Story Title: Doomsday Mafia

Summary: She dubbed us the Doomsday Mafia, but really, we were just trying to survive.

Pairing: Edward/Bella

Rating: M

Word count: 7030

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended

I enter the room quietly as she sleeps, soft breaths escape her pouted lips. Breathing through my nose, I inhale her scent—the burn feels as if my lungs are exploding, but it quickly fades into a fuzzy, addictive warmth. A sensation long forgotten over my three hundred forty-seven years.

I settle into my regular chair. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

As if she senses my presence, her eyes pop open and scan the room. "You're a fucking creep," Bella says, sitting up and pulling her sheet tighter.

That mouth. I smirk. One of the things I could do without, but I've come to expect it. "A creep whose appearance you anticipate."

She snorts. "If you consider being trapped while a monster plays Peeping Tom anticipation, then I guess you could be right."

I lean forward, propping my elbows on my knees and leveling her with a stare. "Are you ready to agree?"

"Is that what you're calling it?" she asks, slinging her bare legs over the edge of her cot, standing and pacing before me. "You say you want my compliance, yet until I give it, I'm stuck here."

I tilt my head. "True." Standing, I step closer, tilting her chin upward while my thumb caresses her cheek. "And you will give it. You already want to."

My name sounds from two floors above, causing me to break the connection between myself and the woman who will one day rule by my side—my mate. "I must part, but please, consider the offer in my absence."

"It'll be a cold day in hell," she responds as I exit the room.

I chuckle loudly and allow the door to close, engaging the lock.

Three years ago, nuclear bombs annihilated the world as we knew it. Humans, animals and vampires alike were incinerated in their spots as the bombs fell from the sky. Everyone perished, except for a few … we were the lucky ones.

The ones who survived.

Gone are the days when animals quenched the burn, and in their place is a system where humans fulfill their duty keep my kind alive. Someone had to rule, and it might as well be the strongest being in our boxed-in existence.

Moving at a fast pace, I take two flights of stairs and enter the command center. Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and his crew of soldiers, are all present.

"This better be important," I snap, angry at being interrupted.

"The Opposition is making a move, and it's a big one," Jasper says, rushing over to the monitor on the wall. "A group of them are approaching the perimeter, near the Diner."

He points out the red blobs on the thermal image. Five individual specks slowly advance toward the cement building, where our humans come to offer their blood, near the rear of the compound. "Are you sure it's them?"

Jasper looks at me incredulously. "No other humans would be that stupid."

"Lead a team and capture them, if possible," I order, slamming my fist into the nearby wall. The room shakes and a large chunk of concrete turns to dust and sprinkles at my feet.

The Opposition began with a group of scientists who decided to rebel against my law. Normally, that would mean nothing to a vampire, but these humans have harnessed the radioactive material found in the Wastelands. They can end a vampire's existence. My original crew of thirty-eight is now down to just thirty-five.

I turn to Emmett. "Take a couple of your soldiers and get to the Diner in case one slips through. We can't take any chances; our livelihood must be protected."

Though it may seem cruel to force humans to sustain us, we have no other choice. In exchange, we keep them safe from the beastly things that may come crawling from the Wastelands, and provide as much assistance as is needed to ensure their survival. It's not the ideal solution, but this isn't an ideal world.

And I no longer have the inclination to care. This world has changed me in unforeseeable ways.

For the first six months after the missiles landed, the surviving humans went underground, making life much more complicated for the average vampire. But my family isn't average, and it only took two mistakes to realize that animals were no longer a viable option. One suffered a gruesome untimely death, and the second lives with the consequences every single day.

I push out my mind, seeking my other crew leader, Garrett. My abilities are vast and accelerated to the point that I'd go mad if I allowed them to be constantly active. Unless I specifically call on them, they remain dormant in my mind, locked away from regular use.

"Garrett," I force my voice into his mind, bringing him up to speed on the current situation. "Come watch the monitor, and inform me if they breach the perimeter."

"Got it," he responds as he breezes into the command center, taking a seat and sliding on a headset to link with Jasper.

