Chapter 9

Beast

She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill him, he looked too much like her brother.

With a growl she closed her lighter and stepped away from the newborn. Andy arranged his pieces on the bed so they would join back together and stepped away. It would be days before he'll be whole again so she placed a blood bag beside him and left.

Demetri caught her scent as he retraced his steps back to his coven mates and froze. The summer sweet tang of home lingered in the air appealing to the other kind of hunger in him. Venom pooled in his mouth as he inhaled the scent like he was starving.

She literally just passed this spot.

Making a split second decision he turned and followed his nose. She was walking ahead of him a bag on her back as she slowly made her way through town. He noted she didn't pick up his scent as he followed her steps. Something was distracting his prey, providing an advantage for him, though he couldn't help but wonder what was on the beautiful creature's mind.

Demetri was loosing his own mind as her scent sang to him and drove his inner beast mad. He needed it, he needed her. He always did, but this time it was different, she was catch-able. His body coiled like a spring as he lurched forward catching the vampiress unaware his hands pinning hers to her side as he forced her into a dark alley way. He couldn't help his smile at the uncharacteristic yelp that left her lips as she struggled in his grasp. He growled deeply asserting his dominance letting his inner beast out and to his surprise she tilted her head exposing her neck in submission. He dropped his head into the juncture of her neck breathing her scent as his hands loosened their grip.

Andy silently scolded herself for allowing the newborn to distract her thoughts that she forgot she was being hunted. The creature holding her, wasn't Demetri, she recognized that almost immediately and submitted. She knew his inner beast wouldn't care for her games. Every time she tried to pull away he'd growl deeper.

Once she felt his grip loosen on her wrists she raised them his hands tightening around her waist in response. She needed to calm his beast, so she placed one arm around his shoulders, as the other stroked the back of his hair.

A low purr formed in his chest as they just held each other.

After a few moments he finally calmed and she allowed herself to smirk as he pulled away ashamed of his actions. "Sorry," he said softly still refusing to let her go.

"You lost control, happens to the best of us." She replied honestly no teasing in her tone.

"The last time I let him out I slaughtered a village." He gained a far off look before returning to the present. "You're distracted." He stated his eyes roving her form. "You didn't even scent me."

"It's a long and tedious story I'd rather not get into." She said pulling away from the male vampire shivering at the loss of contact. They both pocketed their hands and moved to opposite sides of the alley.

"You're here for the newborns." He says choosing not to comment on the last few minutes.

"So are you." She replied.

"You fight with the Cullen's."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you won't." She pointed out. "I'm not a simpleton. I know your coven's play, we used to do the same thing."

"The leaders want to see how they fare in an attack of this nature." He informed her, "you shouldn't fight distracted."

"Newborns are easy compared to an experienced hunter. I've learnt my lesson, I won't be distracted. Besides," she teleported beside him and back with a smirk. "I didn't even use my own advantage."

"Yes, but it weakens you." Surprise flickered in her eyes at his comment.

"It's a small price." Andy replied indicating to the bag. "I stocked up just in case."

"What do I get for winning?" He asks changing the subject from her abilities.

"What do you want?" She asked flashing her teeth as she smiled her playful smile.

"What I want I won't get." He points out.

"No what do you want? Not what Aro wants." She elaborates, "I know what your master wants but what about lil ol' Demetrius?"

"I can have anything?" He raised a brow.

"Anything," she repeated.

"You know what I want, I know you do." He points out, before his grin turns smug. "But I'll settle for a kiss."

"A kiss?" She raised a brow then her hand and made a come hither gesture a challenging smile on her lips. The tracker put one foot in front of the other and stopped before her. He reached out a gloved hand but she tutted. "Ah ah," she scolded teasingly, "no touching, just a kiss."

She raised up onto the balls of her feet one hand falling to his shoulder, as she gently placed her lips on his. She couldn't help but gasp at the new sensation that filled her as her lips moved softly in time with his. Demetri disregarded her no touching rule and pulled her hips against his deepening the kiss. They didn't need air, they could continue this forever, content in each others arms.

Neither of them wanted to pull away but one of them had to, and she knew it had to be her. Reluctantly she pushed him back and pulled away at the same time her playful smile back where it belonged.

"Now what did I say about touching." She commented.

"You didn't protest." He replied his own smirk back, though a little more dazed than before.

"Well I have a battle to prepare for." Andy shrugged the strap higher on her shoulder moving further and further away.

"Why?" Demetri asked the question that was bursting at the front of his mind every time he encountered her. "Why the games?"

"Because you play." She smiled and turned her back on him continuing her original path.

"I think I proved who the better hunter is." He says raising his voice in his own teasing manner and she turned her head slightly to see him.

"For now." Came her reply.

Andromeda made her way back to Forks on a bus. She needed to conserve energy and had a thousand years of control to be in an enclosed space with humans. She could always eat them and stage an accident, but with the havoc the newborns were causing she figured the humans of this region needed a break from her kind. Andy could still feel the sensation of his lips on hers. She didn't love him. No, it was much too early for that. But she would be a fool to deny the growing mate bond between them. They both saw the signs.

Andromeda enjoyed her games, but she enjoyed the fact he was willing to play even more.

As she rode she pushed her encounter with Demetri and the newborn to the back of her mind focusing on the upcoming fight.

"So Edward's not fighting." Andy repeated what the human was telling her and Bella nodded. The older vampire just shrugged, "okay."

"Wait, you're not going to protest?" She looked confused by Andy's behavior so she elaborated for her.

"It's his choice, if he doesn't want to, he shouldn't have to." She looked over the human's head to her Eddie then back at Bella. "Besides separating young mates at a time like this is dangerous, you'll both be too distracted by each other to focus on the fight." She spots Jasper and joined him as he walked the perimeter of the ground he wanted to use.

