I gave up calling out Bella's name when it became apparent that she wasn't going to stop running from me. Instead, I resigned myself to following her through the woods. Eventually, Bella slowed her mad dash sprint and settled into an easy run, apparently oblivious to my presence she happily trotted through the undergrowth with practised ease. Bella padded along, jumping over fallen debris and darting around the closely clumped trees, utterly at home in the wilderness.

I didn't try to approach her, and instead I simply watched her as she travelled through the mossy forest. Bella was graceful in a way no wolf could ever be, but that wasn't the only evidence of her otherworldly nature. She was significantly larger than a regular wolf, her head reached my mid chest easily, and I couldn't help but notice how her paws were larger than usual, like that of a puppy who had not yet finished growing.

Bella's wolf form was striking. Her fur was a deep, dark brown. Her ears were delightfully fluffy and were darker than the rest of her head, the fur almost black as it bled into the brown. Her paws and chest were blacker also, brown melting into an ebony black that looked so shiny and soft. Bella looked like a glorious omen of death and destruction, the kind of creature humans would see and immediately worship – or fear.

Bella lowered her head and began to snuffle at the undergrowth. She rooted around in the leaves and ferns, her breath came out in short pants and snorts as she scented the ground. I watched, transfixed as Bella started to follow a scent with a single-minded intensity I had never seen before. I followed dutifully and my breath was caught in my throat as a massive elk came into view. I stopped breathing entirely as Bella lowered herself down, she pressed her belly against the ground and started to slowly slink forward. The massive bull elk was alone and completely unaware of the danger he was in. The elk was distracted, cleaning its fur and readying itself for sleep. Then, like a deadly viper, Bella sprung out from the undergrowth and clamped her powerful jaws around the thick muscular neck of the elk. The musky smell of the animal's blood filled the air as the elk bugled in surprise and started to buck wildly in a futile attempt to throw Bella off. Bella growled threateningly and brought her hind legs up and began to violently kick at the struggling animal. She brought her forelegs up and dragged her sharp claws down the elk's chest, the scent of blood grew stronger as the creature's struggles grew weaker. Finally, Bella jerked her head viciously and snapped the poor creature's neck.

The pair fell to the ground with a heavy thump, and Bella dislodged her jaws from the creature's neck and panted out her exertion. Once she had caught her breath I watched as she started to tear large chunks of flesh off the elk's hindquarters, gulping down heaving hunks of muscle and fat. When Bella encountered a particularly stubborn piece of meat, she braced her front paws against the cooling corpse and tugged. She pulled and yanked and shook her head side to side like an energetic puppy playing tug-o-war. I found myself smiling adoringly at her, entranced by her shamelessly animalistic display. Bella finally managed to wrench the hunk of meat free and furiously devoured it. She turned her attention away from the ravaged flank of the elk and moved down the carcass to the claw marks on the beast's chest. Bella tore at the wounds, deepening them until they were wide enough for her to insert her snout into the still warm chest cavity. With a snorting growl, Bella pulled the elk's heart from his chest and happily ate it in a single bite. As the blood dripped from the fur around her muzzle I couldn't help myself from bringing forth the fantasy I had of Bella doing this to that man in Port Angeles. In spite of the burning desire that image had seared into my soul, I never would have dreamed of witnessing it first hand. A part of me did not truly believe Bella was capable of such vicious violence, but not only was she capable of it, she seemed to relish in it. I was entranced by the savagely brutal beauty of it as Bella threw her head back and howled loudly, announcing her victory to the entire forest.

Bella resumed her casual jog, happily exploring the dark forest without a single care. Without warning, Bella abruptly stopped, her large head tilting to one side and then the other as she sniffed loudly, tasting the air around her. Bella released a pained whine from deep in her chest before she took off at a sprint, nose to the ground and ears flat against her skull. I followed with an amused smirk, what was she tracking now? Bella increased her speed, barely pausing as she splashed her way through a wide but shallow creek. She stopped on the other side, her frantic pants caused her shoulders to heave with the weight of her breaths. Bella seemed confused, momentarily stunned as she frantically sniffed at the air and ground around her searching for the scent she had just lost.

The longer Bella searched the more anxious she became, and she whined pitifully as she began to pace up and down the bank of the creek in an attempt to rediscover the scent. I was burning with curiosity. What was Bella hunting? What could cause her to become so frenzied? The way she moved was different than how she had hunted the elk, there was no predatory air to her stance, no attempts to conceal herself or hide her scent from her target. It was less like she was hunting something, and more like she was running to something.

