Many thanks to my amazing beta team of Ragsstone and ShowtunesJesus, and to my talented friend Bower_of_Bliss.

I wish I was standing in some grand ballroom, wearing a gorgeous and flattering glitzy evening dress while I tearfully sniffed my way through a heartfelt speech. Instead, I'm wearing my jammie pants while I sit at my sons desk typing away. Thanks to all the wonderful people who voted for me in The Emerging Swan Awards. Raum and I tied for the title of Best Newbie Author. I am extremely touched and honored with all the support this story has received, and thank you all for your wonderful messages and votes. I wish I could hug you all.

Some of you may recognize the first portion of this from a teaser I sent for reviews after chapter 17.

Smeyer owns it all. I may not be on any best seller list, but I'm happy with what my writing has brought me :)

Chapter 36

The stalker

She was back, like a tempting morsel dangled in front of me, just waiting to be consumed by an appreciative connoisseur.

She was my prize, my treasure, fashioned for my pleasure alone.

I examined her as closely as I dared in my current setting, which was hardly the preferred environment for paying homage to my siren. It had been some time since I'd had the opportunity to indulge myself in the unimpeded sight of her.

From the moment I had first laid eyes on her, everything about her had called to me—her enticing visage, her meekness and timidity, and especially her naïveté. She was the perfect personification of all I desired.

But she was also very elusive.

She had thwarted my plans more than once.

After careful reconnaissance and strategizing for months, I had executed my masterful scheme to possess her. Once she was totally in my thrall, I had inspected every inch of her, confirming that she possessed the requisite properties that made her the ultimate pinnacle of all my fantasies.

When she had roused from her chemical restraint, my ungrateful ingénue had begun working on her physical ones while I was otherwise occupied, and she showed unexpected stamina applying herself to the almost impossible task. To my gall, her feistiness had ruined certain facets of how I envisioned my carefully constructed scenario to be played out, and my rage had surged as my carefully constructed plans began to go awry. I had reacted instantly and viciously, the red haze taking over.

Afterwards, I had stood panting, haranguing myself for my loss of control and further exacerbating the disintegration of my illusory utopia.

I had fled, needing time and distance to develop alternative arrangements since my perfect quarry was no longer useful to me in the complete manner I had desired. I had managed to salvage a portion of my scheme through the collection of some of her life essence, but I had been denied her other, more enticing properties.

I had expected that my eternal nemesis–death—had claimed my treasure. To my surprise, I learned that the police had recovered her, damaged but salvageable.

My rage had overtaken me again and that time, I had given it freedom to play out as it might. When the haze had cleared sufficiently, I found that I had ensnared another irresistible morsel. Although not as desirable as my ingénue, she had mimicked her in the necessary ways—that is, all ways but one. That prey had been so much younger, too, to be sullied in such a way already. When I had discovered the desired property lacking, the resulting frenzy had been…ferocious. While I had been sated, I was not satisfied and I had dwelled on my frustration endlessly.

I had maintained an intermittent vigil at her bolt hole and had been exultant when I observed her return. I had feasted on the sight of her as I contemplated various tactics to ensure she would be mine and mine alone. Sadly, my hand had been forced when, somehow, she detected my presence. I had made a misguided attempt to procure my treasure but aborted my efforts when she called for reinforcements. Although vexing, I consoled myself that since she had returned there, she would eventually reappear in my favorite fishing pool.

So I had waited, biding my time and amusing myself with less worthy but still somewhat… stimulating amusements.

Until, at last, I saw she had returned to me, seemingly ripe and ready for me to resume the pursuit of my original scheme.

I watched her, chary of the myriad of changes in her appearance and carriage. She had shed some of that delightful timidity but had gained an incandescence that proved to be a worthy and appealing exchange. I resumed my veneration of her from afar, anxious to reacquaint myself with her new routine and rhythm. Despite her attempts at casualness, I detected a new wariness…she was more cautious and did not follow the same reliable routines as she once had. With growing scorn, I spied her escort, a new development that I would have to be mindful of when strategizing our reunion.

I would have to proceed with more caution this time as my recent…activities…had attracted far too much notice from disapproving sources.

They would never understand my supremacy over the world of the mundane. They would never recognize my transcendent nature unless I divulged it myself. I was not yet ready to make this revelation, and would not be equipped to do so until I had accumulated the necessary power to assert my sovereignty over the lowly cattle of humanity.

Until then, I would amuse and gratify myself by pursuing my elusive ingénue. She would be mine in every way.

Sorry for the brevity of this chapter but it's best not to linger in the sicko psycho's head too long. I promise all the coming ones are much longer.

If you need something to get you through the week, Bower_of_Bliss has a wonderful new drabble fic called "Drowning, not waving." It has Edward wearing swim shorts *waggles eyebrows*