I do not own twilight. Have a good new year!!

Chapter Nine

We had sped along back the way we came and was circling around trying to pick up a scent. There was no one around now; I wasn't even sure what time it was. It was a good job Charlie didn't need to worry about me so much.

'Got a scent?' I asked him

'No' he said shortly.

'What's the time?'

'Nearly 11:30' he said in the same flat tone.

I looked out the window again. It must have been getting late, darkness pressed in on all sides. For any sort of vulnerable woman out this late it would be like death pressing in, especially with those guys still out there...

I sighed, Edward maybe a vampire but he wasn't picking up a scent fast enough, I was sure he was only looking for a specific guy, when I was looking for the whole gang. I opened the window as wide as it would go, and stuck my head out; I quickly changed my nose into that of a bloodhound.

I sniffed the air, and caught the familiar scent of one of the men almost immediately. I realised then: Edward was going to put me off the track all night until I gave up.

The anger at his interference was incommunicable.

'Excuse me...Edward but I do NOT want the death of another girl on my conscience, so you will follow that scent and I will finish this.' I said firmly.

The anger must have been evident in my voice, because he looked ashamed, and swivelled the car, in the direction of their disgusting smell.

We followed it for maybe half an hour, to a small bar called the 'hangman's noose'.

'How appropriate' I whispered. Edward parked close to the bar, and turned to me, looking angry, dejected, panicked and anxious all at once.

I stuck my head out the window once more and morphed again into a bloodhound's nose, and an eagle's eye. They were all there, some slumped in the corner, others still drinking. I was careful not to let Edward see any of my changes; he would get an eyeful of me tonight without me shoving it in his face- if he decides to fight with me.

'So what's your plan then?' Edward said sceptically.

I had already had it figured out.

'Simple enough, I'm going to walk in there and ask to use the payphone, I will see the same guys I saw before, they will recognise me and I will look 'scared' and lead them down the alley by the bar, quick as a flash I will kill them and go home in time for tea...if your still here you can give me a ride home'

'Oh I'm not letting you do this by yourself.' He accused.

'Alright, but don't get in my way' I said tightly 'go wait down the alley, if they recognise me, it shouldn't take long.'

'What if they don't?'

'Then I'll go and talk to them.'

Edward clenched his teeth again.

We both got out the car, and crossed the road at the same time.

'Edward' I said, before he could vanish into the darkness 'I will give you a signal on when to join the fight, I'm going to rally them up first' and I winked at him, before turning to the bar.

It was a flimsy explanation, but how else would I explain taking my clothes off? I don't want to rip them when I change! I left my new clothes I bought today in Edward's car, I was so focused on the fight, I didn't really think about the possibility that Edward might see me naked.

The most important thing is stopping these guys.

I stepped into the grubby pub. It was dirty, mouldy and had obvious reason for being pretty much on the outskirts of town. I walked up to the bartender, trying to seem meek and pathetic. The six –would- be- rapists were in fact the only ones in the bar.

One of them noticed me as soon as I stepped in. There was a large mirror above the bar, it was covered in dirt but it was useful.

'Excuse me? Do you have a payphone' I said very quietly.

'What? Speak up!' the barman said irritably.

The one that noticed me nudged his friend.

'Do you have a payphone?' I said louder.

They all had their drunken, hungry eyes on me. Target set. I turned slowly, and looked right at them.

'Oh...thanks never mind' my voice sounded scared, but inside I wanted their blood, as I thought of all the girls they had probably ravaged and killed before me.

I made a hurried dash for the door, and I heard all of them follow me out.

They continued to follow me into the darkness of the backstreet, and I turned to face them.

'Hey sugar tits, we thought you were pretty rude before...and it's a dead end' one of them said menacingly- it was the one that had three scarlet scratch marks across his face. Very slowly I took off my jacket, and tossed it to the side.

'Well, Well she's getting ready for us after all...' another when sneered.

I took off my top. Of course I felt like an idiot, but they were momentarily surprised. I held up my hand to communicate a wait signal to Edward.

I took off my jeans and then my bra and panties. Stark naked, I moved into the shadows.

'You have been very...very naughty' I whispered, and shivered with delight as it turned into the dangerous hiss of an enraged tigress. I padded out of the shadows, and drew back into a snarl.

My body felt powerful and streamlined, I felt beautiful- a work of art. My jaws were salivating with the thought of ripping these arseholes to shreds.

The gang were slack jawed, and immobile- I could smell their fear; it permeated their skin and saturated their alcohol sodden breaths.

I pounced.

My huge, muscled body sprang forth as I launched the weight of a whole tiger onto two men. My teeth sank into one man's throat and his warm blood flooded my mouth, along with bone and flesh. My claws found the other mans throat, and they ripped it clean out.

'Oh god...oh my GOD!' one screamed and made a run for the alley's mouth, where Edward was standing; I let him take care of that guy. Edward's movements were fast and graceful, my eyes could keep track of them, but human ones definitely couldn't.

I sprung on the last one, as Edward broke the neck of another man. I ripped out his throat so harshly, his entire head came off.

Blood littered the alleyway, I thought precariously of the implications of what has happened here. Not only has Edward witness me change, he has seen me kill people, and naked... he must think I am a monster. I wanted to move quickly, before the effects of the blood took over.

I wasted no time in collecting my clothes and running back to Edward's car. Not looking back to see if he was following me. Still in Lion form, I quickly changed back and put on my clothes. Blood was on my face and chest; I began to search my pockets for an unused tissue.

