**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

Vanilla & Chocolate

Chapter 10: Instinct

Dying has become almost like a chore for me, since the first day I saw the glowing green eyes staring at me and then the face in the basin and then the vampire in my room and then the van almost crushing me and then the pick-up truck running right into me as if he did not notice my BIG RED TRUCK stopping at a stop-fucking-sign!

They say life goes by in slow motion when you're going to die, but I only felt regret of all the things I'm going to miss. I had so high expectations for my life since I met Edward and James' fingers around my throat sort of just pulled me back to reality. I'm dying here today, I don't even hear what he's saying his red eyes staring into mine and I thought seeing almost regret flashing there. I read someplace that life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breaths away.

I close my eyes and pray that it would be quick and as the pressure is applied the sudden loss off it drives me to my knees, anguishes crawling like spider webs through my veins – I'm dead, he killed me, I'm never going to see Edward or my dad again! A sob escapes me and cold arms embraces me and high pitched bell like voice calling frantically to me: "Bella, Bella, and Bella! Are you ok? Can you hear me, Bella?"

I'm too afraid to open my eyes the disappointment will be too great to bear. The haziness and cobwebs are clearing around my vision although my eyes are still tightly close I hear another voice and feels a slightly shake and a cold hand takes my hand and put it on her breast.

"Bella, honey, open your eyes. Bella, listen to me, open your eyes baby, you're safe now" Rosalie whispers in my ear.

I open my eyes and a very worriedly Rosalie looking at me: "Honey, you need to breathe for me, ok?" she asks me while touching my sore throat with her cold hands.

"Um …" is my brilliant reply and it feels like my throat is on fire I can barely swallow.

Rosalie looks worriedly at me and tilts my head to the side she touches with her cold finger tips at my throat and the tears are starting to roll down my face.

"Bella, I know this hurts, I'm going to take you to hospital, you're throat is badly bruised but it will heal, you will just need to drink a lot of liquids. But everything is going to be ok; James is not going to come near you again, ok Baby?" She whispers.

I hung my head, my breathing becoming erratic, I was losing focus. My body began shaking, the noise of my heartbeat in my ears deafening. The sobs just rushed through me like a tsunami and before I know it I'm in her cold arms and she's rocking me from side to side whispering softly in my ear that everything is going to be ok and that Edward's on his way.

I felt her picking me up and gently put my head in the hollow of her neck the floral honeysuckle scent more pronounced now invading my senses, I breathe deeply in her neck, she smells so good not like vanilla and chocolate but still safe.

She cradles me in her arm even when climbing into the Emmett's Jeep and looking over her shoulder I see blue smoke rising up into the air and a bitter sweet odour invading my senses.

Emmett's loud voice so serious now without any humour: "James is ashes now, little Bella. You can thank The Major." nodding his head in Jasper's direction.

Jasper tip his imaginary hat on his head smiling at me but even from where I'm sitting safely in Rose arms I can see the strain on his face and the black eyes looking at me, Alice steps in front of him blocking me somewhat from his sight.

A shudder goes through me and I'm feeling so feeble compared to these predators they are so dangerous, beautiful but with their dark black eyes they are monsters. Rosalie tightened her arms around me, cradling me she nudges me touching my face lightly, it's as if she knows what I'm thinking. She smiles sadly at me and her golden eyes boring into mine: "Relax, Bella, Jasper will not hurt you, you have nothing to fear from us. James is dead and Edward is on his way."

She guides my head back to the crease of her neck again, my throat burning but the coolness of her neck helping a lot just like my own personal ice pack. My body was weak, like I had run a marathon, tears streaming down my face. I whimpered slightly her arms squeezing me she's holding me making no attempt to let me go. The vibrations in her chest soothing me, her and Emmett talking to each other their voices tinkling around the jeep like bells, I don't really hear what they are saying but it is so comfortable, luring me into this strange lullaby.

"My beautiful Bella" A worried voice whispers in my ear while soft kisses like butterflies are raining on me and the scent of Vanilla and Chocolate is invading my senses.

Cold arms are replaced with home my arms go around his neck almost on instinct, he hugs me to his body holding me so close. Soft kisses on my neck purring into my ear: "Baby, you are mine, my beautiful Bella." Wetness on my neck and an ice cold feeling on my throat the soreness disappearing while he keeps on licking.

A purr vibrates through his chest and my lady bids just gone gooey. He chuckles sexily in my ear and hold me even closer to his hard body. My legs going around his waist and then heaven his lips on mine kissing me. I gasp in shock opening my mouth and his tongue goes inside my mouth, our tongues in the aged old dual that I lost before it began.

His hands on my back and then cold finger tips on my body, a very loud moan coming from me and if possible he hugs me even closer it starts to hurt I try to shift but my body just moulds with his and I'm almost inside him now. His hand is now on my breast now tweaking it until it's so hard sending a delicious tingle pulsating between my legs. I gasp and a dangerous growl rips through the air, driving me up the wall with lust, can it even be. My mind stops to work and then a more pronounced roar filling the air, the hair on my body standing up, I sense danger. I try to move away from him but the rumbling is intensifying now and then wind at my back. We're running very, very fast and the roaring turns to purrs and the purrs changes to sweet kisses all over my face.

