A/N: Only one more chapter after this...enjoy! Thanks to my beta Jordynnem!

Edward took my hand and kissed it, then led me up the stairs of the jet, nodding to the crew as we passed. As he sat in one of the plush leather chairs, he gently pulled me to sit on his lap.

Cradling me in his arms, he left a trail of kisses from my ear to my bottom lip, sending chills all over my body.

"I'm sorry for leaving," I whispered. "It was silly and I was confused. But, now I know."

His eyes wrinkled in confusion. "Know what?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the pilot interrupted.

"Mr. Cullen, we're ready to depart," he spoke, after clearing his throat.

Edward glanced at the man and nodded, then returned his attention to me.

"You were saying?" he asked.

For fear of being interrupted again, I thought it would be better to discuss things with Edward when we were truly alone. I changed the subject.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked.

"Partly. After you called, I decided to follow you. Remember how I told you I would follow you anywhere? I meant it. I was going to fly to Buffalo and wait for you to arrive...that's why the jet is ready to go. As I was leaving town, I spotted your car on the side of the road."

I groaned in embarrassment. "James and Victoria, the nomads...I was so stupid to think they just wanted to talkto me. I followed them...I didn't know what else to do."

Edward kissed my cheek. "You're very brave," he replied with affection. "I followed the scents and when I was close enough, I started hearing the wolves...and...well, you have no idea how worried I was. But, you handled yourself with remarkable strength, Bella. I'm amazed."

He looked at me with reverence in his eyes and it unnerved me.

I shrugged shyly. "I lied, but I don't feel bad about it. I knew they wouldn't be able to accept the truth and I didn't want to put the family in danger."

"Did you use your shield on purpose to guard yourself or did it just happen?"

"It just happened...does Carlisle, Alice and Jasper know?"

Edward nodded. "I called when I found your car and they met me in the woods...I updated them. Even though you smoothed things over with the wolves, we decided it would be best to leave the area immediately. They're packing up the house now."

I sighed. "Sorry that I made such a mess."

"Are you serious? You saved our lives! We were pushing our luck staying in the area this long after we had broken the treaty. I'm surprised there wasn't a confrontation sooner."

"Still...if I hadn't followed the nomads, the wolves wouldn't have discovered me and..."

"It would have been much worse," Edward finished the sentence for me. "I caught Victoria's thoughts before the wolves killed her...she was planning on finding the rest of us and avenging James' death. They were already tracking our family. God, Bella, I'm never letting you go again, but I'm thankful that you were so calm and self-reliant. You protected the family in more ways than one."

I rested my head on his chest. "I'm just glad it's over."

Edward ran his fingers through my hair and rubbed my neck. We sat in silence as the plane taxied down the runway and took off into the evening sky. Occasionally Edward would kiss my forehead, my cheek, my neck, my hand, or tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I stared up at him with my own private sense of wonder.

Now I knew..that I loved this man. Truly, I loved him more than anything in existence. Coming so close to be being attacked and the very idea of Edward being in danger destroyed any and every bit of confusion I had about my feelings for him. It came from my core, this overwhelming sense of protectiveness for him. I would have killed every one of those wolves, even Jacob, had they gone after Edward.

I saw Edward so clearly now, with such sharp perspective. He was my mate. It wasn't just a connection we shared because he had changed me...we belonged to each other. I was his and he was mine. Forever.

"I'd love to know what you're thinking," Edward whispered, with a smile.

I returned the smile, but felt kind of shy and didn't say anything in response.

"You seem happy," he added.

I nodded. "I am...because you're with me."

Edward cupped my face with his hand and leaned down and gently pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was heavenly and it set my core on fire. Desire shot through me, but I tried to calm myself by breathing evenly. The last time I had allowed myself to get carried away, Edward had put a stop to it. I didn't want to repeat that embarrassment. He had no idea how he affected me.

"Where are we going in Alaska?" I asked, pulling back slightly.

Edward opened his eyes and blinked, as though coming out of a stupor. "Um...to Denali. We have a family cabin."

"How long are we staying?"

"For as long as you'd like," he replied.

"Just the two of us?"

"Yes, just the two of us."

My happiest memories were of spending time alone with Edward and I was excited that we were going away together, even though it was totally unexpected. Earlier in the day I had been practically running away fromhim and now I was running away withhim. I smiled again at the irony of it all.

The plane landed in Anchorage and a car was waiting for us. Edward drove us an hour outside the city and then explained we would need to run the rest of the way. He took my bag, then held my hand, and led me through the woods.

The family "cabin" was as big as a lodge, but it was discreetly nestled underneath a grove of trees. The lights were on and I was surprised by that.

"Is someone here?" I asked.

Edward shook his head. "No, our Denali friends came by earlier and prepared the house for our arrival. They've gone back home."

There was a keypad that unlocked the door. Even though it was in the wilderness, the Cullens had a state of the art security system installed. As we stepped inside, the decor reminded me of our home in Forks - lots of windows, natural tones, modern furniture. Everything was spotlessly clean, warm and inviting.

"Does the family come here often?" I asked, glancing at the photos on the wall. It was difficult to determine the time period of some of the pictures, but there were several of the family on "hunting" trips, fishing, and hiking. Tanya, Irina, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar were also included in many photos.

"About once a year," Edward answered.

My eyes remained on a photo of Edward and Tanya. Of course, I remembered when they first came to visit and the impression I got that something was happening between the two of them. I had been insanely jealous at the time, but I didn't realize why.

"Were you and Tanya ever...together?" I asked.

He seemed shocked by my question. "No!" he exclaimed, almost too forcefully. "She's a family friend, that's all."

"You never had feelings for her? She's gorgeous and she seems to really like you..."

Edward's eyes darkened, but he wasn't angry. He put his hands on my shoulders.

"Bella, you're the only woman I've ever loved. You're the only woman I've ever wanted."

He kissed me passionately and as he leaned against me, pressing me against the wall, I felt how much he wanted me.

"I'm a traditional man," he whispered, pressing our foreheads together. "But, I don't think I can keep my hands off of you anymore. I needyou, Bella."

His hands moved from my shoulders, cupping my breasts, tracing my curves, until he grabbed my waist and kissed me once again. Then, to my surprise, he knelt down before me and bowed his head. It almost looked like he was praying.

"Edward?" I whispered, confused. But, then he looked up at me with a brilliant smile and took a small velvet box from his pocket.

"Bella Swan, will you marry me?"