I turn to Carlisle and tilt my head for him to follow. As we exit into the hall, I ask, "Anything new?"

"I'm sorry, son," he says, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Nothing I have tested so far has worked. Without the initial specimen, I fear I may never be able to give you what you need."

A low growl rumbles through my chest. I don't accept his answer; I can't accept it. I grab his shirt without thought. "I will not remain this way. Do you hear me? Find me some answers!" Realizing what I've done, I let go and blur away from him at triple the average vampire speed.

With the situation at the perimeter being handled, I return to the one thing that soothes me. The delicious warmth I can get nowhere else except from Bella. Being in the same room with her somehow places a band-aid over my wound—even the sharp barbs she tosses my way have no matter.

As I exit the stairs, the burn rips me apart, but with every step toward her door, the heat settles to spread over my body, creating a soothing hum inside my mind. It's something I ache for in these post-apocalyptic times.

She's dressed in microfine leg coverings, which my eyes can practically see through, with a T-shirt knotted at her waist as she works the punching bag. It's the only demand she's made, and watching her now, it pleases me that I approved it. Her muscles bunch, coil and stretch as she lands blow after blow. Legs, arms, elbows and knees all work in synchronization as she displays her peak physical condition. She'll be an exceptional addition to the vampire race.

I settle in my usual chair in the corner, my eyes following her every move, long buried sensations coursing under my skin. But even those pale in comparison to the glow that heats me from within. The addictive warmth that I crave.

"You're a fucking pervert!" Bella snaps, leveling the bag with a shin kick. "Does it turn you on to watch me like this!" She isn't looking in my direction, but continues to pummel the bag—until she stops and throws her head back in a glorious laugh. "Or can monsters even feel passion?" Narrowed eyes scrutinize me as she begins circling the floor. "Is that why you wear the green contacts? To make you seem less monstrous?"

Her completely off-base assumption surprises me, and I file that away to consider later. "I'll never deny who I am, Bella. I want you to accept me exactly as such." I wave my arms over my form. "In the times we live, there's no room to let such unimportant details dictate our lives. I want you in so many ways, but most of all, just your willing company. I crave it." I stand and take two steps, towering above her. "But make no mistake, I will have all the things I want. I'm a patient man, and time is on my side."

She explodes, unleashing the depths of her fury. I counteract blow after blow as she makes every attempt to land a successful hit. "I know what you want most," she screams as she jabs for my chin. "Just fucking take it! Take it!"

Even with the warming glow, the insinuation that I would stoop to that level angers me, so I grip her arms tightly and pull her flush against me. "I may be a monster, but I am not that monster. I'll only take your blood when you've surrendered everything else." I smirk and shrug one shoulder. "Besides, I can feel the erratic beats of your heart and your breath catch as our skin makes contact." I release her and step back. "You may not feel exactly as I do, but you do feel something."

She fights hard to get her breathing under control, but my supersensitive hearing allows her no privacy. Every skip in her heartbeat as it slows to normal pace fills me with a sense of satisfaction. My presence no longer incites the hatred that it did when she first arrived. No, she feels quite differently now.

With a deep exhale, she sits on her bed and begins to remove the bandages that cover her hands. "It's disgust," she says off-handedly as she focuses on her task; round and round the tape unravels. "How could I feel anything else?" Her serious amber eyes flick back to me. "You and your Doomsday Mafia are treating my fellow humans as cattle."

I bark a loud laugh at her description of me and my kind. And while I suppose you could consider us a mafia since I am the supreme ruler, the boss of all things, I do take offense to the cattle remark. Most of these humans would've never survived if it weren't for the collective efforts of my vampire brethren.

Walking over, I sit and grab her hand, holding it while I methodically unwrap the rest of the tape. "Do you know that in pre-apocalyptic times, I fed solely from animals?" I pause and wait for her denial, but she says nothing. "Taking lives has never been my preference, which is why the humans are agreeable. They understand that we have no desire to hurt them. You do realize that our efforts to help them with things such as electricity, drinking water and even farming is what allows them to still prosper? The population has even begun to expand again due to our efforts, so our arrangement is beneficial to both parties."

