Hello, everyone. I am SO thankful for the responses I have gotten to my creative outlet. I feel so connected to my audience and my craft when you provide feedback.

There is concern about Edward being intimate with Rosalie while Bella is ...not alive. I'm sure Bella will be concerned too, so your questions will be answered in the future. That brings me to another topic:

This is a mature, dark themed story. Bella and Edward are not going to be the pure lovebirds that they are portrayed as in canon material.

There will mentions of rape, violence, depression/suicide, torture, drug addiction, and death. Depending on how you view it, there will be mentions of infidelity too. I am an author obsessed with sex and visceral love, so there will be a lot of smut.

I think that covers all my transgressions. I hate long author's notes.

If you decide to stick around, I hope you enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

SSS

My legs are quivering as I step into the brisk, Seattle air. They're demanding that I go back. Cullen, he said. Edward Cullen.

I don't acquiesce. I can't help the mantra of 'what the fuck?' that tangles up my mind. The encounter was just so bizarre. My excitement is inexplicable and nearly tangible - rivulets of electricity ghost my skin.

I lift my bag higher onto my shoulder and try to move more quickly, though I feel as if I'm walking through quicksand.

The University of Washington campus is a sprawling landscape of busy students at this hour. The clouds are parting to reveal the orange sunset. I step onto a curb and wave down a taxi.

A car stops soon enough, and I clamor in. "West Fifth and fourth, please."

The driver is young, male. He raises his eyebrows at the address like they all do. It's not a short drive.

"Timer doubles after five minutes."

I am surprised and become irate. "Bullshit, the rate usually doubles after ten minutes." I brought exactly the amount of cash I thought I needed.

He huffs, leaning back in his seat. His thick black hair is curly and obscures his face. He stares at me with iced blue eyes. They chill me. "New rates started at noon. Not my rules." He regards me blatantly now, using his arm to turn and fully face me. "I know how you can get a free ride."

"Fucking pig." I climb from the car and slam the door so hard that the window quivers.

I can hear a peeling laugh as the car pulls away.

Now I'm screwed, because a 15 minute drive makes for an hour walk. My apartment is still considered housing for the school, so the walkways and boardwalks will guide me there. The sun continues its descent, and the wind begins to feel bitter.

I curse again and begin my trek.

The forest faces me from both sides. I can't remember the last time I walked home from the main campus. The trees I usually find scenic and tranquil are now oppressive and haunting.

There are eyes on me, and I feel them everywhere. The cobblestone paths are still littered with people, but the longer I walk, the thinner they become. The sky is a void. My legs are pumping now, and my phone's GPS says home is now a mere ten minutes away. I feel like I'm the only person in the world.

The screen lights up and it's my friend Alice. I answer in a frenzy - I had completely forgotten about our plans.

"Hey, I'm gonna be so late -"

I freeze. The weight of being watched suddenly feels suffocating. It bears down on me from all sides. The windows of every building are eyes peering down at me. The campus has never felt this still, this desolate. I am terrified.

The sound of a deep languid, inhale is in my right ear. I vaguely hear Alice on the phone. She is screeching. A sudden, sharp pain reverberates up my neck, and into my head.

And then there is darkness.

SSS

EPOV

I am entranced.

Isabella's eyes are alight with old memories of us, and she does not even know it. Our chemistry is palpable, and the reason my body still thrums with life. Her voice is a symphony. The scent of her blood is a dizzying ambrosia that sends my throat ablaze in agony. The thirst is violent in response to my singer, and mind is drowning in the waves of my love for her. The contrast leaves me whirling.

I missed her so much.

She excuses herself from our encounter. And of course, I follow. Always following.

Alice has plans to formally introduce us over a dinner tonight - unbeknownst to Bella. We haven't decided which role I would play yet - cousin, mutual friend - it really doesn't matter.

An orange slit of a sun peaks through a nearby window. I should have paid more mind to the weather. I was filled to the brim with excitement, so an oversight was made. I settle into a dining area close the front of the building. People shuffle passed, giving a wide berth without even realizing.

My thoughts lapse to my Isabella - a guilty pleasure. This name is her most fitting yet. It is sultry and tantalizing - like the soul that she carries.

