Edward and the other Cullens had been on a family "hunting" trip in Alaska for the past week because it had been unusually warm and sunny in Forks, Washington. He was so excited to see Bella again...to smell her...to taste her delicious blood. He worried about his fragile little human girl whenever he was away.

After all, the last time he left her she had taken up motorcycle riding and thrown herself into the ocean. Things had to change after that. Bella could be careless and reckless, but when he came back to Forks after that break-up that almost cost them both their lives he realized she needed guidance or she was really going to hurt herself...and possibly take her own life. After a few days of their blissful reunion as a couple he had taken Bella into the woods surrounding Forks. He sat on a large, downed tree. She sat in his lap and he gently stroked her hair.

"Bella, I need to talk to you about what happened when I was away. I know it's painful for us both to talk about, especially when I am racked with guilt for leaving you. You made a promise to me that you wouldn't do anything reckless. You broke that promise by engaging in the most dangerous stunts you could possibly think of. I need to know why."

Bella bit her bottom lip nervously and tried to avoid making eye contact. She wasn't quite sure why, but she she felt embarrassed about the reason. She knew it had a deeper meaning that she couldn't quite pinpoint, but whatever it was she was sure she should feel ashamed. Edward gently raised her chin with his finger, forcing her to make eye contact.

"Bella, look at me. I need to know why. Are you suicidal?"

"No. I wasn't trying to drown myself, Edward. I swear."

"Then why did you jump off a cliff? Are you aware that is how Esme took her life as a human?"

"No, I didn't know that, Edward. That's terrible."

"Why Bella?"

"I saw a group of bikers. They reminded me of those frat boys who tried to rape me in Port Angeles before you saved me. I thought that if I got on a bike with one of them you'd somehow know and come to my rescue again. You didn't come, but I heard your voice. I heard your voice s-sc-scolding me for being reckless. So, I went out and bought the bikes for Jacob and I, and every time I rode I heard your voice getting stronger and louder as you scolded me. But, as time went on your voice started to fade away. I thought that if I did the most reckless thing I knew of...cliff diving...then surely I'd hear your voice again."

Edward was completely stunned. He had brought her there with the intention of introducing a new dynamic to their relationship, one with rules and consequences. He had no idea that this was what she secretly wanted.

"Bella, you have been strong for so long for your mother and for Charlie. You had to take care of them when they should have been taking care of you. It's your turn to be loved, protected, guided, and taken care of. Your explanation tells me that you have tremendous guilt issues and that you want me to take up that role in your life to absolve you of some of that guilt. Bella, I gave you one promise, one rule, one command to follow while I was gone, and you broke it. You broke it repeatedly and intentionally. Bella, I am going to have to punish you."

Bella hung her head and cried. The panic set in and she got down on her knees and started begging with a wild, frantic look in her eyes that scared Edward.

"Please don't leave me again, Edward. Please! I'm sorry I was reckless. I'm sorry I broke my promise!"

Edward pulled her up to her feet.

"Sweet, silly girl. I'm not going to leave you. I'm never, ever going to leave you again. I love you unconditionally and nothing you do is ever going to change that. I'm going to spank you."

"S-sp-spank me? Edward?"

Her panic had subsided when she realized he wasn't leaving her, but the wild look in her eyes was there more than ever once he said the word "spank".

"You're going to get a spanking for breaking your promise and being reckless. You risked your life riding motorcycles when you know how clumsy you are. You nearly drowned jumping off a cliff. You almost died."

Bella was completely stunned, but surprisingly didn't protest or fight when Edward unbuttoned and pulled down her jeans. It was something she had always fantasized about, albeit for very different intentions.

"Bella, I am going to keep your underwear on because I don't think that I could control myself if I could smell you and feel you bare against my leg, and I won't take your innocence until I make you my wife. From now on I want you to wear thong underwear in case I need to spank you. Is that understood?"

Bella blushed a deep red. Edward honestly couldn't believe how easily the words had slipped out, how natural it was for him to take up this Dominant role with Bella.

When Bella didn't answer, Edward landed a sharp slap to her navy blue underwear clad backside. She jumped, completely startled and taken off guard.

"I said, is that understood?"

"Y-Yes, Edward."

"Good. I will have Alice take you into Port Angeles to buy some tomorrow. It's time, Bella." he said bending her over and laying her face down across his lap in an over-the-knee position.

"Bella, why are you getting a spanking?"

Another sharp slap for not answering. "Answer me, little one. Why are you getting a spanking?"

"Because I broke my promise to you. Because I was reckless. Because I rode motorcycles and went cliff diving."

"Do you deserve this spanking?"

Slap "Answer, Bella!"

"Yes, Edward."

"Yes, what? Say the whole thing."

"Yes, Edward, I deserve a spanking."

"Good girl."

With that formality out of the way, Edward gave Bella her first spanking. When it was finished he sat her back up on his lap and dried her tears.

