Edward huffed, sitting against the wall as classical music played in his room. Everything hurt as he struggled with the voices of his family members. He screwed up. He really screwed up.

When the mind-reader came back home from Bella's house, he was adamant that he and his family move again to protect her. To say he was stunned when Alice revealed that they couldn't was a bit of an understatement, especially since the dark-haired seer was blocking her mind by replaying song lyrics. When everyone sat him down and explained that Alice had a vision that confirmed Rosalie's suspicions about Bella, Edward was flabbergasted. He spent all of that time with her, exposed his secret to her, all for nothing. He put his own family in danger because of his sister's misinformation. The knowledge nearly sent him on a rampage had it not been for Alice finally showing him her vision. At first, he was amazed by his true mate's beauty and effect on his family, but then he learned the extent of the bond. The fact that he would have to share her with his parents and his siblings.

Edward became angry, feeling that he was being robbed. Everyone in his family had someone to call their own. Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper. One would think he was being selfish, but how would you feel if you had to wait over a century of loneliness, only to find out that you had to share your soulmate with the rest of your family? He wouldn't have it. Hell, he flat out rejected it. He was so angry that he would try to block out everyone's mind when they thought about his mate. He didn't want to hear it.

To make things worse, Bella was calling him non-stop. At first, he would just leave it to voicemail until he couldn't stand to hear her stuttering words. Not when he was so upset. Eventually, it got to the point that he turned his phone on silent before turning it completely off. A part of him felt bad for acting like this, but every time he thought about it he kept seeing his mate and became upset again.

Then, he found out about the new nurse working with Carlisle and how she had a niece she was taking care of. He was unsettled by his mother and siblings' curiosity and, having enough, left the house. He told them he needed to hunt. He could vaguely hear Emmett teasing him while Rosalie called him a big baby. Ironic, considering his mate was a human which she disliked.

When the Cullens finally got to school, Edward's head was bombarded with comments on the new girl joining the senior class. How pretty she was. How unique she seemed. How she hit Mike Newton with a volleyball so hard he almost got a concussion. In spite of his irritation, he couldn't help but snicker at the last one. Maybe she could teach Newton a lesson.

As lunchtime came around, Jasper could feel the dread flowing off of Edward. It wasn't rocket science to figure out that he would not only have to deal with Bella but also endure the looks and thoughts in his siblings' head. Things started to look up as he saw nothing but good things in Alice's mind as she walked near her, but that turned to ask as he heard Jessica and Rosalie's thoughts about Bella's presence next to her. He was unnerved by his girlfriend's attitude as he went to his table. When Edward finally met his true mate's eyes, he thought he would melt. She stared at him for a brief moment, but he was stunned by her perfect complexion, wavy hair that curled over her shoulders and the ever-present flush of blood in her face. He could just make out the warmth of her eyes since she turned away before he caught the full color of them. It didn't help when Jasper expressed her feelings over his negativity. Of course. His issues had to upset him so bad he scared his mate off.

When he was about to make his way to his next class, Edward felt a rock sink in his stomach. Bella had chased after him with the intention of talking about her party. He tried to avoid the topic, but as she started to bring up Victoria and that she should become a vampire to stay safe, he lost it. He started to question whether she really cared about his feelings. He left after that. He knew Bella was upset, but he was bothered and irritated. Why was he even with her when all she wants to talk about was being a vampire?

Unfortunately, Edward was so upset about Bella that he was irritated in English class. However, he was also relieved as he finally found out his mate's name. Luna Taylor. A unique name with a unique meaning. He should have felt happy when she waved at him with a smile, and he was. Seeing her helped to curb some of his darker thoughts. At least... until he saw what she was doing.

Her artwork was a perfect rendition of his brother. The curling blonde hair, the pained look in his eyes, even the way his complexion looked like marble. It was so realistic it was scary. He tried to look into her mind, praying for a reasonable explanation, when he fell straight into a wall. Furrowing his brows, he tried again. Edward slowly grew irritated as she continued coloring, attempting over and over again to know her reasons for turning his sibling into art. He stopped when Luna kicked herself and caught the teacher's attention, focusing on his own classwork as the girl reassured her elder. For a time, Edward simply surrendered himself to his theories.