Bella continued her heartfelt pacing, increasing the length of her laps as she went, and then finally she found what she was looking for. I felt a burst of pure unadulterated joy flood through my chest as I heard Bella yip playfully and wag her tail as she bounded off after the scent. The joy was tinged with a strange sense of jealousy, how I yearned to be the one Bella chased after so passionately. I unknowingly got my wish when I realised how familiar this stretch of woods was becoming, how frequently I had found myself following this same trail. Bella was following my scent, she was heading straight for my meadow. My secret sanctuary that I visited in order to escape from my family.

I stayed in the thick forest as Bella padded around the circumference of the almost perfectly circular meadow, she loudly snuffled around in the tall grass and wildflowers before heading to the centre of the meadow. Bella dropped to the ground and rolled onto her back, her long tongue hung out of her mouth as she wriggled and writhed on her back. I recognised this behaviour, I had seen it in wild animals but it was utterly stupefying to see Bella do it. She was scenting herself, an animalistic need to bathe herself in a desirable scent, and leave some of her own behind. And it was my scent she wished to be consumed by. The display tugged on some deeply hidden and incredibly dark impulses that I had tried for the better part of a century to ignore. The urge to consume her, to claim her, pulsated through me like a heartbeat, and as I watched Bella slowly curl up into a ball of brown fur, the devastating desire to protect her coursed through me, it washed over me like an incoming tide, gentle and inevitable.

I slowly stepped into the meadow and approached Bella, but she didn't move and as I came to her side I realised she had fallen asleep. I silently studied her sleeping form, I couldn't blame her, she must have been exhausted. She had been running through the woods all night, and now it was almost dawn. I crouched down next to her, intent on stroking her soft fur like I had before but I was shocked to see that as Bella slept she was also slowly shrinking down into herself. Her fur was receding, leaving patches of pale naked skin behind, and Bella twitched and whined in her sleep as her bones shifted under her skin. I quickly realised that once Bella returned to her human form, she would be nude. Baulking at the thought I quickly shrugged off my coat and lovingly covered her slumbering form before I stood up and started to sprint home.

My mind was an uncontrollable tempest of thoughts and emotions as I ran home. I had so many questions, and I could only hope and pray that Bella would answer them. I didn't bother slowing down as I approached the house, and barely managed not to take the front door off its hinges as I slammed it open. I shot up the stairs and into my room. Clothes. I needed to find Bella some clothes to wear. I needed a bag. I started tearing my room apart looking for the rarely used backpack I knew was hiding here somewhere.

I was so consumed by my search I barely registered the heated discussion happening below, eventually I heard Carlisle say, "I will go speak with him. The rest of you stay here."

I had just found the blasted backpack when Carlisle entered my room. "Edward, son… what have you done?"

"I don't have time to explain right now, Carlisle. I'm not sure how much time I have." I answered quickly as I stuffed a clean t-shirt into the bag.

"Whatever it is, let us help you." He said cautiously, and his tone gave me pause. I froze in my movements, hand still halfway in the backpack and Carlisle purposefully sent a thought in my direction. Have you slipped, son? It's alright, these things happen… just talk to me. Please, son, let me help you. His thoughts were free of judgement and disappointment as he silently pleaded with me.

"What? Dad, no." I huffed out in a shocked breath, forcing myself to take a moment and meet Carlisle's gaze with my own. Upon seeing my golden eyes, free of crimson, free of any evidence of vampiric violence he visibly relaxed. Carlisle's shoulders sagged in palpable relief and his gaze softened almost apologetically. "How… how could you think that I hurt someone?" I rasped.

"What else was I to think? You are gone all night, and then come home covered in human blood." Carlisle gestured to my clothes and I looked down to see he was right. My shirt was splattered with tiny red droplets, and my pants were stained horribly, large dark red patches of blood had soaked into the fabric where I had knelt on the ground.

I shook my head dazedly, "It's not human blood, it's Bella's." I said as I turned and shoved a pair of sweatpants into the bag. Honestly, how could any of them mistake Bella's blood for human blood? Sure, it was similar, but it was also so different that if they took more than a goddamn second to think about it they would see that it wasn't human at all! I heard Carlisle gasp in shocked horror.

"Edward, what did you do?" He asked dangerously.

"I didn't do anything!" I bellowed, and then sucked in a harsh breath in an attempt to calm myself. "Bella… she – god damn it Carlisle I don't have any answers for you right now, okay?" I seethed as I tore off my blood stained clothes and quickly pulled on a clean, but wrinkled, button up along with a fresh pair of slacks. I didn't bother with any sense of false modesty as I changed in front of Carlisle, he had seen me naked more times than I cared to remember during my newborn year, no use pretending otherwise now.

"Bella is unharmed?" Carlisle asked warily.

"Yes, Dad. Bella is fine, she's… sleeping." I slung the backpack over my shoulder, "I need to get back to her before she wakes up. I promise I will be home later, and I will answer all your questions then, alright?"

