A/N: Okay I promised quick updates. If you know my beta Mamdi (mab_di on Twitter) make sure you smooch her because she's been working so hard on these few chapters over the last couple of days.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on the last couple of chapters. I love that this story is provoking such strong reactions and that you care about the characters as much as I do.

Riley

The crash of the door as it flies off its hinges makes James pull away from my throat. I open my eyes to see his face, covered with my blood as he turns and drops into a crouch, snarling at Victoria who's standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, Laurent just behind her.

"Really, James, I didn't think you'd need a chaperone," she snaps at him. "You have no self-control at all!"

I slump down the wall, dizzy with loss of blood, moaning at the burning pain radiating out from the wound in my neck.

"Fuck off," James snarls at her, shielding my body from the other vampires.

"If you keep eating your playthings you'll spend eternity alone," her voice is mocking. "Let me change this one for you. I'm not hungry so I'll be able to resist no matter how tasty he is. I don't think he has much longer."

I whimper, too weak to cry out despite the agonizing pain of the bite. I feel my blood pulsing out with each panicked beat of my heart. Through blurred vision I see James move aside, his fists clenched angrily as he lets Victoria pass.

She towers over me, her hair flaming around her head with the light behind it. She looks magnificent, breathtaking, like an angel of death as she comes for me.

She drops to her knees beside me and her touch is strangely gentle. I'm too weak to resist as she rolls me onto my side and unties my hands. She lifts my wrists to her mouth and bites them swiftly, one after the other. I cry out as the burning, icy pain of her venom seeps into my blood stream and spreads rapidly up my arms.

She bites me again, and again; at the crooks of my elbows, the side of my neck that's still untouched. Then she pulls down my jeans and I feel the sting and slice of her teeth at my groin as she pumps her venom into the huge veins there, closing the wounds with a swipe of her tongue.

She stands again, brushing the dirt and dust from the floor off her hands.

"Well that should do it, the change will be fast." She looks back at me indifferently as I lie on the floor, my eyes still open, paralyzed by the excruciating pain that's tearing me apart from the inside. Then she turns to James and smirks. "You're welcome, by the way."

My eyes flutter closed as the pain consumes me and everything is darkness.

XOXOXOX

Seth

My legs give out and I fall to the floor, gasping for breath as pain rips through me like a jagged blade. My Riley. My beautiful human boy is lost to me forever. The wolf inside me howls for his mate as I try to imagine Riley as a vampire. Is there any way that our bond can survive this?

Leah is beside me in an instant and Jake drops to his knees on my other side. Their touch is warm and gentle but it does nothing to soothe me. I want Riley, there is no one else who matters to me. Nobody else can comfort me. My body and soul ache with the loss of him.

No one else speaks at first. The only sound in the metal shell that surrounds us is the echo of my ragged breathing and tearing sobs. The Cullens are silent. But then I hear the voices of the pack, muttering at first but rapidly becoming louder, urgent and confused.

Those who understand my feelings are sympathetic, shocked. Sam and Jared, the only ones who truly know how it feels to be bonded so tightly to another, voice only their concern. And Leah and Jake are sorrowful too, caring about me, wanting to be able to fix this. But Quil, Paul and Embry are muttering in disgust, repelled by the thought that I might still want Riley now that he's less than human.

"We'll need to find him and end him," Paul's voice reaches my ears, vicious and cruel. "The last thing we need is a newborn vampire to deal with. Better to tear him apart and burn the pieces before he can do any damage."

My pain and anguish turn into rage in an instant.

I spring from the floor, and the only thing that stops me phasing is Sam's yelled command to both of us to stay in human form. But I don't stop my movement. I launch myself at Paul, fury making me impossibly strong. My hands are on his throat before anyone can reach me and before he has time to defend himself. He flies backward, crashing into the metal wall of the container with a dull thud. I'm snarling, savage, wild. Only Sam's authority is holding me in my human body and the thread keeping me there is tenuous.

