"She will be a great challenge for you, sister." Edward was walking me to my first class. Apparently he there was something he wanted to tell me that could not wait until lunch.

"Because of her anxiety?" It would be something I knew would push my patience, but this would be good for me. I was already far too impatient, even for a vampire, and if anything could help me control my otherwise wild sense of need for immediate satisfaction it was Bella.

"Not that I do not agree with the need to work on that particular virtue, I was not referring to her anxiety. Or perhaps I was." We had stopped in front of my locker and Edward's voiced thoughts made me stop and listen.

Edward, being a mind reader, rarely voiced if thoughts before knowing exactly what and how he was going to say. "What I mean is, I had a conversation, or more like a sentence with Bella this morning and it did not go well." Edwards thoughtful and slightly concerned eyes never wavered from mine while I took in what he was saying.

"You spoke with Bella?" I was beginning to get annoyed. I knew no more of what was going on before we had started this conversation and his, whether intentional or not, digression was beginning to put me on edge. It was what people did when they were not entirely comfortable with the information they needed to pass on to you.

" You are right. I am not completely comfortable telling you this because I do not like upsetting you. But sense you seem to be getting rather impatient," his smirk was I dea give away he was making fun of me, "I will just tell you what happened. Bella approached me in the hall before we met just now. I do not think she knew it was me at first. My back was to her as I was facing my locker. She said, 'Excuse me,' but it was so low that if I was not me I would never have heard it. She slightly startled me because I did not hear her decide to approached me before that. Alice, I can not hear her thoughts at all."

My eyes widened as he said this. Edward could not read her mind! This was indeed very surprising.

"Yes you are no more surprised then I. But this is not what I meant by a challenge. When she recognized me, from the coffee shop I can only assume, it was like fear itself swallowed her whole and she quite literally spun on her heels and ran away."

"She ran from you?" Why would she run? Its not like Edward had done anything that might have given her reason to fear him. Really no one in town feared our family. The might not have felt comfortable approaching us but there was nothing that anyone in this town would have told Bella to fear any of us.

Edward was now looking at me with agreeing eyes.

"Well this might be harder then I thought." I had come to school this morning filled with great anticipation. All night I felt as though I was being tortured with imaginary restraints as if I was being held against my will in a dungeon made of constant waves of optimistic possibilities overwhelming my mind but being forced to wait for what seemed like a lifetime for the sun to rise with the promise of seeing my Bella once again.

And now it appeared as if I would have to treat incredibly lightly when it came to speaking with this obsess worthy creature.

I sighed heavily while sliding my biology book under my arm and closing my locker. Turning to my brother I looked him directly in the eye and knew I did not need to voice my new resolution. I was going to go as slow as Bella needed in order to make this work, even if it meant chaining myself to my bed every night to control my undeniable attraction to this girl.

"I am proud of you Alice. That is something I know will not be easy for you and the mere fact that you excepted this set back in your plans means perhaps this is the right person for you after all."

I flashed him a dull by Alice standards smile and fell in step down the hall in route to class.

We - or at least I could hear their voiced before we turned the corner and I actually faltered momentarily when I realized it was Bella and a boy, Mike introducing himself. Hands off, she is mine. My territorial insticnt kincked in before I registered what it was and I had to talk myself out of ripping Milke's head off.

I could hear Bella's unenthusiastic response to Mike's explanation as to how he knew who she was. Bella did not want to be noticed. That much I could tell already. Of course she would not want everyone in the scheoll to knw who she was and heaven forbid they actually tried to tlak to her.

Come with me Bella and I will hide you from everyone. I can take yout ot my house in the woods and make you forget there is even anyone else in the world to bother you ever again.

One half of me, the human part, pushed those thoughts away and tried to remind me that that was no way to have a healthy relationship. I was a social creature anyway, of course I would want to take my Bella out. Show her the world wasn't a scary place. See her smile at all the new things I could introduce her to.

The other half of me, the vampire half, was pushing back with vivid images of very new things indeed that I very much wanted to intorduve Bella too. My mind was going wild fueled by the original thought of hiding her away. My dark side was already had her tied to my bed, her naturally timid side causing her to shy away even though she wanted me to -

My delicious thoughts were inturpted my Edwards abrupt cough that was obviously intended to reming me that hwe was still here and could read everything I was thinking.

The corner of my mouth turned up in a slightly evil grin, a mix laughter at my borther and a bit of left over enjoyment from my thoughts, as we turned the corner. There she was. Starring at me.

We did not stop our progession, I could not stop if I wanted to. All I have wanted since I saw her that day in the coffee shop was to get closer, and by god today I would get as close as I could. I purposefully did not make eye contact with her.

The lustful thoughts I had conjured earlier would make controlling my actions even harder and I did not want to risk scarring my poor Bella more then she already was.

I knew that she was following my movement down the hall which triggered my natural instinct to show off. So I acted as though I didn't even notice her as I passed her.

And then all logical thought ceased.

Her scent filled my nostrils without any warning and I was instantly wild with lust and hunger. Never in the history of my being had I experienced anything even a tenth to my sudden untamable desire to simultaneously and violently feed on her physically and sexually.

I immediately spun on the spot so that I was facing her again to find that her back has to me. I could feel the burning in my throat but something kept me from claiming her. That was when I felt the other sensation. Although her scent was practically causing lava to flow down my throat it was also rising an immeasurable need to posses and protect her.

That was when I knew I would never, could never cause her any harm. And relief washed over me for a brief second before I breathed her in again. Then it was only desire.

Her back was to me and I knew it was because Mike had demanded her attention, I would deal with him later. Then her eyes met mine and I knew she was seeing pure black in mine. A deep black that caused a natural desire in hers. Inwardly I smiled a dangerously wicked smile. She could and would be mine.

I could feel the pull from her body to mine and extended no effort to foil its obvious path. She would be in my arms before she could take her nest breath. Her hand darted to her satin throat, her bodies pathetic attempt to protect itself. If my intentions were in anyway to cause harm that hand could not stop my pinky.

Her mauve dusted lips parted and her breath rolled across my face and through my hair, causing new venom to pool in my mouth. Her cheeks were warmed with a deep blush set in not from embarrassment, but undeniable lust.

Mike drew her attention away from me yet again and I raised onto the balls of my feet, preparing to dispose of this inferior interference once and for all.

It was then that Edwards rushed words of warning, too low for any human to hear, tumbled through my walls of dark desire to allow cold reality to come crashing in.

I was on the other side of the hall in milliseconds grabbing my brothers hand to ensure I could not continue with my devised plan to end Mike Newton's life. When Bella looked back to where I was standing just seconds ago it would seem like I was never really that close. It was safer for her to think that she had made the whole thing up then to have her questioning what had just happened.

Mike was now pulling Bella down the hall in my direction. I could see the confusion on her face. The internal struggle between what she felt to be true and what she knew to be untrue. I begged her to just except what she knew to be logical and keep walking.

I only now just noticed what she was wearing. The straight leg jeans she had on were modestly fashionable and fit her lovely frame quite well. Whoever helped her pick them out did her a great favor because I could tell from her choice of shoes that if the jeans had been solely up to her she would not have made out as well. The bulky old sweater must belong to her grandmother, at least I hoped it did since it hung loosely from her shoulders and hid any possibility of shape. What I could see from the small triangle of white tank top showing where the cardigan parted at the neck line, I would definitely have preferred the sweater to stay at grandma's house.

Although I managed to observe her attire I never broke eye contact with Bella. She was making her way down the hall towards me and I was not entirely sure what was going to happen