Storyid: 4856255

FanFiction.net
Name: Prey
Author: summer35
Chapter 1 to 26

Chapter: 1

PREY

Once and for all disclaimer.

Twilight and all its characters are properties of Stephenie Mayer.

Summary: AU. A powerful group of humans know of the existence of vampires and werewolves
and strict rules are in place for the uneasy coexistence between the three kinds. Transforming
humans without tacit permission is banned and all violators and victims are ordered destroyed.
Bella was attacked when she was eight years old but miraculously survived. She returns to Forks
during her junior year in high school and encounters the Olympic Coven. Against her will, she is
drawn to Edward Cullen and into the dangerous world of shifting loyalties and deadly intrigue.

Rated M for violence and sexual situations.

Thanks to Maylin and sleepyjo, Prey's wonderful betas, and to all those who've followed this
story through its various convolutions.

Prologue

The thick snow blanketed the faint trail, making it almost impossible to see the path. Thin rays of
light broke through the thick foliage. The young man trudged on, stopping only when he saw a
faint glow at a distance.

It had been at least eight decades since he last walked this trail. This part of Forks was just wild
forest then, part of his and his coven's territory. The humans had no idea whose land they have
encroached upon.

He stood silently, opening his senses to gauge the humans that now occupy the area. He could
smell the wood burning from a fireplace and the faint aroma of something cooking.

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A few more steps and a house came into full view, a police cruiser parked in front and a grey
family van next to it. His acute hearing picked up two voices -- a male and female -- arguing
intensely. The woman was intent on leaving while the man argued that she "would not take his
daughter from him." Both consciously kept their voices from rising beyond the walls.

He stretched his senses beyond the first house. The humans were preoccupied with various
human concerns and he found nothing of interest in their activities.

He turned back to his trail when he heard a faint sound -- the small sniff of somebody crying. It
startled him, as the sound seemed near. There was no way he could have missed a human that
close. He searched in the direction of the sound and sensed nothing.

He frowned, unsatisfied, but decided to leave nonetheless. Even if the human was near, he was
sure that the forest had concealed him. Just then, the wind blew towards him, carrying a strange
scent that burned through his nostrils and throat. It disoriented him, rooting him to the spot. It
was not a strong scent, yet there was something about it. He had just fed an hour before but now
he suddenly felt inexplicably thirsty.

Against his bidding, his legs carried him towards the edge of the forest and into a small clearing.
He knew he was being reckless by coming so close, but it was like something was calling to him
and he couldn't help it. Then he saw her.

She could not have been older than eight. She sat in a small tree stump, facing the forest,
unmindful of the snow and cold. She was crying softly as she clutched her right hand. She had
cut her finger and a small amount of her blood was slowly seeping out of the wound.

As he drew closer, he could see her oval shaped face, framed by fine brown hair. He stared at her
hand, transfixed as a drop of blood fell from her finger, so small that it almost didn't stain the
pristine white snow at her feet. The wind blew once again and the scent of blood from her hand
and inside her small body slammed into him in full force. In a nanosecond, his thirst raged into a
full-on hunger. Time slowed as his eyes turned dangerously darker, his face paler. He gave a low
hiss, baring his sharp teeth.

He breathed again, a mistake. The child's scent seemed to snake around him. He could see that
she was pale. The thin blue veins in her wrists and small hands were visible to his sharp eyes. He
could see the small pulse beating in her young, breakable neck. He felt venom pool in his mouth.
So soft, so young.

So defenceless, the monster within him rejoiced.

He scanned the area. Nobody was near. The couple inside the house were still fighting about
mundane things, unaware of the monster outside. It wouldn't even take a second for him to take
her right there or carry her to the woods and be done with her. He could dispose of her body
cleanly, burn it or throw it into the river. Nobody would know any better.

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"What's the matter, little girl?" he heard himself say as he approached.

She looked up, startled. Brown eyes stared into topaz. She sat transfixed, mesmerized, exactly
how he wanted her. He crouched in front of her and reached for her right hand.

"Does it hurt? Let me help you." He continued in a low, soothing voice. He reached for her hand
and licked her wound. The child took in a sharp breath.

He covered her fingers with his mouth and sucked gently, reverently. He closed his eyes. He had
never tasted blood this glorious, this sweet, this fresh. The monster inside him strained, urging
him make a bigger wound but he didn't want to be rushed. He bit her hand gently, making new
fresh wounds. He released a small amount of his venom to numb her hand and dull her pain.

He looked up to the child, fascinated by her beautiful face, which was now starting to twist in
pain. He increased his venom to immobilize her and stop her from crying out. He tipped his head
to one side. The child mimicked him involuntarily, tilting her head to provide him with the
unhampered access to the side of her neck. He released her hand and slowly aimed for her the
jugular. He opened his mouth and poised to bite, eagerly anticipating the rush of her delicious
blood.

"Stop!" A woman's voice, too low for the human ear, broke the air. He had not sensed the others
coming. He had been too absorbed with the child and her blood that he had dangerously blocked
out every thought, every sense.

Two set of arms pulled him away, just as the third set held on to the child.

"What the hell are you doing? She's a child." The man who gripped his right arm hit him. Hard.

Stunned, he let the others pull him away. They ran him through the forest, away from the scene
of his crime. The monster within him raged and struggled, but the two set of arms held him in
twin vicelike grips.

The third person, a man, stayed with the child. He quickly examined the wounds on her hands
and looked for others. He looked worried as he noticed that blood had stopped flowing and her
hand was starting to swell. There must be venom in her system, he deduced, but there was no
way he could ascertain how potent it was without screening her blood or biting her to see for
himself. He could hear the other humans coming down from the second floor of the house. He
can either destroy her and the other humans now or take her away and destroy her later without
witnesses present. He had no desire to do either. If she died, it would be hard to pinpoint the
cause. But he hoped that she lived.

Young bodies heal quickly, he thought. He faced the child and calmly but firmly spoke to her.

"You will not speak of this to anybody, ever. Do you understand?"

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"Yes." The child, still in trance, answered.

Her parents would be at the backdoor any moment now. The man looked at the child, silently
asking for her forgiveness for his son's impetuosity, before he too disappeared into the dark
confines of the forest.

O_O

Chapter: 2

Bella comes home

Bella could see Charlie in the lobby, anxiously craning his neck in search for her.

This is it, she thought. No going back now.

She wasn't sure what possessed her to volunteer to live with Charlie. She only knew that it would
be better for her mother not to be saddled with her for a while, especially now that Renee has
found a new love and was intent on making their relationship work. Besides, she needed a
change of scenery. Phoenix was becoming too sunny, too bright for her.j

"Dad! Here!"

"Bella!" The crowd parted easily for a man in uniform, and Charlie was in front of her within
seconds, hugging her awkwardly. They hadn't seen each other except for a brief visit when she
was thirteen but she couldn't help a rush of fondness for him as she hugged him back, her arms
gripping him tightly for a few seconds. She hadn't expected it, but it felt like she was coming
home. It was if her time in Phoenix, where she'd lived for the past nine years, was nothing but a
brief intermission.

"How was the flight?" he asked, pleasantly surprised by her affection. He couldn't help notice
that she'd grown even more beautiful since the last time he saw her and wondered how he could
had a hand in creating her.

"Fine, I guess. You know I hate flying."

Charlie nodded. If she didn't, she would have visited him in Forks a long time ago.

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"This way," he said, pulling her towards the nearest exit. "Hope you don't mind riding in the
cruiser."

"Course not, Dad," she answered easily, laughing. "So, you're all my welcoming party?"

"Just me. But I might have mentioned your coming to a hundred people or so." He smiled
sheepishly as he placed her luggage at the back of the cruiser. She smiled back, wondering
briefly why she even thought that living with Charlie wasn't going to work.

They drove in companionable silence, their initial awkwardness and apprehensions slowly
melting away. Both were relieved that they seemed to have gotten their first meeting right. Soon,
they were on the road to her childhood home.

"You're all set at school by the way," Charlie mentioned after a while. "Your mother sent your
papers a few weeks ago so you're good to go. First day tommorrow."

She nodded distractedly, looking outside her window. The place was exactly as she remembered
-- the snow-coated roads, the moss-covered trees. The only thing brown was the slush in the
road. She craned her neck as she spotted the town as it loomed picturesquely, framed by the thick
forest behind it.

"Hey, we're here," she grinned at Charlie, feeling strangely excited before a face flashed through
her mind unbidden. As it was before, the face was blurred except for a pair of topaz eyes,
followed by a voice asking.

"What's the matter?"

Surprised, she slumped back to her seat. For two years, the eyes ad the voice had came to her in
sporadic dreams, but never when she was awake. As she turned to look to the forest beyond the
town, a feeling of unwanted foreboding crept into her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her father's house at a distance. Except for the red
beat-up truck parked in the driveway, it was almost exactly as she remembered.

"Hope you don't mind. I've taken the liberty of buying you something to ride on so you don't
have to wait around for your old man after school," Charlie said to her as soon as they got out of
the cruiser.

"That's for me?" Pushing the unwanted fear away, she went to the truck and ran her hands over
its body. Charlie threw her the keys and she immediately climbed inside. "It's awesome, Dad.
Thanks."

"You're welcome," Charlie smiled broadly, enjoying her appreciation. "Let's get your bags in
first and grab some dinner. Then you can rest as you've a big day tommorrow."

5
They went inside and it was almost like they've lived in the same house for years. Dinner was a
simple affair, as they didn't feel the need to fill the air with constant chatter. After a while,
Charlie left her in her room as he went down to watch his favorite show. Bella surmised it was
going to be their routine and she felt strangely comfortable with it. It was a pleasant change from
Renee's affectionate but sometimes overbearing presence.

She looked around her room. It was also almost exactly how she left it nine years ago. For some
unexplainable reason, she couldn't remember the day she and her mother left the place. Renee
told her that she got sick soon after, spending a lot of time in the hospital with a disease no
doctor could identify. Then just as abruptly, she was well. She rationalized that maybe she had
blocked that particular incident from her memory. Nobody wanted to remember how their lives
ended abruptly.

She looked outside her window to peer into the small clearing the led to the edge of the woods.

"What's the matter, little girl?" Her skin crawled. She slammed the window, bolted it and took a
few steps backward. That voice, clearer now. Maybe it wasn't a dream, maybe it was a memory
as she suspected.

Her life had been uneventful, even boring, as far as she could remember. But two years ago, she
felt something different came over her. It was subtle but she felt the changes. She stopped
tanning and grew paler with each passing day. Renee had been alarmed but the doctor assured
her that she was perfectly fine except she would now need more sun block. Her body started to
shed unwanted pounds bit by bit, shaping her long, slender form. She wondered about it as she
didn't exercise and ate the same sugary foods Renee had forbidden her to eat.

She stopped walking into walls and tripping over her own feet. She could now move
comfortably, even gracefully. Her newfound agility puzzled her. She wondered over the changes,
wondered if they were normal. But she wrote it off to developing maturity, adolescence.

But there were other things as well. Sometimes, she swore she could hear her neighbors talking
even when they were a hundred meters away. And smell what Mrs. Cooper was cooking for
dinner despite the fact that her house was five houses away from theirs. There were times when
she would feel extreme thirst and no matter what she does did, no matter how much she drank,
she couldn't shake off the feeling. The thirst would be unbearable sometimes, she would shake
uncontrollably for hours. She'd hug the walls, unable to sleep and slowly feel herself go insane.
After the thirst passed, she would always be left with a feeling of foreboding about when the next
"attack" would be. And then there was that strange dream and the even stranger abilities.

A few times, she thought of confiding everything to her mother but decided there really wasn't
anything she would be able to do either. Nothing came out of her annual physicals. She didn't
want to risk a visit to a psychiatrist for fear of being labeled bipolar, depressive or whatever.
Renee would just shake her head while watching her daughter devour steaks, done rare, during
those times. It was the only thing that seemed to help her thirst during what Renee call her
"anxiety attacks".

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O_O

Chapter: 3

The Cullens

Edward stood by the window, deep in thought. He looked out at the magnificent mountains that
surrounded his latest home. He had grown accustomed to the whiteness of his surroundings, the
gentle breeze that swayed the tips of the birches and the silence that came with being alone.

Except for Jasper and Alice, it had been years since he had last seen the others in his coven. He
had lived apart from them, moving from country to country on the fringes of Europe, staying
only a year or so in each place. Now, his coven has called on him to join them once again to live
as a family as they'd decided to push through with their aborted move to Forks. On other
occasions, he would have welcomed the diversion. But the move filled him with apprehension.

"Edward, are you ready?" He smiled wryly as he heard Alice through the door. She and Jasper
have always been close to him as they were the only ones who could withstand his extreme
moods. When he didn't answer, she entered his room to stand by his side.

"We'll be all right. You have nothing to worry about. I don't see anything out of the ordinary
happening to us or you," she told him quietly when he stayed silent.

"Perhaps," he answered noncommittally.

"It will be a welcome change," she continued. "It's been a while since we all lived together."

"I know," he replied. "I am looking forward to seeing the others."

"Seeing the others," she repeated. "But not staying with us in Forks."

"I won't be far."

"Edward," she sighed. "The point of going back to Forks is to have the family together again. It's
our home, our domain outside the Volturri."

You owe us that much. She didn't have to say or even think it. He knew he was the reason why

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the coven broke apart. He'd deliberately taken himself out, forcing Alice and Jasper to follow
him as he moved aimlessly from one city to another.

"Promise me, at least, that you'll try to stay with us even for just a while," she insisted, despite
knowing that there was really nothing she could do if he didn't want to. "That you won't go
running away at the first chance you get or as soon as you have an excuse."

Reluctantly, he nodded. He didn't want to be the cause of more grief.

"You used to love that place," she said wistfully. "The perpetually overcast skies, the forests
around it and that place you have just outside town."

"That was close to a hundred years ago, Alice." It sounded so childish that he couldn't help laugh
a little.

"Carlisle says we can stay there a little longer than usual. We'll just have to start high school a
little earlier. Ridiculous, I know. Carlisle and his strange ideas of human integration," she said,
amused. "But you have to agree that he'd always been right about this things. We don't have to
stay in the fringes forever. We're more than that."

"High school," he grimaced. "Excellent."

"Why not? Humans are coolest during high school. The urges, the hormones," she giggled. "It's
the perfect place for us. Everyone's strange one way of the other. Besides, you have to admit,
we're way, way out of touch with the jargon and fashions of the times."

He winced at the idea of going back to such a juvenile environment but her enthusiasm was
infectious. He felt a little of his gloom lift. His coven had long looked forward to returning to the
Forks, after decades of residence in the cold, narrow regions of Europe and Russia. It was their
home during their early years as a family. However great his fears were, he knew that he did not
have the right to deny his family this long held wish. Even if it meant going back to high school.

They had spent years apart out of necessity in more than five decades.

The Volturri had called upon them as a new world order was being forced into fruition. The era
of complete vampire secrecy had ended then. A small group of powerful humans had discovered
their existence and that of their natural-born enemies, the werewolves. These humans had wasted
no time in aligning themselves with the werewolves to secure the future of their species. They
proposed an all-encompassing covenant, designed to keep the status quo and allowed all three
species to co-exist peacefully. They agreed to a small number of human sacrifices as long as the
vampires started turning to "alternative sources" of food. In exchange, the select humans
promised to keep the existence of vampires secret from the rest of humanity and vowed to help
in their search for a more viable diet, one which would not lead to both species' extinction.

For the first time in the entire vampire history, restrictions were applied so that vampires could

8
not indiscriminately kill or increase their population. Unauthorized interactions with a human
beings "with vampiric intent" were strictly forbidden, All transformations were to be authorized
first by a standing Volturri court and then announced and accepted by a werewolf-human coven.
All transgressors were ordered destroyed. And it was up to the Volturri and its guards to police
the vampires' ranks.

The curious habits and unparalleled abilities of the Olympic coven had made them strong and
logical keepers of the new order. As Carlisle had always espoused the philosophy of peaceful
coexistence, the family agreed to fulfil certain duties until such time that others may take over
the tasks and a more stable relationship between the species had already been established.

For years, Rosalie and Emmett ran rescue missions to help vampires too weak or too disoriented
in resisting the call of human blood or on the verge of committing other transgressions. Their
"parents," Carlisle and Esme, operated a facility for young vampires designed to wean them off
the diet of human blood and train them to coexist harmoniously with humans.

But it was Edward, along with Alice and Jasper, who carried out the most dangerous and the
worst of the Volturri's dirty work -- destroying rebellious vampires and their infected prey in the
name of keeping the peace between vampires, werewolves and humans.

Of the three, Edward was recognized as the leader. All of them may look no older than seventeen
but in reality he was more than a hundred years old. Alice and Jasper were even older.
Individually, each held formidable powers in the field. Combined, they were absolutely lethal
and no vampire, newborn or otherwise, had ever defeated them.

The Volturri had since released them, freeing them from their duties so that they could once
more live peacefully and without interference.

O_O

Chapter: 4

First encounter

"Let's get a move on, people!" Edward heard Emmett shout from his jeep as he followed Alice
and Jasper out the front door. Rosalie was already in the front seat. He watched his siblings greet
each other and listened in to their thoughts. Emmett was amused, Rosalie bored. Alice was way
too excited.

9
"You're still too hyper," he heard Jasper chide Alice. He'd been trying to calm her down for
hours.

"I'm trying," she complained. "It had been a while since we pretended to be humans."

It was an overcast day, just as the weatherman had promised. A perfect backdrop for their new
beginning.

They drove towards the school that Esme had enrolled them all in. Emmett and Rosalie as
seniors, Edward as a junior and Jasper and Alice as sophomores. Carlisle had taken residence in
the town's modest hospital and Esme has sufficiently charmed the concerned citizens to firmly
establish the family tree and Esme's charm had been enough to firmly establish the family tree
with Fork's concerned citizens. They were all adopted or so the story goes.

Emmett parked his jeep far from the school's entrance and all five vampires ambled out of the
vehicle slowly, careful not to appear too fast to human eyes too fast to be human. Everything was
what as they expected, from the collection of trucks and cars that littered the parking lot to the
fascinated and furtive glances that they received from the humans who happened to notice them.

From the street, they disinterestedly watched a red beat-up truck chug its way past them and park
a few spaces from Emmett's jeep. They were just about to walk towards the school's entrance
when a slight breeze blew upwards.

Edward stiffened, recognizing a strange scent. His skin tingled. He felt his thirst grow, despite
having hunted for the previous three days.

He growled and stopped breathing. A memory pushed to the forefront of his mind. Brown eyes,
pale hands, blood on white snow. A precious drop, wasted.

"Damn it, Alice. Why didn't you tell me?" He clutched at her arm as he let out a string of curses.

"Tell you what?" Alice turned to him, alarmed at the way his pupils were dilating, his eyes
turning dark. "Edward, stop."

"The child." He pulled Alice to the back of the vehicle, away from watchful eyes. "She's here."

A wave of self-loathing and disgust consumed him, as strong and complete as it had the first time
he broke out of his trance that fateful night nine years ago. He was reminded, once again, that he
was a monster. The worst kind there is -- one who preys on small, defenseless children.

"No, she's not. I would have seen it if she was..." she trailed just as a slip of a girl slid out from
the truck. All four turned to watch her as she gracefully slung her backpack over her shoulder
and moved unhurried to the school's entrance.

As if knowing that she was being watched, the girl turned and stared openly at the group of

10
vampires. Edward leaned against the jeep, his grip on Alice strong enough to break her arm if
she was human. Jasper and Emmett moved to hold him cautiously on both sides. Rosalie casually
leaned on Alice to shield him from the girl's sight.

They stood still, careful not to show any sign of surprise or recognition on their faces. For a long
second, the girl stood her ground, silently daring them to look away first. Then with a little
shrug, turned and went her way.

"How insolent. She actually dared us." Rosalie said.

"I can't do this. I have to go." Edward muttered as he broke from his brothers' grasp and started
to walk away.

"Dammit, Edward, I didn't know," Alice hurried after him. "She's just a child. You can do this."

"Not now, Alice," he told her curtly. He felt Alice's disappointment and his other siblings' unease
as he headed for the forest near the school. This was exactly what Alice feared he would do.

As soon as he was out of sight, he ran with inhuman speed. Within minutes, he was across town,
in front of the hospital where Carlisle worked. He riffled through the minds and immediately
found him.

"Don't ask me anything now," he said without warning as he burst through Carlisle's office. "Can
I take your car?"

Carlisle stared at him in shock. There were only a handful of times that he had seen Edward
rattled. Without a word, he gave him the keys to his Mercedes.

Edward was not even out of the door when the phone in his office rang.

"Carlisle," it was Alice. "The child, she's here."

"What?"

"She must have arrived after we did. I don't know why I didn't see her and still don't see her now
in my visions. She didn't recognize Emmett or Rosalie. Edward caught her scent before any of us
and ran so it's probable that she's still as potent to him now as she was before. There is something
off about her. She's pale, almost as pale as us and she moves like she is consciously slowing her
pace." Alice talked at vampire speed, too rapid for any human to understand.

Her presence hadn't come up either when Carlisle did his initial investigation weeks before. She
would certainly complicate things. But they were here now, they would just have to deal with it,
he decided.

"Stay with her," Carlisle advised. "Edward just left so she's not in immediate danger. Can you

11
see where he's going? Clear his schedules and make his excuses. We don't want to give a bad
impression this early in our stay. Get closer to the girl and assess her. I'll see you after school so
we can all figure this out."

"Right now, he's deciding to go to Alaska or back to Finland. He's leaning toward Alaska, I don't
think he'll go far. Rosalie and Jasper will be tracking the girl but it's going to be difficult. We'll
have to check her classes and find any common schedule with her. I'll call as soon as we have
something." She hung up without saying goodbye.

----

At lunchtime, Alice secured a table at the far end of the cafeteria and waited for Jasper and her
siblings. The bell rang and students poured inside in groups, all stealing glances at Alice, awed
and a little frightened at the same time. Jasper came in first, followed by an annoyed Rosalie and
an amused Emmett.

"She's a junior, like Edward. Just our luck," Rosalie announced wryly. "And she's more aware
than the ordinary, boring human. I think she caught me a couple of times."

"Why can't I still see her in my visions? Jasper, what have you got?"

"Nothing much. Just a little apprehension, and a lot of embarrassment at the attention she's
getting. Although it's not as terrible as the attention we're getting," he said.

"Do you think she knows more than she lets on? She's almost at stealthy as us. If Edward was
here, he could pick her brains." Emmett stated.

"If Edward was here, she'd be dead by now," Rosalie retorted.

The afternoon rolled by and they only glimpsed the girl a few times. By the time they got to their
jeep, her red truck was already gone.

----

"Hello! I'm home!" Bella called to the empty house facetiously. She knew Charlie wasn't home
yet. Charlie did say he was usually home by six or seven and it was only four.

"That was certainly a most interesting first day," she thought aloud. The classes were boring, as
she had expected, but her classmates were quite nice. Then there were the four, no five, students
who started her day with a stare down. The Cullens, she later learned. They just moved to town,
like she she had. In a way, she was thankful to them. They seemed to have dazzled the entire
student population with their mere presence and it made her first day in the new school less
stressful.

She had to hand it to them, they were intriguing. Even at a distance, she noticed their eyes were a

12
uniform shade of brown. There was something about them that screamed "get away" so instead
of asking them what their problem was at the parking lot, she did what her mother always told
her – she walked away. Little did she know this decision had saved her life.

The entire day, Bella could have sworn that the blonde girl was shadowing her. She was also so
discreet about it that if she wasn't so naturally paranoid, she would have chalked it all up to
coincidence. So she avoided common places and stuck to walls and corners.

She soon learned the details of the Cullen "siblings." They were all adopted by this young doctor
and his wife and there was a fifth brother though no one seemed to have seen or met yet. Bella
had seen him but not fully, so she guessed that didn't count.

She wondered what happened to him, the boy with the copper hair. He did seem to be in pain
that morning, so maybe he was really sick. She suspected that he was her lab partner in biology,
as she waited in vain for one Edward Cullen to show up.

The next day, he still hadn't shown up. And the day after. And the next. Soon, the week ended.
And then another. Two weeks passed but Edward Cullen was still a no-show.

O_O

Chapter: 5

Disclaimer: After three revisions, still not mine.

08/09/29: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

The first confrontation

A simple promise and he couldn't even keep it. He was as pathetic as Alice knew he would be.

Almost two weeks had passed but Edward was nowhere near coming to a decision. The days
have been tolerable enough as Tanya made sure he didn't want for anything. The Denalis of
Alaska, a vampire coven much like his own, had eased his anxiety a little as they tried to assure
him with their easy acceptance. They hadn't asked any questions so he hadn't told them anything.

There were times when he remembered clearly what happened. The blow Emmett had dealt him,
the string of profanities Rosalie had uttered as they dragged him across the forest. Carlisle's
disappointed face. Decades of denial and carefully cultivated control, all gone in one whimsical
act of selfishness.

13
It had taken him days to get his bloodlust under control. The taste of fresh human blood had
stripped him of the last human traits that he managed to hold on to. As he struggled for control,
the others had debated as to what to do with him and how to hush up his crime.

"You should have let him finish her. He has the privilege, the authority...," Jasper had told
Carlisle then.

Under the covenant, vampires were allowed to kill for blood as long as they had the permission
of a human court. Certain humans were selected as "sacrifices" as those in power understood that
not all vampires can live solely on animal blood and needed human blood every now and then.
Vampires like Edward who held supreme positions had the license not only to kill sacrificial
targets but even non-targets if it was justifiable.

"He might have the privilege to kill indiscriminately but he has no right, no right whatsoever to
kill a human being when there is still a choice," Carlisle had been firm.

They might not always agree with Carlisle but Edward and his siblings always followed their
father's word.

"We'll be all right. The child will survive. Edward will be all right," Alice, coming out of her
trance, had announced then.

And everybody had agreed with her.

That part had been hard enough to endure. But for him, the worst part was his family's
forgiveness and understanding. After the initial panic passed and Forks was abandoned, they
gave him his space and left him to deal with his demons. He felt their disappointment but never
their condemnation. They found excuses for his behaviour. He was just at the end of his patience
after decades of constant fighting and destruction. Or it was just a momentary lapse, nothing
more. Their acceptance and faith in him then only made him feel more guilty and undeserving
and left him with no hope for redemption.

He never imagined that nine years later, he would run into her again and that the thirst would
uncontrollably flare again.

For days, he mulled over his reaction and tried to rationalize his behaviour. Did the child drive
him away? Or was it an unconscious decision on his part to walk away from a situation that he
wasn't prepared to deal with yet? Maybe he was stronger than he thought. Maybe he can endure
the call now that he'd had time to prepare himself.

He thought that maybe, this was his chance to redeem himself. If he could control himself around
the child and not attack her, then maybe he would be a little worthy of his family's trust. He
would endure his thirst and not give in to the monster, even if it killed him. He'd had nine years
to strengthen his resolve after all. And he did manage to walk away even after having the child
so near. His siblings didn't even have to restrain him.

14
He decided to go back. He didn't bother calling them. He knew that Alice would know the
moment he made his decision.

---

Sure enough, he wasn't even out of the car when Alice bounded out the door to hug him.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I let you down again."

"No worries. You're here now," she smiled brightly at him.

"It's good to be home." He said softly and smiled at the others who waited for him at the front
door. His family returned his smile and welcomed him, happy that he seemed to have once again
wrestled his demons and won.

"I was starting to think that we needed to take a little vacation to Alaska," Esme greeted him.

"Welcome back, my son." Carlisle quietly assured him his place in the family.

He stepped into the house, grateful once again for their unwavering faith in him.

-----//

Monday morning came and they were soon off to school. He could feel the anticipation and
apprehension of his siblings, hear their thoughts weighing in on his self-control. Jasper was
confident, Emmett more wary.

Rosalie was chanting, "I don't want to move, I don't want to move."

"I don't see anything out of place," Alice assured them again.

She turned to Edward.

"You should be fine. I tried to change your schedule so that you won't have any common
schedule with the girl but there's still one that I'm working on. I must warn you though, I still
don't see her. But I don't see you doing anything strange during lunch and I'm pretty sure she'll
be there."

From the principal's office to offer his excuses, he started on his morning classes. The notion of a
century old vampire attending high school was so ridiculous that even he can't help but be
amused.

But Alice was right. It was quite a change. Instead of listening in to murderous thoughts and
plans of vengeance that he was accustomed to as a Volturi guard, he was accosted by the deluge

15
of adolescent thoughts shaped by raging hormones and peer pressure.

Every time he entered a room, the volume of thoughts and heartbeats would immediately double.
A lot of attention was directed at him – instant attraction, lust, envy, jealousy, a certain level of
fear -- standard up to a degree. Some girls even fancied falling in love with him at first sight,
much to his consternation.

By lunch time, he had heard it all and withdrew to the surface of the their minds, monitoring only
the random thoughts that concerned him and his siblings.

He was on his way to the cafeteria when he saw Alice and Jasper. He could see Rosalie and
Emmett already sitting at the farthest corner of the big, airy room.

"She's inside, Edward. Brace yourself," Alice warned.

There was a slight hush as he stepped through the door. He looked down to avoid the humans'
open gazes and tried to tune out their accelerated heartbeats and pulses. He walked straight
towards his siblings, sat down and stared through the big, glass windows. Thankfully, even the
wind seemed to be in harmony with him. Everything was still.

"Edward, can you sense her? She's five tables away to your left. She didn't see you come in."

He extended his mind to pick up random thoughts from her direction. He couldn't know for sure
which one was hers. Reluctantly, he turned his head towards her table. He could only see her
back but still, she surprised him. She had grown-up. Her fine brown hair billowed gently around
her slender shoulders as she casually rested her arms on the table.

"Bella, Edward Cullen is staring at you." The girl to her right hissed. He recognized her from one
his classes.

"What? Why?" she asked, confused. He reached out to hear her thoughts. Nothing. Just a blank
wall and low humming static. He strained, focusing only on her. Still nothing.

"Nothing. I'm getting nothing. I can't read her," he spoke to his siblings in low vampire tones.
They stared at him, dumbfounded.

Curious, he turned once again to the girl just as she swiveled her head towards their table. Their
eyes met. And held. A forbidden memory rose in his head -- chocolate brown eyes, a pulse
beating in a pale neck, a drop of red against white snow. The monster inside him strained against
his control.

He felt his throat constrict in thirst, his venom increasing. But even as he fought against the call
of her blood, something else, a strange sensation, intense and unrestrained, slammed into him as
he stared in shock at her familiar face. He felt tension build inside him like he was being
stretched taut from end to end. He struggled to contain the myriad of urges that threatened to

16
consume him as his siblings watched with increasing anxiety.

Her eyes slowly widened with recognition as she held his gaze. He heard her heart go into
overdrive across the room, fear and horror spiking as she breathed out.

"Topaz."

In a flash, she was out of the cafeteria.

Chapter: 6

Disclaimer: After three revisions, still not mine.

08/09/29: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

Bella reacts

She ran. She had no idea how she got out of the school so fast. She heaved several times, spilling
her lunch into the pavement. She sank to the ground, gasping. Her hands were shaking
uncontrollably, as were her knees.

"Does it hurt?" The low voice rang loud and clear in her head. "Let me help you." It echoed over
and over.

What is he, she thought wildly. Who are they?

She was just curious. He was going to be her lab partner, after all. So when Jessica said he was
staring, she might as well stare too. Plenty of time to get awkward later. She turned to look at
him, fully expecting to see a pair of ocher eyes similar to his siblings. Instead she was met with
eyes which darkened in a heartbeat. Like a blurry photograph, the face with strange topaz eyes
that had haunted her for the last two years came into focus in her mind. She reeled in recognition.
A brief, surreal moment from her childhood flooded her memory. It was him, there was no doubt
about it, and he looked not a day older.

She berated herself. She shouldn't have let her curiousity consume her. The more she knew about
them, the more confused she became.

She had found out, just a year ago, that if she stood very still or walked very softly at the edges
of a room, a hall or even an open street, it seemed like everyone overlooked her. Like she wasn't
there at all. She experimented with this this "ability" when she followed her long-time crush, a
boy named Justin, every day when he walked from school to his house. For two months, she

17
stalked him and not once had he, his stupid posse or anyone in the vicinity noticed. She practiced
it on her mother, sneaking in and out of the house right under her very nose without detection.

The trick came in handy in the last two weeks . A few times, she tried her disappearing act on the
Cullen siblings. Her instincts told her that they were watching and observing her closely. So she
stuck to walls whenever they were near and returned the favor.

She shadowed the blonde girl for two days, even when it meant missing some of her classes. She
tried to approach their table stealthily during lunch break but the blond boy always fidgeted
whenever she got near. She noticed they all moved with deliberate slowness, like she sometimes
did. They rarely strayed from each other and almost always moved in pairs. They never really ate
anything. They stared around with carefully masked expressions that cultivated an aura of
unapproachability and aloofness. Sometimes, she was sure that they carried entire conversations
with voices so low nobody else could hear. She was tempted to follow them to their house,
curious as to how they moved in private. But they lived far from town and she knew they would
recognize her red truck anywhere.

She clambered inside her truck now, started the engine and sped out. She had no idea where she
was going until she found herself in front of the police station.

"Bella, is anything wrong? Are you all right?" Charlie asked her as soon as she entered his office.

"Stomach ache. I need to lie down for a while but I don't want to go to the clinic," she let a little
pain creep into her voice.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" he asked, concerned.

"Can I stay here? I promise I won't be a bother," she said as she threw herself at the office couch.
She didn't want to go back to the empty house.

"All right. You want anything, poppet?" The childhood endearment came back to him easily.

He brought her some soup and let her sleep.

She skipped school for the next two days, citing stomach cramps. Charlie called the school and
made her excuses. She was a bright student, she was confident she could catch up.

She stayed with Mrs. Rubina next door, going over to her house only when her father was home.
She refrained from going outside. She bolted doors and windows.

When the voice stopped echoing inside her head, she began to plan. She turned the brief memory
over and over in her mind, searching for clues and answers.

The night of the third day, she looked over to the small clearing behind her house, certain now
that it was where the incident had taken place. She peered outside and sensed something or

18
someone in the woods beyond the clearing. She felt the presence waiting in exactly the same spot
that it had for the last two nights.

Feigning fatigued, she casually moved to the edge of the window to cloak herself. She wanted to
see what or who it was without being observed. She briefly wondered how she could make out
the trees as it was already dark and the thing or person was at least a hundred meters away from
the clearing. She knew that whatever or whoever it was was taunting her, waiting for her to make
her move.

Chapter: 7

Disclaimer: After three revisions, still not mine.

09/09/04: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter.

Unraveling the mystery

"Carlisle!" He called to his father as he emerged from the forest surrounding his home. He left
school early as he couldn't bear sit and pretend to be interested for another hour. After the lunch
incident, he has no desire to face his siblings either, especially Jasper.

"Give me what you got." Edward said to his father as soon as he entered Carlisle's study.

Carlisle calmly looked up from the book he was reading.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Without a word, he proceeded to pull folders and papers around his study. He spread the contents
on his long table -- photographs, videograbs, lab results, xrays, mris, ctscans and various medical
records before turning on his computer.

He stood next to Edward as the projector whirred to bounce off a picture against the wall. They
both stared at the picture of the girl, taken at the school's parking lot. She was looking right at the
camera, deep brown eyes, hair whipping around her face. Her slender form hunched to ward off
the cold as she clutched her books.

"Isabella Marie Swan, 17. Bitten nine years ago but survived despite the presence of at least 5 cc
of vampire venom running through her system. Why?"

"Her immune system prevented the venom from spreading. Her blood contained properties that
slowly integrated the poison to her body. Instead of killing her, it enhanced some of her abilities

19
and features to vampire levels."

He flipped records and pictures through the projector in quick succession.

"Nine years ago, I followed her and tried to correct her condition. Monitored her for the first four
years and saw nothing out of the ordinary in her progress as a human child."

"Then, two years ago, she began to manifest." Carlisle pointed to a blurred photograph.

"She is fast, especially if she thinks no one is looking. She grew translucent and graceful. She
may not notice it but she has grown into an ethereally beautiful young woman. Don't you think
so?"

Edward barely registered Carlisle's words as was staring at yet another picture, taken during a
semi-private moment. Bella was pulling her shirt over her head, revealing a camisole underneath.

"Who took this?" Edward hissed as he experienced a sharp and strange irritation.

"Alice." Carlisle smiled knowingly at him.

Jasper relayed to me your little lunchtime distraction.

"Don't go there, Carlisle."

As you wish.

"You already know Alice can't see her in the future and Jasper called me earlier to say you can't
read her. Last week, he noticed her propensity to stick to the walls and her ability to cloak
herself, physically and mentally, from her fellow humans. When she is in this state, even your
siblings have a hard time pinpointing her exact location. Only Jasper can track her through her
emotions. She's a natural blocker, despite being human. With proper training, she could be
formidable."

"She's already an excellent tracker. Rosalie let her stay on her tail for a couple of days and she
found her quite a challenge. She is hyper-aware, she knows that we have been on to her. She also
exhibits acute hearing, as she seemed to have picked on some frequencies that Emmett designed
for her to overhear. "

"You've been having fun."

All in the name of research. You know how I love a good mystery.

"But the venom may also be eroding the memory block that I placed on her nine years ago. She
recognized you today, Edward. She will soon see you for what you are."

20
"Do we know of anyone with similar experience?" Edward asked.

"None, she seems one of a kind. The Volturi will single her out if come to know of her. If she is
revealed, the humans will come after you as well."

Edward understood. He was a guardian, a keeper of the order. All things being equal, he was a
transgressor.

After a while, Carlisle left him. Edward poured over pictures and records, committing to memory
every line and curve of her face and body. Watched and rewatched videos that his siblings had
discreetly taken with stalkerish intensity. He assessed all her actions and reactions to various,
everyday stimuli to profile her. Digging as far as he could into her mind, he mapped out her
options and laid down airtight responses. He turned his plan over in his head until he was
satisfied of its outcome.

He heard his siblings return from school as they greeted him from the foyer.

Aren't you even curious as to where she went? Alice, as usual, went straight to the point.

He didn't need to ask. He know her instincts will seek out her father or another member of her
family. Unhampered by his urges, he saw her clearly and completely.

Jasper's amused thoughts flooded soon after.

Edward, may I suggest you rein your, uh, urges a bit the next time you see her? I had trouble
controlling everybody's elses' after you left.

Their thoughts were loud, as well as, their conversation.

"I honestly thought he'd jump her right then and there, bro. That was intense. So, we can forget
about him killing her now, right?" Emmett was just as amused as Jasper.

"Whatever it is, he better have a plan for this. She could be dangerous not only for him, but for
everybody as well." Rosalie cautioned.

He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off their thoughts. It would have to start tonight, he
decided.

That night, he waited just beyond the clearing and made sure she had a clue. He knew she would
not be going back to school for at least another day. On the second night, he moved just enough
to startle her when she peered through the window.

His plan was fairly simple. Lure her. Let her come to them and reveal herself. And on the third
night, she did.

21
Chapter: 8

09/09/17: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

I know what you are

She changed into darker clothes before she crept downstairs, carefully keeping to the edges of
the room, then the house and the clearing. She entered the forest, rounding one tree at a time,
careful not to make any sound. The trees stood still, seeming to mock her slow and tedious
progress.

When Bella played sick and stayed home for two days, it was not only because she feared
another confrontation with Edward Cullen and his siblings. She knew she was at a disadvantage
as she understood almost nothing. So she searched for answers that led to impossible theories.
With nothing to go on, she read on every legend and myth, considering and dismissing
probabilities and possibilities.

She had become almost certain of what they were. Almost. Information about their kind was
scarce and no new reference to them had been made in the last sixty or so years. It was like they
had suddenly retreated when before, there had been hundreds of stories and incidents that
unwittingly documented their dark existence.

She had wanted to deny the idea that he was, or they were, creatures of legend. But she couldn't
discount her own experience and her own curious abilities. She was aware she was on the verge
of confirming a terrrifying theory as she slunk through the forest.

She was near the spot when she saw him. He stood unmoving but she didn't let that fool her. If
the legends were to be believed, his kind could move in a blink of an eye. She suddenly realized
the extent of the danger that she had put herself in. Her heart sped up erratically and his head
swung abruptly in her direction. A single heartbeat, concealed however quickly, had given her
away. She struggled to maintain her stillness. He blinked, suddenly unsure. She moved closer,
towards his line of vision. He stared right through her, unseeing. Satisfied, she moved farther to
his right and stepped into the small clearing.

"I know you're here. I saw you disappear from the window," he spoke, his eyes far from where
she stood. "Don't worry. I can't see you, I can't even sense you." He spoke in low, unhurried
tones. He wanted to assure her, draw her out.

"I came to say that I mean you no harm and I deeply regret the pain that I caused you when you
were a child."

22
His voice matched the one in her nightmares perfectly. The one who offered comfort, then bit her
and put something into her. That something strained dangerously against her skin as soon as she
saw him.

Bella berated herself for her decision to venture into the forest.

She shouldn't have come. I'm not ready for this, she thought. Too late. She could feel her panic
rising. She struggled to hold on to her stillness but it was slipping fast. She retreated to the
nearest tree and leaned for support.

Edward knew she was near. He could feel snatches of her movements as she struggled to hide
herself. To his right, he felt electricity swirl just before he caught a slight glimmer. She slowly
came into focus.

He had spent the last three days surrounded by hundreds of pictures and images but it did not
prepare him to have her so real, so close, so soon. He stared at her hungrily. The black clothing
she wore clung to her slender body like a second skin. Tendrils of her hair escaped her ponytail
and limply hung around her perfect, oval face. Her face was flushed. He watched her draw each
breath through slightly parted lips.

