Chapter 9
Previously
We stood in silence and I whirled around looking down one of the alleys and I saw a familiar shadow, it started to make its way towards us
"Ah, my Bella, it's time to come home" the shadow came into the light to reveal...
"Riley?"
BPOV
No, no, no...
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice laced with venom
He chuckled, unfazed with my tone, "well, I've come back to retrieve what was rightfully mine" he said as if he were speaking to a six-year-old
"No" Edward growled
Riley turned to him "I wasn't asking you, Cullen boy, I was asking Bella" he snarled
"What do want, Riley?" I sneered
He turned back to me, a lethal grin spreading across his face, his eyes were bright red, shining in the moonlight, and "you" was all he said
I felt Edward shift me so that I was behind him and he was crouched ready to attack
"Aw, how cute, Cullen boy wants to protect you" he mocked a cute face which then turned feral, "too bad he doesn't stand a chance"
With that he lunged at Edward and they tumbled to the ground snarling and snapping at each other. I shrieked, not knowing what else to do
"Bella, run!" Edward shouted as he held Riley off
Riley laughed darkly, "and leave precious Edward behind, how very selfish, Bella" he taunted as he threw a kick towards Edward's chest but he blocked it throwing Riley off guard. He threw Riley across the street and he crashed into a shed, making the wood groan as it snapped and Riley fell through.
Edward walked towards me, "are you okay?" he asked, his arms about wrap around me
But I shoved him out of the way just in time before Riley lunge at me; we toppled to the ground him falling on top of me. I scratched at his face anywhere I could reach; he snarled and grabbed my wrists and pinned them on either side of my head. My only weapon was my fangs and I snapped his face.
"Get off!" I snarled, trying to pull wrists free
He did but he kept a hand on me, pulling my arms behind my body in a painful grip, Riley held me in front his body as protection.
When I saw Edward, I almost shrieked because I saw Victoria holding him by the hair ready to rip his body apart. She must have come with Riley so it would easier to get me.
"Hello, Bella" she spoke softly but it was cold
"It's your choice Bella, either Edward dies or you come with me and we'll leave precious Edward alone" Riley whispered in my ear, his lips grazing it slightly, I shuddered and almost gagged.
I struggled against him but it was no use, he wasn't taking any chances with me. I only stared at Edward; his eyes showed pain as Victoria pulled on his hair.
"Face it, Bella, you don't really have choice, join me and I'll give all the blood you need to last for a long time" Riley continued "I want you, Bella, I want you to be with me and we can truly be together forever." I clamped my mouth shut as I felt him nuzzle his nose against my neck, just below my ear.
Images of the night he killed me came flooding back
"Don't worry, this won't hurt...much" he smirked and flashed his teeth
My terror was replaced with anger and rage as I replayed that night's events
"Please, no! Please, don't!" I begged but he laughed mercilessly
It all seemed so real, like it was happening all over again
"Don't beg human! It won't come to any good" he barked back
Next thing I knew was a pair of fangs plunging deep into my artery...
The images flew more quickly now and I couldn't stop them, Riley had ruined me! He made me like this and he wanted to take me back! He had caused a pain that was unbearable for humans and vampires. I wanted revenge and I wanted him to pay for what he did!
Coming back to the present I went limp in Riley's arms which caught him guard as he struggled to keep me up. Seeing that he was distracted, I took my chance, I turned around and droved one of my knees up making him hiss as he loosened his grip on me. I turned to Edward and saw him lunge at Victoria who was momentarily distracted by my sudden movements. I turned back to Riley who was almost kneeling as he tried to snatch me back but I lunged crushing his body into the concrete. I threw a punch at his face, if he were human he may have possible died by the blow, but since he wasn't I threw another punch at him. His head lolled to the side but he still snapped at me, scratching my arms. He managed to get his hands between us and pushed me in the chest causing me to fly back and hit a brick wall. I coughed and spluttered but I didn't get much time to recover before Riley was on me again. He crushed me into the wall behind me, pinning my arms while I struggled uselessly. We were both breathing hard even though we didn't need to.
"I should kill you for what you just did," he snarled his eyes black charcoal as he leaned closer to me, "but you're useful, I can sense you have powers unlike any other vampire, it would come in handy for my clan." I bared my teeth my fangs fully extended.
"I'm not going to join you!" I snarled as I struggled against him
"I knew you were going to say that," his tone cold, "that's why I'll have to take something from you that will make you weaker" he mocked sadness but his eyes danced with amusement.