"Bella, there's something I've been wanting to try for a long time. When I had to suck the venom out of your blood when James attacked you- which by the way, that should have been your first spanking for leaving Alice and Jasper to go meet him at that dance studio- when I had to suck the venom out of your blood I didn't think that I would be able to stop. But, I could because of my love for you. And your sweet blood was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. I've thought a lot about that day, and I've done a lot of research. I believe that I can control myself to drink small amounts of your blood. According to the vampire lore I found, if I give you a very small drink from my wrist afterwards, it should counteract the venom and heal your wounds from my bite. I would like to start drinking from you. I would like you to start giving me small sacrifices of your blood as part of your submission to me. Do I have your consent?"

"Yes, Edward, you have my consent."

The bite stung badly, but it wasn't agony like when James had bitten her. She could tell that Edward was holding back quite a bit, just like he had held back his vampiric strength to give her a spanking that had hurt her, but hadn't harmed her. Honestly, now that the pain was subsiding she was getting a tingle across her bottom that was spreading to the front. His sucking on her neck was only exacerbating the sensation. When he was done, he bit his wrist and offered it to her, as promised. It felt like such a gift. She felt treasured and special. The blood worked quickly to heal the wounds on her neck and to heal the redness on her bottom.

"Well, that won't do." said Edward as he noticed from her sitting in his lap that the heat that had been radiating from her backside had instantly cooled off.

"The spanking I just gave you was for riding motorcycles. You are going to get a second, harder spanking for the cliff diving incident. You will not be getting fed from my wrist afterwards, so you will feel the pain. Do you understand? Do you think you deserve a second spanking?"

"Yes, Edward."

"Yes, Edward, what?"

"Yes, Edward, I deserve another spanking."

And so, the ritual was formed. As time went on their D/s relationship evolved as they figured out matters of rules, blood letting rituals, punishable offenses, and consent. One matter that still concerned Edward was Bella's emotional state. She still seemed to lack self-confidence. She still seemed to think of herself as unworthy of his love. He still worried that she would self-destruct, which is why he was so eager to get back to Forks. He hadn't left her for this long since the break-up and he was nearly beside himself with worry.

When he came in the window of her bedroom he saw his Bella sitting on her bed, but she was different. She was beautiful as always, but her eyes were sunken in with dark circles under them and he could tell she hadn't been sleeping. She was wearing excessively baggy clothes, and her hair was a mess.

"Bella, baby, I'm back. Are you alright, love?"

He said it so gently and warmly and with such concern. She had missed him so much, and wanted to have a happy reunion, but she just knew that once he found out the truth he'd never have her. Not that she had ever deserved him anyways.

She cried and held onto him for dear life. He scooped her up and began kissing her. He removed her shirt and planned to kiss her all up and down her neck before he drank from her neck and maybe even her cleavage. He would leave her bra on, of course. He wouldn't want to be tempted to take her. They'd only just recently gotten engaged. That's when he saw a sight that would have stopped his cold, dead heart had it still been beating. His Bella had always been very thin, but in just a week's time she had become nearly emaciated with her ribs showing, and she had seemingly self-inflicted cuts all over her inner forearms.

"Isabella Marie Swan Cullen, did you- did you cut yourself?! Have you been starving yourself?! What the hell did you do to yourself while I was gone!?"

Bella hung her head and sobbed. He'd never have her back when he found out the reason why. His concern would only be short lived.

He took her in his arms, as anger was quickly replaced by heartbreak and concern. He lifted her chin up to gaze into his eyes. They were a light brown now that he'd had his fill of animals in Alaska the past week.

"I asked you a question, little one, and I need an answer right now. Did you cut yourself and why?"

"Because I'm a fuck-up! That's why!"

Before she realized what had happened, he had slapped her wrist sharply with his fingertips.

"You will not insult the woman that I love or use foul language like that again. Start your explanation over. Why did you cut yourself?"

Even though she was sure it would cost her everything, she wanted to grant his request and the burden of her sorrow and secrets were too heavy to bear. The story spilled out of her along with her tears. The Friday that he'd left, she went to a party on La Push beach with her friends. They were drinking and smoking pot. She was depressed about Edward leaving town and just wanted for once in her life to feel like she fit in with other humans. So, for the first time ever she'd gotten drunk and high. She fell asleep in Tyler Crowley's van only to wake up later with his hand inside of her underwear. He had violated her.

His eyes turned black and cold. Murderous. Fury became him. One sentence, "Alice will be over shortly to get you.". She was sure he'd never have her back now.

Alice took her back to the Cullen mansion. Her new sisters, Alice and Rosalie, and her new mother, Esme, comforted her and they commiserated stories of all the abuses that had been committed against them by the men in their lives. Rosalie's brutal gang rape by her fiance and his friends, Alice's abuses at the hands of James and the orderlies at the asylum, Esme's human husband who had beaten her until she lost her baby. Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Jacob were out for blood. The vampires had once enjoyed meting out justice by taking the lives of rapists. They hadn't done this since becoming "vegetarians", but this night they made an exception not just for Bella's honor, but for the honor of all of these women in their life.

