Chapter 12—Terror

BPOV

I stirred slightly, feeling a little cold. Opening my eyes blearily, I reached for a cover to warm me up a little and realized I may have been cold because I was somehow naked.

My eyes shot open. I wasn't in my room, I was in a satiny tent in the middle of the forest. The night's events rushed back to me… Jake taking me to the bonfire, carrying me to the middle of the forest, making love to me in this tent.. I started, sitting upright in the tent.

Where is Jake?

I tried to calm myself down, reassuring myself that he probably just had to pee or something. I wrapped a thin blanket around myself, shivering with the cold and the unrest that was settling on me.

"Get the hell out of here!"

I sat bolt upright, shaking with fear. I had never heard Jacob mad before, which was scary enough, but it chilled my blood to know that whatever was making him yell like that was right outside the tent. Right on the other side of this ridiculously thin sheet.

Relax, Bella. It's probably just Embry sneaking around pissing him off. He loves doing that.

That thought calmed me down more than anything else. I laid back down, waiting for Jake to return.

"I don't care what she's told you, or even done with you. Bella and I will be together forever, mongrel."

I gasped, clapping my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming. The silky smooth voice was so close, it was almost as if he was whispering in my ear.

Edward.

He was back? I covered up my head, willing myself to wake from this nightmare. Things were perfect with Jake. I loved him, and hadn't given thought to Edward in weeks. Not only did I not miss Edward, but after spending time with the pack, I had grown in fear of him. Vampires, vegetarian or not, were dangerous.

The conversation outside rose in emotion and volume, and I covered my ears with my pillow, tears streaming silently down my cheeks. I wanted to help Jake, but not only did I not have any clothes, but I had no idea how to summon the pack.

I muffled the sound pretty well, only hearing an occasional tone, but no words.

Please let him go away. Just please let him go away.

Through my pillow, I heard muffled thumping and yells, and I thought I was about to be sick with fear. A faint whimpering reached my ears, and I took the pillow off of my ears, desperate to hear if Jake was okay or not. I heard no more noise, except a gentle rustling that moved from the side of the tent into the forest behind me. I almost fainted with relief. Edward is gone.

Squinting towards the entrance of the tent, I saw a dark shape approaching, stooping slightly to enter the tent. I laid back, putting my head back on the pillow, attempting to hide the intense fear I had been feeling until that moment. I felt my cover slide gently off of me. Oh, Jake.

Flooded with relief, I sat up and threw my arms around him, meeting cold and hard shoulders.

My heart nearly stopped, and I tried to pull away. A steel grip held me in place, and a velvet voice whispered into my ear.

"Oh, Bella. I've missed you too." I felt a cold kiss land on my shoulder, and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Jake! Help me!! JAKE!!!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs, heedless of what else could be attracted in a forest by human screams. "JAAAAAKE!!!"

Edward held me more tightly, stroking my hair. "I won't hurt you, love. I'll never leave you again. You'll always be safe with me." He kissed my forehead, rubbing up and down my back with his frozen hands.

I was crying now, terrified not only for myself but for Jake. He would never willingly allow this monster near me. I felt Edward's caresses and touches, feeling repulsed and horrified, unable to escape from his iron grip. I couldn't believe at one point in my life I would have done anything for this half-human creature. Right now, I only felt disgust and fear.

Edward held me away from him suddenly, restraining me by a vice-like grip on my upper arms. He looked me up and down, his black eyes gleaming in the moonlight. I suddenly realized how cold his eyes were. Jacob's eyes were black at times, but they always burned with love and warmth. Edward's were empty and haunting.

"You have become.. even more irresistible." He licked his lips, letting his eyes travel from my face down my poorly concealed body, his eyes lingering on my chest. "But you have always been irresistible to me, my Bella."

Warning lights were blinking in my brain, but I couldn't stop myself from blurting out what was on my mind.

"I'm not yours!" I was shaking with fear, immediately regretting my decision to speak. His expression turned furious, and he looked momentarily evil before regaining his composure.

"I could never believe that you could love another, Bella. Jacob has told me about how you are under some sort of werewolf 'spell', but I believe that can be broken." He eyed me hungrily, sliding his hand from my upper arm to my shoulder, and then trailing down my body, squeezing my breast. Tears spilled from my eyes again because I knew I couldn't do anything to stop him.

"Maybe you feel a connection with Jacob, but you can never be a mongrel like him. But you can be like me, Bella… you wanted it before, and I know you still want it deep down." I started shaking, unable to control myself. He was going to bite me. And then I can never be with Jacob.

I began to cry in earnest, pleading with him. "Please, no, Edward. I don't want it anymore. I'm sorry, but I love Jacob now. I only want to be with him." Edward growled, closing his hands so tightly around my arms that I cried out.

"He won't want you when I'm done with you." He forced my head back, smelling my neck. "Sorry you can't say goodbye." I screamed, and he covered my mouth with his hand. This is it. I love you, Jake. At least when I'm turned, I can kill Edward.

I felt a rushing around me, and collapsed onto the ground, shaking uncontrollably. There were bright lights, and I felt a searing pain on my neck. I screamed again and again, unable to control my anguish.

Unexpectedly, I wasn't cold anymore. I felt like I was wrapped in something warm and furry, and realized that I must have been turned. Edward always used to talk about never being cold again. He had never described it as "warm", exactly, but he had always said he was completely comfortable.

Well, I was comfortable. Other than the throbbing in my neck, and my horror at being a vampire, I was totally physically comfortable.

A sudden waft of air brought a musky and woodsy smell to me. With a surge of emotion, I realized that I was still surrounded by the blankets Jake had slept on.

I'm sorry, Jake. I love you. I always will, even if you won't be around me anymore.

