Chapter 3

I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR CHARACTERS

"I-I hate to burst your-your bubble here Alice, but that sounds like a fantastically bad idea," Bella stammered, immediately searching for any way to shoot down that idea as quickly as possible. Her internal panic skyrocketed and that was definitely saying something considering how high it had been all night.

If Alice couldn't see it in her eyes yet, then she was oblivious.

"It is not!" the vampire huffed back, giving her a mildly pouty look at the immediate dismissal of her plan, as if she didn't understand why the brunette was reacting like this.

Oblivious it is then. As if her mildly gay panic induced by an overdose of mysteriously prominent pheromones wasn't already bad enough, Alice actually wanted a repeat of the scenario that had caused them.

Seriously.

What the hell.

"Yes it is!" Bella argued, unable to keep the astonishment off her face.

What on God's green earth had convinced Alice that this could possibly be a good idea? After what had happened last time, she wanted Bella to do it again? Huh?

"No, it's not," Alice growled back, shifting around on the bed as Bella gave her a WTF look.

"Yes it is!" Bella repeated firmly, eyebrows warring with her hairline from how high they'd risen.

"Are you high?"

Loco. She's absolutely nuts! Bella thought. How could that ever be a logical course of action?

"No it isn't, and no I am not! Vampires can't even get high, thank you very much," Alice snapped smartly. "Will you just hear me out?" she pleaded, softening her gaze as Bella continued to look at her as if she were insane.

Bella stared at her friend skeptically. No, not even skeptically, but with downright refusal.

"You want me to bite you, again? After what happened last time? Alice, what the fu-"

"Bella, shut up."

Bella scowled at that and immediately began glaring, beyond miffed. However, it took about three seconds of seeing the twinkle in Alice's eye and the slight quirk to the corner of her mouth to know that the girl was deliberately trying to push her buttons to make her listen.

She finally gave up on trying to make Alice cower with her feeble glaring and rolled her eyes. She mimed zipping her lips before sitting back and crossing her arms before flippantly waving her hand as if to say Go ahead.

"Thank you," Alice beamed before immediately becoming serious again.

Again with the mood swings, Bella noted. But something swiftly demanded her attention as Alice began to talk. After the initial shock of the absurdity of Alice's suggestion, a previous problem became known once more.

Pheromones.

They seemed to come rushing back up and make her dizzy as Alice's voice was twisted into something soft and seductive, tantalizing.

Renewed hysteria had Bella's heart going a hundred miles an hour flat in about two seconds. She tried not to outwardly grimace and prayed that the knotting of her stomach wouldn't result in long lasting ulcers.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's really not. From the moment I've stepped foot in your room tonight Bella, I haven't even been able to look at you the same, nor have you been able to look at me the same. I keep waiting for you to start shrieking and pulling out crosses, or waving garlic under my nose," Alice began, tearing Bella out of her inner chaos.

"I would never," she gawked, affronted at the notion that not only would she treat her friend that way, but also in such a stupid manner.

Alice ignored the look on her face and continued. (Bella was beginning to wonder if she'd been doing that all night too, because no way was she that good of an actress.) "I just…I can't stand the thought of you being afraid of me especially when I know that I have the control to handle myself in a situation like that. I've practiced it for the past five decades solid. I'm better than that. I'm pissed at myself that I let myself get caught off guard like that. Bella, I meant it when I said you could honestly haul off and slap me right across the mouth and I promise you I'd keep my cool…Well, I might be kind of pissed, but I wouldn't assault you."

Right now, slapping Alice across the mouth was starting to look like a better idea than biting her.

No. She refused to consider this. This was absolutely ridiculous. Ridiculous! Bella was already desperately trying to ignore the unnerving effects Alice's presence seemed to be causing, and she was pretty sure it had something to do with the little nip she'd given her a week ago. To take the chance of biting her again might make it worse.

She wasn't afraid that Alice would react the same way because she was afraid the vampire would hurt her. Like she'd said, she wasn't afraid of her friend. She trusted her, and she knew she'd only snapped her control because she'd startled her.

No, Bella wasn't afraid of being hurt. She was afraid that she would like it.

Maybe-maybe if this was how it felt to think about it, a way that it shouldn't feel, it would be even more potent to actually do it.