"I think it'll work well." Jasper commented as Bella headed back to Edward.

"So do I." Andy commented taking in her surroundings. "The newborns wont know what hit them. Isabella's scent needs to be strongest here, some old clothes should be bait enough, but it also needs to stop here."

"We have a plan for that." Jasper informed her, "and you won't like it, but will agree because it will work."

They return to Edward and Bella's side and Andy can't help a snarl as she scents a dog approaching. "Eugh Mutt," she commented so only the male vampires would hear. "You were right." The told the civil war vet who nodded in response.

"You're not fighting, what did you do pull a muscle or something?" The dog said sarcastically as he waltzed over to them shirtless like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Does he own a shirt?" Andy whispered to Jasper who shrugged.

"I don't think so."

"He's doing it for me okay." Bella defended her boyfriend.

"Whatever. Just tell me the plan." He grumbled and Andy grinned. The dog did not suit being green.

"This field will give us an advantage in battle. We need to lure them with Bella's scent. But it needs to end here." Jasper explained.

"Edward and I are going on a campsite. Even if he carries me they'll still pick up on our scents." The human spoke slowly so it was easy for her stray to understand. Well that's how Andy saw it.

"Your stench however is revolting." Edward remarked causing Andy to snicker like a human teen.

"Dude you really don't want to start comparing stinks."

"What he means is that your scent will mask mine if you carry me." The human speaks again drawing the dogs seemingly short attention span back to her.

"Done." He looked pleased by this but masked it with blank look. He couldn't however mask his increase in heart rate.

"This is not a good idea." Edward remarked tensely. Green didn't look good on Eddie either. Andy knew he heard her unguarded thoughts given he rolled his eyes in her direction.

"Edward, they won't want to get anywhere near his... odor." Jasper says politely but you could hear the undertones of humor in his voice.

"Okay let's just try it." Bella says walking over to the wolf who lifts her into his arms.

"Eau De Wolf coming up." He replies.

"Run." Edward deadpans.

"Well I think he's funny." Andy remarked sarcastically, "for a mutt." Edward seemed to have zoned out as she spoke so she nudged him with her shoulder. "Stop eaves dropping, it's rude."

"I don't trust him with her."

"Then trust her." The older vampire looked at the seventeen year old immortal, "you'll lose her otherwise."

"You're giving me relationship advice." He chuckled and she looked abashed.

"Hey, I'm a thousand years old, I give good advice." She teased.

"Am I bad for her?"

"'Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.'" She said in response and he just stared at her.

"You stole that from a movie."

"I'm surprised you recognized it, have you been watching chick flicks Eddie? Heath Leger. Now he was a prime human specimen." She says acting as though she was swooning over the man. "Anyway, come on Jazz, let's go see if it worked."

The pair walked in silence focusing on the task at hand. Both of them could smell the awful stench of wet dog, but not much else.

"I got nothing," Jasper told her.

"I got a little," Andy replied, "though I'm more attuned to the scent of my prey's blood while hunting, the newborns won't notice it though. They're not old enough to notice."

"All I picked up was wolf stench, no Bella." Jasper said to Edward as he walked out into the clearing with me behind him. "Andy was different, but she is different. This will work" he assures his brother who turned to the older vampire.

"The newborns won't notice a thing."

"You all need to hunt." Andy spoke standing in the living room of the Cullen's house. "You need to be at your strongest."

"And you? You can't feed in town." Emmett points out his arm draped around Rosalie's shoulders.

"I've taken precautions." She informed the bear like man. "I won't need to feed again until after the battle as long as I don't exert my powers."

"You never did tell us the full extent of your abilities, we just know you're old and fast." He tried to coax it out of her.

"I'll take that as a complement Emmy-bear," she teased. "Yes, I am fast, fast enough to outrun a tracker like Demetri. But that's not my ability. I never told you in case you did cross paths with the Volturi. That ship has long since sailed so..." She teleported to the other side of the room with a grin.

"I've never met someone with your gifts before." Carlisle looked at her in awe. "I understand why the Volturi want you."

"Well I can do more than out-run other vampires." She stated.

"But you can take Bella up the mountain." Edward says hopefully and she shakes her head.

"I crossed paths with the Volturi on the way here. They're in Seattle, they will arrive at the battle once it's won." She informed, "thanks to your little trip a few months back a certain tracker has a latch on my mind. He knows where I am and where I go. He can track anyone, anywhere in the world. And if I take her up there, he will follow. She's safer away from me."

"I'm sorry," Edward says solemnly.

"Don't be," she grinned playing it off, "keeps me on my toes. But the wolf stench should be enough to keep her safe from the newborns. From what I understand her mind is impervious to our gifts."

"You don't think he can track her?" Edward pieces it all together.

"I know he can't track her." Andy replies, "she's one of the few people he will never be able to track." Her mind wandered back to Aegeus who had the same gift that he trained to manifest physically.

"I'm going see Charlie and sort out Bella's alibi. Tomorrow night there's a storm, they'll attack the day after." Alice informed leaving the room.

"We'll go hunting when you get back," Jasper tells her kissing her before she leaves.

"I'll accompany you guys," Andy tells the Cullen's, and a hopeful looking Carlisle. "No, I'm not going to change my diet." She shoots him down, "but I'll let Eddie and his human have some privacy."

"I bet you can't catch our kind of prey." Emmett beams teasing the older vampire. She would never taint her pallet with that foul liquid, but she couldn't never resist a challenge.

"Oh Emmett dear, you know nothing about hunting."

A/N: I was missing Demetri for a bit there, as a result this chapter happened. Thanks to everyone that commented by the way. Next chapter you'll get to see the result :)