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Chapter 1:
New Moon

Β  "Can you just listen, please?" Hunter cried over the phone with her notebook laying in her lap and her mechanical pencil held in her hands.

Laughter emitted from the speaker phone and it only made her smile harder, "Alright go ahead." Jacob replied.

Her legs tangled together and she hummed with glee, a poem she wrote overnight was filled with her bedtime wonders and illusions. This was a part of herself that hadn't breathed since her family tragedy, but she was ready to bring it back to life.

Β Β  "The insides of my palms have been stained, my soul ripped, and my heart broken. I never really given much thought on how I'd change but the challenges I've faced have left me forsaken. I am the night bird, the creature in the dark. I have the eyes of a wolf and the teeth of a shark. The things I've seen and the things I've heard, are secrets the moon tells me before it sets. Behind my eyelids is the darkness that resides in me, but a life without danger is a life of regrets-"

Her poem was cut short by her bedroom door opening and Charlie's face peering through, "Time to wake up Bella." He smiled before slipping back out into the hallway.

Hunter sighed and closed her notebook, "Alright Jake, I gotta go. I'll see you around."

"Bye Hunter." She ended the call and her sock-covered feet hit the floor. She grabs her birthday gift for Bella before sliding out of her room.

"Ready." She smiled at Charlie. He cleared his throat and knocked on her door before walking in. "Happy Birthday!" Hunter exclaimed, following Charlie inside where Bella was moving to sit up with a somber expression.

She glanced at the gifts in their hands and sighed, "I thought we agreed no presents." Hunter rolled her eyes and plopped down on her bed, "Yeah well too bad. Take 'em."

Bella reluctantly took Hunter's gift and slowly pulled out the gift wrap from the bag. She looked inside and pulled out a small potted cactus, one that looked similar to the one she brought from Arizona.

Bella beamed, "Okay wow. This is- this is perfect." Hunter flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "I know."

"Where'd you get this?" Bella questioned. She felt warm inside, the gift reminded her of her mom who she missed incredibly.

Hunter shrugged, "I have connections."

"Mine's not wrapped so, here ya go." Charlie presented, handing her a digital camera with a single bow on top. Bella accepts it, pleased despite herself, "That's actually great, thanks dad."

He shrugs and hands her another gift, this one completely wrapped, "Goes with this one from your mom. We coordinatedβ€” well, she coordinated me."
Bella unwraps the present and reveals a scrapbook, "To put your pictures in, record your senior year. Man, senior year. How'd you guys get so old so fast?"

"I didn't." Bella hurriedly replied, a bit of worry in her tone. Hunter scrunched her eyebrows and snickered, "It's not that old Charlie."

Charlie tilted his head, "Oh I don't know, is that a grey hair?" He joked to Bella, lifting his hand to pull it out. Her face filled with dread and she pulled off her blankets, "No, no way." She breathed, getting out of bed and glancing in the mirror. She sighed in relief when she saw no grey strand in her perfect chestnut hair.

Charlie raised his hands in surrender and smiled with amusement, "Happy birthday."

"That's very funny."

Hunter glanced up at her and laughed in her face, "Happy birthday grandma!" Bella fought back a smile and lifted up her pillow, "Alright you literally asked for this." She sent the pillow right into Hunter's face, earning a dramatic scream from her.

Just like that, the two erupted into a pillow fight. Their laughs and squeals echoed around the house and even though Bella absolutely hated her birthday, Hunter made it a bit more enjoyable.

____

Bella pulls up into a parking spot and shuts off the car. It was the first day of senior year and they both had a feeling that it wouldn't go by smoothly. They unbuckle their seatbelts and climb out of the car, Bella instantly being greeted by her friends.

"I'll see you around Bella." Hunter told her before running into the school. Bella's gang still wasn't too friendly towards her, she was too "reckless". She couldn't care less however. Bella's friends weren't exactly her kind of crowd. They were too boring and mundane in her eyes.

Hunter only ever hung out with Bella and Edward, but only during lunch and the one class they had together. Other than them, she had no friends.

Turning into the hall where her first period class was, a body slammed into her. "Oh," she mumbled, watching the boy drop his belongings, "Sorry."

The fair skinned boy towered over her with soft curly hair and brown eyes to match. He was very good looking. His eyes met her's and a smile spread onto his lips, "Oh no worries. I wasn't even paying attention."

Hunter relaxed and sent him a nod. She didn't really know what to say, his appearance had rendered her speechless. She had never seen him before but she could tell he wasn't a new student.

"You're Hunter, right?" He questioned, completely ignoring the fact that his things were still on the ground. He seemed to be determined to continue their conversation, his eyes glimmering with interest.

She nodded once more, "In the flesh. How do you know me?"

