Chapter Seventeen: Temptations

Mason (POV)

I stood outside their house for several moments thinking about what to do. I kept turning Angela's words over and over in my head. Her wisdom hung heavily in my mind, like an anvil held above my head by a string, and at any moment it would snap and end my existence. My emotions were in chaos as I struggled with the choice ahead of me. Staying felt wrong on far too many levels, but the choice seemed so simple… on the surface. Either I could live among them and finally know the happiness that has eluded me for millennia, or, I could leave and return to my solitude, hoping that fate would save them from the fiery end Alice prophesized.

I was also torn as to whether I should eavesdrop on their meeting. Listening in would be a betrayal of trust. Although it was very tempting, since I wanted to know what they thought of me. The most unusual of all was my desire to hear what Angela said about me. For some reason their fragile human friend was more alluring to me than even the possibility of a family that could love me. There was no way to explain my nature so that they would believe me. Saving her life was almost an instinct, one that had been honed over centuries. I had been a Doctor long enough to save thousands of lives, but this stranger felt more important than any I had saved over the centuries.

It was such a relief to be around others who felt the same as me, my impulse to kill was so suppressed that it was atrophied. Still I would have to prove my intentions through actions. It was the only way to make them understand that I was genuine in my desire to be a part of their family. So as tempting as the information was, I couldn't betray their trust anymore. Manipulating Edward's powers was bad enough, and that had been done to help. No, I would have to wait for them to come to me. I would have to be patient with them and gain their trust through friendship. With a satisfied smile I turned and ran casually towards my new home.

I spent a few minutes doing a cursory inspection, and the house was a little rougher than I originally thought. But it had charm and gave me something to work on. My mind began to wonder as I checked the property. Although I was making a list of things to fix, tools I would need, and various supplies that would be required to facilitate the repairs, a pair of beautiful eyes popped into my mind's eye. They weren't hard to place; the subtle kindness of those eyes was impossible to mistake.

Angela had managed to wedge herself into my mind, and I kept thinking about her in a way that could only be described as infatuation. I had spent very little time with her, one conversation really. Yet something in her words, demeanor, and attitude drew me in. I couldn't understand what I was feeling. It was strange that somehow, I already had a longing to be close to her again. I had loved before, or at least I thought I had, and I had been with hundreds of women over the centuries, but for some reason Angela felt uniquely different to me.

Could soulmates be separated by four thousand years of life? The thought was utterly preposterous, much like the concept it represented. The idea of one soul that matched another perfectly seemed like romantic contrivance, pushed by the popular media to increase the sales of romantic fluff. Yet here I was drawn to a stranger in a way that could be described as kismet.

I needed to distance myself from these chaotic thoughts, and emotions they represented. So, I attempted to push everything from my mind. My laundry list of construction and a plan of attack was mostly formulated so I made my way to my car. When I got in and turned the engine over, I was greeted to loud rattles then a long ear-piercing squeal that ended a few seconds later by the terrible sound of the engine sputtering to a stop, accompanied by a pathetic rattle and a soft rumble.

"Lovely." I muttered to myself as I popped the hood and got out. As I exited, I nearly slammed the fragile fiberglass door into thousands of pieces. The engine looked fine on initial inspection, but as I began to dig, I found several minor issues that created one massive one. I shook my head in annoyance as I felt one of my kind draw close to me. Her feminine scent and pattern of footfalls gave me height and gender; I thought about the few possibilities in the area and settled on the tall blonde Rosalie.

I sighed silently to myself. I should never have let myself be baited into telling her about her latent gift. It was information I had never revealed to anyone, even my old coven. I chuckled to myself, I squarely blamed Angela for my vulnerability. She disarmed me in a way I had never experienced before. I felt nervous around her, like a schoolboy looking into the eyes of the object of his juvenile crush.

I shrugged off the reemerging train of thought that went along with Angela and her angelic smile… crap. I closed my eyes and thought about banging my head against the broken engine, but Rosalie was too close to complete the action quickly enough to avoid explanation. As she got closer, I turned away from my broken car and stood up straight. She seemed to be unsure of herself and actions, so I extended the invitation to converse.

"Rosalie, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I attempted to smile with the same genuine acceptance that I would want her family to show to me.

"I need you to teach me, I need to learn how to use my power." She seemed torn and unhappy. There was obviously something bothering her.

"What's wrong, you seem… troubled." I felt concern wash over my face.

"Don't do that. Don't look like you actually care about me." I felt like she had hit me in the stomach, I knew that she wasn't my biggest fan but to display such little trust in me was unnerving. Then she must've realized what she said, and a look of embarrassment and self-flagellation came across her face.

"Please understand, I am still learning about your family. I know that I am not tied to them as you are. But I still feel concern for your well-being. If there is something wrong, please let me know." I creased my eyebrows and felt my face tighten slightly. I knew it made me look more severe than intended but her hostility put me on edge. She looked at me for a protracted second, and I could see a range of emotions play underneath her perfect features, finally settling on incredulity.