Even though I have removed the tape, I still caress her hand with my thumb. The warm spark where we touch is too addictive to simply ignore, and the thrum of her pulse tells me she feels it, too. But all too soon, she realizes her mistake and snatches it away, standing to pace before me.

"I appreciate the effort you've gone through to rationalize your actions, but you must realize that you're a fucking abomination! You shouldn't even exist!" she yells, her hands flinging up in the air.

I stand and approach her swiftly, using my body to force her back against the wall and close her in with my arms. Leaning down, I run my nose from her exposed collar bone to her jugular, pausing to absorb her fragrance and revel in the thundering of her heart. It is not fear which she exudes, it's lust.

Chuckling darkly, I straighten up. "Yet you want me to exist. You want me, period."

I'm out of the room with the door locked and my back against the wall within the blink of an eye. I've ignored these types of urges all my life, but with Bella I must fight to maintain control. I intend to possess her in every way imaginable, but I won't just yet, not without her total surrender.

And she will give it.

She is my mate.

I fight to slow my own breathing, because as with everything else, even this is magnified. The level of need I feel to claim her blood is dizzying and sometimes barely suppressible. The warm hum offers me something to focus on as I take deep, even breaths through my mouth. Her scent coats my tongue even through the steel of the door. Forcing myself to walk away, I leave her cell behind.

Within thirty seconds, I arrive at the Diner, nodding to Riley, the vamp who guards the building. "Boss." He stands up straighter. "There's been no sign of trouble, and your meal awaits."

"Where's Emmett?" I ask, stretching my hearing to pick up his voice. I smirk and shake my head. "Never mind."

While Emmett is a force to be reckoned with in matters of strength, it's his people skills that lend to his title as my advisor. His ability to communicate with the humans and gauge their prospective viewpoint beforehand makes him a very valued member of my crew. With only three thousand one hundred twenty humans, aside from the Opposition, life requires a delicate balance for all involved, and Emmett works tirelessly to ensure the peace is kept.

I walk past Riley and enter the building. Though the lighting is dim, I can see every speck of dust clearly. We've taken special care with the Diner. Comfortable furniture and autumnal colors warm the space, making it as soothing as possible for our humans when they come to provide their offerings.

In the far back corner, nestled on a couch, reading a book is Rosalie. This human is by far Emmett's favorite supplier. So it comes as no surprise that he is propped against the arm doing everything he can to entertain her. The sound of the blood rushing through her cheeks reminds me of the insatiable need that consumes me, so I scan for my own donor.

Angela is seated near the hall, tirelessly wringing her hands. I inhale her scent from where I stand, and though it isn't the divine one Bella emits, it is appetizing, especially after an animal-only diet for over a hundred years. I start in her direction, and she stands just as I reach her. With no words spoken between us, I guide her back to a private room and onto the twin-sized bed nestled against the far wall.

I slump to my knees before her, showing my gratitude for her gift. "Your wrist," I request, holding out my hand and waiting until she decides to pass it over.

A need I'm unable to ignore pumps through her veins, so I bend and place my lips over her racing pulse point. Her heart stutters once before I sink my teeth in and the blood rushes over my tongue. Almost immediately the frantic pace slows to a regular thump as a trance-like state dulls her senses.

As smooth as velvet, the blood flows over my tongue and into my body. The taste of metal and life soothes the green-eyed monster. All my senses heighten and stretch around me as my insatiable thirst is quenched—if only for a short time.

Thirty seconds is all I allow before I release her and seal the mark with my tongue, carefully situating her on the bed to rest. She will return to her life with no lingering effects, and her husband will satisfy me later this evening, because as with everything else, my thirst, too, is amplified.

By the time I make it back to the command room, Jasper is waiting for me.

"How was the mission?"

A sinister smirk creeps up his lips. "Two were captured, three escaped."

"Escaped?" I tilt my head and narrow my eyes.

"It felt like a trap, so instead of endangering one of my crew, I let them go," Jasper replies, meeting my stare. "The whole scenario feels off, somehow."

