Worth It Chapter 25: Marks of Pain, a twilight fanfic

A/N: I'm Baaacck! :) Wow I had some pretty strong reactions from the last chapter. Unfortunately I was misinformed when my husband told me that we would have internet access at his mothers house where we were staying so I didnt even get to read most of the reviews until I got back last wednesday. I had ALOT of catching up to do. I actually suffered from what my hubby has termed "FanFic Withdrawal" from my lengthy time away from FF:( I had almost 200 updates from stories that I am following and like 50 plus reviews and even a few PM's waiting for me when I finally got home. It was like Christmas at my house with all the giddiness I was emitting I actually felt bad for my boys and had to go to WalMart and pick them up some toys so they wouldnt feel left out.:) There was one question that repeatedly got asked in reviews and that was "Did Edward rape Bella?" this chapter will answer that question. Many of you have expressed your desire to do very bad things to the evil little bastard Edward. My sugestion to you to save your computer during the reading of this chapter, go to your local store right now before you read any further and purchase an Edward doll. Have said Eddie doll and whatever favored instument of torture on hand for the duration of this chapter. It's going to get ugly and sadly he will not be feeling any pain in this chapter. You may want to buy more than one. Hm maybe I should get some sort of money for this promo...

Anyways...Songs for this chapter-Running Out Of Pain-12 Stones, Lies-Evanescence, S.O.S. (Anything But Love)-Apocalyptica

I love you my lovely readers...remember save a computer, kill an Edward.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything Twilight and all its characters.

BPOV

Rosalie held me on the floor of the bathroom wrapped in a towel until my cries quieted and I was drained. Resignation, disgust, remorse, and guilt raged within me. I should have known they would send someone to watch over me, that's all they have been doing since Jasper left. Watching over poor, pitiful, broken Bella.

Rose picked me up from the floor and carried me effortlessly to my room setting me on the edge of my bed. Wordlessly she turned to my dresser and produced a sports bra, panties and my favorite pajama's, an old band shirt I had stolen from one of Renee's boyfriends when I was thirteen at the height of my hair band obsession, and an old comfortable pair of grey lounge pants. She set them on the bed beside me but when I snaked a hand out from under the jumbo towel she grabbed my hand quickly to stop me.

"No baby girl. I'm going to dress you. I need to see…" Her voice trailed off choked by the emotions that were thundering behind her carefully set features.

I looked into her eyes and saw a kaleidoscope of indiscernible emotions roiling within her pitch black eyes. Understanding swept through me. She wanted to see all of his marks. She needed to see the ugliness painting my skin, the brands that identified me as his, his property, his toy.

Slowly she stood me up and took the towel from my death-grip. I fought the panic and humiliation that begged me to run, to dive under the covers of my bed, to cover my shame, protect my secret, but it was too late. She had seen them.

The soft tenderness of her hands as she glided her finger tips over many of the marks was worlds different from Edward's yet still they caused the feelings of fear and pain to resurface. I closed my eyes against the onslaught of emotions that overwhelmed me. Her hands merged with the memories of his.

His tongue continued the trail down my chest until it reached my nipple. The pain, fear and adrenaline causing it to stand erect much to his pleasure. His hands wandered my body, not exploring but dominating, conquering, claiming every inch my flesh. Painful squeezes and too hard grasps, his fingers leaving a trail of filth that I could feel permeating through my skin straight to the bone beneath.

"You want this. Your mouth says no, but your body tells me differently."

"I will never want you!"

I closed my eyes and turned my head away as he simply chuckled at my words before swirling his tongue around my nipple and taking it into his cold mouth. The bile once again threatened to choke me as I felt his erection press against my hip and his chilled tongue worked against my sensitive bud. There was no pleasure, just the sickness that enveloped me at the violation and humiliation.

Just as I felt myself losing control of my instinctual response to fight against the intrusion, the degradation, her hands were gone and I felt the soft well worn fabric of my shirt caress my skin, the perfectly stretched contours of my pants hugging me like a welcome from an old friend. I was safe, the marks were hidden and I was safe, for now.

