Chapter 33:

These had to be the worst three days of his entire life!

Edward had punched innumerous trees and walls in the last 72 hours to relieve his frustration but it hadn't worked.

When he'd seen Bella jumping for Hermione, the humanity in him had snapped, leaving a feral, vicious creature in its wake.

A ferocious being that had seen something attacking his mate!

And he'd seen red.

Between one second and the next, he was on Bella, the beauty her vampirism had granted her going completely unnoticed by him. Everything, after he'd pulled her by her hair taking her away from Hermione, was a complete blur in his mind.

All he did remember was that it had taken Sam, Paul, Emmett and Jasper to hold him back from crushing the tiny pieces he'd torn Bella's hard body into. He'd seen Jacob throw her broken body into the burning pyre, he'd smelled the putrid stench that had filled the air, flashes of how Bella had met her death at the hands of the two who had once loved her going through everyone's mind had been bombarded at him. But none of it had truly registered with him.

Ironically enough, it was Jacob who had been able to calm him down. The wolf had walked up to him and only thought of Hermione, sharing his memories of the times he'd seen the witch with Edward and Edward had finally calmed enough to look at his mate.

Carlisle was kneeling beside her, working on her and Edward had dashed towards them. But one look at his father had told Edward everything he needed to know.

They only had to wait back to see if she made through the change…..

And that had been that.

Rosalie had spoken to Draco, informed Hermione's friends back in the UK about the new turn of events. Harry, the Weasleys and the Malfoys had all come to check on her but had left on Carlisle's bidding.

With a new vampire in the house, they didn't want any humans around. If it went some other way and Hermione did not make it through the change, they'd get in touch, but that bit was left unspoken. Edward had heard the thought in most their minds but he hadn't let him entertain it.

She had to live.

She had to turn.

She had to survive it.

For him… She had to…

He hadn't left her bedside for all the long excruciating days, refusing to even go hunting.

As soon as she woke up, he'd take her along…

He only thought of Hermione and himself living out their happily ever after.

No other image was given permission to play in his mind.

This is sheer agony, Edward thought as he rubbed the back of Hermione's hand.

He heard her pulse slacking, the lazy beat of her heart finally stopping.

He whiffed the exact moment her blood dried inside of her; and he knew the precise moment that her human life had left her body.

He felt her warmth seep away as her body turned cold and colder still.

He felt her soft, supple skin turn diamond hard under his touch.

He saw her riotous hair change. It's unruly curls swapped for thick, rich waves.

Her porcelain skin gleamed with a pearly finish now, as opposed to her pinkish-flushed hue.

He saw her scars disappear, an unmarred perfection left instead. Only his mark on her remained, though it was tainted by another bite given right on it and he hated seeing that other mark spoil the one thing that proved to all that Hermione was only his.

Edward sighed.

This was it…

"It's time," Rosalie said stepping into the room, and Edward grudgingly walked away, giving his sisters and mother a chance to ready her. Praying to all the deities above to let Hermione come through this change as less fragile, Edward stepped out but never left his guarding spot from the door.