"Have they been questioned?" I lift a brow.

"I was waiting for you"—he pauses and rubs his chin—"although, if I'm being honest, one of the detainees has piqued my interest."

"As in?" I prod.

Vegetarianism was never an option for Jasper, yet he was still a constant visitor to the Cullen household, and by luck alone, both he and Emmett were with us when the bombs fell. He's a very regimented soldier; the best I have, which is why he's my right-hand man. For matters pertaining to the Opposition, I trust no one more, so hearing he has taken interest in a particular captive intrigues me.

"I'm not quite sure, but if you'll allow me, I would like to take point on her questioning," he replies, bringing up two images on the monitor.

In one, a petite woman is sitting on the cot in her small concrete cell. In the other, a man is screaming and raging while throwing everything he can get his hands on. Jasper points to the woman. "Her. There's something different. I can't quite put my finger on it."

I nod as I watch her. The vein in her wrist is pulsing at a normal pace, and her chest is rising and falling steadily. "She seems calm, almost as if this was where she intended to end up."

"You think she wanted to get captured?" Jasper asks, his eyes narrowing at the image.

"Precisely." I turn to him and nod at the image of the out of control man. "See what you can get from her, while I take care of this nitwit who seems to have forgotten his place."

I leave the room and descend to the lower depths of the compound. The air turns cool and moist as I travel below ground level. I walk quietly down the row of cells. The man's screams bounce off the concrete and fill my mind, building my rage to match his own. By the time I have reached his enclosure, my patience is shattered.

Unlocking the door, I have him against the wall by his throat, cutting off the air to his lungs. "If you will kindly shut your mouth, I will release you."

He nods as much as he is capable. I loosen my hold, allowing him to slide to the floor, and then I straighten his shirt for him. "See there? Cooperation works in your favor."

Though he remains silent, I can sense the hatred rolling off him. I smirk. "Now, shall we converse here, or should we move to somewhere with more privacy?"

"You're not getting shit from me, you fucking bloodsucker," he screams, jumping up into my face.

I lift the back of his shirt and begin carrying him from the room. "Privacy it is."

He curses and yells as we travel down one more level, to the very darkest, dankest depths of the compound. There's one small bulb that illuminates the dirt-lined cavern with a single chair that sits in the center.

Pushing him into it, I step back and prop my fingers on my chin as I study him. "Your name?" He only purses his lips, the obscenities halted for now.

I chuckle, only it isn't meant to be funny. "It's not a requirement. I simply prefer to know whose life I've taken. Because, you see, I will take your life—after you tell me what I want to know."

"Of course you'll take my life. That's what bloodsuckers do, after all," he snarls, attempting to stand, but I forcefully shove him back into the seat. "Don't fucking touch me, leech."

His spit flies across the room, landing on my jeans. Rage moves over me, but I beat it back, intent on accomplishing my goal. I approach and grab a fistful of his dark hair, tugging once sharply and ripping the strands from his scalp, creating an instantaneous bald spot. Screams fill the air, but I ignore them, instead, gripping his hand.

"I think I'll name you James." I nod to myself. "Yes, has a nice ring to it."

My cold touch draws his attention, and though he tries to snatch it away, the attempt is futile. "I will kill you because you pose a threat to my very existence. When you take the life of a human solely in an attempt dwindle my food supply, you've marked yourself for death."

He actually has the audacity to smirk. "You like that, huh? I came up with that one all on my own. The Chief is going to be so proud when she hears about it."

I straighten his fingers so his hand is laid flat against my outstretched palm. "She? Interesting. I wonder if that would be the dark-haired woman we captured earlier."

He throws his head back and laughs. "You wish, parasite. The Chief is smarter than that. She'd never allow herself to be taken in by the likes of you. She's going to take you all down!"

I lift a brow. "Oh? Do tell," I say, giving him a chance to prevent his torture, but he turns his head instead of offering anything more. "One more chance, James?"

