I locked on to the scent. Wow, that was potent. How could something smell so good? I could only imagine how good it would taste. Venom flowed freely in my mouth and I welcomed it, I could not wait to sink my teeth into the flesh that was emitted that glorious fragrance. I started zeroing in on the smell which was leading me to a dark alley way right outside an old bar.

Perfect, I thought its dark and he's alone and hopefully a little drunk. It shouldn't be too hard to convince this poor guy to take a walk with me; I knew just how persuasive and sexy I could be. Of course hearing the thoughts of every guy around helped a lot I knew what they saw and what they wanted, too bad they never actually got it. I tried to be quick with my victims I didn't want to prolong their agony needlessly.

A few men noticed me walking to the opening of the alleyway, great, I thought. I shot the men a menacing stare that was cold and terrifying. I snarled a bit just to make sure that they got the message to stay away. No need for any extra deaths. I just wanted that tantalizing blood that was getting further and further away from me.

Get it together Bella, I thought, put your predator face on. I was encapsulated by the darkness now which was just what I needed. He never sensed me coming until I was right behind him. I tapped him gently on the shoulder but it was enough for him to curse loudly and swing around with his fists clenched. Feisty, I thought, this could be fun. His expression of paranoia and anger disappeared as soon as he caught site of me. "Wow" was all he could say for the first ten seconds then his instincts registered that something was not quite right and he tensed up again. He could not even see me properly in this light. I worried a little at what his reaction would be if I had actually surprised him somewhere well lit.

"May I help you?" he cautiously asked glancing over my shoulder and behind him to see if there were any other people around.

"Umm… I was wondering if you could show me how to get to the Twilight apartment buildings, there is a party there that I am supposed to attend but I seem to have gotten myself all turned around." My voice was deep and sultry men just couldn't resist it.

"Sure, it's just through this alleyway and about two blocks down Park Rd. that runs next to The Gardens. I'll walk with you, a woman like you should not be walking around this part of town by yourself." Awe, he was trying to be all chivalrous and stuff. I glanced up just enough to agree with him but kept my eyes focused on the top of his head. I could never look into the eyes of my potential meals, it always came me flashbacks to when I first became what I am now, a vampire. His scent assailed my nostrils every time he spoke or moved his body through the humid July air, it was almost too much. My restraint was being pushed to the edge. How could he smell so good? I'd never inhaled anything as delicious as this in my fifty years as a vampire. It was taking every ounce of strength I had not to pounce on this man right now. He was trying to make small talk while I tried not to kill him in the middle of the sidewalk.

"So what's your name, beautiful?" he asked.

"Bella, Bella Swan," I answered, it did not really matter if he knew my name he'd be dead in just a few minutes. "What's yours?" I asked just to be polite.

"Edward, Edward Masen," he responded.

"Well, Edward Masen thanks for walking all this way with me I hope I didn't keep you from anything."

"No ma'am don't you worry I'm just glad I was there to help you." He spoke so assuredly. We walked until we reached The Gardens, a very beautiful Eden surrounding by groves of trees. I had my plan figured out in my head, I would fall down and feign a broken ankle I would blame it on my shoes and clumsiness. Once he came back to me I would suggest he take me into the park where I could rest on one of the benches. There was never anyone in The Gardens at this time of night so I would be safe from exposure. There I would lean in to give him a kiss on the cheek; he would think I was thanking him for taking care of me. As soon as that thought passed through his head I would lower my lips down to his neck a pierce his skin with my teeth and allow his sweet, hot blood to run down my throat. I could almost taste it now.

Now was my time to put my plan into action. I stopped for second and broke a twig and fell on the ground. It sounded convincing enough to make him believe I had actually broken my ankle. I cried out as if I was in pain and Edward snapped his head back to see me lying on the ground cringing with pain. He rushed over to me and asked what happened. I explained that I was walking and tripped over my own feet in these ridiculous shoes and that I thought I had broken my ankle. Next thing I knew he was trying to pick me up. I really did not need him touching me because it would be a dead give away that I was not normal, normal people did not walk around with skin as cold as ice in the middle of July. I waved him off and used his shoulder to support myself on. He helped me hobble through the grove of trees and into the park. I could see all the little animals scurry away as I entered; they knew what was best for them. Edward led me to a bench where he gently helped me sit down.

