Alaska's Addictions

Edward sighed softly, having walked away from Bella to tell her that he and his family were leaving again. The incident at her birthday, Bella cutting her finger and nearly being sucked dry by Jasper...it just wouldn’t work. He realized that now.

“Are we going to Alaska? Now?”

Carlisle didn’t look at her. “Yes Rosalie…we are.”

Esme packed up the car and frowned. “I suppose my garden will have to fend for itself while I’m away.”

Jasper simply felt disconsolate, and it was obvious. Alice frowned, hugging him. “Don’t worry,” she trilled in her high, beautiful voice. “We’ll be there soon.” She sat in the backseat with him. Emmett packed his jeep while Jasper kissed Alice’s forehead, then slumped back against his seat again. He and Edward seemed to feed off of the others' feelings.

“Hey Ed, you wanna drive in my car?” Emmett called.

“Sure,” came his reply with a stoic expression as Edward got into the back seat.

~~*In Alaska*~~

Edward sighed quietly again, wearing a winter coat and scarf, snow boots and jeans, walking down the sidewalk in the down. He spotted a young woman yelling at a store clerk, and ceased his window-shopping act.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE AREN’T ANY?! THIS IS ALASKA! THERE HAS TO BE FUR-TRIMMED JACKETS!” He blinked slowly. What a crazy girl, he thought.

“But Miss, we don’t have anything,” said the clerk.

“It's FREEZING!”

“I-I’ll look!” he scurried into the back.

She wore a thin white tee shirt with "BEBE" printed across the chest and tight jeans, both soaked through from the snow. Her entire body was tensed, her muscles almost locked out from her shoulders down. They were very toned and smooth, compact.

“She’s crazy.” Edward shook his head. “Thank God I’m not related to her.”

Rosalie shrugged. “I’d be acting the same way.” Jasper raised his eyebrows at his ‘twin’. She compared herself to a human for once in her life with no condescending tone or emotion whatsoever.

“I suppose so, Rose,” Edward wore an indifferent look, not having noticed the detail.

Alice held Jasper’s arm. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah.” Jasper was trying not to laugh. He wore white snow clothes and jeans, not paying much mind to the weather or his clothes. Alice, on the other hand wore snug, warm jeans, blue snow boots and a sky blue jacket with white fur lining.

“I’m not sure about the yelling, but she is in a paper-thin tee shirt soaked through to her skin, if you didn’t notice, Edward.” Carlisle raised his eyebrows at his son. “And she’s about to come down with hypothermia.” He took a jacket from their car to give to her.

Edward was busy staring at her body. “Uh huh…” His voice clearly showed his lack of attentiveness. “…” He stared at her chest. Carlisle tried not to laugh.

“Why don’t you give this to her,” Carlisle shoved the zip-up hoodie into Edward’s arms.

Edward blinked, looking up at him. “Huh? Why are you giving this to me, Carlisle? I have a jacket.”

Alice laughed, and Jasper as well. Rosalie joined her twin, and Emmett was the loudest. “Oh uh…yeah.” Edward had a tiny blush on his face. Jasper and Emmett laughed harder and began to bet as Edward entered the shop.

He walked to the girl, her dark hair stretched straight down her subtly curved back with elegant, strong shoulder blades.

“I bet she slaps him. In five minutes,” Emmett declared.

Jasper smirked. “The way he’s staring at her? And those muscles right there? Three.”

“Oh boys, that’s so wrong.” Esme rummaged calmly through her purse and hands over a twenty-dollar bill. “Two minutes.”

Inside, the girl turned to look at Edward, who approached her with quick, smooth strides. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah?”

“Here.” He handed her a jacket.

“Thanks.” She took it and walked over to a corner, throwing off the soaked tee that rips in the process and left it in a huge puddle dripping on the ground. Edward stood rooted in that previous spot by the counter, speechless. The girl pulled the jacket on, then returned to where he was standing. “Sorry, what’s your name?”

