Chapter 10:
Dream A Little Dream of Me

The sea was as loud as it always was. It formed miniature waves that rushed up the shore and simmered into the sand. The flat sea stretched in all directions, the afternoon sun scattering diamonds across it's surface.

She shivered each time, as if the wind moved with the motion of the waves. Her body laid on the smooth cotten sheets, just inches away from the cold water. Her eyes were shut and her arms still on either side of her torso.

This was pure bliss.

The yellow sun licked at her already golden skin and she couldn't help but find solace in the moment. Forks was graced with another day of sunlight and she was soaking in every second of it all. Even with the seagulls that glided over her carelessly, she couldn't find a single complaint in her mind.

"Haven't you tanned enough?"

Leaning onto her elbows, she opened her eyes and smiled. Edward's voice was always pleasing. It was the perfect sound, like an orchestra. It was never too intense and never too bland. He leaned down next to her, his shirtless body glimmering underneath the setting sun.

It was a hassle convincing him to come join her at the beach, but it was worth it. After all, he could never say no to her. "I'm just enjoying the sun." She replied joyfully.

His own smile appeared and he got back onto his feet. "Well come on, let's walk." Hunter pouted and mimicked his actions. Their hands instantly gravitate to one another and he guides her closer to the ocean line, the chilled saltwater licking at their toes.

"I can't think of anything more perfect than the sun." Hunter sighed, inhaling the warm breeze. Ever since she was younger, the sun was something she always loved. Living in Washington meant constant rain and cloudy days. She would pray every night for a sunny morning.

Edward hummed in agreement but a chuckle leaked from his lips, "I can think of something." His eyes trained on their feet for a while longer before they lift up and meet Hunter's, her brown eyes rolling in amusement. "Please don't try and pull that cliché on me."

His hand was cold in her warm one, but she felt safe. It didn't take long for her to get used to the chill his skin brought, if anything it made him feel better. To always have warmth beside him.

"You dragged it outta me." He beamed, stopping their walk. He twirled her around and a string of giggles left her mouth. Her long hair cascaded behind her and brightened in the rays. She had grown it out to her old length, a style that she missed.

It felt like all that happened in the past was a distant memory, a dream even. She had struggled in her life for so long and she was finally happy. Yellow eyes and a bright smile to match, everything she could've wanted.

Hunter's foot slid on the sand and she nearly fell if Edward hadn't steadied her. Her warm palms lay on his chest and she peered up at him lovingly. "Kiss me." She whispered. It felt natural to stand in his arms, to accept the fast heart palpitations and love him.

Edward leaned his face closer to her's, the smile on his face never leaving. She could imagine he felt the same way. Just by his eyes, anyone could tell he was madly enamored with her.

His eyes gazed into her's like he was looking far beyond her face alone. She stood there and stared back at the golden eyes that glimmered like the sun in the sky. Finally, his lips touch her's and she somehow knew exactly what to do.

They move together like two dancers waltzing through a melody so soft and serene, that it catches eyes. His lips were soft and warm, a small difference to the rest of his body. Her hands rest against his arms and it felt like everything else was turning to dust around them.

But it wasn't and they were not alone. The sound of a throat clearing pulled them back down to earth. Hunter pulled away and both their eyes snap to the source of the sound.

It was Bella Swan, her best friend and Edward's ex- lover. Hunter could feel her eyes widen and her breath hitch. There couldn't have been a worse situation than this.

"Alice wants us back for the food." Bella smirked. There was not one splash of hatred or envy in her brown eyes, just knowing and happiness. Her matching hair whisked in the wind and her scent hit Hunter's nose. She was human.

Her shorts were being tugged on and her sight traveled down, finding a much smaller girl beside her. The girl had to have been six years old and she scarily resembled Bella who watched on happily.

"Are you gonna be my mommy too?" The girl asked, glancing between the couple warily. Hunter nearly collapsed. This was Bella and Edward's daughter, the child that she resented before it's birth.

As if that was all, the world appeared to be crumbling around her. The sun had gone away and the cloudy skies returned, thunder rolling in the background after streaks of hot lighting split into the earth. The wind picked up and she found herself falling to the ground with a grunt.

