A/N Hey everyone, this is a bonus to all my great readers that have stuck with me throughout everything. I know it's been some time since you've had back to back chapters and I've spent most of the day doing my best to write and edit this for you guys. I know a few of you have started to mention that I badly need a Beta I can only apologise if I'm missing anything terrible amongst the writing I'm doing my best. I've still got my fingers crossed that I find the golden ticket of Beta' soon and we'll have no further issues but while it's just me. I hope you can bear through it just for now, I will eventually in the future go over all of the chapters once I've finished to clean it up. That however won't happen until I've finished this story completely. I've recently lost a few readers due to some of the way in which I've portrayed certain characters and I completely understand that my portrayal may not be what some of you want. I can only hope you'll give this story a chance and stick with me. This isn't a complete rewrite with the characters of the book if it was it just be a page for page copy of the original text which I don't intend in doing.

The attention that you've all been giving Red Dawn seems to just keep growing and I'm really blown away by you all and I hope I can get the time to at least get messages to you guys to thank you all. I know many of you have shared PM's with me and I'm happy to share in conversations with my readers. I feel I've made many friends due to this story so it's great getting to know you all. Anyway I'm boring you and I need to get some sleep so...

Enjoy :)

RED DAWN

SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack were dangerous. Hostile, volatile and aggressive in nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's own vampire instinct by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all, Bella never truly understood the supernatural world. Didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. Warning: Violence and Character death.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.


Chapter Fifteen

Edward had hunted, he had fed the lust for blood within him not only for its calming upon his baser instincts but for his weakened body, it had been a very long time since he'd suffered an injury so severe. He'd also needed that moment alone hunting where his mind was no longer that of the man but the beast as everything ran on instinct. There was no room in his mind during that moment as he ran with the sound of wet thumping hearts sloshing in his ears. The scent while not nearly as desirable as humans was enough to bring forward his thirst, he'd brought down a stag and three deer before he'd finally stopped. He'd rested the carcases together with a gentleness that had not been present when he'd been dealing with his enemies. He could still feel his body being crushed when he allowed his mind to linger. He could still see the blackness taking his vision as he was crushed. His neck had finally sealed up but it felt strange under his skin and Edward could feel the texture differ from that of his once unmarred skin. The fractures along his torso were slowly fading fast but there were still particular areas that hinted at his almost crushed body.

His thoughts though, no matter everything that had happened couldn't prevent him from going back to the moment when Carlisle had lunged for him. In their life together Carlisle had never taken to him aggressively, he'd of course tried to prevent members of the family from doing things. Like when Jasper had almost slipped on Bella's birthday. Carlisle tackling Edward however had been a far cry different than that of trying to come between a vampire and its hunger. Carlisle had tried to protect Jasper from his mistake and Bella from Jasper that day. This day though, Carlisle had made the choice to protect an enemy, a threat. Someone who could have taken them from him and he'd stood to protect a newborn from Edward.

Edward looked at his hands, suddenly dirtied to his eyes as he looked at them, his knees rested in the mud as he looked at the torn carcases of his hunt. The coating of blood, dry and sticky on his hands, like some kind of poetic haunting. Edward had become Lady Macbeth and there was no scrubbing that would clean the blood from his hands. He doubted himself, his father's anger, disgust in him was breaking him and he tried to fight against it.

"Tell me I am right. Tell me I've not fallen. Am I still redeemable?" Edward said into the silent forest his eyes casting up into the slither of grey sky blocked from the trees above him that reached like arms into the heavens.

Edward looking to his human parents now, those who had left him behind in death. He should be happy, he'd secured his loves hand in marriage and she wanted to be with him forever. Carlisle's anger his look of complete sickness like Edward had been something different, like finally after all the decades of telling him he was a monster Carlisle was finally seeing it. The moment that Edward found a secret in his father's minds, a secret that meant two broken hearts.

Carlisle feared Edward.

Edward spoke out to the parents he barely remembered pleading with them not to abandon him too. He needed Bella he could feel his resolve breaking. He'd been made weak, he'd felt so very powerful. He'd enjoyed taunting the man, enjoyed the spike of agony he'd felt and seen as he'd taken his sight from him. Destruction was as seductive as the blood. How had Edward not seen that all along, just how darkly those thrilling powers could make one even more tempted too darkness. Edward scrubbed his hands against the grass beneath him closing his eyes tightly and inhaled. He could taste the scent almost on his tongue of Jasper and then allowed his mind to search for his thoughts. Jasper arrived only a moment later behind Edward kneeled over the drained bodies of his hunt, he was happy to see Edward had thought to hunt after he'd been injured.