"Bella. Open your eyes for me sweetie." Rose's voice chimed quietly through the silence, tight with emotion.

I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want to see the disgust and pity in her eyes, or the judgment of unworthiness on her face.

"Bella, look at me." She entreated once again.

I gave in to her request and opened my eyes to see her there within inches of me, a look of compassion and sheer despair marring her beautifully cut face.

Her reaction was nothing I expected but was almost worse than what I had prepared myself for. I don't deserve her concern, she doesn't deserve to have to endure the emotions that are so obviously tearing her apart because of me. I'm not worth it.

"Why didn't you tell any of us?"

I looked down to the faded and stamped down carpet shrugging my shoulders. She raised my face back to hers forcefully.

"Nuh uh, that's good enough. Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. We could have stopped this!" She said gesturing to my body, to the marks.

"How could I Rose? I couldn't tear apart your family. You guys have been together, been the only family you all have had, for longer than I have been alive! I couldn't handle being the reason for you guys losing that! I didn't want you guys to hate me for destroying your family."

"So you want to marry the monster that did this to you, and endure this for the rest of your life just so we could keep this ridiculous illusion of a supernatural version of the Brady Bunch?" She paced the floor in her anger, her words causing mine to rise in response.

"I don't want to marry him! I have to! This is what happened when I tried to say no!"

She froze mid-stride her face registering her shock and fury.

"He did that to you because you said no! That is how he got you to say yes? But that's…no that…that's not possible! There are twenty three bites! Twenty three! You were only gone for three hours that night! We didn't…we didn't even smell any blood on you. You were still wearing the same clothes under his shirt. There wasn't a drop of blood on them!" Then her eyes widened with a sudden thought, the look in her eyes making my blood run cold at the prospect of what she would ask next.

"Did…did he…" She blinked her eyes rapidly, I recognized from experience that she felt the prickling of invisible tears behind her eyes. She took a shaky breath before trying to continue. "Did he force himself on you?"

At her words I looked back to the floor.

He let go of my shoulder then shoved my face into the dirt by my neck. I heard the rip of material and my bottoms were gone. I felt the dirt against my pelvis as he pressed his granite erection in the crack of my ass.

The memories flashed through my already tired mind. The images forever imprinted upon my psyche.

Rose held my shoulder in one hand as she crooked a finger under my chin and forced my eyes to meet hers.

"Bella, did he rape you?" She asked quietly, her voice filled with forever unshed tears.

I held her eyes a moment before shaking my head.

"No." I choked out.

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"I want you to say it bitch! Say you are mine. Beg me to marry you. Beg me to forgive you!" He growled furiously against my face as he pressed me further still into the ground.

"Yes! Yes! Anything! Please don't do that!"

"Say it Isabella!" He commanded as he thrust his clothed arousal further, stretching the entrance to my innocence, producing an agonizing scream from my raw throat.

I tried to say it. I tried, but couldn't get the words out through my cries.

Then I heard the unmistakable sound of metal teeth being pulled apart by the dual tracks of a zipper.

"I'm YOURS! Please! I want to marry you. PLEASE…FORGIVE ME! I'm SORRY! Please don't…please…"

All movement stopped, the only sound, my ragged desperate cries. I had given in. I had been broken.

"Yes. He didn't…he almost but, that's…that's when I gave in, when I said I'd…marry him." I barely made it through before I broke down once more.

Ragged, screaming sobs overtook me and I collapsed into her waiting embrace. I felt as she sat down on the bed and cradled me to her, rocking me gently whispering into my hair.

"You're going to get through this. He will never touch you again. We're all here for you. We won't let you down again."

Her reassurances both soothed my aching soul and caused my heart to shutter in fear. They were only going to get hurt if they tried to stand in Edward's way. I'm sure Alice has already seen something giving away that at least Rosalie knows about his dirty little secret. She would know that the family will soon know and that eventually someone will figure out her involvement. With her on his side there was no end to the destruction they could cause, the innocent people they could hurt.