Uh uh. This could not be allowed to happen. If Alice didn't think she was a freak before, she sure as hell would if they went through with this and Bella ended up being…Oh god, being aroused by it enough to where the vampire's keen senses could sense it.

"I know that, Alice. That's why I think this is dumb! What's the point in taking the risk when we both know you've got impeccable control?" Bella burst out, unable to keep quiet any longer.

Smothering all this couldn't be good for her. It was starting to make her kind of queasy.

"Because there is no risk and I need you to know that. I need to prove it to you, and I need to prove it to myself," Alice insisted fervently, fisting the sheets in her hands as she leaned forward a little.

A waft of Alice's lovely aroma teasingly rushed through her diaphragm as Bella breathed in sharply at the closer positioning. A litany of furious swears went through her mind and she tried not to visibly drawback to keep it together.

"Why can't you just believe me?" Bella breathed out, trying to keep her voice strong. It didn't work and the intensity of Alice's expression made her swallow hard. The frustration and pain in those swirling amber eyes nearly broke her heart.

Alice was serious. She really was even more torn up than Bella had thought. And that fact cut through the daze of pheromones and tugged at her heartstrings.

Oh Alice, she thought sadly when the girl grit her teeth and pulled back, clearly torn.

"Because. Because just the fact that you're so resistant to this proves that you think something bad will happen if we do, and it won't. Because all night you've been looking at me like a caged animal, like you're anxious just being around me. Because you-You flinch every time I even go near you, let alone touch you. That never-That's never bothered you before. You never minded, we were always just close like that and now-" Alice cut herself off in a fit of anguish and averted her eyes sharply. Bella was sure she'd seen them shining with un-sheddable tears, and that felt like a punch to the gut.

She'd never seen Alice truly hurting before. They'd always been happy together and she'd never seen the vampire with a reason to cry or even get this upset. It was startling, the effect it had on her. In fact, everything Alice did had quite a startling effect on her.

Oh, but how wrong she was.

Bella wasn't afraid that Alice would hurt her. She was afraid Alice would turn her on. It turned out Alice actually had been reading the looks on her face.

Crap, she thought. How many times a night was it okay to panic before you started running the risk of permanently high blood pressure and/or a heart attack?

"No, Alice I-"

The vampire had it all wrong.

And Bella couldn't correct her without giving herself away. The thought of even doing that sent her into a tailspin of heated embarrassment and shame that threatened to melt her into a pathetic puddle.

No way was she going to tell Alice the effect her pheromones were having. This shit didn't happen with anyone else around her. She'd think Bella had some weird, psychotic lesbian crush on her or something now. Just because she was bi meant nothing.

Biting a vampire and being kissed by one didn't convert you to lesbianism. That was absolutely idiotic, and no way could she even attempt to explain that asinine notion to Alice without coming of completely weird.

But then why was her presence so intoxicating now?

"It's fine, Bella. It's okay. I won't pressure you. I know it was a dumb idea. I just don't know what else to do to fix this. I just-Maybe it's better if I just go," Alice interrupted as she turned back to her, giving Bella a watery smile that came nowhere near to reaching her eyes.

What?

If she hadn't reached the healthy panic threshold yet, she'd just blown it through the roof.

"I'll do it!" Bella yelped, wildly flailing and grabbing crazily at Alice's jacket sleeves as Alice shifted to leave.

Yeah, no.

"Shut up you idiot, I'll do it if it will make you stop acting like this!" she gasped. "Don't even with your melodramatic storm out. At the rate you're going you'd probably beef it out the window anyway," she added, trying to cover up for her unreasonable alarm at that suggestion. She desperately avoided Alice's WTF look that mirrored hers from before. Being a hypocrite and calling Alice the melodramatic one here was helpful.

Whatever. No way was she losing Alice to this nonsense. If she left now Bella would probably never see her again. Even though a reprieve from the effect her presence was having would be great, that option was null and void. It wasn't worth the brunette's overreaction to lose her friend. The thought that she might made her decidedly forlorn.

"Really?" Alice cocked an eyebrow. "But…No, Bella, you're obviously uncomfortable and I'm not going to pressure you into this, it was stupid and I-"

"I'm perfectly comfortable," Bella lied through her freaking teeth, mentally beating herself silly with a hammer for acting so rashly.

