What happened previously:
There was a hunger in his eyes. Not the hunger I had seen before, which had been a hunger that echoed my own longing for him.
This was actual hunger.
Like he wanted to eat me.
Now....
Back to Edward's POV!
CHAPTER 11: BLOOD LUST
Happiness versus horror. That was an effective but unwanted way to divide my evening. A - far too ironic division between what had seemed very right tonight and everything that had turned out to be so wrong in a matter of small seconds.
First, there had been Jacob Black. Out to ruin my perfect night with Bella. When strictly based on the dynamic of his relationship with her and the beneficial rights that came with that connection, I suppose I couldn't put the blame on him for interrupting - in his position I would probably have done the same- but he had managed to give this evening a rather sinister twist. In more ways than one.
When he had emerged from the shadows of the parking lot, I hadn't immediatedly managed to grasp what he was. The moment I had smelled him though, something I tried to repress, started to shape itself in my mind. Like a waterfall of vile memories I remembered the Quileutes and the treaty. Jacob living at La Push at the reservation. Descendants of the wolves. The animalistic smell. I realized what all those details added up to. What all of it meant.
Jacob Black was a werewolf, a dog. A new one at it too, which explained the agression and the lack of control. Also, he was very much aware of my nature and my family, it seemed.
Then there had been the moment when Jacob had slammed into Bella. An impossibly strong mixture of anger, resentment and an all consuming fear over Bella's condition washed over me as I heard her head crack against the metal pole. I wanted nothing but to break the damn treaty right there by killing the dog. But before I had the chance to act on that impulse, another feeling - overwriting the worry and anger - took over completely.
The air was suddenly filled with an unknown perfume, a scent so sweet I could have sworn it was meant to call for me only.
And it took less than a few seconds before that delicious overpowering scent hit my nostrils like a massive wreckening storm, ready to break me down. It was like that first day, except in the worst way possible.
That day - was it really just three days ago - when I had first smelled Bella, that day had been so wonderful. How the pit in my stomach had started to unwind and released this free-flowing yearning that had made me want Bella so much. The memory of it would have warmed me to the core at any other time.
But that beautiful warm desire was hardly similar to what was happening right now.
Yes, like always when Bella was within a few feet radius of me, there was definitely a wicked temptation here, still as strong as it had been when her scent had first danced around me. Except now it was the smell of her blood; streams of it covering her beautiful ivory face, slowly drenching the dark blue blouse - that covered her body in seductive ways - into a purple spotted mess where the blood mixed with the fabric - and it was not an aphrodisiac like her body fragrance was. It was a dangerous murderous elixir.
I was a mad fool.
To expose myself like this in front of Bella was unforgivable.
To not protect her from that vile dog, Jacob Black was unacceptable.
To watch her lie there and smell her right now...
Was going to be a problem.
A huge and possible deadly misfortune, I was about to inflict upon Bella.
As she lay there, ghostly white and motionless, blood oozed from a deep cut on her forehead. Her heart was steady though and although her breathing was staggering, the head wound itself didn't seem to put her in a life-threatening situation at the moment.
Of course, my raging bloodlust, burning any rhyme or reason that was left inside me away, was more than plenty to make her life forfeit.
The small analytical part of reason that my brain had left, noted Bella was unconscious from the blow and that she needed to be brought to an emergency room right away.
But my body and my movements went against the grain of this fact. Like my instincts had a mind of its own. I leaned into her and like an instant addict, I started taking deep breaths which made my brain start to replace all the sense I had. It registered the thick heavenly scent that her spilled blood spreaded and it was mouth watering. I could taste the venom burning in my mouth and I knew I was moments away from ravishing her.
Behind me, Jacob was growling, but he made no move to come closer. No effort to help Bella. In fact, internally he didn't seem that worried at all. He was almost enjoying this because it made me look like the bad guy.
Reading Jacob Black's mind hadn't interested me until tonight. I had picked up the gist of his hatred for me before at the mall, but tonight I got real insight into what he was thinking. And right now, he was wavering between caring about the fact Bella lay there wounded and the hope I would do something reckless. He wanted me to expose myself like that to Bella, because it would give him a perfect excuse to kill me.
