Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to littlelizruth. Your reviews always make me smile, and they are more appreciated than you could possibly imagine. To all of you who take the time to read my story and review it, you have my heartfelt thanks. ~Dyxie

What The Heart Wants

I felt my blush deepen as I realized I was still pressed up against Edward, my hands unconsciously kneading the strong muscles of his chest hidden beneath the silk of his shirt. Instinctively, I pushed against him as I tried to back away, but he prevented that by simply firming his grip on the back of my neck as he shook his head slowly from side to side.

"No, Bella," he whispered, his voice as soft and loving as his expression. "I've waited longer for you than you could possibly imagine, and I won't let you run from me anymore."

A shiver went through me at his words, and I lowered my eyes in search of stability, my thoughts a jumbled morass of conflicting instincts and desires. The words of my Tuan ran through my mind, but were counter-acted by my fears until I felt as if I were standing at the edge of an abyss, one mis-step all that was needed to send me toppling over the edge into the depths below. Never had I been so confused and frightened, not even when I'd first learned of my mission and its accompanying cost of failure.

His scent enveloped me, making it difficult to think coherently, and he must have sensed the conflict raging within my mind, for his hand lowered from my face, reaching behind me to wrap around my waist as he pulled me firmly into the sheltered security of his arms. Another shiver went through me and I felt myself weakening, something deep within softening and giving way as my head tipped forward to rest against his chest. My breath left me in a long sigh as I let him comfort me, and I felt the fears begin to quiet and slowly fade into the distance as his lips brushed softly against the top of my head, his voice crooning a soft tune that reminded me very much of a lullaby. I was so tired of being alone, and his very presence seemed to whisper that I no longer had to be if I'd just let him in. His gentleness was the one thing I couldn't stand against. I could fight his taunts, his pursuit, and even his tendencies to invade my personal space, but his gentleness successfully slipped beneath every defense I had and unraveled me completely.

Tears filled my eyes, and I could feel them starting to leak down my cheeks, dampening the shirt beneath me despite my best efforts to hold them back. He rocked me slowly in his arms for long minutes as my quiet sobs and his soft crooning were the only sounds within the meadow. Gradually, I regained control of my wayward emotions long enough to ask the question I'd been dreading the answer to.

"What do you want from me, Edward?" I whispered, my voice faintly rough from the occasional sobs that were still escaping from my throat, and I held myself very still as I awaited his answer.

A moment passed while he seemed to contemplate the question, and then I felt his lips gently brush another kiss against my hair as he softly replied with a single word. "Everything."

I stiffened as that one word went through me like a bolt of energy, and I instinctively shook my head in denial. My hands clenched into fists against him, and I tried to push away once more, but his hold on me tightened and kept me firmly where I was. No, my mind insisted. Yes, my heart argued. I felt as if I were two separate people that were running into brick walls each time they tried to meld into one single entity, and it was driving me crazy. God, would this never stop? How much could one girl take?

"Everything," Edward repeated just as softly, but with a steely edge to his voice that told me in no uncertain terms that he meant to have exactly what he wanted from me. Everything.

I knew I was standing at a crossroads, and that the decision I made in this moment would forever alter the course of my life. I could trust in my deepest instincts and turn toward Edward, or I could give in to my fears and turn away. My mind and my heart waged a fierce battle that lasted for several minutes which seemed to pass in only an instant, but the consequences of my ultimate decision would resonate along the threads of my life for all eternity. It was in that moment that my destiny did, indeed, begin to unfold, though even my Tuan could not have foreseen its new path.

"So be it," I whispered, the words barely audible as I mumbled them into his chest, my body finally relaxing against his as I surrendered to the inevitable. A soft sigh escaped him, and in it I could hear both triumph and satisfaction, though there was also an underlying hint of relief.

**********

The Hunter

The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I felt the sudden shift in the energy field, and my lips pulled back from my teeth in a predatory smile as I increased my speed. She couldn't be far away, not if I was feeling the shift this strongly. My hand tightened on the sheath against my hip, the familiar feel of the sword within a reassurance of victory, and I raced through the forest almost too quickly for the naked eye to even register my passing. My prey was near and I could feel the adrenalin beginning to course through my body in preparation for the battle to come. This time, she would die.

