A/N: I have a challenge for you all- If you enjoy this chapter in any way at all, I want you to leave a comment with something you hope to happen after this! Something scandalous? Something dark? Heartbreaking? The unexpected and out of the left field? Let me know! One word, two words, a hundred? Leave it in the comments! Even a :) smiley face is nice to see so I know I'm doing something right! I have so much fun listening to what you have to say, and I think it would be cool to incorporate some twists and turns. Want more dark!Riley, maybe some Bree x Diego fluff? A different POV like Bella or Rosalie (who do you want to hear from?) Let me know! Xoxo

Chapter Eleven:

I Want to Ki_ _ You.

(Answers may vary)

Until that very moment, I would have never dreamed of turning down the challenge of a fight.

But as I did my best to block a pair of perfectly manicured hands from reaching my throat, I pleaded to whatever gods above that took pity on me to keep my rage in check.

It would take not even the tiniest bit of effort to snap her arms off like twigs if I wished to.

Yet, I didn't dare move from my defensive position, taking great care not to make any advances against the furious female before me, my mind all too aware of the audience in the room.

I could barely focus, the fury burning in my chest had grown tenfold at the ache that exploded along my jawline all the way down to my breast. She had landed one good hit to the right side of my face before I could block her, shielding her from grabbing my throat with my arms. My skin had cracked and shattered like marble where she had made contact.

In the back of my mind, I could sense the faux blanket of calming emotions trying to suffocate the vicious blonde and I, yet it did no good. Growls could be heard throughout the room, but I couldn't be bothered with pinpointing the sources. My eyes never left the pitch-black ones of Rosalie, her beautiful face turned horrid and feral in her blind rage.

I worked hard to hide my own angered emotions from my expression, my eyes only revealing the warning I tried to give her. If she didn't back off soon, I would have to engage further.

She wouldn't come out of that in one piece.

It had only been a few seconds after the vase had been thrown, yet it had felt like an eternity before someone finally intervened.

The third body shoved its way between us, prying Rosalie's hands away so forcefully she stumbled backward. Emmett was right behind her to catch her, wrapping his large arms tightly around her form before she could charge once again. She thrashed madly, hissing and cursing him for it. Jasper's face was hidden from my view, but I didn't have to guess what kind of horrible look of warning must have marred his features.

He was the only one brave enough, strong enough, to dare try and separate us.

The growls had come from him.

I forced myself to take a calm stance, still and unmoving in my place as I watched Rosalie resist the waves of calm that Jasper thrust upon the room. I fought the emotions, my rage still burning as bright as ever, yet I knew I had to hide it.

Rosalie could thrash and scream and carry on all she liked. This was her home and her family, I reminded myself. She could afford to make a mistake.

I could not.

The sting of the broken, jagged flesh of my face and neck throbbed throughout my body, growing more prevalent the longer I stood there. Focusing on it.

The rest of the Cullens hadn't dared move from their huddled place at the foot of the stairs, watching the scene unfold before them in horror. I should have cared about their disapproval, about how I was certain the blame would be placed on me for this. But the thoughts didn't quite reach me, taking the backseat for the moment as I waited.

Waited for Rosalie to submit in defeat. Yet, not to me. To her brother, her twin for all intents and purposes.

As I studied the woman and her partner who restrained her in his hold, I knew for sure that I no longer was the treat. Rosalie hadn't been watching me since the moment Emmett restrained her. No, the pair had their eyes trained on their brother.

Rosalie gave one last kick, her voice had died out on a last grumble of curses, the cloud of emotions Jasper had placed over her having finally done the job. The face of fury was replaced by one of constrained disdain and contempt for the sight before her.

Her revulsion made me curious, confused as to why she had even attacked me in the first place. Yet now she seemed distracted by Jasper entirely, not even acknowledging my presence.

I glanced to the man who stood tall before me, noting the way he haphazardly used his body to partially block me from his sister's view. Not that she was even looking at me anymore. His hands clasped in tight fists by his sides, and I could just barely make out the way he seemed to almost vibrate in anger.