One bite and I'll rip him apart. Just let him try.
Was he utterly insane? Was he really standing there, waiting around for me to hurt her? Surely he knew it wouldn't take me much time to inflict permanent irreversible damage. I understood his aversion towards me - it was very much a mutual feeling - but this was about Bella. I could kill her and he just stood there.
Still, this was good, because my disbelief and anger momentarily distracted me from my hunger.
"Jacob Black, have you lost your mind?! Get Bella out of here! She needs help!", I barked.
I turned to face him, knowing I must have looked half wild with the thirst I felt. I could barely focus on him, as he stood there, motionless.
"Jacob!", I urged angrily.
Finally he composed himself and started moving toward Bella and me. I tried to keep my eyes on him, but the call of Bella's blood was too much to keep me focussed. When I turned to face her again, all I could see was the small pool of her lucious blood starting to form around her. I was tempted to drench my fingers into it and lick them off, like a child covering their hands in chocolate sauce or frosting dip.
The only thing holding me back now, was the fresh distraction of a threat approaching. I knew Jacob was coming up behind me. I also knew - if I concentrated really hard - that I could anticipate his every move if he would try and attack me.
One blow from the back. One kick to the groin...a large snap and then...buh-bye leech.
"That won't do Bella much good. Nor will it make an ounce of a difference. I'll stop you before you can execute that plan and it'll only make me want to counter-attack you for it. And if you're incapacitated, who will take Bella to the hospital", I hissed in response to his thoughts.
"Back away from her, leech. Back away now!!", Jacob threatened with a growl as he came closer.
Suddenly he halted.
Our minds locked for a brief moment and I knew what was holding him back now. From where he had been standing before, he didn't have a clear view on Bella. But as he reached closer, he could see her ashy-white face, covered in small stripes of blood, in some parts already drying up. Her clothed body, drenched in blood and completely unmovingly still. It was like a horror film.
It was...
Alice's vision.
Not entirely, of course. In her vision, Alice had seen a battered and broken Bella, covered in wounds and more importantly bite-marks. This was just a head wound, minor in comparison to the gruesome picture that displayed her death.
But, like Alice had assessed positively and as it turned out, correctly, was both Jacob's as well as my presence. Except, I wasn't the one hiding in the shadows. I was the one towered over her body like it was a very delicate treat. Something I desperately wanted to taste.
Jacob had been the one to wound her, but I would kill her if he didn't move her fast. I tried to hold my breath, but only out of self-preservation because my mind was now divided between wanting to drink Bella and protecting my own back.
But Jacob wasn't going to attack me. He was horrified with what he had seen, his mind showed me that much. When I turned to look at him, I noticed his eyes glistening.
Jacob Black was crying.
Of course he was. He was just a boy. He could act all tough, but the truth was, he was so small and unworldly compared to me. And I felt sorry for him, because facing this curse of being Ephraim Black's descendant, an actual werewolf, that was probably not the easiest thing for a sixteen year old.
"Get out of the way..", he ordered as he started to move again, "Get out of the way, before I make you.."
I don't know how it happened, but I did obey him. Perhaps, because my air supply was cut off, I could think more clearly, so listening to Jacob became easier - though it felt unnatural.
I didn't glance back at Bella and dashed away - into the safer shadows without any street lights and observed as Jacob leaned over Bella.
This was more accurate. Vision-precision. Jacob with Bella and me in the shadows. And if he didn't move her fast, her brain could swell and she might die. So that would fully cover the vision my sister had seen.
A pang of jealousy jolted through me. He was very lucky in a disturbing way. He didn't have to lock his jaw or hold his breath so it would lessen the chance of killing her. He could provided her with the care she needed.
"Bells..come on...wake up..", he pressed frantically, as he softly shook her and slapped her cheek. He shot me one glance and I could see he felt helpless. His agression was gone.
"What...how....what do I do..?....", He whispered to himself.
