Chapter 54

Hunt or Be Hunted

Bella POV

I quickly sped off into the darkness of the forest. I was running at full speed, and I could feel the wind flowing around me as I ran. I loved the feeling of running this fast. I remembered when Edward had carried me on his back as he had run through the forest, but this experience was completely different. I felt free and alive.

I could sense that Edward was running behind me, and I knew that he could easily catch up to me, but he was lagging behind for some reason. The only reason I could think of was that he was allowing me to experience this new sensation for myself. I slowed to a jog and he went flying past me not knowing that I had slowed. It was only seconds later that he was standing beside me with a confused look on his face.

"Why did you stop love? Is there something wrong?" He was concerned about me.

I shook my head and continued to look around. I was seeing everything in such a new light. I was so amazed with all of the things I had never before seen. The colors of all of the tiniest creatures that my human eyes never took notice of before. I looked over at Edward noticing that he had walked over to the nearest tree and was leaning against it staring at me. He had the cutest smile planted on his face. There was so much love adorned within his eyes.

I was about to go over to him when I smelled something in the air. I looked at him and his smile quickly faded. I was confused on what it was that I smelled. Before I knew it he had made his way over to me and grabbed me into his arms. He was rapidly looking around; it was as if he was expecting something or someone to come out of the darkness.

I opened my mouth to ask him, but before I could get any words out he had put his finger to my mouth to hush me. I did as he wanted and didn't speak a word. I was trying to follow his head movements to see what it is that he was looking for.

He finally stopped looking around and stared into one direction. The next thing I knew he had taken a protective stance in front of me. His arms were holding me so that I remained behind him. I peered around his side to see if anything had appeared and it was then that I saw a cloaked figure step out from the darkness of the trees.

I heard Edward release a growl, and I was instantly scared. I didn't know who it was that was coming our way, but it had put Edward on edge.

"I have no plan to hurt you or your mate Edward, I only wish to talk." The cloaked figure spoke.

I tried to walk around to stand by Edward's side, but he was still trying to keep me behind him. I wasn't having any of that. I was supposed to be his equal and here he was still treating me as though I was human. I let out one of my own growls, and Edward turned to look at me. It was at that moment that he realized I was not growling at the mysterious cloaked figure, but it was focused towards him. He immediately released me and allowed me to join him at his side. I smiled at him, but he did not return one to me.

"Are you alone?" Edward spoke with such venom in his voice. I still had no idea of who this person was. The only thing I knew at this time was that he was indeed a vampire, and his eyes were a very deep crimson red.

"For now, yes I am alone, but I have no idea of how long we have before we are joined by unwelcomed visitors." He said, and I noticed his voice carried no hatefulness in it. He sounded sincere.

"Okay than Marcus what is it you wish to talk about?" Edward knew who this man was, yet he still did not let his guard down, or his protective stance in front of me.

"I just had to come see for myself." Marcus said as he looked deeply at Edward and I, and I couldn't help but wonder what it was that he was trying to see.

I finally spoke up after my curiosity got the better of me. "What do you mean you had to see for yourself?"

"Oh my dear if only you were able to see what I can see when I look upon you two. You see my gift is that I can see the bond between people, and what I see when it comes to you two… well all I can say is that you two are very lucky to have finally found one another." He let out a small but sincere chuckle.

I found that I had started shaking my head back and forth in utter confusion. I think this told him to elaborate on what he had just said.

"I guess I will start in the beginning. From the first day that I awoke and realized I was a vampire I knew I had this gift, and there was something else I just knew. I felt the bond between two souls that had not yet found each other. I could feel the pain of never connecting with the other. This has plagued me for centuries. I have felt when they would get close enough to finally find one another, but something would always find a way of keeping them apart. When I first met Edward I had sensed that he did indeed possess one of these aforementioned lost souls. I never knew if or when he would ever find yours." He looked at me and nodded as to inform me that I was the other soul in his story.

"When you two first met I instantly felt that you two had finally found each other. I was however surprised to discover that you were still a human. I had always thought that you would meet up again as vampires. I now see that you have been changed and I can feel that your souls have finally connected to be as one. The way that it has always been destined for you two." He paused for a moment and just stared at both of us.

I looked up to see what Edward looked like trying to figure out what he was thinking, and I noticed he was looking at me trying to figure out the same with me. We both were confused, but at the same time it seemed to be answering a lot of things we had wondered about us for all of these years.

We both looked back towards Marcus as to let him know to continue.