When my cries were once again silent Rose stood up, leaving me on the edge of the bed.

"Come on, pack an overnight bag. I'll leave a note for Charlie and grab your backpack."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going home and telling the family."

"No!" My panic skyrocketed and gripped me in paralyzing fear.

Rose looked at me with pity.

"Honey we have to tell them, they need to know."

"No, no. Please Rose, promise you won't tell them." I pleaded with every piece of myself I still possessed.

"No Bella, I'm sorry but I can't do that. This has to end now and the only way that's going to happen is if we tell them. This family has had enough with the secrecy and passive aggressive bullshit." She said with conviction and anger, there was no swaying her.

My stomach lurched at the idea of telling the rest of the family, but there was no way to change Rosalie's mind. My shoulders slumped under the weight of my surrender. I nodded my head mutely and rose from the bed towards the bag she held out to me.

"Bella, this is the right thing to do." She whispered rubbing a comforting hand along my back before she disappeared from the room.

I packed my bag in a daze, silently trying to convince myself that this is nothing but a bad dream. But if this were a dream where would it have begun? Did it begin the day I laid eyes on the mysterious Cullen's in the high school cafeteria, the day James caught scent of my blood, or the day I woke up in the hospital? A part of me wished that maybe it is just a dream, or a delusion brought on by the change I was supposed to undergo in the alley. Maybe I am burning and none of this is real, just my brain trying to cope with the pain of the change, maybe any second I will wake up to my new life as a vampire and a loving mate.

I felt Rosalie's cold hand on my shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly, bringing me out of my wishful thinking.

No, this is no dream. This is what my life has become.

"We're going to get through this together Bella."

I nodded not believing that there could ever be a light at the end of my dark tunnel. When she discovers that she will leave, just like Jasper, they all will.

"Let's go." She added softly while lifting me from the floor.

I stared out of the window of my truck with unseeing eyes, my thoughts fraught with what was to come when we reached our destination. I saw the pain and betrayal that would color their eyes, the disgust and pity when they saw the marks of his insanity, or maybe it's my insanity. Would they tell Jasper? Would he care? Will they hate me for bringing out the demon in Edward? Will they blame me for destroying their family?

Over and over I tortured myself with questions and terrifying uncertainty. How am I going to make it through this?

I'm not.

The brakes screeched to a stop announcing our arrival, bringing the three vampires to the porch with questioning looks. I looked from the formidable trio to the blonde goddess behind the wheel and panic and fear surged through me. Rosalie turned to me with a look of understanding and grief. I shook my head. No I can't do this, I just can't.

"I can't do this Rose. Please just take me home." I pleaded in a voice dead of emotion save from the fear that leaked out around the edges causing my words to waver and distort like heat waves on asphalt.

She reached over squeezing my hand, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Yes Bella, you can. I'll be here by your side, I won't let you go." Her words, meant for reassurance, did nothing but remind me of a promise once made and broken.

"You are the missing puzzle piece and I have no intention of letting you go."

I choked on the pain and worthlessness that rose like bile in my throat. He doesn't want me. He's gone. He's never coming back.

"Come on sweetie." Rose said quietly from my right, she had the door open and was waiting patiently for me to make the first step.

I stared at her outstretched hand unsure if I could take that step. What if they don't believe me? What if they don't care? What if they take his side?

"Bella." Rosalie's voice rang through the still air, firm and unyielding.

I looked into her eyes and saw strength and empathy edged with a kind of haunting vulnerability in her obsidian eyes. She knew, somehow she knew exactly what I was going through. I saw in her face the heartbreak and understanding of the emotional hurricane I was trapped within. How could she possibly know?

"You can do this Bella, your stronger than you think."

There it was. Strength, that's what it all boiled down to. Was I strong enough to defy Edward's orders, will I stay weak and fade into the darkness or will I find the strength to step out of the shadows into the light of truth?

"It seems you can learn, with the proper motivation."

Edward's voice echoed through my mind making my decision for me. I will not be his toy any longer. I will not be the obedient pet afraid of punishment. If they can't, or won't protect me from him then he will kill me, if they can then I will be free of him, either way is preferable to an eternity under his cruel thumb.