But really, when she stopped and thought about the possible consequences of Alice leaving like that, she could barely stand it…

But was she really capable of biting Alice again to prevent that?

"No, you're not. I can tell by the sound of your voice. It was an inane suggestion and I'm not forcing you into this-"

"You can read the future, not the tone of my voice. I'm serious, Alice, if this is what it takes to prove to you that I'm not afraid of you, then fine. I'll bite you. It's not a big deal."

Was her voice a noticeably higher pitch than usual? Bella couldn't tell. She was staving off an anxiety attack.

I'm going to bite her. I'm going to sink my teeth into her again, and taste her. And all I'm going to be able to think about is how it felt to kiss her. Oh my god, hell, hell, hell! I'm not even gay! What the fuck is happening to me?

Her words were pitiful at best; Alice didn't need superpowers to read the tone of her voice. A small child could have listened to Bella speak and heard the anxiety in it.

"Bella, no, you're obviously freaked out-"

Understatement of the year.

"Stop telling me what I feel, damn it! I am not freaked out and I'm not scared of you!"

Lie-diddy-lie-lie-lie.

Lies.

"But-"

"Alice, shut up!"

Bella needed her to stop talking. Like right now. She needed Alice to stop trying to talk her out of it before it worked and their crumbling friendship finally really broke.

Alice snapped her mouth closed and glared at Bella's reiteration that sounded familiar, as if just maybe Alice had said the same thing earlier. The brunette gave her a weak, sheepish grin and after a moment, the vampire grudgingly rolled her eyes and sighed at her.

"Okay," Alice whispered, giving Bella a sincere look that made the brunette's insides throb faintly with some uncertain emotion.

Bella let go of her jacket promptly and sat back up, having suddenly realized what exactly she'd just done. She hadn't realized how tightly she'd been holding onto Alice's jacket sleeves, and wasn't sure why the vampire was so unaffected by it. If the roles had been reversed, Bella would have been completely put off by the display and the grip, but as it was, the pale girl didn't seem to care.

They went silent for a long, tense moment. Bella took the time to gather herself and breathed in deep breaths while she rubbed the back of her neck, blushing faintly under Alice's stare.

This is no big deal. Just-cool it, Swan. Deep breaths. That's it. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Now look at her. She's still just Alice, your best friend. So you bit her. So what. So she licked your throat like a lollipop. So what. So she kissed you. So what. And maybe you even kinda liked it. No. Big. Deal. Pheromones are powerful stuff. It was an honest mistake. She's a vampire, for god's sake, something like this was bound to happen eventually. Just calm down. She's obviously hurting and you're acting like an imbecile. You can bite her again, and Alice will take it like a champ and realize you're not scared of her after proving how good her control is, and then you both can laugh at your idiocy and move on and put this whole mess behind you. Stop acting like a dweeb and just get it over with!

Bella finally really looked at Alice after her exhausting mental prep talk, and smiled.

Aaand all her resolve shattered the moment their pupils connected and she saw how pretty and broken Alice was, realized how deeply she'd been breathing in her scent and how she was literally about to put her mouth on her skin.

She couldn't do this. Oh hell, she couldn't do this.

"Bella…Are you sure about this?" Alice said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Mhm," Bella squeaked, barely keeping eye contact

"You're sure? Really sure?"

"Yep."

"Really, really sure?"

"Yes, Alice. I mean it!" Bella cried.

If the vampire kept testing her resistance any further, the brunette would back out and that would be their friendship gone down the tubes. Bella didn't think she could stand that at this point, especially with how her relationship with Edward was going lately. She couldn't take any more heartache. Then again, she was starting to think she couldn't take anymore panic. Seriously. She was about to puke.

"If you mean it, then yeah, this is pretty much all I can think of to do the trick…" Alice murmured. "I guess…We should just go ahead and get it over with?"

Shit, she thought. Shitty shit shit. What did I just do?

"Alright well um…Okay. How do you want to do this?" Bella inquired softly, feeling like her insides were buzzing all at once, like the way her foot felt when it fell asleep.

"Um, I guess the best way to do it would be as close as possible to the first time so I can show you I can keep control in a situation like that…C'mere, Bells."

