A/N: Phew! Big one ahead, guys! This one was... Intense.

Also, happy Easter to any of you that celebrate! Usually, we have a big family get-together, but this year it's just us and the kids, so we're taking this weekend relatively easy. But I wanted to get this chapter posted, because I know I left you guys with a major cliff-hanger last time.

Can't believe how close we are to the end! Wowza!

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I had always suspected that Beau's feelings for Julie went much deeper than he'd outwardly showed—or had maybe even been aware of himself. But to know, without a shadow of a doubt, just where his emotions laid was excruciating.

Not for the first time, I wished for blissful ignorance, that I could somehow delete the preceding five minutes from my head entirely. Whether Beau chose to tell me what had happened between them or not could be up to him if that were the case… But it wasn't. Whether I liked it or not, I knew.

Sarah paced the perimeter of the site, her thoughts agitated and conflicted as Julie left her behind, running off to battle. Vaguely, I could hear the pack mind gearing up for the fight, but for now, I focused on the present.

Inside the tent, Beau's breath came shallowly. I hesitated for just a moment, bracing myself against the inevitable before I went to join him. He was huddled on the floor, his head bowed and his fingers interlocked behind his neck, the picture of crushing guilt.

Abruptly, compassion overwhelmed me. I resolved not to make things worse for him as I reached out to touch his hair. Immediately, he recoiled from my touch, and the action seared me through with the sting of refutation.

"Are you all right?" I whispered.

He didn't answer, and without access to his face, his eyes, I truly was at a loss. I had no way of knowing what he was thinking, what was going through his mind, what might be coming.

As much as I didn't want to do it, I opened my mind to Julie's thoughts, desperate for some insight.

He kissed me! she exalted, He actually kissed me! And held me in his arms and everything! He wanted me to stay, wanted me with him… So perfect, so soft, so warm and solid…

Ugh—I think I'm gonna barf.

Seriously, could you attempt to keep that to yourself?

Waaayy too much information, girl.

Quit obsessing, Lee spat, From what I can see, the only reason he kissed you back was because you guilt-tripped him into it.

So what? Julie goaded, undeterred, He kissed me back, didn't he?

It's not like he declared his love for you or anything… Jeez. You're way overthinking this…

I watched in Sarah's head as Julie replayed the scene again and again in her mind. Unfortunately for her, her prejudiced view rendered her unable to see past the sickly romanticism of it all. Fortunately for the rest of us, we were able to see beyond her ludicrous deliberations.

I would have kissed you too if it prevented you from running off and getting yourself killed like some sort of idiot hero.

Sorry, girl. I have to agree with Lee… Doesn't mean he's gonna ask you to do it again. I think it was a one-time deal kind of thing.

Whatever, you guys.

"Oh," I breathed, comprehending at once. Relief, a cleansing sort of elixir, washed all the bitterness and heartbreak away from my heart, and at once, I felt light again. "I understand." A soft laugh escaped me, as buoyant as I was with liberation. "I never thought I'd see the day where Julie Black bested me in the area of sly tactic and strategy… But that day has indisputably come.

"I don't blame you for falling for her cunning skills, Beau. Of course, I promised her the next time she kissed you without your direct consent I would cause her grievous bodily harm, but from the way things played out for her, I think she somehow found her away around that particular embargo…" I tried not to flinch as I watched the kiss replay in Julie's mind—yes, he'd kissed her back, but she had been the one to initiate it; she had been the one to play every dirty card there was…

Finally, Beau lifted his head to look at me, his eyes fractured and filled to the brim with pain and remorse. "Falling for it?" he repeated colorlessly.

I reached forward to brush my fingers across his cheek, softened by his obvious pain and mortification. "Beau, she would never have done it…" Suddenly, the future seemed very clear. Beau had only kissed her to stop her from—what he thought—was an act of irate suicide. To protect her. My noble, self-effacing Beau… I felt practically lightheaded. "Julie Black is a lot of things, but suicidal is not one of them. Do you really believe she would have gone out in a blaze of glory just to clear the way for me—her one true enemy?"

He didn't answer, but from the discomforted embarrassment on his face, it was clear he had believed her.

"Oh, Beau," I said tenderly, unable to keep myself from laughing softly again, "You're so inept at lying, you'll believe anyone who has the least bit of aptitude for it… Not that there wasn't any truth to what she said… She was truly made desperate by the pain inflicted when she overheard our conversation… But she never would have killed herself over it."

Beau didn't seem convinced. He shook his head, his gaze falling away from mine once more. "How can you… How can you sit there?" he whispered, "Like I'm not the worst excuse for a human being ever, on the planet? How are you not totally and unforgivably angry with me?"

