Author's note- sorry it took so long...finals week...ugh! its intense so prepare

i really like it so let me know if u do

disclaimer- As always i only own the telling of this story

It felt as if my icy heart could beat again as it quivered beneath my ribs. Panic plucked the rigid strings of my heart, this disturbing melody played through my veins.

It was pitch black outside. A bleary layer of clouds snubbed the light of the moon and stars so none of it reached the land. Carlisle drove with the headlights off. I stared at the small creature in my arms through the soggy light; my eyes drew in as much of her as possible.

Alice curled up into a tiny ball to my left. She regained control of her breathing and stifled her silent sobs.
Edward, why can't I see anything? Her thoughts were heavy with worry.

"I don't know Alice." I really had no idea. I had been concentrating on her thoughts just as strongly as she had. It seemed like the future had for once decided to shut its doors to Alice.

The cell phone had not yet sounded before Carlisle had it at his ear.
"How far in are you?" Carlisle's words slid through his clenched teeth.
"Jasper can sense Alice's panic… so I'm guessing a couple of miles?" Emmett's voice had no trace of his usual cheeriness.

"All right well-" I had been focusing on Carlisle and Emmett's conversation before the voice I had been searching for but that I wished more than anything that I wouldn't hear filled my thoughts, a hissing growl began to form in my throat.

Are those the brothers? They caught up quicker than I thought they would. Stupid family. That wretched boy is going to pity the human once I'm done with her.

I threw my eyes all over the outside searching for Victoria. The bitter noise in my throat began to lurch up through my lips.

"Edward! Edward what's wrong? What was it?" Alice paused minimally, realized what I was looking for, and then her expression grew wide with horror. "Edward where is she?"
"I don't know! I can't tell! I can't see her!" I screamed. My heart stung with dread. I saw Bella's hand twitch. No, Bella. Not now. Stay asleep. Dream Bella. Dream yourself away from here. I didn't know what to do. How could I protect Bella if I couldn't even find the bitch that threatened her safety?

"Edward," Carlisle purposely smoothed over his voice, but I still detected the worry. "Emmett and Jasper are circling the car. They'll probably see her before we do." I noticed that we had run a straighter course so that my brothers could run along with us. Carlisle's words and the protection of Jasper and Emmett's perimeter didn't calm me at all.

Alice reached into her subconscious and searched for any little bits of the future that lie there. It was empty. Obviously some important decisions had not been made yet.
Those minutes were infected with sporadic glimpses of Victoria's thoughts. She envisioned ways to hurt Bella. My Bella. The anger that pulsed underneath my bones was making me impatient.

Bella's heartbeat was steadily increasing and I could sense the wonderful return of her scent, she was wholly Bella again. The edges of my lips tilted upwards a little. I lifted her head and interlocked my hands behind it. I let my thumbs skim the outlines of her ears as I stared at her face. At her closed eyes, her soft eyelashes, and the slight opening in her lips where she released captivating sighs. I could stare at that face forever and never get tired of it.
Forever? Could Bella be with me forever? That was more than I could wish for…
The click of cell phone keys being punched distracted me from my train of thought. Carlisle contacted Emmett on the cell phone and told them to move in closer.

I heard Emmett murmur to Jasper as they began to close their circle.
Victoria's cat like thoughts crawled into my ears.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Not yet.

Not yet? Not yet what? Where the hell was she?
Alice's shriek and Emmett's roar occurred in the same second. The words collided and flung each other in odd directions. Had I not been listening closely I wouldn't have understood. But fortunately …or unfortunately I did understand. I heard their thoughts before they had. She's under the car.

Alice's door ripped open and a stony hand clung to the floorboards. The fiery girl thrust herself into the seat and flung Alice out into the dunes. I heard the clash of boulders as Alice crashed into Jasper's arms.
I shoved out into the sand as soon as my body would allow it. I held Bella into my chest and ran towards a large ravine in the land, the shallow valley that the Gila River flowed through. A thing that felt like a board of knives hit my back and drove me into the sand. Bella fell from my arms and tumbled through the sand. I could have died right there. My fierce roar bit through the tender air. "NO!"

