Animal I Have Become

[ Edward's P.O.V ]

I couldn't bring myself to drink any animal blood. Not when my daughter is with that animal.

"What is it, Alice?" I heard Jasper asked with concern.

"What's wrong with her?" Emmett asked.

I looked up to see Alice in a daze. Slowly, she shook her head and looked at the others before turning to look at me. Somehow, I didn't like the look on her face.

"Another vampire is up over at the mansion," she started and I stood up with horror.

"Another?" I made it sound like it was a crime.

"But this one isn't a newborn," she looked over at Carlisle who was sitting on the couch in silence.

This has to be the house, I heard someone's mind and I looked towards the front door and frowned.

Whoever was outside smelled like vampire and human.

"Is there a human with him?" I asked, not taking my eyes away from the door.

"How'd you know?" Alice asked, a little confused.

"Because they're outside the door," I shook my head and stood up - the next second, I was opening the door.

Outside the door stood two figures - a male and a female. The male had brown spiked hair, thick eyebrow that goes along with his dark brown eyes. He was wearing a white tee, a black leather jacket and black - and by the smell of it, it is Italian.

The female had long brunette hair that matches her brown eyes. She wore a red V-neck tee, a white leather jacket and blue denim jeans.

"Is this the Cullen residence?" the male asked and I stared at him with cautious eyes.

"Yes we are," a voice behind me spoke.

I turned and saw Carlisle walking towards us, his body straight and confident.

"This is my wife, Elena," the male pointed to the female who made no effort to greet us. "And I'm Stefan Salvatore."

The sound of his last name made me turn to hiss at him softly but Carlisle interrupted me by going in between Stefan and I.

"I'm Damon's brother."

That did it for me. I ran over at this Stefan person with such speed, grabbed him by his expensive designer clothes and slammed him against the wall. I hissed at him again - every inch of my body is screaming at me to attack him.

He made no effort to fight back. He simply looked at me with no fear in his eyes. I felt someone trying to pull me away from Stefan. From his grip, I knew the arms belonged to Emmett.

"What the hell more do you want from us?" I said, not letting him go and not moving from my spot.

"I come to help," Stefan replied, looking over at Carlisle.

Edward let him go, Carlisle's voice penetrated through my skull causing me to look over at my adopted father - the man who saved my life by changing me into what I am - hoping deep inside that he was joking.

"You can't be serious?" I frowned at Carlisle who in turn shook his head.

I turned to look at Stefan, who still didn't make an effort to move away from my hand on his throat. It seemed as though he wasn't here to pick a fight at all.

"You can read my mind," Stefan made an obvious statement. "Then read my mind and tell me if I'm lying."

I kept quiet but listened to his thoughts nonetheless.

We are here to help you, Mr Cullen. I'm here to stop my brother.

I looked up at him with the 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' look He didn't crack a smile like his brother would. Slowly, I removed my hands from his throat and took a step back.

"We should talk inside," Stefan said, nodding towards the front door. "He could be listening to our conversation now."

Carlisle nodded his head and walked into the house and Elena and Emmett followed. Stefan stopped right outside the door, looking up and down as though he was searching for something.

"We don't hide keys outside," I snapped, waiting for him to enter the house.

"It's not that," Stefan shook his head looking over at me. "I can't go into the house if I am not invited in."

I arched an eyebrow and stepped inside the house. Was this guy for real? I have never heard of a vampire who needs to be invited in.

The expression on his face tells me otherwise though. At that moment, I remembered the time where Damon had once visited this house when Nessie and Jacob were at home. He hadn't stepped inside the house as though something had prevented him from coming in.

"Come on in," I told him with a small shrug.

He gave me a sincere smile and stepped inside the house, walking over to the living room where everyone is now in. I shut the door close behind me and did the same.

Carlisle did the introductions though Rosalie and Esme don't seem to like the new visitors.

"You said you're here to stop your brother," I started and sat down on the couch. "Why?"

"Damon is known for the troubles and deaths he's caused wherever he go. I can't just sit by and watch him kill those innocent people," Stefan said, his voice full of regret.

"And you don't drink human blood?" I could hear Rosalie scoff under her breath which made Elena squirmed in her seat.

"You're human," I said as-a-matter-of-factly as I looked at Elena before looking at Stefan. "And you're a vampire. If you drink animal blood, why isn't your eyes like us?"

"I don't know," Stefan coughed back a laugh and shrugged. "But you don't see Damon with red eyes, do you?"

"Point made," Emmett nodded his head and Rosalie pinched him on his arms.

"How are we going to stop your brother?" Carlisle asked.

"Other than the Volturis, we can stop him by using vervain," Stefan answered, making me sit straight up.

"Vervain?"

"Vervain keeps us weak. And whoever is holding the vervain would have protection against us," Stefan nodded his head. "It means that Damon cannot control the mind of the person who keeps a piece of vervain with them wherever they go."

I looked over at Carlisle, hoping he would stop this absurdness. But he was silent and was listening to Stefan intently.

"The vervain also makes us weak - very weak."

"We do not grow vervain here," Carlisle replied.

"I know a few states outside of Forks that grows that particular plant," Alice spoke up and Carlisle nodded his head. "I'll go and find them right now."

Jasper stood up and followed her out the house.

"How's Nessie?" I decided to ask, knowing that he had seen her a few hours ago.

"She's well but," Stefan paused and I looked up at him with a concerned expression.

"But what?" I demanded.

"I think she's drinking Damon's blood - " I stood up with fury.

"She would do no such thing!" I roared causing the only human girl to flinch.

He was about to speak but I shook my head and was in my room within a second, slamming the door shut.

Nessie would never do such a thing.

She wouldn't.