Damn damn damn! Bella's inner mantras were becoming decidedly vulgar. Why did those freaking pheromones have to make everything Alice say sound like a pornographic beckoning? The way she said 'come here' as if the brunette were her half naked lover or something…

Bella had convinced herself to agree in a moment of weakness, terrified that Alice had been about to really drop out of her life for good if she didn't do something drastic. But now she was regretting it, and not for the reasons Alice would assume she was.

It was time to face facts. She was aroused by Alice.

There. She admitted it.

No big deal. Pheromones did that to people. She could deal with that.

Just not if she had to crawl back into the other girl's lap and taste her flawless marble skin again.

Bella slid forward after an unreasonable amount of hesitance with all the reluctance of someone

about to be struck; as if she were crawling towards something disgusting instead of one of the most beautiful and intoxicating creatures on the planet. She shuffled forward awkwardly, not meeting the other girl's eyes, pointedly staring at her delicate chin and not her neck, and certainly not her breasts (again).

"Bella?"

At the sound of her name on pretty pink lips, however, she was forced to look up.

"It's okay…I mean it. I'm not going to hurt you," Alice murmured, her eyes so tender that it actually hurt in a weird way to look at her.

"I know. I wouldn't have agreed if I thought otherwise," Bella choked out the lie, already running through a million different scenarios that ranged anywhere from disturbingly sexual to frighteningly violent.

Awkwardly, Alice moved towards her. Bella froze up as the vampire sidled forward and dropped her right leg over the side of the bed so she could get closer. Bella reluctantly uncrossed her legs and got on her knees.

"It's okay," Alice repeated softly when the brunette made no other movements.

Bella nodded but couldn't make herself move again, trapped in her limbo of fear. Her veins seemed to pump with Alice when the other girl was so close.

After a long moment of just staring at each other, Alice kind and sincere, Bella trapped like a deer in headlights, the vampire tentatively reached a hand out to help her frozen friend.

"I'll…Here, let me…"

Hesitantly, as if unsure if Bella would slap her away, Alice touched her. She almost yelped when a cold hand gently laid over the back of her neck and gently began drawing her forward, giving her all the ability in the world to pull away if she wanted to.

A bizarrely accurate and frightening image of herself being forced into a medieval guillotine flashed across Bella's eyes. She bit her lip as Alice slowly brought her in, turning her head to the side and baring the smooth, creamy expanse of the left side of her neck, on Bella's right. The brunette shuffled closer and closer, no longer breathing and both her legs kind of pressed down on either side of the vampire's thigh that remained on the bed.

Oh god, Bella thought at the sight. Oh my god, what am I doing?

"Don't hold back or anything. That would kinda defeat the point. You have to bite me the same way you bit me before…Which was really hard…Jerk," Alice huffed playfully, but Bella didn't even have the ability to form a customary joking response.

She seemed to be entering some sort of powerful daze…

The pure scent of Alice was slowly but surely crammed into her senses, shuttled into her skull to really drive the point of her allure home. Pheromones created crystalline patterns of need along the insides of her skin, Alice's cool touch radiating icy heat along the back of her neck.

Why is she having this much of an effect on me? Bella wondered, swimming in the palpable sensations. I knew vampires were supposed to be alluring, but god this is different…

When Bella's lips were only centimeters from her neck, Alice's hand slid down to her shoulder where it stayed, an anchor to keep the brunette from shying.

"This isn't really that big of a deal, you know," Bella stated a good ten seconds outside the usual response time of two people conversing but as if Alice had only spoken a moment ago.

Huh. Who knew she was a talker when on the edge of a cliff. She'd never thought she'd be the kind of person to talk to ward of complete and total hysteria. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Alice or herself.

She stared blankly at Alice's neck, the cogs and gears spinning rapidly in her brain, and yet no comprehension was produced for all their efforts. She was just saying shit to keep from losing her freaking' mind.

"I know. I don't know why we're being so dramatic," Alice agreed, however. The vampire laughed a little and shifted to get more comfortable.

Bella didn't notice that. All she noticed was how soft Alice's skin looked when she knew it was tougher than granite, and how her throat bobbed when she chuckled. All she noticed was her scent, and the weight of her hand on her shoulder, how it was both a temptation and a chain.

