Author's Note: Yes, shame on me. It's been a long while. I'm afraid my time in Iraq has not been kind to my writing. But I'm leaving this weekend and will be back in the States for a month. Again, and always, this chappie is for my dear Yang.

Chapter 10: Revelations

.

A weekend to himself.

Not just alone, but far enough away that he couldn't hear anyone's thoughts… apart from his own, that is.

Apparently silence lent itself to introspection. When he wasn't being bombarded by other people's thoughts he could more clearly hear his own. But given the time, he found he had nothing really to think about, other than himself, and he exhausted that topic rather quickly, being a shallow sort of creature by nature. Well educated, certainly, but he didn't run deep. His mind wandered, of course, to the one thing that drove him.

The feed.

It was the only real thing he cared about and when given the chance to think, that's where his thoughts gravitated. Every time he found himself undistracted by other people's thoughts, he'd been out in the wild, usually on his way to another town. His mind had been on food then as well, but up until this point Edward had assumed it was because that was usually his reason for travel, so naturally that's he thought about.

Now he knew the truth.

Edward had met a few vampires before, or rather, he'd been in their heads before, and he had always thought most of them a trifle… single-minded? Uncivilized? The exact word eluded him, but he'd always known he was a bit different. He knew that existing among humans was highly irregular. Yet he hadn't given much thought to it before.

Perhaps the reason he had better control of himself, why he could live among humans and not madly run wild on a feeding spree was because he was simply too distracted most of the time. The endless chatter of others, his fate as being a constant auditor of human thoughts gave him less opportunity to dwell on his own. He had an unwanted connection to humanity thrust upon him. It didn't give him any sympathy for his prey, but it distracted him, perhaps it even ruined his appetite.

Every time he'd been in a vampire's mind, he or she had always been thinking about the hunt.

Not one of them played the piano.

He ate less than other vampires as well, so far as he could tell. He was driven solely by his hunger, when he felt parched and needed to feed. He didn't kill if he wasn't hungry, and that too was unusual. The vampires he'd encountered were killing machines.

All because they had nothing else on their minds?

Just like Edward in Bella's house in the middle of the woods. He'd philosophized a bit about himself, but his thoughts kept straying back to blood; taking it, drinking it. It was wonderful stuff, really.

Too bad Bella wasn't there, she was a ripe bloodsack…

He swallowed a fresh the venom that flooded his mouth at the thought.

He couldn't stay still. Suddenly thirsty, Edward left for a midnight snack.

.

Edward forgot he'd even been intellectual or introspective as he raced through the forests. One scent would catch his fancy and he'd speed off in that direction, until something better wafted his way, and he'd follow that instead. His nose led him to a city, he didn't even know which one at this point, only that he'd caught a heavenly aroma, promising blood more delicious than any he'd ever tasted. He had to have it.

Of course, the closer into the town he got, the louder the burble in his brain became. People's thoughts crowded into his mind, but his own single determination was enough to block them out, focusing on just one. His quarry.

Oftentimes, Edward liked to play with his food before eating. Not this time though. His impatience drove out all notions of games or subtlety. In a blur, he grabbed her off the street where she had been walking with her friends to a taxi, and dragged her blood-filled body up the side of a building and onto the roof. Upon reaching a place away from prying eyes, he immediately sank his fangs into her throat. She'd been starting to cry out, so the air passing through her punctured throat made that delicious gurgling sound that sent a frisson of euphoria through him.

He groaned ecstatically as he swallowed mouthful after dripping mouthful of warm ambrosia.

.

He sucked her dry. Really dry. Her body was all puckered and yellow looking when he'd finished, and all he could do was roll over and sigh out of his unnecessary lungs. He didn't want to move. He wanted to bask in this moment for as long as he could…

Unfortunately that moment didn't last long enough as the high died down and people's thoughts once again intruded on his own. The girl's friends were panicking, the police had been called, people had seen a flash of something going off in a certain direction.

He couldn't stay.

Looking down proudly and the newly made corpse he said, chuckling, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Then he was off into the night.

.

Feeling tranquil and content, he made his way slowly (relatively speaking, of course) back to Bella's house. He was still dozens of miles off when he heard familiar voices. In his head, not actually within a distance that the sound could reach his ears.