I shake my own in response. They never learn. Starting with the tip of his middle finger, I begin rolling his fingers like dough, only back on themselves instead of down toward his palm. The bones crunch and snap from the force, turning into dust as the skin loses its shape and bends to my will. By the time I've collected his pointer and ring finger, he's begging me to stop, but I continue, adding the pinky, and rolling all four to rest on the top of his hand.

I pause. "Did you need something, James?"

"Please, stop," he cries as I hold them bundled tight. "I'll tell you what I know. Please."

With a triumphant smile, I nod. "Very well. Just let me finish what I started." Before he can protest further, I grab the thumb and give it the same treatment. "As you were saying." I drop his hand and step away, waving for him to speak.

His already purple hand falls lifelessly into his lap, his fingers lying haphazardly across his thigh. He grips his wrist and lifts it for an examination, only to scream in terror. His finger bones have disintegrated, leaving the skin to dangle uselessly from his palm.

Bored with this game, I prod him. "Well?" When he still doesn't start speaking, I take a step toward him.

"No," he screams, shaking his head. "Stop. I'll tell you."

I smile pleasantly. "Thank you, James."

Instead of returning my pleasant attitude, he instead starts screaming. "You're going to fucking die, bloodsucker! The Chief has already set the plan in motion! There's nothing you can do to stop it! My death means nothing in the grand scheme. Kill me! Kill me now!" He spits again, but this time it lands on my cheek in a wet, slimy glob.

I struggle to tamp down the rage that consumes me, but I'm unable to accomplish that feat. I grab his hand and roll his whole arm back up to his shoulder before moving to the other. By the time I've given him a matching pair, he's passed out from the pain. I grip his hair tightly, and stretch his neck, exposing his jugular.

Ripping into him, I gorge myself on every drop of blood his pathetic form has to offer. My senses explode to life, stretching out and connecting me with every movement within the compound. I drink until he's a limp corpse, allowing myself to be completely sated for the first time since the world was obliterated. Everything around me is pulsing to create a map in my mind.

But only one thing can hold my attention.

Bella.

In a blur, I cover the four floors that separate us within seconds, and quietly slip into her room. Only this time, I can't force myself to be away from her, so I plant myself on the floor at her bedside. My vision is sharper than ever before, allowing my eyes to catalogue the eight different shades that combine to create her long, silky hair. My sense of smell is so acute that the lust from earlier today still clouds my mind. My sense of touch is so magnified that when I run a fingertip over her bare arm, I can feel the sensation it creates all the way to my shoulder.

When she releases a small whimper, I smirk and caress her with my palm. Her skin glides against mine as if we're one, and she settles at my touch. The next sound causes me to freeze.

"Edward."

It's a small whisper, but a thrill like nothing I've ever felt slams through me. Pure, unchecked possession overtakes me, and the urge to drink from her becomes almost a violent need, pulsating within me.

Mine.

Her eyes open and she meets my desperate stare, both of us breathing heavily, but for two very different reasons. The scent of her desire floods my senses, only solidifying my need to taste her, to take the one thing she's offered me many times before.

She must sense my unraveling because she sweeps her hair aside and tempts me with her graceful neck. "Please, Edward," she whispers, and I can't stop myself.

I'm on the bed and braced over her too fast for her eyes to follow, but I wait patiently for her to catch up. "Are you sure, Bella?" I ask, my voice a desperate plea. "I won't stop here. You'll have to give me everything."

She licks her lips, her eyes falling to my own. "I know, Edward. After today, everything changes."

She grips my hair and pulls me in for a hungry kiss, and I return her fervor, thrusting my tongue inside and swirling it around to taste every inch of her impeccable mouth. The low growl that builds in my chest is instinctual, possessiveness another magnified trait. My senses are on overload. Her palms burn where they press into my back, pulling me tight against her. Every single inch of her is touching me, and the blissful hum only she can produce sings beneath my skin.

The need to taste overwhelms me, and I trail my mouth down across her jaw and along her chin, heading to the steady thumps that call me to her neck. I lick her skin and her pulse throbs against my tongue. Closing my mouth over the vein, I sink my teeth in and draw a deep pull.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whispers as her body arches into my touch.