Paul twists beneath me, snarling and trying to throw me off and strong hands, some warm, some cold and hard are pulling me away, restraining me. I try to fight them off too, but then my anger is suddenly muted, as though someone has turned a switch in my mind and dulled it. It's still present but muffled by an unnatural feeling of calm. Paul stills too, frowning in confusion and shaking his head as though he needs to clear it.

"What the hell is that?" Sam demands. "What's happening?"

"It's Jasper," Carlisle answers. We turn as one to look at the blond vampire who meets our questioning looks with a slight quirk of his lips and a nod of his head. "He has the ability to control the emotions of others."

"Well fucking stop it," I growl, but my anger lacks heat. I feel irritated at being manipulated but am unable to express it in a normal way.

"I'll stop it if you can keep yourself calm," Jasper replies, his voice a light drawl.

"Well?" Sam looks between Paul and me.

I nod, begrudgingly, shaking off the hands that are still restraining me.

"This isn't Paul's decision to make, Seth," Sam addresses me again. "Even if Riley is a vampire now, he's still your imprint." He looks around at the rest of the pack as he continues. "We don't know how his being changed will affect that. But until we know otherwise he still has the right to the protection of the pack. And as long as that's the case, no one will harm him. Is that clear?" The last question is addressed directly at Paul, who scowls but nods reluctantly.

I take a shaky breath of relief. I still don't know what Riley changing will mean for our relationship but I know for sure that I don't want to see him destroyed. I still want to find him, save him. Bring him home and hope that we can work something out. A thought occurs to me and I turn to Alice.

"In your visions, can you see Riley as a vampire... not just being turned, but further in the future?"

She frowns and concentrates for a moment, a faraway look in her eyes. But then she shakes her head, sighing with frustration. "No," she says. "I can see him being turned, but very little is clear after that. I see him with the others, in a small room, and then in a street, running. But then it's blurred... uncertain. I think he's going to break away from them but it's not clear how that's going to happen; it's going to be an impulsive decision so I can't see it yet. And then further in the future I can't see him it all. But that could be because you're there."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"I can't see the pack," she says simply, shrugging her delicate shoulders. "I noticed it when I was trying to watch Bella. When she's with Jake I can't see her. So not only can I not see your futures, I also can't see the futures of the people who are closely involved with you."

"So it's possible that you can't see Riley in the future as a vampire because he's going to be with me?" My heart lifts a little. The chance that we might still have a future together, however slight, gives me hope.

She nods. "Yes," her lips curve in smile of encouragement but her eyes are concerned. She doesn't need to tell me what the other reason might be. I know without her voicing it that it's possible Riley doesn't have a future at all.

XOXOXOX

Sam and Carlisle take charge now, talking rapidly, making decisions, delegating.

I try and listen but I can't concentrate on what they're saying. All I can think about is Riley, where he is and what he's going through, how much pain he must be in as the venom creeps through his system, destroying his humanity from the inside out.

Search parties are organized. We split into small groups of three or four, vampires and wolves mixed together. The Cullens seem happy with the arrangement. I can sense the discomfort of some of the pack, but Sam's word is final and there are no more arguments.

We spend the rest of the night spanning out to search the city for any trace of Riley, his scent, or the scent of his captors. We comb the likely areas - the docks, the industrial areas of the city, disused warehouses and factories. We cover as much ground as we can.

We regroup back at the container as dawn breaks and discuss how to proceed.

"It's vital that the pack try to get some sleep," Sam insists despite my protests and those of the others. "We need all our strength for a confrontation and you're no use to me if you're exhausted. Your reflexes will be dulled and that will put us all in danger.

Luck is on our side and the sun stays resolutely behind thick cloud cover. This means that the Cullens can continue to search for Riley throughout the day. They don't need to sleep or rest and fortunately none of them are particularly hungry yet. Their eyes are amber, not yet turning dark with the need for blood.

The time trickles by, sluggish, torturous. Every second that separates me from Riley feels like an eternity. When I'm out searching I feel a little better for being active, for doing something. But when I'm sent back to attempt sleep it's like torture.