Frowning, he realized he must be near Bella's little camping trip party with the other children. Several of the boys' heads were filled with thoughts of how they could arrange to put their sleeping bags next to Bella's without being too obvious, or…

And then there was another voice. Quite a different voice but surprisingly familiar.

He had raced him to a kill and won, but only just. Had spoken to the other vampire briefly. Now it seemed he had yet another target.

Edward growled to himself. If that scarred fellow came and tore into the campsite, it would wake up the suspicions of the people around. People would be talking about a monster, and the imaginations of those idiotic females who had read those even more idiotic books would begin making extremely annoying connections.

Quickly, Edward made to head the other guy off, which would be difficult as the other fellow had a significant lead already. Edward could see through the other man's thoughts the light of the campfire as he drew closer, and then thankfully slowed. The other vampire stood in the distance for a time, deciding on which he would pick off.

The selection verily made itself as one member of the group wandered foolishly off on her own.

Of course it would be Bella.

.

This time Edward did head him off. Just as the other one was descending upon a panic stricken Bella, Edward put himself between them, to the surprise of both the hunter and hunted.

"This one's mine," Edward told him.

The vampire frowned for a moment in concentration, before realization dawned.

"You again!" he said almost pleasantly.

"Indeed. But you can't have this one. I saw her first."

"You're pulling this feed impede bullshit on me again?"

Edward shrugged. "I saw her first."

At this point Bella must have gotten over the initial shock of almost being attacked and his own unexpected presence, because she began pulling on his sleeve. "Edward?" Bella sputtered, utterly confused. He ignored her.

Edward felt the other vampire's shock, looking between him and the girl. "You know it?" he asked incredulously. "But… but…" He pointed back and forth between them in confusion before he dropped his hand and through back his head laughing. "I don't believe it! This is rich. You actually… you actually…" He was overcome yet again by hearty laughter.

Edward began to feel a bit annoyed at this stranger's amusement. "Are you quite finished?" he asked disagreeably.

Recovering himself, the other man straightened and extended his hand. "Name's Jaz."

Clearly he expected Edward to shake it but Edward found himself less than keen.

"I understand it's your pet and all, but the fact of the matter is that I'm thirsty, and that you've already deprived me once. I think you owe me."

"Owe you?"

"Of course. It's the gentlemanly thing to do," Jaz replied confidently. "It's only a human, after all. Not like it'll last anyway. No point in keeping it unless it's for yourself, but even if that is what you're doing, you owe me from taking my girl last time."

Out of the corner of his eye, Edward could see Bella shaking her head in disbelief. He had no idea how much sense she was making out of this. Hopefully not much.

A wide and toothy grin spread across Jaz's face. "I'll fight you for it," he suggested hopefully.

Jaz's mind was filled with various fights, which he seemed to enjoy. Edward could only describe the scarred vampire as battle drunk, or a battle addict. He loved fights as the many healed wounds on his body avowed.

Edward's expression soured. "Surely this isn't worth fighting over," he said.

"Exactly." Edward could see Jaz was planning how get around him and dive after Bella again.

"Oh for pity's sake," he muttered as he heard the approach of someone else. Or something, rather. A hairy, panting, snarling something.

Just as Jaz lunged, a massive wolf lept out from obscurity, intercepting the vampire before he could reach his target.

Jaz was so shocked that his mind, for a moment, was a complete blank. It took only a second for him to recover himself and fight back.

Edward watched in fascination as the two tussled. Jaz quickly decided he didn't like his chances and bolted. Black first made to go after him, before making the connection, finally realized that Edward must be a vampire as well, and lunged at him. Edward had no choice but to dodge will all the speed he possessed. He seemed to know, in that moment, that this beast, if nothing else, could kill him, which made Edward simultaneously attracted to it and afraid of it. So curious a creature. So fast. Fast as himself, if not faster.

He forgot all about Bella and trying to hide his abilities from her in his effort to escape the wolf.

But damn, the wolf was fast! He felt its great paws press into his back as it tackled him to the ground. Edward turned over just in time to see slobbering jowls descending on him. He only had a moment to note just how awful the mutt's breath was before he grabbed both upper and lower jaws, stopping him from biting down on his throat.

Bastard, that's my job!

He twisted to the right until the wolf was forced to turn his head, and eventually roll on his back so his neck wouldn't snap.

It took more effort than Edward was used to ever having to extend. He was sure that if he could if he'd had working glands, he'd be sweating profusely.

