The Attack

The strong, steady pulse of the blood beating through her veins reached my senses before she did. The floral scent of the pounding blood tickled my burning, scorching throat. It smelled so…tempting.

Every pulse, every pound, every swoosh of the blood through her veins scent the sweet, luscious scent to me. It took all my strength not to hurt my brother's true love—or my Alice's best friend.

I reflexively started backwards. I found myself a safe distance away at Edward's piano.

Then the door opened, the strongest scent of Bella's floral essence coming at me fully. I stopped breathing on instinct, shrunk back even farther towards the piano, and took a good look at her.

Her hair hung down in gentle, wavy curls, pulled back in a headband. She sported a casual black long-sleeved shirt with a white tank top underneath. She's wearing black jeans and sneakers, her wrists simply decorated with black bangles and bracelets. Not very festive colors. I thought this was a happy time for humans?

Alice bounced up and took Bella's hand—how does she do that?—and led her to the big pink cake and stack of small silver presents.

That's my Alice, I thought as I once again let my eyes drift around the room. Everything was so pink; something that others of our kind would probably find mocking of offensive if they didn't know the occasion.

I looked back just in time to hear Alice chirrup, "Time to open presents!"

She was handing Bella the silver-wrapped box from me, Rosalie, and Emmett. I laughed when I saw her confused expression at the little empty box and decided to explain.

"It's a stereo for your truck. Emmett's installing it right now so you can't return it."

My brother's hearty laugh floated from the truck to my ears.

My Alice, always excited, kept throwing presents at Bella. "Mine and Edward's next!"

The next second Emmett came in, finished installing the stereo, and clambered into the little group forming around the mortal and her gift. I even risked sliding forward to see better.

That's when all hell broke loose.

Bella jerked her finger under the flap of the envelope. One second, I'm watching eagerly, the next, a sharp slicing sound inaudible to mortal ears reached mine, followed by the sharp, powerful scent of blood as a single drop oozed from her finger and hit the white carpet.

I lost myself along with my control. I flung myself as hard as I could at the human girl, trying to get as close to the blood that tainted my every thought as possible. I wasn't even controlling my own mind or actions.

My throat burned with raging fire that wouldn't put out; it drove my insane actions further and fiercer. Edward reached me before I came less than a foot from Bella—our bodies smacked mid-air, cracking with a thunderous volume. When I fell back, Emmett trapped me in his monstrous hold. While Edward tried to escort Bella to Carlisle, the only one of us remaining calm, I snapped unthinkingly at him, instincts taking over love for my brother and his Bella.

I heard Edward yelling something to Rosalie about helping Em get me out of here, but I couldn't hear clearly over my ravenous growls and snaps.

Finally Rose and Em managed to get me out the door. With the scent of blood out of my smelling range, emotions and sanity came flooding back to me at full-force. I broke from Emmett's metal hold and ran deep into the forest.

The stinging dryness that came as tears for our kind appeared in my eyes. I couldn't believe myself. I almost killed my brother's first and only true love. The dryness bit harder.

Alice came running from the house a few minutes after Edward talked with me, coming to me, following my scent. When she found me, she threw her arms around my waist and murmured words of comfort as I pressed my lips to her spiky hair.

She stretched up to kiss me, and I picked her up in my arms and kissed her passionately back.

When we broke the kiss, she murmured my name and nestled her head on my chest.

"It's not your fault, you know," she said after a few minutes of silence.

I sighed. "I hate being the weakest. I almost killed Bella. Of course that was my fault. If I were just stronger, I could have resisted, and none of this would have happened…"

She pressed a finger gingerly to my lips. "No, Jasper. All of us react differently. If it helps, it wasn't easy for me to keep calm at the sign of the cut, either." She smiled sheepishly.

I smiled back tenderly. She always knew how to lift my mood. I pressed my face in her hair as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "It still doesn't make up for what I did."

Alice sighed heavily.

She tensed after a few seconds, obviously listening to the conversation inside. "Sounds like Bella's getting ready to go home. I should go find her something less gory to wear back to Charlie's." She hopped down from my arms, hers still wrapped around me.

Her golden eyes bored into mine. "Will you be okay?" she asked, brows pulling together with worry and concern.

God, how I loved her. "I think so," I whispered.

She stretched up to quickly peck me on the lips before I watched her dance away.