Jasper however was not thrilled at the conflicting emotions that seemed to have casted an almost thick blanket around him. Like a fog had descended upon his brother, as if the weight of the world had just been placed upon his shoulders. Jasper knew this came from Carlisle, came from what likely Edward had heard from his mind, he knew then he would need to reach out to Edward then. Knew he'd need to help reassure Edward in his time of need, Jasper and Alice had been waiting patiently and hopeful of the day Edward grew to become the man of Alice's visions. Years of secret keeping and waiting patiently, Jasper hadn't believed it would come. He'd been certain it was one of those visions Alice saw that simply would be missed by choices made, she'd remained firm in her belief and now he was seeing it. He couldn't let Edward falter, not when so much risked being lost should he fail.

"Was I wrong Jasper?" Edward asked then of his brother, the leader of his own newborn army for a time. Jasper was the type of solider Edward had read about as a boy and been inspired and awed by. Edward had no doubt as a human, Jasper would have been everything his stories would have told of. A heroic young leader ready and brave, everything he'd wanted to be when he'd gone to his mother and told her his plans to enlist.

"You already know my thoughts" Jasper said moving closer, moving behind Edward and placing his hand on his shoulder firmly squeezing offering what comfort he could for his conflicted younger brother.

"We do what we must so those who can't, don't have too Edward" Jasper said sagely, he didn't believe Edward was wrong in his approach of taking information. Pain had always been used to force information from prisoners. Humans had been doing it their entire existence. He himself had used it to garner information on other opposing armies for Maria during his time in the south.

"He'll never forgive me. Not this time. I saw it in his mind. He believes I've changed too much. Believes that it's ruined the man I was. That I'm becoming everything he feared I would when he realised my ability" Edward said opening himself up to Jasper, letting him know what had made him run.

It was never a secret to all of the family that Edward would forever be viewed as the true son to Carlisle and Esme. He'd been changed at a younger age, and he'd still needed parents when he'd awoken to this life only a boy. Then he'd struggled so deeply with what he was and what he was capable of he'd needed both Carlisle and Esme to reassure him of his soul. Even though, he'd always refused to believe of its existence in him. Then he'd rebelled, his need for justice in a human world he was denied part of and then he'd returned scared of what he was becoming. Jasper knew that to Edward having his place as the favoured child of Esme and Carlisle had always been important to him. Without a mate he'd only had his family to love him. Finding that love may not be unconditional would scare him, would hurt him as much as any child is being turned away by their parent.

"Carlisle always had unrealistic beliefs in you Edward" Jasper said wanting to make Edward understand that by failing Carlisle he wasn't failing the family. Jasper would need to get Bella to him. He didn't want Edward to doubt himself. Not now, not when he'd come so far from the point he'd been. He was strong now, the family needed Edward strong.

"You have to stay strong Edward. I know disappointing Carlisle hurts. He's not free of his own faults though. I know he's always been this good infallible man to you ever compassionate and forgiving. You have seen just how deeply his mistakes have gone too. While I wouldn't call him a coward you had every right to challenge him on his behaviour just as he did yours" Jasper said as Edward turned his head to look up at him before rising from his position kneeling over the dead animal bodies that he'd fed from.

"Bella is with the others" Edward said finally taking notice of Bella being with Kate and the rest of his family as they'd burned what had remained of the newborns. He hoped Bella hadn't seen the body parts, suddenly felt a deep shame that she may have seen the face of a man without eyes because of him.

"Yes. Carlisle went home. Kate's pissed off. Bella upset he's really not acting himself and I've began to feel strange emotions from him of recent like he's hiding something. Bella didn't want you to know but I'm not about to try hide it, she's been crying. Whatever happened upset her enough to make her cry" Jasper said evenly, he didn't want to worry Edward but he couldn't, not tell his brother. Not when he wasn't even sure if Edward would eventually see it, even if he did try and hide it from Edward. Jasper already had something he needed to keep to himself until he could talk to Edward with Eleazer present too. Things that had happened during the fight that Edward seemed completely unaware of still, would need to be addressed.

"Edward I truly believe as does the rest of the family that sending Carlisle and Esme to their island is a brilliant idea. Of course it might cause rifts but essentially we're keeping them safe. Kate and Tanya have been biting at the bit to get an attack planned for the wolves. We've hesitated because of the disagreement within our own family" Jasper explained then reaching out and grabbing Edward's forearm shaking his arm, Edward returning it.

"Are you sure it wasn't you that Alice saw leading us Jasper?" Edward asked with a slight smirk.

"I'm no leader. I have my place as all pieces do on a chessboard. I've known for some time you were the king and Bella the queen. I've made plans to contact friends. Charlotte and Peter. We may need them, they're well trained already too" Jasper said in a way that allowed Edward to disagree with him should he not want two blood drinking vampire's present with Bella still human. Jasper trusted Charlotte and Peter but he could understand Edward being wary.

