On the surface, Katie Swan appears to be an average girl. She's pretty, athletic, and abnormally intuitive. But when her parents are suddenly murdered, she is sent to Forks, WA to live with her uncle Charlie and his shy daughter Bella.
Soon, Katie l...
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KATIE'S POV March 19th
As we entered yet another unremarkable hallway, I was suddenly aware that this area was much warmer and brighter than the glorified sewer had been. I couldn't stop the shiver that ran over my body, gratefully rubbing my hands up and down the sides of my pants to try and warm them up.
We were corralled into an elevator, where our guards relaxed even further. I tried to observe the features of the vampires around me, but it all felt so overwhelming. Less than an hour ago, I was willing to save Edward as a favor for Bella, and now here we were, about to die.
Again, I beg the question: why are our lives so complicated?
As we step out of the elevator, we enter into a lobby of some kind. It reminded me of an expensive hotel, with a large, warm room with a singular reception desk. The whole room is cabin inspired, with mahogany planks lining the walls and groupings of pale couches with small coffee tables.
At the desk was, to my surprise, a human. Specifically, a beautiful young girl with long, shiny brown hair, green eyes, and dark skin. I blinked at her, not bothering to hide my confusion, and considered pulling on Edward's sleeve like an impatient child to get an explanation out of him.
The girl did not seem the least bit alarmed by my reaction. "Hello, Jane," she said politely. Did she know they were vampires? How did she get mixed up here?
Jane responded with the girl's name and a nod, but I was too focused on the small smile the receptionist gave upon seeing Felix. Did she... choose to be here? Knowing what they were?
Eventually, I'm forced to stop staring at the girl, turning just in time to watch another vampire slink from the shadows. He was short, with dark hair and features that closely resembled Jane's. "Alec," Jane acknowledged, kissing both of his cheeks. Twins, maybe?
He looked up, assessing our group. "They send you out for one and you come back with... a few. Nice work," he noted, glancing between Bella and I with wonder.
Jane laughed in response, but the rest of the Volturi— and our group, of course— stayed silent. "So, welcome back, Edward. You seem to be in a better mood," Alec greets.
"Marginally," Edward responds flatly, pulling Bella closer to his side ever so subtly. Bella looked up at him, eyes darting across his face, and I had to stop myself from narrowing my eyebrows at the situation. Now was not the time to be judgmental.
Alec chuckles, looking past Bella at me. "I assume these two were your source of trouble," he teases, in a condescending manner.
