A/N: Hey, guys! So everyone seemed to really enjoy Edward underwater. I wanted to ask my hubby how long he could hold his breath... Thanks ever so much to all who read, rec, review, and lurk this story!

A bubble bath with Edward to my lovely prereaders, Keye, Sandy, and Aleea, although not all at once—take turns, girls, and play nice. *cough*

Huge thanks to my awesome betas, wmr1601 and Katmom, for wielding their Sparkly Reds and cleaning up my little messes. ;-)

Chapter 10

Lions and Tigers and Bears

"Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice." ~ David Kenyon Webster

A soft knock at the door announces the arrival of Alice. She's been leaving little gifts outside but hasn't come to speak to me in nearly a week. I'm not sure if she's trying to hold something back or has simply been treading lightly. Considering how antagonistic Jasper has been toward me, I suspect he hasn't made it easy for her to approach me.

"Just a moment, Alice."

I glance over to where Isabella is sprawled across the mattress, her petite body taking up more than her fair share of the King-size bed. After our earlier romp in the bath, she allowed me to dry her hair and pull a nightshirt over her head. I scooped her up in my arms, carrying her from the walk-in closet over to the bed, where I pulled back the puffy comforter, tucking it all around her once she was settled. After an hour or so, she grew restless, kicking most of the covers off. The nightshirt came down to mid-thigh, but a tempting expanse of her leg was left exposed, and the fact that I'm well aware she's bare underneath sharpens my desire for her.

She lies on her back, body twisted to the side, breathing regular. Her brow is smooth, and there's been no indication of bad dreams so far. I leave my post at the window and place a kiss on her forehead before heading to the front door.

I slip outside, greeting Alice with a curt nod.

She looks up at me with uncertainty in her eyes. "I miss you."

"Alice, please. Let's not do this."

I look away toward the trees. This is hard for me, too. Alice is the one person in the family I was closest with, but back then, my issues with Jasper began driving a wedge between them. When Carlisle came down on me about my blood drinking, I took the opportunity to flee the scene, thus removing the caustic splinter that was beginning to infect their relationship. Alice was too tender-hearted to choose, and Jasper was too fucking selfish to back off, so I made the choice for her. Part of me has loved and missed her all these years—a part I've kept carefully locked away inside that now threatens to come forth.

"Edward, I'm sorry about Jasper. He . . . well, you know he has a hard time—with the blood."

"He resents my control because he knows if he tastes a drop of human blood, he's likely to go on a rampage—one that would thoroughly eradicate the treaty."

"Perhaps." Her voice is soft and holds a slight quiver—unusual for a vampire, but indicative of her need to control a great deal of emotion while attempting to block me from her mind.

"Jasper also resented my relationship with you. He didn't care for how close we were."

I'm glad she doesn't even bother trying to hide it. She knows it's true, that I know because I read it in his mind more than once. Back then, the vitriol between Jasper and I continued to grow, nearly ending in a physical altercation a number of times. Knowing I was the black sheep, the piece that had no real place in the puzzle, I chose to go.

Alice's small hand slips into mine. I allow the contact, but I continue gazing into the trees, refusing to return the gesture of affection or even look into her beseeching eyes. I sigh, rubbing my other hand over my face.

"Why are you here, Ali?" I don't mean to, but I reference my pet name for her, and I feel an answering squeeze within our joined hands.

"Edward, there are some issues that need to be dealt with. Surely you haven't forgotten the upcoming trial or the fact you were hired to bring her in. You need to say something to Jenks soon, or suspicions will be raised. It's not quite clear, but I think Senator Hunter may have hired more than one bounty hunter."

Our eyes meet. That would not be a good thing. I need to find a way to prove Isabella's innocence so the court will stop looking for her. The other option is to fake her death. In reality, death is a foregone conclusion for Isabella—either she'll die of natural causes or Carlisle will come up with the cure in time for me to change her. She'll never return to her previous life no matter what.

"That might work, Edward, if you can find a way to satisfy the authorities that she truly is dead. Let's say she died in a fire—we certainly have the resources to falsify dental records or DNA evidence."

I fight back a smile when I realize Alice and I are realigning in sync already. We used to finish each other's thoughts and sentences; our complimentary gifts made it flow almost seamlessly.

"Yes. We need to get everyone off our backs. If Hunter thinks she's dead, he'll move on. We need to find Hannah, though."

"I've seen her, Edward! I think I'm really close. It might help if Isabella has something personal of Hannah's."

"She has some pictures. I'll ask her if you can take a look." I clutch Alice's hand tighter. "You've seen Hannah?"