"No that's a good idea. We're still unsure of the wolf numbers. The silence on their side has worried me. The fact that now Riley is getting daring makes me worry also. We were lucky today, that they were so untrained." Edward agreed that adding more people they could trust to their own numbers was much needed. He'd need to decide upon a way to ensure that Charlotte and Peter weren't feeding on humans around their home.

"No human hunting while they stay with us" Edward said then firmly decided on this, Carlisle had always been more accommodating to those who hunted traditionally, Edward wanted his leadership known. He would lead his family differently then Carlisle and he knew that some may refuse to aid or follow him simply because he wasn't Carlisle.

"It certainly won't be their favourite thing in the world but I'm sure I can convince them to do so for the time they are here. I'll call them soon" Jasper said already deciding he'd reach out once they returned to the house.

"Not just Charlotte and Peter. I would like you to extend an invitation to Garret. He's a nomad, last I knew he was in the south. Then I'd like you to find my old friend Xavier" Edward said, he'd gone into the fight with those newborns without numbers they'd been evenly matched. Had the vampire with the gift known how to control it they'd have been ruined. The strange ability had almost been Rose's end. Edward would reach out to those he believed he could trust, even those he'd distanced himself from simply because they were human drinkers. He'd never before wanted to upset Carlisle in the past by inviting those who fed from humans into the Cullen home.

"An old friend? I wasn't aware you had any" Jasper joked teasingly as Edward and he then finally began to run in the direction of the family, Jasper could sense Edward's longing for Bella then.

"Carlisle knows of Garret. Most of the family have met him at some point. Xavier was a friend I had during my nomad days. We hunted together realising how dangerous a life alone was when you crossed mated pairs. He owes me, he'll come" Edward said simply of his long, all but forgotten friend he wasn't sure if Xavier was even still in this life but he knew that Jasper with his connections and skills with finding people would at least put together a good attempt at finding Xavier.

"Yes the forever secret rebellion you had. While I've never wanted to make you endure reliving the killing I do admit to being curious of the stories you have. You've said in the past, of times when you had to protect yourself." Jasper said as he ducked beneath a tree branch and pushed his legs faster to keep up to Edward's impressive speed. He knew that Edward was holding back though. Jasper was the third fastest in the family after Edward and Rosalie.

"Xavier had angered a coven of immortals in Germany. I'd been only passing through Berlin when I'd heard his thoughts, he was terrified. It had been a misunderstanding, the leader of the German coven Gus wanted Xavier's head though. I'd felt the need to help him." Edward shook his head amused still, Gus of the German coven had been a large imposing man of a vampire. Easily Emmet's size but where Emmet was muscle Gus was rotund with a rounded stomach he'd been incredibly slow for a vampire. He'd relied on his coven to chase Xavier.

"Xavier has a rather quick tongue. He's not overly malicious but much of what he says can be seen as offensive. Gus wanted to make an example of him. I'd tried to talk things through. I'd realised quickly that Gus didn't much care for pretty boy smooth talkers" Edward chuckled darkly then and Jasper turned to look at him with a grin seeing that he was calming the closer they got to Bella.

"Xavier and I had to fight our way out of the clutches of an angry German coven of five members. Gus must have chased us right into Pakistan before Xavier and I decided to simply end him. He'd known how to hold a grudge. Xavier has always felt he owed me. He hunted as I did on criminals. I tried to convince him to join our family when I could no longer endure it. He wasn't willing" Edward said remembering being deeply disappointed that he'd lose a friend. He'd known even then that by Xavier not wanting to change that he'd have to cut ties with the immortal.

For all the vampires in Edward's life Xavier had been the first Edward had honestly called a friend, his friendship with Xavier had then later helped him open himself up more to his family. He believed that friendship had helped Edward become a brother to his siblings when they'd eventually joined the family.

"Sounds like he'll have a story or two" Jasper said just before they reached the thick sickly scent of burning vampire as two fires roared and purple smoke rose up around the trees thickly.

"He was a good friend to me in a time when I was..." Edward wasn't sure of the words to give to that time. He'd been bitter and resentful for what he was and had been so disturbed and filled with hate of the injustice in the world by human's hands. He'd taken his belief that he could do good by ridding of the scum of the human world but there was only so much you could take from the evil of the world without feeling like it was taking over you. His entire reason was to save innocents and feel like he was truly part of the world he'd been forced to turn his back on. Only to see with each kill he removed himself further from the humans. He'd then finally had to return to Carlisle and Esme, soon after Carlisle had changed Rosalie in hopes to give Edward a companion to help sooth his burden.

"I understand" Jasper said and in a way Edward knew that Jasper understood him better than anyone else, Jasper shared a gift that gave him an intimate insight to those he'd hunted.