The ground beneath my chest trembled as Emmett sprinted past me and scooped Bella up from the sand; billowy clouds of dust shadowed his trail of retreat. Victoria's sharp nails began to dig into the frozen flesh above my shoulder blades before a high screech came from her. The loud clap of vampire stone against vampire stone rang in my ears.
Alice had catapulted herself towards Victoria and forced her off of me. Jasper had joined the brawl to my right. I glanced quickly ahead and saw that Carlisle had run to catch up with Emmett. I was turning my head back towards Alice before a searing flame spread across my neck.

The pain was so intense I could not see; the heat against my skin blurred my vision. I tore at the cold arms attempting to crush my throat. The heat felt like it was penetrating through my skin and smoking into my midsection. A wretched howl erupted from my jaw.
And then suddenly, it was gone. My legs crumpled weakly and I fell to my knees. I attempted to close my cool hands around my neck but as I did pain shot up through my face and up to the crown of my head. My hands fell to the ground and I balanced on all fours in the shifty sand.

Vicious cries of terror sounded to my left but I was on the ground, gasping for air. Even the steamy Arizona air felt freezing in my windpipe. I felt artificially supplied waves of calm trying to settle over me. I resisted their tranquil caresses, my adrenaline kept my senses heightened. But increased numbers of waves poured over me. "Stop Jasper!" I yelled.

My gaze fell on Jasper and the breath I had finally inhaled escaped from my lungs. Alice had blistering, black strangle marks over her collarbone. The marks looked like a tattooed neck decoration from Hell. Jasper was holding her up with his arms underneath her ribcage. His shoulders were shaking.

"They aren't for you Edward." His voice wavered.
Alarm consumed me as I realized what was missing... "Where's Victoria!" Dread washed over my body; I already knew the answer.

"She went after the others." He replied. His words were broken as he tried to calm himself.

"Why didn't you follow her!" I cried.

"Edward, she attacked Alice! She got you too!" He seemed angry but his eyes were upset. " I wasn't just going to run away from here and leave Alice here to suffer!" I understood. I would have done the same for Bella.

Bella. Oh my god. Bella…She was following Bella! And I wasn't there to protect her! She was fragile and…I needed her.My feet moved faster than my mind. I flew through the dessert air concentrating on catching up to the beast that was after the one thing on this earth that mattered to me.

The fast air stung the wounds on my neck. I snatched a large jackrabbit from beneath me and emptied it of blood. It was unappealing and held a pathetic amount of food. The blood immediately began circulating through my typically empty veins; and it shyly began to dull the pain that pulsed through my upper body.

I have never run that fast in my life. A loud whistle filled my ears as the wind whipped past them. I had to get there. I had to get to her. I had to. The lump of fear in my throat was making it hard to breathe.

Every intake of breath seemed to stretch the skin of my neck. And with each stretch came a stab of pain. I winced each time, trying to hold my breath for as long as I could. But I kept trying to catch the scent of Bella on the wind. Just one little trace that would let me know that she was close. Close enough to reach…hopefully.

If only I could run faster! I pushed the balls of my feet into the sand and begged my legs to keep going. Forever. That's what kept me going. It was necessary that I save Bella. She had to be with me. I needed her. I loved her. I loved her more than anything else; I loved her more than anything I would ever love, that I could ever love.
She was my soul.
But did she want to be with me forever? Was she willing to let me drink her soul from her? Mine was already sewn into Bella with the thread of eternal love. It was a bond that no amount of distance or time could ever break. No other creature would ever have my soul the way Bella did…

My mind suddenly went b-l-a-n-k. And not only was it blank, it was dark. A thick darkness that disoriented me, until I realized what it was. It was Alice, or one of her powerful visions at least. I stopped running and focused on what was playing through my (rather Alice's) head.
A short flicker of the future snatched my breath away. A sharp bolt of defeat rocked my chest. Victoria had reached them…or would…before I could catch up…

Her blistering hands stole Bella away from Emmett and strained her into the ground. Bella's back arched in pain as she screamed. Victoria charged towards her again and sliced Bella's arm open with her nails.
Before Victoria could lunge again Carlisle was at her throat and drove her into the ground some ten yards away. Bella's creamy blood was mixing with the grainy sands as I saw her eyes flutter shut in disgust. The smell of her own blood sickened her into unconsciousness.

My eyes opened to the infinite dessert that I had closed them to. My chest heaved forward in a choke of would be tears and I began to run. I hadn't gotten far before I heard a blood-curdling scream that crumpled my heart and threw it into my feet.

Author's note- intense right? haha let me know what u thought