Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ Starless ❯ Party Crashers ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I couldn’t believe the moment had come. What I couldn’t believe even more was how I wasn’t dreading it as much as I had when I had first announced my engagement. I was walking down the aisle in my 18th century dress that rippled around me like white water. Charlie was gripping my arm tightly as he took his steps in length with mine. I focused on my steps, not wanting to fall on such a beautiful moment. That’s when I looked down the aisle and saw him staring at me. He wore a black tuxedo, completely contouring with his perfect skin. The dark purple bruises on his eyes wrinkled at the edges as he smiled my favorite crooked smile at me, his honey eyes burning into me. I suddenly realized how slow Charlie was walking and wished that he would let me go so I could close the distance between me and Edward. I wanted to run my fingers through his bronze hair and let him suffocate my face with his cold lips. I wanted his icy grip to take me and not let go. I wanted to hurry up, but I wouldn’t ruin the moment for Charlie. I kept his pace until, finally, I reached the alter. Charlie, reluctantly, gave me to Edward, pausing next to me before turning to take his seat. I turned to face Edward. My Edward. His eyes looked at my perfectly dolled up face, courtesy of his sister Alice Cullen, who stood like a tiny angel in a pale rose pink bridesmaid dress a few steps from me. I couldn’t take my eyes away from his, as though hypnotized in his beauty, hoping that if I was trapped in a dream, I wouldn’t ever wake up. I heard nothing but my beating heart and my stuttered breathing. It felt as if I had just gotten up there when the preacher, who happened to be Edward’s bear of a brother, Emmett, turned to me. “Bella Swan, do you take Edward Cullen to be your husband. To hold and to cherish. Through richer and poorer. For as long as you both shall live?” None of us; Edward, Emmett, Alice or I, could keep the corners of our mouths down and they curled into well hidden smiles. “For all eternity.” was my response with a side glance at Edward. He mouthed “you too.”
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What you waitin’ for? Kiss her already!” Emmett chuckled. Edward pulled back my veil with delicate fingers and kissed me, but not long enough in my opinion. I could hear ringing in my ears from his cool kiss as it spread through my entire body. He pulled away too soon and we faced the applause. My eyes skimmed the faces. Many were crying, others were smiling and whooting. Movement in the back of the church made my eyes flash towards the door. Nothing was there, but I thought I had seen a familiar dark skinned boy in the doorway. A man with long black hair, dark smoldering eyes and big enough to take up the whole doorway.
An ache filled my once exuberantly lifted heart. I had thought it had been Jacob, but he wouldn’t come. He would never come to a Cullen wedding, not with the Cullens being his family’s arch nemesis‘. I had learned that vampires, the family I was marrying into, didn’t get along with werewolves, no matter how much I may want them to.
Edward’s cold fingers laced with mine and he led me back down the steps of the alter and down the aisle. I glanced back at the door, wondering if I had really imagined seeing Jacob in a white t-shirt and jeans, smiling his controlled smile while looking at me before he had disappeared.
The reception after the ceremony felt extraordinarily too long. We were all outside, under a golden canopy that would be the refuge if the dark clouds decided to pound down on us. I walked from guest to guest, talking and smiling, ignoring the judgmental glances or the whispers that came when I turned my back. I knew I was young to be getting married, but that wasn’t any more their business than my new family’s eating habits.
Finally only 30 minutes before we would have to call it a day and everyone would go home. The guests had significantly thinned out and only a few remained. I sighed and sat down on one of the foldable metal chairs, allowing my head to fall back and look up at the golden material of the tent as a thin patter of rain was kept from me.
“Bella Swan? Excuse me, Cullen?” a beautiful voice called to my mental wonderings. A voice I didn’t recognize. I raised my head up to look at the one who had called me from my calm and quiet moment of peace. A beautiful young woman with dark auburn skin that stretched across her tall frame and black hair that flowed down to the small of her back was standing in front of me, shyly. She was muscular, not an ounce of fat on her long legged figure, which she hid modestly in a long sky blue dress that contrasted beautifully with her skin. She had high cheek bones, a defined jaw, a round little nose and full lips. Her face was almost inhuman in it‘s beauty and wild in its appearance.
I sat up properly and tried not to stare, but failed. I got a strange vibe from her as she averted her eyes from mine in a timid manner. Though she looked withdrawn, I sensed a feel of superiority in her stance. Something dangerous behind that childlike demeanor. Wild and uncontrollable.
Though the high heels she wore seemed to be causing her a lot of pain, her grace made her look as though she could remain in them all day. She was obviously not accustomed to wearing a dress either, cuz she kept fidgeting in the gorgeous gown, but it suited her and looked stunning on her.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think you and I have met before.” I murmured embarrassed. I knew I had never seen this woman before but she apparently knew me. She smiled softly before taking a seat next to me. “How do you know me?” I asked, honestly curious and hoping not to come across as rude.
Because she had been looking towards the ground when she first spoke, or looking anywhere but my eyes, as she turned her eyes to look into mine, I was hit with the full impact of them. Her eyes were a striking shade of light blue even fairer than her dress that burned through me as she looked at me behind her long lashes. The pupils were very dilated, animal like and threatening. I felt my heart jump and heard my breath stutter as those blue pools almost glared at me from that delicate face. Her smile, as though reading my discomfort, took a heavy turn and a painful edge as she broke eye contact. I heard the swoosh of the air escaping my lungs. “You have never met me before, but I know so much about you Bella.” she answered in a smooth, clear tone.