"Not the worst excuse ever," I argued softly, stroking his hair, "Not even close. But human, yes. You're only human, Beau…"

"Only humans don't betray the girl they want to spend the rest of forever with," he spat with such vitriol it hurt, knowing that poison was directed at himself. "I thought I was… I was better than this. Constant, to start with... But I betrayed you, Edythe, I betrayed you, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to…"

"Shh, shh," I buried my face in his hair, pressing my lips to his scalp. Maybe because I could see now that nothing would keep us apart ever again, it made it easy to say the next words. "You love her."

He lifted his head, desperate and anguished eyes locking on mine. "I love you so much more," he whispered huskily.

"I know that," I assured him tenderly. "But I have to say, the trajectory of the course between you two hasn't surprised me… In fact, it's almost to be expected." He only stared at me unconvinced, and I did the best I could to explain. "When I left you, Beau, I left you with a cracked sternum, an open chest-wound, bleeding and wounded… And Julie… Julie was there to help piece you back together again. Such a thing was bound to leave its mark—on both of you. As much as I'd like to blame her, I cannot place the culpability on either of you for something I practically forced into being… I see now that you couldn't have stopped this, Beau, no matter how valiantly you tried. I understand, Beau, so please don't torture yourself with needless shame and compunction."

Perhaps he felt so horribly because all along he'd been trying to force himself to love only one of us. All along, I'd known he'd loved us both—the details of his feelings had been the only thing I'd been unsure of. And now that I knew where his devotion truly laid… I couldn't have been more liberated. He was committed to me, he'd chosen this life, my family, to spend eternity by my side… How could I be angry over the burdens he'd had to sort through to realize such an enormous thing?

I was ready to try and explain this part of things when Sarah's mental voice interrupted my reveries. Edythe, get ready—battle's starting in about five minutes, Archie says.

I felt my body reflexively stiffen with anticipation. This was it. And suddenly, I was awash with guilt. For a moment, I'd forgotten that my family was preparing to risk their lives for the boy I loved, in the clearing below us. How could I be so self-centered to forget?

Beau recognized my distraction. "Is it getting close?"

"Just a few more minutes now," I confirmed. Just in time to say one more thing. I took a deep breath, bracing myself against the pain of my coming words. If there was ever a last opportunity to give him an out, it was now… I didn't know this battle would change us. I didn't know what would elapse after this was all over. But I did know one thing. "I want you to be happy, Beau," I began, "Truly happy. It's unforgivable to try and make you choose between us; I can see how much pain it's caused you, how it's practically torn you in two. I want you to know I'm yours, completely and irrevocably. You have every piece of my heart; it's yours entirely, and you can have as much as it as you want—or as little of it… It's up to you. I don't want any past debts or current obligations holding you back from making the choice your heart truly desires."

There. I'd said it.

I watched him carefully, waiting for his response.

To my shock, blue fire flared in his eyes. "Don't start that now," he nearly growled.

"Start what?"

"All that noble, self-sacrificing crap," he explained.

I stared at him, confused. I needed to make him see the verity behind my statement—that it wasn't simply to placate him, but something I should have given him a long time ago. "I'm not simply attempting to mollify you, Beau—I mean every word."

Beau sighed. "I know you do," he said, "That's what makes it worse… What happened to fighting back?"

"I don't… How do I do such a thing?" Of course, that had been my intention at first, but how could I continue with that crusade now, knowing how much it would hurt him? He didn't deserve selfishness and greed—he deserved abnegation, kindness and acceptance. He deserved to make a choice between the two women who loved him, at once fiercely, and yet so differently.

Surprising me, Beau rose up on his knees and took my face between his hands. At once, his soft and pliant lips were pressed against mine, hurried and passionate. He kissed me fiercely and without hesitation for a moment, and then he pulled back. His eyes, fixed unerringly on mine, were as intense as I'd ever seen them, luculent and at once opaque with the strength of his emotion.

"I chose you," he whispered, "I choose you, and I have no intention of going back on my word. I don't have the ring right now, but you'd be damned certain I'd be on one knee right now to prove it to you if I did."

"Beau…"

"I will never betray you ever again. That is one vow I can make for certain. Among others, but those'll come later."

I was at once overcome with the unprecedented joy that filled every cavity of my body in response to his words. I pressed my lips once, very softly, to his. "If that will make you happy."

He seemed about to say something else, but was abruptly interrupted by Sarah's forlorn cry for her sisters outside the tent.

I want to be there! she lamented, Don't make me stay here!

Against my side, Beau stiffened, and I heard his heart begin to race. "What's happening?" he demanded.

I took his hand in mine, stroking his knuckles soothingly. "Don't worry; Sarah's just upset that she can't be with her sisters. It's almost begun, and she's… Anxious." The same emotion flashed across his face, now. "We have skill, training and surprise on our side, Beau," I assured him, "If I didn't believe we had the upper-hand with all of my heart, I would be down there now—and you'd be here, chained to a tree or something," I tried to joke.