There were no hands to grab her just cold sand that threatened to fly into her eyes. Edward and Bella were gone, even the child too. She was alone.
"No." She whispered, gripping onto the sand as if it were the only thing that could save her.

Her vision grew blurry with tears. The picture perfect life she always wanted had washed away with the harsh waves of the roaring ocean. There was no perfect anymore. She was dead, Bella was dying, and she could not have Edward.

She couldn't have anything.

~~~

The silence filled room was disturbed by a sharp gasp that flew from Hunter's lips. She sat up instantly and gripped onto the white sheets that covered her up. She was still in the Cullen home.

It was just a dream.

The television in the living room could be heard from her temporary room. Sounds of plastic hitting plastic and coach whistles blaring told her that it was a football game. She slipped out of bed and her sock covered feet connected with the hardwood floor.

She hadn't been out of the room in a while out of fear of someone finding her ruby red irises. Leaving her room now sounded ridiculous after the dream that just commenced. She could still feel it all, the feel of his lips, the way her hand fit inside of his. But she also recalled the fear. The fear of being alone forever.

That was the first night she dreamt of Edward Cullen. One that shined a light in the dark crevices of her mind, spots that she had been blind to for so long.

Her fingertips tenderly trace her cheek, flashes of his touch electrifying her bones. This was different than any other ordinary crush, it was something more than that.

   "Kill her." It was Sam's voice again. His low growl echoed in her ears, as if he was just beside her. Her arm shimmered with a dull pain that flared her nostrils. It didn't hurt too horribly but it was annoying.

His voice was commanding and she could feel her guts twisting inside, pushing her to fulfill her alpha's task.

But all it took was one whiff and she was out of the bedroom she had been locked away in for hours. Her feet carried her to the fascinating scent smoothly and her mind dismissed the angst of being scolded by her hosts.

It was as sweet as it always was with a hint of harshness. She didn't realize how ridiculous her cravings were until she found herself in the living room.

Everyone stood around Bella, who's conditions worsened by the hour. The pregnant girl sipped from the styrofoam cup and Hunter watched the thick red blood slowly travel up the straw. She had no idea why Bella was even drinking blood, but that was the least of her concerns.

What she wanted was to snatch the cup from Bella's delicate hands and devour it herself. Bella released her hold on the straw and glanced up to her husband who watched on with praying eyes, "Tastes... good."

Gasps of relief flooded the room and Hunter crossed her arms. "Better than my fruit smoothies?" She questioned jokingly. Eyes travel over to her and Edward quickly stood up.

She could tell he was afraid of what she'd do around blood, and although she was fighting what felt like a hundred different urges, she would never attack Bella. Not for Sam and not for her cravings.

   "I don't think anything could be better than those." Bella laughed before quickly drinking more blood. Hunter kept her distance, she didn't trust herself enough to join the group. Jacob and Edward's eyes danced about her body but she paid neither of them any attention, her sights were on the floor.

   "Your pulse is already getting stronger." Carlisle beamed. Now she could feel relief. There was a chance Bella would survive this birth. Even though the child would solidify their marriage, Hunter couldn't care less.

Looking up, she studied every part of his body. From his feet to his seemingly warm lips, she could feel her own slide between her teeth hungrily. She had no idea why these thoughts were beginning to flood her, or why she even dreamt of him in the first place.

Even the smell that intoxicated her so much had no effect, only the fast beat of her pulse and the twitch in her fingertips.

   "Hunter?" Bella gasped. Hunter's eyes instantly flinch away from Edward's and she felt like curling up into a ball. Had she been caught staring? Did Bella somehow gain the ability to read minds, much like her husband? Her ruby eyes trail against the patterns of the floorboard shyly and her hands fumble together behind her back.

This couldn't have been more embarrassing than it was. It nearly resembled her dream only this time, there was no child tugging for her attention. "Your eyes-" Bella choked, desperately wishing she was able to approach her friend.

Hunter's breath shook quietly upon it's release and she couldn't help but be relieved. The revelation of her feeding diet was bad but it was lessened simply because of what her brain constructed while she was asleep. This was easier to deal with than explaining why she held sexual thoughts for her best friend's husband.