And as soon as the blood passes over my tongue, I realize why. My mind goes hazy with memories as a familiar sensation passes through me.

"I smell mountain lion," I say, nodding in the direction of the scent.

Carlisle sniffs and nods. "Two of them."

"You two go," Esme says, nudging Carlisle.

Carlisle chuckle. "Not likely, dear. You and Edward go. I'll find a rabbit or something."

"I can save you some," Esme replies, grabbing his hand.

We follow the scent to where two young lions are sparring in a clearing.

"On three, okay?" I whisper, setting my sights on my soon to be kill.

"Ready," she responds, getting into a crouched position.

"One, two, three … "

The blood tastes different as it hits my tongue, but the thirst overpowers everything else … until I hear the scream.

As soon as I release it, the lion jumps up and bounds away, but I spin toward the loud wail coming from Carlisle.

He's cradling Esme as her skin melts from her body.

My vision blurs.

I fall to the ground.

I fade in and out.

Things come and go.

But the next day, I wake from my stupor. I learn that Esme was lost to radiation poisoning, and I wasn't so lucky.

No, my irises turned green from the small amount of poison that flooded my veins, and all my supernatural senses tripled.

But so did my thirst.

In our boxed-in existence, there's barely enough to sustain me.

Even though I realize what's happening, I can't stop myself. Pull after pull, I draw the poison inside. My body craves it. Yet it craves something else—someone—and right now I'm killing her. As soon as the thought rings clear, I snatch my lips from her neck and seal the wound.

"Carlisle," I scream loudly, pushing the thought into his mind.

After what feels like hours, he finally appears. "Edward, what is it?"

"It's Bella. I couldn't stop. Help her, please," I beg, and step back so he can check her over.

"Let's get her to the lab," he says as he reaches for her, but my inner caveman won't allow it.

"Don't touch her," I growl, lifting her from the bed. "Lead the way."

I follow him to the lab and hover as he checks her over. "Her vitals are weak, but you didn't take too much; she'll improve," he finally concludes, pinning me with his red eyes. "How did this happen, Edward? You've never had a problem stopping before."

Fury surges through me—at Bella.

I start pacing the floor, trying to piece it all together. Her apology rings in my ears over and over, the reason for it perfectly clear. She tried to kill me. Somehow, she carries radiation in her blood without it endangering her own life. She's been here for three months, and she came with a plan. I freeze, everything clicking together to create one clear picture.

She. She. She.

The Chief.

My rage multiplies exponentially, and instead of choking the remaining life from her, I run. Within seconds, I'm outside and away from the compound grounds, heading for the mountain range that separates us from the Wastelands. The hazy air surrounds me, but I can't find it in me to care.

Would it hurt me anyway, I wonder as I'm already a freak of nature—even for a vampire.

Trees split under my fingers as I take out my wrath on the wilderness around me. Boulders sail through the sky, only to land and shatter to pieces. An old hunting cabin crumbles under the barrage of fists I rain on it. My fury doesn't miss any obstacles, leaving a wide path of destruction across the range.

After the initial anger dims, pain starts to take its place. For three days, I wallow in my own despair. Unanswered questions spin through my mind on a constant loop. I waver back and forth, unable to decide if she was just following through on a plan she was already committed to, or if she still wishes for my death—even now.

But most of all, I just miss her.

A longing fills me. A deep yearning for her warmth.

When my mind has settled and the rage has faded to a dull ache, I start meandering my way back toward the compound. I take my time, absorbing the hazy air and contemplating how she might answer for her actions, if at all.

Will she be enraged that I live—or grateful.

I can only hope for the latter.

When the scent of a human fills my nostrils, I stop, realizing it's been over three days since I've fed. Long past my regular schedule, and I don't feel tempted, not even close. Even with the amounts I consumed from Bella and James, my insatiable thirst is never sated. It always demands more.

My feet start moving more swiftly, and I'm in the command center, headed for her room before I can think it through. Something's changed. Her blood has changed me. And I want answers now.