"The head wound is quite deep, so she needs stitches at the very least. It's very likely she has a concussion. A doctor needs to examine her..", I told him.
With several medical degrees it wouldn't take me much to diagnose Bella. I even knew how to close the gaping head wound and how to determine whether or not the blow to her head would have caused permanent damage.
Unfortunately I would most likely kill her before I could do any of those things.
"My car isn't that close by..I could call an ambulance..."
Before he could finish, I had already tossed my car keys to him.
"No time for that. Take my car. It'll smell like a dumpster to you, but I am sure you don't mind breathing through your mouth for a bit if it saves your girlfriend's life..", I mumbled, "Now, go....!"
As he grabbed the keys, he shifted his weight to lift Bella.
Another jolt of grand jealousy rippled through me as I wished I was the one to take care of her. Especially since it was Jacob's thoughtlessness that got Bella into this position in the first place. He shouldn't be allowed to be the one who would be the hero in her eyes.
Jacob scooped up Bella in his arms. It would have felt like an intensly private moment, had it not been for the wind shifting and blowing the thick bloodlusting siren calling essence of Bella my way. My reminder of how much I wanted her in so many wild ways. The composure I had regained by removing myself from her dripping blood was faltering fast.
"Jacob, come on...this is torture....her blood...it's so...I can't keep this up much longer", I muttered
"Like I care, leech..", He retorted as he opened the car door.
Of course he didn't care. Why would he. He was winning tonight after all. Bella had seen the frenzy in my eyes before she lost consciousness. She was probably terrified of me now. That, combined with all the not so subtle hints Jacob had dropped about my nature, would be enough for her to turn away from me forever indefinitely.
"Edward...."
Could the sound of a name brushing through the air like a weak melody be more beautiful than right now? I didn't think it could. Bella's voice, scrapy and small called for me.
And it didn't sound like a rebuke, nor did it seem to be a horrid fearful whisper. It was my resurfacing, my destiny.
My siren call.
For Jacob it was the opposite. It was like a kick in the gut, a bitter rejection, his final defeat. His agression towards Bella was gone now.
He dropped her to the ground, almost softly, like spreading someone out on a bed. He gave me one stone cold glare and then he was gone.
In that icy look I read it all. The outrage directed at Bella had vanished. It had been replaced with the blazing determination to bring me down.
That's what his thoughts tried to spell out for me, at least if I had been able to concentrate on that. But I couldn't focus on his words of warning.
All I did, was stand there in conflict, and in awe.
Bella wanted me to be her hero. But I was the biggest danger to her as well. And right now, I couldn't rely on being strong enough to save the day, no matter how badly I wanted to.
And even though she was my destiny, the risk was not gone. My throat burned with my own venom and voices inside ordered me to take her. I took a step closer as if I was in a trance. And another one, and another... until I suddenly found myself at her feet, leaning over her, inhaling the wild temptation of her flowing blood. Her face had turned a shade of pale I had never seen before.
I was so close now. All I had to do was brush my lips against her neck. Lick the blood off her cheeks. Drink from this unbelievably bouqueted wine.
It seemed so simple. I could be gentle. Bella wouldn't even feel it as my razor-sharp teeth would cut through her neck. I wouldn't make her suffer. I loved her.
But these inviting whispers encouraging me to taste Bella were so strong.
Too strong to ignore.
My lips hovered on her neck now, the warmth of her pulsing blood enticing me.
So close....
Then as I pressed my lips against her heated throat, almost able to taste the fragrance of her, Bella's heart started pounding and her breathing became rougher. Suddenly she gasped and her chocolate eyes flew open.
"Ow, my head..it hurts so much..", Bella whispered weakly
I lifted my head up to face her. There was a hint of red colouring her pale-white cheeks. Even when unconscious I managed to make Bella blush. As she met my glance, a small smile curled her lips upward.
"Edward..", Bella breathed, "I.....the dark....don't leave me alone here...."
