Bella POV

"Your turn," I told Edward, playfully nudging him with my shoulder, dragging my eyes off of him for long enough to scan the surrounding forest. Much like the first time I had seen Edward in the sunlight, I was simply amazed and my eyes seemed to be permanently riveted on him. It was an effort to look elsewhere for long enough to hunt properly and take down the two elk I had drained earlier.

"Right," he muttered, inhaling deeply, smelling the mixture of scents on the breeze. He couldn't seem to be able to take his eyes off of me, either. He had kissed me for minutes straight when he had first seen me glittering in the sun. I had never before been gladder for a vampires lack of need for oxygen in my life. I grinned at him.

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" he asked, cupping my cheek with his palm and rubbing his thumb back and forth tenderly.

I nodded happily. "Yes. I've always wanted to see you hunt." And some part of me selfishly wanted to take notes as well. The two elk that I had taken down before had been messy and had been in a lot of pain before I realised that I should probably snap their necks and kill them before trying to drink. It had been embarrassing, but Edward had reassured me that I had done fine. I wasn't sure I completely believed him.

"Okay then," he chuckled, eyes light and dancing. "Let's go."

Before the thought of running through the forest at this break neck speed and not concentrating intently in avoiding trees had terrified me. Now as a vampire, I realised how silly I really had been. It was so easy, so natural. I could easily weave through trees and leap over boulders without even the slightest hesitation. It was exhilarating.

"Can you smell that, love?" Edward asked, slowing down a little beside me.

I followed his lead and drifted to a standstill, sniffing. "Yes. It smells better then the elk. What is it?"

"Bear. Are you sure you don't want to take this one?" His dark eyes bore into my own. "I honestly don't mind. I can also go find something else." The grin he flashed at me was crooked and made my knees wobble. "The forest is stocked plentiful."

I shook my head. "No. I'm full. You go ahead."

With one last crooked smile he took off after the bear. I followed behind him, leaving a healthy distance between us out of instinct. I somehow knew it wasn't a good idea to get close to someone when they hunted, to impose of their territory, their meal. I trailed behind Edward slowly, just barely keeping him in my sight as he stalked his prey. He truly was magnificent as he wrestled with the large animal, easily breaking its neck and draining it. Never once did he make a mess. His clothes did end up in torn rags like mine had. I bit my lip as I slowly walked towards him, feeling more embarrassed than ever at my earlier amateur attempt.

"You're much better then I am," I told him.

"I've had a hundred years worth of practice." There was that crooked smile again.

I was still doubtful. "I bet you didn't butcher it on your first hunt."

He took my hand in his and started to lead me through the forest at a slow humans pace. "My first hunt was not much better this. I made a far bigger mess, believe me, my Bella."

I couldn't help but find it hard to believe after seeing him taking down a full-grown bear without a single hair being ruffled from perfection. I'm pretty sure he read the scepticism in my expression because he just laughed and took my hand in his before starting to run through the woods again. The wind whipped through my hair, spinning it gracefully on the wind. It made me feel wild and untamed and free.

"I'm really glad that you love running as much as I do."

I smiled up at Edward. "How could I not love it? It's amazing."

He just smiled and shook his head.

From the way our families' scents were becoming more and more frequent and potent, I realised we were travelling towards home. We'd be there very soon, given the speed at which we were travelling. The quickness of our movements didn't hinder any of my senses at all in any way, though. I could still see every leaf on every tree, every rock, every single animal track in the snow, everything. I could still feel the snow give way under my feet, feel the way Edward's hand gripped mine tightly, feel the way the wind rushed past me so fast I felt like I was being sucked into a vortex. I could still smell everything from the different trees scents to the animal droppings littering the ground, from the river to the distinctive aroma of a burning fire, from Edward's heavenly scent to – to –

- to what on earth was that?