He had fully prepared himself for the onslaught of his thirst. Yet as he struggled to contain it,
another urge – wild and unadulterated -- overpowered him just like during the first time she
looked at him. He could feel the sensation rush through his being, feel his long dead cells
awakening. He felt like laughing. Hysterically.

She moved to run. She was fast but he was faster. He caught up with her, slamming her to
(against/into) a tree. He felt electricity course through their bodies as he pinned her against him.
He ground against her--- hip against hip, chest against chest.

"I know what you are," she gasped.

"Good." He grabbed her hair to force her to look at him. He took in her face -- her eyes, nose, her
lips, her ears and down to the pulse beating wildly on her neck. Her breathing came in faster, her
eyes wide with terror. Beautiful, he thought.

"Say it. Out loud," he hissed.

"Vampire."

He bared his teeth.

This is it. This is where it all ends, she thought. She tried to turn her face away in one last gesture
of defiance when the air suddenly shifted and he pulled away. He took a couple of steps
backward and dropped to his knees. Bella reeled at the abrupt change as she sagged against the
tree, trying to catch her breath.

23
From the shadows, two more vampires stepped out and flanked him. With her heightened sight,
Bella immediately recognized them as Alice and Jasper, the Cullen sophomores. Then a man,
slightly older, stepped to his left.

"I know you." Bella whispered in shock.

"Don't be alarmed. My name is Carlisle Cullen and I tended your wounds when you were eight
and attended to you at the hospital where you were hospitalized soon after. Your memory is
correct. Nine years ago, in that clearing, Edward bit you. He was weak in resisting the call of
your blood which was as potent to him then as it is now. He injected his venom into your system.
It should have killed you instantly. But your blood adapted and contained the poison."

"What am I?" she asked, still breathing fast. She already knew what they were.

"You're still human, as far as we can tell. But the venom in your blood has mutated and we're not
exactly sure what it will do to you in the future. It may still kill you. We need to know more
about it before we can determine how far the venom will transform you. We can't answer all your
questions as we've never encountered someone like you before."

"I'm a freak?"

All four vampires stared at her, not expecting her question. After a second of hesitation, Edward
gave out a loud laugh. He rose from his knees as he hacked his amusement hysterically for a full
minute, letting himself go as he felt the tension leave his body.

"Yes, you are kind of a freak," he spluttered.

"Edward!" Alice hissed.

"This is funny to you?" Bella's fear dissolved into irrational anger in an instant.

"Forgive me, please. But you really are one of a kind. You stand here in the dark, surrounded by
vampires. Yet you worry if you are freak," Edward continued, oblivious.

Before she can even think about it, she stepped towards him and struck him. Carlisle moved
restrain her before she could deal him with another blow.

"How dare you mock me after what you've done. You have no idea what I've been through. For
two years I endured strange dreams and changes without a word to anyone, afraid I'd be labeled
insane. I thought I was insane. And I just had to come here to realize all my nightmares were true
and that there were those who were not only human but worse, creatures who prey on humans,"
she ranted as she strained against Carlisle's hold.

Bella glared at him, forgetting for the moment the other three vampires. They stood surprised

24
and rebuked by her outburst. Jasper wondered briefly if he should calm her down but decided
against it. Edward should experience the full range of her anger as he was behaving so
uncharacteristically. He controlled Edward's emotions instead.

"Isabella, please forgive Edward. You will understand soon enough why he forgets himself when
he is around you. We are here to help you, in any way we can. You are going through a
protracted process of transformation. How and up to what extent, we do not know. We already
know the extent of your abilities, the ones you have demonstrated tonight and in the previous
days. As I've said, we can't answer all your questions but we can make it a little easier for you,"
Carlisle tried to calm her down.

Bella felt all fight leave her body as she realized the meaning of Carlisle's words. She should
have known she wasn't fooling them.

So she wasn't insane, just bitten by a vampire. She didn't know which was worse.

"Why should I trust you?" she asked him, moving away from him.

"I give you my word that you will not be harmed. For now, we are the only ones who can protect
you. All we ask is that you don't tell anyone of your condition. At least, until we know for sure
what is going on and how to address the problem. There would be dangerous ramifications if
anyone, vampire or otherwise, were to know of your intriguing existence. For you and for us as
well."

"I wasn't planning on telling anyone. I just had to know...me." She took a couple of steps back
slowly and began focusing all her will to cloak herself again. The vampires stood still, not
wanting to spook her further, even when she disappeared right before their eyes. She bolted, this
time leaving no disturbance in her wake. The air did not even move when she passed through.

She knew she was being foolish. They could easily get to her in her home, in school, on the
street, just about anywhere. She had nowhere to go. More importantly, she had no one else to
turn to. Except them.

She was human but also, she wasn't. She wanted to puke.

Chapter: 9

09/09/17: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

What you are to me

25
"I think we need to reconsider your presence in this particular plan." Alice said as she entered
into his room.

Edward was sitting in the dark, staring blankly at the wall where he had put up rows and rows of
Bella's pictures, maps and other images.

"You're too volatile. You're complicating things. And her hostility to you will not ease quickly
enough."

Alice had not been amused at the forest. "Say it out loud!" she scoffed. "Really, Edward. You
know I can't see her. I have no idea how she'll react. And for some reason, I can't see you either
when you stand too close to her."

In all their years together on the field, they never had the need to interrupt Edward in anything he
did. But this time, Jasper had to intervene and bring him in line twice.

Edward wanted to argue but he knew she was right. His reputation as a cold and efficient thinker
and killer when he was a Volturi guard was well-known and well deserved. He never deviated
from the plans he himself drew, never showed more than a flicker of emotion when confronted
with an adversary. But in the encounters he had with this girl, he found himself treading the thin
line of his uncontrollable aggression.

"Fine," he sighed. "Call Jasper."

They had done this thousands of times, in places and situations that required more urgency and
with a lot more at stake. The three of them planning and replanning a certain strategy, with
Edward taking the lead. But this time, the thing at stake seemed to be his sanity and for once, he
couldn't rise above his own urges.

In the end, Edward reluctantly agreed that Alice would take the lead in bringing Bella in. This
was a not battle like the ones they had fought for the Volturi. They were not out to eliminate one
of their kind. It required delicate skills that neither Edward nor Jasper possessed. It was to be
conducted in the open with the humans looking on. It should progress naturally, as the entire
thing hinged on the girl's acceptance of her condition and their offer for sanctuary.

"So... what do you plan on doing now?" Jasper asked him right after Alice left.

Edward knew he wasn't referring to the plan on bringing Bella in. Decades of close fighting had
left them finely attuned to each other.

"I don't know. I haven't fully understood what's happening yet," he told Jasper.

Jasper just laughed.

"You know what's happening. You've seen it happen. There are instincts buried deep inside us

26
that are stronger than the urge to kill or drink human blood. It only takes special circumstances
for us to summon them to the fore."

"It only occurs between vampires, never with a vampire and a human," Edward argued.

"She's only half human. More like half vampire. Depends on how you look at it. And it is your
venom that is inside her veins."

"If she transforms, I'll be punished. Unauthorized interaction with a human being, unsanctioned
contact with a young girl, no less. Imagine how long and virulent the charge sheet will be."

"No, you won't be. There are exceptions to the rules, this case potentially being one of them. You
can always invoke your Volturi privileges. And between you, me and Alice, we can hold enough
sway in any Volturi court." Jasper was confident.

"I don't know. I very nearly killed her once. This urge doesn't feel much different."

"You just don't know the difference yet. Don't fight it, Edward. It is as natural as your lust for her
blood. She feels it too. She can hide herself, but not her emotions if she feels them too strongly."

Jasper was actually less worried than Alice with regards to Edward's state of mind. But he
understood Alice's concerns. If they failed to convince the girl to walk on the path that Edward
had forced on her and they were right with their assumptions as to what her relationship is, or
what it would be to Edward, the consequences of her death or eventual destruction would be
devastating to Edward and the family.

Edward sat quietly, unconvinced.

"Just try to get to know her better, try to get on her good side. She just might surprise you,"
Jasper smiled.

"She already did," he touched his jaw, where her hand had struck him just a few hours ago. He
was sure the blow hurt her more than him.

"Besides, how do you propose I do that when your wife strictly forbade me to come any closer
than five meters of her?" Edward might have conceded to Alice's logic, but it didn't mean he
liked it.

Jasper laughed again.

"Let Alice do her magic. The girl will come around in time. Besides, Alice didn't exactly forbid
you. She said don't show your face around the girl because it irritates her."

The wheels in Edward's head started turning. Jasper was right, there were plenty of ways.

27
"You're right. I don't have to show my face at all...," he murmured as he turned to him.

"Don't," he interrupted, laughing. "Whatever you're planning on doing, I don't want to know. I
don't want to be responsible for your actions. I don't need Alice guilting me on that."

"Just trust me and Alice on this one. Proceed slowly. No need to go slamming her into trees. You
have all the time in the world," he added.

It took him almost a week to decide to finally push through what he wanted to do. It was twilight
when he found himself wandering on same path he had taken nine years ago. He walked at a
human pace to give himself time to reconsider what he was about to do.

Edward, don't be stupid! A voice in his head shouted. Of course, Alice would know of his
actions even before he did them.

He was amused with Alice's insubordination. She had almost never rebuked him for anything.
She must really believe that there is something more to this girl, he thought.

He arrived at the edge of the familiar clearing and wondered how to get to her window. Before
he could start arguing with himself what a bad idea it was, he jumped and alighted on the ledge.
He could see her lying on her bed.

She was fast asleep.

Perfect.

He tried the window. A quick jerk broke the bolt, making a small squeaking sound. He slid
noiselessly inside her room and approached her sleeping form.

She was ethereally beautiful, just as Carlisle had said. And she wasn't even a vampire yet. At
least, not thoroughly. Her scent was all over the place and he basked in it. Her hair was spread on
her pillow, her sheets twisted around her long legs. Even in the dark, he could see her veins and
the blood that flowed through them. He felt thirsty.

He sat on the other side of the bed and stared. She was a restless sleeper, her camisole had
already ridden up her body, exposing her flat stomach. Her childish shorts seemed to mock him
but the yellow sponge prints did nothing to dispel his urge to touch her. He could see the dark
nail polish of her toes.

He felt the familiar sensation override his thirst once again. But it spread through him slowly,
almost painfully, this time.

Are you really going to be mine, little one? He asked the sleeping girl.

He reached out lightly caress her, skimming his hand down her thigh down to her ankle and up

28
again towards her exposed stomach. He edged closer and traced the outline of her cheek, down to
her neck and collarbone, moving his fingers further down to the swell of her breasts. She took a
sharp breath, causing him to withdraw his fingers. He felt a gentler urge to just hold her and feel
her squirm in his arms.

And I am really going to be yours?

It would be so easy. All he has to do was climb into her bed and he could take her. She wouldn't
even know in the morning. But he didn't. He wanted her awake and willing when the time came.
And if Jasper was right, it would come. He wanted her to be fully aware of him, to look into his
eyes as she gasps his name.

She turned towards where he sat, still asleep, freezing him to the spot.

Then she breathed out his name.

He smiled to himself.

So you dream of me. If I could dream, I would dream of nothing but you as well.

--

Chapter: 10

09/09/17: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

_Alice and Bella_

Bella hurried down the hallway. If she could move just a little faster without drawing attention,
she was sure she could get to her physics class without running into the biology class that was
conducted next to it. She had traded that class to avoid being partnered with Edward.

Too late, she thought, as she spotted Edward as she turned to walk to her class. She slowed her
steps and veered towards the opposite side to avoid him.

He was leaning casually against the wall with arms folded. He made made no secret of the fact
that that he was waiting for her as his eyes automatically found hers as soon as stepped into the
hall.

"Hey, can I walk with you?" Bella almost jumped when Alice literally materialized from thin air
next to her. She had been doing that in the last few days. Every time Edward was near, the small

29
vampire would magically appear and repel him. Bella didn't know if she should be thankful or be
angry at her presumptions.

"I'm looking for the physics class. My AP records just arrived so I wanted to see where the
advanced classes were," her voice rang just a little too loudly, her words measured.

"So, shall we?" She urged Bella, passing by Edward who by then had taken to looking at his
shoes.

"I'm sorry. For him, for everything. Just try not to mind him," Alice told her and left as soon as
they arrived at the door of her class.

She made the mistake of looking at his direction and found him looking at her again. She could
see that his eyes were dark still, unlike Alice's. He gave her a strange little smile before going
inside his own class.

She withdrew abruptly inside hers. He unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

It's been more than a week since that night in the forest and they were in a kind of impasse. By
and large, the vampires had left her alone. Their close scrunity (scruntiny) of her activities
stopped and she soon stopped sticking to the walls as well. Bella was just getting used to their
uneasy coexistence when Alice suddenly decided to talk to her.

She was waiting for her in the hallway on her way to the gym one Friday.

"Can I talk to you? I promise I'll be quick."

She didn't want to but she figured it was dangerous to refuse a vampire. So she followed Alice
into the school grounds, away but still visible to the crowd.

"How are you feeling?" Alice started quietly.

She was surprised at the question.

"Fine, I suppose. Why?"

"Do you feel thirsty?"

"What? Why are you asking me that?"

"I'm asking if you have reached the point when you are thirsty, for blood," Alice clarified.

"No. That's... no," Bella said, horrified. This was one aspect of her condition that she refused to
acknowledge.

30
"I'm sorry for bringing this up but we need to talk about the things you could do when the thirst
for blood hits you."

"If, not when. I'm not... like you," she hesitated, afraid to offend the petite vampire.

"Yet," Alice answered, taking none.

"I do.... did, feel thirsty. Several times, in fact, in the last two years." Bella wondered why she
was telling Alice this.

"But not for blood. And it goes away after a few days. I just didn't know what it was then. It was
like having withdrawal symptoms from something that I wasn't even addicted to. It's like a
burning in my throat, my arms, everywhere. And then, nothing. I go back to normal. "

She wanted Alice to assure her that she wouldn't need to do more. She wanted her to say that it
won't get worse than that and that she would someday outgrow it. But she knew she was being
absurd in hoping to get this assurance from a vampire who was already treating her as one of
their own.

"When the thirst hits you, anywhere, anytime, call me. I'll always have synthetic blood nearby,
just in case. Otherwise, you will need to hunt. I'll go with you to show you how. Carlisle thinks
that you will not crave human blood, at least not so soon as you've not shown any interest on
attacking a human. But he couldn't really be too sure, it might hit you suddenly," Alice cooly
explained.

"I'm not... I won't... Never mind." No matter how much she wanted to deny it, Bella knew Alice
was right in considering all possibilities.

Almost every afternoon in the next days after that, Alice would approach her and ask her
questions before leaving her with instructions to call her or give her practical suggestions on how
to deal with the changes. Bella wanted to ignore her but she knew that Alice was one of the few
people who not only understood what she was going through but more importantly, knew what
she should do.

The truth was she was tired of dealing with it alone and the conversations were helping her cope.

Before long, they were having semi-normal and civil conversations. Bella couldn't help it. She
was naturally curious and she figured they owed her the truth. She asked questions and Alice in
turn, answered them as honestly and thoroughly as she can.

Alice eased her into the world of vampires before turning to the subject of the covenant. Bella
was horrified to know that humans gave explicit consent for vampires to drain other humans.

"Targets? You call them targets?" she was flabbergasted. Humans sacrificing fellow humans,
vampires destroying other vampires and werewolves lording over the balance. Each willing to

31
sacrifice the weakest among their kind for their own survival.

"Did my name turn up in your mail? Is that what happened?"

"No, no. You never were a target. We never open ours. When the mail arrives with the names of
targets assigned to us, we burn them. Directly. Have you heard of any disappearances lately? No.
I've already told you, We've long given up on human blood. Well, most of us anyway. You're a
singer, Edward's singer." Alice hurried to explain but Bella was already walking away from her
in disbelief.

There were only a couple of things that surprised the unflappable Alice. And Bella was one of
them. She never knew what she was going to do or say next. It was almost fun.

"Edward can read minds." Alice called after her.

Bella stopped in midstride.

Gotcha, Alice thought.

"He reads minds, he knows what everyone's thinking even if they don't talk or speak out. As long
as a thought is verbalized in someone's mind, he can know of it."

"But he can't read yours," she continued.

"Why?"

"We don't know yet. But Carlisle thinks it has something to do with your blocking abilities. You
may be unconsciously shielding your mind from Edward," Alice explained.

Bella had to admit, she was curious about that.

"Do all vampires have abilities?" she asked quietly

"No, not all. You certainly have. Jasper can feel and control emotions. I can see the future but
only if a preceding decision has been made." Alice said.

"But no, I can't see you in the future either. That's one of the things I share with Edward. You
may also be blocking me. Jasper can read your emotions, though, if you felt them strong
enough."

"Really?"

Alice grinned as Bella returned to her.

"Well, yes, really. He knows about your particular, er, reaction to Edward. And believe me when

32
I say that Edward feels it, too. Way, way stronger and than you do. The excitement, the
breathlessness. It's almost like falling in love but more intense, more complete. It is a peculiar
phenomenon, a legend within a legend and you are very fortunate to experience it at all."

"You know I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm sorry. Carlisle will do a better job if you let him explain it to you. In any case, I can't be too
sure yet if that's really what is happening. I need to see you interact with him to be sure. And if
you didn't hate him so much I'd ask you to meet with him on neutral grounds. Have a face-off, if
you will."

"Why can't you just experiment with him?"

"It takes a several confrontations to make the connection complete."

Bella was silent.

"I don't hate him," she said suddenly.

Alice looked at her, surprised. Score two for Bella.

"Well, not as intensely as before. I don't hate you. You've been kind to me, Alice. And I'm trying
not to judge your kind or my kind for that matter. But you have to know that it is very difficult
for me to talk to you and trust you and your family. I was bitten, after all. I do believe that your
brother regrets it, and that he wants me to forgive him, and that your family is offering me
sanctuary, if the venom doesn't kill me first. And I guess I should thank you for that. But I
can't.... Not yet," she smiled sadly.

"Someday, you're not going to have a choice," Alice said quietly.

"I know. I know I will have to accept it, accept me. Someday, maybe soon. Just, not now."

They fell into silence as they found themselves standing in the exact spot where they had their
first conversation weeks earlier.

"You know what this reminds me?" Alice suddenly smiled when she noticed.

"We've never been properly introduced."

"Isabella Marie Swan, my name is Alice Cullen. And I think, in time, we're going to be good
friends," she said while extending her hand to Bella.

Bella looked at her skeptically but reached out all the same to shake the cold hand that was
offered to her.

33
"Aren't we sort of that, already?"

Next: The experiment

Chapter: 11

09/09/17: Thanks to sleepyjo for reading and editing this chapter. More info at my profile.

Alice rules: No hitting

"Bella, Edward Cullen is staring at you again," Jessica, as always, could be counted on to state
the obvious.

"Let him. I don't care," She didn't have to raise her voice. She knew he could hear her.

She had agreed to talk to him but only inside the cafeteria, surrounded by other humans and with
Alice close by. She had been waiting for a week for him to make his move.

"He must really, really must like you," Jessica teased.

More than you'll ever know, Bella thought. Only not for the same reasons you like him.

"He's coming this way. I'll see you later. Ciao!" Jessica hastily picked up her books just as
Edward came into view.

He casually dropped himself on the chair across her. She noticed right away that his eyes were
not as dark as before.

"Hello, Isabella. We meet again," he said, in a familiar tone.

"My sister has graciously allowed me to talk to you today. So I will take this chance to tell you
that I know I can never redeem myself to you," he rested his elbows on the table as leaned
towards her.

"If I could turn back time, I would do things differently. Then you and I wouldn't have to endure
these awkward and unpleasant meetings," he spoke deliberately, making each word sound like a
threat.

She eyed him uneasily as she struggled to keep herself from squirming under his gaze. There was
something about him that clawed at her subconscious. His stance was unthreatening, his
demeanor relaxed but she wasn't fooled for one second. She could sense that he was coiled

34
tightly, like a snake poised to strike.

"Cut the bullshit, bloodsucker. Just say what you want to say so we can go our separate ways,"
she snapped at him to cover up her agitation. She knew that calling him names was little
immature. But maybe if he got angry right away, he'd leave in a huff and that would be the end of
Alice's "experiment." Besides, he hadn't exactly been pleasant himself the last time they had a
"conversation."

"There is no need to be rude, little one," he pulled back slightly, offended by her crudeness.

The hairs on the back of her neck at his endearment.

"I know that you have no reason to trust me. I have proven that I can be very dangerous to you.
But disrespect me again and not even the presence of four other vampires at the other end of this
room will save you from getting slammed into the wall. That and the fact that you and I are
supposed to have a civilized conversation," he smiled at her menacingly as he tilted his head at
them, silently daring them to interfere. He'd had enough of Alice's rules.

She recoiled visibly at his threat, realizing her mistake. She didn't doubt him.

"Then maybe we should have this conversation some other time. I really have no idea why your
sister can even think that we could be friends as I don't have a death wish. So, if you'll excuse
me," she moved to make her retreat.

"Sit," he hissed, his eyes darkening. "I'm not finished."

He felt a mental slap from Alice but he was too angry to care. The girl was cowardly, trying to
take the easy way out.

"I don't want to kill you," he said tightly. "Far from it. But you and I? We can never be friends."

"Fine. Just stay away from me and I'll do the same," she glared at him rebelliously.

"That is not what I meant." She was deliberately misunderstanding him.

"It sounded perfectly clear to me." She wanted to bolt but stayed glued to her seat instead.

"You know as well as I do that you will not be able to stay away from me any more than I will
not be able to stay away from you," he told her, aware that her curiosity was compelling her to
stay.

"You can think whatever you want."

He noticed her uneasiness. It gave him comfort that he could fluster her in some way. He moved
his chair closer to her.

35
"I will. Thank you for the permission. Now that we have our mutual fascination acknowledged, I
propose we make the most out of the situation. That is, if you are amenable," he reached out to
smoothen the collar of her shirt, deftly avoiding her exposed skin. She cringed involuntarily.

He smiled in satisfaction.

She thought of smacking off the smug expression off his face and sending him sprawling to the
floor. She knew he was doing his best to creep her out. But Alice had expressly forbidden her to
hit him.

Do not run. Do not goad him. And even if you really want to, do not hit him or initiate physical
contact in any form, Alice had instructed her.

"In your dreams, vampire."

"No, Isabella. In yours," he chuckled lowly.

Edward had wanted Jasper to be wrong at first. He didn't want to believe that his obsession for
this girl went beyond the call of her blood. But he couldn't deny that he had felt his entire being
leap that time she looked straight into him. In that moment, he had felt himself latch on to her
existence as if his depended on it. The physical urges and the irrational emotions that he was
experiencing whenever she was near were just early manifestations. They just do not have
anything else to go on with yet, Jasper had insisted. No "tangible basis" --- memories, shared
experiences, prolonged physical contact, as he had so scientifically put it. So his primal urges
come to the fore – lust, anger, violence, hysteria. But there was no denying it, she was
inextricably linked to him. He could already feel her power over him just by sitting across from
her. In time, he would have the same power over her.

Soon, he promised himself.

He eyed her critically as she stared back in defiance.

He noticed that her hair was starting to curl at the ends, her cheekbones becoming more
pronounced. She held herself still with the air of a superior feline -- small and delicately formed.

I certainly hope you don't break.

He'd never had one so young, so uninitiated.

Bella forced herself to sit still while he looked her over. If she understood Alice correctly, she
was supposed to have a life-defining bond with this predator. He was unbelievably good looking,
no arguments there. But he was so still, nothing about him moved. No pulse, no breathing, it was
creepy. There was no movement in his face, no twitches, no blinking. She stared in morbid
fascination, unable to look away. She wondered if his eyes were always the color of topaz or if

36
he looked the same when he was human. She could make out the pale veins on his face and his
neck. She shifted her gaze down, taking note of the blue shirt he wore. He had his sleeves rolled
to his elbows. Her eyes wandered to the exposed parts of his arms and his hands. His fingers
were long, his nails clipped short.

For no apparent reason, she suddenly wanted to touch him. Was he cold and hard like Alice? Or
velvety? Like his voice? Would he bite her head off if she did? She wanted to laugh at the
absurdity of her thoughts.

Edward was wondering idly why he didn't feel thirsty yet when he noticed something.

He could hardly hear her heartbeat. It was there but very faint. He started to count. The intervals
were maddening. He strained to listen to her bloodflow but it was likewise weak.

If she was truly human, she'd be dead by now, he thought. Or vampire. It did seem that her
physical transformation was accelerating and she might not realize it but she was holding herself
as still as he was. But she was still human as he could clearly see the slight blush that colored her
cheeks. Her delicious smell hung on the air, permeating his senses.

He vaguely heard something ring. He felt, without shifting his gaze away from her, that the
humans were starting to move around them.

He felt a constant pounding in his head and realized that it was Alice, calling for him to "snap
out of it." He shook himself.

Way to go, Edward. First threaten her, then creep her out by propositioning her and then stare
at her stupidly for the rest of the day. He heard Alice chide him in his mind.

He realized with slight alarm that he'd been completely absorbed by his own thoughts. Lunch
break was over, an hour had passed. Only a few students lingered inside the cafeteria. He
glanced at Alice who shrugged.

He found Bella looking at him with a perplexed expression on her face, her hand near his own.

"Isabella." She was in a trance, lost in her own musings.

"Huh?"

"Go to class. We'll finish this later."

"What?"

"Go. Now." He urged her. Before I change my mind.

She nodded absently as she gathered her books. He doubted if she understood what just

37
happened.

Bella wandered to her next class in a daze, wondering how lunch had gone by so fast. She tried
to recall how their "conversation" ended. He went from threats to taunts to creepy propositions to
mockery in a span of minutes. Then it was a blur from there. She vaguely remember noticing
more creepy details about him. She'd let him sit too near, she realized. She hoped she didn't do
anything stupid, like hold his hand.

She was in her physics class when she realized she had forgotten to bring her textbook with her.

She went to her locker and was getting the book when it hit her.

The burn started in her throat but rapidly spread to her chest, constricting her air passages. She
gasped, dropped the book and clutched at the lockers to pull herself to a corner. It was stronger, a
hundred times more intense than the pain she experienced in Phoenix. It began to spread to her
arms and legs, overwhelming her. She started to shake.

"Help. Alice, help me," she tried to call out in one of the vampire frequencies that Alice would
sometimes use on her during their conversations. But she couldn't get past a whisper so she
folded herself against the last locker and tried to control the convulsions.

"Help.... Alice." It was faint but Edward heard it. It seemed to come from the hall just outside his
class. The frequency was vampire but he was sure that it wasn't one of his siblings. He rose from
his seat, intent on calling the attention of his teacher when suddenly, his knees buckled. He felt
faint.

"Mr. Banner, can I be excused?" he called on the teacher, trying to keep the grimace off his face.

The teacher gestured for him to go on and he made his way slowly out of the classroom. He
clutched at the wall as soon as he got out of the room.

I feel funny. He wondered briefly before seeing the girl folded in the hallway.

Emmettt!" He shouted as loud as he could in a frequency that he was sure Emmett would hear. A
great gust of wind swept through the corridors of the school but otherwise, everything was silent.

He pushed himself off the wall to get to the girl but he couldn't seem to move his feet.

"Emmett! Rosalie! Help her! He called again in a tone reserved for vampires in distress. He
twisted in pain as the girl collapsed to the floor. He slid against the wall, unable to stand himself.

Hold on, just little more. He tried to call to her but she was still.

Not a few seconds passed before he felt the presence of his siblings. He blurrily saw Rosalie pick
up the girl and jump off the nearest window, moving at vampire speed.

38
Hold on, Edward. Alice and Jasper are near. Emmett straightened him against the wall before
following Rosalie.

She's dying, he tried to call to them before crashing to the floor.

Chapter: 12

09/21/09: Thanks again to Sleepyjo for editing this chapter.

Disclaimer: Still Stephanie Meyer's.

-------------------------------------------------------

Bonds

She squinted her eyes and closed them again abruptly. It was too light, too sharp, too full of
details. She could hear a steady sound in the background. The air smelled of disinfectant.... and
blood. She tried to move her fingers and tapped them on a soft sheet beneath. Cotton.

I'm in a hospital. Alice must have gotten to me in time, she thought. She could hear the steady
beat of her heart, the gentle whoosh of her breath.

I'm still human.

She tried to open her eyes again, slowly this time. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Oh my God! She's awake! Charlie! Charlie!"

She heard her mother's soft voice, full of tears and fatigue. She felt something warm and strong
grip her hand. She saw her father, looking so helpless and worried.

"Mom?" she croaked. She hadn't seen Renee since she left Phoenix and it felt like forever.

"Thank God, thank God," she hovered above her and Bella suddenly remembered how
desperately she had missed her.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" her father asked.

"Like a truck ran me over?" she joked.

Her father tried to smile at her lame attempt at humour but she could see that he was trying to

39
hold his tears.

"I'll go get Dr. Cullen," Renee announced, trying unsuccessfully to stop her own.

She came back a few minutes later, Dr. Cullen in tow.

"Isabella, glad you could join us," he greeted her, relieved.

He checked her over before announcing her on the road to recovery. He issued instructions for
her recuperation efficiently and with authority – what to eat, what activities to do and not do,
medications, hours of sleep. But she knew it was more for her parent's benefit. She could already
feel the venom heal her body as they spoke.

"But just to be on the safe side, I'd recommend keeping her here for the rest of the day. She can
go home tomorrow," he suggested to her parents.

Her parents, none the wiser, readily agreed.

"My wife and children will be in shortly to visit. If you want, we can look after Bella for a while
so you can go home and catch some sleep," the good doctor smoothly dismissed them.

She wanted to object but she also wanted to know what happened. She could see what she had
put them through/strain she had put on them. So she insisted to Renee and Charlie that they rest
and leave her with the Cullen family.

She watched them with Carlisle. He reassured them and they, in turn, trusted him completely.
She wondered why Renee didn't seem to remember him before realizing that he must have
blocked her memory too.

She swallowed a lump in her throat as Charlie and Renee said their goodbyes hesitantly and
moved to go out the door. She can only imagine how they would have felt if the venom had
killed her forever.

"What happened?" She asked Carlisle as soon as they were out of the door. Carlisle was already
disconnecting the machines and pulling out the needles that were attached to her. She wouldn't
be needing it.

"You went into cardiac arrest. There wasn't enough blood in your body for your heart to go on
pumping so it simply stopped beating."

"So it wasn't the venom."

"Yes and no. The venom has diluted your blood so it is a factor. But the main problem is that
your body has stopped producing red cells and have stopped replenishing your daily blood
requirements. I had to give you multiple blood transfusions in the first two days."

40
"Two days?"

"You were out for three days. I've given you both human blood and high grade synthetic blood,
the kind that is produced for vampires. It will hold you for a while."

Alice had informed her, in one of their conversations, that Carlisle is one of the poineers and
developers of synthetic blood, a substitute for "the real deal" and used to "repair" wounded or
distressed vampires. It tastes a little yucky if not warmed properly, she had shared and that had
effectively soured the conversation.

"How long is a while?"

"I can't be too sure. Weeks at least. We'll have to monitor you to determine how much and how
often you'll need the transfusions."

"So why didn't I transform? Become full vampire instead?" She didn't want to ask the question
but that was all Alice talked about in the first few days.

"The venom inside you isn't strong enough to kill you since it has been drastically altered by
your system. But it isn't enough to transform you either. It tried to override your human
responses, that's why you felt the thirst, but it fell just a little short."

"You mean, I'll live? Go on being human?" She didn't want to sound too hopeful.

Carlisle sighed and sat on one of the couches. She belatedly noticed that she was in one of the
larger suites of the hospital, the kind she knew her father couldn't afford.

"We can keep up with the transfusions but your condition will remain. Your human side is
faltering. It's only the venom that is keeping your body functioning. It's similar to what you
experienced when your skin started its depigmentation. The venom didn't need sunshine so it
trained your body to stop absorbing it. It's eliminating the functions that your body needs to
remain human, one after the other. And I have to be honest. It doesn't look too good, child."

"So I'll still die. But when I do, I'll just die a natural death." When, not if. Carlisle didn't need to
spell it out.

"It isn't as simple as that, Bella. There are...consequences."

"Such as?"

"When you die, Edward will die as well."

"What?" she spluttered.

41
But before he could answer, she sensed someone at the door.

Carlisle must have sensed it, too as he moved to open the door even before the person could
knock.

A beautiful woman came in and Carlisle hurriedly clutched at her hands.

Vampire. Bella stared, transfixed.

He's fine. He's hunting with Alice and Jasper now. They won't be going far as he is still weak.
She talked in fast vampire tones, unaware that Bella could hear and understand her perfectly.

The woman turned to her, looking at her for the first time.

"I'm sorry, excuse my rudeness. How are you, dear? You must be exhausted." She even spoke
beautifully, Bella thought.

"Bella, this is my wife, Esme. She's the only one in our family that you haven't met yet."

"I would have preferred if we had met in more pleasant circumstances but I am happy to finally
meet you. Alice talks about you all the time." She moved to hug Bella, who in turn sat stiffly,
unresponsive to her embrace.

"Thank you."

"Don't be surprised, dear. We were so worried that both of you would be so weakened but
thankfully that has all passed now."

So they were talking about Edward.

"What happened to him? And what does he have anything to do with me?" Bella was getting
impatient.

The couple looked at each other, seemingly uncertain as to which part to tell her when the
hospital communication system piped in.

"Dr. Cullen, you are needed in the surgery wing. Dr. Cullen, please proceed to the surgery wing
immediately, please."

"I'm sorry, duty calls. I'll leave it to you to explain, dear," he told Esme, kissed her cheek before
turning to Bella.

"There are things that you need to consider, child. But know that whatever your decision may be,
we will respect it," he told her cryptically.

42
Bella turned to Esme expectantly after he left. She had no idea what Carlisle was talking about.

"What do you know so far, dear?"

"Not much. Only that I'm supposed to have this connection with him, er, Edward and that it's
supposed to happen only between vampires," she started. Alice hadn't even tried explaining it to
her, only insisting that she find out about it herself.

"And?"

"That's all. Am I supposed to feel something definite? What happened to him?"

"He slipped into a coma when your heart stopped beating and you didn't transform. He came
through this morning, just a few hours before you did. It was at that moment that we knew you'll
be all right."

She gaped at her.

"It's my fault?"

"No, no, dear. It's not anyone's fault. It's how things are," she reassured her quickly.

It sounded to her like it was her fault.

"How do you feel at this moment?"

"Right now? I am beyond confused. The floor hasn't stopped spinning yet."

Esme nodded, urging her to go on.

"Something is pulling me together. But there's also something that's just pulling at against my
skin. It's inside me." She looked at her hands, as if expecting something to leap out. "I've felt it
for some time now, even when I sleep. But it's stronger now. It makes me feel...restless. It's like
I'm suspended in midair. Like I'm on a high beam and I'm about to fall."

"I've always thought it was just because of the changes. But I think it has something to do with
him," she realized.

"Why do think that?"

It had started in the forest. Something strained inside her when she saw him fully for what he
was. The restlessness had spurred her to know more and dig deeper without paying any heed to
the consequences. It also made her reckless, overriding her flight responses even in the face of
extreme danger.

43
"There's something about him that I can't place. I know he wants to kill me in some way but
there's something else, something that's just a little beyond my consciousness. I can sense it a
little, sense him. I don't understand it."

"You met with him before your... collapse. What happened then?"

"Nothing. I don't know. He threatened me, creeped me out, made me really angry so that I
wanted to strangle him. I noticed that he was so still. I really don't remember it all."

Bella didn't know if it was a good idea to be telling Esme this but she wanted to understand what
was happening and knew that keeping things from her would only impede her search for
explanations.

"You sat with him, unmoving for almost a full hour. That was what Alice told me."

"What? No."

"It is one of the manifestations of your connection. The suspension of time."

"Very rarely, a vampire finds another vampire with whom he or she can fall in complete
synchrony with. Their venom connects them and unlocks their human characteristics as well as
their human memories. Most vampires lose most of their human memories and characteristics
during the process of transformation. And as vampires exist for hundreds of years, they lose what
is left along the way. So when a synchronizing connection is opened, it is considered a gift, a
new lease in life.

If you were both human, you would have experienced a "jump of blood" or a "blood leap," if you
will. It is a certain point in time when a blood bond is established between two or more
individuals. They feel it, instinctively, instantly... even across a room or a big space. All it takes
is a brief glance or a fleeting brush or even a vague voice. It is similar to what vampires
experience, only stronger and more complete.

In your case, you haven't experienced it completely since the venom in your system flows with
your blood. But it can, and it did, open another dimension for you. Edward has taken the full
impact, as his venom is pure."

"So why is he so hostile? If I'm supposed to be this life-altering agent?"

Esme smiled sadly.

"He's not hostile, he's...bewildered. You are still his singer and your blood will always call to
him. You confuse his instincts. The urge to kill warring with the urge to protect. And as you
share nothing in common yet, you both experience the most basic of human emotions -- anger, a
certain kind of fear, hysteria, some physical... urges and violence. Some of these emotions will
disappear as soon as you establish a more stable connection, create memories and experiences

44
that will enable him to experience humanity more firmly. And when you cross over, you will not
lose yours."

"Some of the physical urges will remain, will be magnified even, once the bond is strengthened,
depending on what kind of bond is created," Esme continued.

Jasper had given the same explanation to Edward.

"I regret that he had been a little...disagreeable. He doesn't take being at somebody else's mercy
too kindly."

A part of her was listening, fascinated by the explanation. Another part was urging her to run as
far away as possible.

Fascination won.

"So why can't it happen between a vampire and a human?"

"Because humans die. And when one dies in the equation, the other withers away. Once a
connection is established, nothing can break it. Not even death. Humans also can't enter certain
dimensions that vampires create for themselves. You, apparently, are an exception," Esme
explained calmly.

Bella sat quietly, trying to make sense of it all.

How oddly poetic, she thought. He forces on me a condition that I didn't want or need, one that
will kill me eventually. And then I will kill him with my death.

"So all I have to do is survive and he lives, right?" Bella thought out loud.

"Yes. But even though you may be more vampire now, you instincts remain completely human.
You did not feel the need to feed, to sustain the vampire inside you which craved for blood," she
replied.

Bella hadn't notice Esme walk away from her. She was standing by the windows and was
looking over to the forest beyond it. Rain was gently falling outside, the raindrops bounced every
now and then against the glass.

Bella was struck by the depth of her grief. She had never seen someone so beautiful, so sad.

Maybe I should be sad, too, she thought. I'm the one who's going to die, after all.

All the same, she felt a twinge of sympathy for her. A touch of regret.

She must really love her son.

45
Unbidden, she wandered to Esme's side to look over to the forest with her. She pushed on the
glass to let the gentle breeze in.

"He's somewhere in there, with Alice and Jasper." Esme indicated the forest. "You'll heal more
quickly now that he's fed properly."

Bella didn't know what to say. It was all so surreal to her.

"There is a way though...," she trailed, still looking outside.

"If you transform fully, yours and his existence will be secured. For eternity."

"Carlisle already told me the venom is too diluted, practically useless," Bella answered
distractedly. Much ado about nothing, it turned out. She didn't even want to think about it.

"Yes. That's why you must be bitten again," Esme refused to look at her as she continued.

"Drained completely. By Edward."

In the distance, she heard a wolf howl.

AN:

The "blood leap or jump" is at least culturally true (meaning it is a bit of a superstition.) I
don't know how to translate it but it is what Filipinos call "lukso ng dugo" (literally meaning
"jump of blood as lukso means leap and dugo is blood) -- a sort of immediate, instinctive
blood bond. It is said that this is what estranged siblings or close blood relatives experience the
moment they see each other or even just happen to glance at each other. It's never been
scientifically studied (as far as I know) but it has been studied as a cultural phenomenon since
there are thousands of anecdotes and testimonies.

One such story is here: http: //cecille-theredeemed. blogspot. com/2009/01/lukso-ng-dugo.

html (random pick)

Review! It would really make me happy. :D

Chapter: 13

09/21/09: Thanks to Sleepyjo for editing this chapter.

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Disclaimer: Not mine.

Breaking the rules

C'mon, c'mon," Bella muttered as she urged her beat-up truck. The rain was pouring down in
torrents and the truck's tires were groaning and resisting the slippery road. She felt the truck skid
again and she cursed the brown slush underneath. She thought of calling Charlie to pick her up
but she didn't want to wait for him in the middle of nowhere.

"Stupid, rainy Forks," she muttered again. She couldn't even make out what was in front of her.
She could see barely the trees on both sides of the road but she knew she was in the most
deserted section of Fork's national road.

Where's the stupid vampire sight when you needed it most? Some help it is if it doesn't work on
rain. She sighed.

She hadn't wanted to go to Port Angeles by herself. But Charlie's birthday was coming up and it
was the first chance she had had to celebrate with him in a long time. She wanted to give him a
present from town and do something special for him to mark the occasion. She didn't know if
she'd have another chance.

She had refused to think about it in the last few weeks. She had relegated to the back of her mind
as she tried to enjoy herself with her friends and her father. But try as she might, she couldn't
help count her days.

She had asked Alice about it again. Why her? What did she do? Was it the venom? The fact the
he bit her when she was a child? Alice didn't have any answers. She can only surmise what will
happen, not what had happened. She told her they didn't even have a name for it.

She was supposed to feel relieved. Like she had finally found what she was looking for. But she
wasn't even looking for anything. It felt more like a curse than a blessing that Esme had made it
out to be. She still cringed a little every time she saw him.