He didn't laugh.

They're getting close… Can you smell that? Ugh—they stink so bad! Quinn complained.

Worse than the Cullens, Emma agreed.

Sarah paced along the boundaries of our campsite, whimpering unhappily. Ugh! I wanna be down there so bad! Why do I have to be stuck here like a chained dog when all the good stuff is happening down there without me?! So unfair!

Beau's eyes flickered toward the tent wall where he could hear Sarah complaining, and then I felt them back on my face—though my awareness of my current surroundings was only vague. I was watching with Sarah as the newborns drew closer to the clearing.

I felt his warm hands envelope mine. "Tell me what's happening," he requested, "Tell me everything."

I watched as the group of savage beings streaked through the forest, snarling, vicious and unstoppable—some felling trees that got in their way, others shoving at the members of their own army. It was chaos—total and absolute chaos.

Through the thoughts of the wolves, I could hear a vague female voice shouting orders.

"Kris, go around! Move around! Split off! Kris, Jensen! Break off! Go around!"

"This way!" another voice echoed through the wolves' ears, male this time, "Faster! We'll beat them around and get to him first! C'mon!"

"The newborns are coming to the end of the trail," I reported to Beau, "Jessamine's genius plan worked like a charm. They've caught the scent of the ones in the meadow, so they're splitting into two groups now, just as Archie said they would… Samantha's taking us around to head off the ambush party."

When I felt the increase of Beau's pulse point in his wrist, where our hands were interlocked, I realized his respiration had stopped. "Breathe, Beau," I reminded him.

"Right." He drew a ragged inhalation.

I refocused on the pack mind, awed by their ability to work in unison, all of their thoughts oriented around one singular goal. They worked in togetherness as they awaited the approaching newborns, concentrated, prepared. Their ears focused in on the approaching group, instinct blurring out some of their coherent thought as the army's footfalls grew closer.

There was a screeching, tearing sound in the distance, and I knew some of the fighting had begun prematurely, amongst the newborns.

"Rochelle!" that familiar female voice from before shouted, her voice even fainter now than before.

The first group reached my family in the clearing before the wolves' half, and the familiar medley of shrieking cracks and metallic shredding reached the wolves' ears as the battle begun. I wished I could see what was happening, but was grateful, regardless, for the connection I had as it was.

"The first group is in the clearing," I told Beau, "We can hear the fighting."

And then, suddenly, a joyful reprieve, I heard Eleanor's voice rise above it all. "Come on! Is that all you've got, suckers?!"

I laughed once. "We can hear Eleanor—she seems to be enjoying herself."

The new arrivals were making their way closer to the wolves, and I listened as they crouched, ready, in the ferns.

Come on, come on, come on…

I can see them—just through those trees.

Get ready, everyone…

Let me at 'em, let me at 'em…

"The second group is preparing—they're not paying attention, and they haven't heard us yet."

I felt my jaw clench when their vicious, hissing voices became intelligible.

"He's here—somewhere."

"So close! I want him."

"He's mine!"

"Not if I get him first!"

"Don't let him get away!"

A low hiss slid between my teeth as I listened to the newborns practically salivate over the false trail Beau had laid.

"What?" Beau wheezed.

"They're talking about you. They've been ordered not to let you escape…"

"Quick, over here! I think—"

Before any of the other vampires could react, Lee launched himself across a small opening, jaws closing around the shoulder of the leader of the pack. In the next instant, he'd torn her head clean from her neck. A thrill of confidence went through me. This had been just what we'd been expecting—perfect!

"Nice! Lee is very fast," I informed Beau. "One of the newborns caught our scent, and Lee took him out before he could even think about reacting; Sam's helping him finish her off… Paula and Julie got another one, but the others are defending now…"

Sarah continued to pace agitatedly, whimpering every once in awhile as she watched the fight play out behind her eyes.

Through the pack's vision, I could see the stunned terror in the newborns' eyes as they crouched, ready to take on the giant dogs they'd never even known existed.

"They don't know what to make of us. Both sides are feinting…" I watched as a few of the newborns bunched together in pairs and groups, catching on quickly. "No," I coached, despite my lack of proximity to the action, "You have to keep them separated; don't let them protect each others' backs!"

Outside the tent, Sarah whinnied, surprisingly relaying my words to the rest of the pack. I hadn't expected that, but I was grateful for it.

"Yes," I breathed, relieved, "Drive them that way—toward the clearing."

Wait—what was that?

Sarah's inquiry broke my concentration, and the sounds of the duel in the clearing flickered from my mind. Now, I watched the slim, sandy wolf glance warily around herself. Her ears perked, straining to make sense of whatever she'd heard approaching in the forest.

Surely, her heightened senses had picked up the trail of a deer, a bear, or another woodland creature. There was nobody else out here—it was just us; I had made sure of that.