"Fuck," he ground out, kicking the beast in the stomach. This distracted the animal long enough for Edward to fling himself into the nearest tree, climbing it with all haste to the topmost of its boughs.

Black spent some time on his hind legs, his paws the furthest up the trunk he could reach, snapping and snarling at Edward, out of reach.

"Fuck you, Black! Why don't you face me like a man?"

It took only a second for him to change back into a human… a completely naked human. "Why don't you come down here and 'face me like a man' if you can be called that."

"Pot and kettle, Black. Pot and kettle."

"What… the… HELL!" yelled Bella. "I mean, what the hell! What the hell is going on here?"

Oh that's right. Bella's here.

Black's thoughts were of a similar vein.

Edward leaped from the tree and darted behind the girl. Yes, he was using Bella as a human shield, and he was okay with that. At any moment Black could transform into that beast at any moment and take him out.

"You get away from her!" shouted Black.

"No," said Edward, putting his hands on her shoulders and standing as close behind her as he could. "I don't think I will. You did, after all, just try to kill me for no reason."

Bella gasped at this, as if she'd just now realized the truth for herself. However shocked she might have been at seeing her two friends do unnatural things, upon hearing this news she put her arms out, one of them reaching around to hold him protectively behind her. She was shivering, but out of fear or coldness of touching him he didn't know.

When Black advanced, Bella and Edward retreated together, their steps somehow perfectly synchronized.

"Okay. I don't know what or who either of you are anymore, but there will be NO killing, is that clear?" It would have been a fine speech if her voice hadn't been shaky with uncertainty. "I mean it!" she added, stronger this time.

Edward could read Jacob's mind in time to determine what his response would be, and formulated his own first to make himself sound better.

"Of course I won't kill anyone." He'd gotten his killing in earlier in the evening.

"But Bella! He's... he's a monster!"

"Stop it, just stop it! I can't…" She couldn't process all this information no doubt, as most of it went against her reason. "You turn into a wolf, tried to kill Edward and that other guy, and you say he's the monster?" she asked. She'd started to giggle nervously, as if trying to convince herself that all of this was just some joke.

"You might have made a better first impression if you hadn't started out by viciously attacking people. I'd have gone with the loveable puppy approach myself. Providing I could transform into a big hairy wolf, of course," added Edward.

"No, Bella, that's not what happened! Well, it is but…"

"I'm leaving." This statement was so final. "I'm going back to the campsite and go to sleep in the hopes that I can wake up and all this has been a dream were Edward's superhuman and you are a wolf-thing… and naked." She shook her head and averted her eyes. "It's either that or just finally admit I've gone completely crazy."

Edward groaned at how dramatic everything had quickly become. The whole shameful scene could come directly from that disgusting book. The dialogue and dramatics were just th sort of things those appalling characters would have done.

"I'll walk you back," he offered genteelly. If there was ever a time to try to be on Bella's good side, it was now.

"Don't go with him!" the mutt cried predictably.

Bella paused, considering Black's advice. She turned to Edward, searching his face.

"Yes, there's more to me than you know. But you are safe with me." For now…

She nodded then turned to Black. "He did try to protect me from…" She faltered here, trying to find a suitable description for Jaz. It was clear that even now, she wasn't aware that either of them were vampires. If she had, she'd probably be less trusting.

"Go back to your friends, finish your camping trip. When you come back I'll answer all the questions you have. Does that sound alright?" he asked quietly, gently. Edward was sure the comparison to Black's frantic shouting was to his favour.

Bella nodded mutely, leaning into him.

Smirking, he started leading her back to her friends. The brilliant part of the whole thing was that she should trust Black. Black loved her, wanted to protect her, while he just wanted to eat her, just as Black feared. Black was completely in the right and yet the fates favoured Edward. Bella didn't trust her best friend and embraced her future-killer.

Irony. Delicious irony.

Perhaps his conceited farewell to Black was poor planning, but he simply couldn't resist taunting the pup. "Now would be the time to run off with your tail between your legs."

It wasn't a conscious effort, because Edward would have heard it in Black's mind if he'd decided to transform. Rather it seemed that his temper forced him to change.

Well that was nice to know. I would certainly make him think twice before goading him again.

"Looks like he's going to try and kill me after all," Edward remarked aloud. "I'll talk to you later if he doesn't get me."

