This is the last (and very short) chapter! Thank you to everyone who read!
"This is a gift, it comes with a price. Who is the lamb and who is the knife?"
Chapter Thirty Six: Sacrifice
Freeman smirked at Edward. "You're too late Cullen. The sun will be coming up soon and once I've attended to your little girlfriend I'll take care of you."
Edward gave Bella a reassuring smile, but it wasn't returned. Edward let out a low growl and, startled Freeman let go of Bella and backed up. That didn't stop Edward though. He kept moving forward anger glinting in his coal black eyes.
What he didn't see though was Acan grabbing Bella and thrusting her onto the slab. He held a hand against her mouth; a few Mayans came forward to hold down her legs.
Over in the corner a puddle of blood spread eerily across the floor. Edward walked away leaving Freeman's body slumped lifelessly against the wall.
His gleeful expression vanished as he watched in disbelief at Bella on the slab.
She lay there, her heart beating a mile a minute. Acan held the knife over her head, a triumphant look on his face. The sun's rays stretched towards the slab. The dagger was brought down and in sunk into her chest. Bella felt the blade slice her skin, but the shock of seeing the red blood gush made her numb to the sensation of dying.
She heard a loud crack, followed by a muted thud then Edward's frantic voice over top of her.
"Bella! Bella, Bella? Nod if you can hear me!"
Bella's head wouldn't nod though. It felt as though it was full of brick. She couldn't even lift it off the slab. Edward's cold hands were at work trying in vain to perform a miracle. Bella's heart broke at the sound of his dry sobs. She gagged and gasped in pain. The more she fought death though the more panicked Edward became. He cried out in fury, shouting cuss words, and pressing on the wound.
"Please Bella! Please do-not-die!"
Bella closed her eyes and began to wish death would take her already. She didn't think she could bear to hear Edward's anguished sides anymore. The peaceful feeling of soul leaving body filled her head. I'll be seeing Dan and Chris and all my old, dead friends. She thought drunkenly. She could practically see Dan grinning, waiting for her on the other side. Her heart ached as she realized she was leaving Edward. She wanted to tell him I love you one more time…
But then a new kind pain struck her. Someone was poking her with something sharp right in the neck. Her throat throbbed as a mild burning began to flow through her veins. Bella's eyelids fluttered open. Edward was looking as though he'd just been punched in the stomach.
"What did I do?" He was muttering in horror. "Bella? Oh my God! Bella! I'm so sorry! I couldn't just let you die!" He fell to his knees by her side. Bella wondered why the hell he was doing that instead of helping her. Her body burned all over.
Putting two and two together, she realized Edward had bitten her rather than watch her die. She was transforming, becoming a vampire.
"Why did you do this to me, Edward?"
Edward's black eyes met hers. "I-I couldn't watch you die. Not when there was something I could do."
"It hurts." She whimpered. Edward stroked her face.
"Don't worry. I'm going to take you home." He said roughly. Edward scooped her up in his arms. "Let's go home."
Bella awoke a few days later to see a room full of Edward's adoptive family. Edward stood beside her holding her hand.
"How do you feel?"
Bella pulled the shirt from her chest and looked for the wound, but it was gone.
"Edward, where's my…" She trailed off her eyes growing wide as she listened to the melody of her voice. "Am I really a vampire now?"
Edward nodded. "I'm so sorry. You didn't ask I just assumed you'd be okay…"
"Stop." Bella commanded. "Everyone keeps apologizing to me. You don't need to. You saved me. Now we can be together forever…"
Edward picked her up and spun her around her then kissed her with so much force she fell back on the surgical table she'd been laying on.
"I guess this is happily ever after then?" He asked.
"Freeman's gone?"
"I got him pretty good."
"Then I suppose this is happily ever after."
Edward wrapped Bella in his embrace savoring every moment of his new forever.