before nodding her head. "Yes, I'm like daddy, and the rest of your Aunt and Uncles."

Annie looked towards Bella, continuing to play with her mother's hair. "Are you going to become like daddy, too?"

Bella deadpanned, making Christina giggle into her daughters hair. Bella looked up towards Edward, who chuckled feeling her glare on the side of his head. "As soon as your Uncle Edward pulls his head out of his—"

"That's a yes," Christina answered, still chuckling at Bella's dismay.

Everyone's light chuckles ended as soon as the house phone rang on the hook. Christina frowned at the phone before looking towards Carlisle. "Is that..."

He nodded his head. "We told him you were sick."

"He's been calling non-stop," Bella sighed, with a matching frown. "I had to lie and say I was sick too, so he wouldn't try to come by."

The phone stopped ringing.

Carlisle sighed before bringing Christina into his side. "It's up to you on what you decide."

Christina bit her lip as she met eyes with Bella, dread filling her bones as the options weighed on her.

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Ahhhhhhh.