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The Twilight Twenty-Five
Prompt: Slip
Pen Name: bmango
Pairing: Victoria
Rating: M

Prompt: Slip

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I watched in fascination as Edward stepped away from the girl, exposing her to me, inch by inch.

I could barely tear my eyes away from her when I heard him trying to sway Riley with his words. Although the words were all true, and I knew he was getting them directly from my mind; I also knew Riley's devotion to me, his blind love for me. He may have had doubts, but he'd said he would die for me, and I trusted that.

"He's the liar, Riley. I told you about their mind tricks. You know I love only you." I played on his skepticism of them and his trust of me, wooing him back to my plan.

Determination set in Riley's shoulders and I watched eagerly as he tensed to attack.

This was it. This was the turning point. I tensed as well, searching for the smallest opening to quickly end the girl's life, and be done with this hunt so I could finally move on.

A snarl from behind made me jump, and I screamed in outrage as one of the large wolves smacked into Riley and threw him to the side.

I focused all my attention on Edward and his human, noting with fear and trepidation that the tide might be turning, and not in my favor.

"No," I gritted out through my teeth, my plans would not be tossed aside so easily. I was so close. She was right there in front of me. With Riley distracting the wolf, there was only one lone vampire stood between me and my victory.

I approached Edward, trying to circle him, but he consistently obstructed my pursuit of his human. He began anticipating my movements, blocking my path before I had completed my intended motion.

He smiled at me and I felt dread clench my heart. My head wanted to stay and fight, damn the consequences, but my feet moved me closer to the trees, preparing for my flight from danger. My heart was torn, my prey so close that I could smell her sweet blood pumping life through her veins, but my instinct to survive was winning. I backed into the trees, and I saw anger flash through his eyes before his sweet voice called out to me.

"Don't go, Victoria," he crooned at me softly. "You'll never get another chance like this."

I hissed at him, because I knew he was just teasing me about my warring thoughts. He continued taunting me, and I was doing well at ignoring his insolence until he mentioned James. That James only used me for my instincts, and that I could have saved him in Phoenix had I been there for him.

I growled at him. How dare he assume he knew what we were? He knew nothing! We were so much more than that, more than partners, more than lovers. James was my everything as much as I was his.

Edward continued, "That's all you ever were to him, though. Silly to waste so much energy avenging someone who had less affection for you than a hunter for his mount. You were never more than a convenience to him. I would know."

He smugly tapped his head and in that moment, I snapped. I screamed my frustration at him, he who knew nothing of my love, of our connection, twisting it into some abomination. I couldn't run from this fight, my instincts be damned.

I darted back into the clearing, trying to catch Edward off guard, with no such luck. Riley had been pushing the wolf back toward the girl, and I watched eagerly, anticipating an opening. The mutt's tail was brushing against Edward's legs and I gaped in surprise.

In my experience, the wolves hated everything to do with vampires. The mongrel should be fighting Edward, not protecting his back.

"No, he won't turn on me," Edward argued with my silent thoughts. "You provided us with a common enemy. You allied us."

I gritted my teeth, unwilling to believe that I had brought these ancient enemies together. Vampires and werewolves were never meant to work as a team, but were always meant to hunt each other. The last one I had met with James was a feral beast with more strength than intelligence. James hunted it just to prove he could.

"Look more closely, Victoria," Edward annoyingly addressed my internal ramblings again. "Is he really so much like the monster James tracked across Siberia?"

I took them in, glancing between the three of them, watching the intelligence flicker in the wolf's eyes. I clung to my dream for a few moments more.

"Not the same?" I asked incredulously. "Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," Edward argued. "Except what you want. You'll never touch her."

And I began to understand. The girl was the key. These weren't beasts with only brute strength on their side; we were outmaneuvered. If they had truly come together to fight, then my army was lost.

I shook my head, trying to remember my determination, my plan that was so well laid out. I refused to give in so easily. James would have laughed at such odds.

I redoubled my efforts to get to the girl, feinting and ducking and always finding him in my path. I crouched, settling my nerves, trying to fight by instinct alone and hoping to catch him off-guard.

We danced in seamless choreography, our moves so closely coordinated that only the briefest of slips could give one of us the advantage. Faster and faster we moved while Riley fought for his life with the wolf. I heard more than saw as Riley threw the beast into the cliff wall and rock shards fell to the ground around us. The girl's heart rate became higher pitched, faster. I could smell the adrenaline pumping through her veins and spared a brief thought about what she was up to.

My slight distraction cost me a bite to my shoulder which I quickly twisted out of and landed a clean swipe across his chest. He hissed and moved slightly away before diving at my throat again. We continued the intricate and deadly dance until I was again distracted by a small gasp from the girl.

I looked up to find her poised with a sharp rock against her arm, threatening to break the skin.

What the hell is she thinking? Does she want to die?

In front of me, Edward closed his eyes slowly as a sigh slipped from between his lips. Apparently, his mate wasn't quite as infallible as he would make her out to be.

I blinked at him, but in my distraction I failed to notice his blurring hands before he tossed me into a tree. Regaining my feet quickly, I glimpsed Riley losing an arm to Edward, his scream cutting through the forest's stillness.

I rose quickly, noticing that the girl stood unprotected. It would only be a split-second, but it would be long enough for me. A wide smile spread across my face, and she cowered before me. I sprang at her, instinct taking over.

My trajectory abruptly changed midflight as Riley's dismembered arm hit me in the chest. As I flew into another tree, snapping it in half, and landed on my feet, I felt fury course through me like I've never felt before.

Flinging Riley's arm back in the direction it came from, I glared at Edward who merely shrugged at me. Focused on my target and the vampire in front of me, I was barely aware of Riley's battle and his pleas for help.

I knew we were losing; I needed to regroup and make a new plan if I wanted to succeed. Riley and the wolf tumbled into the trees and Riley's screams cut short in the terrible struggle that ensued.

I was alone. Again.

I backed away from them slowly. They would never let me get this close to her again, but I knew that by staying I would seal my fate. I turned to run, and I heard Edward's soft words follow me.

"No. Stay just a little longer."

I flew into the trees and heard him follow closely behind me. I felt him land on my back, his mouth at my neck, but I made no move to stop him. The pain as his teeth slipped smoothly through my skin was buried in relief.

This was the peace I craved.

This was my end.

As I tumbled to the ground, I heard James' voice in my ear. "Welcome home, my love."

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~Fin~

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A/N: Yay! This was an amazing experience and I'm happy to have done it once. And finished.

Huge, fucking enormous thanks to theladyingrey42 and my hubs for suffering through this with me. I couldn't have done it without you two.

Thank you to all who followed this and for reading my drabbles and one-shots. Smooches!