I took Rosalie's offered hand and gingerly slid out of the cab of the truck, my movements mimicking my insecurity, taking my first step towards freedom on trembling legs.

We walked slowly hand in hand in silence to the porch, towards the inquisitive eyes. My eyes never strayed from the ground as I took that short distance to shore up all the courage I could muster to carry me through this.

"Rosalie, Bella? What's going on here? What's happened?" Carlisle's voice invaded the silence as we reached to bottom steps.

I looked up into the eyes of my family and then to Rose.

"Let's go inside." Rosalie's voice rang out in a monotone giving away nothing of the earth shattering news that they were about to receive.

Slowly they turned around and entered the front door with Rosalie and me not far behind. They each took seats on the furniture scattered around the room leaving the couch for Rosalie and I. I sat down so my now visibly shaking legs would not buckle underneath me while Rosalie stayed standing and even began to pace slightly.

"Rose, babe, what's this about? What's going on?" Emmett asked his voice full of worry not having seen Rosalie like this but a handful of times in their many years together.

She stopped her pacing and took a deep breath looking at me giving me one last chance to back out but I knew it was too late. I could never go back now.

"We were right about Edward, only, not even in our wildest dreams would we be able to imagine the things he's done." She said gravely as the room froze.

The vampires in the room abandoned all human traits, appearing as statues, neither breathing, blinking, nor moving even the smallest of muscles. My breath held still in my throat awaiting their reaction.

"What do you mean we wouldn't be able to imagine what he's done?" Emmett demanded in a iron tone I had never heard from the gentle giant before, his voice held so much rage and violence that I cringed in fear seeing for the first time the deadly being that he truly was.

"Bella?" Esme's voice seemingly drowning in heartache forced my eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry." I replied roughly around the lump in my throat constricting my vocal chords.

"Damnit Bella you have nothing to be sorry about! It's that bastard that's going to be sorry. There won't even be any ashes left when I get through with him." Rosalie yelled the anger I had seen her struggle for control over finally getting the best of her.

Carlisle left his seat demanding the attention of the room.

"Rosalie calm yourself and tell us what it is you are talking about." His voice was hard, demanding, angry, gone was the calm façade that normally held his face in a serene compassionate mask. Standing there was not a father but a coven leader giving an order that would not be disobeyed.

Rosalie's shoulders sagged as she looked towards me.

"I don't think I even know the half of it Carlisle." Her eyes saying much more than her words.

I shook my head mortified by the idea of telling them, of reliving that night. I can't do it.

"No…no…I can't…"

She knelt down in front of me taking my hands in hers and looking me deep in the eyes.

"Yes you can. I'm right here. Remember, I'm not going anywhere."

I held her gaze trying to gather as much strength from her as possible. I have to do this if they are going to help me. I nodded before letting my mind wander back, back to the day I lost the last vestiges of myself.

"I'm not worth it." I uttered as I walked away from the only man that could so totally own my heart.

My insides quivered and shook as Edward ran through the trees. My mind raced with all the possible punishments that he could dole out. I knew he would take advantage of the privacy of the forest. He ran in the opposite direction of home, leaving my only hope of salvation far behind.

Just as my nerves reached their breaking point Edward stopped. We were in our meadow. The place I fell foolishly in love with the idea of us, with the excitement of the new world I had stumbled haphazardly into. He lowered me to my feet almost gently causing my mind to reel from the reverence that I haven't seen from him since the day I was spirited away to Arizona.

What could this mean? Has he finally woken up to the atrocities that he has committed under the guise of love? Has he changed?

I felt my hope rise. Maybe, just maybe, he had come to the realization that keeping me forcefully by his side is so much worse than losing me.

I looked around me at the meadow that once held so much magic for me, for us, and all I saw was weeds. There was no beauty, no magic. Just like our relationship, the flowers were gone, leaving nothing but the sun bleached skeletons behind.

