1
It was a dark and stormy night. Edward was near, but I felt no safety. The reasons?
A murderous vampire was after me
Edward was busy fighting off werewolves
I was completely and utterly exposed
So I was feeling pretty bad. I head a wolf howl, sending a shiver up my spine. Edward.Life looked pretty bad from where I was at the moment. WHAM! With a noise like a boulder crashing, Alice went flying by me, smashing into a nearby cliff face. "Alice!" I screamed, racing over as fast as my clumsiness would allow. "No, no, please, not Alice!" I tripped over a piece of shale and went sprawling onto her. She was very hard. "Alice! Are you alright?" I was panicking now. She was not moving, her eyes were closed, and she was not breathing. (Or maybe she was just forgetting to)
"CARLISLE!" I screamed, my voice cracking. He was at my side in an instant, a white blur suddenly next to me. He set to work without a word, without asking what the problem was. He performed CPR on a living boulder, pressing harder than he would for any normal human. But Alice was not a normal human. She was not even human.
I sat tense as Carlisle worked. Finally he straitened up, holding the limp Alice in his arms.
"Stay safe." He murmured, and was gone.
I ran towards the scene of the fight, my teeth gritted. Alice would be fine. She had to be. She had to. And the Edward was there, his gorgeous white face flushed with anger and excitement, his bronze hair whipping about, his flawless muscles rippling with effort. His opponent was just as intimidating, his dark brown hair flying, his dazzling white teeth bared, standing out against his tan skin. They smashed together with savage fury, growling and hissing, roaring and screaming. I danced nervously on the side of the meadow where they were fighting, wincing and groaning every time my hero took a punch.
Edward's opponent suddenly fell to his knees, shuddering. His form blurred and then morphed into a red-brown wolf. With an ear-splitting howl he launched himself at Edward, aiming for the jugular.
"No!" I cried. Both their eyes flicked to me. Edward took advantage of the distraction and gnashed his teeth, reaching down and throwing the werewolf into a spruce. It whimpered as it hit. I flinched. Jacob.
Edward grinned triumphantly and bounded to my side. "Bella." No matter what he had done to Jacob, Edward was mineand there was no way not to love his voice, his tender touch. I sighed as he pulled me closer to his cold, hard body.
"Will he be ok?" I needed to know.
"Nothing permanent." Edward's voice was forcefully calm. And then the tears came. I couldn't help it.
"Why? Why'd he side with them?" I sobbed. How could Jacob, myJacob side with the bad guys?
Edward faltered. "They promised him you."
I had no response to that. My mind felt numb. I pressed my face into Edward's chest.
"Where's Alice?" He asked. That only made me cry harder. Why was this happening? The fighting noises around me were the sounds of my life being destroyed.
2
Edward didn't need me to explain why I was suddenly crying. His face hardened into a blank mask and he deftly swung me onto his granite back.
"Close your eyes." He whispered. And then he was running. Though my eyes were shut tight, that didn't stop the wind whipping my hair from telling me how fast we were going.
When the wind ceased I peeled open my eyes. We were standing over Carlisle, who was crouched over Alice, whose eyes were miraculously open.
"Alice!" I yelped, untangling myself from Edward's neck and racing to her side.
"Shhhh, Bella, I'm fine." And she did look fine. A bit tired, but fine.
"I was so worried!"
"You have more important things to worry about." Alice glanced meaningfully at Edward. I knew she was telling him something with her mind.
Edward froze, and then nodded. "Come on Bella." He grabbed my arm.
"What?" I didn't want to leave Alice.
"Come on!" He commanded roughly, swinging me onto his back again.
"Bu-" I began, but the sudden wind as he began sprinting ripped my words away. We were flying smoothly, faster than he had ever gone before. Scared as I was, I could not help enjoying the smooth, flowing feeling Edward was creating with his speed.
Something suddenly slammed into Edward, knocking him into a tree from full sprint. I gasped as my leg, crushed between Edward's body and the tree trunk, seared with pain.
I opened my eyes, and found myself staring into another pair. A blood red pair.
"Hello." Demitri of the Volturi smiled down at me. I gulped. My throat seemed frozen.
"I see that you are not yet one of us. Pity. Such a loss for someone with such…prospective."
My blood curdled. Mortal fear clutched me. I was going to die. Unless…
I glanced at Edward, who was lying at he base of the tree we had smashed into.
"Edward!" I had my voice back now, and I screamed my last hope into the still woods.
Wonder above wonders his eyes flickered, his mouth twisted into a feral snarl and he leapt to his feet, teeth bared, looking more like a vampire I had ever seen him.
He looked ready to fight. "No Edward!" I moaned. "Just bite me, Edward, just bite me!"
"He faltered, his eyes switching from my anguished face to Demitri's eager one. Demitri stepped closer.
"BITE ME!" I screeched. Edward stepped towards me, and hesitated.
"NOW!"
He swooped forward, grabbing my palm, and bit down hard.
Pain flowed up my arm like boiling water. Every beat of my heart was utter agony. I could not only feel, but also taste and hear the pain. A tangy, metallic taste on my tongue, gasoline fumes filling my nostrils, an iron clang echoing in my ears, and excruciating, mind numbing pain that swallowed up my body. My eyes were open but I could not see, my body was seizing up, my limbs were stiffening, my stomach was being squeezed into a ball. My head was melting, my skin was boiling, and my fingernails were being pulled out with rusty tweezers. My eyes struggled to focus, my heart burned and stung. If I was screaming then my ears were not working either.
And then it was over. I opened my eyes, I felt fresh, reenergized, and strong. I felt powerful. I felt hungry. An addiction so strong it hurt filled me. I wanted I needed blood. Now. I leapt to my feet, my speed surprising me.
I turned around. Edward was there, leaning against a tree, an appalled expression marring his beautiful features.
"Oh Edward!" I stepped forward.
He stepped back.
"Edward?"
He shook his head, his eyes disbelieving. "No." he groaned hoarsely. "I didn't."
"Edward! You did!" I giggled. This was obviously the wrong thing to do.
He froze. "I created a monster! " He growled.
"Edward, it's still me." I stepped forward, taking heart that he stayed where he was. I slunk forward and put my head on his chest. It didn't feel cold anymore. It felt normal like…my skin. I looked down at my hands. They were pale and ghostly.
"Edward, I still love you." I purred. I was surprised at how alluring my voice sounded. His expression gentled.
"Bella." He pulled me close. I sighed, releasing the pain of the last…
"How long?" I asked.
"Two days."
I frowned. "Doesn't it usually take three?"
He seemed equally puzzled. Then he shrugged, pressing his marble lips to mine.
"You were always one of us."