"I can tell by the looks upon your faces that you can feel it too. I noticed a shift in the bond a couple of days ago, and I just knew that you had been changed. I felt the bond between you two get deeper, and become as one. I see it now, and I have to say that I am very envious of what it is that you two share. Many people think they find their soul mate, but it has never been truer than with you two. Vampires mate for life that is true, but never before have two souls actually connected and become one. I know that you may not understand everything that I am telling you, but I just wanted to inform you how connected you two are. One cannot live if the other shall perish." He put his hands together and held his head down.

I always knew that I would never survive if anything were to ever happen to Edward, but hearing it from him made me wonder just how true that statement was. If our souls had indeed connected as one than it would make sense that if one of us were to perish, how would the other survive without a soul? I didn't realize that I had started squeezing Edward until I heard him whimper in pain. I quickly let go only to have him wrap his arms back around me.

There was a moment of awkward silence until I finally spoke up. "So you are saying that if I was to die than Edward would also die." It had come out more of a statement than an actual question, and I instantly felt Edward stiffen at the words I had just spoken.

Marcus didn't say a word, but just nodded his head to confirm my statement.

"Why? How is that possible?" I wanted answers, because I was still slightly confused.

"Well my dear Bella, all I can say is that you two were destined to be together long before I was even aware of it. I just know that you two have been searching for a very long time to find one another, and now that you have there is no way for one to live without the other. May I ask you a few questions my dear?"

I simply just nodded my head.

"When you were going through the change did you feel anything different when it came to Edward?" He looked as though he already knew the answer, but he was wanting me to affirm it.

I thought back and remembered sensing Edward. "I remember seeing memories as though I was looking through his eyes. I remember feeling him throughout my entire body. It was as though he was with me." I tried to explain it as best as I could, because it wasn't so easy to put into words.

"You felt that too? I had a similar thing happen to me while you were changing. I had never felt so close to you. I could sense everything about you. I just thought it was me, and that I was worried about you so I was trying so desperately to make myself believe that you were going to be okay." Edward spoke up for the first time. I was shocked that he had felt the same things that I had, and that it just reaffirmed everything that Marcus had said to us.

Edward engulfed me into his arms and pulled me into a passionate kiss. Both of us almost forgetting that Marcus was still there; we parted turning our attention back towards him.

Edward walked over closer to Marcus with his hand held out to shake Marcus's hand. I knew he wanted to thank him for telling us what we already knew… that we were special and destined to be together.

I started to walk over to them to give Marcus my own thanks when I noticed Edward was frozen. He wasn't moving. I looked at Marcus and he too was frozen in place. It was as if time had stood still. I shot my head around in different directions to see if anyone was around that could be doing this to them.

"WHO'S OUT THERE? SHOW YOURSELF!" I screamed. I looked around slowly trying to listen to hear anything, and just then I heard the rustling of bushes not that far away from where Edward and Marcus stood frozen.

I wasn't so much afraid as I was pissed. Who would dare do that to my Edward! I looked closer towards where I heard the sound and notice two individuals walking slowly towards us.

I had to think fast. What could I do?

I didn't recognize who it was that was walking towards me, but I got the sense that they were not here for anything good. I needed to protect Edward, but I had no idea of what to do.

Before I knew it both of them had made their way to the place where Edward and Marcus stood. They looked at them for a second and then looked over at me.

Nothing was said right away; it was as if they were contemplating what they were going to do as well as what I was going to do.

I was still thinking of what to do when one of them lunged forward towards me and I reacted subconsciously. I closed my eyes and when I opened them I saw that both of the individuals were pinned up against the large tree. Neither of them was able to move and it brought back a memory from when I was human. I remember doing that to Kate. As I concentrated on holding them in place I suddenly felt arms wrap around me and yank me away.

I couldn't see who had a hold of me and was running away. Wait we were running away from Edward.

I tried to fight to get free. I needed to save Edward.

"Edward!" was all I could scream.

The person carrying me away from my Edward stopped and let me down, but did not let go of me.

I turned around to yell at the person who had taken me away from Edward, and was shocked and silenced by who it was.

It was Alice.

"Alice we have to go back and get Edward. Please." I tried to cry but no tears would come only the deep hurt in my chest as I tried to let the sobs come, but then I realized that Edward was not dead, because I am still alive. I turned back towards the direction from where we had come only to see Edward running with Emmett.

My Edward was safe. I dropped to me knees and put my head in my hands. Edward immediately wrapped me into his arms and held me tight.

"Shh love. It is okay we are safe now. Please settle down." He spoke in a soft voice.

I just held him tighter.

"Come on guys we have to get back to everyone else. They are coming now. The Volturi are almost here. We need to stand united or we will fail." Alice spoke up pulling me out of my shocked state.

I just stood up and nodded. Edward grabbed my hand and together we ran back to where our family and friends were waiting to confront the Volturi.