"Thank you so much," I said.

"No problem ma'am here let me have a look at it." Edward said. It was a good thing I was wearing thick black stockings under my dress. Edward removed my shoe and began to lightly press his fingers to the spots he thought would be sensitive. I responded with a light gasp but I was trying to let me see that it was not hurting that much anymore. I needed his blood… bad… and I was tired of playing games. He slipped my other shoe off my foot and suggested that he just carry me to the apartment that I needed to go to. I laughed and said I would love that but suggested that we just sat and talk for a few minutes before we started going anywhere.

I moved closer to him and I could hear his heart beat start to accelerate. But what I could not hear was what he was thinking. How strange, maybe something was wrong with him. I decided that it did not really matter because he would be alive much longer.

"Thanks for taking care of me." I stated using my ultra sexy voice. He was speechless for a moment. But he pulled himself together enough to muster up a "you're welcome." That's when I moved in. I lightly kissed him on the cheek then moved my lips down to his neck.

"Bella," he softly said. I had to recoil at the way he said it. The way he said my name reminded me too much of the way he had said it, that was one human memory I could never shake off. Then I made the biggest mistake. I looked into his eyes. I half expected them to be his eyes. But what I saw there was much more devastating. They were the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. I could see that every shade of green could be found in these remarkable eyes, emerald, leaf, grass, Kelly, hunter, olive green, you name it and it was there. It would not even take my vampire eyes to realize that Edward's eyes were the most gorgeous thing anyone could ever see. And at this realization I had to run. Edward had a confused look on his face that was washed with uncertainty as I began to retreat from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I could not answer because I was holding my breath. I could not take in a lung full of air until I was far away from this man. I ran away at an inhuman speed. I no longer cared if Edward saw me I just wanted to be free of that intoxicating scent and those piercing, beautiful, and deep green eyes.

I attacked the first thing that crossed my path. I looked down and noticed it was a man in a business suit. Damn, I thought, now I'll have to hide the body. Even though I had this mess to clean up, I knew it was worth it. I needed the blood since I could not get that sweet, sweet blood from Edward. I still do not understand how he did that. He reminded me so much of the one I hated, the one I had taken me away from myself, and those eyes… "Snap out of it, Bella," I muttered to myself. He's just a lost meal no more than that.

Suddenly I was insanely thirsty again. It's as if just thinking about Edward sets my throat on fire. I started running again, anything that crossed my path, I attacked.

By the time dawn was breaking the death toll of my rampage was ten. Ten humans that had incidentally crossed my path and would never see the sun rise again. I am a terrible monster. I had to get out of this city, of course no one would ever find the bodies, but ten disappearances in one night are just a tad bit suspicious. For all I knew Edward could have already gone to the police. Looking back I really should have been more careful, too many deaths in too small an area. I could not help myself, the killing instinct and extreme thirst took over everything, there was no human thinking or emotions involved. Soon I was running again. I did not stop for a long time. The sun had set and rose again by the time I began to slow down. I had come to the outskirts of another city. I was not thirsty at the moment so the city was safe for now.

I then remembered that my clothes were torn and blood-soaked. I should know by now to carry an extra set of clothes with me. I noticed a lone woman walking on the side walk by a walled neighborhood; no one would ever see anything.

I walked up to her and put my arms around her as if I was giving her hug and quickly snapped her neck. No need for pain or blood, I'd had my fill and I needed these clothes clean. I changed into the now dead woman's jeans and white button down shirt in a nearby wooded area and disposed of the body where no one could find it. Chalk another mark up to my death toll.

Killing people did not bother me anymore the way it used to; it's just what had to be done. As long as I never looked in my victims eyes, I was fine. Humanity was no more than a food source to me anymore. The only humans I ever did care for were destroyed a long time ago. I walked toward the city, figuring I could spend some time shopping and getting some clothes that I could carry with me. Shopping seemed like a perfectly human thing to do.

I was crossing the street about to enter a small little boutique when I stopped dead in my tracks. This just could not be possible. I could not believe the scent that just entered my nose. Edward. How in the hell is he here?