"Edward? What are we doing here? I thought we were going home?" I asked in a small voice, my curiosity leaking through.

"I told you. I have a surprise for you." His voice, light and pleasant, carried on the breeze that gently wafted through the clearing, heavy with the scent of rich sun warmed earth.

"Okay…" I replied, my tone apprehensive.

I watched as he reached his hand into his pocket and fished out a suspicious velvet box. I felt my heart begin to hammer in my chest and my pulse pound in my ears. My lungs froze, refusing to allow the natural passage of air, suffocating me. My panic was out of control at the sight of that little blue box. It was too small for a necklace or bracelet.

Oh, god. No. It's a ring. Please, please let it not be THE ring.

Then before I could blink Edward was in front of me, pressed against me, his cold breath drifting over my face.

"I love that I have that effect on you." I heard the lust in his torrid tone and fought the bile that rose in my throat.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes as he brought the damning little box into my vision.

Slowly he opened it, the well made hinge silent on its journey upwards.

Sitting within the pillowed satin inside was a huge, gaudy, diamond encrusted ring. It stared at me menacingly, taunting me with the life of servitude it promised.

"Marry me, Isabella."

I could do nothing but stare at the hideous monstrosity caressed in satin in front of me.

"Love?"

Finally finding my voice I spoke the words that were screaming in my head.

"No."

There was a pause of silence, I couldn't look at him, my eyes were glued to the ring.

"No?" Gone was the confidence and lust in his voice.

I tore my eyes away from the box and looked at his face full of annoyance and fury.

"No. I can't, I'm sorry Edward, but, I just…I can't." I pleaded him with my eyes, willing him to understand.

"You can't?" He repeated, his tone swirling with animosity.

My eyes prickled with the desire to shed the moisture that could not be conjured and my hands shook from fear. I tried to retreat from him, only managing to take a step back before loosing my footing and falling backwards on my hands. He stood still, towering over my prostrate form, his eyes black as a moonless night.

"You're sorry?"

I whimpered slightly as he clenched his hands at his sides and took a step closer to me.

"You stupid little bitch, you do not even know the meaning of sorry yet."

He took another step. His feet were now planted on either side of my legs, his stormy face looking down upon me with rage is his eyes.

"You will beg me to forgive you before I am done with you. You will beg me to put this ring on your finger and claim you in the eyes of the world." His voice grew dangerously low, bleeding into a growl as he crouched over me.

His hands fisted in my hair and pulled me gasping in pain towards his face.

"No Isabella, you do not know sorry, but you will." His lips grazed the shell of my ear sending shivers of fear down my spine at his words.

Then I was airborne. The air rushed by me, the world a swirl of green and brown before pain exploded through my back as my flight was halted by the trunk of a tree. I felt more than heard a snap in my spine as my body wrapped backwards around the tree, then my legs went numb. I fell to the ground, rolling several feet away from the tree, bark and splinters of wood rained down on my barely concealed body.

Oh my god. My legs!

I wailed from the pain, from the numbness.

"My legs! Oh my god! I can't…they're…!"

I rose on my elbows, gripping the ground, grasping at anything my hands touched trying to crawl away. My legs laid there limp, useless, behind me, deadweight.

His feet came into my view. I tried to scream. I tried to scramble away. It was useless. I was hauled up by my arms and thrown against the tree again. Another scream ripped through my throat. His hard body pinned me to the splintered wood, holding me upright on my useless limbs.

"You are mine Isabella! I think it is time you learned that lesson."

Without warning his hand blurred and ripped my crocheted robe-like wrap and bathing suit top off my body. They fell to the ground in shreds as the air blew across my exposed chest. My struggles increased, weakly trying to hide my body from his leering gaze.

"No, no, no, my pet. You want to parade around in front of him and the world half naked then you should not have a problem with your fiancé seeing what is rightfully his."

"You're not my fucking fiancé! You're not even my boyfriend you sick fuck! I'm done with you!" I spat in his face through the violent sobs that wracked my body.

I tried with all my might to push him away but my strength was no match for his. He had my hands restrained behind my back with little effort.