But as soon as I enter the stairway, a petite woman with spiky dark brown hair steps in front of me. "You can't go down there right now," she says, putting one of her hands on my chest.

I look down at her hand and then back to her face. "Get your hand off me," I say slowly.

"Geesh," she says, pulling her hand back to prop it on her hip. "I always knew you were the uptight one."

"What are you even doing out of your cell?" I snap, realizing she's the prisoner we captured with James.

"Oh, that," she says on a laugh, her posture relaxing. "Jasper trusts me."

I lift my brow. "Is that so?"

Placing my fingers on my temples, I reach my mind out to Jasper. Instead of forcing a thought into his head, I take them from him. Images of he and Alice laughing and walking around the compound soar through my mind. He's even taken her into town for dinner.

My eyes snap open, and I step closer, backing her into the wall. "What did you do to him?" I demand, suspecting that she's another weapon we're unaware of. Kill the boss and take over his crew. Seems reasonable to me.

"Whoa, Edward," she says, planting her hands on my chest and pushing. And though it's ineffective, I do take a step back. "I didn't do anything to Jasper, but you should be suspicious after what Bella did."

Bella.

Her name rings through my mind, and I realize this is only a distraction.

"No!" Alice says loudly, gripping my arm. "You can't. You're not ready to see her. You're angry, Edward, and rightfully so, but you could hurt her if you let it get out of control. I know you don't want that."

"You don't know anything about me," I growl, my jaw tight under the pressure to hold my temper.

"Oh, but I do," she responds, stepping away from the wall and tapping her temple. "You see, Edward, similar to you, I have a gift. And while yours was amplified by the radiation, mine has always been there."

"I don't care," I say slowly, my annoyance rising with every inept word she utters. "I have questions that need answering, and only Bella can give me that."

"But that's where you're wrong." She sits on a step and motions beside her. "Have a seat. Ask me anything, and I'll do my best to answer. You need to understand everything and be sure you're over your anger before you see her. If you still hope to have her as your mate, that is."

My eyes fall closed, because that is the question, isn't it? Do I still want her?

Yes. Yes, I do. Desperately.

I huff and take a seat beside the mysterious Alice who has bewitched my right-hand man. "Did she intend to kill me?"

"You don't pull any punches, do you?" she asks, giving me a sad smile. "Originally, yes. You must understand that it was our plan. But even then, I knew she'd feel differently before her moment ever arrived. That's why I allowed her to go through with it. Urged her even. Her destiny is with you."

"Why did her blood curb my hunger?" I ask the most puzzling question, not sure if Alice even has the answer.

She shrugs. "I'm not sure, but if I have to guess, I'd say the serum Bella used to poison you had the opposite effect. I knew it wouldn't hurt you, but it seems to have nullified the one thing you hate most about your condition. Though you must understand that her blood will kill any other vampire."

I growl at the thought of anyone else touching her.

"When you said "our" earlier, you meant the Opposition, correct?"

"Yes."

"And Bella is the Chief?"

"Yes."

These are things I had already figured out, so they're no surprise. "Has everyone from the Opposition taken the serum?"

Alice shakes her head. "No. Bella created it to interact with her blood only." She pauses and considers her next words. "You must understand, the tales of the vampire boss and the amount of blood he requires runs rampant. As our leader, she felt it was her duty to stop him."

"Does she know she failed?"

"No, that's the one promise I had to make to Jasper. He said it will be left to you to decide her fate. She thinks she's being held prisoner for killing you," she says, taking a deep breath. "She's been crying since she left the lab."

A stab of pain blooms in my chest, the two sides of me warring. "She did this!" I snap, the anger resurging.

"I know, Edward. She knows, too. She's devastated." She sighs and stands a couple steps below me. "Just make sure you've completely forgiven her before you go to her."

"Would I really kill her?" I ask incredulously.

"That scenario's too fuzzy for my liking, so it's better to be safe?" She lifts her brow until I give her a nod. "I knew before I joined the Opposition that we'd end up here, that's why I did it. Bella was filled with so much hate for vampires that she wasn't willing to look beyond it to see the good you've been doing." She places her hand on my shoulder and grips it firmly. "It's your destiny to rebuild the world, Edward. Just imagine how much more effective you can be with the Opposition on your side."