Edward had to make sure all of his rage from the murder was gone before he went back home to Bella. This was going to be his most challenging task yet as Bella's guardian and Dominant. He was going to have to discipline her for the self-mutilation and intoxication while also making sure that she understood that none of the painful slaps she would receive were for what Tyler had done to her. He also needed to be completely sure that he was in complete control of his temper and vampiric strength (which was much more potent than usual since he had drained a human for the first time in decades) because while he fully intended to bruise her for the first time he absolutely would never ever harm or abuse her. He spent the night sparring with his brothers, Emmett and Jasper, and seeking their advice about how they handled this delicate situation in their Dynamics with their own mates. Bella spent a long night alone in Edward's bed fearing he was never coming back for her. She was in emotional agony. Sleep never found her and her self-hatred was a storm inside of her that she needed to get out, but she knew better than to cut herself in a house full of vampires. Finally, Esme brought her an anti-depressant and a sedative from Carlisle.

In the morning, after showering off Tyler's blood, Edward finally returned to his bedroom to confront Bella. "I'm afraid that Tyler was involved in a terrible car accident. His car collided with a tree. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt, and his body was ejected through the windshield. And then the strangest thing happened, his body was mauled by bears, or was it wolves? Maybe mountain lions."

Bella's eyes grew wide as she took in the lie. Edward had killed for her and the darker parts of her really liked that.

Edward laid down on the bed next to Bella and wrapped her up in his arms. "You need not fear me, Bella, but it's time we talk, little one. First of all, what happened to you is completely Tyler's fault. It is not your fault at all. It does not matter where you were or that you were intoxicated. He is the one responsible for his actions. I will not allow you to blame yourself or feel guilt about this. I do not blame you. None of the punishment you will receive from me has anything to do with what Tyler did to you."

"You mean...you still love me?"

"Unconditionally, Isabella. You are mine forever."

Bella broke out in sobs of relief. Edward sat up and pulled her onto his lap.

"We need to discuss why you are being punished. The first rule that you broke was cutting yourself. As your mate I will not allow you to engage in self-mutilation because it comes from a place of deep self-hatred and you may not hate and hurt the beautiful girl that I love."

"Secondly..." his tone turned dark as he spun her around to face him and grabbed hold of her hair, "as my blood doll you may not spill MY blood. It is MINE. It belongs to ME. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Your body is a temple and when you cut yourself you desecrate that temple. You desecrate that which is mine. When I break your skin I do it to commune with you. You give me offerings and I make them holy. Do you understand the difference?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now, there is the matter of you using drugs and alcohol. We have never discussed this rule because I never thought it would be an issue. I expected better from you and I am deeply disappointed."

Bella broke out in a round of fresh sobs. Edward gripped her hair a little tighter.

"You will not poison MY blood again with any substances without my permission. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now that we are absolutely clear about the reasons behind your punishment, it is time, little girl."

Using his demi-god-like speed, Edward took Bella into the woods far enough away from the Cullen mansion that his family would not hear her spanking. This was a private part of their relationship and he saw no reason to humiliate her or his family by letting anyone overhear.

"You are going to drink from me now, Bella, to heal the cuts on your arms because I NEVER want to see them again. You will wear only the marks that I give you on that pretty skin that belongs to me. I will be marking you up today for the first time so that you remember that you may NEVER mark yourself in any way ever again."

Edward bit his wrist. "Drink!" he commanded.

When he was done feeding her, Edward stood her up and removed her jeans, angry to find that she was wearing regular panties instead of her required thong.

"I thought that you were going to leave me, so I didn't think I needed to wear them anymore." she explained sheepishly.

"Well, this means that you do not get to be over my lap."

He guided her to a near-by tree stump.

"Pull down your panties just enough to expose your ass and then bend over and put your hands on the stump."

Bella was humiliated at being made to do all of this herself.

"The good news is that I will be able to get a much better swing than usual to inflict the lovely bruises I plan on leaving all over your ass."

An audible whine of fear escaped from Bella's throat.

"I will keep one hand on you to help you steady yourself, but you will not remove your hands from this stump. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

Bella was humiliated enough by this position and was relieved when he skipped the usual formality of making her admit she deserved a spanking. Her relief did not last long as it quickly became clear that this was not the same kind of spanking she usually got from Edward. His promise to bruise her had not been a bluff. The longer he spanked her the harder it got, and it lasted about fifteen minutes. She was missing the usual sting as the hard slaps from his marble hands felt like a paddle. He finally stopped, but it was not to relieve her. He had one last little lesson to teach. He was gone for a split second and returned with a switch he had chosen from the woods. Bella head a whistling sound and felt a sharp sting that built into a wicked burn. She let out a scream and tried to get away.

"Shh...you may use your word if you wish. Otherwise I expect you to be brave, little one. I told you that you would be wearing my marks. Just a few more, baby girl. Be a brave girl and take your punishment because you know you deserve this. Besides, if you keep screaming like that Jacob will hear you and come to your rescue and that would be most
awkward."