"You will never be done with me." He whispered menacingly in my ear before tracing his nose down along my neck to my collarbone.

"I have longed to taste you again."

His tongue flicked out, tasting the skin just below my neck. He moaned softly before running his tongue southward.

I struggled to break free, tried desperately to shake him off but his hold stayed firm.

"Get the fuck off me!"

"What have I told you about your language?" He said admonishingly. "It is not becoming of a lady. Then again, you are not a lady are you? You are nothing but a common whore. Do not worry, I can break you of that. You will be my whore, and only mine."

"You want this. Your mouth says no, but your body tells me differently."

"I will never want you!"

I felt the familiar fiery, electrical, painful tingle in my lower back followed by the slightest sense of feeling from my toes. The venom was knitting together the damage done by my collision with the tree.

"Please…stop. Don't do this. Please." I begged him, knowing that if he truly wanted to I would not be able to stop him.

He released my breast and chuckled coldly against my skin.

"I told you I would have you begging, but you are begging for the wrong thing."

Then a searing, white-hot pain ripped a scream from my throat. My chest was on fire, acid coursed through my veins. I knew this pain, he bit me. His teeth tore through my skin like butter allowing the poison in.

I thrashed and screamed, trying with everything I had to break his grip, to rip his mouth away from my breast. Nothing worked.

I cried as I felt the venom burning my veins, leaving nerve endings withered and broken in its wake.

I was suddenly lying on the ground with the hard earth on my bare back my arms pinned to my sides under his knees. The pain was too much. It was my nightly hell brought into the light of day. Only here I had a body to feel the pain, here there wasn't never-ending darkness. Here there were dark eyes watching on with pleasure as I writhed and wailed from the blaze burning under my skin.

A chill breeze touched my ear. I had enough presence of mind to know it was him, breathing in my ear, readying to spew more cruelty into the air, words to break me down.

"I can make the pain go away Isabella. All you need to do is say yes. Say you will be by my side forever as my dutiful, obedient wife."

I clenched my jaw against the pain. Now that I had recovered from the shock I was able to contain myself, somewhat. I turned my head to look him in the eyes.

"Never." I ground out between spasms of pain.

He chuckled darkly before responding.

"I was hoping you would make this hard."

Before I had time to process what he said I felt another stab of fire in my other breast, then another just below my collar bone.

I struggled to stay strong against the pain. My screams still escaped through my gritted teeth, muffled by my lips.

I felt the iciness of his mouth caress the first bite then a pulling sensation as he drew the tainted blood out of my body and into his mouth. The fire there receded but offered no relief from the others that now burned out of control.

"You taste so good mixed with." His voice sounded from somewhere above me, only now noticing that my eyes were shut tightly in another effort to fight off the pain.

I whimpered in response, wanting so badly to kick him away, scratch out his eyes, tell him to go to hell where monsters like him belong. My mouth was still clamped shut, I was conflicted in my desire to show him no weakness by staying as silent as possible or fight him until I was too weak to move and the darkness took me over.

I prayed that the beast within would emerge and save me from this fresh hell invented in his sadistic mind, but when I searched within the darkness it was absent. He had successfully cowed the demon that dwelled within my soul, leaving me alone, and weak. Always weak.

His hand took hold of my face and turned me towards his him. I opened my eyes, allowing my hate to show through my red and brown orbs.

"You can make it all go away with one word. Yes."

I shook my head violently. I will not give in. I will not be tied to his side forever.

"Alice said you would be stubborn. I could not believe my little pet would be so disobedient, after all I have done for you. It does not matter, you will break and then you will be mine. Forever." He said with a smirk.

I shook my head but he just laughed. If ever there was a time I would be thankful that I could not shed a tear, now would be it. My body was incapable of giving him the satisfaction of my tears.

Once more I felt his frigid lips on my chest pulling the blood from my scorched veins. His hands roamed my body memorizing every inch, staking his claim. Then his lips were gone from my breast and they were on mine.