"Fine, whatever. Will you teach me or what?" She snipped at me; her voice was carefully modulated to repress whatever she was feeling. It occurred to me that she was concealing a good portion of her emotions. If she was as complex as I believed, then she compartmentalized her thoughts and feelings completely. It was possible that with Edward's gift being the only proof of her personality, none of her family could possibly understand the depth of her emotions.

"Why do you do that?" I asked her honestly.

"Do what? Don't be cryptic; I'm not in the mood. I just want an answer." Her impatience was an act, questioning her was not something she was used to, and I could see it in her eyes.

"Put on that façade, none of them truly understand you, do they? Even you're beloved Emmett." Her eyes widened in anger and disbelief. She opened her mouth several times to begin to speak then stopped, her lips pulled into a pale line of rage. "Don't be angry, I was simply trying to gauge why you have come here alone. Your emotions are hard to read, you are far more complex a creature then your family understands." Her face fell. Suddenly it was as if she was vulnerable and naked in her emotions. I smiled at her before continuing.

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable; I am only trying to understand you better. And to answer your question, yes, I will teach you. But only if you promise to never use your gift for selfish purposes. It is not a power that should be in the hands of someone who would use it unwisely." I tried to accentuate my words so she would understand the massive weight her ability would make her responsible for.

"I, ah, I… don't know what to say." She smiled shyly and shook her head softly, "I guess there is a first time for everything. I don't know if I even want a power, I just need to know if you're honest in your information. It seemed like just as good a measure of proof than anything else. But now I'm not so sure. How is it possible that you of all people can read me like a book?" She seemed almost lighthearted in her query, it was an unexpected turn and made a little weary of her.

"I've been around hundreds of vampires and spent a great deal of time examining their mannerisms. It's a difficult skill to refine, but in a way, it is easier then understanding humans. You are very compartmentalized; you keep your emotions repressed and keep your mind filled with irrelevant observations and surface impulses. At least that is what I heard when I shared in Edward's ability. I do apologize for causing your family stress. It was far from my intention." I reverted to my teaching persona; it was easier to impart information that way.

"Ok, I get it. You're old and able to read me, but if you tell any of my family, I will use every ounce of my sway with them to push you away, and yes that was a threat. I know this a great way to start off, but I still think I need you to teach me. It is the only way I can be sure." She seemed resolute. "If it makes you happy, I vow to never use my gift for my own selfish desires, or the petty desires of others, does that work for you?"

"It will do." I smiled at her and then motioned for her to follow me into the woods. She looked hesitant for a moment then followed. I found a nice sized clearing, asked that she remain quiet and still, and then waited patiently for the forest life to resume their normal pursuits. Rosalie seemed impatient but remained motionless as I requested.

"Ok this is the hardest part, and it involves bringing your gift to the surface. You must be calm and focus on your inner fire, the point of thirst that is central to your being. Try to look past the impulse, past the sensation and into the flame itself." I filled my voice with patience and understanding.

"I don't need to patronized right now. It is not my fault that I don't understand your cryptic excuse for an explanation." She spoke icily and leveled a withering glare at me.

"Alright let's try a different approach. First close your eyes and think about the joy the blood fills you with as it reaches your throat. Hold onto that emotion, that sensation and try to feel it fully. Don't just let the surface of the euphoria touch you but push into the core of the pain and pleasure." She seemed to dwell on my words and their meaning for several minutes then she opened her mouth and let out a tiny moan of pleasure, followed quickly by a quiet scream of pain.

"I feel something searing and alien... Oh god, it's pulling me in!" She threw her head back and began to scream at full volume, then her eyes flew open and the bright crimson of pure thirst flooded into her irises. "What have you done to me?!" Her words were feral and punctuated by heavy breathing. The appetite and uncontrolled impulses of a newborn filled her with irresistible thirst.

"Exactly what you asked me to do, now concentrate. You have already mastered this part of your life, suppress or master the impulses and focus on the center of the flame." She shook her head in pain and frustration. Then slowly she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. "Now wrap yourself around that foreign thing inside and pull it to the surface." For a long time, she struggled with her inner demon, trying to coax the beast to relinquish the prize of her latent gift. Then suddenly her eyes flew open, I felt a wave of dominance extend from her like a blanket of oppression. She stared at me for a second then I felt the full force of her will slam against me.

"You will tell me your intentions, and you will tell me what you have concealed from us!" Then she leveled a withering glare at me, "Do you even deserve our trust or love?" I instinctively pushed against her will, but as I listened to her words, I dropped my defenses. I could see her smile as she realized she had me.

"I wish to be loved and be a part of your family even though I am scared to understand what that truly means. I am not entirely sure what I've done to Edward, and I don't know if he will recover. I would never betray your family intentionally, but I have lived a violent and destructive life and I don't know if I deserve to be accepted by your family." Her power was oppressive, and I felt like a robot spilling out fact instead of hard truths.

Then I felt her unshakable power retreat from my mind as she relaxed her hold on me. She looked at me for a moment with sorrow and guilt, and then fell to her knees in exhaustion. I caught her easily as she passed into a fugue of recovery. I gathered her up and propelled myself through the forest towards her home without thought or concern for my own safety. I could no longer hide from them, in good conscience, the fact that I had no idea what effect I truly had on their powers.