Disclaimer: All characters are not owned by me and are used without permission solely for the entertainment of fan-fiction readers.

Author's Note: So after reading the Twilight series, of course I had many ideas about things that were left untouched in the books. This is one of them. Enjoy.

Prologue

I had felt so much pain.

The fact that I was a vampire made this much more significant. Pain was not something we were accustomed to feeling. But it had been something I had been feeling often since I had met Bella.

At first, it had been a burning pain, coming from the monster that threatened to break free from within me. I had wanted to slaughter everyone in the room the first time I had smelled her. Her irresistible scent had caused me unbearable pain those first few days.

Then, it had been the longing to be near her, to protect her. That had been even more painful. I hadn't been able to fight my better judgment. The thought of any harm befalling her had been . . . agonizing. It had not been without effort that I was able to suppress my craving for her blood.

Finally, the excruciating pain I had felt when James had taken her. I had never been so frightened in my life. I didn't think I could feel fear like that anymore. It had taken every ounce of self-control to not lose focus and find Bella.

The thought of not being able to feel her soft body against mine, the warmth of her lips on mine, the love in her eyes . . . had been unbearable. Seeing her broken and bleeding had been an anguish I never knew was possible. It was then that I had been convinced that I could not exist without Bella.

That's why I had been surprised at how easy it had been to leave her. She had been so easily convinced . . . that part had hurt. Didn't she know how much I loved her? I had very much wished to be able to hear her thoughts at that moment . . . to know how she could have believed such an outrageous thing. But it had merely made my plan easier to carry out.

Perhaps it had been the knowledge that I was leaving her for her own protection. After the incident with Jasper, I had felt so guilty, putting her in harms way. Jasper's remorse had been great and the other member of my family had been ashamed at their collective reaction to the smell of her blood. And Bella . . . she had been so apologetic and mortified by it. I didn't want Bella or my family to be in that position ever again.

The look on Bella's face when I told her I was leaving had been one of disbelief. Her body had been trembling and at that moment she had looked more fragile than ever. That had been difficult to bear. My resolve had almost crumbled. Almost. But I had made up my mind and was set on carrying out my plan. I would keep her safe. Even if it meant an eternity of torment for me.

All of that pain was nothing compared to the one I felt the day Rosalie came.

Hope you guys like it. Read and Review!

- Lady Artemis -