However, unwilling to take any chances, I prodded the surrounding area for any thoughts.

You seriously thought you could hide him from me? I thought you knew me better than that, Edythe…

The malicious, sneering mental voice froze me to the spot.

No… No… No, it couldn't be!

Sarah's nostrils flared, her ears twitching as two pairs of footsteps drew closer, whisper soft, and then we caught their scent on the carrying breeze.

I recognized them both immediately—one was the distinctly female cloy from Beau's bedroom. And the other… The other scent I would have known anywhere. I'd memorized his fragrance dozens of times over, to ensure I had it right. It was the fragrance I'd tracked for weeks on end... The scent I would never forget…

Victor.

Too close to escape, too close to do anything but fight. In less than two seconds, I was on my feet, hauling Beau up by the waist beside me, fingers fisted in the back of his shirt, and I'd shredded the canvas of the tent with my other hand.

The sunlight refracted off my skin, and Beau blinked, dazed, in the sudden brightness.

They're not yours, Sarah recognized, immediately at my side, Did two of them get away?

There wasn't enough time to explain the very long story; there wasn't enough time to do anything. There wasn't the time or the means to retrieve aid, and if Sarah stayed, she might die, too…

"Sarah, go!" I pleaded before I could think of sacrificing this poor girl's life. I would not sentence her to death. She may have stood at a strategical advantage to the newborns, but there was no way she'd beat Victor in a fight. "Go!"

Sarah wheeled for the forest shadows, her mind an almost incomprehensible blur of options—all of them impossible.

Find help… Find someone… And just before I turned my attention fully to the approaching nomad I'd wanted dead for so long, she thought, Element of surprise!

I couldn't ruminate on Sarah's juvenile strategies for too long, because Victor and his companion were drawing closer now.

He was keeping his thoughts carefully guarded, sure not to give too much away. I could see enough that he would be approaching from the south side of the mountain, and reoriented Beau so that his back was pressed against the sheer cliff wall across camp from where we'd just been standing. At least we had that advantage. Victor wouldn't be approaching us from behind.

Unbreathing, I stood stiffly in front of Beau, staring into the shadows, waiting for Victor to approach.

Finally, finally, Victor was eagerly thinking, Finally, I'll get my revenge. For a moment, every torture he planned to inflict on Beau flashed through his mind, and my lips pulled viciously away from my teeth.

He would not touchhim!

"Are we close?" the female asked.

"Quiet!" Victor hissed abruptly, knowing I'd be able to hear them.

He'd had more practice hiding his thoughts from me, but this new one, this female companion, had not had as much practice. Had he told her of my abilities? How much in the know was this newborn he'd created?

I watched the events of the last few days play out in her mind—the army she'd trained, the choices she'd made, the brunt she'd taken for the nomad who had never considered her as anything but a pawn, a general in his army, a shield to hide behind.

It surprised me to learn that she was troubled by the newborns' execution. I could see the point in Victor hiding the eventuality of their demise from the army, but from his own general? What was the point?

I could sense her confusion, even now, but her underlying loyalty to Victor won out, and she pushed past the instinctive wrongness in the back of her mind. He truly had her convinced that he cared for her as something more than the pet he was using her as, and I knew this could come in handy for me. The bloodbath behind her had puzzled her, even elicited pity for those she'd helped create and train, but she would stay by Victor's side, no matter what—maybe even to the point of her own undoing.

Behind me, Beau's tremulous, anxious breaths formed a word: "Who?"

"Victor. And he's not alone. He was on his way in to watch the newborns lose—it was never his intention to fight with them—but he caught my scent and decided to follow its trail up the mountain at the last minute. He guessed I'd be where you were, and he was right, of course."

Beau's heart was racing, and I could smell the adrenaline exuding from his pores. Hearing Victor's approach toward camp, I reversed two feet closer to Beau.

I could see the coward's plan as he fell back. The girl glanced back at him, confused, but he didn't meet her questioning stare. He merely gestured ahead toward the break in the trees, where we waited.

Rianne stepped into the open space of our camp. She was tall, blonde and pale, and her crimson eyes glowed—not as bright as a months-old vampire's would, but she couldn't have been more than a year old.

I saw the intention for what it was immediately—Victor was sending the pawn in first in hopes that she would distract me long enough to leave a space large enough for him to get to Beau.

He stepped into the clearing, a few feet to the right and behind Rianne, his obsidian eyes fixed only on Beau's face. His thoughts no longer veiled, I could see how long he'd been waiting for his plan to come to fruition.

I'm so close to getting what I want, he exalted maliciously, picturing the gruesome murder he planned to put Beau through.

I bared my teeth at him, an expression he didn't see because he was so entirely focused on the love of my life.

The tension rolled off of him in palpable waves, though he wasn't concerned—merely anxious, anticipating the end. There was no doubt in his mind that he would get what he wanted now.