And with that, Edward ran for his… well life wasn't exactly the appropriate word, was it?

.

As far as eventful nights went, Edward would have to rank that one high on the list. He guessed he was just about an equal match to the mutt, though he hated to admit it. He'd only managed to shake him off at the Canadian border, where Edward had distracted him by leading the wolf to another vampire to kill. This one was actually in the middle of hunting a human.

Edward didn't know the vampire and didn't care.

He made his way back to Bella's house, where he fully intended to stay until she returned. Until that time, he contemplated his new problem. Black. So long as they lived in the same area, and kept crossing paths because of Bella, there would be these little contretemps. It might have been a rush the first time or two, but Edward didn't doubt that constantly worrying about being eaten would soon grow tiresome. If the boy/beast couldn't be persuaded to lay off then he would have to be killed. Which presented another problem: killing Black might prove more difficult than previously anticipated.

Well, the boy had to sleep sometime. Edward's best bet was getting to the creature while it was unconscious and in human form. It would take much more stealth than it he would ever need with a human, but he thought he might manage it. Edward still had the advantage that he could read Black's mind. The double advantage, actually, as the boy didn't yet know that he could read his mind.

.

Bella entered her house warily, pushing the door open inch by inch and poking her head through. "Edward?"

"Yes, dear?" he replied from the doorway to the sitting room. He intended to thoroughly lay on the charm.

She gasped, startled.

"I… didn't know if you'd be here," she said awkwardly, closing and locking the door behind her.

"I said I would be," he reminded her.

"Yes, but that was before Jake tried to…" She shook her head. "I still can't believe this."

"Well, as you can see, he did me no harm… though not for want of trying."

"I haven't answered his calls, or listened to his voice mails, or read his texts. I can't… I don't know what to think. I wanted to see you first… That is, if you were…" She gulped, as if something were caught in her throat.

"Alive?" he provided helpfully.

She let out as shuddering sigh before nodding. "Yeah. I wanted to go to the police but…"

"I can see how that would be problematic, yes. They'd laugh you out of the station or put you in a psych ward."

"Perhaps I belong in a psych ward." There was a pause where she seemed to be considering everything. "You were…" she blinked rapidly. "So fast. Like… impossibly fast. And impossibly strong. Way too strong."

"Yes."

"And you don't ever eat. I've never seen you eat. And you don't sleep."

"And I'm rather cold?" he suggested.

"Yes, and you're always cold."

"Well, I promised to answer your questions… so let's hear them."

She walked into the sitting room, and Edward followed. "I've done nothing but think about this the last two days. I've considered lots of things, you just don't make sense.

"What have you considered?"

"Kryponite?"

"Nope."

"Radioactive spiders?"

"Certainly not."

"Is there a picture of you in an attic somewhere getting older and uglier?"

He actually laughed at this. Of course she'd use literary references. "Getting warmer, but no, I'm no Dorian Gray."

"Ever trapped a man named Jonathon Harker in your castle in Transylvania?"

He smiled at her, not evilly, but proudly, as a teacher might when a student has worked out a difficult problem by herself.

She swallowed. "Oh my god." There was a long silence before she spoke again. "Is it too much to hope for to think that if you had wanted to eat me you would have done it already?"

Oh, what a loaded question. To lie or not to lie? "I don't hunt in my own backyard. It would complicate things," he said in a tone of voice that was both patronizing and soothing at the same time. Well saved, Edward, he congratulated himself.

"Oh." He wished he could read her mind now more than ever. Did she believe him? He certainly wouldn't if he were in her position, but then again, he knew what vampires were really like. But she didn't know, so perhaps there was hope after all. All things considered, Bella seemedto take the fact that he ate people it rather well.

She fainted.

Or perhaps not...

.

Edward thought it best to give her a bit more time with this revelation, and didn't see her until the first day back at school. Black hadn't been hounding him, so that boded well. Perhaps Bella had finally talked to Black and they'd come to some arrangement. He wouldn't know for certain until he asked.

Considering his surprisingly eventful summer, the return to school was even harder to face than it had been in past years. For decades his life had been rather monotonous. He'd never cultivated any relationships with anyone, had never found pleasure in anything but the hunt. Now that he had, it made the mind-numbing boredom of classes, the repetitive unchanging drama of high-school students, and the

There was one thing that could be said, being in closer proximity to humans was less torturous. He could more easily control his desire to feed, no doubt from the practice of constantly being around Bella, and resisting the urge to kill her. If he could resist Bella, no one else at the school would pose too onerous a challenge to him. None of the new freshmen smelled especially delicious. There would be no problems.