Don't judge him too harshly, they had said. Not everything is dark and light.

And if anyone knew that, it would be her. She had been astounded by the moral ambiguity of it
all.

The more she knew about the covenant, the more she failed to justify the liberties taken by all
those involved. Yet she knew that without it, the world be much uglier place than it was already.
Each side lived according to its own laws, each side have its own rights. The covenant kept the
two realities separate and protected those who couldn't fight for themselves. It was only when

47
two worlds clashed when both sides are forced to confront its limitations. And pity those who are
caught in between as each side was only too willing to sacrifice whoever was weaker and
inconsequential to maintain the precarious balance.

She understood more than they thought she did. Edward was important to the status quo. He was
a vanguard, a vampire with unparalleled abilities and authority. One that they would do anything
and everything to save again and again.

"And I'm just a little cog in the wheel that is the universe," she thought bitterly. If the humans
who made the pact knew about her, they'd be leading the march to send her to the gallows.

She had never felt so alone.

She was too absorbed with her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to the road. She felt her
truck lurch as it bumped into something. She hoped she'd been driving slow enough not cause
any serious damage.

One of these days, I'm going to accidentally kill myself by overthinking, she thought as she
peered through the windshield. Then the drama about Edward Cullen will be all for nothing.

She saw that a tree had fallen into the road, covering the entire path.

"Why now? Why me?" she groaned aloud. Nothing worked out for her. She was about to call
Charlie to come and pick her up when she noticed something.

The tree hadn't fallen from where it presumably toppled. There was no sign as to where it once
stood on the side of the road, no freshly turned earth from where its roots lay exposed, no gap
between the trees that towered beside it. She peered through the window. It had been dragged
from inside the forrest and purposely positioned across the road to stop any passing vehicle.

Not just any vehicle. Mine, she realized.

Her heart started to pound. She felt blood rush to her head as she struggled to breath. She gripped
the wheel tightly to stop herself from shaking.

That sneaky, manipulative bastard.

Rage that she'd never experienced before overwhelmed her. She wanted to scream and hit
something -- the windshield, the wheel, anything, everything.

Breath, Bella, breath. She couldn't do it.

She flung the truck's door open and leapt into the rain. She scanned the road behind the truck.
Nothing. Just the white mist created by the torrential rain.

48
"Edward!" she shouted. "Show yourself, you fucking bastard!"

She knew he had followed her to Port Angeles, as to every place she had been in the last three
weeks. She knew he was near. She always did.

"You want to play games with me, bloodsucker?" she spat against the rain.

She was tired of his crap. The constant attention, the silent confrontations. She knew he watched
her through others. Her classmates, her friends, even his siblings when she talked to them. When
others couldn't do it for him, he followed her himself.

He was careful not to show himself to her. He avoided almost all places where they could
accidentally bump into each other. All places except the hall where she would walk between
lunch and phyics. Day after day, he would wait for her there, leaning on the wall just as he had
done days before she nearly killed him with her human frailness.

She knew he followed her closely. Watched her, observed her every move. She knew and yet she
let him. Not once did she use her ability against him. She hadn't wanted to play games. When she
had told Esme that she needed time, she had meant it. But he couldn't respect even that.

She barely noticed the the rain lashing at her. Her coat felt heavy so pulled it off and threw it
away. She stood still, unmindful of the cold, as she waited for him.

She let out a huff as a grey Volvo emerged from the mist and slowly inched towards her. Even
from afar, she could see him inside it. He stopped several meters away but made no move to get
out of the vehicle.

She got the crowbar that she spotted a few days earlier in the back of her truck.

----

Edward sat where he was and watched her get more drenched with each passing second. Rivulets
of rain ran through her hair, down to her chest and bare arms, making tiny trails along the way.
It soaked her shirt, outlining her form.

He could see that she was almost shaking with anger, her jaw firmly locked into a scowl as she
gripped the crowbar tightly. Her hair curled around her face, her eyes wild.

And he couldn't remember seeing anything more magnificent.

She stalked towards the car with purposeful strides, closing the gap between them. He waited for
her with bated breath.

She swung the crowbar as soon as she was in striking distance, hitting the windshield. Shards of
glass flew in the air and into the car, cutting into him.

49
She was becoming stronger.

Excellent.

He got out of the car to face her.

Her knuckles turned white in her anger as she moved to hit him. He could hear her heart and
pulses thunder with rage. The crowbar landed on his shoulders, tearing at his clothes.

Harder.

She swung again, striking him on the chest. She aimed higher and was awarded with a loud
thunking sound. Her hands jarred from the impact.

Another blow and he moved to the side. She got the side mirror instead. The car was a much
more pliable object than he was.

Have at it, little one.

She struck again, wildly, relentlessly – he parried some of the blows with ease and the crowbar
left dents on the car instead. He watched her with barely disguised excitement.

He moved as she swung the crowbar to crush the car's back windows. He turned her away,
shielding her before pieces of glass could get to her.

"Careful... or you'll bleed," he murmured near her ear as she strained against his hold. He kept a
tight grip on her, her skin soft under his touch.

He struggled to think as her scent – heightened by the rain, her rage and proximity to him
threatened to overwhelm him. He could feel her pulse hammering under her skin.

She backed into him forcefully, crashing them both against the Volvo. The car rocked as he
collided with it. Pure pleasure coursed through him as her body slammed into his and he revelled
in the sensation. It drowned everything around him, including the pounding call of her blood.
Her bare skin electrified him and he could think of nothing outside how she feels.

She bucked against him, oblivious of her effect on him and kicked him in the shins. He
reluctantly let her go.

She staggered away from him, trying to catch her breath. The adrenaline was fading fast and she
shivered as the cold pierced through her skin.

He could hear her heart slowing down. She had burned energy too fast, too soon after her
collapse. Just as he had predicted. She stood still for a moment and the rain washed away the

50
remnants of her rage.

"What's the use...," she sighed in defeat, throwing the crowbar away in disgust. She swayed on
her feet before dropping to the ground.

"You can deny it or run away from it but nothing will change," he spoke to her in quiet tones as
he stood over her. It wouldn't be long before her body starts to shut down completely and the
pain will would begin.

"Shut up." She sat on the mud and wrapped her arms around her knees. She felt her thirst flare as
the venom inside her tried to compensate for her body's fragility.

He stepped closer to her and crouched on his feet. He reached out to smooth her hair from her
face so he could see her clearly. His fingers tingled with every little touch.

"Let me help you."

"You've done enough" She rose to her feet shakily to get away from him, only to have her knees
buckle under her. He caught her before she toppled again. She tried to push him away but ended
up leaning against him.

He bit his arm calmly to cut his skin. "Here. It will take away some of the pain," he said as he
lowered his arm to her mouth, his blood slowly dripping.

She slapped his arm away, disgusted. She tried to hold her breath to escape the scent of his blood
but ended up gasping for air.

"Don't fight it. Drink," he coaxed. He knew she was weakening, in more ways than one.

He sighed when she refused still. He dragged her to the car. He needed some place to steady
himself.

"We'll just do it the hard way, then." He leaned against the hood of the car, picked up large piece
of glass and forcefully stabbed the side of his neck with it.

"Drink or we'll both die right here," he challenged her as he pulled her to him. His blood gushed
through the wound, soaking his shirt. He knew the sight would be too much for her, the scent of
his blood overwhelming.

She inhaled before she can stop herself. The vampire inside her rushed to the fore, urging her to
take what was offered. Drink, survive. She stepped closer, mesmerized. Her tongue darted to
taste his blood tentatively, heightening her instinct to feed. Hunger won over revulsion and
without thinking, she latched onto his neck.

He threw his head back and closed his eyes as he felt her gently suck his blood. He had never

51
before permitted any of his lovers to feed on him and had resisted all attempts to entice him to
feed on them. And he was glad that he had for nothing could describe the bliss that he
experienced as he felt her lips and tongue on him, her body pliant against his, her arms wrapped
around his neck. He could feel himself rush into her, fueling her lust, pushing her to the brink.
His body tightened in response and he pressed her to him, urging her to drink deeper. He hissed
his pleasure as he felt her teeth sink into his wound. He resisted the urge to stop her even when
he knew she was slowly draining him. He wanted her to know that he trusted her. He felt himself
start to float weightlessly. He sagged against her, his body slackening.

She released her hold on him abruptly when she realized she had taken too much. He slid to the
ground, spent and weakened. She looked down on him, her eyes a bright shade of red. He could
hear her heart take on a more normal cadence as his blood slowly stabilized her. Her eyes
lingered over his torn and bloodied clothes, the cuts and wounds that she had inflicted.

He tried to slow down the venom's healing properties so she could see. He stood unflinching
under her impassive gaze -- his face hiding nothing as he opened their connection.

He bared his thoughts to her so she could see how much pleasure she just gave him and how
much he craved for more. He let her see how hard his existence had been for him as his life
flashed before her. His violent transformation, his early rebellions, his failed attempts to mate.
Then decades of fighting, destruction and unending violence. He let her see his complete
loneliness and his wish to end it all.

"I will give you everything. My blood, my body, my life," he promised her. "All I ask is that you
never leave me."

He saw a flicker of recognition and acknowledgment in her eyes. He didn't expect more. He
knew it was too soon for her to make any pledge to him.

She pulled him up with the strength she stole from him and leaned him against the car.

She stared, fascinated, as the large scar that the ran across the side of his face where she had
struck him with the crowbar slowly faded away. She reached out to see for herself, her fingers
encountering warm and smooth skin. She traced the invisible scar to the edge of his lips and
distractedly dipped her fingers into his mouth. She pressed her thumb to his teeth, curious as to
how they could break through skin so effortlessly and efficiently. He bit down lightly, tasting
her.

She withdrew her fingers, startled. He caught her hand smoothly.

"There's no need to be afraid."

He could see that she was coming to her senses, her eyes slowly turning back to brown. She
would be regaining most of her human instincts soon, along with her revulsion for him. He was
amazed but not surprised that she was able to resist the transformation. It was just as he

52
expected.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he vowed, quietly hating himself. Not in ways that count. He hoped
she'll remember that when the time comes.

She silently weighed his words.

"I believe you," she replied, surprising him. Her eyes were once again a clear brown but she
wasn't cringing and screaming profanities at him. Instead, she looked at him with something
close to sadness.

She leaned into him and kissed him gently, softly. Like a lover would. She touched the wound in
his neck in a silent apology before stepping back.

"I'll see you around, Edward Cullen."

There was nothing he could do except watch as she walked away. And he had never wished as
desperately for something as he wished that he could read her mind at that moment.

--

However, he had no trouble reading Jasper's thoughts as he waited for him in the low building
that housed their vehicles when he drove back hours later. The Volvo had run despite the abuse it
had endured.

He got out of the car and shook off the shards of glass that clung to his clothes.

His brother eyed him and the car impassively.

"I was afraid for a moment that she wasn't going to go for the crowbar," Jasper said by way of
greeting. "I should have known better than to doubt one of your elaborate schemes. You, my
brother, are nothing if not devious," he continued.

"I rarely disappoint," he replied flatly, enduring the backhanded compliment

"She really is protected, just as you've suspected," Jasper offered quietly.

"Hopefully not for long. How many of them were there?"

"Three. Sam Uley and two young ones I didn't recognize," he supplied.

"How long did they stay?"

"Long enough. They'll be surprised you let her live," Jasper replied..

53
He made his way to the couch at the side of the garage and dropped wearily on it.

"The case is on its way to the courts," Jasper followed him, handing him an envelope.

Edward was silent as he flipped through the papers. It was a case against Isabella Marie Swan,
human, for illicit knowledge of vampire whereabouts in violation of vampire secrecy and
attacking a vampire with the intent to destroy. Vigilantism against vampires was strictly
prohibited, even though most human attempts were feeble and ineffective at best. Motivation and
knowledge were enough to get a conviction. She would be investigated and three werewolves
will be forced to attest to the facts.

He had purposely set up the confrontation near the border to catch their attention. He knew the
wolves wouldn't stick around for long as they are not fond of watching a potential vampire kill.
There was nothing they could have done as they were barred from interfering. The crime was
being committed in vampire land and it was up to the vampires to mete out the appropriate
punishment.

"I've attached your request for her to the complaint. By the week's end, barring any objections,
there'll be no impediments to your claim," he informed him. Punishment for vigilantism was
death. But it wasn't uncommon for the aggrieved vampire to request another form.

"We will see...," he had doubts.

"The wolves will be furious. This, so soon after they inform us her status...," Jasper said.

"She signed away her life when she attacked me. They won't be able to deny that," he said,
loathing his own efficiency. He had needed her to break all the rules out in the open, with all
concerned parties witnessing her crime. And she had played directly into his hands with her
uncontrolled rage. "The humans will order to have her eliminated. The wolves will have no
choice but to agree to my conditions."

"She will not be pleased," Jasper warned him.

"It had to be done," he replied regretfully. He had not only broken his family's promise to protect
her. He had broken his promise not to hurt her even before he made it.

"I know," Jasper conceeded. "It would just be your luck, brother, that she would turn out to be a
wolf''s goddaughter."

Reviews make me happy.

54
Chapter: 14

Thanks to two Jos, Ecullenitis and Sleepyjo for making this chapter worthwhile.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the name of synchrony

"Hello, my child."

It was an old face that she knew so well, and fondly. Harry Clearwater stood imposing against
the door frame, his graying hair cascading over his shoulders, his face weathered but wise, his
eyes crinkling with affection.

"Uncle Harry!" she squealed and threw her arms around him. "It's been so long."

He returned her embrace, chuckling softly.

"Come in. It's nice of you to come by. Dad's been so busy so we haven't had the time for visits.
How're Seth and Leah? Aunt Sue?" She hadn't been expecting visitors but she was glad to see
him. Harry had been a constant figure in her not-so-distant childhood -- a doting godfather who
opened his home and family to her.

"They're as fine as they can be. How about you? How have you been coping so far?"

"I'm all right," she answered as the old man looked at her closely. "It's a little hard being new
again but I'm getting there."

She plastered a bright smile on her face to counter the uneasy feeling that Harry could tell what
was behind the flawless skin and seemingly fresh face. If she'd been normal, she'd be looking
like hell as she hadn't been able to sleep for days.

"It's been hard on you," he observed quielty. "I'm afraid you may never forgive me for my
carelessness. You've been associating with them for too long and I had been so neglectful of my
duties to you."

She stared at him, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what are we talking about?"

"Edward Cullen," he answered matter-of-factly, shocking her. "We know who he is, child. As we
do his entire family."

55
Her entire body tensed at the mention of his name. Something pooled inside her mouth,
heightening her senses. Her vision sharpened, making her see the lines on Harry's face sharply. A
distinct scent reached her, tickling her nose and she became aware that they were not alone.
There were two creatures outside the door, her brained noted, a couple more at the edge of the
forest. Straining her ears, she could hear growling.

She felt a sudden, strange urge to lunge at Harry.

"Breathe, child, breathe," her godfather had raised his hand in a placating gesture. "There is no
threat."

She concentrated on Harry's face as she took a deep breath. She counted slowly, clearing her
mind of unwanted thoughts and impulses that she was sure were not hers.

"Wolves," her voice shook at the realization.

"Yes. We are their natural enemies but we have long coexisted peacefully, even before the
covenant with the humans."

"Your allies?" She choked as she collapsed on the nearest chair. "Why didn't you tell me
sooner?"

"Their arrival caused a natural disruption," he answered. "We have been dealing with numerous
cases of transformations, and it's kept our hands full. But that doesn't excuse my neglect. I didn't
realize how long you've known until after your collapse. You have had to deal with the
tremendous pressure on your own and for that I am truly, deeply sorry."

"Does it matter? He got to me a long time ago."

"He is what he is, child. His kind thrives on the call of blood even if he and his family try to
resist it. Our world exists out of the recognition of that fact. He wasn't able to kill you years ago
because his coven intervened. But this time, he purposely let you attack him."

"What do you mean, purposely?"

"He framed you. You must know, he has filed a complaint against you to force the humans to
hand you over to him. He was very thorough, even going so far as to arrange to have us witness
the incident. He's built an airtight case against you. There is no way we can appeal the ruling.
You are most probably being sentenced and your life handed to him as we speak. He'll have
absolute control over your fate."

"What?" she stood up, unable to take it all in at once. "Why? For what?" A case against her, her
life bartered without her knowledge, a death sentence.

56
"He shared his blood with you in an ancient bonding ritual of their kind. The entire incident was
painstakingly planned. We came to know of his family's proposition to you, as with the nature of
your relationship to him. Leah overheard you talking with one of them at the hospital," Harry
explained.

The howl. She should've known there was more to what Esme was telling her. Leah's a wolf?
Jesus fucking Christ.

"I know that you have many questions," Harry continued. "And they will all be answered in time.
For now, rest assured that as your godfather, I will do everything to shield you from whatever
dark purpose the vampire had planned for you. Your family has been under the Clearwaters'
protection for nearly a century. We bestowed on you a natural protection against creatures of the
dark -- against their call, their wiles, even some of their abilities. When the covenant with the
humans came to be, you and your line were exempted from being vampire targets. These
protections will remain with you for as long as I breathe, if that is your wish."

----------

She sat on the porch for hours after Harry left, staring at the forest beyond her home.

"Tread carefully," Harry had cautioned her. He'd made it clear just how precarious her status
was. By vampire law, she was nothing but the property of Edward Cullen. But if she resisted,
Harry Clearwater was bound to defend her as her protector, even if it meant upsetting a century
of delicate balance between their kinds. She'd balked at the idea of destroying something so vast
and necessary, even if it was in exchange for her life.

Harry's visit had left more questions than answers and she dreaded to think that she'd have to talk
to them -- the bloodsuckers, as her godfather had so charmingly called them -- if she wanted
answers. The stakes were too high, there were too many lives involved but she couldn't take her
fate lying down.

What a mess, she sighed, her head pounding from all the unanswered questions. She forced
herself to relax, unloading her mind of the tension that her godfather's visit had brought as she
had gotten nowhere after hours of mulling everything over. Tension rolled off her shoulders as
she unwittingly let go of Harry's lingering presence.

You really shouldn't leave trails to your consciousness, Isabella. She jumped out of her skin
when she heard an amused whisper in her mind. There are monsters lying in the dark, waiting.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block him out.

"Get the fuck out of my head."

"I'm not exactly in your head," she heard a low laugh. "Your mind is stubbornly resisting my
attempts. So instead, your subconscious seems to have created a void, in which I can cast my

57
consciousness over you wherever I may be. A shared ground, so to speak, in the form of a simple
mental link. It allows me to see some of the things you see, feel some of your emotions. Lovely,
isn't it?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

Because you can't help it. Just as I can't. The logical part of your brain may rebel against my
presence, but subconsciously, your mind seeks me. It even provides me a path so that I may
invade whenever I wish. Unfortunately for you, this is one of those things you'll have to contend
with regarding the synchrony.

I found the path to it when you nearly killed me. Again. Which, by the way, is becoming a nasty
habit of yours. If you had had even the slightest interest in looking for mine, you would have
found it easily. All you had to do was call for me. You can invade me anytime, as often as you
wish.

"Leave me alone."

Come outside, Bella, he cooed, playful, caressing her mind. I'll explain everything.

She didn't know what possessed her to do as he wished, but an hour later, she found herself in a
meadow far up above the mountains. The place was surrounded by thick vegetation, and she had
no idea how she managed to find it.

She found him easily, sitting on a tree stump with careless grace, just beyond the sun's rays. Her
tormentor, in the body of a harmless, charming, seventeen year old boy.

"Explain," she prompted without greeting.

He only smiled at her.

"Isn't this place beautiful? Not as beautiful as you, but nearly as enchanting." He walked towards
her, and as the sun hit him, a thousand diamonds glittered on his skin, momentarily blinding her.

"Get on with it," she snapped as she averted her eyes.

"You were dying," he stated simply. "Your heart would not have endured multiple failures, and
that would have happened if Carlisle had given you only human and synthetic blood; but you
would never have accepted blood from any of us willingly. By drinking from me, you've
stretched your life indefinitely."

"Your heart just had to be weakened first before you could accept vampire blood. Otherwise,
your body, governed by human instincts, would have rejected the transfusion immediately. The
surest and safest way was to summon your more vampiric characteristics, instead of the more
conventional methods," he continued, "at least, that's what Carlisle thought. I must admit though,

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it did make for an... interesting experience for me."

"So it was to save me?" She asked, incredulous. "Should I grovel at your feet in gratitude?"

"I did what needed to be done," he replied. "The only other course would have been to turn you
against your will, and Carlisle would have never permitted it."

"So instead you trap me, sentence me to death so that you can own me," she continued, her voice
rising. "How is that different from turning me against my will?"

"Don't tempt me," he said, a hard tone creeping into his voice. "If it was solely up to me, I would
have done it without second thought. You will remain human, until the time when that option is
no longer viable. The case against you is a mere technicality so I can protect you fully. The
wolves' protections are sorely lacking and vampire law will not protect you before you turn."

"Protect me from what? Others like you?"

"You have no idea what is out there," he replied. "Trust me on this one."

"Trust you?" She hissed her fury. "You infect me with your poison, force on me a condition that
I don't need, or want. You made me into something I don't want to be and you want me to trust
you?"

"Do not fight me on this, Isabella. You'll only lose."

"Fight you? I don't even know what I'm doing."

"You're right. You know nothing. You understand nothing. I pledge to you my entire existence
and the first thing you do is walk away. You judge me too easily to justify your anger. By
running away, you only reinforce your status as prey. Your fear is making you stupid and weak.
Until you face what you have become, you will never be my equal."

"I don't want to be your equal, or whatever it is you want me to be." Just leave me alone, she
added silently.

The air crackled as her anger fueled his frustrations. He was suddenly no longer the harmless-
looking seventeen year old boy, but a dark menacing presence. His eyes had turned a darkest
shade of brown, his face shedding its boyish looks, his teeth bared. He stood between her and the
direction she needed to take back towards her house, blocking her exit.

"Do not even think of running," he warned.

Watch me, she thought. Knowing he'd anticipate her movements, she angled her body to the
right. In one smooth move, she propelled herself to the nearest tree, picking up speed as leapt as
high as she could while cloaking herself in mid motion. Using the trunk as a spring board, she

59
hurled herself to the opposite direction while focusing on stilling her entire body. She landed on
the top branch noiselessly, disturbing not one leaf in her wake.

Away from their vigilant presence, she'd honed her ability, discovering many hidden facets to her
condition. It served her now, as she'd managed to surprise a vampire, one who'd faced more
daunting adversaries than she could ever be.

Bracing herself for his fury, she covered her ears. But instead of rage, she heard laughter, low
and mocking.

"You have been holding out on me, little one," he called out. "Clever, very clever. Perhaps I was
wrong after all."

He turned around to survey his surroundings, and she knew he was casing the area, analyzing the
place from different angles. He could sense her, just as she could sense him. She closed her eyes
before he could reach her through their link.

"That's right, Bella. Close your eyes so I cannot see what you see. It would be so easy to find you
then," he taunted. "But never mind. I may not know where you are but I can feel you. Even if
you stay as quiet as a mouse."

She stifled a gasp when she felt cold, butterfly like touches travel up to her arm and wrap gently
around her neck.

"Can you feel me now?" He had his eyes closed, concentrating on mere emotions to get to her.
She had yet to master masking her feelings and he easily picked on her fear through the link. The
hold on her neck tightened and she struggled to breathe. The branch broke as she jerked against
his invisible hold and she plunged towards the ground.

He was beside her the second she hit the forest floor.

"Are you hurt?" he asked in a deceptively soft voice as he crouched near her feet. If she hadn't
heard the hiss that preceded the question, she would have been complacent.

"Get away from me." She had scratches on her hand and blood was slowly seeping out of her
skin. Without thinking, she wiped her bloodied hand with her shirt as she tried to sit upright. She
heard him let out another hiss at the sight of her blood.

Muttering obscene curses under her breath, she pulled herself away as she tried to hide her
bloodied hands from him. He clamped a hand on her ankle to stop her progress.

"You really shouldn't talk so crudely," he murmured. "It's unbecoming for someone as delicate as
you."

His hand slowly crept under the ankle hem of her jeans to make contact with her skin, holding

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her down with a vicelike grip. He dragged her back to him easily even as she squirmed and
bucked out of his hold. He moved to straddle her when she started to trash in earnest, trapping
her under him before pulling on her arms, her efforts to keep them locked behind her back
ineffective against his strength. She gaped at him in disbelief as he brought her hands to his
mouth and started to lick her fingers. His tongue swirled gently, almost lovingly, lapping every
drop of blood on her hands, and she stared at the movement, mesmerized. She gasped as she felt
his teeth prick through her skin gently.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest.

"A taste. Just a taste. It won't hurt," he promised in soft, silken tones. He lapped the few drops of
blood from the pinpricks and moved towards her wrist to repeat the action. He tore her jacket
like it was a piece of paper to expose the length of her arm.

"Your skin makes me forget everything," she heard him sigh against her, "Even the thought of
killing you eludes me now." He moved his lips across her arm, making small bites and nips. She
stayed still, completely enamored by the movements of his mouth. She could feel his teeth prick
her before his tongue would rasp roughly against every tiny wound.

He pulled her up, scooting backwards until they faced each other, kneeling on the forest floor.

She remained completely still as his hand snaked at the back of her head to gather her hair in his
fingers before tilting her head back to expose her neck. His other hand encircled her waist as he
pulled her against him, touching his lips to her neck to sucking gently on her skin.
"Hmmmm...you taste divine."

"Do you remember how I tasted? When you fed from me, how did I taste?" he murmured to her,
releasing memories of her feeding off him from her brain. She gripped his hair in an effort to
steady herself as the urgent and overwhelming need for blood slammed into her.

"Blood is bliss, is it not?" she heard him say before she felt his teeth sink into her neck. She
gasped as he suddenly sucked deeply, filling his mouth with her blood and letting it swirl with
his venom. Tilting her head further, he kissed her to release the mixture of blood and venom into
her mouth. The taste hit her tongue, intoxicating her and deep primal need grew inside her. She
deepened the kiss, plunging her tongue into his mouth, seeking every drop.

Taking advantage of her preoccupation, he dispensed with their clothes quickly, running his
hands all over her naked form. He dropped her to the ground and she only vaguely noticed that it
was cold when her back hit the forest floor.

She moaned as he moved to press his mouth to her neck and down to her breasts, sucking on her
nipples nipples gently. Her entire body tightened as she felt his teeth sink into the underside of
her breast as he took a sips of her blood. His hands traveled down her thighs, parting her legs as
he positioned himself over her. His mouth moved lower, making small, quick bites before his
tongue lapped at the punctures, bathing her in his venom.

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The tension at the pit of her stomach grew unbearable as he to explore her with his mouth --
kissing, nipping, soothing her broken skin with gentle licks. She let out a surprised cry when he
suddenly plunged his teeth into the large vein on her inside thigh. Waves of burning, piercing
pleasure coursed through her as he started to drink deeply. He growled as the scent of her release
overwhelmed him, forgetting for a moment his lust for her blood. He turned to lap at her juices
that had soaked her thighs, licking his way towards her clit, sending her into a vortex of intense
pleasure. She was unaware that she'd screamed his name as she shook and trembled in ecstasy
and he let out a satisfied laugh.

He pulled her trembling form across the forest floor roughly and hoisted her leg over his hip.
With a snarl, he plunged himself into her completely in one single stroke. She screamed as he
tore at her barriers, the pain momentarily overwhelming her.

It took everything in him to stay still as he let her pain resound in every cell in his body. Without
a word, he lowered his head and offered her access to his neck, silently asking her to take what
she needed to dull the pain. She reached out to touch his face, blindly seeking his reassurance,
and he opened their connection at once, flooding her mind with images of him and her in ecstasy.

She ran her hands slowly up his chest up to his head and tugged at his hair to bring her mouth
closer to his neck. He stiffened as she sank her teeth into a large vein and her eyes rolled back as
his blood gushed into her mouth and flowed inside her, obliterating the pain. She felt him grow
larger inside her when she started to suck, slowly stretching her walls, filling her completely.
Jolts of pleasure coursed through her when he moved slightly and she pressed herself against
him. He rocked gently against her, giving her what she wanted, building the pressure between
her thighs until she could no longer bear it. She broke from him, her head flailing backward to
the ground as she arched her back to grind against him, impaling herself deeper.

He followed her to the ground as he rammed himself inside her, grunting. He gripped her
shoulders as he started slamming into her roughly, rocking her small body. The forest floor
scraped against her back as he pounded into her in wild abandon, his hands digging deeper into
her shoulders in his attempt to keep her in place. She clutched at his arms desperately as she
writhed beneath him.

She felt him stiffen for a split second as his release hit him from nowhere.

He started to convulse uncontrollably, his grunts growing louder, his thrusts getting more erratic.
She struggled to hold on to the remaining threads of her sanity as he brought her to the brink
with him, pulling her with him as he toppled into the abyss of their mutual climax.

Something inside her snapped as they crashed together, her blood coursing in perfect sync with
his. Their connection broke wide open as he thrashed against her in delirious pleasure and she
tumbled into the darkness of his mind.

Gripping him tightly, she waded through the haze, losing herself in the intensity of his emotions.

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His lust, his confusion, his frustrations, his desperation, his overwhelming relief and longing.
The latter echoed in her and found the answering call that she had fought so hard to suppress.

He collapsed to her side, his arms instinctively wrapping around her. Even barely conscious, she
could feel him snake around her mind, filling the gaps that she didn't know existed. His
disjointed thoughts were still just a jumble of emotions but she could see a coherent pattern
starting to emerge.

The bastard was locking her into her place in their equation, trapping her presence inside him. He
had lured her to the darkest corners of his mind and coaxed her into seeing his innermost
thoughts. Even in his subconscious, he was manipulative and remorseless. But he was also
chillingly logical in his methods and he carried out all his plans with dangerous precision. He did
everything with a purpose, including losing control during the wildness that had just transpired.

She turned to her side to take a better look at his face. As familiar as he was to her, she knew
next to nothing about him or his motivations. It would take some time to even start to fully grasp
his intentions. She gathered from his thoughts that her existence had thrown his entire world into
chaos and that he was doing everything to stabilize it. Her presence had created more
complications to his already convoluted existence and she'd hounded with threats by being
merely associated to him.

You are human. Only I can protect you. It echoed over and over inside his head. I will protect
you.

He was moving as fast as she permitted him, challenging her protections from the werewolves,
forcing them to acknowledge their neglect. He wanted Harry to rescind the protection that
blocked Alice from seeing her in her visions so he could prepare for what lay ahead. He saw
Alice's inability to see her in the future as a weakness but seemed to enjoy the uncertainty that
she presented.

She tried to grasp the entire picture but the pieces, like a puzzle, kept shifting inside his head.
Giving up, she started pulling on her clothes, intent on putting some distance between them
before he woke. Standing over him a few minutes later, she suppresed the urge to smack him for
dragging her into the mess that was his life. But contrary to what Alice had told her otherwise,
the vampire seemed to have already fallen asleep.

------

AN: Yes, Edward "sleeps." How and why would be explained much, much later.

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Chapter: 15

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Thanks to sleepyjo for editing this chapter.

Mates

They'd been waiting for him for hours and she was starting to get worried. He had never been
this late before.

"No, Alice. He specifically asked us not to interfere," Jasper said before she can suggest
following the trail that led to the meadow.

"I don't like this, Jaz. It's not like him. What if...," she said, going around Bella's truck. They had
found it at the end of the road at the foot of the mountain where Edward habitually went for his
morose sessions. She'd been up there with him the whole time.

"He hasn't been himself for some time now," he replied gently. "Stop with the what-ifs before
you give yourself an aneurysm. It's possible that they just didn't notice the time."

She was about to explain to him again that she couldn't shake off a feeling of impending doom
when she saw Bella emerge from the trees more than a hundred meters away. She saw her pause
at the edge and survey her surroundings passively, her gaze zeroing in on Jasper who didn't move
from his position. Bella shifted her body slightly to the right without taking her gaze off them
and straigthened, legs planted firmly apart, arms pressed to her side with elbows slightly bent.

A fighter's stance, Alice observed curiously. Why?

Behind her, Edward sauntered out from the forest and Alice watched, fascinated, as she fell into
step with him. Edward didn't even need to break his stride. They walked together with easy
grace, arms swinging slightly, neither hurrying or slowing. Even from afar, a dangerous energy
seem to emanate from them that she could almost see them glow with suppressed electricity. She
could picture them in battle, their synchrony rendering them eerily invincible.

It was only when they were several meters away that she noticed their state of disarray and her
thoughts screeched to a halt.

Edward's unkempt hair was more disheveled than usual and Bella had dead leaves in hers. Bella's
clothes were wet, her jacket and jeans torn in a couple of places. They were both dirty, like they
had just rolled on the forest floor extensively. On closer inspection, Alice could see the cuts on
Bella's arms, neck and even on her jaw. She looked at Edward with disapproval when she spied
nasty bruises peeking from beneath her wrinkled clothes.

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You hit her? She let her disappointment color her thoughts. Somehow, she expected that he
would treat Bella differently, not in a way that he had treated so many others. There had been
many of them, human and vampire, who left Edward's clutches looking battered and bruised. She
and Jasper had learned to look the other way, knowing things could have been worse. He could
have killed them - drained them or snapped their little necks. The Volturi not only gave him the
privilege to kill indiscriminately, they encouraged him and those in the high echelons to do so as
the practice fed on their brutality and savagery. It was only Edward's contempt for the ancients
and their perverse ways that prevented him from becoming thoroughly corrupt.

Edward glared at her, bristling at her unvoiced accusation.

"Jasper, take the truck and drive Bella back to the house. Alice and I will take the jeep," he
ordered, his voice cold and deadly.

He grasped Bella's elbow and pulled her to the side of the truck. For a second, it looked like she
was going to resist. She looked at him defiantly and pulled on her arm slightly. The grip on her
elbow tightened but after a pause, she walked towards the truck without resistance. Alice wasn't
sure if he had her in a trance or their connection was keeping her in place. Whatever it was, it
was not flowing smoothly and she could sense that a battle of wills raged silently. She glanced at
Jasper to see what he was picking up but he was watching the whole exchange with a carefully
cultivated bland expression.

"Go around the back when you get to the house," he told Jasper after he had Bella buckled in. He
then walked towards the Emmett's jeep and got in the passenger seat.

"Get in and drive," he ordered as he buckled himself in unnecessarily. Alice complied and started
the engine.

"She's still human, Edward. She feels pain, she gets sick, she can die, and then where will you be
when that happens?" Alice couldn't keep the disapproval from her voice as she backed the jeep
and shifted gears to head for the main road.

"You don't need to remind me how human she is, Alice," he spoke to her evenly, his eyes on the
side mirror as he watched Jasper maneouver the red truck to follow then. "Did you get what
she'll need?"

"Her bags are in the back," she replied, dropping the subject with reluctance. "I've called her
father and told him she's staying with me. It would be better if she called him right away." Chief
Swan hadn't suspected a thing and she had pitied the man for thinking that Bella had finally
found friends in town.

"Their council already called for a negotiation. Billy Black still presides but we will be facing
opposition from the Clearwaters most. Two of the children had already transformed and so had
the Black boy," she continued.

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"The Black boy is close to her age, correct?" he asked her.

"Yes. And three more males, as far as Carlisle can tell. Her bloodline is several times removed
from theirs so the possibility of one of them imprinting on her is quite high. She is a foster child,
after all. Her mother's lineage would have produced several werewolf mates in the last century."

"A little fact that Harry Clearwater conveniently forgot to inform her," he said quietly.

"He is not under any obligation to tell her, you know that. Godchildren are only taken into the
fold after a werewolf imprints on them. And as imprinting starts unilaterally, the mates only
know of it much later. They already think she knows too much, no thanks to you," she reasoned.

"With so many transformations, they'll need all their godchildren on their side. Close
intermarriages weaken their genes and marriage with ordinary humans dilute their lineage. They
will bring her in," Alice warned.

"They would be a little too late. She has been...taken." Alice could detect a note of grim
satisfaction in his voice.

"Our laws are not theirs, Edward. Even they can't control what is instinctive. It may not matter to
them that you share her blood, a werewolf could still imprint on her," she persisted.

"If it does, I will kill it. I will kill anything or anyone who dares touch her," he threatened coldly
and she shot him an alarmed glance.

"And risk starting a war?"

"I would only be enforcing my claim," he reasoned. "The wolves will have to weigh their options
very carefully. None of them will survive if they challenge us."

"You're taking this too far, Edward," she warned.

"Was killing for the Volturi for fifty years too far?"

"You did it to save Carlisle and Esme," she reasoned.

"Now I do it for me," he stated and Alice knew that if it came to that, she and Jasper would back
him up. The entire family had reluctantly agreed to his plans as he had never asked them for
anything before. He had never wanted anything for himself before. So as long as he stayed
within Carlisle's rules and limitations, they had agreed to let him be.

"She may no longer be a viable mate, but like her mother, they could still choose to keep her for
future generations. She could still choose to run with them when they call on her. She may be
estranged to the Clearwaters now but she was close to them and even the Black boy during her

66
formative years. Godchildren are known to be fiercely protective of their foster families. That's
why they make perfect mates," she continued.

"She will stay with me until she becomes full vampire," Edward answered. "The wolves will just
have to accept that."

"She might not even turn vampire if her wolf protections remain. I don't understand why you
won't consider asking them to take it all away," Alice asked in exasperation.

"There's no point in asking. Not all of her protections can be rescinded voluntarily," he replied.
"Think of it, Alice. A vampire with werewolf abilities and protections. She will be formidable
when she turns."

"If she doesn't, we will have a problem," she said. "Aro and his guards are about to pay us a little
visit as you have refused, again, to go to Volterra at his request."

"Let them come. I'm done following his orders," he said tightly and Alice sighed. The ancients
had been naturally curious. Edward had never shown interest in taking on a mate before,
prefering the numerous pickings that the Volturi offered him. His claim over a human
transgressor surprised and intrigued them.

"The more you refuse, the more curious they become. If they see her and know of her convoluted
history with you, they will come after us. The wolves have kept their silence only out of respect
of our alliance," Alice reasoned.

"I am not leaving," he said with finality. "Aro can bring the entire Volturi with him if he wants."

"You can show yourself and get it over with in a day. Jasper and I can leave a few days before
and do reconnaissance, find out if Aro suspects anything," she persisted.

"No," he interrupted.

"...and Bella could really use a break. You're pushing things too hard, too fast and you need to
step back a little so she can make a decision without you breathing down her neck, among other
things..."

"I said no."

".....and Emmett and Rosalie can keep her under surveillance if that's what you're worried about.
They can best look after her and besides..."

"Enough, Alice!" he exploded, surprising her into silence. "What I do or not do is not up for
debate. Is that understood?"

"You know very well that I can't stand it," he confessed suddenly, his frustration mounting. "I

67
can't stand being away from her."

She stole a glance at him as he lapsed into silence, lost in the turmoil of his own thoughts. Jasper
would have laughed in his face. The agonies of first love, he would mock him. Jasper was
convinced that the set-up would benefit them both. Enforced proximity would compel Edward to
put his urges under control and it will teach Bella how to handle his intensity. Alice, on the other
hand, was convinced that it was a monumental disaster waiting to happen.

But looking at him as he pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips
drawn into a thin line, she felt a wave of sympathy. Her poor brother, lost in his own
machinations. She knew he was operating on basic instincts alone, blinded by her inability to
look into their shared future. He was so intent on putting the pieces together and averting
possible disasters that he was alienating the very person he was trying to save. He gambled with
Bella's fragile affections too often and Alice feared that no matter how strong their bond may be,
she will not be so forgiving.

Out loud, she voiced her concerns in a gentler tone. "You forgot to call. You know I can't see
you when you're together."

"I know. I apologize," he softened his voice and she knew he was regreting his earlier outburst.
"It was the strangest thing. I think I fell asleep."

She looked at him doubtfully but didn't ask for any details. He didn't say anything else and
instead stared broodingly into the darkness outside.

They have been continuing their way home for almost thirty minutes when Edward abruptly
straightened.

"Stop."

"What? What's going on?" she stepped on the brakes gently and flashed the jeep's lights for
Jasper to do the same.

"Werewolves."

"Are they far?" Alice asked, automatically shifting the jeep in reverse.

"No," Edward stopped her. "They're already here."

Edward kept still as he probed the surrounding areas, casting his mind wider.

"Four, five at the most. There's some shielding," Edward continued.

"Why the ambush? Carlisle already agreed to a meeting of the councils."

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"They're not here to negotiate," he answered quietly, staring straight ahead. "They are unarmed,"
he continued, sounding slightly disappointed.

Two motorbikes emerged a couple of meters in front of the jeep, blocking its path. A rusty truck
came from the side of the road and Harry Clearwater got down.

Bella jumped down from her truck to meet him and Edward let out a low string of curses.

"She blocked us," he hissed, realizing how the wolves had escaped the attention of three
powerful vampires.

Bella hurried to embrace her godfather. The two boys riding the motorbikes and a girl from the
truck, all barely out of their teens, joined them.

Edward clambered out of the jeep, his expression cold and calm, and for a moment, Alice
thought he was going to murder them all.

She felt Jasper move to occupy the left side of the road. He sent Edward a wave of icy calm in an
effort to rein him in. Casually, she got down the jeep to flank Edward from the right.

She could hear snatches of the conversation as Harry took notice of Bella's appearance. She was
trying to assure them that she was all right, that she they were just cuts and bruises from a "fall"
but everyone knew she was lying.