"I've heard your name being tossed around the halls a few times. I knew you were the new girl but I still had yet to meet you." He replied, his hands awkwardly finding his pockets and his eyes watching her with dalliance. She was beautiful.

After a few seconds of silence, Hunter raised her eyebrows at him, egging him to introduce himself. "Oh! Right!" He exclaimed. He slapped his forehead and chuckled, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Hunter licked her lips and curled them inside her mouth, an amused expression. "I'm-I'm Winston Forge. Yes, Waylon Forge is my dad and yes he was killed, save your 'I'm sorry's'." He smiled.

"I wasn't going to say anything except nice to meet you." Hunter smirked, knowing firsthand that sympathy was a pest.

Winston's smile brightened. "So what class do you have?" He asked her, hoping that he would be spending more time with her.

She pointed her finger to the English classroom down the hall, "English with Mr. Berty."

His shoulders slumped forward a bit, which she noticed, and he nodded, "Ah, AP Chemistry for me." Hunter's face grew surprised, "So he's smart."

"A little." He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

Hunter looked down at their feet, her smile widening, "Don't forget about your books."

Winston's hands flew from his pockets and he bent down to the ground. Hunter smirked at him one last time before she walked around him.

"Aren't you suppose to help me? Isn't that how most romance movies go?" Winston questioned with a small smile.

She faced him whilst walking backwards and sent him a full smile, teeth and all, "Not this one Forge. I'm the mysterious new girl, you're the small town boy. It'll ruin the angst."

With one last wink she turned back around and waltzed into her English class, leaving the boy with her name on his heart.

She made her way to the back of the room with a smile on her lips. Winston had definitely passed his first impression test but it would be dangerous to keep him around, she knew that.

"So you and Winston Forge?" A voice spoke behind her. Hunter rolled her eyes and placed her bag on the table of her choice, "What do you want Mike?"

The blonde boy before her has been really desperate to have any sort of conversation with her for the past three weeks. It was honestly sad in her eyes. He was both afraid and attracted to her but he wouldn't admit that even if it was obvious, which it was.

Mike smiled awkwardly, "I just- I saw you guys talking. Are youβ€” likeβ€” are you guys a thing? Or something?"

Hunter looked over at Jessica who was failing at discreetly watching them. The girl was green with envy but she had nothing to worry about. "Mike, listen, I know you have this little thing for me and all but you should really quit while you can."

The smile never left his face as he winked with disbelief, "What are youβ€” what do you mean?"

"She's not interested man." Edward spoke from behind him, wiping Mike's smile completely off his face.

Edward walked past them both, Bella close behind. Mike scoffed and his cheeks burned with red, "Right, I'm not either. I was jus- I was just asking a... question."

Hunter smiled and nodded, watching him walk away from her in shame. She plopped herself down in her seat and immediately turned to face the couple, "Thanks but, I kinda like rejecting people by myself. I like to see their soul breaking in their eyes."

Edward chuckled and Bella scoffed, leaning back in her seat, "There's definitely something wrong with you."

"Since birth Bells." Hunter replied, sighing.

Soon enough, class begun and Mr. Berty turned on the play Romeo and Juliet, something the class had been focusing on for about a month now.

Hunter found the whole 'star crossed lovers' thing to be ridiculous. She didn't believe that people were born to be together, especially when they weren't allowed to be together.

However, disobeying the rules came with thrill and adrenaline, she knew that. She also knew that when two people were in love, nothing could stop that force. Hence Bella and Edward.

For the remainder of the period, Hunter doodled in her notebook, ignored Mike's stares, and thought about the Forge boy.

She thought about how his hair sat neatly atop his head and how his deep brown eyes were only concentrated on her own, it was captivating. She figured it'd be hard to stay away from him but it was necessary.

____

Later on that day, Hunter was forced and dragged with Bella to the Cullen's home for a small birthday party. She was dressed in a strapless black dress that fell to her knees, a white knitted cardigan to cover her arms, and her favorite black boots. She figured if Alice was forcing her to dress up, she was allowed to at least wear one comfortable thing.

Hunter still hasn't warmed up to the Cullen's as much as they thought she would. She still got heat flashes around them and an urge to rip them all apart limb from limb, but it was a bit more controlled. Especially since Jasper was there to help control her emotions.

Edward guided them through the house, his hand clasped in Bella's. "The Volturi are a very old, very powerful family." He informed them, showing a picture frame of an 18th century oil painting. Grecian figures stood in swirling robes among pillars and balconies. In a high balcony, four calm figures look down upon the feast below them.

"The closest thing my world has to royalty. Francesco Solimena painted this; he often depicted the Volturi as Gods." He continued, scanning the painting in thought.