No one would dare move, and I realized no one was brave enough to engage us further. It would be up to one of us to make the next move.

Unsure of what to do now, the others in the room completely still and terrified of what was taking place in the living room, I reached out tentatively. I just barely placed my hand on Jasper's arm, droplets of water from my soaked shirt splattering on the tiled floor was the only sound and I squeezed the muscle lightly. My first attempt at a comforting touch.

It seemed to work, at least I assumed it did, as the second my skin made contact with his, he turned his head just enough to look at me. It took great effort to not allow the tingling sensation his touch sent through me to show, forcing a calm and reassuring look on my face as I met his gaze.

I had never seen him like this, the almost feral look in his pitch black eyes was unsettling, the deep-set scowl on his lips marred his features. He had allowed his instincts to control him, their power driving him. It should have scared me, should have made me bristle in fear of what horrors he could unleash upon me if he didn't like my touching him.

But he allowed it, and if anything, it seemed to relax him a bit the longer we stood there. He reached his opposite hand up to meet my own that had taken hold of his arm, and I was surprised that I didn't recoil as he placed the cool hand atop mine with equal tenderness.

I could only stare at the hands, bewildered and puzzled at how it made me feel. That I was somehow okay with this. I looked back up at him, to see his gaze was fixed not on my eyes, but along my upper body. At the jagged line that tore it's way down my chin to my breast, disappearing just beneath the soaked gray fabric of my shirt. His hold on my hand tightened considerably as his gaze became worried.

I was quick to speak, something telling me I better reassure him, before he let his worries turn to anger once more.

"I'm fine, Jasper. I'll be okay," I said, the softness to my voice was so foreign and completely not my own that it frightened me a bit. My wounds could wait, I had endured far worse, and there were far more important things to deal with at the moment.

He paused for a moment as if contemplating whether I was telling the truth, before looking back to his sister, who had been looking on at our exchange with an expression just short of disgust. His posture straightened, and I took this as the time to swiftly withdraw my hand from his hold, letting it fall limply to my side.

Emmett's expression was much calmer now that Rosalie had stopped her thrashing, though he didn't release her. His eyes never left Jasper's form and he did well not to show any signs of threatening behavior.

Rosalie's gaze was blazing and full of her anger, eyes darting madly from her brother to me, though she didn't move from her place. Jasper must have given her a look, as if in question, that she better start explaining. She bit out her words as if they burned her throat keeping them in.

"You, bitch! I have said it since the beginning, yet no one listened. I knew you would betray us, it was only a matter of time. I should have done off with you the moment you first crossed that threshold," she seethed, venom spewing from her mouth as she glared at me, eyes full of darkness and ill intent. Jasper gave a growl of warning, yet it did little to subdue her as she continued, "Now look where we are! She's been conspiring, how stupid you all have been to fall for her act! As if the likes of her could be trusted. Fools!"

I evened my gaze once more, clenching my jaw so tightly in my contained irritation that it should have shattered my teeth. I raised a brow in question at her words, trying to piece together what I possibly could have missed while training.

Jasper beat me to the punch, and before I could retort he growled lowly at his sister.

"What the hell are you talking about, Rose? She hasn't done anything," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Rosalie gave me an indignant look as if to say "duh!" and shook her head madly, "are you really that blind, brother? She has you wound up so tightly around her finger, you can't even see it! Well, Alice did! She saw it! I told you all!"

I flinched at her words, at the dig she took at Jasper. It didn't settle well for me, and I found my anger slowly growing once more.

Oh, for fuck's sake, here we go again.

At that moment Carlisle finally found the courage to step in, slowly making his way from the staircase towards us. He stopped just a few feet from me, and after eying me warily, he spoke.

"Please, everyone. Let us calm down, think rationally. Roaslie, I know what Alice saw was quite distressing, but let us not jump to conclusions. It would be incredibly unfair to assume such horrible accusations against our guest."

I watched him, bewildered at the scene that had unfolded within the last three minutes. Confused as ever.