   "I can explain." Hunter sighed, leaning against the threshold of the living space. Bella's eyes were wide, disappointment and fear swimming carelessly in her pools of brown. Jacob shuffled around on the couch, both disgusted and pitiful. "Please do." The human girl chuckled. Though she found nothing humorous about the situation.

Eyes pointed to her and her only, everyone waiting to hear about her sudden change of actions. They would've never suspected Hunter to feed off of human blood, but the eyes can be deceiving at times.

   "My diet, so to say, has... changed." Hunter prefaced, her eyebrows furrowing. She couldn't think of anything to say. How could she explain to Bella that she killed people? If Bella's bones weren't paper thin, she'd be crucified.

Bella waved her hand around, "Changed how?" She questioned. Red eyes on a vampire meant human blood had been consumed, yellow meant animal blood, and black meant starvation. Finding the one thing that makes a vampire, a vampire, was alarming for her.

Hunter shrugged her shoulders. She could take advantage of Bella's state to fully explain herself. But she couldn't help but shrivel back. "From- from animal blood." Her vagueness was ticking Bella the wrong way.

   "So you kill people now?" Bella asked furiously. Even she was fighting the urge to drink the blood in her hands, the taste much too addicting to pass up. Hunter rolled her eyes, "Not often."

Everyone in the room sighed out, each carrying their own version of disappointment. Hunter couldn't help but grow angry at this. This was an expected reaction but these people were far from perfect. There was no room to judge.

   "You're killing innocent people." Bella gritted, moving to sit up straighter. "I thought you were better than that."

Hunter scoffed and pushed off the wall, "And I thought you were better than getting pregnant at eighteen."

   "Hunter." Rosalie hissed.

   "No okay?" Hunter seethed, holding her hand up at the blonde, "You people act like you're gods or something? Never doing any wrong? You are vampires, you drink blood, you kill things. Sure, what I'm doing is wrong and I'm not proud of it either. But I'm one hundred percent sure, you all have done far worse in your centuries of life."

   "Hunter-" Edward started but she cut him off.

   "And as for you Bella, I don't have time to be lectured by a girl on a suicide mission." Hunter spared them all one last glare before she left the room, anger consuming her again.

___

Another day passed and Hunter stayed indoors again. She lounged around the guest room restlessly, not a bone in her body aching for sleep. She refused to fall asleep. She couldn't be consumed by another dream of Edward.

Her hunger was growing as were other things. There was a burning sensation around her body, something she should've felt during the ritual. But the burn has been bothering her since the day before.

All she could think about was the cold hands of Edward, or the warm skin of Jacob's, even the alluring voice of Mason Siciliano. Every passing thought of a man made her itch. It was driving her insane.

So she found herself in the makeshift doctor's office of Carlisle's. She needed answers and she prayed he'd have them.

   "So you feel... hot?" Carlisle asked, pulling a plastic wrap around a thermometer. Hunter pursed her lips and nodded. Her body was tense and stiff, afraid of what was wrong with her. She could feel the uncomfortable warmth sizzling beneath her skin.

   "Since the day before yesterday actually. It's only recently gotten worse." She clarified, watching him approach her. Carlisle's face was as hard as it usually was, hard with concentration. "Do you feel sick?"

She shook her head. "Okay, let's just take your temperature." He instructed. He had the posture of a soldier. Every action he took was precise and purposeful. It made her feel a bit more nervous when she opened her mouth and lifted her tounge, welcoming the harsh end of the thermometer.

Carlisle walked back to his table, reading over the information he had just received from her. Hunter stared at her hands, her mouth holding the metal stick in place. She didn't feel sick, but she was starting to think that maybe she was.

The beeping sound made her flinch and she quickly pulled it out of her mouth. She eyed the tiny screen and the numbers that showed up made her feel faint. "Two hundred and five?" She exclaimed, handing it to Carlisle.

He stared at it in thought, a part of him already having a theory as to what this could mean. "Have you been more irritable than usual?" He asked. Hunter rolled her eyes at his jab but nodded nonetheless.

His eyes trailed back to her, "What about sexually?" Hunter nearly choked on her saliva. The question felt odd coming from Carlisle. The man was a father. However, he didn't feel any less uncomfortable than she was.