Ah, that was good… Edward thought, too enraptured by his thoughts and her body to think correctly. uh..uh.. “My Edward is name.”

Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper burst into laughter, their bodies shaking in the background where they could not be seen.

“I mean, my name is Edward.” He corrected himself with a white, crooked smile and sparkling dark eyes, too off-guard to remember that he should be feeling embarrassed.

“Alythia.” The girl introduced shortly. “Nice to meet you.

“I’M NOT BUYING ANYTHING- WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE SERVICE AROUND HERE?!” She fumed in response to someone clearing their throat in the background.

Emmett managed to lean away from the outside of the building, to prevent knocking it over in his laughter.

“I FOUND IT!” came a voice from the backroom, the clerk. “It’s pink!” He appeared. “Huh? Uh…never mind.”

“I HATE pink! What is WRONG with black?!” Alythia muttered under her breath about crazy Alaskans. A buzz of different thoughts swarmed around her brain, slipping in and out of focus quickly. It was hard to concentrate with Edward’s dark hair, so perfect but wet from the snow.

“Um…do you live around here?” She looked at Edward. “I’m a little lost.”

“Yeah…I do. Where are you headed?”

Alythia pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket- it was soaked and the ink congealed in a puddle-like mess. “Err…” Edward looked over her shoulder at the unreadable blob. “I just remember something about ‘remote’, ‘forest’ and ‘Denali’.” She shrugged.

“Oh, we’re heading there. We’ll take you.”

“Really? Okay.”

“Yes. Follow me.” He turned and walked out of the store. Edward hadn’t looked her straight in the face since he’d given that ridiculous answer to her question, and made a complete fool of himself. He’d never been so enraptured, not by Bella, not by anyone. In fact, he hadn’t even thought of Bella since he’d heard her scream at that storekeeper.

“I suppose she was distracted enough that you all lost.” Carlisle laughed at his two sons by the cars. They watched as Alythia followed Edward out quickly, slamming the door of the little shop with careless force. A small crack appeared on the glass door with a loud noise. She glanced back.

“Whoops.” Rosalie laughed quietly at the girl.

Edward opened the Emmett’s car door for her, since Emmett would now be driving.

“Oh, thanks.” Alythia jumped into the backseat, and Edward entered after, pulling the seat back to walk in properly.

“This is Emmett and Rosalie. They’re my brother and sister.” Rosalie’s face was wiped clean of all traces or laughter, glaring coldly.

“Hey Emmett, hey Rosalie. Emmett I hope you speed.”

Emmett laughed, “That’s a funny question. I don’t consider it so.” His speedometer hit 80.” Alythia shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess. As roller coasters are still faster, I don’t qualify this.” The human made a sweeping gesture with her hand at the car, while Rosalie rolled her eyes in the front seat and contemplated this new girl’s looks.

She was so slutty in that tee shirt… The blonde vampire criticized mentally, trying to sooth herself.

Alythia worked to collect her thoughts, not wanting to think odd things around these new, strange people. It was hard to see how they truly looked without staring, but they all had good looks and features. Well, at least there are some decent-looking guys around here. She shook her head mentally and looked at Edward. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Oh.” Damn she thought. He’s only one year older than me. That would break my three-year-rule. Guys are never mature enough if they’re less than three years older than me.

“Right. I’m 16,” she leaned back and closed her eyes briefly, feeling the wonderful cool wind kiss her face.

“About to turn 18,” Edward added. Alythia opened her eyes briefly and nodded.

Yelling over the wind, she called, “Emmett can you go faster?! You said you can speed!”

“Fine…” I was going slow for the human, but whatever. He pressed down and went 150.

“That’s more like it! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

All too soon, they arrived at the Denali house. It was the size of a mansion, but it was relatively modern with two huge stories. That crazy human, thought Rosalie.

“Thanks.” Alythia jumped out, landed in the 5-inch deep snow wearing still-damp jeans and black ballet flats. She ran straight into the next house, a small one about a quarter-mile away with nothing between the two houses but pure white snow.