My body burns and itches with need for Riley's touch and my heart is lanced with pain when I remember that he'll never be the same again. A deep instinctual part of me believes that I'll still love him, that him being a vampire won't change the way I feel. But the rational part of me fears that the differences will be too great.

What if I can't bear the way he smells now, if the touch of his icy hands repulse me? And what if he finds me disgusting, if the 'wet dog' smell that Rosalie taunted Paul about will be too much for Riley to stand?

I lie in the darkness of the container, my body curled tight as hot tears slide down my cheeks. My mind whirls with dark thoughts until an uneasy sleep finally claims me.

And of course I dream of Riley.

I dream of lying in a meadow with him in the sunshine and my vision is filled with warm hands and soft lips, Riley's smile and his laughter.

But then he changes, his skin turning pale and cold under my touch. He glitters in the sun, beautiful, but hard as diamonds. His smile turns into a snarl and his teeth are like blades. The hatred and blood-lust in his red eyes fill me with horror.

I wake, gasping for breath, my heart pounding against my ribs. I'm overwhelmed as the memories of the past twenty four hours crash back into place and I realize where I am and what's been happening.

A cool hand touches my forehead and I open my eyes to see Edward crouching beside me, his golden eyes gleaming in the almost-darkness, his expression gentle.

"Is there any news?" I ask him, my voice desperate.

"I'm sorry, Seth, but no," he replies. "We still haven't picked up their trail, and Alice's visions haven't changed. They must be holed up somewhere, waiting for Riley's transformation to be complete. Our best hope is that once he's changed they'll make a move and she'll be able to see them again."

I sag, feeling utterly bleak. "When he wakes, he'll need to feed won't he?"

Edward just nods and my heart breaks a little more.

XOXOXOX

Forty eight hours pass with no news, no sign, no trace of Riley or the ones who've taken him. It's night time again and I'm out searching with Alice and Edward when it happens. We're running through darkened streets, in a rundown industrial area. Rain is falling, cold and damp and puddles of water reflect the orange glow of the street lamps.

"They're moving at last," Alice stops abruptly, her face intent with concentration. "He's going hunting."

"Where?" I feel nauseated. We have to get to him first, I can't let this happen. "Where are they Alice? You must be able to see something... anything?"

She's silent for an endless moment as I wait, my chest tight, unable to breathe.

"This way," she turns and starts to run, a blur of movement. I phase to keep up with her, my clothing scattering in tiny pieces around me, and follow Alice and Edward as they run. I know that a giant wolf pounding the streets of Seattle may attract attention but I don't care.

XOXOXOX

Riley

I'm floating, disconnected from reality, my mind adrift. But I'm not soothed by gentle water; I'm bathing in acid, my skin is on fire. My veins and arteries filled with poison as Victoria's venom creeps through me, killing me but not allowing me to die.

I have no concept of time passing, all I know is pain that feels endless.

I hear the sound of screaming and dimly register that the tortured sounds are coming from me.

Eventually the screaming stops and all is silence, but the pain continues.

I feel each slow beat of my heart, the pauses between them stretching out, getting gradually longer until finally they stop and the pain recedes.

I open my eyes and am immediately assaulted by sensation.

Each speck of dust moving slowly in the almost motionless air of the room is visible to me. I smell the damp, the mould, magnified twenty times from what it was before.

I smell the three vampires in the room with me, each scent unique and identifiable.

They watch me expectantly, still as statues, but I sense that they're ready to react at the slightest move from me.

The pain in my body is gone but my throat burns, I swallow, trying to alleviate it but it only gets worse. I bring up my hand to clutch my neck, a hissing sound escaping from my mouth.

"Hello, darling," Victoria chuckles, a cold, humorless sound. "James, I think your little friend is hungry."

I look at James and remember what he did to me. My human memories are blurred and dreamlike now, but the most recent ones are more vivid. Looking at his face reminds me how he touched me, how he hurt me. That he's the one who took my human life away.