Unceremoniously, he jerked his chin at me, urging Rianne forward.

She knew enough of my talent to be wary of me, and though she was as loyal as one could get to Victor, she hesitated.

I don't know, she thought haltingly, This isn't… It's not what I expected… She's… Not how I thought she'd be… Her face is… Kind, somehow—soft… But…

"Rianne," I said softly, and she halted on the balls of her feet.

How does she…?

"He's lying to you, Rianne," I pleaded. I knew enough about the idea of her second life's upbringing that guilt-tripping would have no effect on her. The only tool in my arsenal I was aware of was pitting Victor's own lies against her, and hoping it would be enough. "Please, listen to me. He's lying to you just as he lied to all the others being slaughtered in the clearing, now. You know he was lying to them, he had you lie to them. You knew the entire time… Is it so difficult to fathom that he's lied to you, too?"

Confusion swept across her young features. How…? No. That can't be true… She's wrong. He loves me. He told me he loves me, that we'd have a life together after this was all over…

Corral her this way, Sarah urged from the woods, her gaze fixed square between the shoulder blades of the young soldier. I should have known she hadn't left, and I resigned myself now to the inevitability of her stand. There was no other choice.

I took advantage of Rianne's distraction, shifting two inches to the right. Automatically, barely thinking about it, she matched my movement, putting herself that much closer to the werewolf hiding in the woods.

"He doesn't love you, Rianne—he never did. He had a mate for over two centuries; her name was Joss, and this entire time, he's been using you as a tool, in order to get revenge for her death."

What? Rianne though, thrown, her skittish glance flickering back to Victor's face. He never told me about that… Why wouldn't he tell me that?

Shut your little mouth! Victor snarled at me, but his evil glare was still focused on Beau's face.

If it was so important to him… Rianne was still wondering, Why wouldn't he trust me enough to tell me about her?

"Rianne?" I called softly, pulling her attention back my way. "He knows I'll kill you, Rianne. He doesn't care what happens to you—in fact, he'd rather I kill you so he doesn't have to keep up the pretense anymore."

It was quick, just a flash, but a hint of doubt flickered through her mind. She couldn't deny it; there was too much evidence, too many moments of hesitation, too many instances where she'd witnessed the vacancy in his eyes, had felt somehow distanced while he held her in his arms.

"You've suspected that all along, haven't you? You've seen the disinclination in his eyes, suspected a false note in his promises. You were right to feel doubtful. You were right to wonder if your trust was misplaced. He never wanted you, he never loved you. Every embrace, every kiss, every touch was a falsehood, Rianne. Every one."

A little closer, Sarah urged.

Knowing she was ready to hurl herself at Rianne, I risked a shuffling step toward the girl, away from Beau. Victor's eyes were wide and focused on the increased space between us, not missing a beat. As badly as he would have liked to lurch forward to grab Beau around the throat, he also wanted to ensure a safe distance from me.

Yes, he hissed, Yes! Just a few more inches, and there's my in!

He didn't suspect I had backup waiting in the wings, and neither did Rianne. Unknowingly, I herded her a few steps closer to Sarah.

No… No, no, no… It can't be true… Rianne thought in denial as her head spun.

"There are other ways to live than this, Rianne," I said to her, knowing she'd done nothing to deserve this life. She was only living the way she'd been taught by Victor, and with time, I was sure she could learn to live more compassionately. "You don't have to die. It's not all mendacities and feasting; you could turn your back right now. Don't sacrifice yourself for his agenda, Rianne."

I slid another six inches forward, a foot of space between me and Beau now, tempting Victor with the space I'd created. Knowing Sarah was waiting for her opportunity had me confident I could turn on him as soon as Rianne was otherwise taken care of, and I wanted him close enough that he wouldn't be able to escape my grasp again.

Rianne repositioned herself once more, not one hundred percent focused, and compensating a little too much. Little did she know, she was practically sitting in the mouth of the beast…

"Last chance, Rianne," I whispered, wishing she'd change her mind, but seeing that she most likely wouldn't. She would subject herself to death for this man's madness… It was heartbreaking.

She glanced toward Victor, conflicted. Vic?

"I told you about their mind tricks, Ree," he said to her, but his eyes were only full of hateful vengeance, the mask he'd worn for her already melting away, "She's lying. You know I love you."

Rianne didn't know what to think anymore. It was too much for her already battered and fractured mind. In that instant, as her eyes went blank with numbness, I saw her course lay out in her mind. Her crimson gaze locked on me.

I promised him to the end. I promised I'd lay my life down for him.

Her calves tensed as she prepared to leap at me. The hesitation drained from her eyes, and in the moment before I signaled Sarah to attack, her instincts took over. And then the young wolf leaped from the inky shadows, a monster, a thing of nightmares, razor-sharp teeth bared, throaty growl ripping through the still morning air.