"Edward Cullen," she heard Harry greet him icily.

"Clearwater," Edward bowed slightly, his archaic manners forcing him to be polite.

"We would appreciate it if you maintain your distance until the meeting of the councils," he
spoke to him firmly.

"Until the councils decide," Edward had no choice but to agree. "But not a second after."

"So be it. Until then," Harry conceded, bowing back.

Edward threw Bella a glare and she gave him a imperceptible nod. She climbed back into her
truck as the other girl got into the passenger seat.

Edward watched her drive away passively, the motorbikes trailing after her. Alice didn't dare ask
him if he was all right. She wanted to laugh long and hard, as she knew Jasper was probably
howling inside, but had to contend herself with the fact that Edward could read their minds loud
and clear. Thwarting his plans was an achievement but doing so in his very presence was
monumental.

"I'm going for a run," he announced when the wolves were out of sight and both Alice and Jasper

69
knew better than to offer words of comfort.

Without another word, he turned back to the forest and disappeared into the night.

-----

Bella sat in the driver's seat and felt in control of herself again as she gripped the wheel firmly.
She let Leah's calming presence wash over her, grateful for the other girl's comforting silence.
She had forgotten how easy it was to be with them and she regretted the countless times that she
had stopped herself from going to them.

She could feel Harry reinforcing her shield and gently pushing out Edward's control. It had only
been a few minutes but she could already feel the disruption. The synchrony would be breaking
soon and Edward would have to contend himself with the mental link. Fortunately, the link was
simple enough that she could still hide a lot of things from him when she wanted to.

Just hours before, she had tried to make sense of everything that she had glimpsed in his mind.
He had slept, naked and passive on the forest floor, as she sifted through his memories, his
motivations, his intent. She had encountered herself in his thoughts -- her history, her family, her
connection to the werewolves. She had been forced to admit that she was wrong in assuming that
it was him who drew her into the entangled web of all worlds. She had been part of it all along.

She had been too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice the time. She hadn't even realized that she
had lain down next to sleeping vampire, unconsciously seeking his presence as she struggled to
understand and accept what she really was. It was when she was sifting through her own abilities
that she realized, with horror, what he needed to do for her to turn completely.

It had snapped her out of her thoughts and she had panicked when she realized that it was almost
midnight. She had called Harry directly and he had immediately sensed the reason for her
distress. It had been him who calmed her down and told her to meet on the road at the foot of the
mountain. Harry had instructed her to cast her shield to find them and she had felt extremely
lucky that Edward had slept through her panic attack. But she hadn't counted on him waking up
as she had moved away from the meadow. Even in his sleep, he had felt the slight disruption as
she moved farther away and it had snapped him out of his dreams.

They were near the main road when she felt his presence again.

You cannot escape me that easily, my pet, he called to her, easily breaking through the shields
her godfather had put around her. I do not take to meddling very well.

She jerked the wheel at the intrusion, making the truck skid to the left.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to drive?" Leah asked her gently.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy..." she lied.

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She felt his mind wrap around hers and her gaze strayed to Leah. She took a sharp breath as she
realized his intention.

Let them be, vampire. This is between you and me.

She hadn't made it far before he caught up with her and she had tried, as best as she could, to
escape him. But he was simply too powerful and her efforts brought her nothing but more cuts
and bruises. He had easily overpowered her and he had been satisfied with the outcome. She was
sure that he even enjoyed dunking her into the river where his bitemarks had stung before
closing. Humiliated, bruised, hungry and extremely sore, she had gotten so tired and for a
moment, just a moment, she had allowed herself to surrender to their synchrony. She had let him
in and had reveled in his absolute and irrational need for her as she tried to bend him to her will.
It had been a mistake as he used the connection to keep her in her place.

It is you who seem to have forgotten. You were the one who called them and dragged them
between us. Your recklessness put them in danger. He let his displeasure roll into her mind. He
had made her an offer she hadn't dared refuse – he woud keep things strictly between them in
exchange for her consent.

They have every right to defend themselves if you attack and I will stand with them if you do.

She felt his fury rise at her words. She had agreed to his terms but refused to give up her
connection to the wolves and her family. They were part of who she was and her instincts pushed
her to warn them when she had felt they were in danger.

I have no intention of attacking them. But you forget where you stand. You have already
consented to your transformation. You will turn after the meeting of the councils, regardless of
the outcome, and you had better find a way to move away from them before then. He let his
words hang, not vocalizing the rest of the threat.

You gave me your word, Edward, she hissed back. I will not let you kill him.

And you gave me yours that you will break the last of his protections. But instead of honoring
your word, you call on him and hide behind him.

His protections reside within him, they can't be broken as long as he breaths, she argued. And he
will live for a long time if I can help it.

Then you really have no choice, do you? You will submit to me, as agreed. I am done being
lenient with you. You will let me find every single crack, every loophole of your protections until
you are able to transform. It will not be pretty or easy or sane but you will let me. Every time,
anytime I wish, and hope, for his and his family's sake, that it will be enough, he gritted out as his
fury at her obstinacy grew.

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I will honor our agreement, vampire, but do not make idle threats against them. They may not be
fully aware of what I am now or the complete range of your transgressions but when they do and
decide to come after you, I will let them. So I hope for your sake that you don't kill them, I really
do. Because if you do, I will kill yours. A vampire for every werewolf. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly," she felt him smile darkly. "And as I have no intention of killing your godfather, we
will proceed as planned. Meet me at the edge of your family's property at dusk. No wolves. Until
then, my pet...."

AN:

I love to hear your thoughts on this one.

Chapter: 16

Twilight is not mine.

Payback

"You certainly took your time."

The darkness concealed him but she could see him leaning against the tree clearly. His voice was
barely above a whisper but she could hear the threat loud and clear. He had told her to come at
dusk. That had been three days ago.

The air shimmered as she materialized several feet away.

"I couldn't get away," she answered flatly and he could hear the lie in her voice. He knew she felt
him each time he approached the Clearwaters' property. The pull had been strong yet she had
fought the urge to come to him. He was too far away to activate their link.

He turned to face her and looked her over impassively. Her face, framed by her brown locks,
looked haggard under the moonlight. She had shadows under her eyes and her lips looked dry
and chaffed. She looked frail and lost, standing in the middle of the forest, gripping the front of
her thin cardigan as if it could protect her. She shivered slightly under his unblinking gaze and he
knew it wasn't because of the cold.

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She returned his scrutiny. He looked worse. His face was gaunt, all harsh angles and menace. His
eyes looked sunken and had taken the color of her nightmares. He loomed in the shadows,
wrapped in a dark overcoat, his presence like black smoke. It snaked around her, suffocating her,
blinding her until all she could see was him.

"Was it as hard for you as it was for me, my pet?" he murmured as he pushed his body away
from the tree languidly. "Was the separation too much to bear?

He approached her, his dark boots making no sound on the ground.

"Did the pain start from your insides as well, then spread out slowly, tortuously, to the very tips
of your fingers and toes? Burning, screaming, like a thousand insects crawling under your skin?"

His voice had dropped to a hiss but she still fought the impulse to cover her ears.

"The shaking, the terrible ache...."

Her heart went into overdrive as he started to circle her. Her breathing turned shallow and small
puffs of condensed air escaped her lips. She swallowed with difficulty.

"Was the pain enough to make you want to cut yourself? Scratch your wounds so that they might
bleed again?" His eyes raked her from head to toe.

He could still discern the bites and cuts on her neck. The bruises that peeked from under the band
of her jeans, on the other hand, were starting to fade away. For the past three days, he could think
of nothing else but the taste of her skin as he bit her and the feel of her body under his hands as
he rammed into her violently. It had been to his immense satisfaction that she hadn't broken.

He took a deep breath, desperate for her scent and grimaced as it reached him.

"You reek of werewolf." Distaste filled his mouth. It seemed that the wolves lathered her with
their herbs and medicines. He pushed down his irritation as he imagined them tending to her
wounds, erasing his bites and marks. He should have been the one to heal her, choose which ones
go and which ones remain. He was thinking of the closest river where he could wash the
offending smell when he heard a distinct click.

He found himself looking down the barrel of a gun.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she leveled the weapon against him and he admired the way
she held it steadily before realizing she must have seen his thoughts.

He chuckled softly. All he wanted was to bathe her and she threatens to shoot him. "I am sorry to
disappoint you, my pet, but a bullet would do me no permanent harm."

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"No...but it'll hurt like hell." She followed his movements, her eyes never leaving his face. He
regarded the gun with disinterest.

"Go ahead," he shrugged. "Shoot me if it makes you happy."

Without pause, she took aim and pulled the trigger, hitting him on his left knee. He went down,
too surprised to even hiss in pain. She aimed again and a bullet tore though his right shoulder.
The close range threw her off slightly and her hands shook a little. His bones splintered and she
felt the impact shatter through her own. The scent of his blood assaulted her senses and she
looked away, unable to watch him bleed.

Before he could refocus, she opened their connection and dove into his mind. His anger was
threathening to erupt and she clamped down on it. He cursed her, straining against her control.
She shrank back visibly.

"Just what are you trying to prove?" he snarled as he gripped his knee to stop the blood from
flowing. He pressed his other hand to the wound on his shoulder. He felt her inside him,
attempting to tame his anger while sharing his pain.

"You asked for it, asshole." He could hear her gritting her teeth as she kept him from lunging at
her through the connection.

He winced as he pulled himself up slowly and limped towards the nearest tree. He sagged against
it before dropping to the ground. Closing his eyes, he straightened his legs and concentrated on
the venom inside himself. He could already feel it rush to repair the damage. It would take more
time for the bones to knit themselves.

"Why do you insist on making things more difficult?" he growled, his face knotted in pain and
anger. "There is no point in your obstinance."

"I can't kill you, I know. The synchrony won't let me." She moved to his right, keeping her
distance as she forced herself to watch the blood trickle from where she shot him. The wounds
were already closing. "But I figured I could at least try."

"What purpose would that serve?" he opened his eyes to glare at her. "What you do to me, you
do to yourself."

"I want to know how far I can go. I need a guarantee, Edward."

"You deliberately disobeyed me. You have forfeited your right to ask for guarantees," he spat in
anger.

"You will give me one, all the same," she spat back.

"Why should I?"

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"Because you're wrong." Her voice rose, along with her agitation. She took a deep breath to
steady herself. "You might think there is a way of going around the werewolves' protections
without killing the source but there isn't. There has never been such a case in their history.
Protection duties are inherited. When a godparent dies, his responsibilities automatically pass on
to the next in line."

"Yours will be the first case then," he replied darkly, insulted that she should think he didn't look
into the matter thoroughly. "Wolves pass and trade responsibilities among themselves in certain
circumstances. It is just a matter of how and when."

He held his hand over the wounded knee, willing the pain away so she wouldn't have to bear it
for long.

"And do not ask me not to kill your godfather again. It irritates me," he told her harshly.

"Why should I believe you?" she moved closer to him until she was standing over him, her aim
not wavering.

"Why should I lie to you? What good would that do?"

She laughed, a shrill, cackling sound filled with hysteria. She crouched next to him, her eyes
wild, her gestures erratic.

"You lie all the time. You lie even when you speak of not lying. Everytime you open your
mouth, the pieces in your brain shift around, hiding the thoughts you don't want me to see."

Psycho. She didn't say it out loud but he could hear the word echo inside her brain.

She pressed the gun against his left shoulder and he knew that a single word, a wrong gesture
could set her off.

He looked at her dispassionately before calmly moving the muzzle to his forehead.

"Pull the trigger then," he told her. "Twice through the neck. Make sure both the shoulders and
pelvis break to ensure temporary paralysis. Sever the head quickly, before the venom can react."

He knew for certain that she wouldn't be able to do it.

"You might want to step back a little, though. You would not want to have your clothes bloodied
and soiled."

"You think I'm being ridiculous," she bristled at his patronizing tone.

"You are a godchild, I am aware of your responsibilities. But you are to me what I am to you.

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You might not like it but not only can you not kill me, you are bound by blood to protect me. So
no, my pet, you can not murder me in my sleep and hack me into little pieces. The sooner you
understand this, the better for everyone involved."

"And if I refuse?"

"You will not refuse," he emphasized each word, his anger quick to rise to the fore. She was
doing it again, rejecting him. He wanted to shout at her, shake her, pound into her over and over.
"A synchrony, once achieved, can never be broken."

"Except through death."

"Even death can not take you away from me. I will drag you back from hell, if that is what it
takes."

She shook her head in denial, trapped in the web that he had just laid. She pulled back and
rocked against her heels. He watched her closely, aware of the imminent shift in her thoughts.

She let out a frustrated sigh before dropping the gun. It pleased him that she was almost as
unhinged as he was. She better be, he thought. It took her three days to break down. He went out
of his mind on the first day. Alice had Emmett and Jasper beat him to calm him down and hold
him until he was reasonable enough not to go tresspassing into the wolves' property and make
good his threat to her. Wait another day, they had begged him. And then another day more.

So he had returned to the edge of the property dusk after dusk, consoling himself with her vague
presence. A few times, he stepped over the invisible line that marked their territory only to pull
himself back. He knew he wouldn't have stopped himself if he went over. She didn't know how
close he was to annihilating them all each day she refused to heed his call.

"I have some conditions," she said in a rush, getting the words out before she could change her
mind.

Here it comes, he smiled inwardly. You better make it worth my while, little girl.

"I'm not living in a house full of vampires."

"You are not living in a house full of werewolves."

She stopped rocking, annoyed at his interruption.

"I'm staying at my house. With my father, as long as I can," she declared belligerently.

"Fine," he conceeded after a pause. "But keep your windows open,"

She frowned, unsure of what her windows have to do with anything, but decided to let it go.

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"I want to prepare him and my mother for my eventual....demise. I want to say goodbye properly.
I don't want them to blame themselves or leave them with false hopes. I want them to have
closure. A disease, a rare affliction, whatever," she rambled, close to tears just thinking about it.
"No abductions..."

"Done," he agreed without letting her finish. She cringed at his seeming indifference.

"I want to have a life outside yours. I want to be able to defend myself and my foster family by
my own skills and abilities. I want protection for them, inside and outside your world. I will train
with you, but I will also train away from you."

He hid a small smile. Despite his insistence that she stayed with him before her transformation,
he had always thought she had the best chance of perfecting her abilities and sharpening her
skills if she trained under the wolves. They could train her far better than he or his siblings could.
Her abilities were born out of their protections, after all. She may not be aware of it and she
definitely had her own agenda, but she was making everything easy.

Out loud, he maintained a slightly disapproving tone.

" You can have your life but you will share mine. In every sense, in all aspects. You can run with
the werewolves but only as their sibling, no more. And only after you turn."

She eyed him suspiciously. He was being more agreeable than she expected. She was sure that he
would continue to challenge her refusal to immediately sever ties with her father and the
Clearwaters. All she hoped for was to get him to agree to their presence in her life. She would
take it from there.

"If you want something done, I want full disclosure. At all times. No secrets, no lies. I don't want
to be jerked around like a marionnette. Or plotted against and auctioned behind my back," she
continued.

"You're one to talk," he mocked her, using the language of her generation. "I should demand the
same. Starting now."

She hadn't let go of her control over his anger and that had severely limited his actions.

"If I had let you go, we wouldn't make it this far."

"True," he murmured as he smiled at her indulgently. "You would not have made it past your
first condition."

"I want you to stop treating me like a dog," frustration and anger colored her voice. "I'm not like
you. I can't do what you do --- compartmentalize everything in neat, little boxes in your brain. I
don't care if you don't know how to show affection but you should at least treat me with some

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respect. If you want me to be your equal, you should start treating me like one."

"You should start acting like one first," he shot back calmly, "before I can consider it."

He leaned forward and breathed into her face.

"If you hadn't wasted your energy fighting me, we would have passed this stage a long time
ago."

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. It was taking everything in her to stop herself from
beating him into a pulp. She pushed him away and scooted backwards.

"You have to tell me what you want, Bella. I can't read your mind. You have to tell me what you
will do in return."

"In return?" she echoed blankly.

"You have to say the words so you and I will be clear."

She started to say something before abruptly closing her mouth. She started several times,
delving into her memories and his, trying to find the right words.

"I won't leave you," she whispered when she finally found the memory she needed.

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and closed her eyes in reverence.

"I will never leave you," she repeated, slowly, firmly, without hesitation.

She opened her eyes and was suprised that he didn't even seem to be listening. He was looking
down, his finger tracing something invisible on the forest floor. His eyes were downcast, his
eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched visibly. It was like he was keeping himself from bolting
with great difficulty. Something flitted over his features, a slight crumpling, a vague twitch. He
looked up slowly, dragging in an unneccesary deep breath, and it was gone.

"And?" he let the word out with a whoosh, shuddering a little.

And what? What? She wanted to shout at him. Wasn't that what he wanted to hear? What did he
want? She searched his mind for a clue. She was still the foremost thing in it but a thick layer of
confusion clouded his entire brain. It was as if he hadn't expected her to get it right or declare it
so readily.

"Do you want me to promise you that I will do whatever you want me to do?" she asked half-
heartedly.

"Without question?" he prodded, intent on squeezing whatever she was grudgingly offering.

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"Within reason."

"Which means you will be promising nothing at all," he mocked her, back to his old form. He
smiled suddenly and it was like the sun broke through his cloudy brain. "But never mind. That
wasn't what I meant."

"What is it that you really want, Bella? You came here for something. Tell me."

She fumed inwardly. The bastard knew exactly what she came for.

Fidgeting, she ran her fingers through her hair and nervously bit her lip. She went back to
rocking on her heels, fighting her impending humiliation.

He watched her sway gently, imagining her doing so above him. Naked and moaning, her hair in
a wild tangled mess. He would cup her breasts as she rocked against him, head thrown back, the
expanse of her neck bared and offered to him. He would take time to savor her as she gripped
him inside her, letting her pleasure spread through him slowly, excruciatingly, taking away the
sting of the disruption.

And then he would taste her again. Venom pooled inside his mouth. He could already feel her
blood on his tongue.

He grew impatient at her hesitation. He shrugged of his coat and started unbuttoning his shirt.
She looked anywhere but at him.

"Look at me," he commanded, his voice smooth and hyptonizing. "It is all right to crave it, crave
me as I so desperately crave you."

He crouched and balanced on the soles of his feet, ready to spring in an instant, his shot knee and
shoulder healed and forgotten. He dug his heels imperceptibly, careful not to startle her as she
struggled with her shame.

"It is the one thing that I will never deny you," he continued in a soothing tone. "You don't even
have to ask."

She looked at him and pounced before she could stop herself. The impact would have knocked
him to the ground if he hadn't pounced back. She latched on to him, her mouth needy on his.
They crashed on the forest floor, in an entangled heap of limbs as they gracelessly tried to devour
each other. She pulled on his shirt to expose his neck further. He tilted his head to one side,
skimming his nose against her cheek, biting on her jaw.

She didn't need another invitation. She sank her teeth violently into his neck and started to drink
deeply. His body jerked in surprise but he remained still. She was still inside his mind, her
control keeping him in place. She could feel his blood flow inside her and every cell in her body

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rejoiced. She pressed herself against him, grinding shamelessly, moaning her satisfaction. She
couldn't remember anymore why she resisted him all this time. She was so enthralled with his
blood, with his body and his mind, with him, that she failed to notice when he started shaking.
An undefined emotion dealt her with an almost physical blow when she realized he was going
into shock.

Shit.

Frantically, she pulled her cardigan and threw off her shirt, exposing a white camisole
underneath. She pulled on his head and pressed him against her chest, welcoming the white hot
pain when his teeth sank above her right breast. He growled at her sweetness, her blood like rain
to his parched mouth. He took a few desperate pulls but stopped abruptly when he felt her push
him away.

No, not yet, he shouted in his mind. It was either she didn't get her fill or he took too much too
soon but her body clearly wasn't ready to be fed on. By sheer will, he clamped on his need as he
dragged his mouth away. She collapsed against him and started to shake.

He pressed his hand against her chest to stop the blood from flowing. Her venom was slower to
react, unlike in full vampires. He watched as her blood stained through the fabric of her
camisole. He hadn't even noticed that he bit through it. Red on white, like blood on snow. It
seemed such a long time ago.

Hold on, little girl. Her blood mixed with the blood that stained his hands and torso from where
she had shot him. He reached for his coat and put it around her. He pulled her close and held her
as she tried to control her body.

The enforced separation had weakened them both more than he'd expected. Her needs had grown
stronger and he had grown weaker. He couldn't even feed her properly. He realized he needed to
hunt more frequently. She should start hunting herself but he couldn't think of her feeding from
something or someone else.

"I want more," she whispered weakly and he could feel her shame at her neediness, at her
surrender. She was disgusted with herself, at her weakness, her inability to say no.

"You need more," she remembered him in her desperation. He nodded but didn't reply. The
exchange was hardly satisfying but it would have to do. The small amount of her blood in him
was stabilizing him little by little. Her weight on him anchored him as her emotions swirled
around them, drowning him with unfamiliar sensations, opening the little boxes in his mind. He
concentrated on the feel of her skin and the changes in her scent as it slowly took on a sweeter
vampire smell. His body burned with need to be inside her, to feel her around him and splinter
into oblivion but he held himself in check. He reveled instead in her grudging acceptance and the
power that she had just given him over her.

He held her stoically, enduring her shakes and shivers. He didn't offer words or gestures of

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comfort as she pressed against him, trying to crawl inside him. She didn't need them.

She stopped shaking after a while but he didn't move from his position. Minutes passed before he
spoke again.

"There is someone in the Volturi, someone I trust, whom you can call should the need to carry
out your duties as a godchild arise," he started and she suddenly didn't want to think, much less
talk, about it.

"His name is Felix and I will inform him of the possibility that you will one day need his
services. He will do your bidding without question should that time come."

She tried to sit up, her unease rising. She didn't want to hear about it anymore.

"You wanted a guarantee," he let his words hang, his face an inscrutable mask.

She was too weak to protest, to rail at him righteously for betraying his family to her even
though he knew she would never take his offer. But she did threaten him and, for a while, she
had wanted nothing more than for him to give her a reason, any reason, so she could make good
on her threat. She would have done it. Without hesitation, without remorse. She would have
started a war.

"You should be careful what you ask of me, Bella," he murmured near her ear, "I might just
grant it."

She felt a stirring of true fear. He was dangerously insane. And she was descending into the pits
of insanity with him. She should run as far away as she could, screaming at the top of her lungs.
But it was too late now. She was finding out that she didn't really want to. She wanted to puke.

She stayed, his arms like steel around her, his hands hot under her camisole. Skin against skin,
blood against blood. Despite her misgivings, the contact was starting to calm her, as it was
stabilizing him. She thought of how much her life had spiralled out of her control since she came
to Forks and how she had tried to take it back. She thought of her father, of Renee, of Harry and
the werewolves. Someday, she would cry. She would open the floodgates and wail at everything
she had lost and would be missing. Someday, but not before then and definitely not in his
presence. She'd be damned if she showed weakness to him again.

She would be taking what was hers.

Mine, she thought aloud as she burrowed further into his warmth. She struggled to keep her eyes
open, suspicious of his next moves. But she got tired fighting and within moments, fell into deep
sleep.

He felt her breathing deepen even before she realized that she was slipping. Careful not to wake
her, he dragged her with him to the nearest tree. He leaned against it, propped her against him

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and embraced her from behind. He rested his head on the crook of her neck, breathed deeply and
stayed still.

For the first time since their encounter at the school's parking lot, he didn't feel the need to
constantly trip over his mind. He closed his eyes gratefully and let her soft breathing bring him a
semblance of peace. It had been more than a century since he had been able to sleep. Maybe she
would indulge him again when she woke up. Maybe she would watch over him so he could close
his eyes and dream human dreams once more.

He was somewhere between being awake and dreamland when he heard rapid footfalls. Someone
was running in their direction. It wasn't completely human, as its movements were too measured
and silent. The intruder had some weak shielding but he could hear its stream of thoughts.

Growling his irritation at the incoming intrusion, he pulled her sleeping form closer. Pulling his
knees up, he anchored himself to the ground while trapping her between his legs. He reached for
her gun and waited.

AN: Posted it here before it posted on twilighted. You can all double-review, if you want. I won't
mind. :DD Last chapter was a bit heavy so this is an attempt to unwind. My beta wasn't able to
beta it, she's out in the woods, looking for Edward. (Have fun camping, Jo!) All mistakes,
(grammar, plot, spelling, story) are mine. I should have looked for another one, I know.. :D

so who wants to beta the next one? and find out who the unfortunate intruder is? :DDD I'll post
it as soon as you finish with it.

thanks a_muse1 for the advice! And oh, sheez, she reminded me to tell you to vote for it at the
Indies. LOL.

thanks maylin!

Chapter: 17

Thanks to Maylin who edited this chapter. Thanks to all who offered. :P

Chapter 17: Edward Cullen

Blood. She could smell it, four miles downstream. She should have run to her when she heard the

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two successive shots. But she hadn't cast her shield. She hadn't called out for her. Maybe she had
killed the vampire. Maybe the vampire had run away.

Bella had insisted. Three shots and I cast the shield. Run only then, as fast as you can.

She had resolved not only to run, she would transform and call on all those in werewolf form.
She was sure that she would pay for her rash decisions later but the safety of those to whom they
had given protection was her foremost concern. They were supposed to wait for the council, wait
for a decision. Nobody was supposed to move.

They hadn't told anyone. Her father and the others were at another house for another council
meeting, leaving her as guard. Bella had been shaking so hard that she had taken pity. She agreed
to help her get out of the house and escorted her until they were midway through the forest. The
deeper they had gone, the more stable she had become. When they had reached the middle of the
forest, she was only shaking slightly. She had asked her to fall back. She had wanted to confront
him alone.

Three shots, she had said, and I will cast my shield. Run, then. As fast as you can.

She ran now, leaping through the bushes and logs with innate grace, bounding through the
narrow spaces between the trees. She was new to this werewolf thing but she had always been
graceful. A natural, they had called her. It was very rare that female children transformed so they
hadn't prepared her. They had prepared all the boys, even those younger than her. She was a girl.
She had been left alone to her studies and hobbies and obsessions, unaware of the
transformations until her own was at hand. When it had come, it was painful, confusing and
extremely humiliating. She had endured it all, as befitted her status. She had become part of a
sacred society, one on which their entire kind relied. But even within that society, she was in a
league of her own. All other females were imprints, mates of fellow werewolves. She couldn't
look at one without their partners' thoughts overlaying hers. She had been overjoyed when the
decision to bring Bella was made. A female who was not constantly panted after by another
werewolf, a girl near her own age, a close childhood friend. She prayed nobody would imprint
on her.

She gripped her shotgun, a gift from her father when she had transformed. The other gift, a
Colt .45 calibre pistol, she had given to Bella. It had rung out, not once but twice. She really
should have run then. Instead she had waited, debating with herself. Undecided, she had walked
upstream. Towards the direction of the edge of their property, where Bella and the vampire were
supposed to rendezvous. The vampire was clever, he wouldn't step into werewolf land. He would
ask her to step out.

Edward Cullen. The name sent chills down their collective spine. It was said that he was cold
and thoroughly ruthless. He shared a long history with the werewolves of Forks. Forks was his
coven's ancestral domain. They laid claim to half of the land, the other half being the
werewolve's. Back then, when the covenant with the humans was just starting, he made an
indelible mark in werewolf history. Rebellious vampires, leery of the new social order, had

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sought refuge and overran Forks to escape the wrath of the Volturi in Seattle. The werewolves
had found themselves hopelessly outnumbered. The Volturi sent their most thorough guards to
clean up Forks' forests and nearby areas. They had sent Edward Cullen and another named Felix.
Even now, her uncle Billy, who had led the pack then, still talked about the battles with
something close to awe.

They came, he would tell the young ones in an appropriately spooky voice, slaughtered
everything that stood in their way, brutally and without mercy, before retreating without so much
as a word. They moved so fast they were just blurs in motion. You would only see them after,
when they stood over bonfires for the undead, drenched in the blood of their own kind. The one
named Felix would retreat as soon as the battle was won. But the one named Edward would
survey the carnage, silently and methodically, with cold, hard eyes.

A couple of times, her uncle would relate, the vampires actually saved some of the werewolves.
Judging from his tone, she had assumed her uncle was one of those werewolves.

With all the stories, she had expected a cranky old monster, ugly as sin and incapable of
normalcy. She had imagined him as her uncle Billy described him --- a frightening Volturi guard
in his dark Volturi garb -- long dark overcoat, tall boots and his cache of deadly weapons.

That was why she was so surprised when she first saw him. He had looked seventeen, younger
than she was. Younger still were the two vampires who had casually flanked him as he watched
Bella with something close to murder in his eyes as they drove away. Seth's prior description was
no help at all. He just called him the crazy vampire who was insanely obsessed with Bella.

And now he was with Bella doing God knows what to her. She ran faster but refrained from
transforming. If Bella had successfully killed him, then everybody else would just have to know
about it later. Much, much later. His death would just be added to her growing list of
transgressions. If she took her werewolf form, their ubiquitous connection would instantly alert
the others of her most recent crime.

She arrived at the edge of the property but she couldn't locate them. She heard a faint rustle and
raised the shotgun in that direction. From the darkness, she heard a gun being cocked. She
squinted her eyes and saw him, the vampire, leaning against the tree, leveling her own Colt
against her. Bella lay prone between his legs, covered with what appeared to be a dark overcoat.
The scent of her blood was stronger as she turned in their direction and she nearly gagged with
worry and fear.

"What have you done to her?" Her voice shook a little as she confronted him. She had never been
alone with a vampire, much less one as old and powerful as him.

"She is only sleeping." the vampire growled at her from the dark. "Leave us, wolf."

She squinted her eyes so she could see them. A sliver of moonlight broke through the thick
canopy and illuminated them for a second. The vampire, with his gaunt face and wild hair, was

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truly frightening. He had one arm around Bella, who was propped against his shoulder, her face
turned to his. She seemed to have regained color in her face and to all appearances, really was
just sleeping. She strained her ears, just to be sure. Two strong beats dominated the wide expanse
of the forest. One was her own heart, hammering in her chest. The other was Bella's, slow and
rhythmic in sleep.

She tried to focus. Two shots in the head, That was what Bella said. Two shots in the head and
one in the neck. She didn't have a clear shot. She doubted if she could even get one. Still, she
held her ground in the bizarre tableau. The vampire holding a gun, a werewolf holding a shotgun,
buffered only by a sleeping human.

The human stirred, burrowing further into the vampire's embrace and he shifted visibly to
accommodate her.

"She hasn't slept in three days," she blurted out. She didn't know why but she felt she owed him
something for getting Bella the rest she needed.

He seemed to consider her for a moment, found her of little threat, before lowering the gun.

"She needed blood."

"She wouldn't feed. Not even from a fresh kill."

"She is not of the werewolf kind, Leah Clearwater."

She was surprised when he addressed her formally. Even more surprised by the fact that he knew
her by name. She returned the respect.

"She's not of vampire kind either, Edward Cullen."

She should have bowed. He was way, way her senior. But she couldn't do that without letting go
of the shotgun's trigger.

"She only drinks from me."

Leah nearly gagged again at the thought of Bella drinking from him. Seth had related to her, in
hazy detail, what had happened on the road more than a week ago. The crazy one had stabbed
himself and she had drunk from him, he had told her with morbid fascination. Then she had left
him and that was that. The stuff of vague and confusing legends. Whatever this was, she decided,
it was one for the books.

The wolf council had made it known that they would only consider negotiating for Bella's release
from their custody if the vampires overlooked the human courts' decision. In deference to their
outstanding alliance, the vampires had reluctantly agreed. The Olympic-La Push agreement
would be used as a basis for negotiations as it predated the covenant with the humans and

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excluded all outside interference. The vampires, in return, asked for leniency for all of Edward
Cullen's transgressions. Two members of their council – the vampire-doctor and one named
Eleazar Denali, had met with her uncle Billy, head of their own council, several times to set the
conditions.

Over a period of several days, the vampires had offered numerous concessions: a stronger
alliance, mutual protection, even a redrawing of land boundaries. It was not below them to
exercise a little arm-twisting, calling on favors that the wolves had owed them over the years.
She had been right in her assumption about Billy Black. What she hadn't known was that back
then, Edward Cullen also saved another, someone even closer. A young girl named Sue. Her own
mother. Both were senior members of the council and were obligated to settle their debts to him.

"My father told you to stay away."

"She came to me." Technically.

To move past the deadlock, the council was edging closer to an agreement with the vampires.
They would overlook Edward's transgressions and release Bella into his "care." They were just
preparing a list of mild punitive actions against him. A prohibition here, a restriction there. A
proverbial slap on the wrist.

She was one of the hold-outs. To her, it sounded too much like they were sacrificing one of their
own for a stronger shield and a few inches of land. She didn't like it. She didn't like him. Most
council members had shaken their heads at her so-called youthful idealism. Both kinds must do
what they needed to do to survive, they had told her. But until consensus was reached, a decision
would not be made.

There was another option, the hold-outs like her insisted. The council could hide Bella, convince
her father to send her back to Arizona, to Phoenix or wherever. Stick her into the system so the
vampires would have to face wolf after wolf council in each area to get to her. As with every
society, a werewolf bureaucracy existed to torment those who had no need for it.

Images of Bella after they rescued her flashed through her mind. Numerous bite marks on her
torso, hand shaped bruises on her hips and shoulders. Bella had tried to hide most marks and
insisted that she was fine. She had asked her outright. Did he...? Her answer was swift and firm.
No. And that was that.

And then there was the shaking and shivering. Bella would lock herself in the bathroom to shake
like a crack addict on withdrawal. It didn't take her long to guess from what. Or more
specifically, from whom. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She would be fine in the morning but
would start to prowl through the house at dusk.

But maybe, just maybe, she had gotten it all wrong.

"If she gets sent away, she's not going to survive, is she?"

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"No," his quick answer surprised her. "And neither will I."

Another sliver of light illuminated them and she was surprised to see tension and fatigue on his
face. She recognized the edgy expression. It was the same for werewolves.

"If it does not offend you, Edward Cullen," she started formally. "I strongly suggest that you
feed. I will look after her, as she is my sister."

Within the short period of her transformation, she had been taught the formal manners when
addressing her elders and elders of another kind. It was annoying and cloying and she didn't like
the arcane language. However, she was grateful for it now. She wouldn't know how else to
address the vampire.

"Perhaps I will," he agreed. "If you will consider lowering your weapon while I stand."

Good lord, she thought. He actually agreed. Maybe they could make a run for it. She lowered the
shotgun and watched him disentangle himself from Bella gently, careful not to jostle her. She
watched as he stood over her, his features softening slightly. Bella slept on, uncaring.

"I will be nearby," he told her, his voice carrying a light note of threat. "I will come back as soon
as I can."

So much for running, Leah thought.

She bowed then. It sucked that he was a vampire. But he was an elder, even if he was of another
kind.

AN:

Back-up is important, especially if you want to start a war.

Chapter: 18

Something different

Thanks to Maylin at UU for reading and liking both drafts. O_O

Posting it now here since I'll be gone for a couple of days.

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Don't know if I need to post a stronger warning. Mature themes ahead, possibly disturbing. But
really not.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

"Bella! Get up. Now."

She woke up with a start, flinging her arms instinctively and encountered hard ground. She
looked around in a daze. Green. Everything was green.

She heard heavy feet on the ground, stomping on something. She groped for
something...someone beside her. Finding no one, she felt a sudden rise of anxiety. A wave of
desolation swept through her and she felt nauseous. She hurried to swallow the bile that rose to
her throat. Breathe, Bella, breathe.

She turned to look towards the noise and saw that it was Leah, scattering what looked like ashes
on the ground. She noticed belatedly that she was covered with a long coat. It was his, it looked
like it was his and she clutched at it instinctively. She looked up, the sun was already heading
west. It seemed she had slept the entire day away.

"Leah..." she croaked. Leah went on stomping the ground. "Leah," she called again, more firmly.

"Great, you're up," Leah hurried to her side and passed her clothes to her. "Put this back on. We
need to get to the river. The boys are heading this way and they will smell his blood on you
immediately."

She let Leah pull her up and steady her.

"Where's..."

"He left. We need to move."

Leah started pulling her past the invisible line and she fought the sudden urge to linger. She put
on the long coat. It helped, somehow.

"Can you run? We have to get to the river before them."

She nodded and Leah started on a slow jog. She picked up pace as they got into the right rhythm
and Bella ran instinctively. Her strides matched Leah's, the coat flapping around her knees, her
feet hitting the ground silently, barely crunching the dead leaves beneath. It didn't take them long
to reach the river.

"Jump and take off everything. I brought you some fresh clothes." Bella complied, jumping into
the icy waters without thought. Her teeth chattered on impact and she gasped as the bitemark
above her right breast stung. She heard Leah dive smoothly into the water a few seconds later

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and started to swim towards her.

"Give me the coat, get your jeans off and trap it underwater with a rock."

She almost said no, holding on to the coat as if her life depended on it but she followed Leah's
intructions without question. Her actions were sluggish, adding to the sinking feeling that was
already pulling her down. She scrubbed the blood off her and felt the bitemark close slightly.

"Leah, the blood on the ground..." she remembered suddenly.

"Don't worry about it. Shh..." Four wolves appeared on the river bank and Leah rose gracefully
from the river, water dripping from her naked form. Her complete lack of modesty forced the
other wolves to look the other way, giving Bella more time to wash off the dried blood that clung
to the strands of her hair. His blood, his scent.

"What do you want? I told you the last time you called, there is no need to patrol this area. I have
it under control," Leah dressed unhurriedly, buying Bella more time.

The largest wolf merely turned his nose up, sniffing the air.

"Shut it, Jake. There's nothing here," she snarled as she put on the last piece of her clothing.
"Now, git."

The wolf stared at her thoughtfully before turning on its tail and walking away. But the smallest
one walked closer, turned its head towards Bella's direction and shook its head imperceptibly.

"We're fine," Leah mouthed the wolf.

It nodded reluctantly and turned to follow the other three. Bella clambered out self-consciously
to get dressed as soon as they disappeared. She moved stiltedly, rubbing her arms and legs to
make her own temperature rise a little.

"Leah, I think I need to get back to my dad," she started when she was finally able to stop her
teeth from chattering.

"What? Why?" She asked but frankly, she wasn't surprised. Bella had stopped shaking and was
then sitting near the river, staring blankly towards the water.

"I've struck a deal with him. I know I shouldn't have. The elders are still working out everything
and I am so sorry," she said quietly. "But it's no use. He can get to me wherever, whenever he
wants."

If only you knew, Leah thought sadly. If only you knew that your professed protectors are all too
willing to strike a deal to their own advantage. That the negotiations are for your release, not
safekeeping. Her guilt on her role in the collective decision weighed on her heavily.

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"Are you sure?" she asked.

"No. God, no. I have no idea what I'm doing," she said miserably. "But if I don't do this, he'll kill
me. I know it. I will die, anyway, either from the disconnect, his venom, his blood, from the
mere fact that I'm human. And if I was to die, he'd rather I die quickly. End the poor, miserable
mortal quickly. End his own suffering quickly."

Leah stared at her with dawning horror. She remembered the quiet desperation she saw on the
vampire's face and everything suddenly seemed so frighteningly clear. She already knew that
Bella's resistance, which they were all aiding, was killing her. If she had insisted on fighting him,
the vampire would have helped her. If that was what she wanted, he would go with her. In life, as
well as in death.

She took a deep breath and turned to Bella.

"Do it," she urged her firmly. "Whatever it is that you've agreed to do, do it." Live.

Bella turned to her in surprise. In quick, long strides, she was in front of her, hugging her
fiercely.

"Thank you. I am so fucking scared I can't think but thank you." Leah could feel Bella shake and
take in gulps of air, fighting her urge to cry for the unexpected support.

"What if I just made a huge mistake? I can't take it back. He won't let me. There's something
inside him, something just beyond his consciousness, that I can't reach. It's fracturing his mind.
And its breaking into mine."

Leah wanted to tell her it was going to be all right as she pulled back but she couldn't. It probably
wasn't.

"You'll figure it out. I'll back you up, whatever it is you want to do. We'll figure something out."

"I'm slipping. I can feel it. I'm losing it. Everytime I step away from him, something crumbles.
When he steps back, something else fall in its place," she rambled, wrapping her arms around
herself in a small defensive posture. "I can't hold it off."

"Did it ever occur to you that he might be experiencing it too? What if his mind was fracturing
precisely because of the same thing?"

She laughed bitterly.

"I doubt it. I'm just this...thing that is connected to him against his will. He told me he'll give me
everything, anything if I don't leave him. But he wants to beat me into submission first. The
inferior human who dares hold his existence in her hands."

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Bella said it with complete conviction but Leah wasn't so sure. The vampire had been so
reluctant to leave her earlier. He was gone for only an hour the first time he left to feed. He had
came back, his demeanor greatly improved. She had left them alone again, giving them as much
time as they needed. She had returned late in the afternoon to find the vampire still holding her,
in exactly the same position as before. She had requested him to leave as the other wolves had
been getting antsy by their absence and it had been time for them to move on. The vampire had
taken a long look at Bella, who had slept obliviously through it all. Leah suddenly had the
feeling that he was just as unsure of everything as Bella was.

"Maybe there's more to him than what you've already seen," she offered helpfully.

"He doesn't even allow himself to feel beyond what he's already done," Bella continued, not
hearing her. "He either wants to kill me, eat me or fuck me."

They had both drifted towards the edge of the river unconsciously during the conversation. They
stood side by side silently -- Leah unsure of what to say, Bella wrapped in her own misery.

