• Preface
    I never thought it would end this way. How ironic that my mother’s problems from her past would turn out to match exactly to mine? Flashes of my short life flicked in my mind and my grip on the strong hand in mine tightened. I fell into a defensive crouch as they approached with eyes red as blood. This is it.


    Chapter One
    I walked through the hallways of my new school, clutching my books as if they were my lifeline. I focused my gaze downward, ignoring the contemptuous sneers on the faces of my fellow classmates. Picking up my pace, insults were tossed my way.

    “Freak.”

    “Weirdo!”

    “You don’t belong here!”

    “Get outta here!”

    Blinking away the burning tears, I was nearly free, my outreached hand grazing the front doors, when a huge figure blocked my path. I looked up, smiling in immediate reaction to the familiar face I saw. But my breath froze as my chocolate brown eyes swept across his facial features, so familiar yet so different. Dark eyes usually warm and crinkled into a smile were cold and emotionless instead. The huge wolf-ish grin gone, replaced by a disgusted grimace. I felt my eyes widen and my body tense in shock.

    “J-Jake?”

    He glared down at me, his mouth twisting into a snarl at the sound of my quivering voice wrapped around his name. Looking around, I saw that his expression looked no different from my peers. Horror and fear filled me as I took a step back, but to no avail. They all lunged, teeth bared and nails outstretched, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain.

    “Monster!”

    “Lock her up!”

    “Destroy her!”

    “Nessie!”

    Not going down without a fight, I struggled against the cold hands restraining me.

    “No! No!” I shouted. “Get away!”

    “Nessie!”

    “Renesmee?!”

    “Sweetheart, wake up! It’s a dream!”

    I wrenched my eyes open and in a flash, I was in a defensive crouch across the room, a growl bubbling from my throat. Then my brain registered my surroundings. Three figures stood near my bed, faces twisted worriedly. One was a young woman with thick, hazel locks, her beautiful features currently arranged to show her anxiousness. Mom. The second was a striking young man with bronze hair tousled charmingly, his expression identical to the woman’s. Dad. As my eyes slid to the final figure, I felt myself relax as I gazed into the warm eyes of my best friend. His familiar long, shaggy black hair framed his familiar strong face and his familiar huge form was familiarly only clad in a pair of familiar shorts. Jacob. My Jake. A small smile couldn’t help but turn the corners of my mouth as I straightened up. Jake immediately followed suit and broke out into his grin. However, my mom, Bella, and dad, Edward, kept their expressions frozen on their face.

    “Jake,” I breathed, and he instantly strode to my side and engulfed me into a massive bear hug. Burrowing my face into his chest, I inhaled his woody scent and could feel the serenity wash over me.

    “Heya, Ness. Gave us the scare there,” Jake murmured into my hair. “Feel up to sharing?”

    I sighed but gave in. I reached out with both of my hands, one to press onto Jake’s chest and the other to grasp Mom’s outstretched hand. My powers have expanded a few years after I was born and thus I did not have the need for contact with the face in order for my gift to work. I had to make sure I don’t accidentally communicate like this to a human at school. Daddy would merely watch from my or Jake’s mind.

    As the images from my recent dream flashed through, I watched their reactions. Daddy looked strained, Momma looked worried, yet Jake was tranquil, fully content that I was safe. This made me smile.

    “Oh, Nessie,” Bella crooned and in a flash she was next to me, pulling me into an embrace, her cold yet comforting hands brushing my bronze hair away from my face. “They’ll all love you.”

    “I know, I know. It was just a dream,” I said exasperatedly. They were all so protective.

    Dad claimed me next, hugging me tightly. “We have a right to be protective, sweetheart. And I’ll add that if you have any problems with anyone, even wolfy here—“ he nudged Jake “—then they’ll have to answer to me.”

    Jake pulled me back into his arms and I shuddered from the sudden change in temperature. “And don’t worry, Ness, I’ll be there to protect you from all the bullies in the world. We’ll all be there. Not that you’ll really need it. You could probably take on the whole school in a rumble and win.” He grinned. “And besides, they’d all be too busy soaking in your beauty to hate you.”