Victor roared with surprised fury—his plan had been thwarted—as Sarah slammed Rianne into the dirt ground. Shale flew into the air around them as Sarah's jaws clenched around the girl's clavicle, tearing her arm from her shoulder.

Knowing Sarah had Rianne well under control now, I shifted between Victor and Beau until the nomad's rabid, obsidian eyes focused on me again. They were filled to the brim with black, hellish fire, his thoughts a swirling torrent of rage and incredulity.

"No," he snarled, and I could hear his mind lapsing into familiar territory—he was thinking more about evasion now than finishing the plan he'd set out to conquer. He'd never planned on needing to fight me; he'd never planned on having to do anything but kill the boy I protected.

Knowing many of the torturous options for Beau's death were unattainable now, he narrowed down his options. The defensive rage built like an inferno inside my torso as the images flickered through Victor's mind—the snap of Beau's neck, the crunch of his skull, the shatter of his ribcage as he jammed his fist through it to rip his heart from his chest. Each vivid, gruesome image only enraged me further, and intensified my craving for Victor's demise.

Quickly, he realized he wasn't getting around me. It took him only a matter of seconds, every one of his advances met with my own defense, until he understood that I was reading his intentions in his mind and answering them with a defensive strategy of my own before he could make his own offensive move.

In my periphery, I could see Sarah and Rianne circling. I didn't dare take my eyes off the flaming-haired itinerant in front of me. Rianne lunged, roundhouse-kicking Sarah solidly in the shoulder. I heard the crack of the bone, and Sarah yelped.

I'm fine, I'm fine, she assured me, Damn—that aches… It's already healing, I'm fine. I've got this.

I took her word for it, and reoriented my focus on Victor, knowing I could not spare one millisecond to be distracted. As I watched, his eyes flickered warily back and forth between the fight between his general and the werewolf, and myself and Beau. Though he spared no concern for the young woman he'd convinced he loved, I could see the fear surfacing in his eyes. He saw her at a disadvantage, he knew she was losing her own fight, and he was cautious of his own wellbeing, every fiber in his body straining toward the safety of the trees.

Caught between obsession and indecision, he skittered back and forth on the fringe of the campsite.

Have to get away… Have to protect myself… So much time… So long spent planning… Only chance… Wasteful… Have to kill him… Have to get away…

Victor's thoughts were jumbled, flopping back and forth between his inclination for escape and survival, and this long-awaited moment he'd worked so hard for.

If he escaped now, he didn't know how long it would be before he found his way back again. I knew he would never stop his hunt, he would never lay his vengeance aside. It was now or who-knows-when—five years, fifty?—and I knew that as well as Victor did.

"Don't go, Victor," I pleaded with him, hating to put such graphic images in his head, "You know you'll never get a chance like this again… Are you just going to abandon all the hard work you've done, all the time you've laid in wait, every effort you've expended…?" I knew, if I could convince him he had enough hope to stay, despite how painful it was for me to imagine Victor getting what he wanted, I would have him within my grasp.

He snarled with frustration at me, truly conflicted.

Attack, attack! he shouted at himself, trying with everything he was to force himself to charge, but his underlying affinity for evasion steadily pulled him back toward the trees.

"There's plenty of time to run later," I said to him, "You know that; you're well-versed with running, with hiding. It's why Joss stayed with you for so long, isn't it? A sure advantage for the deadly games she liked to play. It was too bad she left you last spring," I taunted her, "If you had been in Phoenix with her when I caught up to her, she might have survived her last dance with peril."

He pictured me destroying her, though I had forever regretted not tearing her head from her shoulders myself, and an irate roar tore itself from Victor's throat. He wanted nothing more than to hurl himself at me, to wrap his hands around my throat. His true target in all of this had always been me, it was me he hated, me he wanted to hurt, and he had known killing Beau would be the surest, cruelest way to do that. But he was too filled with rage to see his plan clearly now.

"I'm sorry to say all you ever were to her was a pawn in her sick game," I taunted him, happy to pin the target to my chest instead of Beau's. "She never cared for you, never really even loved you—she had about as much of a connection to you as you do to Rianne… I would know." Pointedly, I touched my fingertip to my temple.

Another enraged growl ripped between Victor's teeth, and he pitched forward, from the thin covering of trees, back toward me. Again, he launched himself into the fight, retaining the futile hope that he would gain the upper hand on me. Of course, he wouldn't. As much as he tried to act on instinct, he could not entirely block every intention from his thought processes, and I was there to wedge myself in front of him at every twist and turn.

Again, Sarah's cry of pain caught my attention. The tall female had Sarah backing toward the cliff wall, and her increased proximity to the target of Victor's murderous desires had his attention diverted for just a moment.