Rosalie huffed, but after one last glare at Jasper, she relented. At Carlisle's nod, Emmett released his hold on his wife, though he didn't move from his spot.

Rosalie was the first to move, all eyes on her, worried about what she would do next until she sat on a loveseat. Emmett sat next to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her arms were crossed across her chest, eyes seething with her rage as she pouted.

I didn't dare make a move until Jasper did, who moved to stand behind the chair closest to the door, the one I had sat in all those days ago on my first meeting with the coven. I understood the unspoken request in his eye and sat in the chair. My posture straight, face free of emotion. I didn't dare look in the direction of the angered woman.

Slowly, hesitantly, the Cullens who were huddled at the stairs moved into the open room, filling in the other open seats. Carlisle settled in on a sofa with Esme, taking her hands in his comfortingly.

No one spoke or moved, waiting for the coven leader to guide this awkward conversation.

He gave me an apologetic look before speaking, "just minutes before the two of you returned, Alice had a vision. She saw something that was quite upsetting, and some of us jumped too hastily to conclusions before exploring all explanations. Edward, due to his gift of telepathy, saw the vision as it happened, and relayed the information as it came. Unfortunately, his personal distraught for Bella's safety seems to have twisted his interpretation. Apparently, he recognized figures from your past in the vision. He left before things could be cleared up, and needless to say, things were still unclear when the two of you arrived."

The pointed look he gave Rosalie did not go unnoticed.

I took in the information, trying to piece together the situation. Jasper asked the question that burned in my mind before I could open my mouth.

"What did you see, Alice?"

The petite woman, who had been completely disturbed by the brawl that had broken out just minutes before, gave me a saddened look before glancing to Jasper. She sighed softly before speaking.

"I saw us in the woods, in a clearing. I can't be certain, but it seems we're waiting for something to happen. Figures fly past, and we chase them down for what seems like hours. A fight breaks out, but before I can see the end result, things get blurry," she said with a shake of her head, eyes downcast in her disappointment. As if she failed. She continued, "The figures were other vampires, people that Edward recognized from your thoughts, Seph. I know it isn't your doing, but they are coming for us. I think they are carrying out what they believe you died trying to do."

At first, her words didn't register. I hadn't been prepared for what came out of her mouth. I rolled the words around in my head, trying to make sense of it all. It was as if a ton of weight had been dropped on my shoulders. I felt suffocated as I processed what she meant.

I should have known this would happen. What an idiot I had been to not realize it sooner. Venom pooled in my mouth, and I bit out my words bitterly, jaw clenched as I did my best to conceal the rage rising in my chest. The crack along my jaw flared in pain at the movement.

"Describe them to me."

Alice took the harshness to my tone as all the motivation she needed to quickly list out the descriptions of the threats.

"There were three of them, though I can't be sure if there will be more. Two of them were males, and there was one female. The girl was petite, her hair cut short just past her chin..." she trailed off, her eyes cloudy as she recalled the memory, visibly shaken, "it was messy, full of leaves and dirt. But it was brown, sandy in color.

One of the males was tall, yet from what I could tell he looked quite young, just barely old enough to drive no doubt. His skin was olive, the color of golden caramel. His hair was shaggy and black, curly-"

I zoned out at the description, my venom turning to ice in my veins, her words confirming the worried voice that had pleaded in my mind. Not him, not him, please spare him. I could handle taking down whatever siblings Riley sent my way, none of them leaving a lasting impact on me. None but one.

Riley would be sending Diego to his death.

Crack.

I hadn't noticed when my hands had gone from sitting in my lap to gripping the wooden armrests, let alone how tightly I had gripped them. I looked at my hands, splintered pieces of polished wood filled my palms. I could only look at them blankly, my mind far from reality, the worry for Diego taking all of my focus.

I blinked once, twice. A numbness crept its way along my body, the panic turning into sadness and a horrible mix of emotions I didn't recognize. I hated it.

All eyes had flicked to me as my hands demolished what I was sure was one of Esme's precious designer chairs. But I couldn't find it in me to care, not with the intense and terrible emotions threatening to suffocate me.

