The transformation had been excruciating, nothing she expected even though everyone warned her about the pain. When the pain was gone, Bella had no idea what to expect.

Then she heard Edward's voice begging Carlisle to tell him it worked. His voice had brought great comfort during the transformation.

Bella became aware of holding his hand. She hadn't realized it, because his skin was no longer cold. He was warm, or at least so it felt. They were the same temperature.

When she heard a small "Ow," coming from Edward, a sound she had never heard from him, her eyes snapped open.

The wooden ceiling was the first thing she saw. But there was so much more. Every particle of dust was visible to her new eyesight. She could see dust before if the particles danced in the sun shining through a window, but this was different. She could identify every particle of dust, which were unique, like snowflakes.

Her head tilted to the side. There he was.

Edward sat next to her, a smile on his beautiful face. Her eyes drank in his beauty. Her human eyes hadn't done him justice. She doubted she could love him more, but seeing him in a new light made Bella fall all over again for him.

Then Bella sat up. Well, that had been her intention. She ended up standing by the bed.

The speed. Bella waited for the usual whiplash that happened when she moved too fast. It never came. And she hadn't lost her balance.

She noticed Carlisle in the chair in the corner of room. He stood up slowly, greeting her.

She was distracted by a stray ray of sunshine invading the room. She lifted a hand in front of her, amazed how her skin glinted. It was much more intense than when she'd discovered her skin sparkling in the sun during the drive to Seattle.

Edward walked her to the mirror. Bella's eyes soaked every feature of her new body. Her face was a little more angular, her skin was flawless – gone were the small imperfections and the scar on her temple after that bike accident, her body was fit – something she hadn't been able to manage during the short time Brady had convinced her to join him at the gym, and her eyes were bloody red. That startled her. She should have expected to see the color, but it still surprised her.

Bella caught Edward's loving gaze through the mirror, and gasped softly. His eyes were red, too.

She spun into his embrace. "Your eyes," she breathed, worried.

"I drank from you, of course, they're red," Edward explained.

It made sense, but she hadn't expected to see that color on him. "And you didn't even need Carlisle's help. I've told you a thousand times how strong you are." She remembered clearly how in control, how clinical Edward had approached her transformation.

Edward brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, still smiling softly. "Let me introduce you to the new world."

"Yes, please. I'll show Bella around." He nodded to Carlisle.

Edward led her outside by the hand.

Bella stopped on the porch, taking a deep, unnecessary breath. Everything was so new.

She could hear, see, and smell things she had no idea it was possible. She could smell the sand grains, she could see the small insects on the tree trunks at the edge of the forest, she could hear them too as they moved.

She dropped Edward's hand, walking to the beach. The sand was scalding hot, and she braced herself for the pain, but it never came. Bella stared mesmerized at the grains of sand, then she looked up.

Whoa.

Her wide eyes stayed on the burning star shining brightly from the sky. She could look at the sun without hurting her eyes, and damn. It was breathtaking.

"It can be overwhelming," Edward said gently, placing a hand on the small of her back.

Bella nodded in agreement. She caught sight of his face, and smiled at how gorgeous he was under the sun's rays.

She lifted a hand to cup his cheek, seeing her hand sparkling too. Edward covered her hand on his cheek, placing his other hand on the small of her back and bringing her closer. It was such a fluid motion. It amazed Bella how she didn't even stumble.

Then his mouth covered hers, and Bella's eyes fluttered shut for the first time since she opened them to the new world. The sensations of Edward's lips on hers were out of the world. His touch was doing things to her body. She had no idea that she could feel so many things at once. His scent was much more pronounced as he kept her close.

When he opened his mouth to properly kiss her, Bella gasped. He'd been holding back on kissing her.

She pressed her body into his, wrapping her fingers into his hair, as a shudder of pleasure ran through her body.

Edward smirked against her mouth, moving the hand covering hers on his cheek to her hair.