Mine! he thought, suddenly concerned that Rianne would grow close enough to take the prize of Beau's blood, and life, for herself. Of course, he'd had Rianne promise the others that this would be their prize, whoever found the boy first—all along knowing it had been a ruse employed to gain their cooperation. He never believed for a moment he'd have to 'defend his kill'.

Once she's done away with that thing, I'll have her distract the mind-reader… Then I'll have my fun. But as he watched Sarah snap and rock forward, forcing Rianne to retreat a few steps, his fists clenched at his sides in frustration. Pathetic!

He watched as Sarah reoriented herself, barely a foot from me now. Her tail caressed my shoulders, and Victor balked. Involuntarily, the memory assaulted him: The time Joss had caught the unmatched stench of a similar beast, and had tracked him for fun… Her incorrigible taunting, and the spar that had ensued… Victor knew enough of the history to know that the animosity between our species was as firmly rooted as ever, and he could not comprehend the affability he was witnessing between us now.

Won't she turn on her? Hasn't she merely been fighting the threat in closest proximity to herself? The dog can't maintain any sort of loyalty toward her… Can she?

"She won't betray me," I told him, grinning smugly as the element of surprise truly turned in our favor, as we had suspected it would, "Don't you see, Victor?" I crooned, using his distraction as an opportunity to slide imperceptibly closer to him. He didn't notice my advance. "You united us, provided us with a common goal."

Will the lies never cease? An alliance between mortal enemies? Impossible!

"It's true," I insisted, knowing I'd successfully diverted his attention, "Is it so difficult to alter your perspective, Victor? Is she truly so alike the monster Joss followed across Siberia?"

Victor's gaze flashed between us, back and forth. It can't be… No… He shook his head, as if he could shake the sudden confusion from his thoughts. "Impossible!" he snarled.

"Is it?" I challenged, shifting another inch closer. "I don't think so… But I'll tell you what is. You'll never lay a finger on him, Victor."

Renewed, black fire flared in his irises as he focused on Beau again. His lips pulled back from his glistening teeth, and he lurched toward me again. We'll see about that!

He made several more attempts to evade my fortifications. When he realized dodging me wasn't going to work, he resorted to attacking me directly—worrying Rianne would win her own fight and get to Beau before he could.

He didn't want to have to kill me, and as our arms locked between us, clattering like stones, I saw that he strived to merely incapacitate me. He wanted me to see him kill Beau, and a vicious snarl ripped itself up my throat and out between my teeth as he pictured him, dead at his feet, his eyes wide and blank and staring, a ragged, fist-sized hole in his chest, and his precious heart cupped in Victor's malicious claw.

"You'll never have him," I vowed as he grappled for some sort of grasp on me—but of course I could foresee his every move, and was there to intercept him, to coil out of his reach, at every turn.

It shouldn't have surprised me that it was almost as difficult for me to get a grip on him myself. Not only was he skilled at escaping, but also at evasion. His body was pure sinuous grace as he turned and swayed, reaching to grip my arm or my hair—anything to hold me off if just for a moment.

He wasn't expecting my sudden assault—I abruptly caught his wrist as he jabbed for me, and I bent it backwards, wrenching it almost clean from his arm before he twisted, snarling and spitting, away from me, trying to shake off the pain. He licked the wound, lining the joint with venom to repair it, and his thoughts strayed for a moment toward Rianne and Sarah's battle, reminded of her pain by way of his, and wondering if she was any closer to Beau yet.

For an instant, panic overtook my mind when I realized Sarah was lying on the ground, still and limp, in front of Beau. Then I focused on her thoughts, too cognizant for her to be dead or unconscious, and I realized she was merely tricking the female vampire that crouched a few yards away. She was waiting her for her to come closer so she could pounce and deliver the final blow.

Taking advantage of Victor's momentary diversion, I hurdled toward him again, gouging a chunk out of his shoulder. Before I could take the entirety of his arm, he skipped, once again, out of my reach—his mouth a twisted gash of fury and agony. With another outraged cry of ferocity, he reached for me, and the struggle began again.

I saw his intention before he clawed the air, and though my body was fast, the length of my hair had the ability to tie me up. In the same moment as Beau drew a sharp breath—as if able to see the battle despite the impossibility of it; his eyes never would have picked up on our rapid sparring—Victor's fingers curled through my hair. He yanked my head back, his other fingers manacled around my left wrist, a sudden sick thrill rising in his eyes.

To hell with forcing you to watch, he thought, I'll kill you now.

And then, everything froze as the unmistakable scent of Beau's blood sliced through the air. For the smallest fraction of a second, Victor was so distracted that his hands released from my hair and my wrist, and he turned hungry, suspicious eyes on Beau.

She got him first— He began to think, before his gaze fell on Beau's pale, but determined, expression. Rianne had not found her way past Sarah yet. Her eyes were fixed on Beau's face as well, the fight momentarily forgotten.