"Bella," he said sounding exactly the same way he sounded last night. Is it possible that my already ice cold skin grew colder?

"Edward?" I asked trying to play cool but failing miserably. He had caught me off guard.

"You ran away from me last night," he stated. I remained silent, how could I possibly respond to that? "I didn't like that," he continued, "I was being nothing but a gentleman and you up-and-run off on me." His voice sounded so menacing. What was he thinking? Dammit! Why can't I read his mind, this would be so much easier. He came up close to me, way to close. His scent was wonderful and overpowering and I was about to lose all control. A snarl ripped through my throat and reverberated in the air between us.

He leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Calm down little tiger, I know what you are." I was stunned into silence. Did he seriously just call me "little tiger" and how could he possibly know what I was? I was so angry, I wanted to lunge at his throat and rip it out right in the middle of the busy street. The only thing stopping me was the sudden sense of insecurity and curiosity that bathed me now. "Let's walk," he suggested. He laced his fingers through mine as if we were in a relationship and had known each other for years.

What the hell? Just who does this Edward Masen think he is? And more importantly, what did he think I was? Humans made incorrect guesses as to what I was all the time, but he seemed so sure of himself.

He led me to a row of apartment buildings. "Here we go ma'am, this should give us some privacy," he said confidently. I was expecting to follow Edward into the basement of some secluded part of the complex, but Mr. Mystery walked straight to a door that opened into an apartment.

Man, I was so confused. "You can have a seat if you want to, I would prefer you did," Edward said.

I could not get caught off guard again. "Well, I prefer to stand, thank you, would you tell me what's going on?" before I kill you I added silently.

"Bella Swan, I know what you are."

"And what is that Mr. Masen?" I replied. He grinned the most crooked grin I had ever seen and that's when I realized that he was quite good looking for a human. His copper, bronze hair stood off his head in every direction as if he just rolled out of bed. His skin was pale and flawless with prominent cheek bones and a jaw-line that could cut. The last thing I gazed at were his eyes, his piercing crystal eyes that anyone could stare into for days.

"You're a vampire," he said it as if it were nothing; as if he had just told me that my hair was brown.

"What led you to this fine conclusion, Mr. Masen?"

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that, Mr.-"

"Masen is my father, yeah, yeah I've heard that before it's not funny, and if you don't tell me how you know what I am within the next thirty seconds, I am going to rip your damn head off of your cocky little shoulders." I was beyond furious; he's standing there joking around about knowing what I was. Twenty seconds went by and he still hadn't given me an answer, I grabbed the collar of his shirt tightly in my hand, constricting his throat," Answer me now!" I growled.

"Okay, okay," he choked, I loosened up. "Geez kitty, you are something fierce." I snarled once more hoping he would get the message that he was not going to be alive much longer.

"I know that you are a vampire," he struggled, and for once he looked fearful, "because I used to be one."

"Impossible," that was all I could manage to say. In my fifty years I have never heard of any vampire being able to return mortal.

"Oh, it's quite possible, Mrs. Swan, if you really want it," he added.

"Explain, now," I demanded. He paused for 45 seconds. Yes, I was counting, I wanted to know how this was possible and he putting it off was driving me even more insane than I already was.

"I will explain, but first I need to know how you became a vampire, and how you control your thirst, it's very important that I know these things, I want to help you," he said also caringly.

"Who ever said that I needed or wanted help? It's just mere curiosity that's keeping me here and keeping me from killing you," I stated, I was tried of his crap.

"Silly Bella, you can't kill me, I may not be a vampire, but I am still immortal," he said patting me on the head. Seriously, if he touches me one more time I'm going to lose it, what does he mean he's still immortal? "Would you like to cooperate now?"

"Just tell me why I have to tell you the story of my existence," I finally started to lose the edge in my voice.

"I need to know because your story will help me tell you my story," Edward answered. Cryptic enough? Geez, I can't get a straight answer out him. We sat in silence for ten minutes while I contemplated telling this non-vampire-but-still-immortal stranger about my life.

I finally broke the silence, "I was bitten in 1960."

"How old were you?" he asked.

"I had just turned 18, I was bitten on my birthday," I said, he grimaced.