It took me a second to realize what he was talking about but as he started to lean in closer to my neck, I struggled against him. He was going to take my blood! Make me weaker without blood! (I'm sorry if I changed Stephanie Meyer's version of a vampire, let's just say all vampires in this fanfic have blood in their veins from the animals they drink.)
I felt him near my neck and I felt his lips touch my skin, skimming to find the proper spot to take my blood. He bent his down further down my throat to where my neck met my shoulder, my struggles were futile, I felt one of his fangs cut my skin and he licked it away. I gave a dry gag and I was down to my last reasoning with him.
"You don't have to do this, Riley" I said in a rush, desperate for him to stop, "Victoria's just using you, she doesn't care about you. She only cares about getting revenge on the Cullens, you'll never be her mate, I'll never be your mate, she only loves James and now that he's gone, she doesn't know how to live without being with him." He stood up and looked at me, but he only snarled and pressed me incredibly hard into the wall making me cry out.
"She doesn't control me, I made this decision myself, I chose you!" he said in my ear "and if I have to slaughter Cullen boy to get you, then so be it!"
"Please, Riley, can't you see, she's manipulating you?" I almost shouted in his face "she wants you to make me turn against the Cullens; you think they're in the wrong, Riley! But you are you're one who is evil"
He slapped me across the face, snapping my head back, exposing my neck. Without hesitation he bent down to where he was before and sank his fangs in my marble skin. I cried out as he drew my blood out of my body and into his, he drank deeply, making me weaker and weaker. I started to see dark spots.
Just when I thought he was going to take another pull, his hands that were holding me suddenly disappeared and I slid down the wall, unable to stand. I weakly opened my eyes and turned my head to see Edward throw Riley into a street light pole making it wobble and groan. Riley's head slumped forward, clearly unconscious. Edward threw him back into the shattered shed just for good measure. I felt my blood drip down my neck and onto my shirt.
My eyes turned blurry as Edward came towards me slowly as if approaching an injured animal. I closed my eyes afraid of his expression, of what he thought of me, disgust, anger, terror.
I felt two strong arms pick me up and started to carry me, I opened my eyes and looked up at the god that just saved me from dying. Without realizing what I was doing I traced Edward's features with my fingers, his nose, his jaw, his neck, and his lips.
"Thank you" I whispered to him
He looked at me, expression filled, surprise, pain, sorrow "I'm sorry, Bella" he murmured
My eyebrows furrowed not sure what he was getting at, "what for?"
He sighed "for what he did to you, for not caring enough, for not being enough" I felt his fists clench underneath me.
I put my finger to his lips to stop him from saying anything, "it's not your fault, Edward, you just saved me from being killed by Riley"
He laughed bitterly "it's the least I could do" he whispered
"Don't punish yourself, Edward, this is my problem" I said firmly
He was about to protest but he only nodded and I looked around to see we were already home.
We entered the house but barely got anywhere when Alice ran to us and awkwardly hugged me and Edward. The rest of the Cullens stood before us eyes fill with concern.
"I just saw what happened, Edward are you okay?" she asked, then she looked at me and her eyes widened "Carlisle" she shouted down the house.
I heard Carlisle's office door open and close, I listened to his footsteps get closer and closer until he was inches from us.
"What happened?" he asked concerned, I felt his fingers examine the skin on my neck, gently touching the wound that was just starting to heal up. I was too weak to speak so Edward covered for me.
"We had an encounter with Bella's creator, Riley. He said he had come to retrieve what was rightfully his. I read his mind, Carlisle, it was disgusting, and I couldn't stand it. And we fought, Victoria was there and I fought her. Next thing I knew Riley was on Bella, he...he bit her; he needed to make her weaker so that she would less struggle to kidnap. I barely saved Bella from dying." Edward's voice was tense and strained
"You did well, Edward, you saved her, she still has some of her blood left" Carlisle's voice was calm and controlled as he continued to examine me. "Come on, let's take her to the living room" he said once he was done.
Edward nodded and he followed Carlisle while the rest of the Cullens followed me and Edward.
I felt Edward place me gently on a leather sofa; I groaned as I sank into its comfortable softness, my neck ached with pain. I managed to blink my eyes a little to clear my vision and I saw Edward's face hovering over mine, concern flickering in his eyes.
"Bella, are you feeling okay?" Carlisle asked from somewhere in the room
I groaned in response
"Okay, I'm going to make a quick trip to the hospital and get some blood from the blood bank" there was a swish of wind and then silence. The rest of the Cullens had left as well leaving just me and Edward in the room
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