Feeling the fear the pain and despair was just as crushing as hearing the thoughts as you took someone's life. Listening to them fade, the only difference had been Edward had known of an alternative. Jasper hadn't even had a chance to avoid the guilt that would still sit with him even now for all the unnecessary deaths. Edward knew then that Jasper was a better man then he, while he struggled his resolve always remained strong. Edward had made the choice he'd willingly decided to kill, he could only hope that now was not a similar mistake as with his rebellion. He hoped he was not failing his family by leading them into conflict instead of looking for the alternative solution that Carlisle believed was there.

When Bella had finally come to a stop and Kate had allowed her down from her hold she'd seen the two separate fires burning, she could smell the sickly scent of something burning. It almost reminded her of the toxic fumes that billowed out when plastic burned, she was surprised to see the purplish tinged colour smoke that rose up from the flames. Her attention hadn't remained on the fires for long as she turned to see Emmet grin at her but Bella's eyes remained on what was in his hands. Emmet was carrying a head, it was mangled and destroyed, the face sagged awfully with a large grotesque crack down the centre and it had no nose. She'd felt herself almost retch at the sight of it, the feeling of nausea hitting her roughly turning away from it as Kate chuckled beside her.

"Sorry Bella. It can be a little rough. Is this your first time seeing this kind of thing?" Kate asked, she knew well enough that Bella had been present for when James had been destroyed when he'd hunted her. Kate however was unaware of the fact that Bella had been to blinded by the pain of the venom to know what was happening around her.

"Don't worry that was the last of it" Jasper called out to them a little unsure why Kate had decided upon bringing Bella with her to the scene he knew that wasn't going to go over well at all.

"We had an issue at the house. Carlisle" Kate said with clear irritation to her tone as she nodded towards Bella who looked even paler now but her eyes were still slightly red lined from crying.

"Go get Edward" Alice said simply to Jasper and he'd paused looking over his mate concerned as Alice had rolled her eyes and waved away. Jasper hadn't waited much longer as he'd rushed off in search of Edward.

"Is everyone okay?" Bella spoke out finally she couldn't help but taking in the surrounding areas, large craters of mud torn up around them some of the trees even looked torn up one was knocked down across from her. It looked like a battle scene, it looked like a bomb had gone off around them and torn up everything around them.

She felt the absence of Edward deep inside of her and that only bothered her more, like him not being here meant he was hurt in some way. The way Emmet had moved to Rosalie who was clearly isolated from everyone else gave Bella pause too. Something was certainly off about the way Rose looked. She seemed a little unresponsive and Emmet was overly attentive to her as he held Rose to him then rocking them gently. Bella couldn't hear what he was saying to Rose but it was clear whatever he was saying was serious, he didn't look like the usual happy go lucky Emmet she'd spent the afternoon with joking with everyone.

"We're fine Bella" Alice said but Tanya and Kate gave her a look that made Alice glare back, Bella wasn't completely sure that Alice was telling her the truth.

"Nothing, serious. Nothing a little hunting and rest won't fix" Tanya said then calmly looking to Bella and smiling gently, things had been awkward between them because of their initial meeting.

"Edward went hunting?" Kate asked then even though it had been on the tip of Bella's tongue suddenly even more worried that Edward had been harmed and Alice went to speak when Tanya shrugged indifferently answering her sister.

"Yes we hope anyway." Tanya looked to Alice who was shaking her head annoyed.

"I can see you shaking your head but he's fine it's not like Bella won't know. He was distracted during the fight, a newborn got his arms around him. He's hurt but nothing serious, it's no big deal" Tanya waved it off but Bella felt the panic set in, she didn't care if Tanya didn't think it was a big deal it was a huge deal to Bella.

"Why was he distracted?" Kate asked curiously now, wondering if Carlisle's strange behaviour had been the reason behind Edward becoming distracted that it had been Carlisle's fault Edward had been caught off guard.

"One of the newborns had a gift. She almost got Rose. Removed her arms, Edward saw just in time to call out so Rose didn't end up having her head tor..." Tanya stopped when Alice elbowed her roughly in the side nodding to Bella who only seemed to be growing paler by each piece of information.

She felt her eyes move back to Rose and while Tanya had said she'd had her arms removed they were still there, she'd seen the vampire's head in Emmet's hands though. She'd remembered the things said when they'd known James was hunting her, to tear him to pieces and burn the parts. The only way to destroy a vampire.

"It all worked out" Alice said through gritted teeth shaking her head angrily, she could see what the things being said were doing to Bella. Alice moved to Bella then taking her hand reassuringly, forcing a smile.

"Don't worry Bella. Edward is completely fine. Jasper will bring him here any moment and you'll see. Rose is fine too she'll need to hunt, she's a little shaken up which is easy to understand" Bella tried to force a smile but it resembled more of a grimace, she found herself in that moment again when suddenly she didn't care what Carlisle had said.

Didn't care how he'd tried to make Bella doubt Edward's motives, once again faced with his possible injury or harm she didn't care who he had to destroy or torture as long as he was okay. It seemed that Edward wasn't the only selfish one, Bella knew she was selfish she'd didn't care as long as Edward was okay. It was slightly unsettling for Bella knowing this, knowing that she was starting to view things like Edward did in respect of no one mattering to her as long as he was the one who walked away okay.