"What a lovely birthday present." he said. "How did it happen?"

"I was opening presents at my birthday party when I got a paper cut," I said, having blurry flashbacks to that horrible day, "My best friend, Alice Cullen, had a boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock, who was a vampire, she knew his secret, but no one else did. One drop of blood hit the carpet and it was all over for me and everyone else. He attacked and there was no one to stop him. Next thing I could feel was the burning, but it was the screaming overpowered the pain. Jasper had turned one everyone at my party; he killed them all, my family, and my friends, even his girlfriend and my best friend, Alice. Everyone was completely drained, I was the only one that he left burning. After everyone was dead, he was holding Alice's small limp body in his arms when he looked at me with blood-red eyes and whispered, 'Bella.' That was all I ever heard from him, he ran off with Alice's body and I've never seen him since" Edward looked stunned. It was kind of nice to see that I could finally do the stunning, but it still hurt to recount my story to this stranger.

"Can you tell me exactly how many people you lost?"

"Everyone, Edward, I lost everyone; my mother, Renee, my father, Charlie, my fiancé Jacob, his father and pack of friends, my best friend Alice, and her family, overall fifteen people gone in an instant. But you know what my biggest lost was? I lost myself and everything I had worked for. I lost all self-control and reasoning. Jake and I were supposed to be married that summer before we went off to college; I loved him so much and still do." I couldn't talk anymore, if I was capable of crying I would have been sobbing by now. Edward and I sat in the quiet for thirty minutes. All I wanted to do was leave but Edward had yet to tell me his story.

"So, can I hear your story now, Edward?" I asked quietly.

"In a little bit," he responded, "I still need to get a few more answers and learn more about you. What are your feelings about your creator?"

He was making this sound like a therapy session. "Are you kidding me? My creator? He didn't create anything, he murdered me, and damned me to hell and as for my 'feelings' toward him, and I hate him. If I were ever lucky enough to come across him again, I would kill him, no questions asked, right on the spot."

"That's good," I heard him mutter, "Do you have any special talents or abilities?"

"Yeah, I can read minds," I stated flatly. Edward didn't look surprised. "Do you have any special talents, Mr. Masen?"

"Well, apparently you can't read my mind or you would already know that yes, I do, I can read minds also."

"Really now?" I sighed.

"Yes, but I can't read yours just as you can't read mine."

"That's weird," I said; as if this whole situation wasn't already weird enough lets add defunct mind-reading skills to the pile, "I wonder why that is," I said to myself.

"It's because you are still a vampire and I am not." Of course he had the freaking answer. His arrogance is constantly grating on my nerves. "This leads me to my next question, what is your diet?"

"What kind of question is that? I'm vampire what would you expect my diet to be, waffles and bacon? Blood, human blood, is what my diet consists of."

"Have you ever considered an alternative?"

"What could possibly be an alternative to blood?" I asked.

"Well, it's not really an alternative, its still blood, but you wouldn't have to continue killing humans, you can survive on the blood of animals."

"Are you just insane? I mean seriously, animals? How could that possibly sustain me?"

He answered, "Sure they don't taste or smell as good as humans do, but blood is blood and when it comes to killing, animals cause a lot less guilt than killing humans does."

"I don't feel guilty for killing humans anymore. They are no more than a food source. After everyone was taken away from me, I stopped caring about other lives, unless I happen to look in a victim's eyes, like Jasper did to me, it was what stopped me from biting you a couple nights ago."

"So, you wouldn't even attempt to survive on animal blood?" Edward asked.

"It's not that I wouldn't try its just that I don't really see how it could work."

"It worked for me," that was all I got from Edward for awhile. Anytime I tried to say something he would wave me off and sink back into silence. After an hour of nothing, I decided it was my time to leave. I got up and walked to the door at vampire speed, some how Edward was there before me.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he questioned.

"Well, since you were just sitting there for an hour thinking about God knows what , I decided that I should take my leave seeing as your thoughts are more important than my presence that you insisted on being here," I retorted.

"Don't you even a care to know my story?" he said, sounding almost dejected.

"If you care to finally tell me then yes, I would like to hear it," I gave in.