"He plays me, threatens me, treats me like shit," Bella continued. "Then I run to him for more,
hoping he'll treat me a little better. Stand up to him so he'll show me a little respect. He turns the
tables around and I give up because I can't help it. So stupid."

"No, it's not," Leah countered.

"I thought about it. I thought I can take him, his obsessions, his lust, his anger and ask for
nothing more. But what if I can't?"

"Maybe he just needs time," Leah said. Maybe if you stop fighting him, he'll have the chance to
do something else besides constantly reinforce his will to keep you from slipping away. She
wanted to tell her. But that would be like urging her to give up, to give in, lose herself
completely when everything in her screamed run away. She was prey. Her resistance came
naturally.

"Maybe. I don' know," Bella conceded.

They made their way back to the house, leaving her bloodied clothes, including the coat, trapped
at the bottom of the river. Bella found it even easier to follow Leah's lead as they ran. Something
shifted as they ran together and she felt her spirits lift a little, even for just a short while.

Leah was glad that no one was in their house, making Bella's getaway clean and effortless. All
the elders were at the Blacks, hammering out the final details of the agreement and the rest of the
wolves were busy either in training or patrolling their territory. The presence of the vampires had
given them renewed purpose, awakened the buried instincts that their forebears had given them.

Both stayed silent during the drive to Forks, each lost in her own thoughts. Leah behind the

91
wheel, Bella staring outside her window, watching one tree blur into another.

"There's something you need to know," Leah spoke as brought her truck to a stop in front of the
Swan house. "The council will be meeting tomorrow with the vampires and they will be
releasing you to him."

"The negotiations were for their offered concessions, the decision to release you have been
virtually made since the start," Leah felt shame in informing her but she figured it was better to
be completely honest with her than to hide the truth and betray her further. Bella sat still for a
long moment and Leah bore her silence with another wave of guilt.

"Good," Bella replied after a while. "At least I could be of some use."

"Bella..."

"No, I mean it," she smiled tiredly. "I've lost that battle a long time ago anyway. We might as
well get something out of it."

Bella got down from the truck and reached her hand out for a squeeze.

"Thanks. You don't know how much easier it is for me to tell someone who's not related to him."

"Don't thank me yet. Thank me tomorrow, if you still want to."

"Right now, I don't care," she sighed. Leah gave her one last squeeze before shifting the truck in
reverse and starting her drive back to La Push.

Bella had only gone a couple of steps when something, someone breathed down her neck,
making her jump slightly. She felt him suddenly, his presence making her skin tingle. He was
extremely close and she could almost feel him wrap himself around her. She scanned the forest,
looking for him.

She stood for a few seconds more, waiting for a sign and sighed when it seemed none was
forthcoming. She'd wait anyway. And he knew she would.

----

He smiled to himself as he felt her jump at his presence, letting her proximity spread slowly
through out his body, suffusing him with unexpected warmth. He wanted to touch her, whisper to
her, make her jump again.

He saw her clearly as she clambered out of the truck from his position on top of a tree. His
location gave him an unhampered view of her driveway, her room and their living room while
being shrouded completely.

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He watched her enter the house, hug her father warmly, tell him she missed im without a hint of
irony in her voice. Charlie Swan was not a demonstrative man but even he could sense Bella's
swirling emotions. He hugged her back and proceeded to tell her of his weekend. She prepared
dinner despite her fatigue, chattered inanely and made up stories. Sure, she had a great time.
Yeah, she'll tell Leah to come over. Of course, Alice too. They had told him she was with both
Alice and Leah.

Her father complimented her on her seemingly healthy glow and she almost choked on her
chicken.

"Must be the fresh air," she covered.

She made her excuses an hour later, leaving Charlie to enjoy primetime baseball. She stood near
the kitchen door, tucked in the shadows, and watched him quietly. He could feel her sadness at
the thought of leaving him alone, a father she was only getting to know again and who was
starting to feel worthy of her company and affection.

She went up to her room, prowled around for a while before going to the bathroom. She came
back after a couple of minutes, prowled around some more before giving in to the urge to open
the window and peering out.

She scanned the forest again, looking for something, anything and was disappointed. She didn't
seek him out and he refrained from mocking her through their connection. She turned away but
left the window open.

She came back a few seconds later and slammed the window shut, rattling the shutters.

She picked up a book, went to sprawl on her small bed and started reading. She tossed and
turned, turned the lights off only to turn them on again.

He watched her growing restlessness with a critical eye, timing her actions, assessing her shifting
moods.

A few hours before dawn, he felt her breathing slow and deepen. She had opened and tossed
several books before settling on something that eventually lulled her to sleep. He watched as she
shifted to a more comfortable position, dropping the book to the floor.

He took a small box from his pocket, toyed with it for a while and waited for several minutes
more.

From inside Chief Swan's room, a loud beeping disturbed his sleep. The man groped around for
his phone, barked his greeting and some questions and was up and about in a couple of minutes.
Years of police work had taught him the fastest way to get dressed in the middle of the night. He
was out of the room in a minute, picking up his gun the next. He wrote a quick note and was
about to go out of the front door when he stopped suddenly. He went up to his daughter's room

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and with great caution, turned the knob to peer in. He stood at the door for a couple of seconds
and watched his only child sleep. His whispered goodbye was audible to the vampire who
watched the scene closely. Charlie Swan closed the door gently and turned to leave the house.
Within moments, the police cruiser that had been a fixture of the house's front yard pulled away,
leaving the sleeping daughter inside –vulnerable and defenseless against what lurked outside.

The vampire shifted and propelled his body into a free fall, landing on the balls of his feet
noiselessly. He stretched into his full height and started towards her house. He moved to the front
door, opened it with a key and was inside in a blur.

He double-locked the door and started for her room, skipping the stairs two steps at a time.
Inside, he dropped the window curtains and turned on the lights. He moved about with
suppressed energy, breathing in her scent, touching and rummaging through the things that he
had seen her touch earlier.

He whole body hummed in anticipation but he took his time, enjoying her sleeping presence like
he did the night before. He licked his lips as he stood over her. He had been ready to take her
then but she had needed rest. He endured having her sleep so close without doing anything for
more than twelve hours so that she would recover from the disconnect. He doubted that she'd
appreciate getting mauled on the forest floor again. Besides, her protector was nearby and despite
the inconvenience, he felt no desire to antagonise the wolf.

Several books cluttered her bed and he shoved them aside carelessly. He pulled on the blanket
that twisted around her body, leaving her exposed in her prefered night attire. He eyed the shorts
with the sponge creature prints before fingering the thin black shirt that clung to her curves.

He took off his jacket, kicked off his shoes and undid his buckle as he contemplated where to
start. He would take his time, refrain from slamming her against any surface. He would not be
leaving any bruises, just marks. He would reign in his thirst with her lust. She would feel him
first, want him and thirst for him last. She would gasp his name, her clear brown eyes wide open.

He climb on her bed and straddled her. Running his thumb over her cheeks, he skimmed down to
part her full, plump lips. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips in her sleep, coating his thumb
slightly with her saliva. He brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked gently. He felt his blood
jump at her taste, course through him wildly, making him dizzy. He pushed the fabric over her
right breast to inspect his bitemark. It was already healing and he fought the urge to fasten his
teeth over it to make fresh marks. She squirmed under him, arching her back in sleepy invitation.

He obliged, placing both his hands over her breasts, lightly cupping them through the fabric,
feeling their full weight in his hands. He massaged her gently and earned his first full moan. He
could sense her whole body spring in response to his proximity.

He scooted lower as his hand traveled from her breasts towards her stomach, skimming,
kneading, caressing but resisting the temptation to touch the skin under her clothes. He took note
which parts she moved, twitched, when she moaned and sighed. Her nerves were coiled as

94
tightly as his by the time he reached her feet. Even asleep, she was capable of driving him
insane.

He rose from the bed and kneeled beside it, rolling her towards him. He went back to her neck,
using his mouth this time, lapping at her with his tongue as he would on a fresh kill. She
squirmed at the first kiss, giving a small moan. He felt her arousal blossom and a distinct scent
filled the room. Freshly cleaned laundry, with a little hint of apples being baked with cinnamon.

He took a deep breath and stilled as a memory flitted through his mind. He was ten again,
running through their neighbors backyards' where freshly laundered sheets billowed in the wind.
He wasn't sure where it was. He couldn't even see the houses around him but he remembered the
feeling. A distinct euphoria, like he was on a free fall. He shook his head. Of all times for a trip
down memory lane.

She shivered, moaning her protest at the interruption and all thoughts outside her vanished.

He smiled at her impatience.

It seemed that he was right on one of his assumptions. If taught and satisfied properly, she would
be a very sexual creature, alluring and insatiable. The times when he couldn't control himself, her
lust would overpower his thirst.

His mouth traveled down her collarbone, lapping her exposed skin, towards the valley below it.

She sighed his name and he was struck by how perfect it sounded coming from her lips.

He moved further down, skipping and skimming. He pulled on her knee, tasting her skin and she
stretched her legs out, purring. He caught her feet and contemplated on her painted toes. His
tongue darted to taste one. Intrigued, he sucked on one. And then two, running his tongue under,
nipping at her nails. It was as delicious as everywhere.

She moaned and gave a little kick.

"Unngghhh, too much," she mumbled, turning to her side facing him, stretching her entire body,
curling her toes. He smiled again, pleased with himself.

He started to go up, biting through her clothes. His mouth traveled to her breast and he gave in to
the overwhelming need to bite and suck through the fabric, soaking the cloth with his venom.
She arched her back, pressing herself into his mouth and he bit harder than he intended.

She gasped as her eyes flew open.

Before she could scream, he covered her mouth with his, and climb into the small bed. He put his
entire weight on her as she struggled. She bucked against him furiously and the bed squeaked
and groaned under their combined weight. He pinned her arms to her side and trapped her legs

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between his.

"Hush," he ordered. He felt her anger kick in and his thirst suddenly grew. He cursed. "Stop it,
Bella!"

She freed her right hand and struck him across the face. He loosened his hold and she took the
chance to slide from under him and rolled herself from the bed. She landed on the floor with a
thud and scooted as far back as she could. She plastered herself near her closet, ready to bolt the
moment he dropped his stance. She knew he hits back.

He eyed her from her bed. She was breathing heavily, unaware of the picture she painted. The
wild cat trapped in a corner. His eyes flashed, calculating the distance between them.

"Get out or I'll scream."

In a flash he was in front of her, trapping her against the wall. She didn't even see him move.

"Scream if you want. Maybe you and I will enjoy it more," he murmured as he started nibbling
her ear again, holding on to the sensations that she evoked inside him, reigning in his thirst.

"Your father is out of the house. Some punk blew an old inn to smithereens," he gave her a small
smile and he felt her shiver hum against his skin. "He will be busy for a few hours at least."

She peered down and saw the twin pools of his venom on her chest. She felt the terrible ache
between her thighs and realized that her panties were soaking wet. She closed her eyes in
humiliation. She felt anger leave her body, leaving a sense of resignation and inferiority.

"What do you want?" She pushed against him and surprisingly, he let her go.

"That should be obvious." He watched her move to the chair near the window.

"No, Edward. What do you really want?" He must know she waited for him. But he strung her
along and she felt shame in her expectations. She sat down on the chair and pulled her knees to
her chest.

"I wanted to try something different." He followed her, grabbed the chair and dragged it towards
the bed.

"Like molesting me in my sleep different?" She baited him despite knowing how dangerous he
had become when she had hit him.

"I wanted to see how long I could reign my thirst," he stated without a hint of remorse.

"You don't want to drink from me?" She couldn't believe she was asking but she felt insulted
somehow.

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"Not neccesarily. The last one weakened you."

Blood and flesh, nothing more. His professed concern for her welfare numbed her. She was tired
of his cold and constant analysis.

"I thought you would have the decency to wake me."

"You wouldn't have kept still."

"How would you know?"

He smiled bitterly, rubbing his face where she had hit him.

"I doubt if you would have tolerated my presence in your room in the first place."

"Get out," she whispered. "Please."

She shrank back as far as she could from him, closing herself. He sat in her bed as she curled into
herself, her head against her knees. He stared at her for a long moment, not saying anything. She
stayed frozen in her position, ignoring him completely.

He got up slowly minutes later and picked up his clothes. His movements were
uncharacteristically heavy as he moved towards her door.

"I would have stayed still," she said quietly and his hand stilled on the knob. "If you had asked
me."

NEXT: The two sides meet, at last.

Chapter: 19

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Here it is! The council meeting, the verdict and the shape of things to come.... As promised, it
will go a bit faster.

Thanks to Maylin, who reads and edits this thing, She does more than that by allowing me to bug
her with my writer's block.

Thanks to everyone who reads and leave me reviews. Thank you for being so kind and I promise

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to TRY not to take too long in posting the next one....

A dangerous precedent

"We will neither challenge your claim for her nor seek redress from your courts and from the
human courts, but we must take the necessary steps to punish you for your transgressions. You
have committed severe and numerous violations and you have done so with impunity."

"Until all wolves privy to this case have moved on, until no one will be able to recognize you or
know of you and Isabella, for a hundred years perhaps, you are heretofore forbidden to set foot in
Forks. You have set a dangerous precedent with your manipulation of your own laws and ours,
and you have shown no remorse whatsoever. You are banished forthwith from this council. This
decision is final and we shall not consent to seeing you ever again."

"It pains us that an innocent should be punished for your mistakes, a human who has done
nothing except fall victim to your impetuosity and manipulations. But this is a sacrifice that she
is prepared to make."

"We beg you. Treat her fairly, with the dignity that she deserves. She has honored us with the
highest form of sacrifice by consenting to this exchange. We owe her our gratitude and no matter
what her fate may be, this will not be erased from the Quileute's history. If she decides to forgo
her human life in exchange for the immortality of being a cold one, we shall not regard her
differently and her status will not change. She is of the Quileute tribe, always and forever."

He felt her throat close at the words and her tears threatened to spill but she held herself with
admirable control. He already knew the council's decisions. All details had been hammered out
beforehand but he allowed himself to listen to the verdict in snatches and broken sentences as he
followed her reactions through her emotions.

She stood a step behind her acknowledged brother and sister, Leah and Seth. They stood behind
Billy Black, Harry Clearwater and Sam Uley who faced Eleazar and Carlisle across the table.
Behind the two vampires stood Alice and Jasper, his own guards and siblings, and he stood
behind them. Wolves on one side, vampires on the other.

"Let it be known to all. It is on this day that we offer Isabella Swan of the Quileute Tribe to
Edward Cullen of the Olympic Coven in furtherance of the exclusive alliance between our kinds.
In exchange, all the tribe's blood debts to the coven prior to this date shall be rendered fulfilled
and paid fully by her sacrifice."

His eyes bore holes into the hood of the thick brown robes she had been obligated to wear. Their
connection hummed between them across the table, flowing effortlessly through the shields the
werewolves had put up between them.

She didn't speak as her siblings pulled the hood of her robe down. She stood stiffly, back

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straight, elbows pressed to her sides, as if she resented any movement. Her face was devoid of
any emotion as she maintained a distantly polite and indifferent mask. Her siblings took hold of
the wide brown collar that came just below her elbows and in one smooth movement, removed
the shapeless robe that concealed her slender body. She wore a white dress underneath, pure and
virginal.

"She's beautiful, Edward," Alice whispered.

He agreed wholeheartedly. Her long brown hair was swept from her face and cascaded down to
her back, simple and without any adornment. Even in the the dim light, he could see the color of
her cheeks. Her lips were parted slightly as she hurried to catch each breath. He couldn't see her
eyes as she had her head down but he knew that they would be clear. She averted her eyes, not
from him but from them, so they wouldn't notice the intense sadness that came with their
betrayal.

Will you be as devoted to me as you are to them, Isabella? Will you go to such lengths for me as
you do for them?

She took a deep breath before looking at her siblings and he could feel her affection for them rise
within her, drowning her bitterness. He wondered once again if letting her spend some time with
the wolves had been wise.

"Be strong, Bella," her sister whispered to her and she nodded mechanically even as she was
screaming otherwise inside.

Carlisle stood to meet her halfway and called to her in fatherly affection.

"Isabella, child..."

He spoke too soon, with too much emotion and she froze in panic. She stood rigidly straight and
he could feel rebellion flow from her gut to her extremities. Her refusal rose loud in his ears as
she continued to stand and stare at Carlisle blankly, unwilling to make the first step to cross the
invisible line that divided the two kinds.

Her face showed nothing of her inner turmoil even as she screamed at him childishly through
their connection.

No, I won't go. You can't make me. I'm not going. Not now. Not ever.

Her silent denials reverberated inside him, filling him with dread and uneasiness before irritation
and frustration took over. He didn't want to have to force her. Not in front of the wolves and
certainly not in front of his father.

"Isabella..." her own godfather called to her, breaking her tirade and saving him from making a
fool of himself. "Trust us, my child."

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Let us get this over with. He insisted to her in his head, They have made their choice and you
have made yours.

She gripped her sister as her emotions ran wild, threatening to burst out of her well composed
face. It was taking everything within her to stop herself from crying as he knew she didn't want
them to know how much their immense betrayal had wounded her, a betrayal made more painful
by her prior knowledge and tacit consent.

"Enough."

"Edward..." Alice hissed in his mind at his sharp command.

He didn't notice that he had spoken aloud and that everyone in the room had stiffened at the tone
of his voice.

Carlisle threw him a reproachful glance and was about to apologize for his behaviour when Bella
suddenly stepped over the line without added prodding. She raised her eyes to his and he
returned her gaze silently as he spoke to her through his thoughts.

Things are far from being over. What is important is not the way we are now but the way that we
are going to be. Reserve your judgement and if, in the end, you still do not understand, then hate
me all you want. There will be time for recriminations and explanations but it is not now.

Her eyes offered no understanding or forgiveness, only doubt and more suspicion.

I will not ask you to believe in me as I know you have no inclination to give me your trust. But
your wolves have entrusted your life with me. If you can not trust me, trust them instead.

Her face cleared suddenly but she remained silent, not bothering to enlighten him of her reasons.
She turned her back on him to face the wolves, now standing on the opposite side of the room.
Only a couple of steps separated her from them but even she knew that she was already on the
other side of the equation. She had already tilted the balance, changing it forever.

Welcome to my world, Bella.

She gazed upon her godfather, her council and her siblings, and she deliberately let another wave
of longing and sadness wash over her in response to his words. He was suddenly overcome with
an irrational anger at the way she seemingly flaunted her preference for them over him.

Your devotion to them is no longer just nor necessary.

His own bitterness grew and he wasn't even aware how his anger had transformed his calm
facade until he felt a silent wave wash over him.

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"Edward...," he heard Jasper call to him in his mind, shaking him from the angry haze, "not in
front of the in-laws, brother."

He saw that Carlisle was still looking at him reproachfully, seemingly aware of the direction of
his thoughts, and he bowed stiffly to offer his apologies.

He straightened his arms, smoothing out the imaginary kinks in his elbows to convey his
impatience at the long meeting.

"If the council would be so kind as to excuse us," he offered politely. "We will be taking our
leave."

The three wolves stood up and bowed, signalling not only an end to the tense episode but more
importantly, an end to an era where their tribe had been beholden to him. He was leaving, but not
before they had paid their dues to him, and for that they were relieved. They were true equals
once again.

He bowed slightly before turning on his heel and walking away.

He really couldn't find fault in their decision, even if he disregarded his own interests. He
understood the need to make sacrifices for the sake of the common good. He may not like the
fact that the wolves' decision was breaking Bella's spirit, stealing her innocent belief that all
creatures were innately good at most and ambiguous at least, and hardening a part inside her in
cynical resignation. But he fully understood their reasons, selfish as they may seem at first
glance, even if she did not.

He didn't look back to make sure that she followed but he felt relief when he heard a third set of
footfalls trail after Jasper and Alice. Her heels clicked in the darkness and he let their rhythmic
cadence lift his spirits slightly.

His steps were brisk and rapid as he walked through the narrow corridors towards the equally
narrow staircase. He couldn't wait to get outside, away from the atmosphere which he suddenly
found stifling and overbearing. He reached the entrance of the house in no time, taking no notice
of its decaying entrails and crumbling facade.

He remembered vaguely that he had been inside the house several decades before, when it was
newly constructed and smelled of fresh cedar and pine oil. It was the site where they had
hammered out the covenant, the site where he met Ephraim Black and his pack of young and
sturdy wolves, and forged the ties that he had nearly undone up to that moment. They had
welcomed him and Carlisle then and he remembered with a twinge of nostalgia a meeting of the
two kinds that had been equally tense but had ended very differently. He remembered running
with Carlisle back to the Cullen house, then a nondescript three-bedroom log cabin, to tell Esme,
Rosalie and Emmett the news. From that day, Forks had been home to him and his family.

It no longer was for him. He had just been thrown out by no less than Ephraim's descendant.

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What would Ephraim think, he thought with mild amusement, if he had known that the vampire
whom he had found so intimidating years before would be so ready to forsake the very covenant
that he had crafted in exchange for a mere mortal?

He threw the door wide and it broke from the hinges at his sudden enthusiasm to be outside. He
bypassed the dilapidated porch, his boots making no sound against the old floorboards and
marched into the night, stopping only when he reached the line of vehicles that waited idly for
the occupants inside. He looked around with an expression that resembled wonder, as if seeing
his surroundings for the first time. A faint smile touched his lips as he gazed upwards towards
the moon that hung directly above him, taking note of how it shone against the snow,
illuminating everything in its path.

It is too bright to be midnight, he mused, like the sun itself decided to shine at the most ungodly
hour. He suddenly couldn't remember why he didn't appreciate it as much as he appreciated
twilight .

He turned towards the house as he sensed his siblings come out of the broken door. He belatedly
noticed the structure looming pitifully against the snowy mountains behind it. Neglect and disuse
had rendered it beyond repair. He hoped, as he had conveyed to the wolf council before he had
been ceremonially kicked out, that they would rebuild it as a testimony to an alliance made
stronger by her sacrifice. They had decided to keep her name in the annals of their history. But
he wanted a monument built for her so they could remember her always, even if there will come
a time when he will be erased from their collective minds forever.

He waited for her expectantly as he stood by the passenger side of Emmett's jeep, the only
vehicle capable of withstanding the rough roads which led to the abandoned house. His good
spirits dissipated a little when he felt her shiver and she turned her face away, ignoring him. She
looked towards the house's broken windows instead and he could see, from where he stood, her
siblings lurking behind it, their hands pressed against the blurry glass in a silent gesture of
farewell.

Alice called to her softly and she took a small, reluctant step forward without taking her eyes off
them. When she stalled again, he refrained from barking another order. Before he could
demonize himself further, Alice took a step and flung her coat around her shoulders, giving her
the excuse to wrap her arms around her and lead her, unresisting, towards the vehicle.

"Wait, can I...?" she asked softly and irritation instantaneously overcame him.

"Enough, Isabella," he spoke before he could stop himself, aware of how uncaring he sounded,
"nothing will come out of wishing for things that can no longer be."

Her meekness evaporated instantly and she stared at him angrily like she wanted nothing more
than to smack him across his face.

"Edward, stop." He heard Jasper reason with him in his mind instead of throwing another

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figurative bucket of cold water over his head. "You are taking her away from her world, breaking
her from everything and everyone she has known all her life."

Forcing her to get to know me, only she really doesn't want to. Binding her to me even as her
very soul rejects me.... he finished Jasper's words in his mind as he glared at his brother, his
expression asking him if he really thought he was not aware of who exactly he was to her at that
moment.

She stalked towards the vehicle and passed him to plop herself rigidly in the passenger seat,
shrinking as far away from him as possible. She said nothing, not even a word of thanks to Alice
who joined Jasper in the back of the jeep.

"We are done here," he spoke with finality, addressing no one in particular, just the empty air in
front of him.

You could at least show a little sympathy, brother. Jasper scolded him gently and he was tempted
to nod in agreement. He could, he should but he wouldn't. Regret was the last emotion that he
wanted to feel.

The ride was as rough as her thoughts and emotions but she didn't utter a single complaint, not
one sound as he manoeuvred the jeep carelessly, uncaring as the bumps and cracks of the road
jostled and threw her from her seat. Jasper and Alice were verbally silent, but he could read each
of their thoughts clearly even though he didn't want to.

He wanted to tell them that he knew what she was going through, as he felt her pain acutely. The
emotion was alien to him and his memories were too far away to summon the appropriate
response. Even so, he couldn't stop her pain from seeping into his mind and body, keeping him
down as it weighed heavily on her, dampening his spirits. How can I sympathize, he asked
himself more than his siblings, when I am the cause of such pain?

Lost in his own thoughts, he drove without regard for any rules and they were inside the town
limits in no time. It was only when lights from houses and posts whizzed by that he felt her shake
herself out of her own reverie.

"Where are you taking me," she straightened abruptly. "I want to go home."

"You can not, Isabella. You heard them."

"But we agreed. You promised. I'm not leaving him without saying goodbye. Stop! I want to get
off, now.

"Bella...." Alice interjected from the back. "Everything has been taken cared of."

"What ? No. I need to get home."

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"No, you don't. You don't belong there anymore. We need to move tonight."

"You promised. Even the wolves know."

"You will say your goodbyes properly, just as you have requested. Only not tonight. Alice
already has everything you need."

She fumbled for something in her pockets and realized that the coat she wore was not hers.

"Do you have a phone? I have to call him..."

"Your father is out of town at the moment and will be unavailable until tomorrow morning. He is
investigating another explosion and it will take him longer to put the pieces together this time."

She glared at him, her unease rising.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," he denied easily. At least not this time, he mentally added. "Your father will be all
right. He will just be a little busy with the investigations. He will be home probably tomorrow
afternoon."

After weighing everything over and over in his head, he added silently. Chief Swan was a smart
man but even he wouldn't be able to piece together the string of explosions and minor crimes that
had been happening around Forks in the past two days, and would likely continue throughout the
weekend, even if he would have his suspicions. Except for the first minor explosion the night
before, he had let Rosalie handle the diversions and she was nothing but thorough in creating
them. Rescuers come in pairs, the thought sprang into his mind, and he was glad that he had such
an accomplished pair for siblings. One rescues, as the other distracts.

He kept her apprehension at bay as he drove straight to the glass house. The next steps were
crucial and he didn't need added distractions. They would only be picking up her things at the
house, saying goodbye to Esme and switching vehicles. From there, they were going straight to
Seattle, a place close enough for them but far enough for the wolves. He knew Carlisle would
have outlined this course of action to the council, and they would agree that it would be in her
best interest, considering her specific request and circumstances.

With the jeep still barrelling at speeds beyond what was allowed, they arrived at the house within
minutes. He parked smoothly inside the low building beside the main house. Alice and Jasper
disembarked quickly, conscious of the brewing war between them and hoping to be out of the
way before it erupted. They all stopped abruptly when a long howl pierced the night air.

"They're here," Alice observed unnecessarily.

Bella took an unconscious step towards the direction of the sound but he was right beside her,

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gripping her elbow, before she could even blink.

"We're taking the Porsche. Edward, your things are already in the Volvo," Alice interjected once
again, breaking the impasse. "I'll go call Esme and pick up some things upstairs and we can be
on our way."

She glared at him accusingly as Alice and Jasper left the building.

"You're not even coming."

"I have some things to take care of first,"

"No." He heard her heart thump uncomfortably at the thought. "If you're not going, then I'm not
either."

"I will follow as soon as I can."

"No," she hissed angrily and he wondered at how quickly they jumped from one argument to
another without resolving anything.

"Don't be difficult," he snapped.

They glared at each other and he was glad when Alice finally chose to reappear, Esme in tow.
Disregarding the obvious tension, Esme enveloped her in a maternal hug and he was relieved that
she didn't react to her reassurances as adversely as she had to Carlisle's parental attempt. Swept
in a flurry of activity, she allowed herself to be stuck inside the Porsche, bundled with food,
water and an extra jacket. He watched from a distance as Esme fussed over her extravagantly and
her feeble attempts to ward her off fell on deaf ears.

He stood over her window when it was time to go.

"I will not take too long, I promise." She reached out unexpectedly and he jolted, electrified, as
she gripped his hand in mild panic. Startled, he jerked his hand away at the contact, completely
the opposite of what he wanted to do. He saw horror and embarrassment spread over her face at
his reaction and she shrank further into the Porches' seat, misreading his movement. He flexed
his hand, letting the warmth her hand had left spread towards his wrist. She stared at the act,
misreading him further.

"Bye, Esme," he heard Alice call as he stood transfixed at her expression, now pained for an
entirely different reason.

Jasper gunned the engine and gave him an wry smile, amused at his bewilderment. He heard the
tires of the dainty yellow Porsche squelch against the driveway, taking with it his chance of
making things right.

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He stared at the road even after the Porsche disappeared around the corner. Esme moved to stand
beside him and, together, they stared silently, intently at the spot in their driveway where the
little yellow car had been parked just a few seconds before.

"It is all right to be happy, Edward," she spoke suddenly, breaking through his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Do you remember that day when we left you with the Volturi? I thought that I would never feel
joy again as the guilt of leaving you to their mercy settled on me."

He wasn't sure where she was taking the conversation but they had had this exchange before.
Esme had been his greatest advocate in the last few months but he always cringed a little when
she started her Edward-deserves-to-be-happy speeches.

"Esme, we have gone over this a thousand times. I have no regrets whatsoever for what
transpired years ago."

"And we will go over it again and again, until you have learned your lesson. You have sacrificed
so much for us, for Carlisle and for me when you offered yourself to the Volturi in exchange for
my destruction. You have constantly assured us that it was your sacrifice to make and that I
should be happy for it, not wallow in misery."

"What would have been the point of what you so nobly call my sacrifice, if you and Carlisle
lived your lives in chronic regret?"

"Precisely, Edward," she insisted on a point that he failed to grasp. "You do not see her clearly
because she is so similar to you. Bella sacrificed herself, for what or whom, it doesn't really
matter. It was her decision to make, hers and hers alone."

"And here I thought it was because she could not resist the call of my blood," he snorted
derisively.

"You still do not believe me," Esme smiled, unaffected by his mockery.

"I do not know how you and Jasper come up with these things, Esme. A mythical bond forged by
blood? The concept is ridiculous, even if it did convince Carlisle that I was entitled to pursue the
object of my obsession."

"I believe neither in fate nor destiny, Edward. You know this. The bond is only as real as you
make it."

"Yes," he laughed mockingly, "with some devilishly cunning planning on my part and not a few
broken rules and promises, the bond has finally taken us on the path towards mutual destruction."

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"How could you make it out to be what it is not, Esme?' he continued. "If this so-called bond was
real, then I fail miserably in experiencing the pure and unconditional emotions that I was
supposed to be feeling for her. I do feel for her, make no mistake, but it is always steeped in
selfish interests and intentions. Not to mention the complete lack of such emotions on her part."

"You underestimate her and yourself, Edward. Circumstances, especially those which are out of
one's control, can hamper emotions. I remember when you joined the Volturi, you convinced
yourself that it was because you were tired of Carlisle's direction to justify your readiness to save
me."

"How do you know that I did not speak the truth?" he shot back, "You can call it youthful
rebellion or what you will but I did learn my lesson the hard way."

"You were once a very bad liar," she answered and he laughed shortly.

"And when Carlisle gave his consent," she continued, "I thought that I would never be able to
forgive him. I mistook his strategy for cowardice as I thought it was weak to seek compromise
when we were losing you. But I have long since learned the virtue of temporarily retreating when
one is not assured of victory and striking back when it is least expected."

"We are stronger now than ever before." She let her statement hang between them and they
lapsed into silence. "Maybe this time, Carlisle will be persuaded."

He looked at her sharply, surprised at the turn of her thoughts. They were not talking simply
about Bella anymore.

"Do you realize what she has done?" she started again. "She has made us whole again. She has
filled that gaping hole that your sacrifice had left in all of us when she provided you with what
you desperately need."

"And what would that be?"

"Purpose, Edward. She gave you purpose. One that you embrace not because you are compelled
to, but because you want to."

He was silent as her words struck a chord inside him. He didn't want to believe in the myth of the
bond and preferred to think that it was the call of her blood and his own lust when he found
himself drawn to her. But he could not explain the unreasonable lengths he went to bask in her
presence and his irrational decisions that bordered on self-destruction when it came to her
welfare.

"Surely you didn't think I conveniently used the bloodbond to secure Carlisle's consent?" she
wondered out loud.

"The thought crossed my mind," he smiled faintly. "We transgressors tend to stick together."

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"As we should," she laughed. "We provide Carlisle the excitement he needs to keep him from
becoming staid and boring. There's you, me and Rosalie – his imperfect creations. Jasper came in
already damaged as we were. And they stand across from us, the pure ones, untouched by our
crimes and above all suspicion -- Carlisle, Emmett, Alice and now...."

"Bella." He spoke her name in reverence and they let it ring across the empty driveway.

She nodded once as she felt him come to his own conclusions.

"It is all right to feel happiness, Edward. To bask in your victory even if you still have a long
way to go. Every step forward should be celebrated, not merely analyzed with clinical precision.
If you smile more often, or laugh once in a while, I will not accuse you of being giddy,
regardless of what Alice may say."

He laughed then, finding the thought silly, and his face crinkled into lines that had not been seen
for so long. He threw his head back and let out a loud and hearty sound. He let himself feel an
ounce of satisfaction at how things had turned out so far and remembered, with guiltless
amusement, the expression on her face as he inadvertently rejected her. True to her word, Esme
refrained from describing it as "giddy" even to herself.

"Go. Do what you must," Esme told him after a while. "Do not keep her waiting. I will stand
behind you, no matter what you choose to do. Always."

Her words were simple yet he couldn't think of any response that could appropriately convey his
gratitude. He turned towards her instead and gave her a small smile.

"I will be going then."

He bowed, affording her the greatest respect, before striding towards the forest.

Things were going as planned. He only needed to keep his appointment with a certain wolf
before he could be on his way.

--------

(Preview for Chapter 20)

"Why? What's in Seattle?" she asked Alice insistently. "Why do we need to go there right now?"

Alice looked at her quietly, as if unsure of what to say.

"That's where you're going to die, Bella."

----

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So.....Review, double review or ask me questions and I might have the answer or mail a longer
teaser or whatever. I promise I will try to write back. :D Leave me 3-paragraph reviews or a
single sentence or word. Just... do it.

Er, I think there are other awards out there where Prey is also nominated. To all those who
nominated, THANKS!

Chapter: 20

I hope everybody likes surprises. If not, you might just want to kill me a little.

Thanks to beautiful Maylin, my ever reliable and trustworthy beta/Darkward expert, and Andi
(poweredby23kicks) who helped me make this chapter readable and coherent.

To Breanna for the AWESOME Prey trailer. http: //www. youtube. com/watch?
v=9_Ibsx7X1Ow (just remove spaces)

Better link at my profile. Watch it and leave her some love. Please?

And lastly, there's a Darkfemme contest going on and you all might want to check it out: LES
FEMMES NOIRES:

http:// www. Fanfiction. net/u/2043851/ Les_Femmes_Noires

Saying goodbye

"Where are we going?"

"Seattle," she said. "We're spending the weekend there."

"Tell me honestly, Alice, did the council order us to leave immediately?"

"No, not the council. Edward. We need to get to Seattle by morning."

"Why? What's in Seattle?" she asked Alice. "Why do we need to go there right now?"

Alice looked at her apprehensively, as if unsure of what to say.

"That's where you're going to die, Bella."

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"What?"

"I didn't mean die, as in, die ," Alice hastened to add. "You wanted to say goodbye properly."

"What?" She stared at Alice, incredulous at her total lack of sympathy. They were going to kill
her, erase her from the world that she knew, but Alice said it like it was nothing but an ordinary
occurrence.

"Edward was supposed to tell you earlier..."

"Obviously he didn't," she said bitingly. She remembered her conditions clearly, back at the edge
of the Clearwaters' property, but she didn't expect it to be this soon.

So stupid.

She berated herself. She should have known. It was naïve for her to even hope that he would
consider what she was going through. He would waste no time in taking everything away from
her. Everything...until there was nothing left but him.

Leaning back slightly, she struggled against the familiar sensation of intense anger that was
starting to overcome her surprise and braced herself for the absolute hatred that would match his
cruelty. But it never came. Instead, the pain of bitter disappointment rose inside her and she was
suddenly, painfully, exhausted. Something heavy settled on her, seeping through her skin and
into her bones and she sagged against the Porsche's seats tiredly.

Alice was still saying something and she watched her mouth pucker and distort to form words in
slow motion. She tried to make out what she was saying -- hotel...supplies...slow down...funeral.
But her voice was hollow, disembodied.

"What?" she asked faintly and tried to lean closer but something kept her in her seat.

"Carlisle will explain the whole process tomorrow," Alice said softly, pity clear in her eyes.

I don't need your pity, you cold, heartless bloodsucker. The words rose inside but were squashed
quickly as she felt a cold wave wash over her, pushing her further into the Porsche's seat. Her
head felt heavy but curiously, her vision remained clear. She didn't even feel the panic she felt
earlier.

The quick glance the vampires shared didn't escape her attention and she vaguely remembered
Alice saying something about Jasper's ability to control others' emotions. If he was, she decided,
he was doing a damn good job and she emptied her mind to surrender to the empty sensation.
Turning her head, she ignored Alice and looked outside to blankly watch the street lights whiz
by.

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Aren't we going too fast? The thought registered in her mind as one light post blended into
another and she wanted to ask Jasper. We are, aren't we?

But she didn't and they fell into dull, unfeeling silence.

An hour or maybe two hours later, she heard the distinct sound of a phone ringing.

"Wait....Bella" Alice said, rousing her from her stupor.

Staring at the silver phone, Bella struggled to hold on to the sudden resentment that flared inside
her. But it was gone as soon as it came and she was left with the enforced lethargy once more.
She took the phone from the vampire's hands in detached resignation and held it against her ear.

"Listen closely," he said as soon as he heard her breathe.

"Call your father as soon as the sun is up and tell him you have decided to accompany Alice to
Seattle. Tell him you're spending the weekend with her and you have checked into a hotel.
Carlisle will call him later to tell him that he and Esme are likewise travelling to Seattle and they
will check on you both. Call him again at noon and give him your room number."

She listened in impassive silence but refused to speak.

"Before the day's end, call him again," he continued. "By mid-afternoon, his department's
investigation on Rosalie's handiwork will be done and he will arrive at your house hungry and
tired. Call him and tell him how much you are enjoying Seattle."

It will lift his spirits up.

"Tell him to get the box that you have hidden inside your closet as you are giving him his
birthday present early."

He will like the latest fishing rod you bought him weeks ago in La Push.

His voice was soft, toneless and she strained to hear him but she understood the words that he
failed to say. Even without their connection, she could clearly see the reassuring thoughts form
inside his head. He would think of it, she knew, but he would never say it out loud.

"Call your mother as well. You know what to say."

He became as silent as she was and she could hear nothing over the line --- no rustling, no
movement, no breathing.

"They will be all right," he insisted softly. "Your godfather will be with them in their time of
need."

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And who will be with me in mine? The thought formed unbidden in her mind and she quashed it
firmly, violently, as she felt she wouldn't survive the sudden kindness.

He stayed on the line, waiting for her response, until it became clear that none was forthcoming.

"I will see you soon."

The phone slid from her grasp and landed on the Porche's carpeted floor with a soft thud. She
leaned forward to rest her head against her knees, breathing deeply and slowly to summon a
spark of righteous anger but her heart remained stubbornly sluggish.

He came to Seattle the following day but she didn't see him or maybe he just didn't want to be
seen. She knew he was near but he didn't attempt to break into her thoughts or approach her. She
followed his instructions in painstaking detail, calling her parents at the designated times. They
talked at length, about nothing and everything, and she tried not to keep her answers short and
curt. They were happy to bask in her attention and affection, and for that she was glad.

Carlisle and Esme arrived as scheduled, with medical supplies that could have kept a small
hospital well stocked for a month. The process of her "death" started and she complied without
objections or questions. She took pills when Carlisle asked her to, lie in the hotel's bed to have
drug-laced transfusions as the other vampires stayed in the next room to escape the smell of
human blood. When Carlisle asked her to control her human responses, like the urge to gasp for
air when stifled, she obliged. He then taught her to summon her more vampiric traits to the fore
to slow her heart down to almost imperceptible levels, to regulate her temperature, to lie still for
hours without seemingly breathing. She practiced phasing in and out of her shield without quick
movements.

There is no point in wishing for things that could not be.

His words echoed inside her as she lie with practised numbness, her eyes closed, her body still
and seemingly lifeless. At the back of her mind, she knew he was only giving her the chance to
say goodbye properly.

At three o clock the following day, she suffered a massive heart attack in the lobby of Seattle's
plushest hotel. Employees, guests and onlookers witnessed the unfortunate event and they
dwelled on it for a couple of moments before moving on to more pleasant distractions. She was
pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby hospital and Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who was listed as her
family doctor, claimed her body. Her father was informed not an hour later and he was so
overcome with grief that he agreed to whatever the good doctor said. That same hour, her mother
got a call from Forks' police officer in charge and a seat on the next flight to Seattle was
immediately arranged. The Clearwaters were instantly available to fetch her.

That same night, Isabella Marie Swan arrived in Forks in a sealed wooden box and her mother
cried over it.