A snarl rips from my throat, shockingly loud in the confined space. I'm up and on my feet, crouching, springing before I even realize that I'm moving. James dodges my assault and my teeth snap shut on empty air, just an inch away from his throat.

Victoria and Laurent seize my arms and I struggle, but between them they manage to restrain me - just.

"Oh dear," Laurent sounds amused. "I'm not sure this match is going to work out too well."

James glares at me, his face angry, lip curling over bared teeth. "Maybe he'll behave better once he's fed."

The burning thirst claws at my throat again.

A small, almost-forgotten part of me is horrified at the implication of his words. But my instincts are screaming for blood and drown out every last whisper of my humanity as the raging thirst consumes me. I shake off the hands that hold me and burst through the cellar door, all thoughts of James forgotten.

Movement is effortless. I'm amazed by my speed and strength, the power of my body. I run out into the night, aware that the others are following me, but I'm stronger, faster, and soon outrun them.

I don't pause even for a moment. The night air floods my new supernatural senses and tells me everything I need to know in an instant. I can smell humans and I know exactly which direction I need to go to find them. The warm, sweet scent of them intensifies my thirst as I fly through the city streets until I find what I'm looking for.

He's alone, in an alley. The pounding bass of music seeps through a half open door in the back of a nightclub, a chink of light escaping and reflecting off the surface of the puddles.

I smell his urine as he turns away from the wall, zipping up his pants and I'm on him before he even sees me coming at him out of the darkness.

Driven by instinct, I'm not even aware of what I'm doing until it's too late.

The sweet taste of his blood is in my mouth, too good to resist. It's everything... all that matters. But when I'm sated I look down at the remains at my feet, the mangled body of someone who had a life, a family, people who cared about him.

And that's when I remember that I used to have all those things too. I see my mother, my father, my friends. The people who loved me. And then my mind is filled with memories of Seth; his smile, his laugh, his touch.

The guilt and horror at what I've become overwhelm me, the pain as bad as the pain of Victoria's venom in my veins.

I scream, a high shrill sound of pain that nothing human could ever make as I turn and start to run again. I don't know where I'm going, but I can't stop. I need to get away from the scene of my terrible crime.

I run through the city, trying to get away from the scent of people - all around me, torturing me with the thirst that still lingers and the memory of what I've done. I reach a road bridge, huge and high, spanning a large expanse of water.

I finally stop running, and look down at the water below. It's beautiful, I notice with detachment. The huge structure is lit up by strings of lights that reflect on the surface below, their shape breaking and reforming as the ripples ebb and flow.

I put my head in my hands, pain blooming in my chest but no tears come.

XOXOXOX

Seth

Alice leads us through the city, keeping to dark alley ways where we can. In some places we climb and leap across rooftops. Anything to avoid being seen by humans.

We leap down a fire escape into a narrow back-street behind a nightclub. A slumped form lies on the ground, it's too dark to see a lot, but I can smell the blood. The copper tang of it taints the air around us, making my stomach heave.

We move closer and find the body of a man, so damaged that he's barely recognizable as human. I shift back to human form and crouch to look at him more closely. His body's crumpled, abandoned on the blacktop in a puddle of dirty rainwater. What little blood that's left in his body seeps out slowly, staining the water.

I stand, my legs trembling as I turn to Alice and Edward. The expressions on their faces tell me all I need to know.

"Riley did this?" I whisper.

When Edward nods I turn and retch, emptying the contents of my stomach onto the ground.

"What next?" I hear Edward ask through my distress. "Can you see what's going to happen? I'm scanning for his thoughts but I don't think he's close enough for me to tune into him."

I turn back to them, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, my bile bitter in my throat.

"We have to find him." I say, my voice hoarse. "I won't give up on him, he can't help this can he?"

Edward shakes his head. "Very few newborns could stop themselves, Seth. It's impossible to describe the lust for blood. But he can learn to resist it eventually - if he chooses to try."