Warm liquid trickled slowly from between his lips over mine, spilling down my cheeks and chin, pooling in my ears, my hair, and the hollow of my throat before flowing onto the ground. It wasn't until he pulled away that I realized with horror that it was my own blood. My eyes grew wide at the sight of the monster above me, lips dripping with my blood.

"We can not waste it can we? If I take in anymore there will be questions, questions you do not want them knowing the answers to. The next time you will taste yourself."

"Hmnohh!" I screamed behind my lips as I shook my head with force.

His head lowered to my collarbone and once more took in the fouled blood, relieving the fire. His face returned to mine, I shook my head trying to fight off his mouth. He grabbed my face squeezing my cheeks trying to force my lips open. Without warning his fist met my ribs in a sickening crunch and my mouth shot open as the air was forced from my lungs. My blood flooded into my mouth, bittersweet, and thick on my tongue. I coughed and spluttered sending a spray of red mist into the air.

I gasped to gather air into my lungs, my blood dripping down my throat, my stomach turning at the unwelcome liquid.

Time blurred by in a raging sea of fire and torment, broken only by the taunts and disparaging commands that flowed from his evil lips and the sick purging of my stomach rejecting the blood forced down my raw throat. It was a never-ending cycle of pain and blood, fire and words, screams and smirks. Each time he sucked the venom from my system he would add one more bite, one more everlasting mark of ownership and violation.

"Dear little Isabella, there is no need for you to hold out any longer. Just say yes, accept my ring and your place and I can make it all go away."

More pain follows my silence.

"You admired his scars so much, now you will have your own to admire, your own to hide."

"He will never want you now. No one will."

"You belong to me Isabella. These are my marks upon your skin, not his."

"Just one word and this will all stop. Just say yes, say you will be mine for eternity."

I couldn't take the fire and the pain any longer, I was about to break.

But…no I have one more option.

Through the haze I felt as Edward leaned down to suck the venom from the last bite on my hip, my thighs tensed. Slowly with out drawing attention I flexed my muscled one by one through my legs, testing my control over them. As he came up with a mouth full of blood to force feed me I kicked and thrashed with a renewed sense of survival.

Edward was knocked off balance for just a split second but it was enough for me to kick him away. I scrambled for an escape, the ground now slick with blood refused my feet purchase and I fell to my hands and knees.

I have to get away. I have to.

I regained my footing and made a run for the trees. I couldn't look back, I had to move as fast as I could away from him, from the monster.

I was just passing the first trees when the wind gushed in front of me and Edward appeared. I skidded to a halt at the murderous look on his face.

"Your body is healing faster than it use to. That is good to know. Still you should not have done that Isabella. I was only mildly annoyed before, now, I am angry." He said in a calm manner, as if speaking to a child.

He lunged at me and I turned trying to escape his bloody cruelty. He crashed into my back. I tried desperately to crawl away, grappling at weeds and tree roots in my frantic need to get away.

"No! No! Leave me alone!"

"You do not say no to me! You are only alive now because of me, I own you! You are MINE!" He roared in my ear then there was more fire, my skin tearing as I struggled and fought to escape the agony.

My shoulder was burning and his teeth were still embedded deeply into the muscle. I could feel as he pumped his toxic venom into my body then sucked it out letting it spill over my skin. It was everywhere, in my eyes, my mouth, on my hands, dripping off my shoulder.

"No! NO! Edward…stop… don't do this! PLEASE? Don't…NO…You can't….STOP!"

I screamed hysterical as I tried to buck him off, I clawed the ground, my mouth full of dirt as my face was smashed further into the earth with his weight.

"Shut up! It is time you learn who you belong to bitch!"

"NO! Please…Help! Jasper…JASPER! Please…help me!"

His grip grew more painful as he leaned over, his body flush against my naked back.

"He cannot not help you. No one can."

He emphasized each word by rubbing his steel erection against my inner thighs, each time coming closer to my mound, until I could feel the rough fabric of his pants scrape past my lips into the dry canal of my womanhood.