"Yes, but I don't know where she is yet. She's safe. That's a plus." She gazes up at me, her usually light-hearted face taut with tension. "Hannah's beautiful, Edward. For that matter, so is Bel—Isabella. Do you have any idea why she doesn't want to be called Bella anymore?"

"No. I imagine it might be related to the loss of or exile from everyone she's ever cared about. James may have called her that as well. Can you blame her?"

"No. When you put it that way, it's perfectly understandable."

"When should we find the body?" I smirk.

"I had a vision of a remote cabin in Colorado that's been abandoned. We'll burn it down and leave the evidence inside. None of us have ties to Colorado, so it shouldn't throw any undue suspicion. Maybe you can report to Jenks that you're hot on her trail—then in a day or two we can plant the evidence."

"That works." I offer up my first genuine smile for Alice. At least one obstacle will be out of our way, and then we can concentrate on saving Isabella's life and rescuing Hannah.

Alice dances forward to hug me, and I find my arms instinctively wrapping around her to return the affection. In a way this scares me, because my emotions have been turned off for so long. In a space of weeks, between Isabella and Alice, the apathetic numbness has been slowly replaced by raw feelings, lighting up my nerve endings like a Christmas tree. Realizing the danger, I set Alice away from me, clearing my throat unnecessarily.

"Carlisle is coming to speak to you in about two minutes, so you may as well wait out here." Alice winks at me before taking off into the woods. Although I've had a hard time reading her since I returned, I catch a fragment of her thoughts.

Need some time alone to hunt and let Jasper cool off. Why can't he understand how much Edward means to me?

Her thoughts head off into the memory of an argument she had with Jasper recently.

Jasper glares her way, his jaw tight.

"Jas . . . please understand." She places a hand on his arm.

"No. I'll never understand you and him. It's almost like—"

"You know it's not like that. You're my mate, not Edward. How can you be jealous of—"

"Jealous! I'm not jealous." Jasper pulls away from her touch with a hiss. "He's an arrogant son of a bitch, always digging around in everyone's mind and exploiting the contents. Go. Just go help him and his mate."

Still waters run deep. I'm not surprised by the level of anger Jasper shows toward me, but I am surprised he would treat Alice that way. I'm thinking before long, Jasper and I will have words and exchange blows. I smirk to myself; I'm down with that.

"Edward." Carlisle emerges from the shadows.

"Isabella is sleeping."

"I know, Son. I came to talk with you." His eyes are wary, and I sense he's about to drop a bomb on me.

"Cut to the chase." I glare at him, unwilling to play games or dance around subjects the way he sometimes likes to.

"All right. You need to hunt." He nods his head my way. "Your eyes are dark, and you've developed shadows beneath them."

Sighing, I fight to maintain eye contact with Carlisle; I abhor showing weakness in front of my sire. "Yes, I know. Maybe you or Esme could watch over Isabella for an hour or two while I feed?"

"About that." Carlisle's face hardens. "You can't feed on humans near here. You can leave Isabella with us while you go to Seattle if you'd like."

The mere thought of leaving Isabella while I travel to Seattle, locate an appropriately sleazy candidate for feeding, actually feeding, and then returning back to Forks sends a shooting pain through my chest. The pain arcs, burying itself deep and white hot inside me.

"I can't be that far from her."

"What do you propose then?"

"I'll be careful, keep it clean."

"You can't break the treaty." Carlisle shakes his head, his jaw set. There aren't many things he will put his foot down about, but this is one of them. "I won't allow that."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your stance on human blood drinking," I snap, glaring at him. We stand at nearly the same height, my eyes barely an inch above his, but he holds his own. "Blood bank?"

"No. The Quileutes have accused me of stealing blood from the hospital—they watch us closely. I can't risk it. You have to make a choice, Edward."

"What choice are you leaving me? I can't be far from her, and I can't risk her being seen in public, so I can't bring her to my apartment."

"There's always lions and tigers and bears . . ." He smirks at his own attempt at humor, but I'm far from amused.

"Oh, no. No." I shake my head, walking around in a small circle muttering to myself while I rub the back of my neck. Hostility wells up inside me, threatening to explode. "You can't force me to drink that . . . that slop!"

"No, I can't force you, and I'm not trying to. You have a choice—you can leave Isabella with us for several hours, or you can hunt animals nearby. Surely you trust us with her?"

"I trust you and Esme. I won't leave her alone with Alice because of Jasper. I definitely don't trust him, although if he tried to bite her, it would put him in his place, wouldn't it?" My lips form an acerbic smile.

"Edward." Carlisle sounds disappointed, but he doesn't argue the point. "Esme and I would be more than happy to stay with Isabella."

