Property of an Obsessive Vampire

Chap 10

Bella gasped and stared at the boy wondrously. She still had to get her head wrapped around what had just happened. They were in the car, Edward growled, threw them into the wilderness, and now wanted her to run.

"Go!" he snarled, shoving her, not hard, but enough for her to stumble. He gave a firm nod and disappeared completely.

Bella took deep breaths and slowly began moving in a random direction. "Faster!" The ghost of Edward's voice demanded. Hearing the concern in his voice, she forced herself into a sprint. The rough terrain made her fall several times, scraping her palms against pebbles and thorns. Blood dotted her hands as she winced, ignoring the stinging pain.

What was she running from? She glanced over her shoulder. The darkness of the forest stared back. As far as she could tell, she was alone, but she knew Edward was hanging around, and the knowledge that she couldn't detect his presence made her wonder how many other silent creatures stalked the woods.

If that were the case then she was in some serious trouble. She tried to think ahead. She couldn't outrun the attacker and there would be no one to hear her screams. Edward had taken away her cell phone. She had one lesson of self-defense.

Bella had to admit, the odds were not in her favor, but when had they ever been? She continued to run until her lungs burned from the effort. With trembling legs, she fell over on hands in knees, trying to catch her breath.

There was a growl. Bella looked up, slowly, and found herself face to face with a werewolf. She flinched when it bared its teeth, completely frozen with fear. Death was looking her straight in the face now, like so many other times.

But the tearing of skin from muscle never came. The canine was tossed to the side, whined, and then sprinted back through the woods. The area turned quiet with her harsh breathing. What just...?

"Bella?" Edward appeared in the clearing, running to her at vampire speed. She blinked and he was suddenly crouched before her, studying her face fiercely.

Her voice was stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her body was shaking after the near encounter with death. she didn't know how to handle it.

"Bella, answer me, are you okay?" Edward's voice was harsh and laced with worry. His hand came to her cheek and she flinched at the coldness, but didn't pull away. "I need to know you're alright."

Bella stared at him in wonder. He seemed to be in great pain over her well-being. Why? He wasn't entitled to care for her. He was a vampire, the definition of a monster, yet here he was consoling her.

Tears poured down her cheeks before she knew it and she jumped into Edward's arms, clutching the stone figure. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. Something was eerily familiar about this moment, scared and in Edward's arms. Bella's mind tugged at the memory, but it remained deep within her self-conscious, buried under the despair of her mother's death.

His arms came around her fragile body. "It's okay," he murmured into her hair. "As long as you're safe, it's fine."

They made their way back up at regular human speed. Bella was thankful Edward didn't seem to mind going slow, taking her hand and guiding her through the thick foliage. By the time they made it back to the road it was already dark out. The car was gone and Bella didn't ask where it went.

"We'll have to rent a car," Edward explained, pulling a cell phone out of his shirt pocket. He checked a few things and then put it away.

"Why are you doing it?" Bella whispered.

He turned to her. "Doing what?"

"Protecting me." She blushed. "I mean, you hardly know me. I'm the reason your sister is in trouble and yet you want to keep me safe?" She shook her head. If it were Charlie or Renee in Alice's position, she would have traded anything in a heartbeat. He couldn't just be saving her out of the goodness of his heart. Could he?

"I don't want to be a monster," Edward claimed.

"So you just go around saving everyone you can find?" The thought made her frown. She wanted there to be more to it, but she knew it was selfish to even consider. And stupid. Admitting that she may have fallen for her kidnapper was as cliche as the next romantic tragedy. Wanting him to like her back was even more pathetic.

Edward tilted his head to the side, both confusion and frustration marking his perfect features. "It's not that I prefer you over Alice. I'm doing what's best for everyone."

"Wouldn't it just be easier to give me up?"

His jaw clenched like this were a hard decision for him. His eyes were no longer the topaz she remembered, but a distinct onyx shade. He leaned over slightly and let out a humorless laugh. "If that were the case, I would have turned you in by now."

Her heart thudded at his words. Was he saying that he cared for her? Or was she reading into it too much? His face was like stone, expressionless. He gave nothing away, while she was an open book. Even now she knew he could hear the pounding of her heart, probably guess the thoughts running wild in her mind.

"Isabella." Her name came out soft in his melodic voice. His hand came to her cheek, stroking it softly. The butterflies in her stomach took flight the moment her heartbeat picked up. Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Its getting late. We have to keep moving."

"Oh." She hoped he couldn't depict the disappointment in her voice. His hand dropped from her face and he turned, gesturing for her to climb on his back.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

He smiled and the butterflies returned. "Be sure to hold on tight."

Awkwardly, she linked her arms and legs around Edward, clutching onto him with unnecessary strength. They took off into the dark night without a sound. Bella only hoped he didn't see the way she was holding him in her arms, like she was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.