By the Light of the Moon I Will Always Love You

Ariel blinked, rising from the mistiness of sleep that had clouded over her eyes. She lay where she had fallen into unconsciousness, blinking very slowly as if wanting time to still. She felt warm in the sleeping bag, her bare feet tickling the ends of the fabric that wrapped around her like a protective cocoon. Maybe she could stay in here forever, maybe she could stay until she became a butterfly and could fly away from all things ugly and hurtful.

She suddenly realised the comforting weight across her waist was Peter’s arm. They had fallen asleep close together, their sleeping bags inches away. Peter must have moved subconsciously during the night and wrapped her into him. Ariel realised she hadn’t felt this protected and this close to a person in a long time, since Jacob had rejected her.

She remembered with a pang his face the night before, the way he had failed to answer her question. For a brief moment, she imagined they hadn’t been interrupted, that he had taken her in his arms and kissed her. Kissed her like he used to.

But of course, things don’t work out like the fairytales and they had been interrupted, by a boy so kind and sincere. A boy called Peter, who cared for Ariel and had merely ran up the cliff after her because he was worried, because he cared, because he felt for her. He wasn’t ashamed of her, unlike Jacob.

Ariel closed her eyes for a moment, and allowed herself to relish the feeling of being tucked into Peter’s sleeping body. She compared his clean Aloe Vera scent to Jacob’s spicy tickle, his tight, neat frame to Jacob’s bulging square one. Would she spend the rest of her days like this? Comparing everyone to Jacob?

She slid out from Peter and knelt in the low lying tent, gazing at him as he still walked the land of dreams. He really was beautiful, even as a mortal. His mouth twitched slightly as he talked to someone inside his mind and Ariel smiled, brushing hair from his forehead, he was so young. Jacob had also looked young when he slept, his forehead was smooth then, not creased with worries about the pack or vampire raids.

She and Jacob were not meant to be together. He was a werewolf, she a vampire. Yet somehow fate had chosen she as Jacob’s imprint, a bond stronger than any connection and yet she could also shape shift. There were all these signs yet why was the universe denying their claim to one another?

On the other hand, Peter was perfect. He would be an amazing life partner, a skilled vampire, a soulmate to her, a comfort on dark nights. She found her eyes resting on the small pulse in his neck and already she could imagine the blood that lay under it, a promise of a life not stolen, but extended in a way only she could give. Peter would want it, he wouldn’t be angry.

Ariel felt her fangs open, and the sweet sugared venom of her kind pour into her mouth as she inched closer to Peter, just one bite, he would feel no pain, just a pure rush of euphoria until he fell into darkness.Only hours later, he would open silver eyes.

With the skills of a predator, she stalked towards him in the enclosed space, hearing his heart beat steadily underneath his ribcage. The power of her kind allowed her to create the atmosphere of total silence, he wouldn’t even wake.

Her mouth was an inch away from his neck, slightly tanned and smooth, soft skin. Her fang brushed it, not quite breaking the skin…she wondered how good he would taste…

What was she doing?

Before she could allow her animalistic nature to take over again, Ariel fled so fast from the tent she looked as if she were flying. How could she have thought that? To think of taking her Peter’s life so readily and easily. Jacob was right; she was a monster.

The soft cold waves brushed over her bare feet soothingly, calming her frazzled nerves. She walked deeper into the water until the water came up to her waist, her long hair dipped ever so slightly into the salt water, her favourite white dress she slept in soaked to her lean body.

“Ariel, what are you doing? It’s freezing!”

Ariel turned slowly to look at Peter by the shore, his feet stuffed into his walking boots, his previously bare torso covered by a Hollister hoodie. A bemused smile rested on his mouth, awed as always by the strange girl he had befriended.

Ariel waded back towards him, turning away unable to look at the boy she had been so close to killing as he chafed her arms, believing her to be cold.

“I’m fine Peter, really,” she whispered, and looked up at him.

Peter gasped, releasing his hands and backing away from her slowly “Ariel…what’s wrong with your eyes?”

Ariel fought the urge to cover her face. Her contacts had melted, her silver eyes were plainly on show, she had forgotten. She could deny it right now; laugh and tell Peter to stop being silly, she had placed contacts over her blue eyes to turn them silver or she could tell the truth…

So Ariel smiled, and held Peter’s hand, “You believe in magic Peter?”

Peter looked at her, not frightened but intrigued, “In some form, I suppose I do.”

Ariel nodded and smiled, “Would you believe me if I told you I were a little bit different from everybody else?”

Peter stepped closer to her, brushing hair away from her face, “I think, I think I would…I always knew you were different Ariel Cullen.”

Ariel picked up a round, smooth pebble from the sand and fingered it thoughtfully, closing her fist around it. When she opened it again, all that was left was a fine dust and they both watched as the wind blew it away like ashes of a soul…

“Amazing,” Peter breathed, holding her hand and staring with awe at her eyes.

Ariel kissed his hand, “I’ll never hurt you Peter, always remember that…I promise it.”

Peter hugged her to his body, “I know Ariel, I know…”

From the cliffs, the sad eyes of a russet toned wolf watched the friends embrace as if they were lovers…