A light touch on my shoulder slowly brought me back to reality, the electric touch reminding me of the event at hand. A wave of calm enveloped me at the contact, and for the first time, I was actually grateful for Jasper's gift.

I studied the shards of wood in my hands thoughtfully, composing myself enough to speak without my emotions getting the best of me. My voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Riley's sending his second best, along with his lackeys that will follow his instructions blindly. Especially if he promises them free range and all the destruction they want," I said, noting how eerily calm my voice was, yet continued, "They won't question it at all, they'll see it as a game. I can already guess the third newborn you saw, Raoul. Was he burly, heavily built like Emmett?"

Everyone glanced at the giant man, who raised his brow in peak interest at the question, to which Alice grimly nodded.

I gave a small frown, shaking my head. Of course, Riley would send the most unpredictable of his creations.

Before I could fall back into my conflicting thoughts once more, Carlisle grabbed my attention with a hesitant question.

"What can you tell us of these newborns? How concerned should we be?"

All eyes were back on me, and I internally grimaced. What was I to tell them of Diego? I didn't want him to suffer the same fate as the others, he didn't deserve it.

"While Raoul is much like Emmett is stature and size, he's perhaps the easiest to take down. He's as dumb as he is large, truly. His ego often gets in his way of thinking clearly. The fact that Riley always favored the crowd he seemed to always gather around himself like a gang is primarily why he kept him. His size was intimidating, keeping the younger newborns from trying to pick fights with the older vampires. But in an actual fight, he is practically useless.

The girl, Kristie, is a much better fighter than her counterpart. They both are rowdy, loud. Her anger often gets the best of her, but rather than starting fights she would always become sneaky, mischievous. Attacking when someone would least expect it. She knew better than to start fights with me, so I never got much one-on-one experience with her, but I've seen the way she'd fight with others when provoked. She's quick."

They listened closely, soaking up every word I had to offer. I fell silent for a moment, holding back from the rest, hoping perhaps they wouldn't push it. As if they could forget there was one I hadn't mentioned.

Michael was the one to speak then, giving me a curious look. "What about the other one? There was another, the male."

I frowned deeply then, unable to keep the emotions at bay. They noticed it, too. How bothered this made me.

"Yes, the other one. Now that I am no longer there, Riley probably assuming I am dead, he would have had to pick a second in command. His right hand. The strongest of the... army, as you say. His name is Diego," it pained me to get the words out, feeling like I was betraying some kind of trust. It hit me hard because, until this moment, I had never believed I had any.

All the times I had been so cruel to him, turning him away, came flooding back to me. I felt horrible for it.

Perhaps I had a heart after all.

"But despite it all, out of the three, he is the most likely to listen. To believe the truth if given the chance to surrender-" I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to let my guard down, to share such deep thoughts with them. But I had to, I had to do this for Diego.

"Before coming here, he was the only one who ever challenged Riley's commands, the lies he would spin. I would always become so angry with him, for being so rash with his words, but he never relented. He was the most human of them all, the only kindness I knew in this life. He's the only good thing to come out of Riley's rain of chaos.

"So, I will do everything I can to help with this impending encounter, you can count on that. But, all I ask is one thing- that they be given at least a chance to surrender. Especially Diego, I owe it to him. I know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for his kindness."

No one spoke, no one moved. My words hung heavy in the air, and it stung to allow myself to feel the emotions.

I looked to Carlisle then, knowing he would be the one to decide the fate of my siblings. Diego's fate.

He gave me a small smile, though he gave no look of promise. He nodded slightly, if only to himself. Esme squeezed his hands, giving him a look. One I couldn't quite decipher but hoped it was a pleading one.

He sighed, "Of course, the last thing we want is conflict, least of all a fight. If the opportunity arises for a chance to exchange words in a civil manner, I will be sure to give them the chance to surrender."

I felt a strange sensation bubble in my chest, ebbing away the dread that had gathered there. I was grateful.

I gave him a small smile, a polite nod of thanks.