Edward! Alice's voice reverberates like a siren in my mind. My hand goes to my temple in annoyance. I had not heard the thoughts of another in such a long, long time. I much preferred the silence. I don't see her anywhere, but she must be close by.

I grab a sheet of paper and pencil from my prop backpack, and bend over to feign interest in writing. When I speak, the frequency is quick and low, but I can't risk looking strange.

"My mind is not a telephone, Alice."

Where is Bella? Her thoughts are panicked, and it is contagious. I can't see her future!

I stand abruptly, garnishing odd looks. My facade is almost forgotten. It is maddening to walk at a human pace to the front of the school, where Bella's scent trails. The door is revolving with bodies. The sun is melting into darkness, holding me hostage.

A gust of wind wafts through my nose and I am almost sick. The smell is sickly sweet and inundated with centuries of engorgement on human blood. Then, there is the smell of Isabella's fear.

A heavy hand claps onto my shoulder. It is Jasper. His thoughts hold no words, just feelings of threat and worry. Alice stands beside him, her eyes clenched as she searches countless scenes of the future.

"The Volturi are here," the sound of my voice is a moan of desperation and helplessness.

"The sun is almost gone. We'll go then." His southern accent is calm. His eyes are calculating and guarded. I realize he isn't asking. "We can't risk it - it will only cause more trouble."

He releases a wave of emotion over me, spreading from where his hand lays. It does not feel like calm, but a vehement determination.

The sun mocks us. It is barely a sliver now.

"Two minutes," Alice says. Her eyes have not opened.

I face the door. That smell still hovers, wrapping around the scent of Bella's rising fear. There is no solace in my mind of chaos and Jasper's touch does not offer the reprieve that I need of hearing her heartbeat, seeing her face. The feeling of losing her is maddening, I cannot hold myself together. This is too soon, not yet, not this time. I need her.

The sun disappears and I am through the doors.

Go through the woods, we won't be seen there. Jasper's thoughts are tactical, calculating and calm. It infuriates me. I wonder if they would have been the same if it were Alice's throat at their mercy.

The trees fly by in a blur, even for me. Not a leaf is disturbed.

They have her.

I vaguely hear Alice and Jasper try to keep pace as I whirl forward. Isabella is never safe. Not with me - what have I done?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The world is twilight, and my panic is stark contrast to its tranquility. I follow her scent, the smell of her heartbeat. I can't lose her again - her voice, her smell, her soul. I would not survive it.

The trees clear. There she is - lying still on the pavement. Her features are calm, and she appears like a porcelain painting. She inhales and exhales evenly. I allow myself to mirror her breaths in relief. She is alive.

A figure stands over her like an omen. Pale, hardened skin, the scent of murder, the absent sound of a dead heart - a monster like me. I cannot help the fear that washes over me. But I am glad for the fear, revel in it. I still have something to lose.

"Alec."

His eyes do not leave the human lying before him. He is small and thin in the extreme, drowned in black clothing. He appears to be alone - but I am not foolish.

"Edward." His voice is unsuspecting like a child. He was on the cusp of puberty when he was changed. It repulses me. "You've found her - again."

"I will always find her." I bite back. Bella's heart thumps in her chest, and that gives me courage.

He smiles and it does not reach his eyes. His thoughts intrude into my mind. Aro will always find her, as well.

Alice and Jasper appear next to me. I do not tune in to their minds, but I can feel their hackles rising as they stare at the scene before us.

Alec looks at us upon their arrival, and his stare is so cold - I wonder how he had ever been human. There is no semblance of a soul in his scarlet eyes. They dance between the three of us.

"The traitor, the psychic, and the fool." From Jasper to Alice to me, his stare sweeps back and forth.

Bella twitches and groans, raising her hand to her head.

His gaze snaps to her, a mixture of surprise and rage. I do not wish to, but I hear his frenzied thoughts. All her senses are supposed to be gone. She is supposed to be still, akin to death.

"Why are you here, Alec?" I step forward. I cannot help the growl that slips . "No rules have been broken."

