Mia had finally calmed down and went to sleep. I felt terrible. I could tell that she had broken down because of something I did, and I had no idea how to fix it. I didn't know if I could fix it.

I looked up from my hands, which were clenched in self rage, to her face, which was peaceful, except for the tears still resting on her cheeks.

Instinctively, my hand reached to her face to wipe them away, but I stopped just before my fingers touched her face. I couldn't do it. It would probably make things worse. I drew my hand back and stood up.

I needed to clear my head. Too many thoughts were going through my head too fast for even a vampire's brain to keep up with. The question is, should I run or hunt?

On one hand, hunting might be more trouble than it's worth, because I hated killing innocents for no purpose, so maybe I should just run.

On the other hand though, I needed to feed. Mia's blood already was hard to resist, but it was becoming increasingly hard to keep my hunger in control.

"That settles it then," I muttered. "Let's hunt."

I decided to go by myself this time. Both Jasper and Alice had called me out for my strange behavior after a kill, and I didn't want anyone else to know how I felt. Besides, if I'm alone, I don't need to hold back.

I went out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door.

Something made me stop. I could sense something watching me. Taking a deep breath, I smelt a scent that was not quite familiar, but an amalgamation of scents.

"I know you're there," I said. "Come out."