What am I doing with my life? She thought desperately.

She put her hand on Alice's left shoulder to steady herself and tentatively slid her other hand into the upturned collar of her jacket, pushing it out of her way. Her hand was brushed by feather soft hair that hugged the contours of a gorgeous jaw line and it made her whole arm erupt in goose bumps. When her palm slid across a lovely sloping shoulder and she felt the coolness of Alice's skin, she almost jerked away.

Alice would be wearing a spaghetti top tonight. No wonder it was so low cut.

Best not to think about her cleavage against at a moment like this. She really tried not to think about why she had to try to not think about Alice's cleavage, ever.

"So do I just…Go for it?" she squeaked, her throat impossibly dry, her body aching in an odd way, her mind whirling a thousand miles a minute.

"Yep," Alice's voice was a far cry from hers, chipper almost.

Weird girl, Alice was. She seemed completely unperturbed. Her belief in her own control was almost inspiring. It was too bad that couldn't rub off on Bella instead of her pheromones. She truly seemed to believe that if Bella bit her again, everything would be fine from there.

"Okay," Bella breathed, leaned in as close as she dared. She screwed her eyes shut as Alice continued to stare at the far wall, as oblivious to Bella's turmoil as she had been all night…Or so she'd seemed.

"Okay," Alice parroted calmly.

"Okay," Bella repeated, still fighting the pheromones with everything she had even as her whole body reacted to being so close, so close since what had happened, to redo it, to actually bite Alice again, and god she shouldn't be having this reaction but she was and she didn't know how to make it stop.

"Okay," Alice's voice was a near giggle in her ear, amused by Bella's antics, apparently.

"Okay," she said back again, stalling helplessly.

God, god, god! Do it! Just do it! You're being ridiculous!

"Okay?" Alice's tone became an uncertain question and she turned slightly back towards her friend to see if it really was, considering the amount of times they'd said 'okay' in the past ten seconds.

"O-kay!"

Bella's last thought was simply a solid Fuck it before she opened her mouth and jerked forward, eyes still determinedly shut against the on onslaught of thick pheromones penetrating her system. She dug her nails in without meaning to into the skin of Alice's shoulder beneath her jacket and her heart seemed to stop-literally just stop as she snapped her teeth closed on a cold, graceful neck.

The world slowed to a blinding crawl.

Bella whimpered when she heard Alice inhale sharply next to her, startled by the sudden execution. The brunette felt strong flesh give the slightest bit to the cruel imprint of her teeth which tingled down to the roots. She'd bitten down hard, as hard as the first time in her rush. She felt Alice's hand squeeze her shoulder and felt its twin clamp down on her other one.

Oh my god…

A blast of pheromones rocked her eyes open.

Oh Jesus, she'd felt that one down in her bones.

Her nervous system fired and she gasped aloud around the mouthful of Alice that she had.

Everything lit up, pleasantly faintly tingling along her senses. Her world seemed to blur and she fought to make sense of what was happening to her, but before she could get beyond oh my god and Jesus Christ, she lost control of her body and slumped forward. The weight of her body pressed into Alice's as she trembled, and god, god, mother of Mary and Joseph, she should have just sat in Alice's lap again, not straddled her fucking thigh! Her eyes rolled back and a high pitched little keen echoed in the back of her throat as her center came down on Alice's leg. Without meaning to, she dug her teeth in even harder and vaguely heard Alice growl quietly.

But it had no effect, because her tongue had touched skin and it tasted like icy sweet candy, like spearmint and berries. The flavor burst on her tongue and yet another wave of pheromones roiled in her belly in a way that only Edward had ever done to her.

What is happening to me! She internally screamed, drowning in a sea of bliss and fear.

Bella quivered slightly as she felt Alice give a shudder and cock her head a bit to towards the mouth latched on to her. It was this movement that caused Bella to snap back to reality. With a muffled yelp, she reared back and released the bit of flesh she'd bitten down on.