"Yet." He kneels down and strokes the back of his hand from Isabella's hairline to her chin. "It's only a matter of time."

"Do not touch her!" Rage springs me forward, but two pairs of hands lock around my arms like a cage. I am thrashing and hissing as he continues to stroke her cheek. She shies away from him. I see nothing but red.

Alice shoves herself into my mind. Jane is here.

Then, I see a vision that I did not care to search for. A small girl - the very copy of Alec, and reading a book on a bench nearby. Her legs are crossed daintily as she hums. Her blonde hair peaks mockingly from underneath a large, black hat.

I see the future through Alice's mind, of me attacking Alec. I am fast enough to rip his limbs from his body. Then Isabella is writhing, screaming and thrashing in throes of endless pain. Jane still hums, not moving. Jasper and Alice echo Isabella's wails, but all I can hear and see is my love being torn to shreds from the inside out. Blood seeps from her ears, and her veins protrude from her neck unnaturally as she continues to cry out. Even for a shield, the human mind can only take so much torture. And then, she is limp - her heart is silent.

I fall to my knees at the scene. I would weep if I could. "Don't touch her." But it barely comes out in a whisper. I am helpless.

"Whenever we want her, Edward," He coos, his hands going to rest lightly over her carotid. Her life's blood - my life's blood - thumps against his fingers, "We will have her."

His eyes find mine again. "Enjoy your time."

His steps are silent as he walks over the the unsuspecting girl. She rests her book in her lap. Jane looks at us and her too pink mouth breaks into a sadistic, slow smile. Then, they are gone.

SSS

Bella POV

The darkness around me is beginning to thin. It feels like I've been lost in it for years. My senses return one by one, and I am glad for it. The air smells familiar - crisp and ripe with pinewood. A light breeze dances over my skin.

"She is not safe here." A man speaks, his voice is melodic. But it is also worried, panicked? Defeated? The voices sound far away, muffled.

A female. "She's not safe anywhere." It is resolute and sad. "They came of their own accord - The weren't dispatched. I wasn't checking for them." A soft sobbing follows.

"Elite guards," A low, somber whistle. "This is bad."

Too many questions, my head begins to protest the thoughts. A groan escapes me.

"Bella," The woman speaks again. "Bella, can you hear me?"

"Alice?" My throat feels like sand. It is a struggle, but my eyes open.

I am lying on the pavement of walkway near my apartment. Lamps give the empty pathway an ambient glow, but they somehow don't block out the heavy darkness of the sky.

Alice face is all fairy - slanted eyes, pointed nose, and small perfect shaped lips. Her pale skin glows, even at night. She has been my friend for years, and her beauty has never been lost me. I sit up fully, and I see her hands twitch as if she is going to of assist me, but then thinks better of it. Alice and I never touch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Edward says you passed out."

Edward. My heart immediately crashes into my chest. "Edward .. Cullen?"

"Hello, Isa- pardon me - Bella." He is crouching there behind Alice, tussled hair and beautiful face and golden eyes - staring right into me. "Are you okay?"

My thoughts leave me again and I hate it. It is difficult to even formulate a reply. I only nod - I can't break my eyes from him.

"Maybe we should call the paramedics so they can poke and probe her," The southern drawl tells me that it's Jasper. He is never too far from Alice, so I am not surprised. I find a smirk on his lips. "She's acting like some kind of zombie."

I roll my eyes. "Eat it, Jasper." Throughout high school, I had gotten enough injuries for Jasper and Alice to know that I hated when the paramedics were all over me. "I feel fine, really. Just help me up - my legs feel like noodles."

The collective pause is strange and brief. Edward steps forward, and I wonder if I had imagined their hesitation. "Of course."

His hand finds mine and he hoists me up effortlessly. Maybe a little too hard, because I stumble into his chest. His arms go around my torso to steady me.

His body is hard. I stare at the column of his neck as fire ignites all over my skin. He smells so fucking good. Sweet and masculine, a heavy natural fragrance. My knees feel weak. Though I am flush against him, I suddenly feel as if I am not close enough.

His finger finds my chin and tilts my head upward. His eyes capture me, and I am falling into them. His mouth is so inviting. Edward is smirking at me in amusement. I feel dizzy.

