After leaving the trail, I headed home. My bike went straight into the garage, and I went straight into the shower. Dirt biking wasn't exactly a clean hobby.
Once finished, I changed into fresh clothes, grabbed my keys, and drove toward the Cullens' house.
...
I found myself sitting in the same living room where, less than twenty-four hours ago, I had undergone the unofficial trial of meeting Alice's family.
The room was quieter than before, with a few family members absent. Rosalie had apparently found a reason to remain upstairs, while Carlisle and Esme were out hunting.
Alice sat beside me, her legs folded comfortably on the couch, eyes closed as she leaned against my shoulder and hugged my arm against her chest. The image strongly reminded me of a child refusing to let go of a favourite teddy bear.
Yesterday, Alice had tried to maintain appearances in front of her family. She hadn't been cold or distant, but her behaviour had shown a certain restraint.
That restraint was nowhere to be found today.
This suited her much better.
Across the room, Emmett sat sprawled in an armchair, completely absorbed in a handheld console, a Nintendo Game Boy.
The sight was admittedly amusing. A large man with a tiny gaming device in his massive hands looked inherently ridiculous, especially considering the level of concentration on his face.
Not that I had any room to judge. I enjoyed games as much as anyone else. If someone handed me the console right now, I would probably look exactly the same.
Jasper sat beside him with his arms folded on his chest, doing a poor job of pretending he wasn't watching the screen. Edythe noticed, sighed, and let it go.
The family seemed to have an unspoken understanding that their questions had been exhausted yesterday. Whatever curiosity remained, they kept to themselves for a while. Consequently, Alice and I were largely left alone. Any conversations that did arise were easy, focused on their lives and routines, nothing that put anyone on the spot.
One question had been lingering in my mind for a while.
"I know most vampires only hunt once a month," I said. "Does your diet affect that?"
Edythe answered first.
"It does," she said. "We hunt at least every two weeks. Some of us more often." Her gaze shifted briefly to Jasper, who caught it and returned a small, easy smile.
"It isn't because we require more blood," Jasper added. "It's because we need more discipline to maintain our lifestyle."
I nodded.
"The bloodlust?"
"Exactly."
His voice remained calm and measured.
"Animal blood dulls the thirst, but it doesn't satisfy it the way human blood would. Consequently, the hunger returns sooner. As the newest member of the family on this diet, I hunt about twice as often as the others, to keep my head clear."
I nodded before glancing down at Alice.
She had opened her eyes during Jasper's answer and was listening quietly, except her eyes were a noticeably darker shade of gold than they'd been yesterday.
I studied her for a moment.
"You little thing," I smiled.
"Were you trying to make sure I wouldn't smell it?"
Her expression immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
"That it's been nearly four weeks since you hunted."
The room became very quiet.
Alice stared at me.
"...How?"
There was genuine surprise in her voice.
Possibly a little panic as well.
I reached over and lightly tapped the tip of her nose.
"My dear, there are very few scents in this world that I can't identify."
She immediately looked away.
The reaction alone confirmed everything.
I continued, unable to suppress my amusement.
"And those perfumes, shampoos, lotions, and whatever else you've been using certainly weren't enough to hide it."
Alice lowered her head slightly. "I was going to go tomorrow."
"You were going to go tomorrow," I repeated.
She lifted her chin slightly. "It's within a normal range."
A smile tugged at my lips.
Emmett let out a sound that was almost certainly a suppressed laugh.
I stood, reached down, and scooped her off the couch. She didn't even think to resist, settling against my side with the calm acceptance of a consequence.
I started toward the balcony doors.
"So," I asked casually, "what are we in the mood for tonight?"
Alice wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Hm?"
"Deer? Moose? Bears? Rabbits?"
Understanding dawned.
"Oh."
I had already opened the balcony door.
Night had fallen outside. The forest stretched beneath the moonlight.
Alice looked up at me.
"I like elk."
"Any particular kind?"
A small pause. "Tule elk," she admitted. "But they don't live in Washington."
I nodded.
"The California ones?"
"Yes."
"California it is, then."
I turned back to the room. Emmett looked up from his Game Boy. Jasper and Edythe watched with the calm of those who had learned not to look surprised.
"Dinner date in California," I said. "See you all later, guys"
As soon as the words left my mouth, my wings appeared behind me.
The familiar motion displaced enough air to rustle furniture throughout the room.
Alice settled herself more comfortably in my arms.
A moment later, I stepped from the balcony.
One powerful beat sent us into the night sky, and moments later, invisibility cloaked us. The house shrank below until there was nothing but dark air and the distant sound of the forest.
…
General POV
For several moments after they disappeared into the night, the room remained quiet, the balcony doors still open to the cool evening air.
Emmett was the first to speak, his gaze fixed on the empty balcony. "You know," he began, "setting aside the whole winged-man-flying-to-California thing for a moment..." His words immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room. "Am I the only one who feels like we've never actually seen the real Alice until recently?"
The question seemed to catch Edythe off guard.
"What do you mean?"
Emmett frowned slightly as he searched for the right words.
"I don't know exactly. It's not like she was fake before, or that she's suddenly become a different person. She's still Alice," he said, pausing, "but lately, it feels like she's more herself than she's ever been."
Jasper looked at Emmett for a moment before speaking.
"While I do have a suspicion that someone replaced Emmett, he's right. She's happier."
Emmett immediately pointed at him, ignoring the first part.
"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."
Edythe was quiet for a moment, then nodded. A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I've noticed it too. She also doesn't spend nearly as much time worrying about the future anymore."
Alice had always been energetic, cheerful, and optimistic. Yet there had always been things she kept to herself, worries she carried alone, frustrations she rarely spoke about. Even surrounded by family, there were moments when she seemed strangely distant, as though part of her attention was always elsewhere.
