Online Predator Chapter 67

Bella had never given much thought to how she'd die, but dying to save the one she loved seemed like a good way to go. With everything that had happened lately, she didn't regret replying to Hunting Grounds on Twitter so long ago. If she had known what she knew now, she'd change nothing, okay, maybe one thing. She'd change what had just transpired. She didn't regret the choice to become a vampire, but if she had just waited, things could have been so different.

It all started with thinking that Jasper was back with Maria, and then with the thoughts of saving him. If Bella became a vampire, then she could run in there, kill Maria, and save her mate. It seemed like a simple plan, the best plan really. Thoughts of being the one to kill Maria for Jasper, if he was unable, filled Bella with so much satisfaction. She was so certain that Jasper had gone back to her, but apparently, he hadn't.

Bella had concocted a plan which she thought was smart. The main part of the plan was this, she was going to go to the Cullen's house, where she knew at least three vampires were, and she was going to cut her arm open. She realized that plan could fall through, what if they were all out? What if Garrett was the only one there and he didn't change her? She couldn't exactly stab herself in the heart, she hated blood as it was.

To counteract all failings, she'd done something even stupider, before she left her house, she'd taken a handful of painkillers. She did it for two reasons, one, if no one jumped at the chance to taste her blood, then she'd start dying anyway and surely someone would rush in and change her, they'd have to, they wouldn't want to incur Jasper's wrath if she died. And, two, Bella knew the change hurt, so maybe, just maybe the painkillers would help with that. They probably wouldn't, but maybe.

Bella got to the Cullen house and she was already starting to feel sick to the stomach from the painkillers, a little woozy and drowsy too, but this was good, she could cut her arm open if she wasn't entirely present, and worst case, she'd be dying anyway, so if she couldn't cut her arm, they'd still have to change her. There were two vampires here, Riley the newborn and Garrett. Bella had a feeling that Peter and Charlotte were close by too, as they always seemed to be, but maybe they'd gone after Jasper.

At this point, she still thought he'd gone back to Maria, he'd even sent her a text saying that he loved her and that settled things in her mind. Jasper had gone back to Maria and he knew it had been the wrong decision. She could see his thinking, she could, it was to protect her, but he never looked at the other side; he wasn't here to protect her right now. Not that it mattered.

No one paid her much attention. Bella's eyes went to Alice, she was wondering why Alice wasn't stopping her, but furthermore, why hadn't Alice been on Jasper's case lately? Was she even getting visions about the future anymore? And if not her, what about Emmett? Where was he? Was he going to stop her? It turned out no one did, and she wondered why. So many powerful beings and no one stopped her from ending her own life.

She made it to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. By now, her senses we dim enough that her mind took over. This was what she needed to do. She'd draw blood, someone would bite her, they'd change her, and then she'd save Jasper and kill Maria. She watched as the knife dug into her arm, sliding through the skin. With the massive amount of painkillers, it looked and felt like someone else was doing it, like it was someone else's arm and Bella was just watching it happen.

As the blood came forth, it made her feel disgusted, but thankfully she couldn't smell it or feel much of anything pain wise. She dragged the blade down the inside of her forearm and then let it clatter to the ground. She couldn't stop staring at the blood as it dripped down her arm. Her mind cleared for just a moment and she hoped this plan would work. She wanted to save Jasper so much from the war and this was the only way.

Riley came in first, he smelled the blood and, as Edward was only human, he couldn't stop him. Garrett came next. Bella smiled, this was it, she hoped it passed quickly. Only problem, Garrett went for Riley, holding the black-eyed savage newborn back as Riley's eyes were locked on Bella's arm and the dripping blood as he tired any means necessary to escape Garrett's hold and get to her. It would never work, Garrett was too strong.

"Bella," Edward said, keeping a safe distance back, "what have you done?"

Bella looked at him blankly, now she was feeling weak and unsteady because of another reason, blood loss. There was a big puddle of it on the ground. Carlisle probably wouldn't be happy about that. Where was he? Clearly not here. Bella had thought that if he was here, she'd be fine, he'd work out that she was dying and know that she needed to be changed, but he wasn't here.

She could feel her hope dwindling. Carlisle, the human doctor, wasn't here to save her. Garrett was stopping Riley from attacking her. The older vampire seemed to want no part of it. The two seers, Alice and Emmett, weren't rushing forward to say, let it happen, this is what she wants, change her into a vampire. Nothing was going how Bella had hoped. And then, just when Bella had given up and her knees started to buckle, someone came out of nowhere, grabbing her. The force of the collision knocked the wind out of her. Then, she was on the move.

It was Jasper and suddenly all hope wasn't lost. He was here, he didn't go back to Maria. Bella could hardly believe it. How was he here? Where were they going? They stopped and it still wasn't easy, it took a lot of convincing and her being almost at death's door, but she managed to convince him. And, as his teeth pierced her neck, she couldn't help but smile. It wasn't because she was becoming a vampire, it was because now it was certain, she'd get to spend the rest of her life with her mate, and nothing was better than that.

Meanwhile

"Ow," Edward said, shaking his finger, "you just bit me."

"Sorry," Riley mumbled, focusing back on the chess board. He didn't like the game, but Edward seemed to.