Hunter eyed the "gods", finding their clothes to be absolutely ridiculous. She hoped she never had to encounter these people, all she'd do is insult them.

"Is that. . . Carlisle?" Bella questioned, pointing at the golden haired man at the far end of the painting. Edward nodded, "Yes. He lived with them for a few decades. He describes them as very refined, no respect for human life of course. But respect for the arts and the sciences at least. And the law. Above all, the law."

Hunter raised her eyebrows, "Vampires have laws?"

"Not very many. Just one and it's regularly enforced."

"What is it?" Bella questioned.

"That we keep the existence of our kind a secret. We don't make spectacles of ourselves and we don't kill conspicuously. Unless, of course, you wanna die." He added, his tone dropping in an attempt to scare them both.

Bella chuckled, "You gotta stop talking about that. I can't even think about someone hurting you." Edward's face was amused and Hunter groaned, she didn't enjoy when they got like this with each other. It wasn't a hatred, it was more of a envious-uncomfortableness.

"Bella, the only thing that could hurt me is you. I don't have anything else to be afraid of." Edward told her, diverting his attention on her.

The couple seem to have forgotten she was there which happened often. Hunter just hoped someone would walk in any second and save her from them.
Bella sucked her teeth lightly, "That's not true."

"Victoria, she'll come for me one day. Alice will see when she decides and-"

"I'll be there to rip her apart and literally eat her for dinner." Hunter chimed in, glancing at the different books on the shelves beside them. The couple stared at her, both of them knowing that Hunter would be capable of doing just that.

The newborn vampire had learned the rules and tips quickly. Edward spent the entire summer helping her focus on hunting strictly animals and how to control her gifts and urges. Though she was a bit harder to teach because she was still somehow human, her werewolf blood still overpowered her.

She was much stronger than the rest of the Cullen's and probably any other creature that existed.

"I could protect you." Bella started, both Hunter and Edward knowing exactly what she was about to say, "If you change me."

Hunter snickered and slipped out of the room. She's had enough of their lovey dovey-ness. Just as she was about to escape, Alice skipped into the hallway. "Where's Bella?" She questioned cheerfully, "It's time!"

Hunter pointed to the room she was just in and stepped out of her way, walking down the hall and down the stairs with the rest of the vampires.

She smiled a painfully awkward small smile. "Hello Hunter." Esme beamed, pulling the girl into a hug. Hunter grunted and hugged back, "Hey."

"We know this is hard for you but we appreciate you showing up." Carlisle expressed, gently pulling his wife closer to him.

Hunter sighed, "For Bella. And because Alice and Edward forced me." Everyone laughed except Rosalie, she bared a hard glare.

Alice, Bella, and Edward finally join them. While they greet Bella, Hunter moves towards the back. Her skin was hot and she didn't want to ruin the night by losing control.

They shower her with gifts and pictures, something both Hunter and Bella would've found amazing when they were five.

Suddenly, a waff of an irresistible sweet smell hit her nose. It was overwhelming and it made her mouth water. Bella had cut her finger by accident and she was bleeding.

Hunter closed her eyes and inhaled her scent, a feeling of euphoria spreading around her quickly. She wasn't going to attack Bella, she knew that. But it did trigger a thirst in her.

Everything moved so fast. Jasper's eyes darkened and he moved to attack her. Edward shoved Bella's body back with incredible strength and she crashed onto a table, shattering plates and vases. Then he turned back around and shoved Jasper backwards, his body flinging and destroying the grand piano.

Jasper was unphased as he ricocheted off the piano and moved back to attack Bella. Hunter moved at an incredible speed, appearing by Bella's side.

Lying amid the shards of broken china, she looks
at her arm, seeing now, that it had been slashed by plate shards; bright red blood pulsed out of her, pooling down to the ground.

Edward's attempt at protecting her only made matters worse but only he and Hunter thought that. That's when everyone else in the room, except Edward, Hunter, and Carlisle, became a bit ravenous. Bella's blood was too intoxicating.

Carlisle ordered them to take Jasper out of the room and he sped over to Bella's side. "I'll have to stitch this up." He muttered, eyeing her wound.

Bella looked into Hunter's eyes and saw full control.
But Edward, he stood still, his eyes filled with guilt and his skin white as a bone.

"Check on Jasper." Carlisle told Edward, "I'm sure he's very upset with himself and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now."

Edward's eyes reluctantly left Bella's and he looked into Hunter's. Her face was hard and disappointed. He even saw the hate in her eyes, the eyes she had when they first met. He screwed up and he would never forgive himself. "Edward." Carlisle spoke again, his tone egging him to leave.

Edward dragged his eyes away from Hunter's and he slowly left the room.

"Happy Birthday Bella." Hunter sighed.

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