Emmett leaned back in his chair and looked out into the darkness beyond the balcony.
"Good," he said simply.
Nobody disagreed.
…
Several miles away from the Cullen house, Samael began to descend. The motion was gradual at first, almost unnoticeable, but Alice picked up on it immediately. She tilted her head slightly, watching him with confusion as the wind shifted around them and the forest below started to rise closer instead of falling away.
She wasn't worried. If anything, she was simply trying to understand the change. Samael didn't seem like someone who deviated from a stated plan without reason, and he had clearly said they were going to California, which was why the sudden descent felt more like intention than hesitation.
A few moments later, he landed in a quiet clearing surrounded by dense trees and gently lowered her to her feet. Alice looked around once, then turned back toward him with a questioning expression.
"What happened?"
Samael smiled faintly, as if the answer should have been obvious.
"Nothing happened."
That only made her more suspicious.
He stepped back slightly and spread his arms in a relaxed motion. "I'm simply much slower in this form."
Alice blinked once.
Then he added, almost casually, "And you did say you like lying on fluffy things."
The moment she understood where he was going, her face changed entirely. Her eyes went wide, a large, unguarded smile broke across her face.
She even bounced slightly where she stood, excitement breaking through her composure.
Samael let out a quiet, amused breath. "Wait here for a second," he said. Then he paused, tilting his head slightly as if remembering something. "And a small warning."
Alice tilted her head in response.
His expression shifted into something mildly entertained. "I'm not small."
"Okay," she raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting."
Without another word, he stepped back into the treeline and was gone.
At first, there was only silence. Alice stood still, listening, but within seconds she began to hear movement in the forest around her. Branches shifted somewhere to the left, bushes rustled. Trees creaked softly under a pressure that didn't match any ordinary animal, sounding more like something from a dinosaur documentary.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the noise stopped.
Silence returned.
"Samy?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the air several meters away began to shimmer, like heat rising from stone. The invisibility dissolved gradually, the way fog pulls back from a surface. The first thing she saw was a pair of legs. Lion legs, pale gold in the darkness. She followed them upward.
And upward.
Samael had warned her.
She had still underestimated him.
The wolves, when she had first encountered them, had seemed very large. Yet Samael was at least twice their height, his broad, muscled frame crowned by a dense mane that only made him appear larger. Moonlight washed over him, catching in his fur and turning it almost luminous. He didn't move. He simply stood there, watching her silently, as if giving her time to process what she was seeing.
Majestic was the only word that came close, and even that felt insufficient.
Alice remained still for several seconds, captivated by the sight. She had imagined this moment before, replayed it in her mind more than once since he'd told her the truth, but none of those versions had prepared her for the sheer scale of reality.
Eventually, curiosity won over stillness. She took a slow step forward, then another, until she stood beside one of his front legs.
She reached out carefully, placing her hand on his fur. The texture was dense but smooth beneath her fingers.
"So soft," she said quietly.
An ordinary person, even one who loved him, would have felt instinctive alarm, perhaps even pure fear, standing in Alice's place. She also had known for some time that Samael was far stronger than her, even though he gave little outward indication of it. Standing beside him and looking up at his true form, that understanding became starkly clear.
But she felt none of it.
It didn't frighten her. If anything, the feeling that settled over her was the opposite: a deep sense of safety. She felt more secure than she had anywhere else.
Moving along his side, her gaze eventually reached his wings, folded against his back. Even folded, they were enormous. She moved her palm slowly along the surface.
"You're so beautiful," she said quietly. "You know that?"
A short, strong huff came from somewhere above her. The kind that said of course without needing the words.
Alice giggled softly under her breath, shaking her head once.
Samael lowered his head slightly, bringing his massive face closer to her level, and gently nudged her with his nose. The motion was careful despite his size, and Alice laughed as she steadied herself against him.
Moments later, he lowered himself to the ground, making it easier for her to reach him. Alice immediately took the given advantage, running her hands through his mane, behind his ears, and along his cheeks, completely absorbed in the sensation.
If left alone, she likely would have continued indefinitely, showing every sign of intending to.
So, he spoke.
Not a sound she might have anticipated, no rumble, purr, or even growl. Words, in a very deep, steady voice that resonated from his chest.
"As much as I'd rather let you continue," he said, "I want you to feed first. My love."
Alice froze instantly, her head snapping up.
"You can talk?!"
A deep laugh rumbled through him, powerful enough that she could feel it in the ground beneath her feet.
"Who else would it be?" he replied, amused.
She stared for a moment longer, then her expression softened completely. The surprise melted away into something warmer, and she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around as much of him as she could reach.
"Of course you can," she said, with a small, certain smile. "Who else would it be, if not you."
Then she pressed her face against him.
Samael lowered his head to rest against her, holding still for a long moment. The forest around them remained quiet, untouched, as if giving them space.
Then he spoke again. "Alright, my lovely pixie. Get on."
She giggled, pulled back, and climbed up, shifting around until she found a comfortable position at the base of his neck, where the mane was thickest.
He waited until she'd settled, then rose to his full height. He then dropped into a low, slow crouch, like a cat before a leap. He launched straight up, clearing forty metres in a single jump, well short of full effort, before his wings spread wide.
The wind rushed past them, as Samael's wings began steady beats that carried them higher into the sky.
"Honey," he called over the wind, "I know you don't need to breathe, but hold on tight."
"Alright!" she said.
On the third beat, they broke the sound barrier.
He settled at 1.2 Mach, still below his top speed. He could go even faster than 2 Mach, but it was the point where aerodynamic laws began to exert their will even on a body like his. Tonight, however, there was no need to push it. California was less than forty minutes away.