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The next day, she lay inside her coffin, resplendent in a blue dress, but breathless and cold to the
touch. People she hardly knew peered at her and muttered meaningless platitudes while telling
her parents that she looked like she was only sleeping. If not for the sound of her mother's soft
cries and her father's silence, she would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

The wake was short and the speeches shorter and it wasn't long before she felt herself being
lowered to ground. Briefly, she wondered if she should feel anxious that she was going to be
buried alive. But somebody cracked her wooden prison open soon enough and the sun streamed
down on her face, warming her skin, lending her tired, dull eyes small, temporary sparkle. She
looked up at her purported saviour and smiled a small resigned smile which he didn't return.

She cloaked herself, rendering herself invisible, and rose languidly from the ground. She felt no
need to assert herself so when he reached for her invisible hand, she let him. When he twined
their fingers together, she let him press his cold palm against hers and they walked in silence to
the vehicle that waited for them at the edge of the cemetery.

When they neared the car, she stopped to look back as the gravediggers reappeared to throw dirt
at the resealed but empty coffin and she felt his hold on her hand tighten, as if he expected her to
keel over or start wailing. But she merely disentangled her fingers from his.

"I want to see them...." Just one last time.

He looked at her in mild surprise, silently asking if she was certain.

"If you wish."

He took her to the edge of the woods that faced her father's house and let her stare all she wanted
from afar while he waited for her inside his car.

His coven arrived and she saw her parents welcome them to her home. Her world tilted a little as
she saw her own father grip Carlisle tightly, offering him his heartfelt thanks for his earlier
assistance in stilted sentences. Her mother joined in the whispers, thanking the doctor for his
kindness, telling him that they were glad that their daughter's suffering wasn't for long. Briefly,
she saw Esme stare right through her, consciously seeking her presence.

One mother's loss was another mother's gain.

"I want to go now,"

They drove in silence back to the glass house and he led her to his room. There were no other
creatures around them for miles as everyone, vampire and werewolf, was busy setting the stage
so that she would eventually be forgotten.

She found a seat near the window and wondered idly if he placed it there specifically for her.

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"I will be downstairs." He paused for a moment and she sensed, with detached interest, that he
seemed to move with aimless but contained restlessness. If she had really looked, she would
have noticed an air of hesitant expectancy underneath the somber courtesy that seemed to cloak
him.

But she didn't and he turned his back to leave the room, closing the door gently.

---

Before you bludgeon me with a sharp object, leave a review. I promise to TRY (again) to
reply and leave you a preview for the next chapter.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! And to those who I failed to respond to,
I am so sorry. I will get to you this time.

Chapter: 21

Again, thanks to Maylin (dihenydd), my ever-so-supportive beta reader.

"Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night,

and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."

----

She sat beside the window, slumped against the curtains and watched the sun disappear from her
line of vision. She heard the sound of cars arriving, doors opening and shutting.

A few seconds later and she heard Esme call to Edward and asked him where she was. He
answered in soft tones, in a voice laden with tiredness that she wanted to feel.

"My study....later." Carlisle's voice drifted to her.

She heard him come inside his room, his steps silent, like he had already forgotten that the room
was his and she was merely a temporary occupant. The smell of food reached her and she leaned
forward to offset the sudden urge to hurl.

He stopped when he noticed the movement.

"You need to eat," he ordered without conviction. "We leave at midnight."

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"Later."

"As you wish."

He placed his offering on the farthest table and moved to sit on the couch that was propped
against one wall. He stared at her openly, silently, for long minutes, until she grew
uncomfortable.

"Aren't you needed downstairs?"

"We both are. Carlisle wants to talk to everyone."

Without another word, she followed him down the stairs, her footsteps muted by the house's lush
carpeting. When they came to an open door, Edward went straight inside, leaving her at the
threshold. She glanced inside the room quickly and stopped.

Wide brown shelves lined one wall, occasionally breaking into a blank space. Framed prints and
somber paintings dominated one side. Across from the door, wide glass windows, open with the
night breeze flowing in freely, contrasted with the room's ancient atmosphere. A wide mahogany
table dominated the center, containing nothing but a chess board on its surface and vampires,
perhaps more ancient than it was, surrounding it.

It was the first time she had seen them together in one place. They lounged in carefully studied
indifference as she knew they were acutely aware of her presence. Emmett sat on one of the
windows' wide sills, with Rosalie standing near. Jasper had his feet propped against the table
while Alice swiveled idly around in her chair. Carlisle sat at the head of the table, talking quietly
to Esme who sat on his left. She saw Edward drop casually into an empty chair to Carlisle's right.

She stared, suddenly aware of their threat against her, against humans, as she had stubbornly
remained one. The power that emanated from them was palpable and it came in all degrees and
forms – their beauty, their strength, their apparent intelligence and cunning. It overwhelmed her,
rendered her small, weak and defenceless. They were all predators, immortal and deadly. She
suddenly realized how puny her resistance had been. How futile.

"Bella, dearest," Esme called to her, rising from her seat. "Have you eaten?"

"No," the domesticity of the question jarred her, shaking her from her paralysis, "maybe later."

Her voice seemed to galvanize them into action. Alice smiled, Jasper stood up, Emmett bounded
from the window. One by one, they came to her, putting their arms around her in one continuous
tight embrace, breathing their cold kisses onto her warm cheeks. She let them hold her, touch
her, caress her hair. They pulled her gently, but with undeniable firmness, across the doorway
and into the room.

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Welcome to the family.

"Sit down, child."

She let herself be led to the farthest side of the table, beside Emmett and facing Alice.

"This will only take a while. You probably know what this is all about," Carlisle said kindly,
knowing that she didn't. "You leave tonight for Alaska and you will stay there while we arrange
all your identity and travel papers. You both need to travel for a while, lie low, so to speak, while
we come up with a more permanent arrangement. It will give us some time to arrange the places
where we can all stay."

His words jolted her. If there was anything that she was acutely aware of, it was the conditions
that came with her recently changed status.

"You're all leaving?"

"Yes. We will stay close to you and Edward. We've only just found you, we're not ready to have
you far away so soon. Maybe in the next century or the one after that." he smiled at her
indulgently before turning his attention to Esme. "Isn't that correct, Esme?"

"Yes, of course," Esme readily agreed. "Although I would really have preferred that we had
better circumstances. It saddens me that we will have to move so frequently, to break apart every
so often, when you have just joined us. Hopefully, our time together will compensate for time
spent apart."

"I still say we should stay in one place," Rosalie disagreed. "Issue a territorial challenge."

Everyone looked at her, unsurprised, and Bella guessed this was not the first time they had had
this conversation.

"You know how things are, Rose. Forks is, was, our only domain. We have been forbidden to
settle in any other territory. If we want to claim another or challenge the Volturi's prohibition, we
will have to go through the bureaucracy," It was Emmett who answered.

"No, we don't. There are other ways," Rosalie replied cryptically and Bella wondered if she was
deliberately being excluded from the conversation. "Isn't that right, Edward?"

Esme leaned back in her chair and turned to Carlisle, an odd expression on her face. He stared
back at his wife and Bella sensed a battle waged in silence. An impending shift in the room was
clear as the vampires seemed to sit up attentively and waited on Carlisle in tense anticipation. He
broke away first and turned a sharp look at Edward.

"If you are thinking of executing another one of your mutinies, Edward, you will have to do it
differently," he said, breaking the silence. "The last time you attempted it, the Volturi acquired

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Alice and Jasper. You can not afford to be so reckless anymore, not when you have so much to
lose."

His words were directed to him but Bella felt his gaze settle on her briefly.

"We may not have a choice," Jasper answered. "It will be just a matter of time before the Volturi
knows of Edward's recent activities and they will be all over us."

"Alice?" Carlisle called to her, in a soft tone reserved for an old ally.

"Aro is growing suspicious of Edward's refusal to go to Volterra. They have made it known that
they will conduct a visit to see for themselves the one who seems to have entranced him into
disobedience," Alice answered. "There may still be time but we'll have to move fast. It would be
more prudent to just give them what they want now – an audience and an apology for refusing
their summons."

"Or we can let them come and see for themselves," Edward said, his stance deceptively calm as
he leaned against his chair. "I can go to Volterra and grovel at their feet but that would not stop
them from knowing. We can not rely on the likelihood of the Volturi not coming, only on our
readiness to receive them."

"I am not going to allow another sacrifice just so you can test your theories, Edward."

"If you are referring to Jasper and Alice being offered to the Volturi as payment for my
transgression in the past, then that was hardly a sacrifice," Edward replied calmly. "Some battles
are meant to fail. We traded their existence for greater control and information."

"True," Jasper agreed easily. "The Volturi was the best place to hone our skills and put ourselves
above suspicion."

"We can deflect their interest, find some way to hide you as we have done in the last nine years,"
Carlisle insisted. "I can not stand by and let Aro tear you apart again."

"I can endure his punishment as I have done so many times," Edward countered. "You did not
really think I would be so unprepared for this eventuality, did you?"

The look he gave his father was slightly mocking.

"They would find it so easy to find fault in what I have done," Edward continued, his tone
hardening into a hint of contempt. "Judge me according to their laws and obligations which they
don't even honor or follow themselves. If it serves their purpose, they will find each slightest
crime and transgression to insure our compliance to whatever they see fit to demand. Will you let
them ride roughshod over us again, Carlisle, as you did when they sentenced Esme? Accept their
arbitrary, hypocritical judgements without any challenge?"

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"She turned a child, Edward, in case you have forgotten." He answered tightly but turned to
Esme in apology. Esme merely smiled at him, without reproach or retribution.

"As I will. Eventually."

His eyes found hers across the room and Bella felt the first stirrings of fear grow inside her. She
didn't understand what was going on but she felt she was in the middle of it, somehow.

"I'm not a child," she insisted in defiance, even though she didn't know why this was important.

He smiled at her slowly, encouraged by her response.

"But you were, when I first bit you, and the Volturi will see it that way if I let them."

She frowned, letting her confusion show both about his intent to open himself to judgement and
punishment and the others' seemingly calm acceptance of his declaration.

"Aro would take one look at you and with just a touch, he would know why I have yet to turn
you," he addressed her. "And I can not risk it. I can not allow him to know who you are to me."

"So what do you propose we do?" Carlisle asked him quietly.

"We do as we have always done. We run," he said, and Bella was once again struck by his
contradictions. "Pretend weakness..."

"...to encourage their arrogance," Esme finished. "As we have done in these past decades."

"Draw them out of their fortress," Jasper added, "as Edward's repeated refusals to go to Volterra
have accomplished."

"And when they least expect it...." Edward looked at Carlisle in challenge, urging him silently to
complete what he wanted to say.

"How do you propose we draw all three of them?" Emmett broke in, skeptical.

"We show Aro something that he does not have. Something the others would not be able to
resist," Edward answered Emmett's frown.

"And what would that be?"

"A natural vampire blocker." Bella's voice was soft as she finally put together her role in his
plans.

"They have always coveted what they can not have," Edward answered just as softly. "And they
can never have you."

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He met her gaze across the table and opened their connection, easing gently into her mind while
pulling her into his. She resisted for a moment, slightly resentful that he should find their
connection necessary only then, but she was desperate for answers.

He leaned back as she started probing his thoughts at once, with almost clinical detachment.

He laid bare his entire plan and she reeled a little at its immensity. He showed her the how,
when, what and where. Her eyes widened when she grasped fully her pivotal role. She
understood, finally, his insistence on keeping her abilities, the reasons why he hadn't turned her
yet despite his own threats and urges. He gave her a run down on the extent of the vampire and
wolf exchange – how high and complete her sacrifice had been and how he and his coven had
arranged every single detail to make her transition between the two kinds easier.

He let her see every detail, every possibility and she organized his thoughts into applications she
could understand. His plans were inscrutable yet she understood all it's paths and deviations, as if
her mind opened up and realigned to accommodate his.

Do you understand?

Yes.

He relaxed visibly into his seat at her confirmation, relieved that someone now shared the burden
of knowing, and waited patiently for her to ask the most crucial question.

Why?

"Leave us," he said softly to a room that had become deathly still and quiet. "Please."

----

The quote above is Sun Tzu's aka Edward Cullen. :D

He's ready talk, at last, and she's willing to listen. It may be a declaration or an explanation
and she might ask a lot of quesitons. BUT, I offer an early warning. What they talk about will
remain between them. For now.

Next chapter: What awaits them in Alaska.

And oh, has anyone voted for Prey here? http: // themoonlightawards. yolasite. com/vote.
php. :D

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Chapter: 22

Apologies to all for taking forever to write another update.

Gazillion thanks to awesome Maylin who betas Prey.

The vampires are SMeyer's. Shinji is the devilish Visored from BLEACH.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were no unwanted thoughts bearing down on him, no voices battering his already
overtaxed brain and he welcomed the rare occurrence. Everything was silent, except for the
occasional screeching of the Volvo's tires as the car encountered hard ice, and a heart, beating
sluggishly in the dark.

He looked at the sleeping girl beside him and studied the way she turned her head from him. His
gaze swept from her brown tresses, curling around her neck and hiding the pulse that beat
underneath it, down to her blue-wrapped breasts and neatly folded hands above her waist. His
eyes followed the outline of her hips, a brimming curve of a wine goblet, trapping within it her
liquidity. Her legs flowed out from the flair of her skirt disappearing into her shoe-clad feet. Her
bare knees were parted slightly in seeming invitation, inciting drowsy and tangled thoughts.

He had been driving nonstop as she slept the day away beside him. Night was on them again and
he welcomed the darkness. She had hardly spoken to him throughout the drive or even before it
but whatever they had been, or had been not, ceased to matter for the moment.

She already knew. She already knew how close he was to her in Seattle, how he had been
forbidden to come closer.

----------

The others had taken turns in guarding him as he prowled inside a room thirty floors up from
where she was. Restless and inconvenienced, they had tried to console him until he had grown
hostile at the pity and empathy in their eyes.

So much for feeling human again, he had mocked Esme, the first of his jailers. Death,
exhaustion. What's next? Depression? An anxiety disorder? Human inconveniences that he
neither wanted nor needed. But Esme had merely smiled at him and watched him silently.

When Rosalie and Emmett had told him that she was responding positively, that her heart was
slowing down, and everything was proceeding as planned, he had insisted that he see for himself
despite knowing it was not only counterproductive but dangerous.

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"She will respond to your presence and try to survive. Then the drugs will truly kill her. You
know this," Rosalie had chided him. "You planned this."

He had started breaking everything in sight and they let him.

When it had been Alice and Jasper's turn, he had gone from mildly violent to truly belligerent,
forcing Jasper to pin him to the floor. He remembered, as he lay among the debris of his
frustrations, the argument he had had with the couple.

"Do you remember Shinji, Edward?" Jasper had said, after slamming him into a wall. "The
newborn from the Far East? You trained him for ten years, taught him everything, every rule and
limitation. He was beyond grateful for your direction when the Volturi was forced to release him
sooner, freeing him from his unwanted obligations. But on his last mission, your perfectly moral
warrior turned a reconnaissance mission into a search-and-destroy operation and wiped out an
entire coven without blinking."

"I did not order him to kill everyone," he had hissed as he tried to pick himself up.

"You didn't. And when he reasoned that you didn't order him not to kill everyone either, you
destroyed him on the spot. No trial, no questions," Jasper had recounted, "But you know what it
was. He burned-out. He couldn't handle the thought of suddenly withdrawing from battle and
extreme violence and he broke."

He had laughed silently. "And I suppose that is your theory of what happened to me."

"You nearly killed a child," Jasper had reminded him. "On the first day we left the Volturi."

"I would have. If Alice hadn't seen it and Carlisle hadn't deemed it his responsibility to interfere."

"I agreed with you then," Jasper had smiled at him without mirth. "I told Carlisle to let you have
her. It was your right, you deserved the indulgence. But you wouldn't have pushed through with
it. I know that now."

"You do now?" he had laughed again. "We are killers, Jasper, governed by the drive to destroy,
not by frivolous morals. Killing has absorbed us, inhabited us, made us strong the way our
enemies and victims are strong. The only thing that has kept me from slipping is Carlisle and
there had been plenty of times that my respect for him had not been enough."

"Yes, we were. But not anymore. You are in crisis, Edward. You have been in the last ten years
as there has been no one strong enough to destroy you like you destroyed Shinji or hold you back
from the madness that followed our release."

"Like Alice did for you...bloodsucker," he had mocked him. "I suppose that's what you think she
will do to me out of the kindness of her human heart."

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"Do you deny that you have thought of destroying yourself through her?"

"No, I do not deny it. If she had wanted to, I would have gladly conceded. Which makes me
positively psychotic, don't you think? Like you were."

"You wish you were psychotic," Alice had answered, "so you could excuse your abominable
behaviour . You, Edward Cullen, have done a good job of terrifying her that she mistakes your
efficiency for manipulation, your concern for coercion. Yet it is you who live in constant fear
that she will refuse her responsibilities. You can't see that her constant rejection is borne out of
your own failures and it is only her grudging consent and compromises that is keeping you from
descending into madness."

"You are absolutely terrified of her," Jasper had taunted him softly.

"Yes, she terrifies me," he had snarled his agreement. "She has so much power but has absolutely
no idea of how to use it. Her hesitation pushes me to make mistakes, her rejections are
infuriating. She makes me weak. But without her, I don't even exist. Have I ever denied it?"

"No, you never have. It doesn't have to be this way, E." Jasper had said, taking pity on him. "You
don't have to try so hard. You don't even have to win her over. She has you already conquered."

"She's not going to leave," Alice assured him, as she crouched at his right. "Trust her. Let her
protect you."

He had stayed on the floor, shaking in manic laughter, as they had said nothing that he didn't
know already but just could not start believing.

He had heard her cry out before she descended into the drug-induced numbness.

Where are you?

When she had gone down in the middle of a busy hotel lobby, the floor had fallen under him and
he had floated and stopped breathing. He had receded into the evening, her words ringing
incessantly in his ears.

How could you leave me here, dying?

He had prowled the streets of Seattle, hungry but unable to feed. It was only when he cracked her
wooden coffin open that he could think again and the relief that he had felt for her so
overwhelmed him that he had failed to return the small, dull smile she gave him.

She had greeted him with blank silence when he had tried to reassure her, and forced into him
the weariness that she refused to feel.

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Ask me, he had implored her silently, ask me with words and not through blood and I will tell
you. But she hadn't so he had left her in his room where he had thought of her so often.

He had wanted to shake her, make her see what he saw during her darkest hour. How each
minute detail he had planned had proceeded so seamlessly that nobody had bothered asking why
and how such things could and did happen, so randomly that everyone had blamed fate instead.
No, not fate, he had wanted her to laugh at the absurdity. Just the callous vampire who felt for
her so clumsily.

But she hadn't so he did the next best thing. He burdened her with his knowledge and she had
welcomed the cold, impersonal facts more than his inept efforts at affection.

She had listened intently, without fear or judgment, even after her eyes started to clear. He had
felt her exhaustion leave him as he answered her questions and finally, after hours of useless
resistance, she had succumbed to his murmurs and slipped into fatigued oblivion.

Sleep, little one. Sleep and hunt the rats in our dreams.

He couldn't wait to get her to Alaska, to the small cabin that he had set up weeks before he
started to set things into motion. It was far into the Denali property, miles away from their lair,
isolated from every known creature. He had wondered at how easily she had fallen into his plans
when she told him that she didn't want to live in a house full of vampires.

Just you and I then, he had thought with mild amusement. But he doubted that she would
appreciate the irony.

She stirred in her seat, stretching gracefully, and he stared, mesmerized by the movement. Her
restlessness grew and he reached out to touch her gently. She would be waking up soon, which
would be a pity, as her subconscious afforded him liberties her waking mind was still reluctant to
give.

She opened her eyes suddenly and caught him staring. Her eyes flickered to the darkness that
beat at the sides of the Volvo and she sat up abruptly.

"Drive."

He cracked a smile and tapped the side of his head.

"Built-in radar."

But he complied a second later.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked and winced at how many times he had asked her.

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He was glad when she said yes as the darkness was enough for their cover.

A light slowly grew from a distance and he spotted a little, worn-out store for travelers with a red
neon sign above it.

Open 24 hours.

He turned the Volvo to park at the farthest corner, away from any curious onlooker.

He performed the necessary motions – opened his door, opened hers, led her towards the glass
doors of the all-too-human store. He had never been inside one, never had the need to. He found
it as repulsive as he had always thought it would be as the dank, heavy smell of human food and
putrid breath greeted him. The boy behind the counter did a double take at his sudden
appearance, as humans were prone to do upon seeing him for the first time. He was used to it, the
awed fear he inspired, the sudden short circuiting of their limited brains, the galloping of their
hearts and pulses. It took him a second to realize that the boy's pulse had taken a more erratic
beat and he was peering behind him.

He followed the boy's eyes and seethed.

He was gazing at the half-vampire who was scouring through the candy section. Carlisle had
instructed her to stock up on sugar before they left and she was taking him seriously. Her dark
blue dress swayed gently above her knees, her brows burrowed in oblivious concentration. His
eyes swung to the boy again and he had a sudden urge to slam the harmless creature into the wall
behind him.

I suppose this is one of those inconvenient human emotions, he thought, giving the boy a slow,
vicious smile. It had never bothered him before when males of different species looked on his
sisters or even his lovers with such open adoration.

She lifted her head as murderous thoughts streaked through his mind and shook her head at him
imperceptibly.

He raised an eyebrow. Come here.

She frowned at the command but made her way to him and pressed the various candy bars into
his hands. He noted with juvenile satisfaction that the boy's thoughts shrank into the back of his
head as he realized who it was he had been staring at.

"Can you get me some water please?" she rasped, loud enough for the boy to hear and for him
not to argue.

He dumped the candy bars at the counter with a glare and marched towards the back of the store.

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"Hi," the boy greeted her in fearless stupidity and he knew that even she could hear his heart
doing somersaults in his chest.

"Hi," she answered tonelessly but underneath, he could hear her pleading. For your own sake,
please don't talk to me.

"Would you like some Snickers?" The boy's thoughts grated on his nerves as he was
broadcasting his infatuation loudly.

"No, thank you," he was beside her in a flash, uncaring if the boy found it odd that he could
move without sound or warning.

"I'll take them," she contradicted and paid the boy herself. He turned away, suddenly anxious to
get out of the little store, and left her to wait for her loot.

She followed him outside, chewing on a bar, and stood beside him in front of the Volvo. Letting
the cold air into her lungs, she let the darkness sooth her.

"He's just a boy."

She was met with silence so she studied the car that had brought her here with mild interest
instead.

"Is that the same car?"

"No," he answered after a while. "I had two shipped a few weeks before...."

"Before I wrecked the other one."

She approached the vehicle, wondering how she could have done what she did to the one that
came before it. She remembered hitting the windows, the windshield, the headlights and back.
Her eyes traveled to the shiny hood and suddenly, she remembered. Her violence and his, his
blood, flowing from him to her. Draining him, dropping him to the ground.

I'm not going to hurt you. Not in ways that count.

She had believed him then. It seemed such a long time ago.

Another time, another place.

How could she have forgotten? Her mouth became dry so she took a long drag from her bottle
without thinking.

He stilled. And watched the muscles in her throat clench and unclench. He could hear the water
slosh its way from the bottle to her lips, inside her mouth, course through her tongue and

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remembered.

Rain.

Her body, her blood. Pounding in his ears.

It's only water. She had sighed as well then.

Her mouth on him. Sucking. The outline of her hips. Liquid. Only water.

Another place, another time.

She stopped and realized her mistake as a barrage of images tripped into each other inside his
brain. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand as she stood bathed in red light, the glare of
the store's neon sign reflecting on her.

Red on her mouth, glistening on her lips, tracks of red on the back of her hand.

He took a step forward.

Fear me.

She didn't step back.

I'm not afraid of you.

She kept her heartbeat at an even pace, controlled the rise of her temperature. She stood calm,
her breathing not hitching or faltering.

Her eyes flickered to the car between them as she sought to control his sudden bloodlust.

She decided to start believing again.

She extended her hand towards him, palm up and inviting.

"Can I drive it?"

AN:

Let it be known that he didn't have it easy. Review! If you want Edward to say yes. :D

The extreme burn-out is true, btw. It's called short-term syndrome, a clinical madness, observed
in US soldiers during the Vietnam war.

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VOTE for Prey at the Mystic Awards. If you want to. It's up for Best Scary and Mr. Dark
Edward. http :// themysticawards. webs .com/nominees. htm

And I promise I have the next two chapters, at least, ready. REALLY.

All those who read and liked and reviewed....thanks.

I will try to write to anyone who writes to me. Questions always welcomed.

Visit my LJ: http :// eun-hye1. livejournal. com/ I have some really cool icons! :D

Chapter: 23

Thanks to my beta, Maylin. :) She gave this back a week ago. I still don't own anything.

Preparations

-------------------

She ran like a hundred bats from hell were pursuing her to get to the riverbank. Forgetting grace,
forgetting rythym, she tripped and stumbled through three feet of snow in her haste to get away
from the cabin that had served both as her home and prison.

She dived without preparation into the water, oblivious to the freezing cold of the Alaskan river.
Her head went under and came up again and she started her painful journey towards the other
side with slow, broad strokes.

Flow with the current, he instructed her instincts. She stopped struggling, too fast and too soon,
and the current slammed into her with such force that it twisted her small, agile body and threw it
into the middle of the raging river. He stopped himself from attempting to rescue her as he
watched her struggle with the violent current.

Three figures clad in brown waited for her on the other side and after several minutes of furious
swimming, she collapsed, face down, on the snow before them.

The central figure held out a hand to pull her up and he saw her fling her arms out as they
embraced tightly.

"How are you?" he heard Leah Clearwater's worried voice ask her.

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"Fine. I'm fine," her reply gave away nothing. Another figure, Seth, he presumed, assaulted her
in greeting and she turned to Jacob Black to include him in the joyous reunion.

He experienced a twinge of irritation at the bittersweet meeting, at her easy affection for them,
her elation. She had gazed on the bank every single day since they had come to the cabin in
restless anticipation, even though he had told her the exact date of their arrival.

It was part of the agreement, born out of her sacrifice, but she hadn't known until he had told her
much later.

The Quileute tribe now lay claim over a thousand acres of Denali property, courtesy of the latest
Olympic-Denali Agreement. The Denali sisters had graciously offered him the piece of land, to
help him with his little "human problem." They had found it extremely interesting how the
Olympic Coven had managed to coexist peacefully with the werewolves, and upon further
negotiations, decided it would be beneficial if they forged the same agreement. Away from the
eyes of the human courts, beyond the jurisdiction of the Volturi. Eleazar's presence during the
last council meeting had not been ceremonial nor coincidental. He, Carlisle and Rosalie
comprised the new council.

He had requested that Leah and Seth Clearwater occupy the property, so she could have them
close by. Jacob Black was a necessary inclusion as he was an Alpha by birthright and it was by
Quileute customs that he should head the new pack. He would have preferred Leah, a strong
potential ally, but he knew that the girl had other responsibilities.

He watched the scene across the bank intently. Their shields were already wrapping around her,
layer by layer. In a few minutes, he knew that he would be experiencing pain, a burning
sensation that would grow with each step she took away from him.

"How's Dad?" he heard her muffled voice under the thickening shield but didn't hear Leah's
answer. They started to walk upstream, towards the forest where the wolves had set up a
temporary shelter. As agreed beforehand, they wouldn't go too far away from each other as they
couldn't risk the danger of extended disruption. As they approached the edge of the forest, he felt
her seek him, following the path of their connection.

"I'll see you soon," she gave him a respectful bow, reverting to the formalities between their
kinds.

"Be safe," he returned the courtesy.

He was aware of her changing assessment of their situation, made clear by the simple question
that she had asked when she broke into his blood haze. As much as he wanted to acknowledge
her control then, he hadn't given her the keys. He knew he wouldn't be able to withstand doing
nothing. Her goodwill had easily evaporated, leaving the rest of the drive in tense, uncomfortable
silence.

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It had been a couple of days since then. Nobody else had been to the cabin with them and it
suited him as he wasn't willing to tolerate meddling or any form of intervention. The others had
respected his wishes that they stay away for the duration.

------------------

"You can't hold her hostage forever, Edward," Carmen rebuked him gently when he arrived at
the Cullen main house after turning her over to her siblings. "We hold part of the agreement."

The covens were holding a joint meeting to go over the preparations and it necessitated his
presence. The others carefully ignored the comment, as they didn't want to upset him. He was
prone to short burst of mild violence and extreme irritation every time he got separated from her.

Jasper called their attention instead.

"We cover four poles, instead of converging in one location," he started the briefing without
introduction as a map of the entire Denali property flashed against the wall behind him. "East.
West, North and South. They will overwhelm us with numbers, as they know our entire vampire
strength. Irina, Tanya, Carmen and Eleazar, you take the North, closest to the villages. The
people know you and will heed your call should the need to evacuate the residents arise."

"We have already started rumors of a great storm. An avalanche warning would take hold in a
second," the sisters informed him.

"Alice, Emmet and I will take the East, where the Volturi will start their assault as Alice has seen
them in her visions. Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie will take the South to contain their blocking
force later."

Jasper looked at the vampires clustered in a circle, everyone was listening to him intently.

"If we let them break through the perimeter, they will push towards the west," he continued,
"following the scent of their primary target. It will lure them right into the killing zone, a small
cabin in the middle of the forest, beside a large and significant river."

"We will wait until the advance squads cross the river, into werewolf territory, where fifteen
shape shifters will await them in ambush. Several of the wolves are now in the vicinity. The rest
will arrive as soon as we call for them," he continued to an audience who listened without
astonishment. All of them already knew of the wolves' involvement. The werewolf-vampire-
human agreement explicitly states that no creature shall enter or pass each others' territories
without expressed consent. In addition to defending their property, they were also defending one
of their own.

"Survival from werewolf ambush is almost zero," Jasper said. "Once the head is cut off and the
rear contained, Edward will lead the assault on their center."

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"They will match us ability for ability. Aro, Felix, Jane, Marcus, Caius and Alec will constitute
their center. Demetri and Heidi will lead their assault teams and rear. They will know the nature
of Bella's ability beforehand, but not its full extent."

"They know each and everyone of us. There will not be much of a surprise there," Carlisle said.

"We know them as well as they know us. The element of surprise does not lie with us but with
our allies," Jasper answered.

"And the rest of the Volturi, Edward?" Eleazar queried. "We can defeat them here as this is our
lair but they will just send us another column, another team to battle on another day."

Edward looked at Jasper and Alice.

"We have not been exactly idle during our time inside the Volturi," he answered.

"I am aware that you have allies within the guards' divisions, as you have been thrown into
detention and punished with them countless times," Carlisle reminded him. "But all of them are
currently languishing in underground caves in Volterra. They can hardly come to your rescue
even if they want to."

"No, not all of them," Edward turned to face him. "Upon the moment that the ancients are
disarmed, the gates to the caves of the persecuted will be opened and Volterra will be overrun by
its own rebels."

"That is anarchy, Edward," Carlisle objected. "That is unacceptable. The Volturi might be
corrupt but it is our only structure. If it collapses, the entire vampire society will be thrown into
chaos."

"Who says the Volturi will collapse?" Edward answered evenly. "Both the rebels and most of the
Volturi guards' divisions will answer to one person. One. And that person is in Volterra right
now."

Carlisle looked at him in sudden understanding.

"I should have known," he said, leaning back in realization. "How long have you planned this
mutiny?"

"Since my first day in the Volturi," he admitted. "They wronged you, Carlisle, since the
beginning of your existence."

"Revenge will not bring anything back, Edward. Or anyone," he said quietly, his gaze flitting to
Esme.

"This is not revenge. This is correcting ongoing mistakes and setting safeguards for the future.

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They feared us, Carlisle, and they will fear us even more. That is why they persecuted us and
continue to do so," he answered. "I understand your reluctance. It is unwise to take on a stronger
enemy without preparation. But with the right conditions and weapons, the balance can shift
temporarily."

"I suppose you will tell us who among the inner Volturi circle condone this rebellion."

"He is not relevant as of the moment," Edward answered him. "Rest assured that I have no
intention of overthrowing the Volturi, only of changing it. And I have no wish to rule it. I leave
that to you. As your first companions, Esme and I will agree to whatever you decide. Won't we,
Esme?"

Esme offered a calm smile but gave him no answer.

He stood over the back porch of the house later, silently considering the white mountains beyond
it. Their reflection shimmered against the waters of the small lake a few miles behind the house.
They reminded him of the mountains of Norway, where Alice had caught up with him and
convinced him to return to Forks and stay with them.

I don't see anything out of the ordinary happening to us or you, Alice had assured him then. She
couldn't have been more wrong. In a span of a year, he had redrawn treaties, broken every rule in
both werewolf and vampire societies, upset Carlisle in more times than he cared to count and
saw his entire coven thrown into chaos. Yet contradictorily, it seemed that everything was
coming together. All the decades of clandestine planning and meticulous design, now being
pulled together by a pair of frail human hands.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice a presence until he felt a small
disturbance behind him. He knew who it was even without turning.

"Can I join you?" Tanya Denali, one among the stable of his previous lovers and long time
companions.

He acknowledge her with a nod but she really didn't need an answer.

"You have really outdone yourself this time, Edward. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," she
said. "Everything is finally over now, is it?"

"It has been over for some time, Tanya."

"You will not reconsider?"

"No."

"I suppose not. I apologize, I shouldn't have even asked," he could hear the rueful smile in her

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voice. "Heidi would be furious at the exclusion. She had been wanting you to succeed Aro for so
long that she is willing to throw her entire division behind you."

"She can take the disappointment."

He fell silent, knowing her moods and expectations.

"Just remember us," she said after a while, "the others who came before she even existed."

"I will be forever grateful to you and your coven, Tanya," he answered, not rising to her line of
thinking.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she stated more than asked. She knew his preferences, his
tendencies, his afflictions. "Will we ever see you again?"

"Perhaps," came his noncommittal reply.

"Just tell me one thing then. You owe me, at least, an honest answer," Tanya asked him. "What is
it in her, Edward?" To have gained your absolute, immortal devotion where I and all others have
failed?

Edward turned to look at her in quiet reflection, her features and scent at once strange and
familiar. He could read everything that was in her mind, discern each small movement before she
even made it. A hundred questions and assumptions lurked behind the one she had just spoken
and he heard them all. He could read her thoughts clearly as she didn't even attempt to hide
anything from him. Her resigned sadness, her unrequited affection. There were no surprises in
her, as with almost every creature that he had encountered. All of them offered him their
thoughts and intentions without prompting, whether he wanted them or not.

"Silence," he said after a while. "She gives me silence."

------

Next:

Bella's training, Aro pays them a visit and unlocking the potentials of the blood bond. Yes, we
will finally see them in action.

No, he didn't let her drive. :( He has his own reasons. :)

Chapter: 24

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Eternal thanks to Maylin who reads and edits my chapters.

To everyone who rec'ced and reviewed, thanks.(your summaries are better than mine) I own
nothing.

come together, break apart.

She lifted her head slowly, careful not to make any sudden movement, to look at her
surroundings. She was in a room that was definitely not hers. Offwhite walls, peach funiture,
leaves intricately woven into them. She took a moment to test the air... freesias. A large vase full
of freshly-cut flowers was on the table near her.

Across from the bed was a window, with the sun streaming through the curtains. Beside the
window, a table with an oval-shaped mirror and in front of it, a woman with copper-colored hair.
She was putting her hair up, with delicate little pins, and the soft light glowed against her long,
graceful neck.

She cursed silently as she peered at herself. White billowy dress that came below her knees,
puffy sleeves, bare feet.

She sat up quickly, so quickly that she felt dizzy, like a hundred bees suddenly decided to
descend on her hair. She stood up and slowly made her way across the room, drawn to the
woman by an unseen force. The buzzing of the bees intensified with each small, hesitant step but
she ignored it. Her curiousity propelled her. She had always wondered what she looked like.

"You look lovely, Mama," a deep voice suddenly cut from nowhere and she tensed. The woman
tilted her head, providing her with a fuzzy profile. Regal cheekbones, full lips, patrician nose.
Only the eyebrows were slightly thinner. The woman turned her head to face her and Bella froze
in midstride, fully expecting her to scream in terror at the strange, unkempt girl, standing in the
middle of her room.

But the woman merely smiled at her in open affection, her vivid green eyes dancing with mirth.
Lovely was an understatement, she was breathtaking.

"Why, thank you, so..."

The buzzing of the bees intensified, drowning out her next words and became the buzzing of a
tea kettle.

GODDAMIT!

Bella surfaced from the dream, her frustration showing through her frazzled hair. The surreal,
trippy dreams always ended before she caught his reflection. She cursed again when she saw the

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time on the clock on the table. 5AM. It was already another day.

She swung her legs from the bed, her bare feet landing on the stone floor of the cabin. The wall
thermometer read thirty degrees. She wore the thinnest of shirts and shorts, appropriate to more
sunny climates, but the cold didn't bother her.

She made her way to the kitchen and started looking for something to eat. She could eat or drink
anything – cold, hot or freezing – but he insisted she drank hot tea in the mornings. She
wondered what was really in it.

Scouring through the cabinets, she found a couple of bars of Snickers and remembered, before
she could stop herself, the number of times she had had her hands slapped for eating too many
before dinner.

Don't think about her, she scolded herself. Don't think about Renee. Just shove the damn thing in
your mouth and eat it.

Her hand shook a little as she tore the wrapper and she grasped the counter as she swallowed
with difficulty. She waited a while for the pain of her memories to subside before looking for the
mug she had been using. She poured herself some tea and went to the doorway to count the
seconds.

She had found out early on that he was strangely a creature of habit. Predictable, when he was
not manipulating her life or pummelling her into submission.

She was on the final second of her internal countdown when a figure broke through the forest
near the river at full vampire speed. The blur slowed down midway and proceeded at a more
human pace. She lingered for a few more seconds, leaning on the doorway. When she was
certain that he could see her clearly, she moved back into the shadows. During the first few days,
when she hadn't understood that he wanted her acknowledgement so early, he would storm into
the cabin and ask her quietly.

"Didn't you hear me coming?"

She knew she had the choice to ignore him and wondered why she didn't.

She went back to her space, taking note that the early morning light was slowly making way
through the windows. The cabin was sparse and minimally furnished but she noticed certain
things inside it. The purple sheets and pillows on the bed, the white curtains on the front
windows. Even the china in the kitchen.

Just how many times have you broken into my father's house and my room, Edward Cullen?

Shrugging away her own question, she went back to the kitchen table to assemble her weapons.
A lance, 5 feet that could extend up to 15 feet with doublebladed tips, two guns, one dagger. She

134
was sure that the dagger was his. It had a signature Volturi crest with the letters EC embedded on
one side of the blade. Alice once told her that top Volturi guardians left signatures on their
victims. She hadn't thought then that she meant it literally. Turning around, she shook the lance
to its medium length, twirling it easily before checking the tips with her fingers. What would
happen if she pricked herself? Would his control break? Would hers?

Most of his instruction took place outside but the cabin was large enough for some basic
movements. A wide living area separated her space (composed of her bed, her kitchen and
bathroom) from his armory and security room where he monitored their surroundings. She
wouldn't have guessed that a vampire, a mindreader at that, would have the need for hitech
surveillance equipment.

"The perimeter is rigged," he had told her casually on their first day together. "It would be
dangerous if you left the area without me or my permission."

She had looked at him with resentment. How could she run? He had made sure that she would
have nowhere else to go. And no one to go to.

"Thanks for the welcome," she had replied bitterly to his warning.

To her surprise, she found out that she was a natural at everything he threw at her –maneuvers,
weapons, tactics. He was exact and thorough, even deadly, in his instruction. He was a hard
taskmaster and she appreciated that he didn't hold back to accommodate her being human. If she
were to survive, she wanted him to teach her.

He watched and monitored her progress with an almost clinical detachment. He would catch the
slightest mistake and make adjustments, capture the slightest detail. She learned. He was
unflinching in his dedication.

He made her choose her weapons, the first of his concessions, and educated her on the use of
each. The lance for medium range battle, two guns for a quick kill. The dagger if someone came
or stood too near to her.

"Just remember," he said calmly after giving her the weapons for safekeeping, "Vampires can
kill with their bare hands."

Vampires also don't sleep, with a single exception under special circumstances. So unless she
wanted to recreate the event at the meadow, all murderous thoughts would simply be off the
table.

She had let him and the harsh Alaskan winter batter her into physical exhaustion. She allowed
him to drag her outside at 5AM, go through exercises until almost midnight, before she dragged
herself back into the cabin and collapsed onto the single bed and slept as a human. It suited her
that at the end of each day, her brain would shut down and she didn't have the time or luxury to
remember. She would wake up at dawn of the next day -- reinvigorated, feeling even better than

135
the day before -- and her life would once again begin.

She dismissed her heightened endurance to his proximity, thinking the bond must somehow be
helping her. She loathed to think she was transforming. Not yet, she would chant inside her. Not
yet.

He walked in, the vampire who looked so much like his human mother.

"It's cold," he greeted her, after giving her a cursory glance, "put on something
more...appropriate."

Right.

This from someone who groped, fondled and bit her through her clothes while she slept. She
knew she tortured him with her skin, tormented him with her scent. But she refused to cover
herself for his convenience until he called her on it and wore her shirts and shorts with large
Spongebob prints on them.

She walked across the open living space to get the coat she hung on the peg near the door just
beside him. A step, two steps. At three, she disturbed the air around him. His eyes darkened
momentarily, his jaw tightened.

Predictable. She eyed him evenly.

She plucked the coat and shrugged it onto her shoulders before going back to her kitchen table.

He followed her and sat down across from her, dropping his weight to the back of the chair. If
not for the weapons between them, they would have made a decidedly domestic picture.