"Alright, son." Carlisle nodded, I trust you. He thought pointedly.

"Thank you." I smiled quickly before dashing downstairs. I screeched to a halt in the entryway as a thought occurred to me. When Bella awoke she would be human, and in the middle of nowhere. My time spent chasing her through the woods showed that she was plenty fast on four legs, but I had no idea how she fared on two. With that in mind I swerved into the garage and launched myself into my car. I sped along the road as the sun began to rise, ushering in a new day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and I scowled at the impetuous celestial body as it cast its rays through the windshield, and made my hands glitter grotesquely.

I pulled the car to a stop and rushed into the woods, I pushed myself as fast as I could so I could return to Bella's side. I arrived at the meadow just as Bella began to stir, she had fully returned to her human form and shifted restlessly under the cover of my coat. Bella was curled up into herself, hunkered down in a tight fetal position that meant she was entirely covered by my long pea-coat. With a groan Bella slowly stretched out and her pale legs became visible from under the fabric. I tried to be a gentleman but when Bella sat up I couldn't look away. Her back was to me, and her brown hair tumbled down the expanse of her spine like a waterfall, wild curls and tortuous waves were tangled with leaves and pine needles. I could see the subtle curve of her waist and just a hint of her taut behind. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to look away, I refused to become a sick voyeur.

"What the fuck?" I heard Bella rasp quietly.

I listened as she slowly stood up, the sounds of soft fabric covering skin filled my ears and I risked a look to see that Bella had put on my coat to hide her nakedness. Bella stood in the centre of the meadow, standing in profile to me, and warily took in her surroundings as she blinked against the harsh sunlight. She closed her eyes and licked her lips before drawing in a deep breath, she released it in a shuddering exhale and repeated the motion. Bella turned in a slow circle before she faced me directly, eventually she opened her eyes, but they did not focus in on my location. She couldn't see me. With her lips gently parted she breathed in again, scenting the air like a bloodhound, her nose wrinkled adorable and she swiped at it with a tiny grimace.

Suddenly her eyes zeroed in on me. I had been discovered. "Edward?" Bella's gentle voice called to me softly and she took a hesitant step forward. I tried to stop myself from frowning as I walked towards her, but I stopped myself at the edge of the treeline. Unable to force myself into the sunlight. I was a coward and a hypocrite. I had been so confused as to why Bella had hidden her secret from me, and yet I was utterly unwilling to show her my own. I couldn't bear to think of how Bella would react to my truth, while hers was beautiful and powerful, mine was monstrously demonic. I shrugged off the backpack and tossed it to her and it landed at her feet with a dull thud. As Bella opened the bag I made a show of slowly turning my back to her. I needed her to know that I would respect her privacy and would not take advantage of her in this vulnerable state, I needed her to know what type of man I was.

I stood as still as a statue as I waited, and my patience was rewarded when Bella cleared her throat. "Uhm, you can turn around now. I'm dressed." She announced shyly. I turned back to face her, and if I wasn't in a state of stunned silence I would have smiled at the vision in front of me. Bella's tiny body was absolutely swimming in my oversized clothes, the t-shirt hung loosely from her frame and I could see her collarbones peaking out at me. Bella had rolled up the long legs of the sweatpants so they sat just above her knees, and she had done her best to secure the band of the sweats around her tiny waist by cinching the drawstring tightly. Bella looked like a tiny, brokenhearted child. "Please say something." She begged me in a broken whisper.

Grief and remorse rocked through me, I wasn't supposed to be here. Bella had asked me to leave and I had ignored her. I was the cause of that broken look on her face, I had inserted myself into this hidden part of Bella's life without her consent. Bella must have had her reasons for concealing this from me, and I had no idea what those reasons were because I had forced myself on her like a common lech. What could I possibly say to make this okay? Bella was becoming increasingly distressed by my silence and it looked as if she were about to cry. I stowed my self-loathing just long enough to check on her. "Bella, are you alright?" I called out to her gently, making sure my voice carried across the wide distance between us.

Bella's face scrunched up, her eyes narrowed as her brows bunched up. "I-I'm fine." She stuttered out in a disbelieving breath. Bella scrunched her eyes closed and shook her head angrily and leaves cascaded down around her with the movement, she opened her eyes again and stared at me longingly. "Edward, I'm-I mean-shit." Bella stuttered and stumbled around her hurried words, she then tensed violently as she sucked in a deep breath, and as she exhaled she forced herself to relax. "Edward, I am sorry. I am so, so sorry." Bella pleaded with me, her eyes brimming with tears over her despairing apology.