"Okay," I set my jaw. "He will... I know he will." I can't believe that my Riley isn't still there somewhere. "We need to follow his trail."

I shift back to wolf form and use my powerful sense of smell to learn the new scent of Riley. He smells different now of course, the sweetness of vampire is unmistakable. But there's a quality to his scent that still ties him to the boy that I loved, my mate. It makes my heart beat faster with longing and desperation.

I feel the presence of Sam in my mind as he shifts into wolf form, the mental connection suddenly there where before there was none. I cast my mind out but Sam is the only one of the pack I feel for now.

I use the power of my thoughts to show Sam where we are and what's happened. Communicating this way is faster than I could ever manage to explain with words. I show him with my mind how to find the cellar so that the pack and the remaining Cullens know where to pick up the scent of the other vampires. And I show him where we are now and what Riley's done.

Go after him, Seth. Sam is decisive, sure. I'll try and explain things to the rest of the pack. Riley's still your imprint, you need to find him. But you have to prevent him from killing again. We'll go after the coven. Good luck.

Thank you, Sam. I'm truly grateful for his support.

I pick up Riley's trail and lead the way, Alice and Edward following me. I run, pushing my body to its limits. Edward and Alice match me effortlessly.

As we run I feel the pack slipping in and out of my head. They must be switching between forms as they search for the three vampires. Their focus is on the hunt, only rarely do I catch thoughts of Riley or me. But I feel the hatred and disgust that color the thoughts of the minority, Paul in particular. I fear for Riley's safety if I try to bring him home, assuming that he will even want to come with me.

Alice keeps talking as we run, not even needing to breathe of course.

"I can see water, a bridge..." her voice cuts through the sound of our pounding feet. "Riley's there, on the bridge. He's angry, tormented by guilt." She sounds distressed and the knife twists in my gut again. I can't bear to know that Riley's suffering.

"And then?" Edward asks.

"Nothing more," she snaps in frustration.

We run impossibly faster, eating up the miles as we run through the mostly sleeping city following Riley's trail. I know that Sam will be furious with me for risking discovery like this. I'm hardly inconspicuous as we race through the darkened streets. But at the speed we're travelling the few people or vehicles that we pass have little chance to see us properly. And I don't care. All I care about is getting to Riley, making him believe that none of this is his fault. He doesn't have to be a monster.

XOXOXOX

We reach the bridge just as the sky is lightening in the east, the gray hint of dawn touching the murky horizon. Rain is still falling from the sky, softly now. My fur is soaked with it.

I see Riley, standing by the railing looking down at the dark sheen of the water below, and my heart leaps.

I don't care what he is.

I don't care what he's done.

I still love him.

I still want him.

He turns to face me as I run toward him. Alice and Edward drop back a little, letting me reach him first.

I phase back and stare at him, entranced. He's unbelievably beautiful. His pale skin gleams in the half-light of dawn, his delicate features the same as ever but with a harder edge. The shadows beneath his red eyes make him almost vulnerable and the rain on his face looks like tears. His scent calls to me, sweet like syrup but just enough to be appealing.

I stand naked before him, my arms outstretched. I want to touch him but I'm afraid he won't want me.

"Riley," I whisper.

"I'm so sorry," his voice is full of unbearable pain, his face tortured as he stares at me. Longing all twisted up with agony.

"Come home with me," I beg him. "I forgive you, I forgive you for everything. None of this is your fault. I love you."

He shakes his head. "You deserve better than me."

And before I have time to even realize what he's doing, Riley leaps over the barrier with all the grace and speed of his new supernatural body, and plunges down towards the water far below.

A/N: Another cliffie, I know… but there will be more tomorrow, and Riley is hardly going to do himself much damage jumping now that he's a vampire.

Thank you to Tkegl for the location help. I didn't actually name the bridge in the story but it's Tacoma Narrows, just outside Seattle. If anyone knows it well, please excuse any liberties taken with the exact setting. I did my best with Google maps and images.