"Breathe, Bella."

A whoosh of air escapes me. I hadn't realized that I was holding my breath. No, I was breathless.

The oxygen to my brain helps me think clearly. I back away. "Th-thank you."

His gives me a crooked smile and I am falling all over again.

Alice clears her throat. "Okay, no paramedics. But we have to walk you back to your apartment."

I open my mouth to protest.

"No buts!" Her hands fall from her hips and deep worry paints her expression. "I was really worried about you."

Guilt and embarrassment collide. I give in.

The four of us walk toward my apartment in ambivalent conversation. I learn that Edward is Jasper's cousin who is a pre-med transfer. He stays in the same building as me - and suspiciously enough - witnessed me just …collapse on my way home. Alice says she was on the phone with me when I passed out. I vaguely remember that part.

"The coincidence is not lost on me." Edwards says, giving me a brilliant smile. He doesn't even look like he cares about my suspicion. "The world is a small place. I must be a lucky man."

"Or a lucky stalker." Jasper adds.

Alice shoves him and they laugh. Though playful, the air still seems thick with tension. Maybe I am imagining it but their jokes and banter seem like a facade. Their faces are equally perfect, so there are no worry lines or frowns for me to base this feeling. Maybe they're worried I'll hit the pavement again. My head begins to throb.

The entire walk, I keep a safe distance from Edward. I don't trust him or myself, but I can't help but watch him from the corner of my eyes. I catch him peering at me through his long lashes more than once. My mind is in a strange place. A part of me, thought shameless as it may seem, wants to climb into a bed (anywhere will do, really) with him. But a stronger, more rational part of me wants to run as far as I can from those deep, golden eyes.

Alice rambles about plans this weekend to make up for our dinner tonight and her words are going in one ear and out of the other. Our faux staring match goes this way until we arrive.

My apartment building is old and it smells like it. It is inhabited by unfortunate transfers and late registration students. All three of them are so radiant looking against the moldy ceiling and now brown carpet, they just seem out of place. I can't imagine Edward actually living here. I am not entirely sure that's the truth, and upon thinking that, I am entirely uncomfortable.

I live on the first first floor and they walk me all the way to my door, despite my protests.

I fumble with my key as they all stare. I can't wait to be in the confines of my home.

Alice probably senses my discomfort. "We'll see you tomorrow. Be careful." Her words seem unnecessarily heavy. She pulls Jasper away. I vaguely remember that their apartment is only a few blocks from here.

"Bye, Bella."

Edward lingers. My hand is paralyzed against my door handle. What is he waiting for? What am I waiting for?

"Thank you for walking me back." I say. I hate the way that my heart quickens.

His hand finds mine. His skin is cold and smooth, like velvet pulled over curved marble. I do not pull away, which would be perfectly rational. Our attraction is so palpable, every moment we're not touching feels like a moment in suspense - like time is perpetually holding its breath. It is the most inexplicable, bizarre phenomena.

I feel as if I'm in a trance as I turn to fully face him. His hand snakes up my arm, leaving fire and ice in its wake. I didn't realize that I was craving this. Each moment his skin on mine, I feel an infinite thirst being sated. His hands lands on my cheek. His eyes are so appreciative and in awe, as if they are studying a masterpiece. I probably look the same.

"I am so happy that you're alright." His breath ghosts over my lips.

My next thought is irrational - reckless. I just met Edward a few hours ago. I think he is weird, suspicious, and bordering on creepy. But he also seems chivalrous, kind, and polite. And then there is this pull - a tangible attraction. We are magnets. The thought is crazy, but it makes all the sense in the world. I am going to kiss him.

And then my door swings open. We are bathed in light.

"Bella - who is this?"

SSS

Edward can read minds, yes, but under certain conditions. This will be explored in future chapters. Bella is not entirely immune to Jane/Alec - not only did I dislike this about the canon, but it didn't fit into this rendition. But she is a shield - the extent of her power will be explored later, as well.

If you have any more questions, I would love to hear them.

Your reviews write the next chapter. I'm so excited to hear from you all. XO - Spirit