A/N: This is where the story truly begins. The prologue is explained in this chapter, and I promise things will become clearer soon enough. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters in this story. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.

CHAPTER I

Feelings

Bella's PoV

I opened my eyes much too early. The room felt so empty without Edward by my side. I fought myself, trying to sleep longer, but I couldn't. With a sigh, I got up and started my daily chores. I hated his hunting trips on the weekends.

I was fully aware of how empty my life was without Edward – that time, when he left… No, I didn't want to think about it. He would never leave me again. He came back, they came back, and I trusted them with all of me. They were my family, and he was my soulmate. Edward was being ridiculous, saying he has no soul… His soul was beautiful, and somehow, it matched mine perfectly – even if I was nothing compared to him.

Today will be a long day, I thought to myself as I walked down the stairs. Charlie was awake, staring at the fridge. His cooking skills hardly allowed him to make a sandwich, so he was sipping coffee. I gave my Dad a warm smile and started cooking breakfast for the two of us.

'I'm going down to La Push soon, and I want you to come with me.' Charlie said in a serious tone when we finished eating.

I sighed. I wanted to meet Jake. But Edward would go crazy, and I would never risk a confrontation between my lover and my best friend. One being a vampire, the other a werewolf, the result would be bad. My lips, out of control, showed a smile at the thought of me telling Charlie about my vampire boyfriend and werewolf best friend. He took my smile as a good sign and smiled back.

'Let's go after breakf…' he said, and I was forced to interrupt.

'Dad, I'm not going anywhere.'

'You can't forget Jacob just because… Cullen is back.' Charlie never warmed up to Edward, especially after my adventures in Italy.

'I didn't forget him. It's complicated.'

'He's a good kid, Bella, and I know he misses you.' Charlies words brought me a new wave of guilt.

'Dad, just let me sort this out by myself, please. The last thing I want is you and Billy gossiping about me and Jacob.' I said, giving him a sarcastic smile to cover my true feelings. My father looked at me with tired eyes – he'd given up, for now.

And I was ready, I was ready to give up anything for Edward… My best friend, my personality, my life. I sighed. This will be a really long day…

Edward's PoV

I should hurry. Bella will be impatient. But lately, being alone holds a certain sweetness to it – since we came back, I haven't left her side, except for those rare times when I've gone hunting with my family. Even then, I wasn't alone. I had Jasper, Emmett, my father… Alice. Alice, who was my closest friend. I've rarely thought of her as my sister – she was way more than that. I enjoyed the time I've spent with them. Yet today, I chose to go alone.

'It's not safe, Edward' Esme said in a worried tone, her thoughts filled with silent pleas for me not to go.

'Don't worry, Mom. There's no danger in the woods. I can handle a bear or two.' I winked and ran, using my vampiric abilities to the fullest. I needed some time alone. Something was wrong. What it was, I wasn't sure.

Bella, my Bella… I used to need her like humans needed air to breathe with. She needed me. I left her once, and I promised never to leave her side again. Why does something tell me it's a promise I won't be able to keep?

I felt strangely restless. I needed to care for Bella, her life, her happiness was still my priority. Then why the sudden need for change?

I mindlessly attacked a helpless mountain lion, drinking its' blood, hardly focused on the hunt. I was the predator. They were my prey. My mind was free to roam.

Alice… My Alice… Jasper's Alice. Her words burned in my head, adding to my confusion.

'Edward… You're not leaving us again, are you?' She asked me last night, pain and worry shining through her eyes.

'Leaving? Why would you think so?' I replied cautiously. I hadn't thought about it, but now that she mentioned it, I felt restless again.

'I had a vision' She spoke after a moment of silence, her eyes misty. 'It's… It's getting clearer now.' I could see it all in her thoughts. I saw myself, looking at the sea for a moment before taking off. Someone ran beside me. Who was it? Was it Bella? But we ran at vampiric speed…

Alice grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes.

'Will you run away? What about Bella? What about us… your family… what about me?'

'I don't know, Alice' I answered truthfully. 'I need some time to think.'

And here I was, not any smarter than I was before. The thirst stopped burning my throat; I realized I'd been full for a long time. Yet I couldn't come back. Not yet.

I ran through the forest, the breeze smacking my marble skin. A human would only see all shades of green, I saw everything with great detail – a small bug resting on a leaf, blown away by the sudden movements of air, caused by me. I felt like I was truly myself in those moments, when I could run freely. Being with Bella, I always had to try to be as human as possible – I tried to destroy a part of me, I tried to destroy the predator, the vampire. The more I tried, the more I couldn't. Was that it?

Yes, but…

I finally reached the end of the forest. I've rested my body on a large rock – I didn't need the rest, it was a human habit – and looked at my skin, glimmering in the sun. I slowly moved my eyes to what was in front of me, or below me, the town of Forks. I must have climbed one of the nearby mountains.

The sun shone brightly in the sky; one of the few sunny days in Forks. Had Bella been here with me, she would probably stare at my skin in awe; personally, I didn't find it that great. I wished I didn't have to be a slave of the shadow. Invisible chains restrained my movements, and I felt them now more than ever before.

I began thinking about Bella once more. I loved her, no doubt about that. She was my life. Yet a part of me began to wonder… how would it be, without another chain to hold me down. Is that what I thought of her? My thoughts embraced me, like a protective bubble, making me oblivious to the surroundings. I guess that's why I didn't hear the footsteps behind me…

'Nice view, hm?' she spoke in her melodious, enchanting voice.

Within a second, I was fully alert – I turned around, ready to fight whoever it was that came here, searching for me. To surprise a vampire – either I became extremely unaware, or she was extremely careful.

'You're a fierce one, aren't you?' a small chuckle escaped her lips. 'Just like I saw you in their memories…'

In their memories? Who the hell is she?

I was about to charge, without thinking who she is or what she wants, but… As I rested my eyes on her, I felt my muscles relax. I've never met her before, yet I felt strangely attached to her. I gave myself the time to slowly register every detail of her body, before finally reaching her face. Her neck, her lips, finally, her eyes. As impossible as it may seem, when my eyes met hers, everything has changed.

I felt a strange sensation in my whole body, something I've never felt before. I felt like my heart was about to burst from the emotions. The strange attachment I felt multiplied by a thousand; without even knowing her name, I knew I would give my life for her.

A few moments later, she became the center of my universe, the reason of my very existence.

'I've been searching for you for so long…' she moved towards me, her eyes locked on mine. I could never pull away.

She took a few steps, she was now right in front of me. Her sweet, vampiric scent awoke a new kind of thirst in my body. The mysterious woman looked me straight in the eye, flashing another dazzling smile.

What happened next… I couldn't help it. It felt as if I had no control over my movements anymore. Within a second, I wrapped my arms around her, she didn't object – instead, she pulled me even closer. When my marble, stone-cold lips crashed into hers, she responded with passion equal to mine, as if she had been waiting for this. As I have; I just didn't know that, until I met her. Until she found me.

After what felt like a very short while, she pulled away, giving me another smile. I felt the need to touch her take over every muscle in my body, every thought in my mind. It was irrational, impossible, yet so real.

'My name is Marla' she spoke. 'It's nice to meet you, Edward Cullen.'

I didn't say a word. I just kissed her again.