I was thirsty.

Unbearably thirsty.

I needed to hunt – immediately. But Bella kept refusing to let me go …

"Please, Edward," she begged. "Just stay with me a little longer … you can hunt later."

She moved in front of me, angling her head to the side … I could see the large, purple vein throbbing just beneath the surface of the transparent skin on her neck … I swallowed, resisting the urge to kill her just then.

The scent of her blood was intoxicating. I could hardly focus on anything else - I decided it was time to stop breathing.

Thankfully, Bella started moving away from me, towards the door.

"You look so thirsty," she was saying. "Let me get you something … so that you don't have to hunt."

I was delirious. I needed blood now. I couldn't even comprehend anything … I had no idea what Bella was planning on getting me that would satiate my thirst.

Moments later, she had returned … with a coffee mug.

"Edward, I got you some blood," she was saying. Her voice sounded distant, even to me. "It's here, in this mug. Don't worry … it's … animal blood …"

I blindly reached for the mug, barely glancing at it before throwing the contents down my throat.

Immediately, my senses raged – I needed more. There was barely a cupful of blood in that mug, and it was the most delicious blood I had ever tasted in my life. I let out a roar of victory and agony as I threw the mug, and it shattered against the wall.

I dove blindly, searching for more of this delicious blood … I could smell it … there was more of it to my left, so I pounced onto the creature and sank my teeth into its skin …

The second I tasted the blood, I paused. I carefully pulled my teeth out and looked at what I was drinking.

Bella.

I gasped in horror as I saw the two bite marks in her arm from where I had drank. I quickly cleaned the wounds, to prevent her becoming a vampire. Then I got angry.

"BELLA! WHAT THE DOG ARE YOU DOING? FEEDING ME YOUR BLOOD AGAIN! DO YOU HAVE A DEATHWISH?"

Bella whimpered and curled into a ball.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whispered. "I just really want you drink my blood and make me a vampire … that's why I tried putting my neck in your mouth, and gave you a mug full of my blood … I just want to be like you … is that too much to ask?"

I closed my eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Yes, Bella," I said, my voice sounding rather nasal. "That is too much. I was thirsty today, and you betrayed my trust. Again."

Bella was crying silently as I reprimanded her. But it was the right thing, I had to do it.

"Look, Bella," I said, more gently this time. "You can keep doing this, keep trying to feed me your blood and get yourself killed … but eventually, the moths will come."

Then what will you do, Bella?

Then what will you do?