"Why'd you bite me?" Edward shook his finger, Riley had drawn a bit of blood, but he hadn't tasted any. "Were you still feeling hungry after the whole Bella thing? ...If Jasper hadn't come in when he did… What happened anyway?"

"I don't know," Riley admitted, "and I'm sorry. I just… I don't know why I did it. You were annoying me, and, I think, I used to bite my little sister."

"You have a sister?" Edward asked, abandoning the game.

"I used to," Riley said, "she died from cancer when she was fifteen and I was seventeen."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Edward pushed the board aside and sat next to his mate, "I lost my brother too, he was… he was murdered by our parents when I was seven."

Riley attention shifted. "Tell me about it," he said softly.

Edward launched into the story he'd told Bella, but this time he added a few more personal details because he trusted Riley fully. He told Riley about how his parents Edward and Elizabeth Masen had kept him and Anthony hidden away, how they were never allowed to leave the house, how they were led to believe so much that wasn't true, how they were starved, how they were controlled, how they didn't know any better.

Then he told the story of the escape. How Anthony got out, how he ran and told a neighbor what was going on, how Edward Senior had caught him and brought him back home before the neighbor could act. How they'd beat him so hard, that by the time the neighbor did say something and someone came to check, Anthony was too far gone. He died from brain damage in the hospital. And, how that hospital was the same one where Edward met Carlisle.

He also told Riley about his and Bella's plan. About how when they both became vampires, they were going to find Edward's parents, who were locked up on death row, and make them pay for everything they had done. And, just like Edward expected, Riley wanted part of the vengeance plan.

Later that night, as they laid together on Edward's bed, Edward felt a burning sensation in his finger. He brought it to his mouth and sucked on it, trying to alleviate the pain. It didn't work, it just got worse.

"Shit," Edward said, sitting up. He was staring at his finger, there was a slight puncture wound, but nothing else.

"What?" Riley asked.

"My finger," Edward said, "it feels like it's on fire."

Riley's eyes widened.

"What?" Edward asked.

"I'm so sorry." Riley backed away.

"What? What is it?" Edward asked, his mind slowly waking up.

"I'm so sorry."

Edward went to ask him again, but then he realized the truth.

"It can't be," he said, "you barely bit me. Carlisle said you have to push in a lot of venom, it was less than a second. It can't be."

But deep down, he knew he couldn't deny it. Not when the burning continued to intensify as it travelled slowly up his hand.

"Stay here," Riley said, "I'll go get someone to help. I'm sorry, Edward, I'm so sorry."

Riley ran off and Edward just sat there dumbfounded. He was becoming a vampire, but that couldn't be right. He always assumed he'd be close to death, or that it would be a necessary change, or that it would be his choice, most likely when he was older and Riley was no longer a newborn. Not for a stupid little bite to the finger, but as the pain reached his elbow, there was no denying it.

"What is going on?" Garrett asked as he came in. "Seriously, if I knew having Jasper back in my life was going to bring all this, I'd…"

"I bit Edward," Riley said, "accidentally, now he feels the pain."

"I swear," Garrett said, "the moment this is all said and done, Alice and I are out, I can't deal with any more of this bullshit."

"What do we do?" Riley asked. "Can we stop it?"

"No," Garrett said, "you've actually fucked up."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked. "Are you going to help us or not?"

"No," Garrett said, "actually, I think I'll let you die."

"Die?" Edward said. "What do you mean? Aren't I becoming a vampire?"

"No."

"This is stupid," Riley said, "I'll make him tell us, I'm stronger than him."

"I'd like to see you try, boy," Garrett said, "you may think you're stronger, but you're not."

"Garrett," Alice said, coming into the room and holding his hand.

Their eyes met and Garrett felt resigned. Soon, soon this would all be over and he'd be away from this mess. He let go of Alice's hand and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Edward doesn't have enough venom in his system to become a vampire," Garrett told them, "if you leave it, his body's natural defenses will slowly fight off the venom, but in doing so, the toll will be too great and he will die."

"Are you sure?" Edward asked. "Isn't there a chance that I survive?"

"I doubt it," Garrett said.

"What do you see?" Edward asked Alice desperately.

"I see only two options," Alice said, "you either die, or you become a vampire."

"So, what do you choose, boy?" Garrett asked.

There was no decision in Edward's mind. "I want to become a vampire," he said. "What do we need to do?"

"Riley needs to drain you almost dry and then pump more venom into you," Garrett said, before leaving.

Alice reluctantly followed after her mate.

"What do you want?" Riley asked Edward.

"I want you to change me," Edward said. "I think Bella's making the change too, they said I wouldn't become a vampire until she does, so… Just do it, Riley, I trust you and I want to live the rest of my life with you."

"Okay," Riley accepted, "but I'm sorry I bit you, I really didn't mean to."

"It's okay," Edward hugged him, "I believe in fate, I think Bella caused this to happen. It's okay, I love you, you know that."

"I know," Riley said, "but I'm still sorry. I'll fix this, I promise."

Edward laid back on the bed and Riley joined him, hovering above him. Their eyes met, saying everything that needed to be said, then, Riley drank from his mate for the first and only time, before letting the venom pool in his mouth and pushing it into Edward's body. The screaming started immediately and Riley pulled Edward's body against his chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Riley repeated over and over again.