Author(s): bexi21 and KathyJay (kalejay)

Disclaimer: We own nothing but our little plot - everything else is property of Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: Thank you so much for your comments, everyone! We're glad you're enjoying this. Here's chapter two - now mind you... this isn't going to be anywhere near similar to 'New Moon.' So... Edward doesn't go traversing to the same places he did, etc. Just keep that in mind... lol.

Next update will be Bella's POV.

FYI: The small Romanian translation in this update was done by storylover10. HUGE thanks goes out to that person!

Chapter Two

Edward's POV:

Her floral scent still surrounded me. When I closed my eyes, I saw her standing in the forest, begging me to stay. I could see her lips moving as she spoke. I could see the tears spreading over her liquid brown eyes. Every strand of her hair never moved unnoticed by my gaze. I wanted to reach out and feel the warmth of her skin against my cold flesh. I wanted to feel her heart racing beneath my hand, to see her cheeks flush the ruby red that made my dead heart blaze with life. But I had made my choice. And now I would never have those moments again.

For the rest of my undead life, I would regret leaving her.

A cold mist hit my face and I glanced upwards. The sky clouded overhead, a dismal gray that touched the tops of the surrounding forest. The trees were still. The air was thick. And all was silent as I walked up the dusty path of a small village. Several small one-story homes were strewn in such a way, that I imagined an invisible line connecting them in a zigzag like fashion. The soft, haunting chant of monks echoed from a few miles ahead in the monastery of Curtea de Arges. And just beyond that was Poenari Castle – the castle of Vlad the Impaler, the real Dracula.

I smirked sadistically. Here was the one place I was feared the most – I was hated here the most. And above all, I enjoyed the startled looks of the villagers as they worked in their yards, pulling up weeds and casting them into the street. I took comfort in the blackened thoughts that filled their minds as they saw me pass. Pale skin, eyes of night, lips of blood… My eyes would flicker to them and they would jump. I would hear their hearts flutter uncontrollably in their chest and my mouth would pool with cool venom.

A young girl ran into the street a few feet in front of me. Her dark brown hair bounced in the wind, sending the most delicious scent towards my nose. My nostrils flared, my jaw tensed, and I watched her, like a lion watches his prey, as she ran into the arms of her father. The older man embraced the child and immediately withdrew into their small hut; his dark eyes glowing menacingly towards me.

My eyes flickered to the left. An old woman, her hair white as snow, stood facing me from her window. When my gaze met hers, she hissed loudly, grabbing the red shutters and pulling them close. "ce-l făr de viață, să arzi în focurile iadului ." Her harsh voice filtered through my ears, sending a delicious smile to spread across my lips. "Cold one, may you burn in the fires of hell."

If she only knew, I thought. If she only knew…

Thick smoke rose ahead; gray puffs billowing into the air. As I walked, I saw a man working behind his home, throwing sticks and tree limbs into the fire he had created. His small, almost black, eyes flickered to my face. He grimaced and spit into the ground, showing his disgrace for what I was. Carlisle had warned me about Romania. In the small villages, people were more than willing to believe in vampires. Only they didn't know the truth about us. They believed in keeping garlic on their person for protection or tacking strands of it up beside of their windows. They would nail crosses over their beds and keep vials of holy water in their rooms.

How glorious it was for me to be in such a place of hate towards my species. I needed to feel this - after what I did to her, I deserved it. I relished it, basked in the whirlpool of heated whispers that filtered my mind. A woman slammed her door shut when I turned to face her. A black cross swung angrily back and forth against the wood as if to frighten me away. Superstitious fools, I thought.

As I ventured further, I started to walk up an incline toward the stone monastery where the monks' voices echoed towards the skies. It was nice in a strange way. I actually enjoyed being able to get lost in such a beautifully, haunting sound. The large wooden front door, swung open and a skinny young man cloaked in a brown robe walked out onto the grounds. He carried a small lamb in his arms and bent over to let the feeble animal stand in the tall grass. I could hear the soft flutters of its heart. My throat tightened at the thought of its warm blood coursing through its veins. It wasn't until the lamb's brown eyes looked up at me in alarm that I realized I had stopped walking and was studying it, eyeing it like a man seeking to quench his thirst. The lamb cried out and backed away towards the monk who was now watching me curiously. When my gaze met his, his eyes widened. But he made no cross over his heart, nor did he mutter lines of scripture or curses of hell for me to hear. And surprisingly, his mind was devoid of any thought as well. I was tortured with absolute silence from this man as he picked up the small animal that nudged relentlessly against his legs. A low hiss issued from the back of my throat as I watched him walk back towards his sanctuary; carrying away the one thing I wanted most. It angered me, knowing that I craved the blood of an animal over the blood of a human – over the prey that I was supposed to kill.

When the monk was finally out of site, I took off into the forest. The liquid cold venom watering my mouth was unbearable. Stupid lamb. It was then that Bella's silly analogy for herself flashed through my mind. A loud growl ripped through my throat at the thought.

So it was true. I was too dangerous for her.

But I couldn't stop now; I had to give the monster what it wanted. I had to feed before I found myself massacring the entire village. And while that thought was quite pleasing, it would disappoint Carlisle – and he was one person whose hate I did not want to feel.

I breezed past the woods, breathing in deeply, searching… My eyes flickered from left to right. I could make out the veins in the leaves that barely flew past my face. I could see each bead of water as the mist filtered around me, dampening my frozen skin.

The rustling of leaves to my left caught my attention and I raced towards the sound without ever faltering in my step. The head of a large stag rose from the ground. He didn't even have time to register my attack before I was on him, clawing my nails into his warm flesh. He bucked beneath me, trying to push me off, but I held him down forcefully. The heady smell of his blood raged through my senses. My lips curled back, baring the weapon that would kill my prey. And as I lowered myself to his neck, my mouth wide, ready to taste his blood; I saw her.

She stood in the same tattered jeans and faded shirt that she wore that day in the woods so long ago. Her chocolate locks blew past her face, feathering out into the wind.

I froze – unable to tear my gaze away from her.

Clear liquid trails of tears fell down her face as she stood before me. They slipped over her pale skin, running into the corners of her crimson lips. "You promised," she whispered. "You promised me, Edward."

I gasped suddenly, releasing the stag beneath my hands. I hardly noticed that he jumped to his feet and ran off into the woods. My eyes stayed focused on the one person who could make my heart beat as if it were alive. For minutes, it seemed, we stared at each other.

And then I blinked… and she was gone, vanishing before my eyes.

Even though I didn't need the oxygen, I was breathing heavily as I turned around sharply, frantically searching for her. I thought of calling out to her but what difference would it have made? She was a mirage – a tortuous reminder of my stupidity. I was meant to see her, to feel the undeniable remorse from her tears. If this was how I was to carry on the rest of my life, then so be it. The villagers who longed to see me in hell already had their wish. For this was hell, and I was doomed to forever be haunted by the young girl who should have never fallen in love with me.