Chapter Text
Edythe has known hunger for over a hundred years. She's been a slave to it since 1918. A deep bellowing hunger that just sits. A craving that consumes. It's something that can't be satiated. She's tried. She's been trying.
*
It starts on a Sunday afternoon, when Edythe has taken up residence on Beau's bed. He's asleep, cuddled right under Edythe's slender frame. She listens to the steady thump, thump of his heartbeat. She follows the rhythmic beating as she waits for morning to come.
In the time Edythe's known Beau the only thing she's truly longed for was his blood. An insistent calling. Liquid begging to be released from Beau's skin and straight into Edythe's mouth. The venom swells inside her just at the thought of it. It's that kind of want that makes Edythe stick close to Beau.
A torture of her own making. She knows.
Beau has been attached to her since the moment his brown eyes met her golden ones. Like her hunger, he was persistent, but he had a nature about him that Edythe felt safe surrounded in. There was a small affection and curiosity on Edythe's part and a longing and desire on Beau's.
He's in love with her. This much she understands. So, she placates him, unbeknownst to Beau himself. If she had felt love for Beau it would have been fleeting. There's affection and a definitive bloodlust but there's not any love. At least Edythe doesn't think so. She hasn't felt that spark so many of her siblings have felt with one another.
Beau thinks they're soulmates. Destined to remain together for all eternity. Edythe's not sold on the idea but for him, she's willing to try.
So she gives him the affection he desires, holds his hands in hers, gives delicate kisses here and there, and stays with him in the night. She lays beside him, fighting the hunger for his blood, holds him until morning comes.
The gentle thump, thump continues idly.
*
Edythe's hunting in the woods when she hears it.
A howl, followed by laughter.
She releases the deer she was feeding on to investigate further. She stumbles upon a giant russet colored wolf. It takes her a few seconds to realize it's one of the Quileute shifters.
The wolf's head snaps to her direction abruptly, it takes a protective stance. It looks to be glaring at Edythe quite harshly.
There's a recognition that Edythe can't seem to place in the wolf's eyes. It takes even longer to realize that there's blood on her mouth—Edythe thinks she must look crazy, like a true monster.
She hastily brings an arm up to wipe the deer blood off her mouth. It stains her shirt but she isn’t thinking about that in this moment, only caring about the picturesque wolf situated in front of her.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to impose, I just heard noises and wanted to check it out," she tries to the impasse wolf.
'Well, it was just me. So, you can leave now Cullen!'
The voice rings through Edythe's head. It's a girl. Julie Black. The best friend of Beau, and Billy Black's daughter.
Edythe smiles once she places the wolf. Julie is still cradled into a defensive stance, she's slowly backing away.
"You're Julie right? Beau talks about you a lot."
'Yeah? He doesn't talk about you much'
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of Beau's conversations had everything to do with Edythe. 'I wish you could meet Edythe, she's breathtaking.' 'She's not the monster you believe her to be.' 'No, really, Jules, you'd love her if you would ever meet her.' And on and on, endless praises of Edythe. Jules' barely contained contempt for the girl possessing every inch of Beau's life was weaning thin.
Edythe's smile drops slightly. The wolves didn't care to play nice with her family, so she shouldn't be surprised at the unsubtle animosity between them.
"Yeah. I'll leave you to it then." Edythe almost doesn't want to go. It was strange to see something that beautiful hold that much anger. She has to remind herself that the wolf has a human under it. If Julie had been a regular wolf in the forest, Edythe could simply appreciate its beauty.
Still, Edythe retreats. Sprints all the way back home before Julie can say anything else.
*
It's raining heavily during lunch hour. Edythe's attention is split between watching the raindrops hit across the windows, listening to her siblings converse amongst themselves, and Beau lightly squeezing her left hand.
It's a bit unusual for Beau to sit with them during lunch, he opts for his own friends table most of the time. No one minds though, well, nobody except Rosalie.
Beau squeezes Edythe's hand again to catch her attention, to which he does. "Charlie's gonna be working late," Edythe can feel sweat begin to accumulate on Beau's palm. "You can come over straight after school."
The invitation is there, but Edythe's hesitant to accept.
"I have to go hunting tonight." It's a bold face lie. Her eyes are as golden as ever. Beau knows she doesn't need to feed.
Gratefully, Jasper takes pity on his sister, "We're going hunting tonight." He corrects.
Thankfully, Edythe's impromptu hunting trip yesterday was a feeding alone, evidenced by her siblings’ pitch black eyes.
Beau deflates a little. Obviously looking forward to spending some alone time with Edythe. "That's alright. You'll still come over when you're done, right?"
"Sure, I'll spend a few hours there until sunrise."
It's a promise she's sure to keep. Alice and Jasper are not so subtly eyeing her warily. Edythe was usually agreeable and keen to spend most of her time with Beau.
The rest of lunch passes without much fanfare. The Cullens still chatter quietly and Beau still holds Edythe's hand.
*
Lately Edythe's been experimenting with her music intake. She's always been a classical music enjoyer but she's been having a go at other genres. Funnily enough it's an indie-rock song that plays through her headphones that makes her think of the russet colored wolf.
Her mind had been drifting, thinking of nothing in particular when the image of Julie's wolf bares itself into the forefront of her mind. Edythe hasn't been privy to a full fledged view of Julie Black's human form, only briefly seeing the girl in passing. Socialization between their kind and hers was virtually nonexistent—only communicating once since their return to Forks.
Edythe secretly hungered for more interaction with the wolves. She knew that they could be dangerous but it was slightly enthralling—being so close yet so far from the 'enemy'. She's thought about jumping the treaty line before. Half curious, half insane, but not dumb enough to go through with it. She'd no doubt be slaughtered and the thought of causing any of her family pain, especially Carlisle, would burn her in shame and follow her into whatever afterlife a monster like her would end up in.
She shakes her head and rubs her hands over her face. Tries to stop thinking about it and the wolves. She pauses her music and removes her headphones.
Instead she thinks about Beau. His timid smile and the sweet aroma of him. There on her big white couch, she waits for the night, for late into the next day to run to Beau Swan's house and up into his window.