Bella's words confused me, she had nothing to apologise for, this was entirely my fault. I was the one who had forced us into this situation. "Please, I never meant for this to happen, just-" Bella's voice broke and she cut herself off and I watched as she struggled to hold back her tears, her lips were trembling with the effort and she slowly raised her hand, silently beckoning me forwards. "Please just come here."

I found myself moving towards her, only barely stopping myself before I stepped into the intense sunlight. Bella cocked her head to the side for a moment before a look of startling realisation flickered over her face. "Edward, it's okay. I know." Bella softly said, gently encouraging me closer.

She knew. Bella knew what I was. How? Good lord this just added to the almost endless list of questions I had for her. I braced myself for Bella's reaction and took the final step into the sunlight. I was prepared for shock, for total revulsion, what I was not prepared for was the look of utter rapture on Bella's face. The closer I got to her the more devout she became in her observance of me. Bella's eyes methodically scanned every inch of my body, with her brown eyes so wide I was witness to her becoming overwhelmed in her adoration for me. As I came to a stop in front of her I studied her closely, not wanting to say anything until she had freed herself from the enchantment that my vampiric nature had cast upon her. Bella's eyes flickered back up to my face and gradually the look of reverence paled and became softer. To my surprise it was a look of love, of tender affection and understanding.

I gently curled my hand around hers, it was as if the spell had been broken and she launched herself at me. Bella threw her arms around me and buried her face in my chest, I enveloped her softly in my arms, relieved by her silent acceptance of me. "I am the one who should be sorry." I whispered morosely.

Bella wriggled out of my grasp and she looked up at me. "What?" she asked blearily.

I smiled softly and gently plucked a dry leaf out of her hair. "You told me to go." I mumbled reluctantly, "I should have listened to you."

As I spoke Bella's eyes became glazed and unfocused again and she dreamily reached up and touched her fingertips to my cheek. "So beautiful." Bella breathed,

I scowled and stepped away, removing myself from her touch. "This is the skin of a monster, Bella." I scoffed scornfully.

Bella sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Edward, last night you watched me shed my human skin and transform into a wolf, so I think monster is relative right now." Bella smirked teasingly at me but I could not bring myself to return the expression. I frowned lightly at her. "Too soon for jokes? Okay, noted." Bella muttered sadly as she gracefully lowered herself to the ground, tucking her legs underneath herself.

I mimicked her movements and sat in front of her cross legged. Since she had brought it up now seemed like a good time. "Bella, I do have some questions." I began cautiously. In spite of her previous joke, I wasn't sure how receptive she would be to further questioning.

"I figured you would." Bella sighed sadly, she was staring at my hand intensely, as if she were trying to memorise it. She eventually nodded, "Okay, shoot."

I instantly asked the first thing that came to mind. "What are you?"

Bella barked out a loud laugh, her shoulders shook and she had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself. "Are you telling me that the whole 'changing into a wolf on the full moon' thing wasn't a dead give away?" She chuckled and I narrowed my eyes, "I'm a werewolf, Edward."

That didn't make any sense whatsoever. "No you're not." I blurted out before I could think better of it.

Bella looked completely baffled and it was like she couldn't decide whether to be insulted or amused. "What the hell are you talking about Edward?" Bella asked me sternly.

"As far as I know, you have no relation to the Quileutes on the reservation." I replied firmly.

"Oh, I get it." Bella breathed, eyes wide in understanding. "No, Edward, they aren't werewolves." She shook her head slowly, "They are shape shifters."

Huh. This was news to me, and something that I knew Carlisle would be most interested in. When we had met the wolves on the reservation we had made many assumptions, giving them the name of werewolves even though that wasn't what they called themselves. They had referred to themselves and Spirit Wolves, and in our hubris we had decided that they must be the werewolves that Carlisle had heard about during his time in Volterra. Bella sat and watched me, quietly waiting for my next question.

I had dozens of questions, and I was having trouble deciding which question was the most important. I thought about Bella, and the strange behaviour I had seen over the past few weeks. I needed to know if she was older than she looked, because she certainly acted like it. And in the back of my mind I worried that if she wasn't, that if she was indeed just a seventeen year old girl, that she would continue to grow and age while I remained forever stuck in the body of a teenager.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"I'm seventeen." Bella replied easily.

I narrowed my eyes, "How long have you been seventeen?" I asked warily.

Bella bit her bottom lip and cocked her head to the side, "A few months?" It came out as a question, "I don't understand the question, honestly."

Bella's confusion was adorable and endearing. I chuckled softly, "Are you… like me?" I hedged.

Bella perked up, her eyes wide in understanding."You mean immortal?" She chirped, "Yeah… well I mean, kinda?" She scrunched up her nose, "It's not in the same way that you're immortal, but…" Bella trailed off with a half shrug.

Relief surged through me. Immortal. I could get the fine print later, what mattered right now was that she was not going to turn to dust before my eyes.