"Alice-Alice I'm sorry-I didn't mean to bite so hard-Jesus, I-"

Frazzled beyond anything else she'd been tonight, Bella swiped frantically at the bite mark she'd left with her hands, trying to clear away the saliva, anything to do to keep from shrieking and fleeing the room. Her heartbeat had tripled and she felt too hot, felt like her skin was moving against her nerves and agitating them in a way that was not unpleasant and she didn't know why her body was reacting like this. Bella was beyond confused and aroused and utterly freaked out.

What was happening?

This time, she'd bitten Alice directly on her pulse point and a wicked ring of reddish purple was blossoming in the imprint of her teeth.

"Bella," Alice said sharply and caught her wrist, jerking it away from the wound as she winced. "It's okay-Stop, stop-"

Bella gasped in the heaviest lungful of air she could manage and then-she simply stopped breathing all together.

There was a vice grip on her heart and her stomach wrought in the chains of Alice's personal brand of vampiric chemical weaponry.

Their eyes had locked. Alice's were darker, a dull, tarnished shade of gold, nearly brass. But they weren't swirling like the first time, with heat and hunger and desire.

The most terrifying part about that was the tiny part of Bella that was disappointed by this.

"I'm fine, Bella. I mean it. Look at me. I'm good, I'm cool. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm fine," Alice smiled reassuringly, mistaking once again the reason for Bella's panic. But indeed, she seemed to be taking it well. Though her smile was strained, it was there, and she wasn't baring her teeth or giving any sign that she was anything but calm and collected.

Her hand softened its hold on the brunette's wrist and became gentle, soothing.

It had the wrong effect.

A path blazed its way down Bella's arm and drove her to the brink of insanity. Her eyes widened and felt as if they were moving too fast, wildly searching Alice's face for something she couldn't begin to name, greedily drinking her in as if she were possessed. Her skin felt too warm and only where Alice touched her did she feel cool enough to exist, to keep control.

"Calm down, honey," Alice said, ducking her head to stare coaxingly at Bella through her lashes. "I'm fine," she repeated insistently, eager to relax the brunette, her thumb comfortingly tracing a figure eight pattern along the inside of the brunette's wrist.

Wrong move.

"Alice?" Bella breathed.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not."

And with that, Bella lunged forward and kissed her.

She really, really kissed her.

Their lips pressed together like two puzzle pieces. The hand Alice didn't hold trapped in her grip cupped her angelic face and held her close, desperately. A feverish fire coursed through Bella's insides and fueled her insane desire, her need. She kissed Alice with passion, pressing forward, unhearing to the startled, muffled gasp the vampire released. She felt Alice's hands come up to her shoulders and her released hand grabbed for the other side of that picture perfect face, loving the sensation of two cool apple cheeks in her palms.

And she continued to kiss her, out of her mind, pheromones singing in her ear and goading her on. Though she couldn't tell if Alice was kissing her back, it didn't matter. Her mouth tasted even better than her neck; spearmint and strawberries, hinting at vague undertones of melted white chocolate.

What a taste. It must be ambrosia. Nothing had ever tasted so good, and the texture of them smeared against her mouth like liquid pleasure. She moaned helplessly, tightening her grip on Alice's face and shuddered when she felt the vampire's chest rumble against hers.

It was a warning Bella was incapable of understanding or heading.

She had no thought. No thought but to keep kissing as she melded their lips together and felt her, really felt Alice and her whole existence, her intoxicating presence. She had never felt anything like this, never wanted it to stop, never ever, never wanted the sensation to end.

But it did when Alice let loose a sharp cry and shoved her back.

"Bella!" she gasped, her voice a tantalizing invitation to Bella's ears, even though it was intended to be the complete opposite.

As for the brunette?

She was ripped from her reverie like a diver who had swan-dived into a pool filled with ice water.

Her eyes snapped open and she felt dizzy, so dizzy as she slumped back into her pillows, breathing hard and insides on fire. Her fists clenched in the sheets and she wanted to die before she even looked up as she felt the heat pooled mercilessly between her thighs, hot and slick…

Their eyes met. Molten black on swirling chocolate.

"Oh my god," she whispered, heart hammering wildly against her ribcage. "Oh my god…"

Alice only stared, wide eyed and unnaturally still, her features frozen into one of shock and bewilderment.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpered out, her hand flying to her mouth. She grimaced when she felt how sensitive her lips were, cringed at the reason why.