Rosalie's huff of annoyance didn't go unnoticed, but I refused to acknowledge it.

I was relieved, yet so much had happened in the last fifteen minutes that I could hardly process it all. The anger I felt towards Rosalie, the worry for Diego, the fear of Riley. The mark Rosalie's fit had given me throbbed in pain, hours away from healing completely. Not to mention the now scalding burn in the back of my throat, my thirst presenting itself full force.

I felt like I was going to combust into flames with so much happening inside, and I couldn't process it all. It was too great.

The firm squeeze of the hand on my shoulder told me that Jasper knew it, too. He could feel how close I was to losing it.

Not a moment later Jasper moved, coming to stand in front of me, a look on his face that I couldn't quite place. I met it, noting the worry and concern that were clearly showing in his eyes, in the slight frown as he looked at the cracks his sister had so kindly given me. He nodded his head to the side, gesturing towards the back door.

It went unspoken that it would probably be best if I put as much space between the feisty blonde woman and myself, and I stood alongside him. I needed to hunt anyways. I gave Esme a look of apology as I extended my hand that held the remains of her chair armrests out to her.

She gave a small laugh and told me not to worry about it, brushing my apology off as she took the wood pieces into her own hands. And with that, I followed Jasper out of the house and into the woods.

The moment my foot stepped onto the lush green grass of the lawn, I took off at the fastest speed my feet could carry me, allowing my instincts to drive me as far away from the house as possible. Jasper didn't question it, keeping his own pace several yards behind me as we ran, putting miles between ourselves and the mansion now in the distance.

The tightness in my chest hadn't lightened, if anything, it felt worse. So much worse now that I didn't have to keep my composure around the posh and perfect Cullens.

I eventually came to a stop when I felt I could run no more, the movements making the splintered skin of my face and neck flare with pain each time I took a step. I wanted to rest, find any kind of peace the open air could grant me.

Jasper stopped just behind me, doing well to give me the space I needed as I tried to collect myself.

I had stopped at the edge of a gently flowing stream, the steady water glistening along the rocks in the moonlight. I dropped to the ground, curling my knees up to my chest, eyes focused on the moving crystal waters. I didn't care if Jasper saw or if he judged me for it.

I let my mind drift in a million directions- taking in the way the breeze lightly caressed my cheeks, the feel of the last remaining damp patches of my gray shirt as it clung to my arms, the haunting song of the creatures that lurked in the night. Trying to focus on anything that would distract me from the events of the evening.

Yet none of it quite worked.

After a moment of sitting there, my efforts fruitless, Jasper approached. I was surprised when he mimicked my actions, taking a seat next to me, legs pushed out in front of him as he propped himself on his arms. I couldn't help but stare, having expected him to keep a much more composed stance, not something so casual. Like a sunbather on the beach.

I didn't look away when he turned to me, meeting his look full on. Studying him as he studied me. Again, his eyes drifted almost instantly to the mark along my face, his brows furrowed in irritation. Nothing else held his attention so greatly at that moment as the mark.

Before I could protest he had closed the space between us, his hand was firm yet impossibly feather-like as his finger touched my face, tracing the broken skin along my cheek and down to my jaw. As if studying a map or intricate drawing. I was too shocked to move and retaliate with anger or repulsion, the sensation taking me by surprise. I could do nothing but allow it. The feeling of his skin on mine in such an intimate, caring way was irresistible. I had never felt such a thing.

It was personal, yet completely platonic. Assessing the injury of a companion. I didn't fight as my eyes fluttered shut on their own accord, this newfound sensation was far more prevalent than the pain.

Was he my friend though? I wasn't sure. I really wasn't sure of anything in my life at this point. But I knew I wouldn't give this up, whatever it was. It was the closest I had ever come to knowing peace.

As his hand stilled in its movements, I opened my eyes once more to find him looking at me intently. There was so much intensity behind his amber eyes I couldn't have possibly fathomed what it meant. Suddenly the reality of the moment- who we were and where we were- hit me. The proximity between us, his hand still holding my cheek. I realized just how closely this teetered on the edge of being far more than platonic.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, at which he seemed to notice what I had realized, and retracted his hand quickly. I looked at the small stream, forcing myself to act as though I found the bubbling brook to be far more interesting than what had just occurred. It took everything within me to keep my voice neutral, nonchalant.