Emmet and Rose left the area soon after, Emmet wanted to be able to get Rose some blood into her body after what she'd endured and he also hoped taking her away would give her chance to open up to him more. Both Emmet and Rose were struggling with the after math of the fight, while Emmet had always before been overly confident and hungry for fighting he'd suddenly been awoken to the possible reality of what could come from fighting. Seeing his mate torn in parts had disturbed him enough, he knew he'd never joke about fighting ever again, he couldn't stomach the thought of it as he let Rose still cling to him. He'd failed in many ways in his fight, all the times he'd taken to playfully joking with Jasper and Edward over his technique when fighting hadn't been all too helpful against the newborns. Emmet knew it was time to start taking this all much more serious now. Treating it all like a game could have had Rose harmed, could have placed him in harm's way, he didn't want to become the weak link amongst his brothers. Didn't want to fail his mate Rose, he was overly grateful to Edward.

His brother whose gift had seen just in time to warn Rose as her arms had been taken to drop to the ground before her head was gone. The call had given Emmet just that moment of clarity from his shocked gaze at the vanished newborn to turn to Rose and see and lunge in one motion. He'd heard Edward's agony as he'd been crushed as he'd gone straight to Rose, it had been selfish but Emmet had to be with his mate. He'd failed Edward then, he'd not been able to return the favour but once again as Emmet had began to learn Edward always found a solution. Emmet couldn't have been more impressed with Edward had he wanted to be, where Carlisle was failing in Emmet's eyes Edward was picking up the slack. Emmet wanted Carlisle gone too. He wouldn't let his creator risk his Rosie ever again.

There had been a somewhat awkwardness between Alice, Tanya, Kate and Bella once Emmet had taken Rose to hunt, it was clear that Carlisle's return to the house had set something off. Kate didn't want to bring it up yet with Bella around in case it further upset her, so they'd found themselves silently waiting the return of Jasper and Edward. It hadn't taken Jasper long to bring Edward though as both males burst through the tree line in the area Edward moving to Bella. Bella hadn't been timid in showing her relief in seeing Edward as she'd fallen into his arms as he'd pulled her close. He'd needed the comfort of her presence just as much as she'd needed to know he was safe, though he wasn't happy that she'd been brought to the scene of the fight. As he looked at Kate, Bella nestled into his chest her arms tightly wrapped around Edward's back the ring on Bella's finger glistening almost as Tanya and Alice looked at it impressed. Alice happy that Edward had found the time to ask her but upset that he'd then had that special moment disturbed by the newborns and Riley.

"Did you really bring my mate here? It might not have been safe" Edward said firmly, while he couldn't deny being happy to have her with him he'd have much preferred she'd not been here. It annoyed him that Kate had not thought about what she was doing.

"Hey she asked me to bring her to you. I don't do what you tell me. I like Bella more so" Kate threw her hands up shrugging with no apology with what she'd done, she'd much prefer slightly aggravating Edward to being stuck in that house with Carlisle. Edward caught sight of Kate's thoughts and realised that Carlisle had gone further than just upset them, as he witnessed the memory of Kate seeing Esme actually strike Carlisle across the face in her anger.

"Can you give Bella and I some privacy" Edward said without any question behind his true statement, he wanted to speak to his mate without them listening in. He knew Tanya and Kate well enough that they'd want to listen in, while he certainly didn't want them sticking their opinions in he and Bella needed to talk. He'd seen enough just from the few images in Kate's mind to know that Carlisle had crossed a line when he'd spoken to Bella, crossed a line enough so that his own mate Esme had slapped him. The usually timid and against any type of violence motherly member of his family had been the one to silence Carlisle's tirade of what he'd been directing towards Bella.

"We won't be far" Alice said accepting Edward's word as law almost taking Jasper's hand and the two leaving, Kate seemed somewhat hesitant but eventually left with Tanya. The pod of four heading in the direction of the house, Edward would need to smother the fires before he left with Bella.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked cupping Bella's cheeks in his hands cradling her face as he looked concerned into her expressive eyes, his concern and constant need for her to be safe made her tremble. He'd just been in danger, could have been seriously harmed and still all he thought was of her well being. How could Carlisle believe he was losing himself?

"I'm the one who should be asking you. Tanya said you were hurt." Bella said then trying to look him over to see some kind of injury she didn't notice anything at first. Rose had lost both her arms but both had been intact, for all the incredible things she'd seen of vampire's she'd never seen the healing ability of the venom encased in their bodies. She'd heard about how Kate had taken a few days to come back to herself after having her head removed that alone stunned Bella that they could survive such a fatal injury.