I mentally reviewed my list of questions, and quickly decided on the next pressing issue. I slowly reached over and took Bella's warm hand in mine, ghosting my thumb across her knuckles. "How do you know about vampires?" I murmured softly.

"Well…" I watched as Bella chewed on the inside of her cheek, "When I was 13 my Dad and I were camping near the Grand Canyon when we were attacked by a nomad."

I felt my entire body tense as I struggled against the urge to growl like a feral animal and pull Bella close against my chest. I clenched my jaw and I could feel the tendons in my neck straining as I held back a savage snarl. "What happened?" I managed to bite out between clenched teeth. I didn't want to frighten Bella, especially now when she had just admitted to being attacked by one of my kind. Suddenly the reason for her sheer terror on that very first day came into focus with startling clarity. Bella had been afraid of me, and the last thing I wanted to do was give her any reason to fear me now.

Bella coughed softly. "It was night, and this vampire just… appeared out of nowhere. Before I even knew what was happening Charlie had shifted. I wanted to help, but I couldn't. I was just… stuck." Bella finished meekly.

"Charlie killed a vampire?" I asked incredulously, Bella nodded slowly and I couldn't help but clarify. "By himself?" I pressed, still not quite believing that the unassuming Chief of Police had managed to take down a vampire solo.

"Yeah?" Bella mumbled.

The reality of the situation hit me like a bucket of ice water. If her father was capable of destroying a vampire, surely Bella was as well. While I had remained vigilant last night, I never truly thought I was in any danger, but apparently I was. Bella was more than capable of ending my existence. "Have you ever…?" I trailed off suggestively.

"No. Never." Bella shook her head vigorously. "That was the only vampire I had ever seen until I saw you and your family in the school cafeteria."

I nodded my acceptance of her answer, and braced myself for her next by gently caressing her cheek. "Why did you growl at me?" I whispered, what I really wanted to ask was 'were you afraid of me?' but the potential answer to that question frightened me too much for me to actually ask it.

Bella reached up and pulled my hand away from her face as she looked at me in confusion, "Why did I do what now?"

"You-you growled at me. You looked like you were going to attack me. Don't you remember?"

"I-I… don't usually remember what happens when I transform. I mean- I remember that you were there, but-" Bella shut her eyes, squeezing them closed as she furrowed her brow in concentration. She bit on her bottom lip as she thought, and after a moment she shook her head angrily before returning to her stern concentration. I diligently filed away the information about her transformation, knowing that when I got home my family would have a plethora of questions and any little piece of information that I gained now would be needed if I wanted to survive their inquisition. "Oh god." Bella gasped out painfully as she opened her eyes in pained distress. I smiled sadly at her as tears streamed down her face, hoping that seeing me accept her so completely and calmly would offer her some comfort. I slowly reached over and brushed away her tears with the pad of my thumb, "Oh god." Bella heaved in a rattling breath. "I am so," Bella paused as she hiccuped around her words, "Sorry!" She wailed as she buried her face in her hands and her body was overcome with the strength of her sobs.

I couldn't fight the unyielding desire to comfort her, to hold her and soothe her distress. I shuffled forward and curled my arms around her shaking frame, I easily lifted her into my lap and pressed her close against my chest. Bella continued to sob as her tears soaked into my shirt. I didn't have much experience in comforting crying women so I just did my best. I caressed her hair soothingly and gently rocked us backwards and forwards until Bella's gasping sobs quietened.

"I didn't realise. I didn't know who you were, not at first." Bella mumbled morosely against my chest, still sniffling slightly but making no move to untangle herself from my embrace.

I continued my loving touches, softly petting her hair as I spoke. "It is okay, love."

Bella shook her head violently against my chest, "No." She sniffled. "No it's not okay. You-you don't get it do you?" Bella began to squirm in my lap and I quickly removed my arms, the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel trapped or smothered. Bella scurried out of my embrace and came to her knees in front of me. "That's why I asked you to leave, why I begged you to go. I am not safe, Edward." Bella's eyes brimmed with tears and her lips were trembling in an effort to not start crying again. If anyone could understand the feeling of being something dangerous, of being a threat to those around you, it was me.

I felt my expression soften, "You'd never hurt me."

"You're right, I wouldn't." Bella glowered sullenly, looking at her expression was like looking into a mirror, her face was filled with bitter self-loathing. I silently reached out my hand to her, and she took it in hers. "But you're still not understanding me, Edward." Bella shifted from her knees, sitting back down and crossing her legs. "I'm young, I don't-" Bella huffed angrily, "I can't control it. Not yet. When I transform, I lose all sense of who I am. So you're right, I would never hurt you, I couldn't. But when I change, I'm not me, not anymore." Bella's eyes were wide and oh so sad, begging me to understand what she was telling me.