I whipped around to the west, my nose raised to the breeze that was flittering towards me from that direction. Before I'd even realised what I was doing, I was shooting off through the forest towards the scent, breathing deeply, only vaguely aware of Edward's distant cries behind me. The scent was alluringly beautiful, seeming to fill me and make me complete, sending shockwaves of need tingling through me that turned painful pretty quickly, like some sort of sick twisted withdrawal. I was addicted already and I didn't even know what the scent was, let along tasted it, its blood flowing through my lips and satisfying the aching burn in my throat . . . I growled and pushed my legs faster, harder, growing closer to its source by the second.

"Bella, you don't want this!" Edward shouted behind me. Part of me, the tiny part of me that hadn't been affected by the heady scent, realised the he sounded panicked and desperate and . . . angry, almost. That part of me felt like it should stop and go comfort him, fix whatever I had done wrong to make him angry. "Please, Bella, stop!"

I ignored him.

Well, at least I tried to ignore him. It was a futile attempt for many reasons: one, since when could I ever –even in a million years– ignore Edward of all people? Second of all, ever since I had awoken as a vampire, there seemed to have been some switch that had been flipped inside of me. It just positively shouted all sorts of instincts at me like protecting the hunt, steering clear of other vampires feeding, act defensively before you assumed the situation was fine. Currently, this instinct encyclopaedia was absolutely screaming at me, it's message as clear as day: danger. Mixed in with this single demanding message were other littler ones: he's imposing on my territory, my hunt, and I better protect my back before he gets to the source of the intoxicating aroma. I was protective, feral.

But this was Edward.

And I could only think of one thing that he would want me to stop hunting.

The shock of the realisation of how I'd been acting, what I'd been doing, whom I'd been running from and considering attacking was so great that it stopped me mid-flight.

I jerked to a halt, mere centimetres from the edge of the cliff. It wasn't that I hadn't seen it before – it was just that I had been to caught up in the hunt to really consider how I was going to get down there to the source of the throat-burning scent. At the bottom of the cliff, nestled between a frozen creek and more of the snow-covered forest that seemed to be everywhere I looked was a small cabin. A plume of smoke rose from the small chimney and into the sunny sky. A man was chopping wood around the side of the house, the pounding of the axe creating a steady thump, thump, thump accompanied by the ringing of splitting wood. A woman was grabbing groceries from the back of a ute, trying to juggle as many bags as she could without dropping anything onto the snow frosted ground.

I started to turn around to Edward, horrified. It had only been a split second since I had stopped, my vampiric senses taking in everything faster then a human could ever imagine, but it had not been a second long enough. Edward, running so fast to catch me, was surprised by my sudden unexpected stop. My eyes locked with his as comprehension dawned on both of us, and he desperately tried to stop, to slow down, but his momentum carried him over the edge of the cliff and hurtling into the air.

Logically, I knew the drop wasn't that large. Logically, I knew that a vampire was indestructible. Logically, I knew that nothing could ever harm Edward's marble body. Logically, I knew that it was possible as in my human-blood induced frenzy, hadn't I been considering jumping off it too? Logically, I knew he would be fine.

But, unfortunately, logic wasn't ruling at this moment in time.

I screamed as he started to go hurtle down towards the ground. As soon as the sound left my lips, though, Edward jerked to a sudden painful halt in midair. The magic that had been teasing the edges of my mind, always there but just out of reach, came flooding through me with such strength that I felt like crumpling to the ground. It poured through me in a rough torrent, like a furious dam being released as the floodgates opened, untamed and uncontrollable.

Edward gaped at me from where he was being held in midair. "Bella?" I dimly heard him call, as if from a great distance. My mind was still reeling too fast for me to pay much notice to him. It was trying to deal with the onslaught of magic while my vampiric instincts were still taking in every single detail –no matter how small– in the immediate are. It was a dizzying mix and a small part of me wondered if I was going to be the first ever vampire to faint.

Down below, the man and lady that had been bustling about the small cabin had paused to stare up at us. A shrill scream split the air as the woman pointed up at Edward, frozen and glittering many feet in the air like some sort of beautiful archangel disco ball. The man started to panic, too, and I forced myself to unfreeze. As soon as I moved, though, the web of furious magic that had been holding Edward collapsed, and he hit the ground – hard.

