BPOV

I drove for quite awhile, not aiming for any particular destination. I enjoyed how the Astin hugged every bend in the road just right. I wasn't going as fast as Edward might have dared, but then, I didn't have all of his keen senses… yet.

Today was the day, I had decided as I pulled out of Forks. Today was the day my real adventure begins. I decided it was finally time to ask Edward for a gift even bigger than a car that cost more than twice my house.

I eventually decided to pull over to a site that had a high point overlooking the ocean. This particular park was entirely abandoned this time of year. I parked the car close to the edge of a cliff.

"So beautiful," Edward said.

I had assumed he was talking about the perfect orange sunset. "It is.

"I wasn't talking about the sky," he said. He leaned in to kiss me. "I was talking, of course, about you."

His phone rang and he looked to see who was calling. "Just hold that thought," he said as he answered the phone. He listened for a moment and then hung up. "Alice thought it would be a good idea to visit Charlie today after school."

"Oh?"

"She thinks it would be beneficial to your future to make plans for you to stay at our house the next couple of days."

Could she have seen what I had decided?

"I think that's a good idea, too," I agreed.

"Really," he asked. "I wasn't even sure if you would be talking to me this weekend."

I turned to face him and cupped his face between my hands. "I am so sorry," I said.

He was surprised. "This is not quite how I expected this to go."

"How did you expect this to go?"

"I thought I would be the one doing all of the apologizing. What on earth do you have to be sorry for?"

"I am sorry that I punched Jessica in the nose."

"You don't need to be feeling sorry about that," he laughed. "Heck, I would have done it myself if I could have gotten away with it!"

I laughed, too. "I'm sorry that I was so angry at you for fighting with Jake, even to the point that I gave you the cold shoulder, and then I turned around and did the exact same thing."

"It might not have been the exact same thing," he said warily.

"How so?"

"Well, I may have thrown a few more punches that you. But, in my defense, his wounds will have healed by now!"

"Too bad for Jessica that hers will not." I turned my thoughts away from Jessica. I was not going to give another thought to her stupid nose, or her stupid gossip. "What about last night? What happened exactly?"

"Didn't Jacob tell you?"

"I heard it from another member of his pack," I explained. "All he really told me was that you kicked his butt for no good reason."

"It was for a good reason," I argued. "But as for what happened. Well, we both agreed to fight, so I didn't exactly blindside him or anything cruel like that. We were face to face. We decided that the fight wouldn't be over until one of us surrendered. We went to fight and as he ran toward me I hit him. He didn't fight back, so I may have hit him one or two more times until I realized that he was never going to fight back."

"Because I told him not to," I whispered.

Edward looked at me very seriously. "Do you understand what that means," he asked.

I nodded my head. "His friend may have explained a little on that part, too," I admitted.

"Bella, you are in charge of Jacob's wolf pack. You can give him orders without having to take orders."

I hadn't had much time to consider the implications. Could the authority that was now in my nature have the power to trump the lack of tolerance that was in their nature? Would I have the capability to influence the wolves in a way that could unite them with Edward's clan?

"Will you forgive me for keeping a secret from you," he asked carefully, hoping I wouldn't return to giving him the silent treatment any time soon.

I nodded my head. I knew that I would always be quick to forgive him for anything he might do. After all, I was still a little curious about the murky past he alluded to two nights ago. I was afraid he would never tell me more about his personal history if he was always worried that I would judge him.

"I love you, Edward. I will always forgive you."

"I am so thankful for that," he said, kissing me again. "I promise that I will never take advantage of your kind heart. I will always be up front with you about everything from now on."

"I believe you." I knew he would always be faithful and honest.

"I so very much look forward to being your husband in one year." He kissed my hands. "And anything you ask of me, Bella, I will do it for you. Anything you desire, it is already given. Anything you want, Bella. Anything."

"There is something I want," I said.

"Whatever you desire, it's yours." He continued kissing my hands and then moved to my neck.

"I want you to bite me, Edward." He froze. "I don't want to wait a single second longer."

"You are ready," he asked. He grazed his teeth against the hollow of my neck.

"I am," I said bravely.

"Right now?"

"Yes."

I could feel him smile against my soft skin.

"Will you do it," I asked, suddenly worried that he might make me wait. There was a long moment of silence. "Edward?"

"I will," he said at last.

"Now?"

"Right now?"

"Right now, Edward."

"If this is the last thing you wish to see through mortal eyes."

I looked out into the beautiful orange sky. It was richer now. I watched the waves roll in beneath us and the birds fly through the sky. It so much reminded me of our first date, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect last thing to see.

"It is."

"Then turn around," he said. I did as he commanded. He parted my hair and I felt his cool lips plant onto the center of the back of my neck. I felt them part and his tongue slid out, swirling slowly in one wide circle.

"Will it hurt," I asked.

"I don't know. You are a special circumstance. I honestly don't know what to expect."

He caressed my arms with the tips of his fingers, waiting for me to give the command.

"I'm ready," I said.

"I don't know exactly what you will be when you wake up, love, but you will be different."

I felt his sharp fangs sink into my skin. I shuddered as he pressed them in further. It hurt, but it also felt pleasurable.

Suddenly, something cold pushed under my skin. It spread everywhere very quickly. I felt it go through my head, down my back, into my arms and then down into my legs. My body was struggling against the venom, pushing back with something much warmer. I felt large beads of sweat dripping from my forehead.

Edward removed his teeth and held me tightly. "Are you in pain, love?"

I started panting, unable to speak from the growing ache that throbbed in every part of my body. It was becoming unbearable now. I continued to sweat and started to cry silently. I couldn't even moan because the pain was too overwhelming.

I watched the sun go down all the way. Edward held me very close to him. He was very still so as not to move me a bit. He knew I was already racked with pain. Eventually, I was able to close my eyes.

I was unsure of how much time had gone by before my heart stopped. I felt Edward tense. We both knew that my heart was supposed to keep pumping. My breathing stopped, too. A sudden chill coursed through my veins and I went rigid.

"Bella," Edward whispered. He was scared. I was scared. "Bella, are you there?"

I wanted to tell him that I was, but I couldn't move. My body was cold and hard.

"Bella?"

Several minutes went by before my heart gave a mighty thump. With it came heat, and it quickly spread through my body. It moved faster than the venom had, and it burned. As each part of my body warmed up, every cell felt every single thing around me. I could feel the air. I could taste the air. All of my senses were set ablaze!

"Bella," Edward asked again, this time with hope.

I gasped.

"I'm here, Edward."