"I can't be away from her without being in pain. The farther away I go, the more I need her. It affects her, too. I don't know what would happen if I went too far."

"Again, I've laid out your choices for you. Just let me know what you choose, Son."

Without waiting for an answer, he heads back toward the main house, leaving me to ruminate on my dilemma.

It's not that much of a dilemma. I can't—won't—leave Isabella vulnerable, be it from my family, emotionally, or physically. If the treaty is broken, the Quileutes might find out about her, and nothing good could come of that.

I snap my teeth together, hating the thought of burying them in the thick, coarse neck of an animal for the first time in twenty years.

~*RK*~

The morning dawns gray, cold, and windy. A deluge of rain begins to fall, beating on the roof, and harsh wind buffets the tiny cottage. The shutters bang against the window frames, and a forlorn howling sound rushes through the trees.

I make a tray for Isabella once I realize she's awake, and I follow the sound of her heartbeat to the garden room. Approaching silently, I observe her for a moment.

She stands in the middle of the transparent room, looking up at the domed glass. Rain batters against the smooth curves of the ceiling and beads on the side wall, rolling down in gentle rivulets, creating random patterns. She appears to be deep inside herself, and I don't want to disturb that, but I can't seem to walk away, either. There's some kind of gravitational force that draws me to her. Fighting against it, I retreat, realizing I might be intruding on a very personal moment.

"Don't go." Isabella's soft plea startles me.

"How did you know I was here?" I enter the room, placing the tray of food on a small table by the door.

"I can feel you." She doesn't turn my way, just keeps watching the patterns of rain slam and trickle over the glass.

Coming up behind her, I slide my arms around her waist, pulling her back against me. My lips explore the delicate skin in the crook of her neck with soft nibbles, and she tilts her head to the side, welcoming me. Her hands caress my arms, hugging them closer to her body.

"You felt me?" My lips hover over her skin, and she shivers slightly.

"Yes. I feel you all the time. You're a part of me now." She's so matter-of-fact about something so life-altering.

Suddenly, I'm unable to speak. She feels me the same way I feel her, recognizes we've become two halves of the same whole, and our fates are now entwined. Isabella is so accepting of our connection, and a feeling of pride wells inside me. She's remarkable, perfection, made just for me.

"The weather is full of amazing contradictions. It's so destructive..." she points at the ceiling where rain continues to pelt the glass then over to a copse of trees whose leaves are being shredded by the whipping wind "...and yet so beautiful at the same time." She gestures to the side walls were the rain creates slowly moving patterns as it rolls gently off the arch.

"Yes, it is." I tighten my arms around her, reveling in the feel of her warmth.

Isabella turns in my arms so she can look up at me. "You are the same. You have the potential to destroy, to harm, to rip and tear. To kill, to drain humans dry. And you are also so beautiful and kind. You protect me, take care of me." Her fingers explore my face with the lightest of warm little barely-there touches. There's something off in her eyes, though.

Capturing one of her hands, I bring it to my lips and press a kiss into her palm. "What is it, sweet one? What's bothering you?"

She looks down between us. "I owe you everything, but I nearly killed you. I . . . hurt you."

"Isabella, is this about guilt?" I tip her face up, waiting for her soulful brown eyes to meet mine before continuing. "You didn't hurt me maliciously. You were defending yourself. I was there to track you down and bring you back for that farce of a trial."

"But you could have died—"

"You are extraordinary and accepting and forgiving. And I didn't die. Frankly, it's you I worry about." My words end in a strangled whisper.

"You know, it never bothered me that much before—knowing I was going to die—but I didn't want to leave Hannah without a mother, and now . . . I don't want to leave you. I never believed in love at first sight or soul mates, but there was something about you . . . I tried to fight it, but it persisted, drawing me to you."

I snort. "Well, I never believed in any of that, either. I've been such a lone creature, and in a matter of days, you split my emotions wide open—turned everything I did and did not believe on its head. I never even stopped to question it, Isabella, because you make me feel so alive for the first time in over a hundred years."

"What would you question? Being with me?" A flash of ill-concealed fear dilates her pupils.

"No, never." I lean in to kiss her soft lips, stealing away her panting breath, and I rest my hand over her rapidly beating heart. "You could never be in question. I love you, and I . . . need you. What I question is the depth of the connection between us. Why it's physically painful to be away from you. How I'm supposed to protect you and rescue Hannah if I can't even leave your side."

"So not all mated vampires have this kind of connection?"

"No, apparently not. According to Carlisle, mated pairs will often know when their counterpart is in grave danger or has died, but not what we've been experiencing. Vampires don't feel pain, but when I think of you dying or I'm too far from you, it hurts."