"You think that'll happen?"

"I know so, especially when your mate is their leader, although she won't be happy about Jacob." Alice taps her temple.

"Jacob?"

"Yeah, the other prisoner." She narrows her eyes and pops that hand on her hip.

"Oh," I say, remembering James and the way I killed him, but then I get angry. "You do know he murdered two humans, right?"

"What? No!"

"Yes, he admitted it before I drained him dry."

She looks off in the distance for a split-second before focusing back on me with a horrified expression. "Oh, I see. How could I have missed that?"

"I'm not sure, but it's inexcusable," I say, crossing my arms in a huff. "He paid with his life."

"Bella will understand. The whole point of the Opposition's existence is to protect humans." She smiles sadly. "I don't know how Jacob ever thought differently."

"Then we already have a common goal." I sigh heavily, this whole conversation weighing on me.

"More than one. You'll see, Edward." She pats my shoulder as she passes, exiting the stairwell door.

Left in her wake is nothing but a desperate need to see Bella. There's nothing to consider on my part, really. The most burning question I have now is does she still want to kill me or will she be happy I'm alive.

Instead of speeding down to her room, I walk slowly, taking each step one by one. As much as I want that answer, getting the wrong one would devastate me. As always, when I get to the bottom step, the fire rages, but the closer I move to her door, the more the buzz spreads over me.

Her deep, even breaths tell me she's sleeping, so I slip through the door as quietly as possible. I sink down on the floor beside her bed and take in deep lungsful of her luscious scent. But it's different this time. Salt laces each and every breath.

Tears.

I can't stop myself. I push her hair from her face and run my finger over the dried tracks. "Edward," she mumbles softly before shaking her head violently. "No! No!" she screams, sitting upright in the bed.

I freeze, unsure what to do, until her eyes snap to mine. "Edward?"

Before I can confirm that it is in fact me, her whole body slams into mine. Being that I'm a super-fast, supernatural being, I catch her easily and pull her tightly to me. Her head burrows into my neck as deep sobs wrack her frame.

I just hold her and let her cry.

Running my hand in a circuit up and down her back, I rock us slightly and do everything in my power to assure her that I'm here. We stay like this for a long time, and I'm just content to be touching her.

Eventually the tears dry, the hiccups fade, and the real work begins. She pulls back and studies me. "I thought you were dead."

I nod. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." I brush my hand over my head. "I was away for a few days."

"I'm glad you're not," she says, her eyes filling with tears.

I reach up and catch them just as they spill. "Oh, Bella. Please, don't cry." The salty scent calls to me, so I shrug and taste it.

She watches me and her eyes widen slightly, but she makes no objection. "How?" she asks, leaning closer and grabbing my cheeks between her palms. "How are you alive, Edward? I made that serum myself. It should've burned you from the inside-out the moment you drank my blood."

A cynical chuckle bubbles up, and I point to my eyes. "Do you see these? They're not contacts, Bella, they're radioactive."

She gasps, her hands jerking away from my face to cover her mouth. Even in the dark, I can both hear and see the blood as it rushes her cheeks. She throws her arms around my neck in a death grip. "I'm sorry, Edward. So, so, sorry. Thinking you were dead. It was too much."

I grip her shoulders and pull her back to where our faces are only inches apart. "Look, it's not important. I don't care. What I do care about is you and me, because even after this, I want you like I always have. In every way. You're my mate, Bella. The only woman I'll ever feel this way for." I hold her gaze with serious eyes, making sure she understands my commitment to her.

She shifts her body, leaning forward to run her lips along my jawbone and up to my ear. I hold completely still, anticipation zipping through my poison-filled veins. "I want you in every way, too, Edward. I want to be your mate."

But then she leans back to meet my eyes. "On one condition."

I smirk, confident that whatever it is, I can give it to her. "What's that?"

"I get to be the Boss of the Doomsday Mafia."

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