BPOV

Suddenly, the pain was gone. The burning stopped. I opened my eyes.

I was starring at a ceiling, I could see every detail in the wood, it's cracks and crevices. Slowly, I sat up and looked around the room. In the corner, in a chair, was where he sat. Edward.

He smiled at me and I wondered why he was so far away. Other than the pain, my clearest memory was of Edward's word of affection and his tender care. Without taking my eyes off him, I tried to remember what happened before the burning. School. Edward and Tanya. Together. Driving my truck. Victoria. Death.

"I'm not dead, am I?" I asked shyly, trying not to panic. I didn't feel dead, but something felt very different. It was though I was full of electricity looking for an outlet.

Edward stood up and walking slowly towards me. He kneeled beside me by the bed. "No," he replied. "You've become like me."

Of course. The burning feeling had felt familiar. When James attacked me, I felt the burning, but Edward made it stop.

"Victoria did this?" I asked, even though I knew it was a fact. I was no longer human. I was a vampire. As many times as I begged Edward to change me, I never imagined it would happen this way. But, I was thankful to not have been killed during her attack. I was amazed that somehow Edward had found me.

He nodded, but his face clouded with sorrow. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"It's okay," I tried to assure him, but he continued to look troubled. "What happens now?"

Edward stared at me for a moment, seeming to not know the answer to my question.

I took advantage of his hesitation, as it gave me a chance to look at Edward with my new eyes. He was beautiful. His eyes were dark and mesmerizing, his lips calling to be kissed. Even though I had been transformed into a vampire and wasn't a weak human anymore, he still dazzled me.

"What happens now?" I repeated, before I became completely distracted.

Edward blinked his eyes and shook his head. "We should hunt. You must be thirsty."

My eyes widened and I was overcome with nervousness. "I don't want to kill any humans…."

Human memories were fuzzy, as though spattered with mud, but I was able to recall Emmett's story of his own change, how he was a blood thirsty newborn that had to be under constant supervision. Edward made him change the subject, so he hadn't elaborated, but in my limited knowledge of being a vampire, I knew if I encountered a human I wouldn't be strong enough to resist.

For the first time since I awoke, Edward touched me. He placed his hand on mine and I gasped. His touch felt electric. Instead of pulling away, he gently squeezed my hand.

"I brought you to an island our family owns….it's isolated, surrounded by the ocean, and there are no humans for hundreds of miles. There's plenty of wildlife for you to feed on while you learn control."

His touch and his words calmed me considerably. I sighed. "Oh…good."

He lowered eyes and then looked up. "I won't leave you," he spoke softly.

A flood of emotions overcame me and fuzzy memories that seemed to be slipping away by the second. Edward and I in our meadow. Being blissfully happy. Tanya in my bedroom. Being heartbroken that Edward didn't love me. Victoria. Burning pain. Edward telling me he did love me.

One moment I felt calm, the next moment irate. Emotions and memories. The electricity and energy I felt coursing through me made it difficult to concentrate and have a rational thought. Did Charlie think I was dead? Where was Edward's family? Did Edward really tell me he loved me or did I dream that while burning? I was a vampire? For real? My attention span was extremely short.

I took a deep breath and was distracted by a burning in my throat. I growled in response and frightened myself.

"Woah," I yelped, jumping off the bed and landing across the room. It was so easy to move.

"You're thirsty," Edward explained. He held out his hand. "Shall we go hunt?"

I immediately nodded and placed my hand in his. He smiled and led me out of the room and down the stairs.

We were in a very large cabin, almost the size of a lodge. There wasn't much furniture and it didn't look as if the place had electricity, either. Obviously, no one, human or vampire, had lived here in a very long time. It was twilight and the hum of the forest revealed abundant wildlife. In the air, I could smell a variety of scents, but none of them especially appetizing.

Edward began to run and I followed. He quickly found a deer and demonstrated how to drain it. Instinct took over and I captured the next deer. I didn't think rationally about what I was doing, I just grabbed the buck and sank my teeth into his skin. It's blood did sooth the burning in my throat, but only slightly. In a haze of bloodlust, I didn't calm down until I had slaughtered half a dozen deer.

The entire time Edward stood by, watching me, but not interfering. When I finished and made eye contact with him, he approached.

"You did very well," he praised.

I looked down at my clothes, torn and covered in blood, then looked at Edward with his spotless jeans and shirt. "You're way better at this than I am," I replied.

"I've had a few more years of practice," he grinned, stepping closer.

I looked up and realized we were only inches apart. There was an intensity in Edward's eyes that unnerved me, but his face clearly revealed a vulnerability that I had rarely seen before.

"Bella," he whispered. "I…."

Instead of allowing Edward to finish his sentence, I interrupted by throwing my arms around him and placing my head against his chest, hugging him tightly. He immediately responded by wrapping his arms around me, until almost every inch of our bodies were touching.

I closed my eyes, enjoying being so close to him, becoming aroused by the electricity I felt between us. The darkness of night fell and it felt like we were the only two people on earth.