My siren call. I leaned away from her neck as I shut off my air supply immediatedly. The whirling wiffs of her blood were echoing in my mouth and nose, despite the deliberate lack of oxygen.
Could I do it, was I strong enough? There was not that much time left. Her heart still beated strong, but she was already slipping back into unconsciousness, as her eye-lids fluttered and she fought to keep them open. This wasn't good for her brain. She needed medical care. She certainly couldn't stay here on the cold ground.
"It's okay, Bella. I won't leave you..", I whispered
"Thank you..", she mumbled...
I had no choice. Bella trusted me to stay with her, to be her hero. And so I had to suck it up - which inconveniently meant I would be without oxygen for a while - and take care of her now.
I lifted her up into my arms easily. She felt light as a feather as she slumped motionlessly against my cool body. The side of her head, with the gaping wound that still bled profusely pressed against my chest, staining my dark blouse. I could feel her blood seeping straight through the texture, tainting my skin.
I wanted to take a deep breath. It was so alluring to have her this close to me, her blood this ready to be consumed. And instantly I was undecided again about what I wanted.
It felt like my entire nature was desighed so that her blood could be mine. I wanted to swim in it. But then there was also that other feeling. If I focussed on that - my love for her and the worry over her aching head - I could try to ignore the longing for her blood.
But would I make it to a hospital in time? Not only was her heart rate becoming more and more uneven, but so was her breathing. And the damn bleeding wouldn't stop either.
Not to mention the problem with being in the small confinement of my car with her. Not just because it would swirl the fragrance of her blood and body around me, but also because a bumpy car ride wouldn't do her head much good.
I didn't want a possible concussion to turn into a brain hemmorrhage
More time I wasted as I stood there, debating with Bella in my arms. One way or the other, if I remained here, she would die. Either at my hands, or because I did nothing. The image from Alice's vision, the horror of a dead Bella projected itself in my head. It sickened me enough to make a decision.
Just as I opened the passenger door, to put Bella in the seat, thinking I could keep her steady with one arm, whilst driving with the other, a black car approached us fast.
I knew this car well. It was my father's black Mercedes.
It screeched to a halt next to the Volvo and Carlisle and Alice jumped out simultaneously.
"Edward, put Bella down, I need to examine her!", my father demanded.
I was surprised by this; the firmness of his voice. For a second I couldn't act. I didn't want to put her down on the cold ground again. She had already been there too long.
"Son, do it..", my father pressed.
I gently placed her on the ground and hovered around her, but Carlisle pulled me out of the way.
"Why is she not underway to a hospital or already at one?", Carlisle asked incredulously, " How long has she been unconscious for?"
"She opened her eyes a little while ago..", I whispered.
Alice watched us, leaning against the Mercedes as Carlisle reached into his black bag and pulled out some cotton and a large bandage. He pressed the cotton against the wound and wrapped the large bandage around it.
"This won't hold for long..", he said, "Honestly, Edward, what were you thinking...she has a concussion. Not to mention this wound. You have enough medical knowledge to know she should have been at an ER by now.", he scolded
"Her blood, Carlisle.....I....her blood....it's so....did you smell it?..I keep trying to hold my breath, but the essence of it keeps finding me, clouding my mind. Carlisle, I wanted to take her, right here....I didn't know....it was so hard to fight against it...I kept thinking about the vision Alice had...". I mumbled in agony, hoping my father would understand. At least he knew about the vision. Surely Alice had informed him about the vicious image of either me or Jacob Black killing Bella.
She's still here. But you did put her in unnecessary danger tonight. My father silently concluded
"I am sorry..", I whispered shamefully.
"Where's Jacob Black?", Alice mused, "Surely he could have taken her to the hospital. "
"He just left...ran off. Left her here. He is the one whose responsible for this...", I growled as I gestured at the blood stains.
"We need to moved her now", Carlisle urged, "Alice, I have to hold her steady in the back seat. You need to drive. Can you manage that?"
Alice's jaw was locked, rigid. Bella's blood had its appeal to her too. Only Carlisle had managed to grow immune to the call of human blood.