He jumped lightly to his feet immediately, staring up at me where I had refrozen at the top of the cliff. "Bella, baby?" he called, ignoring the two humans completely. His eyes were reverted on me, wide with disbelief and confusion.

In seconds I had flown along the line of the cliffs edge, following it as it dropped down and softened into a steep slope, one that I ran down so fast that even my vampire self was having a hard time dodging the trees and streams that nature threw in my way. I heard Edward running through the forest towards me, searching for me, and I threw myself into his arms when we met in the strip of forest that hugged the outskirts of the clearing that the cabin sat nestled in.

"Oh my god," I cried into his shirt. My hands ran up and down his arms, over his chest, around his back, checking and reassuring myself that he was okay, all in one piece, alive. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Of course I am. Just a bit . . . shaken." Seeing my wide eyes, he quickly clarified. "Not from the fall, love, but from the – the being suspended in the air. I'm still quite unsure as to how it even happened." A frown creased his brow.

I pressed my lips to his, kiss him desperately, needing to reassure myself further that he was perfectly fine. As soon as I pulled back, breathing heavily, I fumbled to explain. "My magic, Edward. I've got it. I –" I broke off as I heard the two humans shouting and crying escalate. I pulled back from Edward and looked at him with wide, worried eyes as comprehension dawned on me, followed quickly by horror. "Oh, Merlin. What are we going to do about that?" I pointed in the direction that the couples cries were coming from. "I – I've just exposed us."

"We'll deal with it," Edward said firmly. I couldn't help but notice he didn't say how we would exactly deal with it. I bit my lip, still mentally freaking out. "Tell me about your magic. What happened? It just came back? Is that why I didn't fall? This is amazing, Bella!"

"Yes," I admitted sheepishly. "The magic overwhelmed me and I just acted, I'm sorry. That was not magic performed properly with any skills or training – it was wild, instinctual. Like what wizarding children do in times of need before they are sent to Hogwarts and learn to control it. Sorry about its unexpectedness."

"I see." Edward smoothed a hand down my hair before gripping me tightly around my waist, holding me close to him. "So your magic is still completely with you? It won't leave again?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm positive of that. It's here. I can feel it." I beamed at him. "But it's also much stronger then it ever was before." I frowned, concentrating on where my magic pulsed through me, easily three times as powerful as it ever was before. I had always been a good witch, confident in my abilities, sure with my magic, possessing a larger then average amount of it – but I had never even dreamed of it being this strong. It must have been enhanced along with everything else during the change, instead of dying, for some mysterious reason.

"Is there some sort of magical thing that we could give them – the humans? Some sort of potion or remedy we could make?" Edward asked hesitantly, drawing me from my thoughts. I grimaced as I listened to the couple shout in the background, getting themselves quite worked up.

I smacked my forehead, mentally giving myself a, Duh Bella. "Of course. I've been such an idiot. I can just erase their memories."

Edward froze in my arms. "Like what Hermione did with her parents?" he asked warily. "Bella, I don't think that would be the best idea, making them forget everything. Won't that just result in more problems?"

I pecked his lips quickly, smiling at his concern. "I didn't mean like Hermione. Well, I did, but I meant in a much smaller amount. They would only forget the last few hours of their lives."

He exhaled. "Okay then. If you're sure – but can you resist their blood?"

"Yes." I nodded and linked his hand with mine, threading our fingers together tightly. I pulled him with me towards the couple, removing my wand from the back pocket of my jeans with my free hand. I was thankful that I had kept it with me, despite my thinking it that my magic would be withheld from me forever. Old habits die hard, I guess.

I gave Edward's hand one finally squeeze before whispering, "Stay here."

I stepped out of the shaded forest and into the clearing. The two didn't notice me at first and continued their conversation – something about no mobile reception and filling the ute up with a full tank of petrol so they could get out of here. I tightened my grip on my wand as I walked towards them, clearing my throat. They spun towards me, shock and fear written all over their faces. Just as the woman opened her mouth to scream again, I interjected with a polite, "Hello."

This seemed to scare her more then anything. Trembling, she fell back into the mans arms, causing him to stumble under her weight.