The feeling of his hand in her hair was so intense, that she finally understood what he'd meant every time he warned her about what her touch did to him.

"See how you've been torturing me, love?"

"We don't have to be careful anymore." Bella hugging him tightly, kissing a line down his jaw.

"Ah." Edward tensed, squirming, which was unusual. "You do, my love. Your new strength is something you have to learn to control." He kissed her temple, grinning. "It's your turn not to break me."

"Did I hurt you?" She jumped several feet backward, ending up on the shore where the water met the sand. She was horrified with herself for causing him pain.

"Please, Bella. Stop worrying. It's something you'll learn to control. You just woke up ten minutes ago." He joined her, grabbing her hand. "Which is remarkable. You haven't once mentioned your thirst. Your throat must be in flames."

As if his words were a trigger, she became aware of the ache in her throat, her mouth filled with venom, just like it used to be filled with saliva when she was craving some delicious food.

Edward led her into the forest behind the house.

"Isn't this a deserted island? Is there…food?" She asked, unsure.

Edward laughed loudly, carefree. "There is plenty of food, Bella."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey, be nice! It was a legit question."

"Please, try to keep your hands to yourself until we teach you how to use your new strength."

Bella pursed her lips, then pushed against Edward's shoulder. It had been a mild shove, something that never made anyone stumble if she'd done it while human. It sent Edward into the nearest tree, snapping it in half.

Edward sprang back to his feet, fighting amusement. "You're awfully playful for a newborn. Your thirst should be consuming you."

Bella swallowed some venom to dull the ache in her throat. "Thanks for reminding me," she mumbled.

"Come on. Once you've fed, we have time to play." He winked.

Bella licked her lips, momentarily distracted from the urgent matter of sating her thirst. Edward usually had that effect on her.

They kept walking, jumping over fallen trees until Edward's hand shot up. Bella came to an abrupt halt, yet again amazed her new body coordinated with her brain. She stopped with her nose inches away from Edward's hand, not losing balance.

Edward moved behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"Close your eyes," he murmured, moving her hair out of the way. He kissed what used to be her pulse point. "What do you smell?"

Deprived of her most important sense, she sniffed the air. There was an invasion of senses: the soil at their feet, the moss on the trees, the exotic flowers, the insects buzzing around, something slithering close by – probably a snake, birds chirping, and then the most glorious scent she'd smelled. It was warm and inviting.

Her eyes opened wide and she turned to Edward, her throat erupting in flames.

He cocked his head to the side. "Lead me to it. I'm not sure which one grabbed your attention."

She didn't need to be told twice. Bella sprinted toward the scent, pulling her closer. She could hear Edward close behind her.

Then she found the source of the mouthwatering scent. It was perched on a flat rock, bathing in the sun by a creek. A part of her mind admired the lithe body, shiny black fur, but a more prominent part of her desired the feline's blood.

Bella was amazed how she wasn't terrified to approach the jaguar. She should have been, but her mind was aware she was stronger and faster than the animal. She was the ultimate predator.

"Don't scare her," Edward whispered from somewhere behind.

Bella rolled her eyes, then sprang from her spot, ending up on the flat rock. The jaguar startled, hissing loudly at her. The moment it made the move to attack, Bella sprinted back into the forest. The jaguar wasn't far behind, roaring and snapping at her ankles. Bella came to a halt after a few minutes of chase, surprising the feline who stopped right in front of her.

Bella grabbed the jaguar's front paws, pushing it on its back. The feline squirmed, roaring loudly. Then Bella bit into the jugular, allowing the warm blood to fill her empty veins. It was as if she'd become alive, a sensation like nothing she'd ever experienced.

When she had sated her thirst, she stood above the carcass of the jaguar, staring unblinking. She'd killed something innocent.

Edward's strong arms wrapped around her. His lips pressed to her temple, as he swayed her on spot.

"It gets better. You'll stop feeling guilty."