"Nothing serious. Though I do owe Alice and Jasper. I should have dealt with the newborn faster than I had. He almost crushed me. They are so much stronger in those early days Bella. You'll be so much stronger than me when we change you, you'll have to be careful with me" Edward grinned softly trying to ease the tension that had built between them, his need to remind her of their future. That whatever Carlisle had tried to tell her changed nothing that they would be together forever if she'd allow him.

"Stronger then you?" Bella said in question distracted briefly by the idea of her ever being capable enough to be stronger then Edward who seemed to only grow stronger with each day she knew him. Not only physically but mentally as a man, there was something more to him in those recent days she'd spent with him.

A new aura of strength she found it inspiring even if she feared it sometimes, Carlisle seemed in fear of this powerful shift in Edward's personality. It wasn't fair to say his personality had shifted. He was still the same but yet he was more, more confident and self assured, he didn't internalize everything he was open and he seemed to draw the eyes of his family to him. Bella couldn't seem to move her eyes away from him. The idea that he'd ever passed for a seventeen year old human now seemed ludicrous.

"Love, you'll be stronger then everyone in the family. Even stronger then Emmet in those early days, it'll wane eventually but at first you'll be much stronger" Edward moved one of his hands away from her face softly caressing the other still leaning forward to press his lips to her forehead as Bella finally noticed.

To any other human they wouldn't have noticed it, like Jasper and his scarring of so many bites covering so much of his skin to human eyes it simply went unnoticed. While Bella was human this vampire wasn't just anyone, he was hers. Edward was everything to her and she knew everything about this man, or at least on some type of unnatural supernatural link she believed she knew. As Edward knew her even without the advantage of his mind reading.

The moment he'd closed the distance and leaned into press his lips to Bella's forehead she'd seen the slightly differed colouring along his neck. She could see it though from halfway down his throat and then covering the entirety of his lower neck and down over his shoulder were bites. Large rivets of swirling bites that twisted and scattered along his once unblemished skin, bite marks that she had known before hadn't been there when they'd been shirtless together in his bedroom. Even then as Bella looked at the closed scarred wounds on his skin she felt both panic that Edward would be in pain and then an intense anger that hollowed her stomach and tightened over her chest. Bella panted out roughly her nostrils flared as she looked at her mate, marked skin from someone who had dared to hurt him. Bella found herself moving almost without thinking placing her hand over the bunched bite marks on his flesh.

"Who did this to you?" Bella found a harshness to her tone she'd not intended, as if by holding her hand there over the marks it would simply fade from sight. All while plotting some way to avenge the wrong doing upon the man she loved, she felt lost in this hollow anger she didn't understand it and knew logically the vampire who had done this was gone. It couldn't be helped though as Bella felt so much anger, so much need for being able to strike out against the person who would cause this offense against her and Edward.

"Bella, love you need to calm" Edward hushed cupping the back of her neck Bella's dilated eyes focussed on the point where he'd had his neck bitten by the newborn.

He understood enough to see that his Bella was reacting badly, not badly though. She wasn't reacting as a human would, she was reacting as he would have, as he had when she'd been harmed. Jasper had always said their shared bond had always been strong. Marcus had even been further stunned by the link that had held Bella and Edward together. Even after months of being separated, months of heartache and hopelessness as they'd stood in front of that ancient immortal he'd seen a tie so strong it had made Marcus want to reach out to the both of them.

"Two souls bound. Eternal together from one life to the next" it had been Marcus' thoughts as he'd been all but pulled from the haze he'd spent so much of his life in Volterra looking between a human and a vampire. He'd never seen anything like it before, especially not between two who had not even completely embraced the mating and consummated their love.

Edward now found himself looking at his fragile human mate as he felt her heartbeat frantically slam against her own chest her breathing hitch. She was angry, not angry as he'd often teased her being the angry little kitten, no this was something more and even in those beautiful brown eyes he saw himself in those eyes. Saw the same rage from his own face when he'd been faced with three foolish boys standing between himself and his mate. Bella was seeing it, a human was embracing that side that he'd not even known she'd ever know of until she'd gone through the transformation.

"I... I'm so angry" Bella found herself trying to match Edward's breathing she felt completely out of her mind, hadn't she come here to run from Carlisle's claims and to question Edward. Then she'd felt overwhelmed by the thought that he'd been hurt but seeing those marks on him, it had driven her crazy.

"I know" Edward whispered resting his forehead to Bella's looking deeply into her eyes as his hand massaged the back of her neck soothing her as he held her close to him.

"This is..." Bella couldn't get the words out she felt slightly dizzy from it, felt a sudden exhaustion overcome her body as Edward held her close and she wasn't even irritated when he chuckled. It wasn't the usual chuckle she was used to it was huskier in his throat and had a dark edge that she wasn't accustomed to hearing from Edward.