"I feel something, too. The farther away you get from me, the less balanced I feel. There's this . . . void inside me, and sometimes I fear it will swallow me whole." Her breathing hitches, and her fingers seek purchase on my shirt, pulling us closer together.

"No. I won't let anything hurt you."

Sliding my hands under her hair to cradle her neck, I rest my forehead against hers. For a while, we stand together this way, swaying lightly. I feel so complete with her. I'll never be able to let her go, and I'll never survive it if she dies.

When we pull apart, she examines me intently.

"Edward, you need to hunt, don't you?"

"Yes. I was going to talk to you about that. How can you tell?" The corner of my mouth twitches as I fight back a smile.

"Your eyes are almost black, and I'm pretty sure vampires don't get dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep." She smiles.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not really, but it is to me."

"I do need to hunt this evening. Would it be all right if Carlisle and Esme stay with you?"

"Yes. I really like Esme. Carlisle is nice, too, of course." Her eyes still hold a touch of fear. "Just keep . . . him away. I don't like him, Edward, and I don't trust him."

I don't have to ask her who 'he' is—I'm well aware she's referring to Jasper. I pull her closer, stroking her hair lightly.

"He's not allowed near you. They're all aware of that." I kiss her hair. "Nobody will ever harm you again."

She doesn't respond with words; instead, she goes up on tip-toe and flings her arms around my neck and peppers kisses over my face and neck. When her lips meet mine, it's like sparking flint, and our mouths meld together. With great difficulty, I push her away.

"You need to eat your breakfast. If this goes any further, we'll be spending the day in bed." Speaking the words provokes a visual, and I growl softly.

"Is that so?" She leans up to lick my jaw. "That would be a bad thing? To spend the day in bed . . . together?" she whispers in my ear.

"Isabella, please." I grasp her wrists in my hands, pulling her arms from around my neck and pinning them behind her until our chests are pressed together.

"You want me, don't you?" she asks playfully. Huskily.

"Desperately. But not yet."

"No?"

"I need to hunt . . . before." When she continues to look up at me curiously, I continue. "I've gone too long without feeding, and sex is rather . . . primal for vampires. If I make love to you when I'm this thirsty, I might bite you, and we both know that would be a costly mistake."

"You're right. But soon? I can't wait to be with you."

Her words cause my cock to harden and twitch. If I wasn't aware of how dangerous it would be, I'd toss her over my shoulder and carry her off to the bedroom right now.

"There's something else we need to discuss. I spoke with Alice while you were sleeping, and we came up with a plan. This is about you, so it needs to be your choice."

We sit on the wicker loveseat together, and while she eats, I tell her about our plan to fake her death. I assure her we're going to do everything we can to locate Hannah as well. Tears fill her eyes when she hears about Alice's visions of her daughter, and she agrees to let us borrow some of Hannah's things.

We discuss the pros and cons of faking her death before finding her daughter, but I explain that Alice thinks James may have hired other bounty hunters in an attempt to hurry things along.

Isabella chews on a piece of melon, looking thoughtful. After swallowing, she nods her head. "Yes, I think your plan's the way to go."

"Are you sure? You won't be able to contact anyone to let them know you're alive—you do realize that?"

"You mean Angela, don't you?"

"I mean everyone, but yes, it occurred to me you might want to contact Angela. You can't."

"Okay. I'll do whatever I have to. Hannah has to come first."

~*RK*~

As evening falls and it's time for Isabella to go to sleep, Carlisle and Esme arrive. I asked them to come while she was still up because I don't want her to awaken in the middle of the night and become frightened.

Satisfied she'll be okay, I kiss her tenderly. "I'll be in bed next to you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too," she answers shyly, blushing profusely as she glances over at my parents.

She's cute as a button, Edward, Esme enthuses.

Carlisle smiles with a mixture of pride and approval.

I saunter away from the cottage at a human pace because I have no idea how far from her I can get before the pain becomes unbearable.

"We're hunting on the other side of the river." I glance up to see Alice perched in a nearby tree. She leaps to the ground soundlessly, and rushes over to me, placing a hand on my chest. "Edward, don't be mad . . ."

"Why would I—"

Edward, don't be mad, Jasper mimics sarcastically, jumping down from the same tree and leaning against the trunk with his thumbs hooked into his belt loops.

His casual stance doesn't fool me one iota. Empaths can manipulate the emotions of others, but they also tend to project their own—often a function beyond their control. Jasper's derision for me has sharp edges. If I gave a fuck, my feelings might be hurt. Good thing I don't.

"Fuck you, Jasper." I smirk at him, basking in satisfaction when his anger spikes and his jaw ticks.