No. No. I didn't just do that. I didn't. Oh no, oh no…

"Alice, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know why I did that. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please-p-please don't hate me, I-"

Bella's stammering was painful to hear, even to her own ears. Alice's expression didn't change, nor did she move. She only stared at Bella as if she could not comprehend what had happened.

And her eyes were the color of an oil slick now, shining and solid black.

"I-I'm s-sorry…I'm so sorry," she choked out, finally understanding what exactly she had done.

She had kissed Alice.

She had kissed Alice, who had been in complete control, not the other way around.

I'm a freak, she thought. And that's the end of one of the best friendships I've ever had. Oh god, what's wrong with me?

With her blood still racing as if it would never stop, Bella gave a choked cry and surged up. She leapt off the bed and darted for her bathroom, feeling as if she were seconds away from being sick.

What have I done? Why did I do that? What's happening to me?

But she never made it.

A low snarl reverberated throughout the room and sent ice through her veins, smothering the fire that Alice's pheromones had built into a flaming roar into a weak wisp of smoke instantly. She was three feet away from the door to her bathroom when a cold hand clasped on her wrist and yanked her back so swiftly it gave her whiplash.

"Alice-?" Bella yelped as she was jerked back around ruthlessly and then shoved into the wall, hard.

She gasped in pain as her back hit with a thud, but-

But it was swallowed instantly as Alice slammed her one hand to the wall above her head and kissed her.

Stunned, she gasped again, lightheaded instantaneously as once more, Alice smothered her in pheromones. Her eyes stayed open and she whimpered at the force of the kiss, the way it bruised her lips in a deliciously painful way. She choked out a noise when Alice growled against her mouth, released her hand and grabbed her hips, only to powerfully push her up the wall and an inch of the floor, held up only by the weight of the vampire's body that settled a second later between her hips.

Oh fuck! Bella mentally cried, both in fear and ultimately arousal, unable to verbally say anything as her mouth was assaulted, Alice kissing her hungrily, harder than ever before. Her mouth slanted furiously against Bella's, jaggedly pressing closer.

Unlike before, she was not drowned in some uncontrollable trance. Fear overrode the blinding lust that somehow inexplicably took over her and she stayed sane, understanding that she was in a very, very dangerous position.

Alice had completely lost control this time. Her movements were rough, unrelenting, and completely…Animalistic.

A tongue lashed at her shocked-closed lips and Alice growled harshly when they didn't immediately part for her.

"Mmph-Alice, s-stop-"

It seemed Alice had overestimated her control.

But then again, she had only expected to be bitten, not to be kissed by a madwoman.

And now she was gone.

To say that Bella had messed up would be a complete understatement…

Bella jerked her head to the side, her heart beating a train wreck against her chest. She mewed when Alice snarled, frightened as she realized what was happening. She felt those cool, lovely lips press provocatively to her neck, an open mouthed kiss laving her pulse point. She shuddered and tried to suppress the unhelpful moan that bubbled in the back of her throat when Alice purred and rolled her hips into the center of Bella's undoing.

"Alice please-Alice please stop, stop! You're not y-yourself-Stop!" Bella cried, clawing at her shoulders even when pleasure flooded her core. Her belly twisted but fright made it twist back the other way in a much less pleasant way.

Hell, what did I do to her! Oh god, this is it, I'm screwed! She won't listen, I can't make her listen! She's lost it!

Alice did not seem to hear her. Her lips peppered up and down the side of Bella's neck, before she kissed her pulse point again, wetly dragging her tongue over it in a way that made the brunette want to scream, but all she managed was a weak sob. She quivered and fisted Alice's hair in both hands, her body betraying her even as her mind searched for any way out, although there was none. She was seconds away from yanking on the vampire's head to pull her away as that lithe tongue twirled a pirouette where her blood pumped strongest beneath her skin.

The way it dragged slowly, tasting everything was a red flag…

That coupled with Alice grabbing her chin and pushing it to the side as she shuffled Bella another inch up the wall, bearing up on the tips of her toes to do so, was all the warning Bella got.

It did not happen slowly.

It did not happen with any other outward sign.

She did not even get the chance to suspect what was about to happen, nor would she have ever expected it to in a million years.

It happened as fast as Bella had done it to Alice herself.

Alice bit her.