He looked at her steadily as she struggled against the sudden leap of blood against her skin, the
slight hiss in the air. Both studiously ignored the white noise that constantly surrounded them –
the beating of her pulse, the unmistakable rush of venom from his gut to his mouth, the scent of
pheromones tinged with chocolate breath. It was pushing them both to the edge and she
wondered how long they could keep the artificial balance and the cost they were both paying.

"Alice came by the Northwestern side to drop this off," he said, pushing a small box towards the
center of the table. She picked it up, unsure of what the other vampire could possibly give her.

Inside was a leather wrist band, with the color and make exactly like the one he constantly wore.
The Cullen coven insignia was embedded on one side and her initials on the inside.

"You have been officially adopted by Carlisle Cullen and the Olympic Coven," he answered her
unspoken question. "Your records have been expunged, your name cleared."

She stared at it, once again dumbfounded at the sheer audacity of how he manipulated her

136
circumstances. How he gave her something while taking something else away. She was no
longer a criminal in all three worlds, but she had become a daughter of his maker, binding her to
him even further. His name wasn't even on the records.

She didn't thank him.

She hadn't thanked him either, when he informed her that the land across from the cabin had
been awarded to her tribe and that Leah and Seth would soon be near her. She had fulfilled her
obligations. It was time he fulfilled his. She only gave him the courtesy and respect that the
wolves expected her to afford him.

"Does it stand for anything?" she asked out loud, as she turned the wristband over in her hands.

"It's a shackle," his lips curled in faint amusement, "to Carlisle's rules and principles. You follow
the ways of the coven out of respect and filial loyalty."

She put it on.

"It's heavy." The leather was dark and thick, masculine. But on her wrist, it looked feminine. The
symbol of being claimed.

"As it should be," he said. "Wear it tonight when you will be presented to the Volturi."

Her head snapped up at the mention of the Volturi and a tremor of fear run through her before
she could pull her thoughts together. She knew they would be coming, as it was all part of the
plan. But it was shocking that he should mention it so casually. Her hour of judgment was finally
upon her and he acted like it was just another training day.

"Tonight?"

"A few hours ago, Alice saw them arriving in a vision. They will be at the main house later," he
answered after a curt nod. "Are you ready?"

She touched her shackle, felt it burn against her skin.

"Are you?" she shot back.

He leaned forward, sensing something.

"If you are not," he said evenly, "say the word and I will withdraw everything."

"What?" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"Aro is dangerous and one misstep, one miscalculation can unravel everything," he said as she
looked at him incredulously. "You have to be absolutely certain before we issue the challenge."

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She looked at him blankly, trying to fanthom his reasons.

"You don't think I can do it," she breathed out after a while, her lungs deflating.

"What you can do is different from what you will do," he answered calmly. "Even now, you
hesitate and that could be fatal."

"Is this a test?" she asked, letting her anger rise even though she knew how dangerous it made
him.

"I wish it was," he said softly, leaning back, "but no. The threat is real and it is your choice if you
want to confront it."

"You don't trust me," she said in realization. After all this time, after all she had conceded to him.
"It's not my choice alone, it's yours, too, and if you think that I'll be weak, that I will be a liability
then maybe you're the one who's hesitating."

He looked at her sharply, his own eyes darkening in anger.

"Do not suggest that I will renege on my word to protect you," he said, seemingly unaware that
he had paid her the same insult moments earlier, "there will be a time when I will not be able to
do so and it will be extremely difficult and painful. I was merely pointing out that you have a
choice. That you will always have a choice and if you are hesitant, then it is better that you say it
now and not later."

"If it's just a matter of choice," she looked at him unflinchingly, "then we shouldn't have a
problem, should we?"

--------------

She first saw them as they crossed the threshold to the main Cullen house, dark robes swaying
gently, causing minimum stress to the air. An older vampire led three others. A dark, tall man
behind him. Felix, she presumed correctly. Behind him two ethereal creatures in matching red
capes and eyes. Alec and Jane. Quiet and with extreme grace, they took her breath away.

"Carlisle." she heard the one she recognized as Aro from Edward's memories. "It is a delight to
see you again."

"I trust your journey was well and pleasant," Carlisle greeted him.

"It was," he agreed. "Although I would have very much preferred to stay in familiar grounds."

The rebuke, thrown in nonchalance, became the first volley to be fired.

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He went through each of the Cullens, kissing and touching. Pulling little thoughts and memories
and she struggled to keep her identity and everything about her in each of their minds to the
barest information.

She was at the end of the line and she almost forgot to breathe when her turn came.

"Ah...," Aro gave her a faint smile, "here we are."

"Let me present to you," Carlisle approached from the side, wrapping his arm around her
shoulders in a paternal embrace. "Isabella Swan of the Quileute tribe, bequeathed to my son
Edward, my and Esme's youngest daughter."

He gave her a reassuring squeeze and she stepped forward. She bowed, not too low to denote
servitude but not too high as to suggest disrespect.

"I have heard so much of you," Aro stepped closer and she caught the scent of bodies and dead
blood. "The goddaughter who has ensnared my best guardian to obstinance."

She stood still, breathing in his scent, which changed to something more pleasant and
mesmerizing as he spoke. She fought the urge to tilt her head and offer him her neck as his
breath washed over her skin.

"Were you made aware of the consequences of such disobedience?" he asked her softly, his
smile deceptively kind. "Jane, can you show her?"

Here we go, she braced herself as she waited for the first prick of pain. She felt tiny pricks
started after a while, a slight pain behind her eyes and under her skin. She began to wonder if
that was all the girl vampire could give them or if the ancient vampire changed his mind and they
were actually being spared when she heard a muffled gasp behind her.

She turned to look behind her and found him bleeding.

Blood pouring through the pores of his skin, drenching his shirt, leaking through the side of his
eyes. The tiny pricks of pain she felt were real on him. Each invisible stab drew blood and spilled
it in the air around him. The scene was so real yet so surreal that she had to relinquish her own
fear and despair for a moment to acknowledge the horror in front of her. It was though her worst
dream had come true, a nightmare so vile, so spiteful that she couldn't even bring herself to
shudder. She stood paralyzed, like the others behind her, her soles glued to the floor. Watching
him bleed, watching him try to keep away the pain from her and suffer.

He fell down, struck by an unseen bullet, and she turned to the vampire who fired it.

Stop, she hissed. Stop it.

Now, she whispered against his closed mind as she turned to look back at him, let me do it now.

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His lips moved, silent. Not yet.

Let Jane's virulence continue for several minutes. Let me take into me her most lethal and potent
thoughts first.

She held on, trying to remember why she agreed to his absolute condition. Allow me command.
Allow me everything. It was only when she heard his voice in her mind that she breathed again.

Now.

The single word shook her from paralysis and she flung her shield in front of her as she stepped
into the vampire's line of attack. Jane's virulence scattered as it encountered her, like bones
against metal, only making no sound. Another wave of thick, malignant thoughts followed, like
corpses made of sticky clay, tongues lapping at the floor, sticking out in greeting. She could
almost feel them touch her skin, envelop her in the scent of their decaying flesh. Noxious
thoughts, almost purple in their darkness, pounded on the invisible wall she put up between
them, crashing and pulling themselves up again. Again and again, like scores of the undead that
refused to be killed.

"Interesting...," Aro was unmoved. "The lamb protecting the lion. Alec, can you hold everyone
just a little tighter? Jane, increase volume."

Open mouths screaming in silent pain rushed to her, pressing into the wall, pushing and shoving
in unspeakable agony. She extended both arms in front of her, feet placed one before the other
and putting her weight on her shoulders, leaned forward and pushed back with all her might. The
silent screams increased as Jane's virulence grew, wave upon wave, battering and burrowing like
maggots into her shield.

She glanced behind her. He was still on the ground.

She tried to reach out to Jasper, extending her arm towards his direction. If only she could reach
him, if only she could try. But the other vampire was too strong, too experienced and holding her
off was taking every ounce of her resistance. She felt her feet slide backwards, her footing
floundering.

Bit by bit, she was losing ground.

She tried to cast out her shield behind her, in the hopes that it would reach the others and release
them from Alec's paralyzing grip. They were looking at her with eyes in open anguish, their dead
hearts breaking as they watch her defence weakening.

Inch by inch, she was slipping.

Long, thick needles of pain were already unto her hands, piercing through her skin, crushing her

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phalanges. Breathing evenly, she held back her tears and called out to him.

Please. Please wake up.

It took everything in her not to to weep when a hand enveloped hers in answer, threading their
fingers, pressing their palms together. The needles withdrew, leaving her hands throbbing. She
breathed deeply and stepped backwards, until her arms settled on his and the back of her knees
found sanctuary. An arm snaked around her, just below her breasts, pulling her back, closer. It
was only when she encountered a cool, hard wall behind her that she realized that she had been
feverishly trembling. She was burning, her werewolf protections working overtime to save her.
She breathed deeply to will away the agony and waited for him to center himself behind her.

Now, Isabella.

At his quiet command, she pulled herself together and cast her shield backwards with all the
strength that was left in her. The shield took hold and tightened, even without her direction,
amplified by his mental ability. She felt the full power of his mind close in on hers, like a
thousand bees buzzing. She took another step backwards and fell into him, bathing him in soft
light, encompassing him within her. A thin veneer of electricity started to crackle around them,
fading them in and out, as she struggled to maintain consciousness.

Stay with me.

He wielded her power without effort, dismissing Jane's attack with a flick of his hand, extending
her shield beyond what she was capable of as the buzzing intensified in her head. The shrill,
painful sound pounded on her skull, squeezing into her ears and she fought against its current.
Louder and louder it grew, dividing and redividing, until small gaps appeared between them,
letting her separate each strain. The strains became lines, and the lines became symbols and
symbols morphed into a tumble of pictures. The buzzing suddenly subsided, as she mastered the
invasive patterns, and the bees became a constant stream of quiet thoughts.

Can you hear them?

Her eyes cleared, at the same time as her mind, and she not only heard them, she saw. Pale words
like ghostly fingers surrounded each creature in the room, marking their thoughts, even those
which were yet to be mindspoken. So easy to distinguish, easier to block.

Yes, she confirmed.

In theory, they had known that they could extend and magnify each other's abilities. In theory, it
was the core of their synchrony. Two deeply devoted individuals, made powerful by abilities
neither of them wished nor wanted. Finding each other through blood. Under layers of
irreconcilable instincts, lust, violence, anger and devotion -- an altruistic bond of protection
safeguarded them. A blood bond that was at once raging and gentle, biased and neutral. Devoid
of tension but driven by the intense need to defend the other.

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"Are you all right?" he breathed into her hair.

"Yes," relief clear in her voice, "you?"

"I am now."

They had never attempted to test it before, as it required a high level of physical and emotional
intimacy. It could only be achieved fully when one was threatened from the outside, when the
other was in danger. The only time they had unwittingly managed to breach the layer was when
their emotions had run their course and they had both been physically exhausted. That night,
when they had descended from the meadow. That same night when Alice had observed they
shimmered. Before their instincts took over and they returned to their inherent, antagonistic
nature.

A long time ago, Esme had cautioned her about it. In a hospital room after she had first nearly
killed them both with her human frailty, she had told her how the bond would consume her
completely, how absolute it was going to be.

Once a connection is established, nothing can break it.

She hadn't believed her. How could such a bond exist when their very nature went against it? He
had sought to crush all her instincts and she, in turn, had tried to kill him. It had taken them both
to the edge of insanity, only to be brought back again and again beside the other.

Becoming whole as one, but separate and distinct.

Esme had tried to explain it away by stating that their instincts were only confusing them and
given time, they would learn to live with it harmoniously, even happily.

Maybe.

All she knew was that someday, she was going to forgive him. Someday, maybe he would even
be able to forgive himself.

-------------

"I'm afraid you have overstayed your welcome," Carlisle's voice broke into her thoughts,
returning her to her present. Slowly, she withdrew her shield, pulling it back into her. The attack
had passed and everyone was now willing to listen.

"It was only a demonstration," she heard Aro declare, wonder seeping through his otherwise
calm voice. "You realize, Carlisle, what you have in your hands."

"She is my daughter and you nearly killed her," Carlisle's voice was hard and angry.

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"You would only have to turn her," Aro returned calmly, "and she would live again. Forever.
Clearly, Carlisle, this is the crux of the matter. It alarms me and the entire Volturi that you have
allowed a human, a werewolf goddaughter no less, access to your sanctuary and into vampire
society. It made me wonder if you were hiding something and now I am inclined to think so."

Aro paused and turned to her and Edward.

Just what are you up to, Edward?

He smiled when Edward flinched slightly. Before she or Edward could protest, he was suddenly
in front of her, touching her cheek gently. Her blood rushed to greet his fingers, her own
thoughts strained against her own shield as they tried to heed his ancient call, his presence
commanding her compliance without effort.

Come to me. Show yourself.

She returned his gaze evenly, giving nothing away, as she listened in to his growing wonder.

"Amazing," he breathed out, pulling back his fingers. "Absolute silence. You have to bring her to
Volterra, Edward. You have to present her to the court. We can turn her together, your little
tower of strength."

A pause passed and every creature in the room waited in anticipation for the next level of
tension.

"Go to hell," Edward's voice was hard and harsh, carrying no respect for the ancient. She knew
this part, of his refusal, but even she was surprised by the extreme vehemence of his answer.

The older vampire showed no reaction, except for the tightening around his eyes, but his
thoughts tumbled out, unprotected.

You know the consequences of insubordination. Think of how painful it would be for your little
human pet.

"Get out," Edward seethed, his voice deadly, "now."

She felt his thoughts shift, rush towards the dagger that he kept on his back and she placed her
hand on his thigh, calming him.

No. Not yet.

His thoughts loosened slightly, as she felt him comply. Her head was starting to feel heavy,
strained by the thousand thoughts other than her own that passed through it. The threat had been
neutralized and she was slowly slipping out of their synchrony. With increasing urgency, her

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body and mind were starting to work against her, as her werewolf protections rebelled against his
vampire nature.

Well played, Edward.

Through the haze, she heard the thought clearly but couldn't see be certain whose it was. Her
head swung to Felix, the dark, brooding one, but he wasn't even looking at them.

"Forgive him, Aro," she heard Esme intervene smoothly, obscuring the other mindvoice,
"emotions can run high when young love is threatened."

"Esme," Aro turned to her, "One can hardly excuse Edward as young."

"Nevertheless," Esme continued, stepping into the game of diplomacy "you will have to forgive
us if, starting at this moment, we will not be appearing at the courts of Volterra. Not once, not
ever. It has come to the point that Carlisle and I are no longer willing to forgive and forget
should something unpleasant befall our youngest daughter or any of our children. We are
withdrawing all of them from your responsibilities, Aro. Everyone, including the guardians. We
must beg you to remove us all from you concerns, place us beyond your protection. Allow us to
live in peace outside your jurisdiction. We have had decades between us and we thank you for
everything that you have afforded us. Rest assured that we will look back on all those years
wisely"

"I see," Aro replied calmly, immediately grasping what she was really saying under what she
passed as maternal devotion, "You must realize that despite being released from active duty,
Edward and both Cullen lieutenants remain part of the Volturi. They can not be withdrawn nor
their obligations dismissed that easily. Any action they make against it shall be construed as
mutiny. The Volturi looks upon the entire vampire society as one and does not tolerate division."

"We only seek peace and absolution but you can call it what you wish. We offer no threat to you
but if you come after us...," Esme let her words hang and a challenge was issued.

"Very well," Aro answered after brief deliberation. "I will give you time to reconsider. Edward,
come to Volterra. If not, then we shall see."

He turned to his lieutenants who until that point only observed the proceedings impassively.

"In the name of the entire Volturi, I bid you farewell. Until then..."

He turned on his heels and walked away with unhurried grace, the other three following quietly.
They took no shame in their defeat from the hands of a fellow guardian. All of them knew that
they would be seeing each other, standing in opposite sides on another day. They filed out of the
door, one after the other, and disappeared into the night. Leaving no disturbance in their wake, as
if they had never passed or had never even been there.

144
"I think I need to lie down for a while," she said, mindful that the other vampires could still hear
her. Carlisle motioned for Edward to bring her closer while the others stood still, careful not to
upset the balance and warn the departing vampires that everything was not in order.

"I'll go check the perimeter," Jasper announced, going out to ensure that their unwanted guests
were nowhere near.

Here it comes, she thought faintly. The dreaded aftermath. She heard a shuffle and she was made
to lie down on something. The sofa, her fingers glided over it. She closed her eyes as she felt the
first symptoms of her physical breakdown. She had worked her heart beyond what it was capable
of and burned energy too fast. She was allowed to have heart attacks, she was only human. She
remembered, vaguely, Carlisle telling her that it took her three days to recover from her first one.
She hoped the good doctor, now father, would be able to pull her through with another miracle.

"Edward, get away from her. Rosalie, get me my medical bag. Everyone, clear the room."

She heard muffled sounds, vampire frequencies she could no longer follow. Poking, shuffling,
hands. Testing. Something broke against her skin. Everything started to slow down, become a
blur.

"What's going on, Carlisle?" His voice was low and stressed and she could detect the strain of
rising panic. "Why is she not responding?"

" I can't get anything into her. Her skin's getting vampiric but her protections are still in place
and pushing her temperature higher."

"Goddamit." She heard him curse before something crashed. Glass. Something near her.

"We need to bring her temperature down first. Edward, get her into the water."

She was bundled tightly into a large cloth that constricted her shaking. A pair of arms lifted her
and she floated before she felt two feet hitting hard ground. Suddenly, she was running. The cold
air rushed into her ears, stinging her face, as she realized she was outside, propelled by a cool
and hard wall.

Where are we going? She wanted to ask the wall but her voice failed her. Something was
weighing on her chest, pushing deeper and deeper until she could almost feel her ribs cracking.
She tried to speak but she could only manage short, fast gasps. She closed her eyes. She was
tired, so tired suddenly and everything was fading anyway.

Stay with me.

She heard the command, direct and forceful. She realized that it was more a plea than an order.

The wall jumped again, plunging her into another kind of darkness. She found herself enveloped

145
in its warmth, the matter around her caressing her skin softly. Her arms moved upwards and she
felt her hair floating. She felt weightless, relaxed. Comfortable. Am I flying? She opened her eyes
after a while to the black inkiness and realized she wasn't.

She was drowning.

Bubbles of air escaped her mouth and nose and she tried to open her mouth to scream. The water
began to lose its warmth, transforming into nightmarish coldness. The cold pinpricks swiftly
became blocks of numbing ice. Weighing her down, dragging her into a watery grave.

Help. Help me.

She was suddenly pushed upwards by a pair of arms she hadn't noticed were around her. She
gasped as she broke through the surface, trying to fling out her own arms in panic.

Pain. Can you endure it?

She was laid down on the ground, her arms flung lifeless beside her, her hair spreading around
her. A thin, pointed needle pierced through her skin, just above her breast. Somebody was
stabbing her to get to her heart. Again and again. She braced herself to scream but she couldn't
make the words come out. Her mouth was frozen, her voice stuck somewhere in her gut. Stop,
please. Her cries came out empty, silent and she stared at the midnight sky above her with
helpless eyes until she heard a voice break through the darkness.

Saying her words, strained, begging.

Enough, Carlisle. Please, enough.

We need to sustain her heart, Edward.

She let the voice guide her and she opened her mouth to scream again, this time letting out a
sharp, piercing wail. Her body convulsed, and for a split second, her vision focused and she saw
him. The boy she wanted to see in her dreams. He was holding her, his face contorted in extreme
agony. She tried to speak to him, reassure him, but the world around her suddenly exploded into
swirling colors of pain. She was in another level, another dimension of suffering. A loud, beating
noise assaulted her ears. An irregular hacking sound became louder and she realized it was
coming from her.

Over the din, she could hear her heart beating. Slowly, faintly. Then faster and stronger. Racing
against time.

I'm alive, she exulted, coughing. Jesus Christ, I'm alive.

She gulped large amounts of air, straining her poor, recently-collapsed lungs.

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Slowly, breathe, slowly. The voice instructed and she complied.

She couldn't move, couldn't make a single sound come out of her mouth except for the harsh,
choking noises. Like a braying donkey, the thought came to her, unbidden, and she suddenly
wanted to laugh. In her darkest hour, she wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Get her back to the house," a voice full of relief came through her braying noises.

Then she was running again, propelled by something cold and wet this time. She felt the cold
envelop her from head to toe, pushing away the pain in her chest and the throbbing in her head.

"It's cold," she complained, shivering.

"I know, I know." The voice against her tried to sooth her. "I know."

She felt herself being laid down again, stripped and put into something warmer. The cold, wet
sensation disappeared, to be replaced with something soft and scented. Hands skimmed over her,
checking her pulses, her temperature. A thin needle was inserted into her wrist and she wondered
what happened to her shackle.

"Her fever's breaking. Rosalie, bring me the insulin."

She felt a thin stabbing again, this time on her arms and she reacted, remembering Jane.

"Hush, it's all right, my child. You're going to be all right."

Stay with me.

She couldn't see him but she could hear him clearly. She looked for him, noticing that she was
already in a room, in another bed.

"Edward?"

"I'm here." He appeared above her and she reached out to stop the trippy illusion from wavering.
Her hands were shaking so hard that her hold kept on slipping. He covered her hand with his,
moving closer.

"Edward Masen."

The boy who looked just like his mother. She spread her hand against his face – feeling his
cheekbones, his jaw, his full lips and patrician nose. His face was harsh with desperation but the
light of the room softened it. Somehow.

"Yes."

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He was looking at her with quiet apology but something else caught her attention. She tried to
focus harder. Something was off.

Topaz.

Topaz was wrong.

"Your mother's eyes were green."

He dropped his eyes, his brows furrowing, marring the marble smoothness of his face. She pulled
her hand away slightly and realized something as he caught it and brought it back to his lips.

She wasn't the one shaking.

"So were mine," he answered before pressing a trembling kiss on her fingers.

------------------

PS.

----

Next chapter, a little history, some background maybe. Just one more to go. Sorry, I meant one
more before the final chapter. :)

Chapter: 25

Has it been that long?

Thanks, everyone, for being so patient.

Rated V for violence and vampire sex.

To Maylin, who edits and loves. Hugs and cheers.

Chapter 25

A glimpse of the past and into the future

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----------

Topaz was wrong.

"Your mother's eyes were green."

He dropped his eyes, his brows furrowing, marring the marble smoothness of his face. She pulled
her hand away slightly and realized something as he caught it and brought it back to his lips.

She wasn't the one shaking.

"So were mine," he answered before pressing a trembling kiss on her fingers.

------------

Edward sat on the floor with his back against the wall, looking pensively at the girl who lay
motionless on the bed. Machines sounded out her mortality and one in particular held his
attention. The dull but rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was loud to his ears, reminding him
just how human she was. He stared at the machine, mesmerized by the leaps that marred the dark
screen. The others had given him a wide berth, giving him the room to brood as his violence
gave way to quiet shock.

"You should change your clothes, you're dripping on the carpet," Carlisle's calm voice jarred the
rhythm as he entered the room.

Edward gave no acknowledgement of his presence so the doctor walked past him, focusing his
attention on his patient instead. Carlisle made his movements calm and collected, noting precise
observations in his head as he knew Edward followed his thoughts -- blood pressure normal,
cardiovascular activity normal, no indication of possible infections, no apparent
cerebrovascular haematomas, microcirculation normal, breathing just fine.

Extraordinary, his methodical brain noted as it careened off track and began to consider the
possible benefits of venom to the human body. Perhaps...if released over time and in small
doses.

He stopped, interrupting himself, as he remembered he was not alone with the girl and turned his
attention to the vampire on the floor.

"She's doing fine," he said out loud as he started to turn off the machines that surrounded the bed.
He pulled needles from her veins, pressing on the small punctures to stop the blood from flowing
out.

The heart monitor stopped and for a moment, Edward was seized with an irrational panic of her
dying before the sound of her breathing became apparent.

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"I was worried about the clot on the right side of her brain but the venom appears to have
dissolved it. Amazing how the human body can adapt to anything."

Silence greeted his words and Carlisle shook his head a little when he noticed Edward's gaze
remained transfixed on the wall across from him.

"Don't beat yourself up over it," he said. "There was nothing you could've done about it. She
knew she'd be in pain, we'd been well prepared for it."

"You should have let her die," came the cold, toneless reply.

"If she died, you would die and before that happens, I would turn her myself. But neither you nor
I can transform her. Not just yet. If we turn her now, she might lose not only her protections, but
also her abilities. If she loses them..."

"Everything slides back to where it was," Edward finished.

"She's aware of that fact," Carlisle said as he pulled out a chart and started jotting notes on it, "as
with the other consequences. This was how you planned it, Edward."

"I asked her to reconsider."

"You did?" Carlisle turned to face him, surprised that he would even think about it. Edward
rarely backed out of his own plans.

"She was insulted."

Carlisle shook his head slightly and turned back to jotting his notes. "You drag her entire wolf
family across state borders, train her under inhuman conditions, stretch her abilities before she's
even ready -- only to ask her to run at the last minute? I suppose she'd feel a bit slighted."

"I didn't make the offer to dissuade her," Edward clarified, "I asked her to ensure her tenacity."

Carlisle turned to face him as the other leveled an even stare at him, daring him to call him on his
deceit.

"You know I haven't always approved of your methods," Carlisle answered, sitting on the bed
closest to him, "but you rarely do things without a purpose, as murky as your intentions may
seem at times."

"My intentions are entirely self-serving," he stated simply. "I want to take out Aro for the wrongs
he has done to us, I want to ensure that he will never have the chance to interfere with my
existence again, and I am willing to condemn everyone with me to that end. You realize that no
plan is foolproof -- that all battles are two-sided and no amount of preparation can ensure
absolute victory."

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"As you've assured us several times," Carlisle gave him a tight smile. "We are all prepared to
make sacrifices."

"How far are you willing to go this time, Carlisle?"

Carlisle looked at him for a long time, gauging his mood.

"As far as you need us to go," he answered quietly, "I've always trusted you, Edward, to make
decisions that I'm too weak to make."

"You shouldn't."

"I know I've asked too much of you. I gave you the burden of deciding who lives and who dies,"
he said.

"And all of them die," Edward laughed mirthlessly, "by my own hand, no less. Starting with
Claudia, Esme's very own daughter."

"Claudia was a mistake. Esme shouldn't have turned her."

"And I shouldn't have killed her either," Edward answered. "A child condemned to immortality
and made to pay for it like it was her own doing."

"We tried to hide her," Carlisle answered. "For Esme's sake. I should've known it would end up
in a disaster. But I was too arrogant. I thought I could deceive the entire Volturi, keep her a
secret just as Tanya and her mother kept Vasilii a secret. It was well within Aro's authority to
have both Claudia and Esme destroyed when he found out. If you hadn't destroyed her, I
would've lost them both."

"Aro ordered Esme destroyed because he knew it was a way to coerce your loyalty, not to
enforce some ancient rule as they wanted us to believe," Edward answered. "He wanted you to
challenge him so he could defeat you. He would have killed them both either way."

"I almost did," Carlisle said. "Or have you forgotten? I almost challenged him, like Marcus
challenged him over Didyme centuries ago. If Aro would destroy his own sister to preserve
power, how could I expect that he'd show mercy to Esme? But I was blind with fear of losing
everyone and it would've been so easy for him to overpower us. We were outnumbered,
unprepared and if you hadn't intervened --"

"If you call my murdering Claudia in front of the court an intervention," he interrupted. "She had
no idea what was going on. We never even told her that her existence was an abomination."

"It was either her or everyone," Carlisle answered. "Aro left us very little room for maneuver and
if you had not proven yourself able and willing to carry out his instructions, I would've

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challenged him and we wouldn't have made it out of Volterra. You had no choice."

"There's always a choice," Edward answered firmly, "I chose to eliminate Claudia because she
was the weakest among us. And since then, I have made choices for the sole reason of
consolidating my position. Our fight with Aro may have been started to preserve our existence
but it ceased to be that fight a long time ago. I remained with Aro to further my own designs. No
one survives the Volturi without blood on their hands. I have killed hundreds of our kind, dozens
of guards among them, to get to where I am. There is a difference between fighting for survival
and fighting to preserve pride. You shouldn't have trusted me, Carlisle. You should have cut me
off a long time ago."

"That may be so," Carlisle answered him immediately, "but I'm at fault as much as you are. You
seek revenge on my behalf, to avenge all that has been done against us. I am aware of the horrors
that you've been through and those that you have created yourself, but I've been too cowardly to
help you transcend them. I've been remiss in my duties to you."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Edward answered, throwing his words back at him. "Even Felix,
who taught me everything, gave up trying to justify my crimes. I stopped looking for redemption
a long time ago."

"You don't need redeeming," Carlisle answered softly. "Redemption is for those who hold
themselves above the rules that govern everyone else. You're not one of them. What you need is
someone who will walk through the shadows with you, someone who can breach the limits and
pull you through your darkest hours. You've found her. No matter how many times she's been at
the brink, she comes back unchanged and unscathed by the things that would have broken any
other creature. I've never met a human as fearless as she is, one who lives as tenaciously as she
does."

"And I feed her to the lions precisely because of it," he said and Carlisle looked at him in
surprise.

"She's not Claudia, Edward. She's not weak. You're not betraying her and this time I will be right
behind you. You're not doing this by yourself. If you want me to sit in the Volturi to ensure her
protection, I will. If you see the need to be released not only from your duties as a Guard but
even from your obligations to this coven to be with her then I will willingly agree even if that
means that I will never see you again. You don't have to justify your reasons to me or to anyone."

Except for the soft breathing and faint heartbeat, the room was silent. Carlisle stood from the bed
after a while, focusing his attention on Bella to keep himself from dwelling on the promises he'd
just made. He kept his thoughts on her condition but even so, he couldn't stop the sadness that
settled on him as he wondered why it was that the harder he worked to keep them all together,
the faster it seemed for everything to fall apart.

"Why do you always forgive me?" Edward asked and Carlisle faced him fully from across
Bella's bed.

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"Because you're Edward Cullen," he answered simply, "you're my son."

They fell silent again and Carlisle gathered his instruments, knowing that the conversation was
over.

"She'll make a formidable immortal. Maybe even more formidable than you." he said as he
prepared to go. "Maybe, when everything is said and done, she will find her place with us..."

He stopped himself, before he could say more of his wishful thinking.

"You can wake her in a while, if you want to go," he said as he turned to the door, "and I will see
you both when the time comes."

With that, he left the other vampire alone with his thoughts again.

Minutes passed before Edward unfolded himself from the floor and looked around the room.
Carlisle had set it up to approximate an operating room – machines around and above the
medical bed, cabinets with all the necessary supplies on one side, synthetic blood on the other.

Beside the bed, a table held a change of clothes, a reminder that time was indispensable and that
there were things that needed to be done. He had to admit that despite his misgivings, all the
pieces were falling into their places– including the sleeping girl who lay motionless on the bed.

I put her there, he thought, dropping her into a pond to create waves, not ripples.

He approached the bed and looked at her. She was pale, her hair spread over the pillow and he
flinched as an image of her beside the lake, broken and unbreathing, flashed through his mind.

"Isabella," he called, her immobility unsettling him. He reached out slowly to touch her cheek
and was reassured that she felt warm, her blood flowing under her skin. He'd panicked when he
realized she was slipping away from him. Stop, he remembered begging Carlisle clearly. Let us
be. It would've been so easy for him to end her suffering and at that moment, death and
immortality had appeared the same to him.

She'd chosen neither, preferring to fight herself back to the land of the living. Her heart had
beaten in response to his pleas – faint at first, then faster and stronger, as if running after
something, running after him. It had beaten so violently inside her chest then, that there was a
moment that he'd thought that the heart that had long been dead inside his chest had beaten in
synchrony as he held her against him.

Impossible, his rational mind had rebelled, but it had shaken him.

He remembered Jasper telling him, it seemed centuries ago, that whatever he was experiencing,
she would be going through. She would experience the same emotions, just more benign, as

153
she'd given and received the same emotions recently in her human life. She was alive, unlike him
– a creature who'd long been dead inside and out. And he needed her to remain human, alive and
strong, for the time being.

"Get up," he said softly, shaking her, "we need to go."

He pulled the sheet that covered her and shook her again, more firmly.

"What?" Bella came about slowly, groggy from whatever medication Carlisle had given her.

"Put these on," he said, pushing into her hands a pile of clothes. "We're leaving."

"Why? Where?" she made no sign of moving so he took the clothes from her and dressed her
himself -- throwing the shirt over her head, pulling the pants over her legs. He bundled her in a
dark overcoat before walking towards the windows and flinging them open.

"We need to go," he looked out to the mountains beyond the house, the vast expanse of land
covered in green and white.

"Now?"

"Yes, now." Edward scooped her, holding her just as he did earlier. Bella protested, wanting to
go back to sleep but her thoughts were weak and lethargic, so easy to ignore. He stepped up on
the sill of the large window and without looking back, dropped to the ground, fifteen feet below.
Bella cursed in her surprise but held on. He gave her no chance to speak as he moved with
inhuman speed towards the line of the trees. They entered the forest, going deeper, farther than
the times he'd purposely lost her during one of his "tests." It was only when they came to a dense
region that he set her down.

"Why are we here? I'm cold."

"Focus," he propped her against the nearest tree, his voice distant.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, clutching at his arm, ignoring his attempts to disassociate
himself.

"You need to feed. Stay here, wait for me."

"What?" Bella squeaked, gagging at the thought. "I'm not..."

...vampire enough.

He left before Bella could finish and she gaped at the space that he'd just vacated. Leaning
against the tree, she shivered at the sudden solitude. The bark felt rough on her back, the wind
cold on her clammy cheek. The venom inside her was rushing to repair the damage she'd

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sustained, her skin and flesh pulling and knitting itself. It's so fast, she observed, even faster than
the last time she'd "died.". She wondered if she should have been more fearful than she'd been, if
she should've placed more value on her own life and stopped herself from rushing into
confrontations with the undead. But she knew Edward had been gauging her responses.

Everything was a test to him – her abilities, her willingness, her consent, her loyalties. He
would've picked up on her fears as he'd been able to pick up on her slightest hesitation. It had
been one of the lessons he'd pounded into her again and again.

Do not let your fear dictate your actions. When you dodge, you're afraid of getting hit, when you
attack, you're afraid of hitting someone. However slight your fear may be, it will slow down your
movements. When you dodge, think "I will not let them cut me," when you attack, do so with the
sole purpose of killing. When you are called to protect, do not be afraid of dying. Your only
thought should be that you will not let them die.

She'd done it, Bella realized. She'd laid the bait, confounded an ancient enough to make him take
on a challenge. She'd caught on to Aro's suspicions that she could do more and that Edward was
helping her in some way but he couldn't be sure. Maybe he'd bring Marcus with him to determine
the exact nature of their relationship. Maybe not. Still so many unknowns but there was one thing
of which she was certain – she was in her place. It was in her power to shape events and the lives
of others. The thought bolstered her hope that one day, she'd be able to take control of her own
life again.

Congratulations, Edward, she thought to him, your plan seems to be working, in ways even you
didn't imagine. But he didn't answer so she searched for him. She found him a few miles
upstream and she slipped into his mind without checking. It was only when she was looking
down, seeing with his eyes that she saw what he was looking at. Below him, a large wolf feasted
on a carcass of a newly slain deer. His thoughts were cool and calm, almost amused, eager for
his prey. She could feel his thirst and her world tilted. Inside her, a pressure rose, building up in a
matter of seconds. She waited for it to burst from inside her, readied herself for a dry heave. But
instead of pushing through her throat, the pressure travelled through her veins, running to the tips
of her toes and fingers and she started to shake. It grew stronger, making her feel lightheaded,
almost nauseous. She was growing thirsty, the familiar sensation overcoming her and this time,
she knew it was not for water. The thought was foreign and it disgusted her. Bella remembered
Alice's words a long time ago – the first taste of blood begins the frenzy and it becomes almost
impossible to stop.

Before the vampire could sense her fully, Bella withdrew. She hadn't forgotten what he was but
she didn't need such a stark reminder. She wasn't naïve enough to think that a single
demonstration of mutual protection, as prophetic as it might've been, would resolve their inner
battles. Their bond didn't negate who they were.

She grabbed the trunk behind her, fighting the urge to run blindly. Around her, the trees stood
close to each other in seeming conspiracy, shrouding her in darkness. In the distance, she could
hear the rumble of the river. Gauging the distance, she plotted her location. She might not be

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different from the creatures around her at that moment as she'd been taught how to evade an
attacker by the most dangerous predator of all.

If she could just reach the cabin, she thought, she'd be in more familiar grounds. She'd have
water, she could ask Carlisle for a transfusion, or Jasper. Anything, except deal with the hunter a
few miles upstream.

Carefully making her way through the trees, she started in the direction that she could hear the
river. She hadn't made it far when she felt someone watching her, following her moves.

Knowing better than to hurry, she proceeded at a steady pace. At the first blind turn, she turned
sharply, darting into a denser direction and cloaked herself midstep. Laughter seemed to echo
around her as she pressed herself against a tree, fully cloaked.

Invisible in the darkness, she could feel him move away. It was only when she was sure that she
was alone that she forced herself to move on. She continued her way towards the bank, the rapids
growing louder as she neared the river.

The cabin came into her view minutes later and she braved the wind to cross the valley to get to
it. The wind stung her skin, her clothes ineffective against it. Flinging the door open, she
stumbled inside in relief and fumbled in the darkness towards her space.

"You did well." The voice came from her left and she stilled, fighting the urge to run in the
opposite direction.

"Will we always be this way?" she had asked him once, tired of her kneejerk reactions, wanting
to trust him even when all her senses told her to run.

"For now, yes," he'd answered.

"Why? You can't kill me."

He'd looked at her evenly, his eyes without expression.

"Because everytime I look at you," Edward had answered. "I think about how the last drop of
your blood would taste."

She could smell fresh blood on his skin, sense his predatory instincts close to the surface. His
mind was filled with a jumble of images from the kill, the frenzy of feeding, the euphoria, the
satisfaction. Behind the images, she caught a glimpse of herself and his thrill of having her near
when he killed. He'd been distracted at her abrupt departure and his surprise had given way to
disappointment. He wanted her to hunt with him, see him for what he really was and she'd
reacted with horror and revulsion.

Edward stood up and began taking off his coat in clean, controlled movements – a sign of anger

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– and the apology died in her throat.

"You left," the words were spoken softly but the rebuke was clear.

She moved, careful not to make any sudden movement as he inched closer. A silhouette in the
dark, waiting for the right moment to pounce. She edged closer to the small kitchen, putting the
small table between them.

"I am trying to give you what you need," he stated, his tone hard. He'd wanted her to watch him,
feel his thirst and gratification because it might trigger her own.

"I can't," she answered, her mouth dry. "I'm not like you. I can't drink from a wolf."

His eyes narrowed slightly before the frown that had marred his features smoothed as realization
set in.

"A wolf?" he laughed, low and dangerous. "Why should you feed from a wolf when feeding
from me would be much more palatable?"

He inched closer to her, making no sound as he stalked towards her.

"Not to mention, more pleasurable," he said before swiping the table that acted as a puny barrier.
The sound of wood crashing against the wall jolted her from passivity, raising her hackles. But
before Bella could move, he was in front of her, pushing her against the wall with his hand on
her throat. His expression was calm and he gave her an indulgent, almost amused, smile.

"There is another way," his grip on her tightened. "Fight me."

She held on to his arms as she choked but she knew better than to beg him to release her. Instead,
she gathered her shield around her and with a forceful push, sent him flying to the other side of
the cabin. Dropping to a defensive crouch, she peered into the darkness, trying to locate him.

"Excellent," he purred, and she could hear him crack his neck as he picked himself up from the
floor. "I would not advise you to play with your food, but we can make this an exception."

Her eyes flashed at his cool tone and Bella braced herself for his next move. He tended to be
more tricky and treacherous when he was amused and she forced herself to hear better, see
better, sense him better. They'd played this game before, thinly disguised as part of her training –
the prey and the predator.

"I must remind you that you are weak and the first sign of your heart faltering, we stop this," he
spoke from nowhere, moving with inhuman speed and a stealth that could put her cloak to
shame. Focus, she could hear him instruct her in her mind. A disturbance in the air to her right,
so slight that nothing moved, was all she needed to pinpoint where he was. She shifted her
weight and before he could move away, she lunged and grabbed him, sending him crashing

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towards the kitchen.

A chair splintered as he crashed into it and it was a few moments before she heard something. A
low, rumbling sound emanated from the darkness and she swallowed thickly. The bastard was
laughing, the sound smooth and lascivious, sending tremors all over her skin.

"This is why I wanted to do this outside. We have too little furniture as it is."

She was painfully aware of him as his presence filled the small cabin. His scent and his voice
snaked around her and it was as if she was touching him, feeling his muscles flex at her
fingertips. He was seducing her, pushing her to heighten her senses and she was powerless
against it as the vampire within her strained against her human instincts.

"Is that all you've got, little girl?" he taunted as he appeared and reappeared around her. It took
her several seconds until she could follow his movements. He was edging from behind her, and
she bided her time, waiting until he was near enough.

"Do you want it, my pet?" he crooned directly into her ear and she spun around, twisting her
body with his, slamming him to the floor so that he knelt with his back to her. He turned to look
at her coolly, noting how her breasts heaved with each harsh breath, her eyes hard as she glared
at him for no reason. She bared her teeth, ready to attack him.

At other times, this would be the point when he would order her to release him or if their
positions were reversed, he would loosen his hold on her gently and help her to her feet. It was
one of his "tests," as he tried to catch a glimpse of her transformed and see how far she'd follow
his orders.