I didn’t know if I should laugh or be freaked out by that. I had been hunted down by a sadistic vampire, been stalked by his mate, and had almost died on way too many occasions to not be freaked out by her sentiment. I chose to laugh, but it came out with a hysterical border to it that she had to have caught. Her eyes popped open as she looked back at me in horror, but then she instantly calmed and laughed a heavy chuckle in the back of her throat. It sounded distinctly familiar to me. “Sorry, let me rephrase. Jacob told me about you.” she paused to glance at my reaction. I knew I had stiffened at Jacob’s name. I had been so worried about my young friend since he had disappeared 3 months ago that I had sworn I had seen him at the church earlier that day. Though no one had said it out loud, I knew it had been because of me. That fact made his departure hurt so much more. And now, hearing his name again, reopened the wound.
Realization finally hit me and swept across my face. “You know Jacob? He’s here?” I asked a little too eagerly. I saw the woman’s jaw tighten but then a mask of calm that seemed frighteningly familiar covered her face. “He’s in La Push and is very sad he couldn’t make it for the wedding. He needed to take care of some things with Sam before he could get away.
She should be here in a little while though.” She suddenly held out her hand to me. “My name is Rachel.” Before I could grasp her hand, Edward was next to me, his eyes edgy and anxious. His eyes were strictly on the woman next to me and I heard a hiss escape his lips. I was horrified by his reaction and looked back towards Rachel. Her hands were balled into fists and gripping her dress, obviously nervous if not frightened, but an amused smile spread across her lips, not touching her smoldering eyes that glared right back beneath a furrowed brow. Rachel’s leg was twitching, like she was about to make a run for it at any second and her frame was shaking lightly. “Yes, very polite.” Her retort was just as inhuman as Edward’s hiss, only a rich snarl that boomed around her.
I squeezed Edward’s hand to try to get him to look at me so I could give him a warning with my eyes, but his hand was too rigid and he continued to stare at Rachel. Rachel stood with exaggerated slowness, her eyes never leaving Edward’s. Her stance, though she was trying to keep it relaxed by holding her arms limply at her side, warned me that if something wasn’t done, these two would come to blows. What was with Edward? What was it about this girl that made him look like he wanted to rip her throat out? What was going on?
I desperately looked around for the other Cullens. Couldn’t they help stop Edward before he did something to this human and made a scene. I saw Jasper next to Alice, both of their eyes as dangerous and blood-thirsty, no pun intended (they were both well fed), as Edward. Their eyes were shooting electricity at Rachel. Was I missing something?
“Now now you two.” came another unfamiliar wind chime of a voice. We all turned and I couldn’t withhold a gasp. A young girl with long sun-gold hair held back in two braids and ghostly white skin that I recognized to be the same tone as Edward’s appeared next to me. She couldn’t have looked more than 15 years old, but I couldn’t tell how much older she actually was. She was wearing a flower patterned dress that made her look even more childish than the smile that was spread across her dimpled cheeks. Her eyes, to my relief, were a honey gold.
I was relieved even further when Edward’s fist slackened a little and a small smile played on his lips. Both he and Rachel both took a calming breath and were almost completely at ease once again.
“Eliza Turnheart. I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” Edward stated in an overly calm voice. The one named Eliza closed her eyes for a second before turning them towards me. I couldn’t stop the pounding of my heart, or the blush I could feel creeping across my cheeks. I knew they would, if Edward wasn’t so close, probably get me killed by this young vampire. Instead of instantly showing a vampire’s true nature to my blush like I had been expecting, Eliza laughed. “Such a beautiful blushing bride you have chosen for yourself Edward, what are you going by now, Cullen?”
She took another step towards me, a little too close for my comfort zone. She leaned towards my throat and breathed deeply. I was glad she was so relaxed, cuz I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe as freely as she was. She pulled away and, for the second time in five minutes, I released air that had been locked inside my lungs. Surprisingly, Eliza looked completely in control when she looked back up at me. “Wow, your blood smells amazing. Ever consider donating?” she said with a playful wink and a slight hint of an accent.
“That’s quite enough Eliza.” Edward said, pulling me towards his body. “Aw, I was just having some fun. You know, to loosen the tension.” Eliza said, slightly hurt. Her face looked so beautiful even with the tearful expression . Rachel took a step towards Eliza, Edward’s eyes following each step cautiously.
When a deeper calm found it’s way to Edward’s face, it was obvious to me that it was from spying on their minds. Even so, he seemed puzzled as he kept staring at Rachel’s hardened face. His eyes jumped to Eliza and they looked at each other for a few minutes that felt like eternity. Finally Edward nodded and glanced back at Rachel. Rachel smiled and stared at him for the same amount as he had with Eliza, though her face was a little more strained. “Trust me now?” Rachel asked as though she knew of his ability. Edward laughed awkwardly and nodded. Only I could tell that his laugh was forced and that a battle was going on inside that head of his.
“I apologize, we just weren’t expecting-” “Yes you were. You were the one who sent him the invitation.” Rachel replied in a monotone. Her face was emotionless but her stance read something along the lines of frustration and edginess as she looked at my husband. I felt completely out of the loop.
Rachel finally looked at me and once again extended her hand towards me, this time very slowly.
“Again, my name is Rachel. A friend.” she stated with a sly look at Edward. I took her hand but pulled it back before I had fully grasped it. Her hand felt like it would have burned my skin if I had grasped it even a second more.
I looked up at her eyes, which were glistening as she chuckled deep in her throat. A laugh that sounded oddly like a dog.