I understood perfectly, I would never forget the feral look in Bella's eye right after she transformed – now I understood the exact weight of that encounter. When Bella had opened her bright yellow eyes to see me standing there, all she had perceived was a threat, a strange vampire that could hurt her, every instinct she had in that moment was telling her to destroy me. And yet… she didn't. The sound of my voice had brought her back from the brink of madness. I knew how impossible it was to pull a vampire back in the middle of a hunt, how difficult it was to appeal to their more human nature rather than the animal within. Bella had managed it, she had been able to quell the animal within, even if it was only for a moment.

"You're wrong." I murmured. I saw Bella open her mouth to argue and I swiftly brought my finger to her lips. "No, no arguing with me. Just listen." I saw Bella's eyes harden for a moment before she nodded almost imperceptibly. I smiled and lowered my hand.

"You're right, at first you weren't you. I looked into your eyes, bright yellow and so foreign and there was nothing even close to resembling human in there." Bella sniffed and hung her head, trying to hide behind the curtain of her hair. I couldn't have that, I needed Bella to hear me. I needed her to know I understood the dangers of her company, but that I was not frightened by them, or by her. Bella needed to know that she was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for.

I slowly reached over and tucked my fingers under her chin and gently coaxed her out of hiding. "But then I said your name. I said your name and reminded you of who I was and it was like something behind your eyes shifted. Suddenly those bright eyes held more understanding and emotion than I ever thought possible, and I knew that you knew what was going on. It was like a puppet with its strings cut and you just crumpled under your own weight, hiding behind your own paws." I smiled softly at the memory as I moved my hand from her jaw to tuck an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. I found myself leaning closer to her. "You were so amazing, so beautiful." I whispered as I continued to close the gap between us.

I gently pressed my lips against hers and was delighted to feel her readily kissing me back. Bella's warm hands became tangled in my windswept hair as she pressed herself against me. I forced myself to pull away, not wanting to push either of us too far during what was an extremely emotional time.

Bella fell backwards with a heady sigh, her face flushed red and pink, and I silently revelled in the exquisite reaction I had managed to pull from her body. I could see the redness continue down her neck and over her exposed collarbones, and I couldn't stop myself from wondering just how far the beautiful blush had spread. I silently chastised myself for such thoughts, that was the exact reason I had pulled away when I did. I couldn't trust myself to remain calm when it came to Bella.

Bella took a few deep breaths to regain control over her senses. Her eyes flickered to me hesitantly. "I- I remember that-" She cut herself off, biting her lip shyly.

"What?"

"I remember the look on your face when you saw me transform." Bella mumbled quickly. "You looked horrified. You're disgusted by me." Her whispered confession broke my heart and yet I couldn't stop the gentle chuckle from escaping me. Disgusted by her. What a ridiculous thing to say.

Bella looked more than a little upset by my laughter so I rushed to explain myself. "Oh, Bella." I chuckled with a shake of my head. "You silly girl, no I could never be anything other than completely enthralled by you. Was I shocked? Of course, I mean I witnessed you shed your skin and transform into a wolf. Was I a little grossed out? Yes, at first but come on Bella, I'm a vampire so I am in no place to judge you." I smirked playfully. I recalled the many hours I had spent drenched in animal blood during my newborn year, I truly held no judgement against Bella.

Bella narrowed her eyes and pouted adorably. "It's rude to laugh at people, ya know." She grumbled.

My smile grew into a toothy grin. "It's not my fault you are so utterly amusing." I teased.

"I'll show you," Bella muttered and to my utter shock she launched herself at me, a slight growl rumbling in her chest. Bella collided with me and I fell backwards, limbs sprawled out beside me as Bella sat on my chest triumphantly.

"You think you could fight me off?" I teased with a smirk. I lightly grabbed her shoulders and flipped her over, fully intent on wrestling her to the ground but Bella managed to use my own momentum to try and gain the upper hand. We wrestled for a moment, and then finally I managed to pin Bella underneath me. I straddled her stomach and firmly planted my hands on either side of her head and shot her a smug grin. Bella's face was flushed red from exertion, and I could feel her laboured breathing puff out her chest and stomach under my thighs.

I tried to focus on anything other than her warm body heaving against my own, but it was proving difficult. I had wrestled with my siblings many times, but having Bella pinned beneath me was decidedly different than having Rose or Alice under my control. I had never had these… urges before. I could recognise them for what they were: sexual attraction. But I had no idea what to do about it. I had come to terms with my romantic and emotional attraction to Bella, and of course I admired her untamed beauty, but never had I felt the warm surge of desire like I was experiencing in that moment.

