I woke up, and it should have been predictable I was alone, but I didn't stop my hands from reaching, and relishing in her lingering scent. Even though it was the only time I'd ever had a girl in my bed, and it was innocent, I couldn't stop thinking about her, and how well she fit in my arms.

"Dude? Seriously?" I heard Mike as I snapped back into my reality, "That's where the grappling hooks go, not the fish hooks."

I shook my head realizing what I was doing, "Aw dang." I pulled the little packs of hooks off of the display rod.

"You forget to eat your Wheaties or something?" Mike laughed.

I wasn't going to tell him the truth, and I had a feeling there would be a lot of things about my relationship with Edythe I'd be keeping secret, and I was okay with that. I didn't want to keep our relationship secret. That I wanted to scream to the mountain tops, but her being a vampire, and last night, among other things I knew I had to keep quiet about.

"Long night," I responded, hoping to satisfy Mike's curious stare.

"Tell, me about it," Mike helped me take down the display I botched, "My dad's been going crazy about this Halloween."

"What about Halloween?"

He blew out a breath and rolled his eyes, "Every year, he dresses up and scares campers."

My teeth grit, remembering the conversation I had with Jacob. He was making a mockery of Jacob's history, but then again what was Halloween but a mockery of everything, including Edythe. Her family must have hated it.

An a ding interrupted my thoughts drawing my attention to the door.

"Dude, get that. I'll fix this."

"Cool," I said as I strolled toward the door as I noticed the leather jacket guy with long ratty blonde hair, pulled into a messy ponytail pushing around the sunglasses display.

"Hello," I smiled as I approached, "Looking for anything in particular."

His head tilted up, his eyes were dark and his lips curved into a slow smile as his brows furrowed, "Yeah, do you have any rope."

I pushed my lip out, "What kind of rope, we have fish line, braided, bungee cord, guyline cord, it depends on what you're trying to do." I leaned on a rack. The guy just looked at me with the same odd look, "Why don't I show you and you can tell me what you're looking for."

I walked over to the rope section as he followed. I felt a strange chill up my spine as we walked. I showed him the different ropes the store carried just as Mike's dad showed me. He chose the twisted rope after he decided that three yards of the stuff were just what he needed, he turned to me and said, "Do you have any zip ties." he gave a low chuckle and gave me a sarcastically embarrassed grin.

My quirked my eyebrow, "Sure." I said slowly as I lead him to the zip ties.

He continued to go through some odd shopping list he'd conjured in his brain including duct tape, tarp, gloves, and a huge survival knife, everything was more off, and conspicuous than the next. There was a part of me that was wondering if I needed to call my dad, and another just felt I was being paranoid, or maybe he was just screwing with me.

I tried not to show emotion about it. I rang him up appearing indifferent, and bagged everything, and watched him pay for everything in cash. I just smiled trying to lighten the mood and pushed the bags in his direction, "There you go," I said, "Everything you need for your Norman Bate's starter kit."

He gave me a closed mouth chuckle, "And a tip."

Before I could tell him, that I didn't accept tips, his hands clutched my collar and he snatched me toward him from the other side of the counter. I could feel the cold ice seeping off of him and I'd even noticed his sharp canines. He leaned toward my ear, "Stay away from Edythe. I won't say it again." He growled.

"Hey, James!" Mike chuckled coming around one of the isles and that was when I realized I was standing behind the counter as if nothing happened. Maybe it was all in my head. But James shot me a bloodthirsty glare as he backed toward the door.

"What's up, Mike. See you around." He pushed through the doors and left.

"What a jerk," Mike huffed.

"Who is he?"

Mike smacked, "That's the 'ex-Cullen' nobody talks about." Mike did finger quotes, "Rumor has it, he went off to some military school for boys for acting out."

"Really?"

"Apparently, he's back." He leaned against the counter, "You better watch out for that guy."

"Why?"

"That's Edythe's ex-boyfriend."

My stomach fell. Suddenly, the visit made sense. I was a threat. I wondered how he knew we were even a thing, but then I realized Edythe was following me, maybe James was following her. I had no doubt he was serious, and he would probably make good on his threats, but it wouldn't stop me. Edythe was too special to me to let go of. At that point I knew three facts, Edythe Cullen, and her family were vampires, and being with her might cost me possibly my life, and last, I loved her possibly more than my own life.

Edythe called me after work. She wanted to meet me at a walking trail near the La Push line. When I was getting into Bonnie, I'd noticed a paper bag in the back, with 'stay away' in black marker. I opened it and found everything James had purchased to intimidate me. This was another way he was trying to scare me. He didn't need any of this crap to make me disappear. Just being who and what he was, he could end me.

I just shrugged it off and went to see Edythe. She'd noticed the bag and I lied and told her it was an inside joke I'd had with my dad. From how she looked at me, I knew she didn't believe me, and I felt even more guilty, and even though she couldn't read my mind, she didn't press it. I hated myself for keeping what happened with James to myself, but I told myself that it was to protect her. I was already dead.

She'd talked about how she came to be the way she was. Her story began with her brother in the early 1900s the entire family fell ill to the Spanish Influenza. Their parents died, leaving her and Edward alone. Edward was very protective of Edythe, so much that while other young ladies were being courted, Edward would be very strict when it came to a gentleman that wanted to date her. No one was good enough.I had a new respect for Edward. He was like me when it came to Bella.

She explain how they both had fell ill, and almost died. They were in adjoining beds and they were separated by a curtain, and she heard her brother's final weak cries for her to live. He was ready to give up his trust, everything he owned to the doctor for her life. That doctor was Carlisle, and he saved them both...so to speak.

As she explained how painful her transition was we approached a large opening in the forest where the sun peered in from above, and despite the weather, the grass was lush and green, almost as if it were enchanted. I looked back at Edythe and her skin suddenly began to glitter as if it were filled with little diamonds. Edythe was always beautiful to me, but now she looked like she was some fairy princess from another world.

"Edythe," I breathed.

She looked at me her golden eyes filled with sadness, "It's why we can't come out in the sun." My heart hurt for her, "Everyone would know."

I slid my hands around her waist and pulled her to me.

"I just wanted to let you know what you were getting into."

I chuckled cradling her face, "Edythe, you're beautiful."

She tugged away and her head fell as she stood in the middle of the clearing. "I'm a killer, Beau."

"You're not," I said holding her from behind, resting my head on the crook of her neck, "You're not a killer, Edythe."

"Everything I am draws you in for the kill."

I thought about James again. It was times like that I was thankful she couldn't see what I was thinking, "Edie."

She turned around and searched my eyes, "Beau, I wanted to kill you. I'm a monster."

I cradled her soft cheeks, "You're not a monster. You're a beautiful person, inside and out. And I'm in love with you."

Her eyes widened and her head rested in mine, "Beau." Her voice shook.

"I love you, Edie." I pulled her chin up to look at me, "And there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." I pressed my lips to hers. I'd never get tired of kissing her.

"So the lioness fell in love with the lamb." She murmured into my lip.

"What a stupid self-destructive lamb." I laughed softly.

"What a psychotic masochistic lioness." She giggled as I held her close to my chest.

I'd never felt anything like I felt for Edythe, and it scared me and excited me. I didn't know how long this would last, but I knew that now, at this moment there was no turning back. I was hers and she was mine, and somehow through some complex twist in the universe, I felt like this was meant to happen, and it felt amazing.