How could he not read her mind? The only person he's ever known who was able to do that to him was Bella, but she was so closed off. Luna didn't seem like that - at least, that's what he got from everyone else. So why did it feel like she had a wall around herself? Why was she trying to hide her thoughts from him? Was something wrong? He needed to protect her, as per his right as her mate.

As he turned back to the redhead, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Luna was putting the details of Jasper's scars in the portrait. Like she knew they were there. If he were still human, he would have started hyperventilating. How... how did she know? She was human. He could feel her warmth and smell her scent. He could hear her heartbeat! How did she know about Jasper's scars when she shouldn't be able to see them?!

In his mental state, Edward didn't realize how intense his emotions were as he probed at Luna's brain. He didn't have any time to control it. He was so freaked out his conscience was at war with itself. He didn't come back to reality until he heard Luna scream. A loud, ear-splitting cry that set everyone in the room into a panic. If Edward's heart was still beating, it would have broken into a billion pieces then and there.

What did I just do?

He sat there frozen, not knowing what to do or how to help as the redheaded girl knocked her pencils off the desk and went completely limp. His emotions went into override as blood trickled from her nose and she collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, blacking out.

As paramedics arrived and carried Luna away, Edward prayed. A terrified, desperate plea that he didn't just lose the most important person in his whole existence.

As Edward sat in the waiting room, he could feel the stares boring into his skull. He didn't need any minds to know that his siblings were upset with him. Who could blame them? The first day meeting, and he put his mate in the hospital.

He had managed to grab the sketchbook while in the process of gathering Luna's things for her aunt to pick up and was shocked by the other portraits of his siblings, the unfinished ones of his parents, and the one of himself. The golden-eyed male couldn't help but smile a bit when he saw the detail and precision in his portrait, but that shifted to confusion when he brushed the tips of his fingers over the linework. It looked like Luna had been working on these for days, a week at most. How did she know?

He did his best to ignore his siblings' rampaging thoughts as he made his way to the hospital, not ready to take the impact of their anger. When Carlisle finally came and give everyone an update on Luna's health, Edward let out a sigh of relief.

Thank you, God!

Edward sighed as the almost intolerable weight lifted off his shoulders. She was alive. His true mate was alive. He couldn't believe how happy he was to hear those words. He wasn't even like this when Bella nearly got hit by Tyler, or when James attacked her. Before he felt as though he lost all self-restraint, but this...

The idea of losing Luna was unbearable. Like his unbeating heart was being torn out and burnt in a fire while he watched.

He argued with his siblings when Rosalie made a snide remark about his lack of respect for Luna and refused to back down from his anger. He tried to explain his reasoning for trying to read her mind, but not even Carlisle listened. He knew why, though. He was in the wrong, regardless of his intentions. A truth he could accept but didn't without a punishment.

Emmett gave him one hell of a beating. If they were still human, he would have put him in the hospital right next to Luna. Well, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Now, as the cracks in his diamond-hard skin finished repairing themselves, all Edward could think about was his mate.

Luna... I need to make sure she's okay.

And so he went. It didn't take much time to track her scent from what he remembered from the school to a house he knew for a fact that Esme renovated. Her smell was so distinctive in itself. It took a bit to open the window, considering he didn't want to wake his mate's sleeping form, but he eventually got it and slipped inside. He looked around her bedroom a bit, curious as his eyes wandered from the various photos to souvenirs to anything else. He took note of the colors as well as the elements of the beach in the decor. When he finally sat down beside the unconscious redhead, he was elated.

Luna was absolutely perfect. Her wavy red tresses fell into a mess across her pillow, pale skin so smooth and flawless it was almost like a vampire's. The natural curve of her brow was relaxed like they were almost raised, the cupid's bow of her lips only slightly parted to give a tiny peek at the perfect white teeth hiding behind them. He could only pray for a look at her eyes.

As he let go of his previous worries from before, Edward reached out only to stop himself. No. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He wouldn't overstay his welcome when she didn't know he was there. Bella didn't care if he watched her sleep, but there was a strange nagging in his head, claiming that Luna probably wouldn't feel the same.

With a heavy heart, Edward left the room, taking one lasting look back at his mate before going back home.