Preface
I stared into his blood red eyes and my mind shut down. I reverted back to a different time, a time where life was as inconsequential as the weather. When it was time to live, you lived. When it was time to die, you died. It was a morbid truth that I had accepted in my earlier, less civil days.
Those blood red eyes I was staring into were sinister, merciless, and sadistic. The face was blurred and I was convinced I was staring into the eyes of my creator. Fury coursed through my veins and I attacked. Maria was a good fighter, but I was better, smarter, and stronger than when she last saw me. I threw her against the wall and then…and then Alice jumped on her back. Except, it wasn't her back. It was his. James. It was as if she had awoken me from a dream. Alice had once again, inadvertently brought me out of my hell. Her presence reminded me that though I was a killer, it's been a long time since I was a murderer. I wasn't going to kill James out of convenience; I was killing him out of love. Out of the love I was already beginning to feel for Edward's mate, for Bella, whom we found dying at James's hand.
Emmett took over, tearing up James' final pieces. Alice fetched a tank of gas from god knows where, and I fished the lighter out of my pocket. It was only then that I noticed the blood. It was a miracle hadn't noticed it before, the scent saturated every breath I took. I turned around and saw the pulsing, deep red blood pooling on the floor. My shoulders tensed and my breathing became ragged. My entire line of vision was consumed by the blood. I wanted it. I needed it. I craved it, and dammit it was mine!
Emmett gripped my arms and shoved a gas tank under my nose. Gasoline, a scent strong enough to bring me out of my haze, if only for a second. I remembered that the blood belonged to my Bella, and she was dying. I held my breath, closed my eyes and let my brother lead me out the door. I could only hope that everything turned out alright in there, and not just for Edward's sake but for Bella's. For my sister.