'Here' Edward said handing me a passing me a box of tissues from his car.

'Thanks'

He watched as I wiped most of it off.

'I made sure no clothing fibres were left in the alley' he said in strange tone.

'Err...thanks.' I moved more quickly, my head was starting to haze from the blood.

I leaned against the car, fighting to keep my eyes open. He set fire to the tissues.

'Let's go Bella.' He stopped short, when he looked at me face.

'Are you alright?'

'Just drive and I'll tell you'

Images that were not my own began to play out in my mind. My vision was clouding.

Once we were driving, and well on our way to forks, I decided it was best to tell him the truth.

'When, in animal form, my kind taste the blood of an enemy, we see and hear their thoughts in our minds, once we change back into human form...we see...' my own mind was closing off, I could no longer see the world I was part of, only the images and memories of the men I had slaughtered. '...we see their lives and their crimes if they were truly evil. To take a life is huge thing, it is important that we know this.'

'I'm not sure I understand...' Edward said, I could hear the worry in his voice.

'Just get me home, and I will explain everything to you.' My voice sounded strained.

'Bella...' his voice echoed with me, until I fell into what seemed to Edward like a deep sleep, but I was getting no rest. This state was called memory flux, although it was known in other languages years and years ago, it is translated the same throughout time.

The memories took over in a grey haze.

A small boy was playing hide and seek with his sister, the little boy hid behind the tree in their garden as he watched, excited to see if his sister would find him. 'Claudine?' his father called. She went to our Wendy House where father always made her go, no more hide and seek today...

A man was standing in his kitchen, he was young and this time had no scratches on his face. He was waiting for his bitch of a wife to come home. She came through the door, 'H-hello? S-sorry I'm late' she called. How pathetic! He picked up a kitchen knife, and undid his belt; she would be late for his dinner for the last time...

He waited with his friends down an alley in a different part of town, they were all a bit jittery, but he felt high on the adrenaline. The ring leader of the group was laughing; he was a hero among men. 'Comon guys, we are sticking it to these bitches who mess with us!' he said excitedly, as some of his other friend's herded a petite blonde girl down the alley towards us...

'You like that whore? You like that you bitch?' he seethed as he stood over another pathetic woman who dared defy him. The six of them were like true men: not letting woman push them around. This particular woman was a redhead, now naked, shivering and bleeding in an abandoned factory. 'P-please,' she whimpered 'let me go...I won't tell anyone I swear' the six of us laughed, 'oh I know you won't, bitch'...

'That one?' one guy asked, 'Nah too skinny- how about her?' 'No way...she's too short.' 'How about we go to that new club?' one guy said 'It's a ladies night tonight...I'll bet we could get quite a few of them, at once...'

Somewhere, I stopped seeing their memories and starting dreaming. I dreamt about Edward.

The forest was lush, and green. We stood in a clearing that was broad and expansive.

'Edward, please...don't go.' I cried as he turned to run from me.

'You're a monster Bella, how can you think that I would ever love you?' He ran away from me, moving fast. I tried to change into a cheetah to follow him but I couldn't, I just couldn't change.

'Please wait!' I cried.

'I...love...you!'

'Ooohahhh!!!' I screamed, opening my eyes. I was in my bed at home. What the hell? Did Edward carry me here?

I was still wearing my clothes from last night. I smelled gross. It was a Friday morning, and the time was nearly 10:00am.

Oh crap...school!

Charlie usually leaves for work very early in the morning so the school wouldn't have had time to catch him on the phone...and I doubt they would phone him at work... I decided that he wouldn't mind too much about me missing one day of school.

I stuffed my clothes in the washer, and put on my thick warm dressing gown. The Cullens wouldn't be at school anyway, it was too sunny.

I went to the phone and found three messages blinking on the answering machine.

'Ahem, Mr. Swan this is Mrs Cope calling from Forks high school- Isabella is not in school today, and I'm afraid there has been no telephone call or message to indicate a reason for her absence, please contact us immediately'

I decided to phone them back first. I changed my voice into Charlie's. Being a shape shifter can have its plus sides.

'Hello Mrs Cope? Yes, this is Chief Swan, yes...I'm afraid Bella isn't well and will not be in today. Yes, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, I'm afraid I had urgent business to attend to. Yes, thank you, I will tell her. Good Bye'

Easy.

I listened to the other two messages. One was from my mom, asking why I hadn't called yet, and blaming my dad for everything under the sun. The last one was from...Edward.

'Hello Bella, Call me when you get this so we can talk.' Simple and full of double meanings.

My fingers nearly seized up from nervousness. It rang three times before someone picked up.

'Cullen Residence'

'Ahem...Hi, is...Edward there?'

'Yes, I'll just get him.'

I heard muttering for a moment.

'Not at school?' A beautiful voice said.

'Neither are you' I accused.

'No...Evidently not. Since you're ditching, is it alright I come over?' he asked.

'Sure...it's sunny out, though' I said in a warning voice. The rest of his family can probably hear exactly what I'm saying.

'I won't be seen, I'll be there soon...'

'Huh, give me half an hour I need to shower' I said...feeling a little embarrassed.

'Ok, see you soon'

I hung up.

Edward is coming over...here...now?!

The house was pretty tidy; Charlie never used the kitchen as I did all the cooking. So it was just me that needed tidying up...

The shower was hot enough to unknot my muscles, and relax me.

I'd finished dressing and drying my hair when a knock came at the door.

I hurried downstairs hoping I looked ok...