I sighed and pointed my wand at them, keeping a firm grip on my overly strong magic. I didn't want to accidentally wipe all of their memories like Edward had feared just because it was way more powerful then I was accustomed to. "Obliviate." Once the memory charm was done, I disappeared into the forest, running so fast they wouldn't be able to see me when they regained their senses.

Done and dusted.

"Wow," Edward breathed, watching as the humans stumbled around the clearing, dazed and disorientated before shrugging and going back to chopping wood and unloading the car. "You are amazing."

If I had the blood to blush I would have. Instead my metamorphmagus magic took over staining my cheeks a bright crimson. Edward watched me with wide eyes, lifting a hand to trail down my red cheek with wonder written all over his expression. "I thought I would never see you blush again." His smile left me breathless. "I don't think I have ever, or will ever be, happier that you are an appearance changing witch then I am now."

I swatted his hand away, huffing. "Damn embarrassing magic," I muttered, mostly to myself.

He chuckled, eyes sparkling, and asked, "Race you home?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and in an instant I was a fast moving blur in the forest. "Cheat!" I heard him call after me as he took off behind me. My laughter mixed in with his but I didn't let it distract me from the task at hand. I was determined to win. But when we stumbled into the clearing that our home sat in, we were at a dead tie.

I declared myself anyway. "I won that one!"

Edward scoffed. "You wish."

I huffed. "Fine. It was a draw. I'll win next time though."

We made our way inside and into the lounge room. The mood transformed from light and carefree into something heavier with tension and questions as we called the rest of our family downstairs and into the dining room for a meeting. Jasper shot us a curious look and tried to lighten the atmosphere, relaxing everyone to a more comfortable level. I gave him a grateful smile.

"By the time I saw it," Alice told Edward and I sheepishly as she walked into the room, "It was too late. Sorry."

Edward nodded. "I know. Don't be sorry though. It's not your fault."

"What happened?" Rose asked, folding herself into one of the beautiful chairs that were seated around the old large wooden dining table. Looking at her sitting there majestically, back straight, chin high, blonde hair pulled into an elegant twist at the nape of her neck, I could easily envision her as a mysterious princess conferring with her council in a far away fantasy land.

When I focused back on reality, everyone's eyes were on me, and I realised with a start that they were waiting for me to explain who I store at Rose. The metamorphmagus in me blushed, my cheeks tinting pink, and everyone laughed.

Help? I thought desperately.

Edward jumped before turning and beaming at me, the same elated expression in his features that always came when he heard my mind. "We ran into some trouble while hunting," he told them, his eyes never leaving mine.

Thankyou. I gave him one last timid thought before putting my shields back up again.

"What sort of trouble?" Esme asked, clasping her hands in front of her, worry evident in her eyes. "Are you both alright?"

"Yes," I reassured her, wondering how I was going to say this. I decided to just come out with it. "I just – started hunting some humans."

Edward continued before any of them could react, although I did see them eyeing me with an assortment of different expressions: understanding, sadness, acceptance, evaluation. I fought the metamorphmagus urge that told me to heat my cheeks red and focused on what Edward was saying. "She broke off, though, mid hunt. It was amazing. But she stopped just at the edge of a cliff, where the humans were in the valley below. My momentum carried me off of the cliff. I would have survived the drop but Bella didn't seem to realise that and . . . well, she caught me."

"Caught you?" Emmett looked at us like we were crazy.

"With my magic," I clarified. "It just rushed through me – and I couldn't help but act instinctively. I used untrained, wild magic. The kind wizards and witches possess and use in times of need before they learn to harness their gifts and use them safely. Edward completely stopped in mid air." I took a deep breath, well aware that all eyes were glued to me, watching my every movement and expression, listening raptly. "The humans saw us and started screaming –" I ignored Rosalie's and Jasper's low hisses "– and I lost my grip on the magic. Edward fell. I ran around to meet him at the bottom of the cliff, and after realising that I still had my magic, I wiped the whole encounter from the human's memories."

It was silent when I finally finished speaking. I glanced at Edward nervously. He took my hand in his under the table, rubbing his thumb across the top of my hand reassuringly.

