By the Light of the Moon I Will Always Love You

Screams and shouts echoed through the Cullen home, followed by Reneesme’s high pitched squeals of entertained laughter. Bella smiled from the kitchen, the laughter of her child was music to her ears and she knew it would never fail to make her heart swell with joy.

Crashes and bangs ensured the play fight between Ariel and Emmett was becoming a little more vicious and Bella rolled her eyes, swept her long hair back off her face and wandered into the living room.

She shook her head as she watched Emmett pounce on Ariel and then they proceeded to roll around on the floor, kicking and punching. Ariel finally managed to flip Emmett and press her elbow into his chest, grinning triumphantly. Emmett growled and then quick as lightning, jumped up, flipping Ariel onto her back. Ariel struggled to get up, hissing at Emmett but there was a smile on her face. It was all play and purely for the amusement of Renesmee.

“Okay guys…enough excitement for one day I think,” Bella called to the wrestling pair, as she picked Renesmee up into her arms and carried her into the kitchen.

She thought Ariel was dealing with the loss of Jacob remarkably well. She had moped for a few days, tears coating her silver eyes until she had pulled herself together, determined to continue with her new and improved life with her new family.
Bella admired her. She could remember clearly how torn up she was when Edward had left her for those long, painful months and she doubt she would have survived if it wasn’t for Jacob. Bella hoped that they could give Ariel the support that Jacob had given her.

A loud smashing sounded from the room and Bella frowned as she heard Emmett curse. A strong smell reached her nostrils and she froze. Reneesme sniffed the air too and frowned in curiosity.

It was like blood but even sweeter. It did not have the metallic, iron like edge to it but it was sweet, like liquefied sugar. It smelled beautiful and Bella found venom fill her mouth.

She tried to retain her composure, setting Renesmee down and telling her to find Edward. She trotted off and Bella walked into the living room where Ariel was sitting, Emmett crouched over her.

It appeared that Emmett had pushed Ariel a little too hard, causing her to smash into a picture frame into the wall. The push had caused the glass of the frame to puncture Ariel’s skin and now her hand was clamped over a gash that was streaking bright red blood down her face. Blood!

Bella gasped in shock, “What happened! How…how is that possible Ariel?”

Ariel shrugged “I sleep,I cry,I bleed but I do not die…unless of course, I bleed in wolf form.”

Bella frowned ,“It’s…it smells…”

Ariel sighed, “Good…I know…it’s our attraction to our mates, our other halves. It smells sweet and tastes even sweeter. It doesn’t leave you with a burning throat but fills you with passion…making your…erm,” she hesitated, “love making more intense.”

She looked away embarrassed and Bella remembered how on the first day they had met the girl, she had told them, “We bite in love, not hunger.”

Bella understood and quickly fetched a cloth and wiped away the blood on Ariel’s face. The cut had already healed.

Ariel thanked Bella with a soft smile and then disappeared, most likely to transform and run. She did that a lot…Bella knew she liked to search the area for any trace of Jacob…just in case he had wandered near her. Bella sighed…sometimes Jacob was too stubborn.

~

A few days later, Carlisle was reading the paper. Ariel was outside with Jasper and Alice, arguing over Jaspers painting of her. He wanted to hang it in the large hallway but she was rejecting it, not thinking herself worthy to even be painted in still life.

“Ariel”, Carlisle called his daughter softly and she was at his side instantly, Alice and Jasper too. Rosalie looked up from the other end of the kitchen table where she was painting her nails bright pink.

“Yes Carlisle?”

Carlisle smoothed out the paper, “Have you been running recently?”

Ariel fidgeted “Yes…”

Carlisle smiled, “It seems the appearance of a white wolf in the local woods has not gone unnoticed..”

He pointed to the small article, where a picture of a white wolf was perched upon a title reading “Rare white wolf sightings baffle local researchers”.

Ariel pulled nervously on the sleeves of the white dress she never took off and looked away embarrassed. She muttered something not even Carlisle could hear. His eyes widened in concern.

“What is it Ariel?”

Ariel met his eyes ashamed, “I can’t read.”

Carlisle felt shocked but then understood. Ariel had grown up as human in a world where the women were not expected to learn to write and read. She had been expected to marry and rear children, and look after her husband. She had never had a chance as the runaway angel to learn.

Carlisle smiled, “It’s alright…lots of time to teach you. I think Edward won’t mind sharing his knowledge.”

Ariel relaxed, reassured. She had never thought about her literacy problems until becoming a Cullen. But had been to ashamed to voice herself.

Rosalie snorted, “I can’t believe she can’t read.”

Ariel’s eyes flashed but she said nothing and turned away but Alice turned on her sister.

“Rose, you better learn to keep opinions to yourself!”

Rosalie looked haughtily at the angry Alice but then met Carlisle’s eyes, which were sad and disappointed. She sighed and then turned to Ariel, “Sorry.”

Ariel hid a smile, and just nodded at Rosalie. Carlisle looked back at her, “I think when Edward teaches you all you need to know, we’ll enroll you into Forks High school.”

Ariel grimaced and then nodded. It was all part of a normal life, she presumed…but when had she ever led a normal life? Even as a vampire.

Alice squealed “You know what this means! Shopping!”

Ariel looked horrified.