He first saw with his own eyes period three English. Of course he'd seen her through other people's minds long before that. The general consensus was that she looked a bit sickly and pale, with which Edward had to agree.

They didn't speak at all during class; didn't even sit near one another. He took his usual seat in the back of the class and, predictably, some girl rushed in and took the seat next to him, trying to make conversation. His answers were short and not inviting to continue any dialogue, but she pressed determinately on. He tried desperately to tune out both her inner and outer chattering with only partial success.

The bell rang and it was obvious, obvious to Edward anyway, that Bella rushed from the room, avoiding eye contact.

He sat outside during lunch, as was his old habit before he met Bella, and read. He was instantly aware that it was she who had opened the door by her scent, but he chose to continue reading and let her approach.

When she did, she took a deep breath as in preparation. No doubt she'd been thinking very carefully about what to say.

"Alright, call me crazy but—"

"You're crazy," he returned immediately, not looking up from his book. "But," he added in faithfully, as he calmly he turned a page. Turns out it was the end of the chapter. "Have you read this?" he asked, holding the book out so she could see the title. She looked at it then shook her head to indicate she hadn't, then stepped back angrily and shook her head more forcefully.

"Don't talk to me all normal as if nothing has changed."

"For me, nothing has changed. Only your perceptions have altered, Bell."

She shook her head in confusion. "What?"

"It's simple. To me, you are still the same Bella I always put up with. To you, however, I'm a completely different Edward. The change is all on your side. I have nothing new to get used to. But please, do go on. You were saying? Call you crazy but…"

"I'm... not afraid of you."

He tilted his head. "Really?" He could hear her rapid pulse, detect a bit of perspiration, but he couldn't tell if he had been the cause, or if was simply nervousness about having this conversation. "You don't think I'm a horrible monster?"

"No, I do," she corrected him promptly, without her usual apologetic remorse. "I'm just not afraid of you. You have saved my life three times already, so—"

"Four."

"What?"

"I've saved your life four times now."

She frowned, and counted on her fingers. "Those guys with guns in the alley, that guy who locked me up in the closet, and that guy during the camping trip."

"Mr. Mathews. Remember? The incident that started it all? You were nearly run down in the parking lot and I pushed you out of the way… which I wouldn't have been able to do if I weren't unnaturally fast, by the way."

"Oh, right. Well, you've saved my life four times already so I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Oh? You're not going to insult me and declare you'd rather spend your time with rapists instead?"

"Okay, I know I reacted badly last time, and that's actually part of the reason I'm giving you another chance this time."

"Because you owe me." It was half a question.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, that's good of you."

An awkward silence stretched.

"It bothers you that I eat people," he said at last.

"Of course it bothers me!" she shouted, as if this was really what she'd wanted to do the whole time. "I mean, how can you stand the sight of yourself?"

"Don't have to. That's one of the perks of my kind. No reflection, so we don't have to worry about standing by the sight of ourselves," he said casually.

Bella's eyes widened and she plopped down on the bench. "Oh my god. That's actually true? You don't have a reflection?"

"No indeed."

"How have I never noticed that before?"

"You're simply unobservant."

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"You know that's not true. I don't sleep at all."

"Right. What happens when you go into the sun?"

"I sure as hell don't sparkle," he spat.

"Sparkle?" she asked, confused.

"It's nothing," he said bitterly.

"Then what? I know you never go out in the sun," she persisted.

His eyes narrowed at her. Edward swallowed hard. Just thinking about being in the sun made his throat feel dry and achy. "Painful," he said slowly. "Incredibly. Painful."

"Having to have an invitation before entering a house."

"I go wherever I like, and nothing can stop me."

She frowned. "Creepy, but alright. Oh! Can you turn into a bat?"

It was his turn to frown. A bat? "No." Really, some of those ideas were just ludicrous.

"Garlic."

"Ineffective."

"Crucifix?"

"Useless."

"Stake to the heart?"

It was quiet for a moment or two before he said strongly, "No."

The truth was, he had no idea if it would kill him or not, not having ever been staked before. Nor was he aware of any other means of ending his existence, other than perhaps the wolf or another vampire. Up until that point, everything had failed, demonstrably, as he was still undead. Still, telling people they couldn't kill him with a stake might stop them from trying.