While I struggled with my inner demons Bella took advantage of my distracted mind to gain the upper hand once again. Bella shifted her hips until one of her knees became lodged between our entwined bodies, and then she bucked her hips violently, throwing me off balance. Bella made the most of my moment of weakness and grabbed my upper arms to further unbalance me. Bella was once again straddling my stomach and I wriggled around in an attempt to dislodge her, but Bella held a determined look in her eye as she scooted up my body and placed her entire weight on my chest as her small hands encased my wrists and pinned them to my side.

"I win!" Bella declared with a grin and a quick kiss to my forehead before she threw herself off me and landed with a laugh in the grass beside me.

I waited for Bella to catch her breath and for her heartbeat to slow to a more calming rhythm before speaking. I sat up and dusted the bit of grass and wildflowers from my shirt. "You're very strong." I complimented, and it was the truth. Even though I wasn't using my full strength I was still fighting with more power than any human could have hoped to overcome.

"Not as strong as you." Bella shrugged. "You were going easy on me." She accused with a soft laugh.

I smiled bashfully at her. "Maybe a little. I mean it though, you are incredible."

Bella laughed loudly and fell back onto the grass with a heavy sigh. I watched her as she stared up at the puffy white clouds as they danced across the crystal blue sky. Suddenly, with a flurry of movement that was much too fast to be considered normal, Bella sprung to her feet and began to look around wildly.

I stared up at her, "Bella? What's wrong?"

"I didn't realise how late in the day it was." Bella groaned, covering her face with her hand.

"Is that-" I paused as I stood up, "Is that a problem?" I asked as I dusted off my pants.

"No- well yes. I mean I never returned home after a full-moon, which would be cause for Charlie to worry. And now I am skipping school, so once the school calls him to check where I am he will just be pissed." Bella fretted as she began to walk towards the treeline. She paused for a moment and I watched as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, turning her head this way and that, trying to figure out how to get home.

I smiled, she was utterly adorable. I gently took hold of her wrist and tugged her in the correct direction. "My car is this way."

"Your car?" Bella repeated as she stumbled slightly. She frowned disapprovingly at the oversized clothes for a moment before she tugged the t-shirt to one side and tied a tidy knot in the fabric, causing the garment to fit her marginally better. "What's your car doing here?"

"Well, after you ran off I felt like I should follow you. Just to make sure you were okay." Bella scoffed and rolled her eyes at this but didn't say anything so I continued. "After a while you seemed to catch a scent, it took me a while to realise you were tracking my scent. It led you to that meadow. You seemed to settle down to sleep, it was still an hour or so until dawn but I could see that you were beginning to…" I hesitated as I tried to find the appropriate word.

"Transform back?" Bella chirped.

I smiled at her. "Yes. I didn't think you would appreciate waking up naked in the woods, so I covered you with my coat and left for home to gather you something to dress in. I figured it would be best to bring my car also, I wasn't- or rather I am still not sure how fast you are in your human form." I explained simply. I didn't want her to think I had taken advantage of her nakedness while she was sleeping and could not consent.

"Well that was very considerate of you," Bella hummed happily. "As for how fast I am? Well probably not as fast as you, though probably still faster than you would be expecting." Bella teased cryptically.

"That sounds like a challenge." I murmured darkly.

Bella bit her lip and turned her face away from me bashfully. Bella shifted lightly on her feet, and then dashed off into the woods, disappearing amongst the foliage with startling speed. I gasped in surprise at the surprising display. "You cheater!" I called out with a laugh as I took off after her. Bella was fast, but I was faster. I quickly caught up with her and ran alongside her for a moment before I pushed ahead. I heard an irritated growl from behind me, and once again Bella was running at my side. I shot her a teasing smirk as I once again pushed ahead, and this time Bella couldn't catch me.

I could see the end of the forest rapidly approaching so I started to slow down. It seemed Bella didn't have the same idea because after a moment she barrelled past me. "Bella! Watch out!" I hollered out. Bella either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me, the latter seemed much more likely.

I came bursting out of the forest just in time to see Bella attempt to stop herself on the loose gravel and fall ass over tea-kettle. A large cloud of dust was kicked up as Bella slid across the ground, before thudding painfully against the tyre of my parked car. "Bella!" I rushed over to her and immediately began checking her for injuries. It felt as if my heart was in my throat at the possibility of her being injured. "Are you okay?"

Bella laughed loudly, as if she were delighted by her clumsy display. It reminded me of when she had fallen over in the creek while trying to dig out a rock, and I smiled at the memory as Bella stood up.

"Just how fragile do you think I am?" Bella chuckled as she dusted herself off. I stood up as well and continued to subtly check her for injury. Bella playfully slapped my hands away. Not subtle enough, it seemed. "I'm fine." Bella laughed.