"It could have been worse," Bella mumbled. "That could have been a human."

"Do you think I'd have allowed you to indulge if it were a human?"

"Like you could have outrun me."

"I'm still faster," he replied, slightly hurt.

With one last look at the feline, Bella spun on her heel. "Race you back."

Edward allowed her the illusion of leading the race, because just as the trees became rarer, he caught up, running alongside, smirking. She pushed her legs to run faster, glad there was no burning her muscles and her lungs didn't feel like they were about to collapse under the strain.

"You can't beat me at my best game, Bella."

She huffed, focusing on the visible beach, willing her legs to run faster. She had lost Edward somewhere behind, which made her insanely happy.

When she broke the shadow of the trees, giving a victorious shout, she noticed Edward leaning against the side of the house, staring at his nails in apparent boredom.

Bella gasped, looking behind her, then at him. "H-how… did you… You were… Argh!"

Edward lifted his head, his red eyes playful. "You were so focused on winning that you forgot you could use more than your feet to outrun me. You can climb trees now, Bella. You can jump higher and faster than ever before."

"Oh."

"Aw, don't be upset. There has yet to be someone to outrun me," he confessed teasingly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

They walked inside the house.

Her throat erupted in flames. Her eyes searched around for the sweetest scent she'd smelled so far.

"Bella?" Edward hovered, worried.

She rushed to the couch, inhaling deeply. It lingered there, but it was coming from somewhere else. Closing her eyes for a fraction of second, she ran to the bedroom. She came to a halt near the bed, swallowing a mouthful of venom.

"Love, what is it?"

Bella kept staring at the sheets, imbibed in what used to be her blood. Her hand went to her throat as tears that would never fall filled her eyes.

"You…have…limitless…self-control," she managed to gasp out. "Please, burn these."

"Oh." Edward's shoulders sagged in relief. "I had no idea what got you so frenzied. For a second I thought the housekeepers decided to pay a visit, though I'd have known."

"It smells…so good." Bella swallowed hard. "Please."

"Bella, love. This is dead blood. Cold blood." Edward cupped her cheek. "I'm afraid that what you smell now is not even thirty percent of the full-effect."

"Oh, God."

Edward turned to face the doorway, shaking his head at Carlisle who joined them. "I won't torture her like that."

"What," Bella demanded.

"First, Bella. Stop breathing," Carlisle instructed softly. "You don't need it anymore. Don't be afraid."

Skeptical, Bella held her breath. The scent still lingered as a distant memory, but she couldn't breathe it in like a second ago.

"Now, I was suggesting you could use that as training material."

"Absolutely not!" Edward demanded.

Bella cringed, keeping her eyes on the soiled sheets. If her own dried blood made her want to tear down the house to find the source of the mouthwatering scent, she feared what she'd do when she came face to face with a human.

Edward's phone rang, disturbing the uncomfortable silence. He scowled at the screen, accepting the call.

"I suggest you burn the sheets. Fast." Alice's tinkling voice said as clearly as if Bella had been holding the phone.

Edward pocketed the phone, and ripped the bedsheets off the bed, taking them outside.

"It was worth a shot." Carlisle shrugged.

"I bet she saw me escaping and slaughtering the first village in sight." Bella laughed, nervously.

"We're here to teach you." He touched her elbow, smiling kindly. "We've all went through it. All I can tell you is that it gets better. It will never go away, but you will learn to live with this hunger, to control your basic instincts to hunt humans."

"Maybe it was just me…smelling that good."

Carlisle laughed, and Bella could hear Edward from outside, laughing as well.

"You did smell better than other humans," Carlisle explained. "Don't worry, my children will teach you. And I am here, too."

Bella nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. She felt mentally drained, but there was not at an ounce of fatigue in her bones.

I haven't thought of Fifty when I wrote that scene in the last chapter, but yes...it was similar to an extent.

Only two chapters to go.

Thank you all for the interest in my story.