He broke through the trees and it was with some suprise that I reconized Edward. He paused, confusion furrowing in his brow even as he looked toward his 'sister', taking in her disheveled appearance. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he crouched, hissing in defiance. I crouched as well, my instincts screaming at me to protect the little pixie vampire. Just as the male vampire launched at me, a sweet voice rang in my ears.

"Edward, NO!"

Time slowed. Adrenaline rushed into my blood and I could feel my veins swelling to twice their normal size. My body hummed with excitment and my heart's beat picked up it's tempo as it pumped my chemical-filled blood throughought my body, loosening my muscles and warming me, preparing me. Every movement was more graceful and more lethal, ruled by instinct. It was as it always was whenever I faced off an opponent. It was a thrill like no other, one I lived for. Nothing was more thrilling than facing death.

Even though my heart was pounding in my chest and I was filled with excitment, another emotion also filled me, one I was quite unused to in the face of a fight: dread. Typically, as soon as a vampire stepped forward the world seemed to melt away. Nothing existed but me and him - or her - and the knowledge that only one of us would walk away alive. There was just the fight, blood pumping, teeth snapping and claws lashing. It was simple, it was primal.

Now, it was more.

Though the saner part of my animalistic mind knew that it wasn't likely Edward would hurt Alice, that part was buried under layers and layers of unreachable instinct. These instincts were screaming one thing, over and over again, almost defening in their insistance: Protect my mate from harm.

This time, this battle, more than my own life was hanging in the balance. This time, Alice's was as well. I held her life in my paws, and only my skill would keep her alive. Each lunge, each attack had to be more carefully calculated and brutally executed. Each block and parry had to be swifter, easier and more quickly returned. One wrong move or slip up and Alice could be dead as well as myself, and it was somthing I refused to let happen.

I had to end this quickly. I had to defeat my opponent faster than I ever had. Because, though that tiny voice on the inside of my mind knew that Edward wouldn't hurt Alice, it also didn't care. Fighting Vampires was what I did. Killing them was my job, so to speak. The only vampire I would never harm was Alice.

Edward had signed his own death warrant the moment he had attacked me. Because, though he was doublessly a better fighter than Paul, I could tell just from his movements that he was no where near good enough to beat me, and I had something to fight for. I had something to win for, and I refused to lose.

He lept, teeth bared and black eyes flashing with contempt. His palms were open and held out in front of him, but before his steel hard grip could come in contact with me, I had slipped out of the way, leaving my opponent to sail past me. He landed only a few feet away and whirled, my cat eyes picking up each blurred movement with perfect ease. My claws dug into the earth and I crouched, bearing my teeth in silent challenge. He growled in annoyance and I rorared in fury as we launched ourselfs in tandem.

We came together with a muted thud and I lashed out, jowls open and waiting, and I was distantly aware of a soft, chime-like voice calling out in alarm before the resounding snap of my teeth clashing together tuned it out. Edward's stone cold body had been replaced with empty space, and I growled my displeasure even as my head whipped to the side just in time to see him leaping for my exposed back. The cries of alarm turned to ones of terror as the male vampire's claws dug into the tender flesh of my back, leaving a long trail of long, deep, jagged wounds in their wake.

I clenched my jaw against the roar of pain that rose in my throat, unwilling to let the bastard hear the product of his efforts. Instead, I turned in on myself, my teeth latching onto my enemies shoulder. The marble hard skin gave way underneath the pressure and with one forceful movement I ripped him from my back. My head whipped back and forth on it's own accord, shaking Edward's body like a limp rag doll. His growling turned to pained whimpers, but I didn't stop, not until he went flying many feet away only to crash painfully into a rather large cluster of boulders. I distastfully spat out the hunk of his shoulder that had been ripped from his body and stepped forward with every intent to finish what I had started - only to find my path blocked by my little pixie vampire.

Her eyes were wide and glossed over with unshed tears and I growled a soft warning for her to move. Edward was struggling to his feet behind her, his hair in an ever greater disaray as numerous leaves and twigs had claimed residence. His brand-name, designer clothes were dishevled and dirty and I ignored the disgusting disfigurment the missing hunk of his shoulder caused.

My body tensed, a twinge of pain resonating from the bleeding wounds on my back, as he reclaimed his footing, his eyes wild. I didn't like Alice's back presented to him. It was like a target, and I once again growled a warning to my mate, even as I tried to step around her. But soft hands forced me to stop even as her dainty fingers wound themselved into the midnight black scruff on my jaw. A slight pressure forced my eyes to her own, eyes like liquid gold.

"Shhh, it's okay. He won't hurt me," she whispered. My eyes flicked toward Edward once more, watcing as his brow furrowed in confusion but she forced them back.

The growl forming in my stomach was strained, sounding caught between a whimper and a growl but I was desperate to get her to see my point. "It's okay. I'm safe, Isabella. Everything is okay." Her voice was barely pitched loud enough for me to hear, and I knew Edward would be unable to. I felt a flood of gratefulness that she held silent to my true identity even as I felt the primal nature of my mind slip away at her peaceful request.

I purred in satisfaction as her ice-cold fingers ghosted along my jaw line and into my neck, gently caressing and kneeding the tense muscles found there. Her touch had a calming effect that I had never felt before, not even at the hands of my daughter and I resisted the urge to close my eyes in pleasure. It was sorely tempting, but I downright refused to allow Edward out of my sight, even if I was only watching him in my pereferial vision. Not only that, but I seemed to be drowning in Alice's eyes with each passing second, and I couldn't find the will to look away.

I don't know how long we stared at one another, her calming touch and softly spoken words soothing both Lykenia and myself, but I never wanted it to stop. Two days of no contact whatsoever with my Imprint had left me starved like a man in a desert, and she was my Oasis. All I wanted to do was bask in her, drink in every little thing about her until I was drowning again.

But, of coarse, our moment was to be short-lived.

In a bout of deja vu, sounds of movement reached my keener ears before they did Alice or Edward, coming from the Cullen's side of the treaty-line. My head lifted and my eyes flashed toward the darkened shadows of the forest, my ears swivling from side to side as I listened more intently. The sounds of movement were faint, but I could still tell many forms were fast approaching, no doubt the rest of the vampires coming to the aid of their own. Edward and I were not exactly silent during our battle, and I wouldn't be too suprised if the pack soon arrived as well.

My pixie gasping and stiffening against me brought my attention back to my mate and I gazed at her in concern. Edward stepped forward, concern lighting his own face but he only got a few steps before my snarl stopped him in his tracks.

"Edward, don't come any closer," Alice commanded softly.

"What did you see, Alice?" He asked guardedly, looking between me and his sister in what could only be discribed as puzzlement.

"Nothing. My visions have gone black," she replied softly, bowing her head.

"The wolves," he growled under his breath. Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, the roaring of ten beating hearts claimed my attention, coming in our direction just as fast as the drumming feet.

"They're coming," Alice confirmed.