"That is amazing," Carlisle finally said, watching me with a wide smile. "Your control is unheard of."

"Along with her vampiric magic," Alice chimed in, giggling.

"It's a proven fact now," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. "Bella's never going to be normal. She's too weird."

I ignored them, instead musing aloud. "I should call Hermione. She's going to have a field trip now." I grimaced as an uncomfortable thought crossed my mind. "I'm going to be some sort of wizarding oddity. Or vampire oddity. Either one. Wizards are going to want to test my abilities, experiment on what I can do, and the vampires . . ."

Edward hissed, low and menacing. His eyes were narrowed dangerously and I got the feeling that whatever he must he thinking was terribly violent. "I will not allow you to become an experiment." He gripped me tightly, irrationally, as if they were going to break through the door at any moment to whisk me away to poke and prod at my magic and me.

"No," Emmett reinforced. "We won't."

I was slightly stunned at their response. "Guys, calm down. Nothing's going to happen."

"Yeah, I know," Emmett grumbled. "Because we won't let it. But they're going to want to."

"Bella dear," Carlisle asked. He seemed to be the only one that had kept a cool head. "Is there any way they can force you into doing what they want? Any laws? Any loopholes or anything that you know of in the wizarding world or Ministry?"

I shook my head, mentally thinking through the laws I knew.

"None that I know of," I told Carlisle. "There aren't many vampire laws in the wizarding world. I thought the – the vulture vampires in Italy dealt with the vampire world and their laws. But to answer your question, I'm sure that the Ministry can't do anything to me if I do the right thing by their wizarding laws and don't cause trouble. They don't own me."

Rose cracked a smile across from me. "Vulture vampires?" she laughed. "You mean the Volturi?"

My cheeks turned red. "Yeah. I, umm, forgot what they were called. I knew it was something along those lines."

Emmett chuckled. "You were close enough. It's a pretty apt description. Vulture vampires."

Edward wasn't amused. He turned to me with troubled eyes, something almost like fear written in their depths. "The Volturri could get their hands on you? You're certain?"

I could immediately tell that he was immensely troubled by this thought. I reached out a hand and laid it on his cheek, gently stroking my thumb back and forth. His eyes softened but it did little to ease the tension that held his body rigid. "I wouldn't know," I told him softly. "I'm pretty hopeless on this side of the fence. Muggle world and wizarding world? Piece of cake. Vampires? Not so much. This is your area of expertise."

He exhaled. "Right. Well, they can only take you by force if you do anything wrong, like breaking any of their laws and exposing our kind to muggles. You cannot be forced to join them. They can offer you to a place in their ranks, to become part of their Guard but you are free to refuse." A wry grin twisted his lips. "Trust me, I know. Aro is determined to recruit Alice, Jasper and I."

"And now you," Jasper said. Although he was blunt, I was grateful he didn't sugar coat it or do anything but ever tell me the truth. "For Aro will want you more than he has anyone else in all of history."

To say I was uncomfortable with this was an understatement. "Err, you're sure I can say no? I don't want to get into any trouble."

"We're positive, dear," Esme reassured me.

Relieved, I exhaled the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I certainly didn't want to end up wrapped up in some sort of vampire elite army, confined and trapped under what was essentially the vampire king's rule. From what I had heard he sounded controlling and evil – not someone I wanted to spend the rest of eternity living with.

"What do you mean, Carlisle?" Edward snapped, startling me.

I glanced over at Carlisle to find him regarding Edward calmly but intently from his seat at the head of the table. "You know exactly what I meant." His eyes never left my husbands.

Emmett huffed quietly next to me. "Here we go again," he muttered, sullen. "Off with damned one sided conversations."

Everyone ignored him, so I gathered his displeasure at such communications was a common thing. I gave him a sympathetic look, sure that in time, I too would hate these secret conversations as well. Carlisle must have taken note, though, because the next time he spoke he spoke aloud for everyone's benefit.

Edward snarled, "No, I don't. It is unnecessary and will only put Bella in danger."