    I slapped his arm lightly but he still reeled back from my force. “Shut up, Jake.” I knew I wasn’t beautiful. Sure, I was probably better looking than the average human with my flawless rosy coloring, bright chocolate-brown eyes, silky and thick bronze curls, and my perfect figure. But I was nothing compared to my vampire aunts and mom: Alice, Rosalie, and Bella.

    Edward gave me a look—he hated when I downgraded myself like that—and I smiled sheepishly. Hey, I couldn’t control my thoughts all the time.

    “Come on, Ness! You got to go get ready for school if you don’t want to be late,” my pixie-like aunt Alice called from another room. I grimaced. There was no doubt that Auntie Alice picked out an outfit for me, assembled from the most expensive designer clothes. As if I needed that for my first day of high school.

    Dad leaned into me and whispered, “She probably did, that crazy Aunt of yours. We need to control her sometime or she’ll continue this reign of horror.”

    “I heard that!” her angelic voice rang out.

    “You were supposed to!” he retorted back. I merely giggled and clutched my Jake to me tighter while Mom just sighed.

    * * * * *

    In a few minutes, I was on the back of Jake’s red Harley bike, my arms wrapped around his waist. It took forever to convince my parents to let me go to school on a motorcycle; at first I wanted to drive my own bike. But I compromised with the deal that I could ride to school, as long as Jake was the one driving. Alice was opposed as well, but only for the reason that my hair would be messed up, to which I rebuked by saying that it would enhance my look with the windblown effect. She bought it.

    I let out a sigh and buried my face in Jake’s back. Though I knew he heard me, he did not act like he did which made me grateful. I was too deep in thought about my first day of school. Ever.

    Despite the fact that I had been able to control myself for the past six or so years, I had been unable to go to school until now, when my growing has finally slowed enough to be nearly unnoticeable. My real age was six, but my mind was of a college-educated and my body looked in its high-teens, clearly able to pull off being a sophomore in school. I could have pulled off being a freshman, but I refused to be separated from Jake, including different grades, and he barely could be passed as a high school-er, let alone a freshman. So I was registered as a sophomore in Washington High School, attending my first day in the middle of the year. Jake would be a sophomore with me, Bella, Edward, and Alice would be juniors, and Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie would be seniors. It made me feel better that nearly my whole family would be there with me.

    I felt a little guilty about one thing, however. Taking Jake away from his pack in Forks. Though he can easily visit them anytime, it wasn’t the same as being able to be around them all the time. I knew he missed his pack, especially Quil and Embry (who were now under the charge of Sam once more), but he claimed that he would miss me more if he stayed. He would even joke that he’s glad to be rid of the pressure of having to lead a pack. He was such a sweetheart and my one best friend.

    We arrived at the school, screeching to a halt in a parking spot. Edward’s silver Volvo neatly parked next to us and Emmett’s green monster Jeep stopped next to him. I quickly dismounted the bike and straightened my clothes nervously. After a brief moment of disagreement, Alice convinced me into wearing her picked-out outfit: a pink, sequined tank top with a short miniskirt and black, high-heeled boots. I also wore a feminine leather jacket for show; after all, I did not get cold. I carried a Prada purse with me and a designer backpack.

    The forecast was currently cloudy—as it was nearly 95% of the time in this little town in Washington State, just a whiles away from Forks—and the diluted sunlight leeched off some of the brilliant colors direct light would bring. Of course, I did not have to worry as much about it being cloudy or not; neither did Jake for that matter. My skin merely looked more radiant in the sunlight, just a faint and subtle luminosity, unlike the rest of my family.

    Jake turned off the engine and came to stand next to me as Edward, Bella, Alice, and Jasper floated out of the Volvo and Emmett and Rosalie emerged effortlessly from the Jeep. They all placed themselves strategically around me, their way of telling me that I was protected. Giving them all a smile, I led the way to the front doors, Jake right next to me and everyone else trailing behind.