Broken.
There was no other word in existence to describe my life at that exact point. Seeing her crumpled in a heap, thrown like a lifeless doll in shattered glass... tore at my undead heart. My life... my entire reason for being... broken on the floor.
A feral snarl rose through my throat and between my lips. All of the rage of the world passed through me in a shudder. Another predatory roar screamed within me.
Then I saw him.
Hatred did not even begin to describe my feelings for that monster. Heedless to everything around me I started to attack him in a dead rush, all thoughts of strategy gone from my consumed mind.
Emmett.
Suddenly he was in front of me, blocking my path of rage.
"Bella," he whispered quickly. His thoughts belayed his message. Bella needed me. He and Jasper would make sure James suffered. Bella needed me and as much as I wanted to kill James for hurting her, I needed to be with Bella.
I forgot the damned vampire and skidded through the trail of blood to Bella's side.
The scent was overwhelming. I pushed it roughly from my mind. I was more horrified then tempted. Blood oozed sticky and steadily from her slashed head. I approached her slowly, worrying that in some way I would do her harm, worrying that I would be the one to cause her death somehow.
"Watch out for that leg," Carlisle warned me. "It's broken."
I snarled again, my lips barring teeth.
Carlisle frowned, sharing some empathy to my pain. He asked for hi bag and knelt beside Bella.
I cradled her as gently as I could in my stone arms. There was so much blood. Too much blood. With a sickening feeling I realized that her heartbeat sounded faint in my ears, as if she was across the room rather than against my chest. Perhaps, I let the thought settle in although I nearly hated myself for thinking it' perhaps I was too late. What if... What if I lost her?
I felt a shift in her body underneath my marble skin. Her turn for the worst was palpable. I could feel her slipping away from me.
"No! No! Bella, no! No!"
There were no other words. My throat choked them out roughly in a voice that was not my own.
"Bella," I whispered, agony in my voice. I was out of time with her. My angel was slipping away.
After what seemed like aeons she finally opened her eyes. Dark chocolate colored pools of beauty stared dreamily up at me. Her gaze was dulled through pain as she recognized my face.
"Edward," she sighed dreamily. She snuggled against me. "It hurts."
I was vaguely aware of Carlisle gently changing my hold on her and speaking to Alice. His words were unimportant to me. I paid them no heed.
"Edward," she whispered again. Suddenly her eyes grew bright. "Where is the fire? Put out the fire!"
I was confused. Fire, there was no fire. But the pain and urgency in her voice sparked a vague memory.
"My hand is on fire!" She screamed just as the realization hit me. I stiffened up against her, unable to speak. I was going to lose her after all. She would be a different Bella. Not the same beautiful creature I now held in my arms.
"He bit her." Carlisle seemed more shocked than frightened. His face was whiter than I had seen it in years.
"You have to do it, Edward," Alice nearly pleaded. Her remark did not register. Nor did her thoughts. I did not comprehend until Carlisle spelled it out for me.
"Edward," he addressed me without looking, "See if you can suck the venom back out of her hand."
I stood up, relinquishing Bella to Carlisle's capable hands. I backed up, accessing the situation. I was already on the very limits of my self-control whether I acknowledged it or not. I did not trust myself to be pushed any further. My beautiful Bella... If I were to try this I would be her death.
Carlisle told me he couldn't do it. " I need to stop the bleeding from this head wound if you are going to be taking blood from her hand."
I stood frozen in indecision. I wasn't strong enough. I just had to face it. Bella's Knight in Shining Skin wasn't strong enough to save her this time. "I'm not strong enough," I gritted my teeth. "I don't think I'm able to do this.
"It's your decision, Edward," Carlisle spoke calmly. "But you have to hurry if there's any chance it will work." Turning to Alice he added, "Alice, get me something to brace that leg!"
I inwardly groaned. Was it worth risking Bella's life to save her soul? Of course. There was no question. I would have to try.
I pressed my lips together in determinations as I knelt down beside my Bella once more. She breathed my name in a sigh of pain.
I had to do this. I would make it through this for her. Mentally preparing myself I placed he bleeding hand in mine. Her skin felt so soft, so delicate, and already it was growing cold.
I pressed my lips gently to her skin and ran my tongue over the cut. The blood excited me and chilled me to the core. I closed my eyes in a last futile effort to calm the blood lust.
Human blood! Never was there a taste more phenomenally satisfying. Nothing had ever tasted so exotic and irresistible to me before. I lost all control, letting the sucking actions of my lips bring forth the sweet nourishing nectar of the blood. The metallic taste thrilled me and pushed me ever deeper over the edge. All thoughts fled my mind as I savored the blood. I was no longer Edward Cullen and my victim was nothing more than a sweet taste to be enjoyed. I was incapable of stopping. The lust for this new pleasure was too powerful to be denied.
Just as I was teetering at the point of no return the taste suddenly altered. The sweet metal flavor against my tongue became slightly bitter.
The momentary confusion led to just a slight enough hesitation that Edward nudged in to try to stop the soulless vampire. I struggled against myself. I had to stop. It was imperative that I stopped! But it was so impossible. I couldn't even remember why I even wanted to stop in the first place.
As another drop of tainted blood reached my tongue an image flashed through my brain.
A young woman, plain to my vampire eyes and yet strangely beautiful crossed my vision. She stared up at me with dark liquid orbs, silently pleading for her life. The level of trust in her gaze shocked me, almost frightened me and before I knew it I was fully Edward once more. My self-control was restored and my face no longer near Bella's wounds.
I realized that my eyes were open. Had I not seen Bella! I would have been her death. I would have been responsible for the death of the one I loved most!
I did not understand Carlisle's question but somehow I automatically responded. "Her blood is clean. I can taste the morphine." That seemed to satisfy him.
"Is the fire gone, Bella?" He asked seriously.
She nodded sleepily against my chest. My Bella. She was whole and still completely human. My chest pained me as I realized just how close I came to losing her. I stroked her hair, careful not to touch the head wound as I ran my fingers down her hair and cheek.
The smell of gasoline assaulted my senses. That could mean only one thing. Emmett and Jasper had won.
"It's time we get her out of here," Carlisle commented.
Bella mumbled something unintelligible in my ear. Her eyelids drooped although I could tell she was trying her hardest to stay awake.
"It's okay Bella," I soothed. "I'll carry you sweetheart. You can sleep." Immediately I felt her relax. She gave up fighting to keep consciousness and let the morphine take effect. "Sleep now, Bella." I cooed gently into her hair as I slowly and carefully picked her up. She was so easily breakable.
Staring down at the limp form in my arms I tried vehemently to deny to myself that I loved her. I couldn't. My entire being belonged to her now. I loved her deeply, I realized, and there was no going back.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please, please, please do me a favor and review! It really helps a lot in writing the next fic! I will be picking up Impact again soon! Thanks again! -Kyraillion