"Are you… immortal?" she asked in a whisper.

He looked at her, locking eyes for a moment.

"Yes," he replied evenly.

"How… how old are you?"

"17."

"How long have you been 17?"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "A while," he replied flippantly.

"How long is a while?"

His brows drew together in calculation. "I don't really remember my life before I was changed. Nor do I remember my early years as a vampire. But I've been this way for about a century I'd guess."

Bella's mouth dropped. He reached over and closed it for her. Now that she knew what he was he didn't have to worry her feeling his coldness.

She eventually recovered herself. "And that man at the campsite. Was he a…" It took a bit to work up to saying the actual word. "Vampire?"

"Yes, he was. I'd met him once before."

"And he was going to eat me?"

"Yes."

"But you stopped him."

"That is correct. And what's more the man who kidnapped you and trapped you in a closet was also a vampire, and he too was going to eat you."

"Oh my god, how many are out there?" she asked in alarm, nervously looking around for one such 'vampire' to pop out of the nearby flowerbed.

"I don't know. Not too many in these parts. You just have bad luck, so far as I can tell."

"Bad Luck Bella," she sighed.

"Indeed."

It was quiet for another moment before she interrupted the silence. "So…"

"So…?"

"You haven't eaten me."

"I haven't eaten a lot of people," he remarked.

"I bet you have eaten a lot of people after 100 years," she said disapprovingly, as if she were chiding him for some bad habit, like smoking, or spitting in public. "And the thing is, you're pretty much immune to the law."

"I know. Hardy fair, right?"

"It's not fair at all! Can't you… stop? I mean it's wrong!"

"No, I can't stop eating any more than you can. And how is it wrong? People kill to survive too. You eat meat."

"Animal meat, Edward. We don't kill people!"

He laughed openly at this. "Of course people kill people, people just don't eat people. At least I'm killing for food."

"But you're killing people!" she reiterated. "People only kill animals for food.

He rolled his eyes. "Let's get one thing straight. To my kind, you are animals. That's all you are to us. Prey. Food. The same way you'd look at any cow, pig, chicken, tuna, whatever. Just food."

"But… but you don't…"

He knew what argument she was going to make so he made his rebuttal to save himself the pain of waiting until she stammered it all out.

"If you could hear the thoughts of your hamburger, you'd probably think twice about calling it a mere animal too," he said flatly. He'd love to turn off his inner hearing for that very reason.

"You mean, not all vampires can read minds?"

"No, that's just me, alas. Others don't have to worry about listening to what their dinner is thinking as he's killing it."

Bella covered her mouth with her hand, as if she were about to be sick. "Oh my god. Oh—oh my god…"

"What?"

"I don't think I can do this, Edward."

"Do what?"

"I can't be with you. I can't be around you. You… you kill people. You're a monster."

"I eat people. I'm hardly a mass murderer. I'm not some socio—" He was about to say sociopath, but realized it would be untrue to say he wasn't, so he changed it to "Psychopath that goes on random killing sprees."

"But do you have to kill them? I mean, can't you just, take their blood and let them live?"

"If I don't kill them then they turn into vampires themselves, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" he asked with a vicious smirk.

"No, we definitely don't," she stated disgustedly.

'If I were a feeling human, that would have hurt my feelings,' Edward thought with amusement. As it was, he was hard pressed not to burst out laughing at the thought.

He managed to contain his mirth, and instead said seriously,"I hunt for my food to survive, just like all predators. I can't help what I am. I certainly didn't choose this life."

He got up from the table.

"Next time you eat a steak, I want you to think about how all the other cows believe you are a monster."

With that, he left for his next class.

Of course, he couldn't expect a human to condone the killing of other humans. He hadn't really expected it to work anyway, he just wanted to try it for the fun, for the challenge, to see if he could do it. Apparently not.

A spark lit within him. It grew into a happy flame. Getting her to trust him now would be the ultimate conquest. He would trick the lamb into trusting the lion. How brilliant would he be to bring that off? What a splendid victory! What an extraordinary triumph! Imagine the look in her eyes when he told her moments before the deed that he was going to eat her.

He swallowed a mouthful of venom at the thought.

You haven't seen the last of me, ma Belle. This is where the real game begins.