Alice turns her dark head to glance at Jasper, her hand still firmly planted on my chest. "C'mon, boys."

"Why the fuck did you bring him along, Ali?"

I thought you'd feel better if you knew where he was, and I was hoping you two might mend some fences.

I laugh rudely, shaking my head. "Whatever. Let's get this over with."

The three of us run through the woods and bound over the river. So far, the pain in my chest is a dull throb.

Alice says there's a large group of deer across the next ravine. Listening, I hear seven heartbeats, the soft twitch of ears, and the crunch of hooves on partially frozen snow. As we draw closer, their pungent, gamey scent assaults my nose—not in a good way.

A few seconds later, the first of them senses us. Seven bodies stiffen just before scattering and bolting off in different directions.

Jasper snarls, taking off to the right, and I hear him take down one of them—by the sound of the thump and strong-beating heart, a buck.

Alice's nostrils flair, her eyes darkening. "Will you be all right? Is it okay for me to hunt?"

I nod, and she takes off running, pouncing on a medium sized deer after eighteen seconds. Now, it's my turn.

I pursue a large buck through the brush, purposely allowing him to stay ahead. There's nothing appetizing about the blood until his adrenaline output doubles. I taste his fear on my tongue, and suddenly my mouth is flooding with venom.

Streaking over the final fifty feet between us, I pounce on the deer quickly, sinking my teeth into his neck. His rapid heartbeat pumps his lifeblood into my mouth at a furious rate, and I swallow convulsively. When the torrent slows, I start taking long pulls in an attempt to finish the buck quickly. My venom already did the job of paralyzing him, and his struggles have eased, but I'm determined to get the most out of this poor excuse for a meal.

Despite the fact I haven't fed in a few weeks, the taste is substandard and watered down at best. There's a bitter tang underlying the anemic flavor which I try not to dwell on, lest I heave up what I've consumed before my body has a chance to utilize it.

Animals don't think in the same way humans do, but as the buck is dying, visuals of him herding a group of deer and protecting his offspring assault me. There is a moment of what seems to be regret as he breathes his last, a vivid vision of a doe nudging at fawns lingering even after his heart stops beating.

Dropping the carcass, I fall to my knees, grinding my palms into my eyes as if that will eradicate the scene behind them. Anger ignites inside me like a hot poker, and I grit my teeth. I wish Carlisle was here right now. I'd grab him and bid him to tell me how fucking humane it was to steal away the life of this buck, leaving his mate to try and protect their fawns on her own. And yet when I kill depraved excuses for humans that nobody will miss—criminals that would rape, plunder, pillage, and kill just as soon as look at you—he feels it's wrong?

More than ever, I'm secure that my method of selective feeding is the most humane yet natural way for a vampire to exist.

"Edward?" Alice drops to the ground beside me, her hand on my shoulder. "What is it?"

Before I can answer, Jasper enters the clearing, and I glance up to find him smirking.

"Surely it wasn't that bad, Edward." He swipes the back of his hand across his mouth and then licks his lips. "Mm-mm . . . tasty."

I'm on my feet in half a second, curling my lip, but I root myself to the ground. Alice rises with me, her hand on my chest once more. The jealousy pouring off Jasper makes it worth remaining still and not pummeling him. Instead, I decide to take the passive-aggressive route.

Looking down at Alice, I say, "Your mate likes to push boundaries. One day he's going to antagonize someone who bites back, hard."

"Alice." Jasper simply says her name, but behind the word is a warning. He's pissed that her hand rests on my chest, that she stands beside me and not him right now.

Alice glances up at me then over at him, undecided. Her mind is closed to me, but I can read her body language and feel the conflict rolling off her.

I bring a hand to cup her cheek. "Go, Alice. I'll be fine."

Get your filthy swine hands off my Alice! Jasper's thoughts crash in on me along with a jolt of hatred, and he takes one step forward, obviously struggling not to attack.

"I'll see you later?" Alice smiles up at me then heads over to Jasper at a nearly human pace, and the anger with which he looks down upon her causes me to growl.

Yes, I think Jasper and I will get into it soon.

~*RK*~

A/N: Who wants Edward to kick Jasper's ass? *raises hand* Jasper is just all kinds of mean in this fic. So . . . after hearing Edward's experiences with the animal kingdom and his reasoning for feeding as he does, how many of you still hanker for animal drinking Edward? He's not changing, peeps. Be as accepting as Bella now.

RK is up for readalong at Indieficpimp! Not sure how long the poll is up, but if you'd like to vote, go here (remove all * from the link): h*t*t*p*:*/svy*.*mk/guf8Ty

Thank you all for reading. See you next Tuesday!

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