Through Victor's eyes, I could see the dark bit of stone clutched in Beau's right hand, the pale bit of his arm exposed below the compacted sleeve of his sweater. And marring that precious, soft skin… Blood. He hadn't cut deep enough to hit any sort of artery or vein, it was just a nick, but it had been enough to distract the vampires before me.

I released a frustrated sigh—had harming himself really been necessary?—and turned to focus back on the fight. I spun and threw out my leg, finding supreme purchase in the direct midst of Victor's torso, and launched him fifty feet back through the air. He crashed into the fir boughs high above our heads, felling two wide trunks, before he dropped back toward the ground.

In the preceding moments before he again touched the earth, I whirled back to where Rianne remained frozen, stunned by the audacity of Beau's stupid stunt, gripping her arm and yanking her, in one fluid motion, to flip over my shoulder. In the next instant, I had her pinned, facedown, in the earthy rock of the mountainside, and my knee fixed firmly in the space between her shoulder blades. I wrenched on her good arm with one, sure pull, and it separated from her body with a metallic squeal and a snap.

Rianne's piercing scream of anguish tore through the air around us as Victor again found his footing at the edge of the site. He watched, for a single instant, as Sarah leapt once more to her feet, headed straight for the still-wailing newborn. Then his gaze fixed on the open space between myself and Beau, realizing that this might be his last opportunity to succeed at his plan.

For one moment, his affinity for escape had completely faded from his mind—he was ruled too completely by the domineering fury and obstinacy now—and he threw himself forward.

I spun back toward him, releasing Rianne's severed arm with as much strength as I could muster. Just as I'd planned, the limb intercepted his velocity, throwing him into another tree, snapping the massive trunk clean in half.

Before he'd landed, I was in front of Beau again, poised and ready.

Five yards away, Sarah bit austerely through Rianne's other arm, leaving her entirely defenseless.

"Victor!" she cried, panicked, swinging wild, desperate eyes toward the vampire she'd sacrificed so much for… But I couldn't spare her another thought now—and apparently neither could Victor. Sarah dragged her off into the forest as Rianne continued to shriek, the telltale sound of a disassembling vampire chorusing through the air.

Victor's eyes did no so much as flicker in her direction.

Understanding was steadily gaining on him. Not only was he alone now, he was outnumbered, too, the wolf far more skilled at fighting than he'd formerly thought. I wondered if Samantha was aware of how closely Sarah had been listening during our practices in the meadow. She'd picked up a fair amount of information and tactic, and to my surprise, the young girl made a very impressive fighter. I would have to report my impressions to the Alpha when all of this was over. Young Sarah Clearwater deserved far more credit than she'd been served.

I've failed…! Victor thought despairingly as he danced back a few steps toward the cover of the leaves, It was all so carefully planned… How did this happen…? Dammit! I have to go… Go. Run! He spared one consternated glance at Beau's face. This isn't the end, weakling. I'll find you again one day, mark my words!

The speed of his steps increased as he backed toward the woods, unwilling to take his eyes off me.

"Don't go, Victor," I murmured, "Stay—just awhile more…"

But the matchless instinct that told him to escape could not be disregarded. He abruptly turned his back on me—ha! Just the thing I'd been waiting for!—and shot for the trees.

The next seconds seemed to play out in slow motion as I bounded after him—not even exerting the entirety of my efforts to match his pace—and gripped his shoulder with one hand, and his hair with the other. In one smooth movement, I forced him to his knees and twisted him around to face me.

For an instant, our eyes met—and I could see the failure in his as strongly as I could feel the victory in my own. Then I yanked his head back by the hair, twisting in the same motion, and it was suddenly detached from his shoulders.

I watched his head topple to the ground, coming to rest at my feet as the remainder of his body slumped sideways into the dirt. As I separated his arms and legs from his torso stoically, intent on disassembling his body faster than he'd blindly be able to put it back together, I was wracked with profound relief and triumph.

Truly, it was over now, and whatever was to come could not dispute this one fact. My goal, for so long, had been to achieve this one thing, this one vampire's end, and after so much expended effort, searching, so many months of subterfuge and back-and-forth, it was finally, finally over.

.

A/N: … Intense, right? Right?

I actually had to take a few breaks, because it was just that extreme for me. I made a, meh, relative change there—having Beau actually draw blood when Bella never made it to that point. I wanted there to be an element of his involvement in the fight—did he save Edythe? Or would she have escaped that hold easily? We'll never know, but we do know this: Beau distracted them long enough for Edythe and Sarah to gain the upper hand. I like that he might have played a contributing roll to that victory.

As always, it would be great to know what you guys thought of this chapter! I'm so excited to get to the proposal! Ah! I've written it out, and it's just… It's sweet, guys… But it's also pretty powerful. So, can't wait to share that with ya :)

See you in a few days! xo