"What you did back there... I didn't get a chance to thank you for it. Standing up to Rosalie like that," I said, my voice almost a mumble as I fought to find the right words. I spared a glance at him, doing my best to convey the sincerity I felt.

"Thank you."

He seemed to battle with his emotions, his face shifting into a steady, empathetic look. He shrugged, the smallest of smiles forming on his lips.

"Don't worry about it. I should be the one apologizing to you. Her actions were uncalled for," he said, voice soft and smooth. I was slightly mesmerized at the way he was always so composed, eloquent with his words. So calm and at ease.

How starkly different this Jasper that sat before me was from the one I had seen in the house when he confronted his sister, the Jasper that interrogated me days ago. Every bit the dark creature a vampire could be.

The thought sent a wicked thrill up my spine.

I didn't move from my curled-up spot along the bank of the stream. My eyes drifted between his golden eyes and the glistening water as we sat there, the silence a welcome one as I tried to gather myself. His words had been a much-needed distraction from my emotions and physical pains, and he seemed to know it, too.

He tilted his head towards downstream, listening. I perked up as well, attempting to pick up on whatever sounds he had found. He gave me a mischievous smile, and I raised a brow in question.

"I think the answer to all your problems has just arrived," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the sounds. I heard it as soon as the words left his mouth, the unmistakable trampling of hooves and the drum of beating hearts.

I dared take a breath, my muscles tightening as I prepared to launch after the creatures, their scents heavy in the air at the close proximity. Musky and dull as they were, I had gone so long without feeding that I would have eaten anything to quell the burn.

My head snapped in the direction of the sounds and smells, rising to my feet in an instant as my instincts flared to life. Venom pooled in my mouth at the images flooding my mind, fueling the aching burn in my throat. The need to quench the thirst was overwhelming.

My hands fidgeted at my sides in anticipation, a bounce to my toes. I spared Jasper a quick glance, noting through the intoxicated haze how a smirk plastered itself on his handsome face, silently waiting for his go-ahead. With an amused, deep chuckle that tickled my ears, he nodded. It was all I needed to take off running towards my prey.

Earlier that week I had quickly learned that, while mountain lions were nothing like humans, they tasted like a gourmet meal compared to the terribly bland flavor of deer. It was muted and horribly bitter in comparison to the carnivorous cat, but as desperate as I was in that moment, I didn't care. If it took the entire herd of deer to satisfy even a fraction of the thirst, I would drink them dry gladly.

And that was exactly what I did.

In only a minute's time, I had reached the grassy foothills of the mountains where the herd of four deer grazed. They were all dead not a moment later, strangled painlessly by my arms' hold.

I greedily drank their blood, the bitterness stark on my tongue, though it was quickly forgotten as it slowly ebbed away the terrible burn in my throat. The docile beasts dwarfed me in size, though it didn't keep me from picking up their massive bodies with ease. I had been too eager to drain the last one, the only buck, accidentally tearing the flesh at the neck. Blood had splattered from the wound all across my chest, flecks of crimson dotting my face. It didn't bother me in the slightest as I went in for the remainder of my meal.

I had felt his presence before I heard it, the sensation making my body go rigid. I had just finished draining the last remnants of life from the buck, though the urge to protect it flared to life within me. I gripped the corpse tightly, a growl rumbling its way out of my chest, warning the stranger not to come any closer.

I forced my arms to drop the animal, turning swiftly to look at the newcomer who had dared approached my hunt, ready to crouch into a defensive stance. My instincts driving my every move. But with one look at the vampire, I froze, my instincts switching gears so swiftly it should have given me whiplash. My blackened eyes met golden ones and a strange sense of familiarity fluttered in my mind. I knew this vampire.

Indeed, I did, my instincts seemed to sing to me. Luring me to this creature. I know him.