"Carlisle, Bella's blood is strong. Very potent. It makes me thirsty."
"Just hold your breath until we reach a hospital. ", he advised her.
He gently lifted Bella up and while taking a seat in the back of the Mercedes, he placed her head in the iron lock of his hands as he rested it on his lap,
Alice slid in the front.
"What should I do?", I wondered, "Follow you?"
"Clean up this mess, the blood. We don't need the risk of people starting to ask questions about why an abandoned parking lot is suddenly specked with blood. Besides you won't be able to see her for a while anyway. We need to call Chief Swan. And do some damage control...", Carlisle told me.
Right. Bella's father. He needed to know about this. That is, if he wasn't informed already. I didn't put it past Jacob to go to Bella's house and tell Chief Swan that Edward Cullen had harmed his daughter.
"Damage control..", I muttered...
"We will discuss tonight's events at a later time. Right now, we have to go. Alice, ready?"
Alice shot me an apologetic glance as she revived the engine. She hit the gas pedal and then they were gone.
With Bella no longer around to get hurt at my hands, I unleashed my sudden need to breath. Her scent was still registering everywhere. In my head, my mouth, my nostrils. The ground, my shirt, my skin.
Before I could comprehend or even reign myself in, I sank to the ground and placed my finger into the small puddle of blood, already drying up at the edges.
Then, I lifted my bloodstained fingers to my mouth and licked them off one by one. Exactly like that child, licking of some chocolate frosting.
It was beyond anything I had ever tasted. Of course the only human blood I had tasted in my life had been that of the murderers I had finished off during a period of rebellion which had separated me from my family. This however, was the purest sweetest aroma and I instantly craved more. It took me all my self-restraint to not start licking the bloodied cement ground.
There was also a tugging, a materialization of something inside me. An electric current that coursed through my dormant heart and for an tenth of a second, I could swear I heard my heart beating a brief disjointed rhythm. Then everything was quiet again, apart from my rough breathing. Clearly Bella's blood was potent enough to make me hallucinate because my dead heart was a silent as ever.
Suddenly ashamed for this all repelling behavour, I rose again and started to move. I got some gasoline from the trunk of my car and poured it over the stains on the cement ground. I lit a match and watched the stains burn away. The ground turned black in the spots where blood-red melted away. People would think it was vandalism, instead of murder.
The macabre turn of events had me stunned as I stepped into my car and drove away from the parking lot. My father had never sounded so disappointed with me. Didn't he understand though, how amazingly powerful Bella's blood was. How I had used up all my concentration and self control to not kill her tonight.
To not kill Jacob Black and jeopardize the treaty, like I had wanted to do so badly.
Oh. The treaty.
My father hadn't just been worried about Bella. There was more to be taken into consideration.
Bella hadn't been the only one in danger tonight. Since Jacob Black knew what I was and he had seen the madness in my eyes as I leaned over Bella, it wouldn't take him much to jump to the conclusion that I would in fact kill her. And for a brief moment, had he not hoped for that..?
And even if I didn't kill her - and thankfully I hadn't - it would not make much of a difference.
Killing her would have meant a violation of the treaty. A violation meant the treaty would be broken.
Not killing her would most likely have a similar end result though.
I suddenly remembered that look in his eyes before he vanished.
Jacob Black would not take his defeat without consequences.
Little unworldly boy or not, he hated Bella's rejection. I had seen that much. And naturally, he blamed me for it.
Also, and this had been proven tonight, he would more than gladly start a fight over it.
In fact, he would effectively break the treaty without any hesitation.
My father's words left an echo.
We will discuss tonight's events at a later time.
If the treaty was broken and the wolves would descend, than my family would have to fight too. Fighting young wolves could surely put them into danger.
My father's disappointment made sense now.
Tonight, my actions had managed to set something big into motion.
The start of a war.
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Thanks for all your reviews, keep them coming! I am glad you like the story so far (there is alot more to come. Do not expect this story to end soon. It'll go on until I don't know what to write about anymore..:P)
Merry Christmas, everyone!