I cup his face in my hands and opening my eyes for the first time after seeing Jasper's black eyes looking hungrily at me. His eyes coal black but the hunger in them definitely not the same as Jasper's no definitely not. A fire slowly consuming me, I'm dripping by now and he inhales deeply his eyes consuming me with the intensity.

"My Edward" I sigh.

His head shoots up and the darkness disappears from his eyes the golden topaz colour I love so much coming through like the sun on a rainy day. He looks down and put me down as well but my body tends to be clumsy but he catches me before I fall.

"For what?" I whisper back.

"I lost it there for a moment, my beautiful Bella." Titling his head to the left he touches my throat and smiles shyly at me asking: "You're ok Baby?"

"Yes, yes, thank you" I reply and put my arms around his neck again.

He laughs and pulls me in his arms turning me around, swinging me in the air. He's so carefree "My Bella" he whispers in my ear.

A soft chuckling interrupts our play and I look in the general direction and Tanya is standing there with Carmen by her side.

I feel myself blushing, noticing for the first time that we're standing in the meadow.

"You're ok, Bella?" Tanya asks looking with a little bit of concern at me.

Edward growls next to me and I turn to him aghast hitting him on his arm: "Don't growl at her, she was only asking!"

Carmen is laughing now, stepping forward and Edward moves me behind him all out roaring now.

Tanya looks at him and spoke to him in a calm voice: "Calm down Edward, we mean your mate no harm. Carmen is here to look if your mate is ok, as The Mother of the Denali House she has the right."

I can tell that a lot more was said between them as the roaring stopped and he even looks more embarrassed now than before, I would say that a blush would fit his face now. He looks down lowering his eyes not just towards Tanya but in Carmen's direction as well.

Carmen stepped forward her hands in the air: "Bella, are you ok?" She asks.

"I'm fine" I whispers and strangely my throat feels so much better, I touch it with my fingers and Edward immediately takes my hand into his and touches with his fingers on my throat.

Carmen interrupts again: "Bella, may I look at your throat please?"

Edward snarls.

"Shh Baby, I'm here." I tell him trying to sound reassuring I trace his jaw line with my fingers holding onto his body not only for my comfort but for his as well and I remember what Tanya said about his instinct.

"I'm fine Carmen; my throat doesn't even hurt anymore." I tell Carmen and looks over to Tanya she was in an almost crouching position her eyes still a caramel colour.

Carmen touches her arm and she stands up straight the mood shifted instantly the sluggishness returns to my body the adrenalin rush leaving me.

Edward turns towards me so fast that I'm almost whiplashed and his hand stops in mid-air he's frozen looking at me with black eyes but totally immobilized like a solid salt pillar.

"Don't move, Bella." Tanya hisses.

"Is he okay, what's wrong?" I questioned the blond matriarch.

"He's in shock," Carmen supplied in hushed tones. She glances at Edward, regarding him silently, and then turns her eyes back to me, catching my incredulous expression. "Yes, Bella, vampires can go into shock. It doesn't happen often. It only happens during times when they are just overcome with too many emotions. It's just a temporarily solution to keep our bodies from doing much of anything while our minds heal itself. We cannot move, nor breathe; the only thing that we have left is our hearing and vision. Instinct is the strongest force within a vampire and any sudden movements will distract him and he will see it as a threat. Because you're his mate, he cannot directly hurt you. Unfortunately that doesn't mean that he cannot hurt himself or tear anything down around us."

"So he can hear us?" I ask softly looking at Edward standing frozen in time like a beautiful statue.

"Yes," Tanya replies. "They're our protective measures, if we lose all our senses during shock, we would be vulnerable to attacks."

"What triggered it?"

Tanya smirking her caramel eyes sparking with mirth "Well, I would say …" But Carmen interrupts her with just a look and Tanya is full out laughing now.

"What she means Bella is that you were in danger and Edward was worried about you, you are safe now here, he brought you to the meadow where he healed you with his venom, taking care of you and basking you in his scent so that every vampire and predator alike will know that you belong to him, knowing that you are both physically and emotionally okay now his mind gave his body permission to shut it down."

He is the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life, dark eyes looking at me intensely, his body frozen in time, hard as a rock. The jeans on his perfect hips, I lick my lips, the button-down green shirt hugging his muscled chest, his gorgeous body and sex hair driving me insane.

"You are MINE, beautiful Bella." A silky voice whispers in my ear.

I scream and jump in the air and Edward chuckles lowly in my ear taking me in his arms again shielding me from Tanya and Carmen. He kisses me, passionately, slowly until I needed more, craved for it. I push myself against him feeling his hardness against me, my back arch in response. I couldn't hold back anymore all the thoughts of the events from today just a distant memory, his body vibrating with desire around me.

A/N: What do you think? Please review. Thank you for reading.

**BoereTannie**