I pulled her securely against my chest. "Please don't scare me like that," I breathed against the top of her head.

"No promises." Bella mumbled.

I figured I would take what I could get. I opened the passenger side door and Bella slid inside without complaint. I rushed around to the other side of the car and started the engine before I pulled out onto the winding road. I was half watching the road and half watching Bella as I made the drive to the Swan house. Bella seemed worn out and exhausted but otherwise content, I reached over the console and gently took her hand in mine as I drove. Bella released a tired sigh as she slouched down in her seat, a sleepy smile curled her lips as her thumb traced lightly over my knuckles. A strange sound began to fill the empty silence, a deep rumbling growl that was coming from deep within Bella's chest. No… it wasn't a growl it was more like… a purr. An amused grin broke out on my face and before I could stop it I chuckled loudly.

The purring cut off abruptly as Bella looked over at me with a confused look on her face. "You-" I chuckled with a shake of my head, "You were… I don't know how else to put this but you were purring." I teased lovingly.

"I was not." Bella huffed out indignantly.

"Oh you were too." I countered teasingly.

"Wolves do not purr." Bella said the word as if it tasted bitter in her mouth. "If anything I was growling. Happily." She snipped.

"Is that something you do regularly? Purr- excuse me- growl?" I smirked.

"Not particularly."

"Well, I think it's adorable." I tried to soothe her irritation as I pulled into her driveway, apparently calling her adorable wasn't the way to do that.

"Adorable. Keep talking and I'll show you adorable." Bella muttered under her breath as she moved to exit the car.

I quickly reached out to stop her, there was one more question that was burning a hole in my tongue. I gently reached out and placed my hand on her neck, using my thumb to gently coax her to face me. "I just have one more question before you go." I murmured.

"Alright." Bella nodded.

I let my fingers gently caress Bella's face as I took a steadying breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Bella's entire body visibly stiffened in response to my question, and I watched dismayed as her now rather familiar mask of indifference slowly clouded her features. Bella reached up and slowly removed my hand from her cheek, and a horrible sick feeling clenched in my gut. I had clearly pushed her too far, and now she was going to leave. My panic settled somewhat when Bella didn't release my hand, instead she held it with both of hers.

"Edward, I-" Bella's mask slipped slightly as she took a trembling breath in. "I couldn't- I mean- At first-and then." With each stuttering and stumbling word, Bella's mask fell further until she was a muttering mess.

"Bella, just take deep breath." I whispered softly and waited until Bella did as she was told. "Good, there we go." I cooed gently. "Now just try again, slowly this time."

"Edward, you gotta believe me when I tell you that I was going to tell you." Bella bit her lip guiltily. "Eventually. I just didn't know how."

"I believe you, Bella. But you still haven't answered my question." I tried to sound gentle and understanding, I wanted an answer but I didn't want to upset her.

Bella stared at my hand that was still held between both of hers as she spoke. "When I first moved here, I asked Charlie if you and your family knew about us. He told me you didn't, and that while he didn't think you were a direct threat, that it was best not to risk it." Bella's words were mumbled so faintly that if I hadn't had supernaturally enhanced hearing I would have struggled to catch all the words.

"Risk what?"

"Risk your family alerting the Volturi to our presence." I couldn't contain my gasp at the shocking discovery – not only did Bella know about the Volturi but apparently they were a threat to her safety. Bella's eyes quickly met mine. "Once I got to know you, I realised you would never – I mean you'd never doanything to put me in danger, let alone snitch on me to the vampire cops." My lips twitched in a small smile at her crude humour and Bella released a breathy chuckle that was devoid of almost any real happiness. "But by then, it just…" Bella sighed heavily and slumped sideways against the back of the car seat, the poor girl was clearly exhausted, her late night romp in the woods followed by an emotionally charged day had probably left her completely drained. "It just seemed like I had waited too long? I didn't know how to tell you, I felt like I had dug myself too deep into this hole of lies and half truths and I was terrified that once you found out the truth that you wouldn't want to see me anymore." Bella rushed through her words.

I gently removed my hand from Bella's and instead I curled it around the back of her neck. I could feel goose-pimples rise up on Bella's skin where my fingers touched her as I pulled her across the centre console and pressed my lips against hers. Our lips moved against each other in perfect harmony, and after a moment I pulled away. I rested my forehead against Bella's and took a moment to bathe in her scent. "There is nothing you can do that would make me want to leave you." I confessed in a whisper. "You'll just have to face it. Bella Swan, you're stuck with me." As close as we were I could feel her smile at my words.

Now all that was left was for me to face down my family's reaction. May the Lord give me strength.

A/N: Thanks to glowingivy from Ao3 for Beta-ing the chapter. And thank you all for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed it.