"No, no, please. I'll do anything. Please…just…don't…please." I was sobbing, begging and pleading for him to spare me that fate.

"I want you to say it bitch! Say you are mine. Beg me to marry you. Beg me to forgive you!" He growled furiously against my face as he pressed me further still into the ground.

"Yes! Yes! Anything! Please don't do that!"

"Say it Isabella!" He commanded as he thrust his clothed arousal further, stretching the entrance to my innocence, producing an agonizing scream from my raw throat.

I tried to say it. I tried, but couldn't get the words out through my cries.

I heard the unmistakable sound of metal teeth being pulled apart by the dual tracks of a zipper.

"I'm YOURS! Please! I want to marry you. PLEASE…FORGIVE ME! I'm SORRY! Please don't…please…"

All movement stopped, the only sound, my ragged desperate cries. I had given in. I had been broken.

"You remember that. You are mine. You only live as long as I wish you to. You even think about leaving, and this, this will be nothing but a fond memory compared to what I will do to you. Or maybe I will just introduce your mother to our world. I do not think she will be as strong willed as you, easily breakable."

His weight disappeared and I curled into a ball.

No not Renee. I could not stand the thought of what Edward's cruelty would do to her free, loving soul and easy smile. Images of her, spirit broken and eyes haunted with pain and emptiness, so much like my own, flashed through my mind. It was a picture that would torment me for as long as I live. I couldn't let him do that to her.

I sat in a daze until I was hoisted into his arms. We ran until he stopped by a large stream. I didn't flinch as he walked into the water holding me. I was numb.

I watched as the water swirled around us red with my blood under the white light of the moon. I smelled vinegar before there was sudden splash of cool liquid. I gasped in shock at the sudden change in temperature. I looked up to see a large bottle in Edward's hands. He was pouring the contents all over himself. When half the bottle was emptied he turned it towards me. I had to close my eyes and hold my breath quickly as he poured the foul clear liquid over my face and hair without warning. He finished off the bottle on my body, everywhere my blood had touched. I wondered idly what the purpose of it was. Then, as if reading my mind, Edward spoke.

"This will erase the scent of your blood. Once it dries vinegar leaves no scent, even to our heightened senses." His voice rang through the chill night air with a note of clinical detachment, the sun long set from the horizon.

I still was numb to the world around me. Even Edward dunking me under the water to wash away all blood and vinegar from my hair and face did nothing to wake me up from my stupor.

It was only after he lifted me from the water onto the bank and produced perfect replicas of not only his clothing but my own that he had reduced to bloodstained tatters that I realized the full implications of some of his earlier comments and his preparedness. Alice knew, she knew all along what he had been doing to me, I never disappeared from her visions.

The pain that filled my from her betrayal finally woke me from my daze. Tears that my eyes would never shed were instead shed within my heart. I had loved her like a sister, she had been my best friend, I had rejected the only man I could ever love fully because of her and she helped this monster cover up the atrocities he himself committed against me.

I had not realized that my internal cries had been brought forth to the world until Edward took my face between his hands to stare deep into my eyes.

"Remember love, you wanted this. I gave you the choice and you chose this. Now put on that pretty little mask you wear so well and convince them you are a happy soon to be blushing bride." He slipped the god-awful ring on my finger, taking time to stare at the item that now claimed me as his to the world.

His eyes came back up to meet mine, the threat behind his dark amber eyes.

"You would not want them asking questions, would you?"

I dumbly shook my head and schooled my face to the pleasant, happy smile I knew he wanted.

"There we go, it seems you can learn, with the proper motivation." He praised condescendingly.

He pulled his own clean shirt over my head hiding the evidence of his sadistic proposal then lifted me into his arms.

"We should inform them of the good news." Then he took off through the trees, the place of my destruction fading in the distance yet staying trapped in my heart.

My eyes stayed glued to my shaking hands in my lap where they had been throughout my story of the second most painful night of my life until a wild, feral growl shook the baseboards of the room.

My head shot up to see, not my family whom I had come to love more than my own life, but four vampires with onyx eyes and teeth bared in vicious snarls.