Her lack of response solidified his theory and he peeled the plastic off the thermometer before tossing it in the empty blood bag filled trash can. "You're in heat." He told her.

Hunter frowned, "In what?" Her hands grip the gurney she sat on and she watched the doctor intensely, waiting for an explanation.

   "Heat is a strong desire to mate. It's more common in female werewolves and it usually lasts five to ten days." He explained, tucking away all sorts of papers into their designated folders. His tone was clear and she could tell he had no ill will or judgement towards her. But it didn't make her feel any better.

   "Can I get rid of it?" She desperately asked, scratching at her arm. He shuffled the folders away and pulled off the white coat of a doctor's. She could see in his eyes that she wouldn't like his answer and she didn't.

   "You can wait out the next few days, or you can find a mate to relieve your pain." He told her.

Hunter looked down at her feet in shame. Every inch of her body tingled with a fire that grew bigger by the hour. There was no way she could get through more days without losing her mind. It angered her and in turn, made her hungry too. Carlisle stared for a few more moments before he escaped the room to leave her with her thoughts.

There was nothing left she could do. She had no mate and she wasn't interested in finding one. The next few days would be hell, but it couldn't be worse than anything she's ever been through.

She slipped out of the room and cascaded towards the sounds of voices. Soft giggles erupted from the living room and Hunter couldn't help but grow warry. She had been so busy loathing Bella's pregnancy that she left room for her to be replaced.

Bella needed comfort at a time like this and she abandoned her because of her own emotions. Approaching the living room, she was joined with Edward and Jacob, both who stared at her knowingly.

Her hands rub against her arms and she ignored them. "What's going on?" She asked the girls in the room. Alice and Rosalie smiled before helping Bella onto her feet.

A small gasp left Hunter. Not only was Bella's stomach a lot larger than it was yesterday, she looked healthier. Her skin had gained back its natural color and the bags underneath her brown eyes had nearly gone away.

Bella gently rubbed her stomach before she sent Hunter a shy smile. "This is pretty important Bella." Rosalie egged, "Why don't you tell them what you've decided?"

Jacob chuckled, "What now?" His hand lightly brushed against Hunter's and she shivered. Even the mere touch awoke the raging fire inside of her. Edward sneered at this but recovered, "Rose is trying to talk Bella out of her baby names."

"She hates them." Bella sighed. Hunter's eyebrows raise and she tried to fight the jealousy that was rising. "Baby names?" She asked, her tone nearly a whisper.

Bella nodded, "They're not that bad. If it's a boy, E.J. Edward Jacob." Hunter smiled a bit, finding comfort in that name for her child. It fit well, for Bella.

Rosalie shuffled, "Okay, fine, that one's not awful. Why don't you tell him the girl's name?"

Bella stared down at the floor sheepishly and this made Hunter feel worrisome. The little girl she saw in her dream made her gut swirl recklessly. "I was playing around with our moms' names. Renée and Esme. And I was thinking... Renesmee."

Hunter's head tilted to the side a bit, a small pang in her heart. She doesn't know why she was expecting to be a part of the child's name but it hurt to not be included like the boys were.

"Renesmee." Jacob repeated. He was clearly taken aback by the name and Bella laughed at that. "Too weird?" She asked.

Jacob opened his mouth to speak but Edward beat him to it, "No, that's not too weird. It's beautiful. And it's unique, which certainly fits the situation. I like Renesmee."

Hunter nodded at that. "It'll take some getting used to." She murmured, earning a thankful smile from her pregnant friend.

Rosalie bent down to retrieve the styrofoam cup filled with blood and Bella sneered, "They like it." The blonde vampire rolled her eyes and handed Bella the cup.

Hunter stood up straighter and watched the cup slip from Bella's hand. Then there it was, a snap of bones that was almost as loud as Bella's scream of pain. The cup crashed to the floor and blood spilled out everywhere.

Hunter blinked as time seemed to slow down. Bella's pain and the overwhelming smell hit her at once and she found it hard to focus. Bella crumbled down to her knees, more bones snapping.

A woosh of wind brushed her hair and everyone was at Bella in an instant. She couldn't find it in her to move a muscle. Everything that flew through her brain was loud and commanding, each emotion demanding to be felt.

Her skin on fire and her mind frozen.