I love you.

The darkness spun around me, and I let myself fall into unconsciousness.

JPOV

I stared at the filthy bloodsucker, working hard to control my temper. Phasing now would only put Bella in danger. I weighed my options carefully.

The leech was obviously pissed, and dangerous. I could fight him off, but I'd have to lead him away from the camp to protect Bella, and then what would happen if Cullen escaped? He could be back here and take her in no time.

I decided, as much as I hated the idea, that I'd have to play nice.

"I know you still love her, Cullen, but she's not 'yours' anymore. You left her here, and she and I are together now." There, that was nice. No insults or anything.

The monster advanced a step or two. "What Bella and I have cannot be broken by some.. mongrel dog. Bella has loved, and always will love me. Step aside, dog. The moment she sees me, she'll be begging you to leave."

I felt rage begin to creep into my veins, but I had to control it. Bella is most important.

"Listen, bl—Edward." I forced myself to say his name. "What you did to her was- well, it was awful. I'm sure you had your reasons, but you left her broken." I remembered her from Sam's memories, laying on the floor of the forest. "I put her back together. I love her."

I finally looked at him. "On top of that, I've imprinted on her. Imprinting is a wolf phenomenon. We love each other and our bonds can never be broken."

The bloodsucker scoffed, brushing my attempts at civility aside. "I'm sorry you've convinced yourself that you could deserve Bella, but I promise you, she'll forget about you as soon as she sees me. No werewolf voodoo could keep Bella and I apart." His black eyes narrowed. "Thanks for babysitting her while I was gone, but your services are no longer needed."

He started to move towards the opening of the tent again, and I almost exploded with rage. This is my girl, Cullen. You'd best back the fuck off.

He laughed lightly. "You might think she's your girl, but you'd be wrong. Didn't she stop talking to you as soon as we started dating?"

I cringed inwardly at the memory. "That's what I thought." His smug expression almost sent me over the edge, but something snagged my attention. Can he.. read my mind?

"Of course I can. I'm not limited by the same things you are. It has its downfalls, like having to see what you did to her tonight, but don't worry. I'll fix her, dog. Now that I'm back, nothing can stop us from living happily together, not even the memory of you forcing yourself upon her."

That did it. We had made love. We both wanted it, and we both loved it.

"Get the HELL out of here!" I was shaking, trying to control myself, on the border of failing.

Cullen advanced on me slowly, with a calculating expression.

"I'll kill you if I have to, dog." His voice was soft and icy. "And if you phase too close to her, you'll hurt her. And then I'll have to do anything I can to save her." He smiled, baring his teeth.

Terror shot through me. That was what he wanted to do? Get her alone so he can turn her into a bloodsucker? The thought made me shiver, which I hadn't done since I started phasing.

I stood between the tent and Cullen, my arms stretched out desperately to stop him. "Please." My voice cracked with emotion. "Please. Don't do this. If you want to talk to her, go ahead. Just don't hurt her. I love her."

I saw the attack coming in enough time to phase and counter it, but I couldn't. We were too close to the tent, and just in the act of phasing I probably would have seriously hurt the only thing that mattered to me. All I could do is brace myself.

Cullen threw me aside as easily as a rag doll, ripping three long gashes in my side. I felt my head spinning, blood running freely down my side, and I knew I had to phase and call the guys, or else something horrible was going to happen to Bella.

I phased, whimpering from the pain of it all. I was losing a lot of blood, and couldn't make it back to summon the guys.

I threw my head back and howled, hoping at least one of them would hear. If they didn't.. I didn't know what I was going to do. I was too weak to win against Cullen. The best I could do was hide outside of the tent and listen. And pray that he was bluffing.

I heard Bella whimpering and crying, the sound almost tearing me in half. I squinted through the darkness, seeing him caressing her.

I whined, trying to keep from going in there. Bella could get hurt. You have to protect her.

The bloodsucker was whispering something to her, groping my precious girl and kissing her shoulder. She cried harder, trying to push him away. Despite my fear, I felt a surge of emotion for her. That's my girl. I love you, Bella.

Suddenly, the mood changed. The leech stiffened and fury was rolling off of him in palpable waves. He forced her head back, hovering above her neck.

No. Crying out from the pain of moving, I took a running leap at the tent, snapping the supports in half and taking Cullen right off from on top of her.

We landed on the ground about 50 yards away, and he turned to me wildly. "You're done, mongrel". He grabbed me, throwing me across the meadow and snapping my leg in two. I howled wildly, not only from the pain, but also because there was no way I could get between Bella and that monster again.

Unable to watch, I turned wildly toward the forest. Four hulking shapes flew past me, led by an enormous black creature.

The pack! Dizzy with relief, my eyes flew back to where Bella was laying. She was shivering on the ground alone, finally free of the monster that had been chased into the forest by my brothers.

Strengthened with hope, I limped over to where she was laying. Her neck was bleeding pretty badly, but after a glance I could tell that she had been hit by a piece of the shattered tent poles.

He hadn't gotten her.

Unable to support my weight any longer, I curled up on the ground around her, hoping to keep her warm. My leg and side were killing me, but Bella was safe and Cullen was being pursued by the most loyal and deadly wolves in the world. That was all I could ask for at this point.

Bella sighed, and her body relaxed into obvious unconsciousness. My poor baby.

I would do whatever it took to protect her. This wasn't going to happen again.

A/N: I hope you all liked this story (and didn't stop reading it halfway through lol). Anyway, I'm getting busier and if you guys want me to continue this story, please review with ideas or comments or suggestions or whatever you want to say. I like to know that someone is reading my story and enjoying it :)

Thanks for all the reviews!