"You see now. You see what every moment has been like for me. I saw some of what Carlisle said to you through Kate's mind. I know you would have had questions. I understand that" Edward said in acceptance but he was somewhat thrilled at seeing this side to Bella, he didn't want to manipulate the bond they shared but suddenly he knew explaining things to Bella would be so much easier. If she could grasp parts of his emotional being as a vampire in any way she'd have to accept what he said. He'd felt her anger in that moment as she'd looked at a mark on his skin, he'd seen that anger and desire in those expressive eyes with her silent mind. She'd wanted blood or at least some type of physical outlet to her anger. Just as he'd desired the moment the love of his life had come to harm.

"You feel this. That... the anger. The..." Bella struggled to get across what she'd felt in that moment, to put words to something so violent and destructive in her that had wanted an escape. It made her feel weak and strong in the same breath, Edward's words making her confused and yet more understanding then she'd ever been. She'd accepted Edward's words that he'd had to save her, protect her and himself and that had made his need to kill Jake the only solution. Bella only saw now the reality of it, when Carlisle had said those awful things she'd doubted Edward. Carlisle had made her doubt but one look at her fiancée and mate with a mark on his skin had sent her into a twisted sickening anger deep in her gut.

"It's still there" Edward whispered as he moved back brushing his thumb across her bottom lip, the doubt in his own mind gone. Jasper had helped bring his mind back and then seeing this side of Bella he'd not believed ever possible he'd always believed her too human, too good to have a demon inside her. Had his love created that inside of her, he suddenly didn't care. They were more bound then he could have ever hoped.

"Every day since they touched you, I've wanted them all to pay. Since that night all I've wanted was to hurt them. You were conflicted Bella. I know this but you loved me enough to look past it" Edward treaded carefully with this awakening in her bond to him had the physical intimacy they'd shared unlocked something more inside of her.

They'd barely began to explore the bodily intimacy's of two mates but Bella seemed to be reacting. Blossoming before his very eyes, it was fascinating and spectacular. Though he'd never been harmed before, too draw such an emotional reaction from Bella, he wondered if it had been there all along just never brought forward. Edward knew his next words could either scare Bella or force out something darker from her, the old Edward would have held off never wanting to push. Edward knew now though he needed to cut away her doubt, he loved Bella the human but he needed his mate strong and concrete in her belief in him. He needed her strong, strong so he then could be strong for her and the family. Jasper had been so correct so on par, men like he were to do so that those who could not did not have too. Edward was a man of great destructive power, now he needed to draw out the protective side of his mate. The only way Bella could live with what he must do was to bring forward her need for him to be safe, he needed her to want his life beyond all others. As he treasured her life above even that of his family he needed to draw that from her own being.

"The pack wants to kill me. Ever since I returned to Forks they've internally thought about every single way they could do it. They've envisioned me alive and burning on a flame countless times" Edward whispered darkly, harshly and he could see it awakening something in her dilated eyes. Edward felt like the snake charmer singing a tune to his cobra riling it and readying for the snap of a poisonous bite.

"They want to take me from you" Edward hissed and found his body shoved even if weakly by human hands and then a warm body lunge at him. He'd played with something he'd not before believed inside of Bella, perhaps it was a game he'd regret playing but he needed his Bella and he knew his Bella needed him. She'd awoken his humanity; it was time for Edward to awaken her vampire.

"No. Mine" they were the only words Bella got out of her mouth before Edward had taken claim of her lips as the two kissed more roughly and aggressively then they had ever been towards each other. Edward fuelled by his own darker hungers and awareness of Bella's protectiveness. That resided in her and Bella completely for the first time, allowing herself to truly embrace all that the strange bond that they shared allowed a human and a vampire to love each other.

The grey light of the day was beginning to fade around them, the temperature cooling quickly as they lay amongst the torn ground of a battle scene. The two fires had finally burned themselves out and now all that linger of what had happened was the greyish ash of newborns that had come to his family's land to take something from him. This was a far cry from the beautiful meadow, the meadow had always been something innocent and pure a place they had shared so much when they had been so new to their love. Now they lay together looking up into the darkening sky the sickly scent of their enemy's destruction and torn earth around them. They had kissed with a fiery passion that had made them both look much more then teenagers in that moment as Bella had accepted some part of herself she'd never known within her. Some aggressive side that seemed to want to make a claim of Edward, to make the whole world know he was hers.

She had never held the type of confidence or self assurance to believe she could ever take some type of claim of Edward before but in that moment when he'd told her someone wanted to take him from her. It had made her need to steak her claim to him. Bella was aware though as slowly the kissing and touching eased their calm washing over them as kneading hands turned to tender caresses. She knew that Edward had somehow taunted that from her, she couldn't feel angry at him though. She was more annoyed that she'd allowed Carlisle to place a seed of doubt, had found herself angry at herself that it had taken so little to place doubt inside her head. Especially when she'd been so sure to take his proposal. She felt like she continued to let Edward down, like she was his greatest weak link because of her humanity. She was human and failing him, his bringing forth her aggression though had made her feel powerful, sexy even as he'd gritted his jaw and hissed out in pleasure of her lips and teeth on his neck. Not that she'd ever be able to mark him, or he her not yet but one day they'd carry each other's mark.