My mind swam with the emotions, the territorial desires were gone now, replaced with something much more dangerous. Incredibly compelling and warm.

I was able to recognize Jasper as the unwelcomed visitor. Why had he come so close when he knew better?

In the middle of my chaos, there he stood. Shining like a beacon in the moon's light. Such a stark contrast to the darkness that enveloped me.

His eyes had drifted to the carnage, taking in the damage I had done so easily, so quickly. How horribly savage he must have thought me to be, I wondered. Though as his eyes rose to meet mine once more, the bright gold that had filled them was now gone.

He dared a step closer, eyes calculating as he studied my reaction to his advances. I didn't move, no longer eager to attack, and he took this as a sign to take another step. His movements were mesmerizing under my instincts' spell, the cloudy haze it cast over my mind once again consuming me. I could only watch as he came as close as he dared.

He stopped just a few feet before me, the close proximity of another vampire to my hunt should have made me want to kill him. But instead, I only wanted to share it with him. I risked taking a breath.

I could have fallen to my knees at the scent, there was nothing else like it. The intricate and intoxicating smells of citrus and spice, so uniquely him. In that moment, it had increased in intensity tenfold. A tightness formed in my chest as the emotions I had grown so used to feeling around this man flared to life. I wanted to explore it, my instincts begged for it.

How bizarre and strange these desires were, yet I couldn't be bothered with thinking them through as I looked up at him to meet his gaze, finding myself eager to know what he'd do next.

He looked around once more, noting the sheer amount of blood I had managed to consume, the prey I had so easily taken down. A dark smirk made its way onto his lips as he realized this, and I couldn't control the reaction it stirred within me to know he was impressed.

A sound I had never heard the likes of formed in my chest at the appraisal, and before I could stop myself in utter embarrassment at the realization, he joined me. The sound was much deeper and delightful to my ears than my own. There we stood, purring like idiots.

The satisfaction that I felt at the sound he made was a distraction enough that I completely let go of my inhibitions, wanting to feel the way I did at that moment forever.

There was nothing else in the world, just the clearing under the night sky and him. This beautiful creature I couldn't believe existed.

I felt the urge to touch him, my hands itching to make contact with the skin I knew would send sparks through my body. He knew this, too, a glint in his eye as I openly stared at him, and his smirk only deepened. It was enough encouragement I needed to reach out, my pale hand resting awkwardly at first on his upper arm, before a surge of confidence that was not my own flooded me, and my grip tightened. My other hand quickly followed suit, resting against the front of his light blue shirt.

My hands had been covered in the blood of the animals, drops of crimson dripping from my fingertips, the precious liquid now staining his shirt with my handprints. It was a sight to behold. A perfect replica of my handprint would show on his chest. His chest vibrated in approval at the contact.

There was something deeply intimate with the gestures, yet in my deep instinctual haze, I couldn't quite place it. The familiar burning that spread through my body at the contact had eaten away at me since I had met him.

I didn't know if it was wrong, the touches and looks we shared, but I knew that I liked it very much. And I knew that I was tired of burning in secret.

I wanted him to burn, too.

His hand came to rest gently on my cheek yet again, so soft and full of unspoken promises, the other finding purchase at the curve of my back. That thrilling sound only grew in my chest at the action, and an electric buzz made its way through my body like never before with the contact. I was drunk on my body's sensitivities, the primal desires that controlled me soaring to a high.

He turned my face to look up at him, meeting his eye once again. Black eyes as deep as the ocean met my own, and for a moment I felt lost in them. He asked a question without uttering a word, and I heard it loud and clear. I clung to him for dear life.

The world outside could wait- Riley's plans, the ever bitchy Rosalie, Diego's doom- it could all wait another day. My only care in that moment was the man before me.

Before I could allow my sober and rational subconscious to talk me out of it, to think of the consequences and terrors that awaited me outside of this clearing, I threw all caution to the wind and followed the pull of my body towards this dark creature.

I fell to the ground atop of him, having taken him down with me, meeting his electrifying touch in reckless abandonment.