Other times, Edward would bring her back to her human senses with a sharp command or a
forceful, often painful, comeback.

But they both knew this time was different. It was the last night they would spend together
before the fight. Bella would be joining Seth and Leah on the other side of the river to pick up on
where she left with her pack training and they would not see each other until the confrontation.
She needed uninterrupted time with the wolves to strengthen her shield, and Jasper and Alice
needed him to strengthen their defenses.

Turning his head away, he stared straight ahead as he shrugged from her hold to remove his shirt.
He lowered his head as he sat on his heels in a gesture of surrender and told her matter-of-factly
to take what she needed.

"Now!" He barked the order when she hesitated and it incensed her. She resented how he ordered
her around when she balanced herself precariously between being human and vampire, when she
couldn't decide for herself what she was. She wanted to kick him even if he was already on the
floor but the thirst was overwhelming her, gnawing at her.

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Don't hesitate.

She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him from behind. With a snarl, she sank
her teeth deep into his offered flesh and he grunted his surprise at her aggression. His blood
flowed effortlessly into her mouth and she sucked hungrily, angry at how he could play her so
easily. He held himself still, allowing her complete control. She drank long and hard to spite him
and it was only when she felt him slacken against her that she pushed him, face-down, to the
floor.

He rolled to his back weakly and stared at the red-eyed girl looking down at him with cool
disdain. Her hair was wild, her clothes askew. Blood was on her mouth, smeared across her lips.
His blood, he thought with satisfaction, and observed that she was breathing calmly, slowly. As
if she didn't need to, Edward noted, and his lips slowly curled into a smile.

"Hello, Isabella." It was her – the vampire that she would become, temporarily overshadowing
the timid, conflicted human girl that he'd trained and primed.

A raised eyebrow was all he got and he pulled himself up from the floor when it became
apparent that she had no intention of helping him.

"I trust you found my blood to your satisfaction."

The girl walked away, ignoring him, and his eyes followed her as she moved with languid,
sensual grace.

"You have your uses, vampire," the verdict was delivered flatly but the musical undertones were
clear.

Such belligerence, he thought as he gazed at her with fascination, realizing right then that she
would be merciless when she finally turned. The physical changes were negligible, imperceptible
to human eyes. He'd always seen her as magnificent beyond compare and the girl in front of him
was no different. What was starkly different was the way she held herself – confident, fearless.
She radiated raw power, her strength belied only by her delicate features and small form.

Beautiful, headstrong and deadly, he thought, his body tightening in excitement despite his
massive blood loss.

"You do realize you took too much," he made his way to her slowly.

"You offered."

"You will have to let me feed."

"Why should I?" she asked in bored tones as he stepped in front of her.

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"Surely you would not be that cruel to your mate," he leaned towards her to take in her scent.
Human, but slightly different.

"We're not mates," she snapped as she moved back and he followed her with unsteady steps.

"We will be, when you turn fully," he grabbed her shoulders to steady himself and pushed her
back, step by step, until she hit the kitchen counters. He let his hands drop from her shoulders to
her breasts, deliberately crushing them over her clothing before taking a fistful of her coat and
hoisting her up the counters. She offered no resistance but turned her head away when he leaned
forward.

"The bond assures us of mutual protection, nothing else," she said.

"So you will have to make a decision beyond it, as I have," he stated calmly and she let out a
derisive laugh.

"You made a decision to protect a helpless, gutless human girl and in your spare time, you screw
with her mind and fuck her," she said and he winced at her crude choice of words.

"Do you really believe that?" he murmured, sounding regretful for a moment. But then he
shifted, leaning in close again, and pressed kisses to the hollow of her throat. "I may be a little
slow right now but if you run, I will hunt you down. Understood?"

"Why would I, when you ask so nicely?" she said before twisting away to escape his mouth
when he tried to kiss her.

"May I drink your blood, please?" he mocked softly against her skin as his hands moved under
her coat, ripping her shirt. She slapped his hands away, cursing him as he methodically stripped
her. She was surprised when instead of the fast and thoughtless assault she expected, he suddenly
wrapped his arms around her in a crushing embrace. Burrowing his nose into the crook of her
neck, he spread his hands over her naked skin as he held her tightly to him, breathing in her
scent. She returned the gesture after a while, snaking her arms around him, greeting him in
return. For long moments they stayed locked in the position, until she realized what he was
waiting for.

"Get on with it," she sighed with slight exasperation, "before I change my mind."

A hand reached up to cup her face, disarming her with a strange gentleness, and she swore she'd
kick him if he got rough again. He took a handful of her hair in his hand and pulled slowly,
arching her back. His lips touched her throat, her collarbones and he slid down slowly until his
mouth reached her breasts. She stayed still as he lavished her breasts with attention, nipping on
her skin, sucking gently on her nipples. She let herself feel, losing herself in the sensations he
was evoking and she was unprepared when he sank his teeth suddenly, groaning as her blood hit
his tongue.

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She ground her teeth and ignored the pain, concentrating instead on the unexpected pleasure of
his suckling. She threaded her fingers through his hair as her legs went around his waist and she
curled her body to give him the fullness of her breasts. A rumble rose from deep within him and
his body trembled as he strained against his own need to suckle harder. A hand was on her other
breast, kneading and pulling, preparing it for his mouth. He switched and she groaned as his
teeth sank into her warm, soft flesh.

Drink, she urged him, revelling in the feel of his body, hard and lean, against hers. His skin
began to lose its pale and lifeless hue as her blood filled him and his body began to grow warm
and soft under her touch. She didn't stop him even when she began to feel dizzy and it was he
who pulled away reluctantly, murmuring drunken apologies.

He released her hair, his mouth travelling down to her stomach, to the waistband of her pants. He
stopped long enough to discard what remained of his clothing and hers before moving again.
Without breaking momentum, he slid down on her, spreading her thighs wider and kneeling
between them, dipping his head – and moaned when he first tasted her. She shivered at the
sound, concentrating on how his mouth felt on her. His tongue was agile as he started licking her,
his strokes focused. She curled her fingers tight into his hair and held on, answering his grunts
with her own moans.

"Oh god," she whispered, before she could stop herself and when she looked down she could see
his shoulders flexing -- and she knew what it meant, what he was doing. A tingle started from her
toes, spread through her legs and he pressed his tongue against her, licking her with strong,
focused strokes. And when he nipped her just a little, she came, making a long, needy moan
forced through clenched teeth as she trembled from the intensity of the sensation.

She was still gasping for breath, her limbs weak when he lifted his head and grabbed her hips.
Positioning in front of her, he pushed himself inside her, gnashing his teeth as he forced himself
to go slow. She could feel his muscles strain under his skin and his hands gripped her painfully
before he started to move in careful, deliberate strokes. He was trembling, quivering like a tightly
strung bow, and she was struck with the realization of how much he was holding back. His entire
body was demanding that he seize her, to crush her against him, to pound into her until they both
screamed their release…but instead, he was controlling himself, willing himself to proceed at a
more sedate, human pace. She became aware that she was being restrained when she tried to
squirm, wanting more. One arm was wrapped tightly around her hips, and the other was angled
across her upper back, a hand cupping her shoulder. He wouldn't heed her even if she begged
him as he was so focused on restraining them both. But she knew exactly how to push him to
break his own limits.

She sank her teeth into his throat, vaguely hearing his surprised snarl as his blood once again
surged inside her.

"Stand down!" His voice rumbled through her before she felt a hand gripping her hair before she
felt herself being yanked from him. She looked at him through the lust-fueled haze, noting his
bloodshot eyes, his fury and frustration apparent by the way he held himself stiffly.

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Is that all you've got, vampire? She taunted him silently.

Growling, he started to move again, thrusting faster, in a rhythm she expected from him and it
was almost a relief to feel him start to lose control. His strokes came quicker, harder, deeper.
Each thrust brought a different sensation and she couldn't control the sounds that came from her
throat. Her body started to shake as she neared another climax and she let go, let herself fall into
the abyss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and put her hands around his shoulders but he
pushed her away, pounding into her in faster, deeper strokes until she was shaking again. She
tried to twist away to catch her breath, but his hands only held her hips tighter, his fingers
digging into her skin.

"Wait," she panted, "I can't..." stand another... so soon...but he only snarled at her before
clamping his teeth on her neck. She screamed, her human body almost breaking from the brutal
pleasure. She clung to him, helpless against the waves of sensations his body was giving her as
he slammed into her with barely restrained violence, remorseless in his aggression. Glasses,
plates, things within her reach dropped and crashed to the floor around them and she wished
suddenly for something, anything, to break so she could break his rhythm.

Be careful what you wish for...the thought streaked through her mind just before a guttural sound
rose from his throat and then he was coming, his body shaking and twitching as he erupted inside
her. She gripped him tightly to keep herself together as the intensity of his release began to tear
her apart. The pleasure it gave her was was too sharp, too much for her to bear and she let herself
fall into him completely as he claimed her for himself, binding them even closer than before.
Surrendering control of her voice, her limbs, her senses, she floated between consciousness and
oblivion, only vaguely aware that the storm had passed when she felt gentle hands stroking her
back.

"That's it," he murmured to her raggedly as she continued to shake minutes later, smoothing her
hair from her face, "that's it, sweetheart."

They'd fallen from the counter to the floor, his back against the shelves while she slumped
against him. Limp and completely spent, her muscles twitched involuntarily as she tried to
control the aftershocks of her orgasms. She could feel him shaking, his body overwhelmed by his
own climax as he held her close. They stayed on the floor, sprawled gracelessly, and it was only
when she shifted that she felt the sting and the pain he'd dealt her with his body.

"Try not to move."

Even in the dark, he could see the numerous marks he'd left on her. Bitemarks on her throat and
breasts, various imprints of his hands on her skin. Even when her instincts alleviated her into her
vampire state, her frail human body would only be able to barely withstand a frantic vampire
mating. He started to murmur something soothing to her, something close to an apology, but she
stopped him before he could get the words out.

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"Don't," she said weakly. Don't say anything.

"Are you cold?" he asked her instead and she turned to look at him. Gone were the harsh planes
on his face, the hard glint from his eyes. In their place was a certain sadness for things she wasn't
ready to hear.

He picked her coat, discarded nearby, and wrapped her with it before settling her on his lap. She
shifted so she could rest her head on his shoulders and wound her arms around his waist. His
skin was beginning to lose its warmth and it wouldn't be long before his body would be hard and
cold to her touch again.

Pulling her closer, Edward felt a strange condition creep up on him. His body began to slacken,
pushing him into a state of forced relaxation. His mind began to wander, his thoughts aimless
and without direction. He closed his eyes, unable to fight the lethargy.

"Don't leave," he murmured against her hair, suddenly too weak to do anything else. "Please."

Bella could sense him drift into temporary suspension, as his mind and body absorbed the
exhaustion that she felt.

"I'll stay as long as I can," she promised him but he didn't hear her.

Leah and Seth would just have to wait for her for a few more hours. She could already sense
them across the river, wondering why she hadn't come out yet, bounding from the door to escape
the clutches of the crazy vampire who imprisoned her. She could hear them call for her faintly,
curiously, but she didn't move, didn't dare jostle him. It may be the last chance they had together.
The next time they saw each other would be in the battle that will seal their future.

They'd live or die.

Does it matter? she'd asked him once.

No.

His answer had been immediate and firm, lending it a certain finality.

Where you go, I will go, he'd told her then.

She remembered his words the night he told her his plans for her, for them both. The night they
fled Forks to come to Alaska to challenge their fate.

"I know that you see our bond as a harsh cord that binds you to me and even if I allow you to
separate from me, it will only make a new knot to bind you closer. We can't escape it and I have
no wish to do so.

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 I don't expect you to forget how we came to be. But would it be so unbelievable if I said that I
could look upon you as more than prey or a means to an end? And would it be so difficult for you
to look past the predator who hungered for your blood?"

It was harder than she thought. To be with him, she not only had to fight him, she had to fight
herself. But she knew, as he did, that there was no other way. Everything that had happened
carried her to him and everything would exist if she was with him. They were entwined
irrevocably – so close that she could feel herself breathe inside him, so close that her eyes closed
when he fell asleep.

----

Just one more to go. And maybe an epi.

To all who've followed this story up to this point, thank you for reading and your kind reviews.

Chapter: 26

To Maylin, who willingly suffers through my wonky grammar;

Marilag, Jo(cullenitis), (sleepy)Jo, Andi and Sharon;

to everyone who stuck with me between loooong updates;

a heartfelt thank you as we part ways.

Send me something – a smiley, a hola, a thnxbai,

Till then...

Chapter 26

Full Circle

"You seem nervous," Jasper told Edward with easy calm and the other glanced at him sharply.

They were standing on a hill overlooking the cabin, watching the wide expanse of snow in the
small valley below. From afar, they looked like dark statues, veiled by a thin mist of snow. The
sun was high above them, dissolving the morning chill but neither paid attention. Their senses
were tuned to what was happening several miles away.

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"Hardly," Edward answered, feeling more disrupted than nervous but he wasn't in the mood to
correct Jasper. "They can't fight what they can't see."

"You said Aro suspected something when Bella faded for a second."

"He'd hardly base his plans on suspicions."

"No, but he'd be ready for it. Bella seemed sure that Aro didn't suspect the involvement of the La
Push pack."

"If he did, the entire Volturi army will be here."

"I wonder why he didn't bring Marcus," Jasper thought out loud. "Alice saw them getting off the
plane. Just him, Cauis, the twins, Demetri and Felix. The rest came in yesterday on different
flights, all thinly shielded. Alice counted twenty but she couldn't be too sure."

"He would have disagreed with Aro."

Edward seemed too sure and Jasper threw him a questioning glance.

"We can handle him later." Edward continued, ignoring the unspoken question, "did you remind
Alice to check the northern perimeter?"

"She'd be coming from there. Her vision stopped here, the moment we see them," Jasper said,
"anytime now."

From the center of the earth, they heard a distinct rumbling. Jasper liked them, called them
rolling thunder. It ran through their legs and vibrated into their bodies but both showed no signs
of surprise. A bomb going off held no wonder for them. They knew that it would not only upset
the snow, it would blow everything near it into little pieces. Another one shook the ground... and
then another. The bombs broke cleanly at a comfortable distance and frail grey smoke rose
before their heightened senses caught the smell of dead flesh burning. The bombs would tear at
the limbs of any vampire, burn the trees that happened to stand nearby and litter the pristine
snow with charred and pitted limbs.

Snow from the nearest slope would cover those who were fortunate enough to be blown into
eternal rest immediately. But there would be those who would withstand the explosions as
Volturi guards were notoriously hard to destroy. The instinct to survive was deeply instilled in
them and the only way to ensure destruction was through decapitation. In case one or two had the
misfortune to survive, he had Emmett and Rosalie stand watch nearby. His instructions to them
were clear -- take no prisoners. He'd always been kind enough to kill his enemies in battle,
saving them from the humiliation of captivity.

He heard Jasper do a countdown in his mind, giddy with anticipation. Between them, Jasper has

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always been more bloodthirsty. Brutality and gore came naturally to him. It brought him a
certain level of release, a calmness – to be able to let murderous intent flow through him and
throw it back against the offender.

Reap your intentions. Preemptive justice.

Edward felt nothing when he killed, and only grim satisfaction after. Killing was nothing more
than a means to him, his targets as mere obstacles to a higher goal. He never let himself think too
much about his targets lest his mind entered into patterns of morbid sensitivity and perpetual
mourning. Too much death and destruction had been stored into his brain, encoded over his skin
and carried over his blood.

Until now, he thought. Such an inconvenience. He knew he'd feel remorse because Bella would.
He'd feel her guilt and sympathy for the monsters who preyed on her kind.

The very same monsters who were inching into their territory, tracking her.

A gust of wind, too fast to register, ran through them and Alice was standing beside Jasper.

"Seven down. Target, fifth to the right," she said in rapid speech for Jasper's benefit. She'd
already mapped their positions on her mind while running, giving Edward an advance read. This
was how they worked, with minimal words and silence. "Demetri is heading north to northeast."

"And Alec?"

"Sixth down, fifteen meters behind Aro."

Edward listened passively, confident of Alice's precision and efficiency. Even before she
finished filling in Jasper, he'd let his mind run towards the river, across the rapids, beyond the
slopes and into the forest, probing for a link. For the first time in several days, he allowed
himself to search for Bella, and he let himself fly.

He hijacked the first mind he encountered and flinched as the wolf growled inwardly, as if
sensing his mental intrusion. Shapeshifters were hard to penetrate, but without inherent blocking
abilities similar to Bella's, they were a quick study. He looked for her through the wolf's eyes,
searching the creature's thoughts for a glimpse of her, of where she was. He left the mind,
skimming through the minds of the others, counting up to nine as he went.

There you are, he breathed when he found her through the eyes of her brother. She'd left him at
the break of dawn, giving him a few hours of sleep and the venom inside her enough time to
repair the damage he'd inflicted on her body. He'd watched her as she walked away from the
cabin then, straight to where Leah and Seth waited for her. He was glad that she didn't look back,
didn't see how it pained him to let her go.

He gazed at her, thankful that Seth stood near enough so he could see her clearly.

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She was dressed in the robes of her tribe, sitting astride another wolf – Leah, he recognized after
a quick mental scan. The sight was both abrupt and startling. The flowing, almost tangerine
velvet cloak enclosed her – hiding her hair, shadowing her face, flowing around her arms and
down to her ankles. Her small hands held on to her sister's fur, her cheeks flushed with the cold.
Just a little girl, dwarfed further by the massive creatures around her.

How small you are, he wondered to her, torn between staying with Seth where he could look at
her without upsetting her and stepping into the space where she shared part of her mind.

You're here, she called him as she heard him, drawing him in, taking away his choice. He felt her
mind welcome him, like a warm embrace, and for a brief moment, they stayed locked in mutual
relief before Alice's information filtered from his mind to hers.

She leaned forward to the wolf's ear and whispered something in a frequency that he didn't
understand. The wolves reaction was instantaneous as the information ran through their
ubiquitous connection.

He felt Bella's strength flow through the link, pushing him back, urging him to return to where he
was. She followed the path where he'd been just moments earlier – over the hills, across the river
and straight into where he stood waiting. He felt her touch Jasper and Alice, bathe them in a
whitish glow. The couple was blissfully unaware that a benevolent force was embracing them as
they stood going over details in soft, hushed tones. They faded together and he stood gazing at
the empty space, awed by the immense power that surrounded them. He felt her presence touch
him like a gentle, comfortable caress and he closed his eyes, allowing her to wrap him in her
soft, velvety cloak. She smiled against his skin, amused at his docility, and he wondered briefly
when she'd smile again.

When he opened his eyes, he could see Jasper and Alice but knew that nobody else could.

From down below, a swirl of white signaled the arrival of several creatures in the small valley.
The figures were cloaked in black and some lingered, twenty meters apart, like drops of tar in
freshly fallen snow.

Fifteen, Alice confirmed. Seventh from the left with the first line of defense, fifteen meters apart,
she repeated their positions. The intruders' eyes swept through the landscape, noting the bleak
landscape but not seeing the three dark figures who stood on top of the nearest hill, looking down
at them.

Edward could hear their confusion and questions as they took stock of their situation. The cabin
was empty, as was the valley. But Demetri had been sure. There was no outward sign of a trail
that led them to the cabin and the wide, open space was left without any defense. He could sense
the gears of their minds shift, assessing and replotting.

"It's a trap," he heard Felix say quietly.

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"The girl is across the river, I'm sure of it," Demetri said, "but Felix is right. Cullen is meticulous
and this has been far too easy. We need to retreat."

"Too late," Aro countered, "He already has us where he wants us. We might as well make the
most of it. Our way back needs cleaning. The path behind us is littered with mines and I suspect,
so are the sides. You might as well proceed, Demetri, while you are able. Felix, have the rest of
the guards clear the way back."

Demetri complied immediately, taking five of the guards with him. The rest watched them as
they crossed the river, conquering the rapids with easy grace. The other figures shuffled, several
heading for the nearby trees. Perimeter defense, the three vampires on the hill took note of their
positions. Several guards walked back in the direction they had come from. Reconnaisance and
bomb detonation, Edward thought. If the situation had been reversed, he would have done
exactly the same.

Only Felix, Caius, Aro, Alec and Jane were left in the valley, waiting for him.

Can you see them? He asked Bella through the link.

Barely. I can't read them.

It's all right. I can.

I can hold the shield completely but I have to pull down the cover over the pack so I can focus
on you when you go near them.

The shield is enough. Don't worry about me.

Edward could hear Bella disagree as he walked downhill, towards the intruders and stopped a
few feet away from Aro.

"Edward will show himself," Felix assured Aro, "he never strikes anyone from the back."

Never make assumptions, Edward thought with sudden calm, isn't that what you've always taught
me?

He turned slightly to give Jasper and Alice the signal to come down from the hill.

"Clear the perimeter. I don't want distractions." He spoke clearly but not one of the intruders
heard him as he was completely and thoroughly concealed by Bella's shield.

It didn't take long. Alice and Jasper's attack was as fast as it was silent. From the edge of the
forest, he heard a muffled sound and the red-eyed vampires all turned towards it just in time to
watch one of their guards dealt with by an unseen force. A short pause before another dropped to

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the ground. With morbid fascination, they watched as the head was separated from its body, cut
cleanly by an invisible sword.

"Enough, Edward," Felix addressed the thin air, his voice taking a hard edge. "I know you can
hear me, wherever you are. You already have complete control. Now show yourself."

Don't rush me.

The carnage around them continued. The guards fell one after another, limbs and flesh flying as
Jasper and Alice wielded their swords, visible only to Edward. Such medieval tools, he
conceded, for such powerful creatures. But modern weapons, save for claymore mines, didn't
work against vampires. Only the most brutal and violent forms did – the severing of the head, the
cutting of limbs and burning of the flesh. He watched his siblings move, graceful and stealthy,
dancing to a silent tune only they could hear. Search and destroy was more gestalt than tactic.
The important thing was that each leap, each swing found its target. No movement was wasted as
Jasper and Alice slashed and cut those tucked within the trees and he could hear Jasper sing his
satisfaction in his mind.

They're moving too fast, he heard Bella. It's getting too hard to follow.

Release me, he ordered, stay with them.

The warm velvet started to slide against his skin reluctantly and he suppressed the sudden urge to
beg her not to go. The air crackled slightly as she withdrew from him, drawing everyone's
attention to where he was.

Stay close.

Of course.

The wind swirled for a moment and he was suddenly in front of the intruders. Felix unsheathed
his sword but Aro stopped him, still confident of their abilities, and motioned for the other to put
his weapon away.

"Amazing, she can hide you," Aro spoke, looking at Edward with awe. "She impresses me more.
Is she here? Can I see her?"

"No." And you never will. The threat was rising and the connection was snapping them into
place. He could almost feel her power flow into him and he savored it, the taste of invicibility
strong. He tested the shield with his mind, reaching out to Jasper and Alice and was satisfied of
its strength.

"Even from afar," Aro looked towards the trees, "and not only you. How many is she able to
conceal? She's near...and getting stronger."

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No, she isn't, he wanted to correct him, her power is inside me. But he held his tongue, letting the
ancient have the satisfaction of reading his plans belatedly.

"An invisible army, invisible at least to us," Aro continued. "You have a force on the other side
of the river. Shapeshifters, I assume. Your coven has always been treacherously friendly with the
hideous creatures. I can see now, the godchild's great value to you."

Edward didn't answer him, not rising to the bait.

"It would also be correct to assume that my guards just walked into an ambush. You let our
enemies butcher your own kind, led them knowingly towards their own doom," Aro said. "Poor
Demetri. I thought you'd spare him as he was your friend."

"You forced my hand."

"Nobody forces you, Edward. It is who you are, and I have always seen that in you," Aro
laughed without mirth. "The word unpalatable does not exist for you and for that you have been
a great asset to the Volturi. You would use anything, eliminate anyone to get what you want. I
ask you, again, to reconsider this direction."

"You're hardly in the position to ask me anything."

"Indeed," Cauis intruded into the conversation, "so let me cut this short. What can we offer the
great Edward Cullen? Whatever it is, I am sure that it can be arranged."

"I want nothing from you."

"Not even eternal power?" Caius mocked him. "I find that hard to believe. You have always been
an ambitious, vengeful and manipulative bastard and that has always been the reason why we
have kept you close and your coven scattered."

"I said I want nothing from you," he said, glaring at Caius before turning to Felix. The other
wore a neutral expression, but a slight frown marred his brow. "But there is something I need
from you."

"What makes you think I have it or that I will give it you?" Felix answered, not bothering to look
at him.

Edward's lips curled into something that resembled a smile.

"Because you already have...Master."

Felix's face remained inscrutable, his eyes trained on the spot beyond the river.

"Do you have any idea what he's talking about, Felix?" Aro asked him.

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Felix turned, still slightly frowning,

"Unfortunately, Aro, I do," he sighed, facing him slowly. "My apologies for what I am about to
do."

Felix drew the sword from within his cloak again, weighing it with both hands. But instead of
stepping forward, he turned abruptly and brought the sword in front of Aro, swinging it as he
shifted towards the ancient's left. Five, ten, fifteen meters covered in less than a second. The
sword cut through the air, its angle turned downward and made contact with Alec's pale neck,
sending the vampire's head flying several meters away.

The move was so fast, so unexpected that it took another second before a thin, piercing wail
filled the air. Jane was beside Alec's body in a blur but it was too late for her to save him. Her
grief-filled thoughts exploded from within her like a strong gust of wind, blowing everything and
everyone within its path.

"Jane, stop." Aro ordered, as he and the others cowered while Jane's virulent thoughts swept the
entire valley. She was letting loose the most powerful of her thoughts before the fighting started
in earnest but the child vampire was beyond caring. All she saw was the headless twin, not half
of the most powerful vampire duo in existence. Without him, she was without anchor, without
control.

"Jane, enough!" Aro repeated the order but the other vampire merely shook her head, throwing
him a glance with unseeing eyes. A few moments more and she deflated visibly, the outburst
draining her. Edward knew it would take her a while before she could summon her will to inflict
pain. He felt no antagonism towards the two vampires, but both he and Felix knew that Alec was
the key to Aro's defense and he couldn't give him a chance to neutralize his or Bella's abilities.

Before Aro could stand, Edward was in front of him, gently pushing him to the ground with the
tip of his lance against his neck. Felix moved to stand beside him, facing Cauis, sword dripping
with Alec's blood against him. Edward could see Alice and Jasper make their way towards them,
and he knew that Jasper only needed to intensify Jane's grief within her to render her passive.

"This thing you need from me, I assume you meant opening the dungeons," Felix addressed him
as if their conversation was never interrupted. "I left instructions. Your lawless friends should be
wreaking havoc all over the city by now."

"Excellent," Edward smiled then, teeth gleaming brightly at the two vampires on the ground who
were listening to the bizarre conversation with dawning understanding. "I have to hand it to you,
Master. You convinced Marcus to go against Didyme's murderer. He wouldn't have missed this
little poaching expedition otherwise."

"You haven't shown interest in Volterra for a long time, Edward," Felix answered, "I was almost
afraid that you'd given up on your quest to put the Volturi to shame. But when you issued the

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challenge with the godchild, I knew then that you'd forgotten nothing. A Black Swan, an almost
perfect fit – like she was made for the sole purpose of serving your plans."

"Plans you helped me draw," Edward answered and Felix laughed.

"You are far too modest," he said. "No, Edward, this one's all on you. It was you, after all, who
found the perfect bait and played her allure against each ancient so effectively. Your refusal to
leave the godchild's side reminded Marcus of how he should have conducted himself when
Didyme challenged Aro."

"You want me to believe that he withdrew due to a romantic notion of retribution?" Edward
asked him.

"Not exactly, no," Felix laughed again. "Marcus was sceptical, but he had to admit, he had very
few choices. It was either agree to rule with us or perish like the others. It's brillliant, really, and
the results, so far, are astounding. He will put Volterra under martial rule, supposedly to control
the chaos your friends have unleashed. He will be the sole ruler of Volturi until the others return
or until you deliver them, in cuffs and cages. I'd always thought it was delusional, the whole idea
of playing one ancient against another, when you first came to me about it. "

"A little arm-twisting never hurt anyone," Edward turned to the other vampire nearest him.
"Terrifying, isn't it, Aro? To be betrayed so unexpectedly, so thoroughly. I'm not the only
ambitious and manipulative bastard you have in your stable. You shouldn't have let a bastard be
a master of another. They tend to grow doubly manipulative and slightly insane. But you couldn't
have guessed that your head guard, one who wields power over all of the Volturi guard divisions,
would seek the downfall of the order he so meticulously maintained, could you? One who had
been so loyal, you felt insulted when you even thought of testing his loyalties. But then, you can't
read minds without contact, can you? Unfortunately for you, I can."

Shock, disbelief, and anger had rolled from Aro as he stared at Edward stoically. The ancient
stayed silent, his own face passive as he struggled to hold on to his dignity.

"What do you want, Cullen?" Caius himself was simmering with rage, but he recognized the
futility of their anger. "You have us where you want us. Now tell us what it is you want so we
can arrange it."

"Nothing...," he stopped when he felt something suddenly. A prick, then a cut, slicing cleanly
through his side and he almost doubled over. The wind shifted again, revealing Alice and Jasper
and the stench of the battle across the river reached their senses. Something must have happened,
something unexpected, for the shield to lift prematurely. A strong, wailing sound – a wolf's howl,
clear in its distress – sounded through the valley and an image streaked into his mind. Blood,
flowing freely into the ground – so red that it was almost black – and everything stopped inside
him. There was no dwindling down, no fading away – just instant, deathly silence. He'd
experienced such moments before in battle, as if all life had been sucked from around him and
left him in a vacuum. He could stretch the sensitivity as long as he wanted, hear and smell

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nothing when fighting, until the clanks and gore penetrated his senses again like an annoying
buzz, and the acrid smell of dead flesh and blood would once again overload his brain.

But instead of the buzz, he felt the cut more acutely, gutting his side, and he let the pain roll
through him while keeping his face excruciatingly neutral. Jasper would pick on it immediately
and draw his own conclusions.

"Jasper," he called, his voice giving away nothing, "take over. I'm done here."

His brother moved to his side and with the vestiges of Bella's power, Edward cloaked himself
before anyone else could pick on his pain.

Go, whatever it is, just go. We'll take care of this end, Jasper urged him in his mind.

He turned towards the river, and with as much speed as he could muster, followed the path his
mind had made earlier. He raced, without conscious thought of the pain – across the river, over
the hills and into the dense forest. His mind grasped on the threads of her thoughts as they slowly
dissipated into thin air as she tried to hide her pain from him.

On the last hill, where he found the pack earlier, he saw her, tangerine spilled into snow. Her
hood was down, her windblown hair wild around her head and her cloak bloodied and torn. She
lay on one side, a hand stretched but not quite reaching Leah who was sprawled near her,
bleeding. A sudden rage consumed him at the wolf's inability to defend her.

He clambered down the hill, forgetting grace and agility in his hurry to get to her. Even from
afar, he could see she was holding to her side, pressing on it weakly. He dropped beside her,
covering her wounds with his hands with an instinct that was not his.

"Get out of here," he growled to Leah, as images of Demetri cutting Bella ran through her mind.
"Go, get help for yourself."

I heal, vampire, Leah growled back into his mind, her eyes closed as she concentrated on the
tenous link she had with the members of her pack. The others will be here as soon as they're
done with your leeches.

He wanted to blame her for not protecting Bella, for failing in her duties. He'd known that Bella's
protections had been transferred to her as Harry Clearwater would be too far, too old, too weak
to protect a godchild. His responsibilities would inevitably fall on the shoulders of his stronger
but less experienced daughter.

Whatever Demetri had done, it was enough to overpower Leah's defenses. The cut on Bella's side
was deep and wide. Even with inhuman speed, there was no way he could get her to Carlisle. Her
blood gushed against his fingers, staining the snow underneath and a stray thought pushed into
the fore of his mind.

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Such a terrible waste.

Her tear-filled eyes stared at him unseeingly and a distant memory, long repressed and ignored,
surfaced.

A small child crying behind her father's house, her sadness reaching him instead of her thoughts.

What's the matter, little girl?

A small drop of blood falling from her finger, so small that it almost didn't stain the pristine
white snow at her feet.

Does it hurt? Let me help you.

A small hand, extended in reluctance, drawing comfort from words spoken with the most
despicable intent.

Let me help you.

Brown eyes stared into topaz and she lifted her arm in a silent offer.

The thin, blue veins in her wrists mocked him, the pulse in her neck taunted him and venom
pooled in his mouth as something inside him rejoiced.

"Help me."

A plea, whispered in absolute trust, and everything became as it was before.

The girl in his arms was no longer a child, no longer susceptible to his duplicitous words, no
longer ignorant of the darkness that he harbored inside him.

He caught her hand as he gathered her to him gently.

Do not ever forgive me for this.

Tilting her head, he touched his lips to the skin on her throat, breathing in her human scent for
the last time, before sinking his teeth into her flesh. Ignoring her pained gasp, he sucked gently,
reverently as her blood, smooth and velvet, rushed into his mouth and straight into his veins.

Finally. He closed his eyes and battled the guilt to savor the bliss. For years, he'd lived with the
image of her broken body, certain that he'd killed another innocent child, until Carlisle had
informed him of her survival. His guillt had then turned to regret, dark and overwhelming.
Regret that he wasn't able to finish what he'd started, that he'd let go of his chance to know how
the last drop of her blood would taste.

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Finally. Her blood thinned and he sank his teeth deeper, her body jerking at the increased
pressure. He let his venom flow to immobilize her and stop her from crying out as he drank
deeply, her heart beat growing fainter and fainter.

It was only when she took her last breath that he felt the dull pain that had been tearing through
him. A schism, growing bigger with every passing second, was pulling on his insides. Her blood
should have been invigorating him, renewing his immortal flesh but instead, it was like poison
coursing through his veins. He let his venom flow from his mouth into her, enduring the fire that
was raging inside him. The disruption had grown stronger as she slipped farther and farther
away. As his strength started to leave him, he let her go – laying her down against the snow
before dropping beside her.

Her blood scorched him, burning his lungs and he took huge gulps of air in an effort to dissipate
the heat. Despite the fire inside him, the snow on his back felt freezing and the winter chill cut
through his skin. He looked at her – suddenly missing her warmth, her flushed cheeks, her
delicate hands and mocking laughter.

From a distance, he could hear voices, like a thousand feet running. The voices bounced and
floated around him and then someone was singing, chanting words he couldn't understand.

Can you hear me? He searched for her voice in the wind but she was no longer there.

Her eyes were turned towards the white-streaked skies, dull and lifeless, and he followed her
gaze. The sky which had always seemed immense to him was suddenly made more immense by
her silence.

Do not forgive me. He would never forgive himself.

He lay on the snow, finding unexpected solace at the thought. The voices had receded sometime
ago and all he could hear was the wind touching the tips of the trees, bending the branches to its
gentle breeze.

Like I will soon bend to you.

She would be his beacon, one that would never be lighted, but would hide inside her the heat and
light of a thousand fires, allowing him glimpses and flickers so that he wouldn't get burned when
he touched her and her light wouldn't sting his eyes.

Certain that she was far away, in a place where she could no longer see or hear him, he gathered
the last of his strength and sent her his final thought.

I love you.

Sometimes, she loved him, too.

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In the end, they lay on the snow - close but not touching, neither breathing nor moving. The
human and the vampire, made equal through death.

They didn't make it to the end of the battle.

They failed to see Seth take it on himself to destroy the one who cut Bella, pursuing Demetri into
vampire land, making his first kill and at the same time, his first transgression. They didn't see
how the wolves surrounded them in protective circle and how Leah broke rank and stepped
closer to give Bella her last benediction.

"Let our light wrap you in its immortal flame," Leah's voice slipped and trembled with
suppressed grief but she finished the chant to complete her blessing. "Take our sun on your
garments and keep it in your soul. When you rise, dear sister, the things that you hide inside will
come out again. Wherever you are, whatever you will be, our light will guide and protect you."

Across the river, they didn't see the hard battle that Jasper and Alice waged in Edward's stead.
Edward didn't see what his sudden departure did to Jane – how it shook her from her own grief,
giving her enough strength to attack Felix, her brother's killer. And as Felix writhed and
screamed in intense pain, Aro and Cauis drew their own swords to face Alice and Jasper who
rapidly lost their footing, taken by surprise by the desperate resolve of both ancients. Aro and
Cauis had had centuries of violence. They'd encountered vampires with different abilities,
studied them and knew methods to thwart them. For a long time, the only sound that could he
heard across the valley was the clashing of swords in movements so fast that even vampire eyes
would have difficulty following. From afar, it sounded like the tinkling of tiny glasses, only each
swing brought a vampire closer to death.

It was only later when Carlisle and the rest arrived that the battle swung in their favor. With ten
against three, the landscape shifted and the battle turned into retribution. Aro and Cauis, ancients
in their wisdom, knew when to throw their swords down when confronted with an impossible
situation. In the end, the defenders stood around the intruders as Emmett and Rosalie tended to
the bleeding vampires. Damages had already been inflicted. Jasper had begun to weaken from
multiple wounds, and Alice was beginning to fade a little.

"Go to Volterra and take a message to Marcus, Esme," Carlisle said quietly. "From this day
onwards, I am taking over Aro's duties. Eleazar, take Alice and Jasper back to the mansion and
make sure that they feed. Kate, will you and your sisters secure the prisoners? We will transport
them to Volterra later. I have to see how Edward is faring."

Taking only Emmett and Rosalie with him, Carlisle followed the path which Edward had made
earlier. As they crossed the river and pushed into werewolf territory, Edward's words came back
to haunt him.

How far are you willing to go? The question was simple, but even then he'd heard the real one
behind it. Will you be able to stop yourself from interfering? We live or we die, it doesn't matter.

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Faster, he urged the rescuers, even though he knew it was too late. There'd be no one to rescue,
the howls had made that clear earlier.

They came into the clearing, and just as he'd feared, saw two bodies lying side by side. The
wolves that had surrounded them were pulling back slowly, clearing their way. Carlisle
approached them and exhaled when he saw the punctures on Bella's neck. The marks were clean
and dry, just as it should be. Dropping to his knees beside them, he sent a silent prayer to his
father's god, asking him for mercyand second chances. If Edward managed to infuse Bella with
enough venom and if she could endure another death so soon, both would exist in eternity, freed
from the cages that kept them apart. United, finally, in the same world.

He covered Edward's eyes with his hands, closing them, then reached to Bella to do the same.

He rose from their sides and faced the wolves. A couple of steps brought him in front of the
pack's leader and he bowed deeply, affording him the highest honor one creature could bestow to
another.

"We thank you for your alliance and protection. We will forever be in your debt."

The wolf phased to its human form long enough to reply to his words.

"You owe us nothing, vampire. She is of the wolf tribe and will be, forever. It is our duty to
defend her from all harm. We trust that you will protect her when we are unable."

Carlisle straightened to face Sam Uley as the other phased back to his wolf form.

"We shall value her over our own existence."

Turning his back, he faced his family. Emmett already had Bella and Rosalie was wrapping
Edward in thick cloth.

"He's warm," she said as soon as she noticed him. He knelt beside her, looking him over. He
could see blood flowing under Edwards skin, making him unnaturally feverish. The blood would
stay with him for days, maybe even weeks before his venom broke down its basic properties and
incorporated it into his own system.

"Thank you, Rose. I'll take it from here."

He lifted Edward, like he was nothing but a little boy and started the journey back to the other
side of the river. Emmett followed him, holding Bella close, with Rosalie trailing after him.

On top of the first hill, Carlisle looked back and watched the wolves retreat to the trees. Most of
them would be returning to La Push, to grow old with their children until the time when he and
the others would return to the sleepy little town of Forks. Then their presence would activate the
quirky gene that would turn their children's children into massive creatures, ready to trounce

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their natural enemies. But the treaty would hold, even centuries later, and they would be left with
another uneasy coexistence. The young wolves, however, would hear tales of a battle waged in
the wilderness of Alaska, where vampires and werewolves fought side by side. They'd be
vaguely informed of the story of a vampire who went against his own kind to be with someone
who was not only human at that time, but more strangely, someone who was a child of their
tribe. They would not know of his name, his memory would be forever erased from their history,
but they would know of hers and whisper it among themselves with awed reverence.

Isabella Marie Swan, beloved daughter and sister.

Edward had made sure she would not be forgotten.

With a heavy sigh, Carlisle turned his eyes towards the skies, noting the appearance of an early
star.

It's twilight, he observed, his mood buoyed a little. The day was ending, so that another could
begin. He turned to Emmett who was holding Bella close and Rosalie who was right behind him.
He thought of his beloved Esme and of Jasper and Alice. After this, they would go their separate
ways either to dodge or face the fallout of Edward's actions. Emmett and Rosalie would
undoubtedly go back to being rescuers under his rule. Jasper and Alice would refuse to do
anything with the Volturi without Edward. And Edward, with Bella – Carlisle couldn't help a
smile at the annotation – would stand back as far, and as long, as he could from the chaos.

"Let's get them home," he told the rescuers. The wait would be long but he would endure. He
would be patient, as Edward had been, and a time would come that his family, his coven would
be whole again. ~

So it ends...where it all began.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

Or as we say here in my part of the world, maraming salamat.

Or for Maristella, whose husband made Prey a great banner, daghang salamat, day.

This story is complete, as prey turns to predator.

But I'll write an epilogue. (It has a prologue, after all.)

Maybe fluff and rainbows. Maybe not.

I'm going to miss you all.

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Watch Bree's vid. Link at my profile.

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