Carlisle glanced at me before looking Edward levelly in the eye. "It will be better in the long run if we get it over and done with now. Aro will be furious when he finds out that we didn't tell him immediately if we do not, and it will do nothing more then serve his anger and jealous to flare. He will view it as a personal insult, seeming how he views me as a close friend."

Edward shook his head. His voice was flat. "No."

"Would someone please tell me whats going on?" I demanded. From what I had gathered, I did not like the sound of this conversation or where it was heading. "Are we going to tell the Volturi?" I felt a thrill of fear travel down my spine. I tightened my grip on my wand unconsciously.

"Definitely not."

Carlisle ignored my husband and turned to me, honey eyes shining with kindness. "It would be the smarter path to take."

Jasper folded his hands in his lap. "He's right. I am in complete agreement with Carlisle. They may not have a reason to attack us or forcefully recruit you if we do not tell them and they find out some other way, but it will help smooth things over if we go to them first. It will make Aro feel powerful, in control – something that is bound to disappear when he finds you will not go with him and add your abilities to his collection." He chuckled. "He will be royally pissed then."

"Oh," I said. It was the only thing I could think off. Very intelligent, Bella.

"I still don't like it."

I sighed. "Edward, I get why this isn't exactly in your must do this, but everyone else seems to think it is necessary. I sort of agree. I mean, it's better to get it over and done now, and have less hard feelings from this Aro guy. I know your protective of me, too, but it's sort of unnecessary –hey, don't look at me like that! Just listen!– I'm a vampire now, remember? And besides that, I am still a witch. An extremely strong one at that. My magic has nearly tripled in power since I have been changed. I am far from without many defences and would whip you guys offensively."

"I . . ." Edward picked up a piece of my hair and plaited it absentmindedly. "I just worry about you. It goes against every fibre in my being not to and although I know you are a strong, independent, seasoned witch, my instincts still tell me to protect you as if you were but a human."

I kissed him softly. "Silly man."

Rose cleared her throat. "I thought our skin was impenetrable by magic. That's what everyone was saying."

I cocked my head to the side, watching her. I hadn't know she had been paying that much attention to all of the conversations that had gone on at the Weasley's and everything I had shared with them over the last few months. "It is. You're skin is too hard, too dense for a single witch to ever harm you. Sort of like a dragon. But also much like with dragons, if many witches or wizards work together and fire a spell simultaneously it will accumulate power and break through their defences." I cleared my throat anxiously. "Not to sound full of myself or anything, but magic is so strong now, that I think I might get through our skin."

"You can," Alice chirped, nodding. "I've seen it."

I felt a thrill race through me. I was extremely happy at this fact but also anxious and wary. This just proved how potent my magic had become. Scarily so. I had never known or heard of anyone with this much magic before, apart from Dumbledore, who was in a category all by himself, and –I shudder to even think it– Lord Voldemort. Who was I, little insignificant Bella Tonks - Bella Cullen, now, actually- to wield something to this magnitude?

"I don't really understand what difference it makes," Emmett said, frowning to himself. "I don't mean to insult you or anything, Yonnie, but I just thought that you were all the same, so to speak, and just cast your incantations on the same level."

"Well," I hummed. "The strength of witches and wizards varies will vary widely. Most can attempt and complete a wide variety of spells but with different levels of success and strength. Age and background influence this greatly, as well as how hard the witch studies and trains." An idea struck me, an easy way to explain this in a way they could understand – visually. They'd all see a Patronus before, after all. "It's sort of like a Patronus. Some will be nothing more than a shimmer of light and others will be fully formed strong animals – some wizards may even be able to produce many at the same time. It all depends on the power and strength of the magic behind the charm."

"Ah." Emmett nodded.

The mountain of a vampire had teased and taunted me mercilessly ever since I had threatened to hex him with a slug vomiting incantation and he had found out that a single witches spell could not harm a vampire. But now my magic was enhanced, and he was no longer safe.

I grinned at him. "Guess what this all means, Emmett?"

Warily, but with challenge written in his eyes, Emmett asked, "What?"

"You're not safe from any of my spells anymore. Just think of all the fun we'll have."

His expression was priceless.