"I need to know that you can accept what I'll do Bella. I need to know you stand behind me firmly. I can't do this without you. I can't do this if it means you holding something back. I've killed your friends, I will kill more love" Edward said while looking up into the sky with an almost sombre expression on his face, even then Bella couldn't have found him more beautiful his face set and the light barely casting over his smooth skin.

As this man spoke of killing people she'd been friends with she couldn't see him as evil, the only thing that made her hesitate was the belief that one day he'd eventually feel the guilt of his actions. She couldn't bear for him to hate himself anymore then he had done when they had first met, she had not seen that self loathing as she had before in the way he'd been acting recently. She didn't want him to have to suffer or carry the burden alone, she felt just as responsible for this war. She should have cut ties the moment he'd returned to her, the second she'd left Forks to chase after him it should have been done between her and Jake.

"They'd kill you" Bella found herself whispering as her finger moved over his firm chest placing another kiss at his scarred skin, as if she could still find some way to mend that mar on his once perfect skin.

"I can't begin to explain how I felt seeing you hurt. I know you must have known. It was something special because we're mates" Bella asked but already knew as Edward simply nodded his head, she was feeling that rage because of her love. She couldn't allow him to be hurt. She knew though that she couldn't protect him, not yet anyway.

"I know killing someone is wrong. I can't help but think though that if I had to make a choice between... between everyone and you. I would have everyone die before I had to lose you. I feel wrong for feeling that way but it's all I can explain. It's selfish but... I won't lose you not now. Not when we're so close, do what you have to Edward. I don't want to be part of it but I won't challenge you" Silently Bella thought of Carlisle, she wouldn't do to Edward what his father was doing to him. She wouldn't become someone who tried to control and manipulate Edward to get what she wanted. Jake had been a friend to her in her mind, he'd not possibly been a friend though. He'd left her for dead and then tried to kill the man he knew she loved. He'd hurt people and lied about so many things. She was done with the pack. She wouldn't carry that guilt for what they'd brought upon themselves. She wouldn't let Edward carry that burden either, she deserved more blame then he did none of this was his fault.

"Carlisle and Esme will be leaving tomorrow. I've decided to send him away. He can't accept my leadership over our family and he's causing us more harm now. He's taking the break down between the pack and our family badly. Worse than even you have taken all of the news" Edward explained, he didn't want to have to send them away but there was nothing he could do. Carlisle would not bend. Edward could respect that in many degrees the man wanted to preserve all life. Edward just couldn't sit idly by any longer and allow his pacifist father to challenge his plans, not when they could cost them all so much.

"Will they be okay?" Bella didn't like the idea of splitting up the family especially taking Carlisle and Esme away from the family for so long she'd always viewed them as the glue that held them together.

"They'll be safe away from here. Esme isn't taking to training well. Carlisle while well versed in fighting refuses to take a life. While I understand his anger at my methods they wouldn't have been needed had he simply stuck to Jasper's plan" Edward said and Bella knew that he was all but admitting to torturing one of the newborns. She felt nothing though. Strangely knowing that Edward had gone to those lengths to gain information didn't disturb her nearly as much as she'd thought it would. It was like the night of him finding her cornered by those men before she'd ever known what he was. She knew now had he unleashed his vampire or monster on those men and ended them for the thoughts that had angered him so greatly she'd have never changed her view of him. Unconditional love, the special supernatural love between two mates even though she was human felt it completely.

"I don't know how I can ever forgive him for the things he said to you" Edward said angrily turning his eyes away from Bella as she threaded her fingers with his own kissing the underside of his jaw.

"We have forever to mend those bridges Edward" Bella said softly knowing how much his relationship with Carlisle meant to him, knew that while he was angry now. Even felt betrayed by what Carlisle had said to her, Bella knew that eventually Edward would need Carlisle in his life.

They had been each other's constant for so long. They had been together even before they had found each other's mates. Edward smiled down at Bella and while it didn't completely reach his eyes she knew that at least for now they were okay, nothing Carlisle had said had affected them. They knew that soon they would have to leave this battle scene that they'd turned into a type of sanctuary for the both of them. Edward would need to address Carlisle and the things he'd said to Bella, he also knew that Bella would need to return home. Her parents while aware would now learn to find that he'd asked her and Bella had said yes, engaged and finally opening themselves in all their shared natures. Edward would begin to plan with his family the end of the violence, once he ended those threats he silently swore to give Isabella a century of joy and happiness away from conflict and violence.

He'd make up for this violent beginning of their forever.