**********

He'd won, though I couldn't really find it within myself to begrudge him the victory, and now that the decision was finally made, I could relax. It was the decision-making process, itself, that was always hardest for me, going back and forth between my options as I tried to decide what was best. However, once I'd actually chosen a course of action, I simply followed through and let the chips fall where they may. It probably wasn't the wisest way to decide the important things in my life, but it worked for me, and I'd always been willing to accept the consequences of my decisions, even when they weren't very pleasant.

Edward's hand in my hair tightened slightly, though not enough to cause me pain, and he used his grip to tilt my head back so he could look down into my eyes as he spoke. His golden orbs captured my full attention and I felt as if I could gaze into them forever and still not lose interest. God, he was turning me into a girl with all the sappy, romantic things going through my mind at the moment, and the worst part was, I found it difficult to even care. What was happening to me?

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, his head suddenly twisted toward the trees at the northern end of the meadow, and I heard a low growl start rumbling in his chest. I blinked in confusion, but then I heard what it was that had captured his attention. Someone was coming toward us, moving fast, and no one moving that fast was out for a peaceful afternoon stroll through the forest. My instincts kicked into full alert as I spun away from Edward and moved to stand facing the potential source of danger, vaguely noticing that he'd had the same idea and was standing at my side and slightly in front of me. Geez, he was fast. I hadn't even seen him move.

Before I could ponder the possible meaning of that, a figure broke through the trees and came to a halt, his breaths coming slowly despite the running he'd just done. My eyes widened as I recognized him, and I instinctively dropped into a slight crouch, my aura flaring around me as I took a step forward to place myself in front of Edward. James. He'd found me.

"Edward, run!" I hollered, sending a bolt of energy at the hunter in an attempt to keep his attention solely on me so Edward could escape. I really should have known better than to expect him to run and leave me to stand alone, but I couldn't help myself. My instincts were to protect, and that's what I tried to do. He simply threw me a look that couldn't have been plainer had he spoken the words aloud, then returned his attention to James, dropping into his own fighting crouch.

**********

Edward

What the hell was going on? Did she really expect me to run away with my figurative tail between my legs while she was in danger? The very idea of that enraged me, and the bastard who'd just come out of the trees was about to feel the full force of that rage. No one threatened my Bella. No one.

**********

The hunter easily dodged the energy bolt, twisting his body out of harm's way as it hit the trees behind him instead, instantly incinerating them in a soundless explosion that was more felt than seen. His hand went to the hilt of his sword, and as he unsheathed it in a single fluid motion, I realized what it was. The Sword of Sirrinar. Crap! We were in trouble.

Standing together as we were, Edward and I were sitting ducks, so I took a few steps to the left, putting more room between us. I could tell he didn't like that idea, but he also seemed to recognize the point behind it, and he took a few steps in the opposite direction until there were several feet separating us.

"Don't let that sword touch you," I hissed at him, my eyes never leaving James, and I caught his nod of understanding from the corner of my eye. I was worried about him, but couldn't let myself be distracted by fear right now. I'd need all my wits about me if we were to have a hope in hell of coming out of this fight alive. James was one of the most skilled hunters I'd ever had the misfortune of running across, and I wasn't sure if my own skills were up to par. I hadn't been in many situations like this, and it was a struggle to keep the fear at bay and let my training take over.

I began to breathe deeply, settling into the meditative stance that would enhance my reflexes as I softly chanted the words of power beneath my breath. The energy in the meadow began to build around me as James slowly advanced, and I knew he could feel its rise as surely as I did. The wind whipped my hair around my face as it intensified, and the day around us became darker as the clouds roiled in the sky above the meadow, darkening and thickening until they almost fully blocked the sun.

Cautious as James was being, I knew he'd strike soon, and I had no intention of giving him that chance. My life wasn't the only one in jeopardy this time, and it further motivated me to strike hard and fast. I briefly wished that I could Link with Edward, it would make this so much easier if we were able to communicate in that way during the fight, but there was no time. We'd simply have to do the best we could with what we had, and I still had no idea what Edward even was. Pushing that thought aside, I focused my concentration and prepared to strike. It was now or never.

Energy bolts began to rain down around the hunter, moving faster than the blink of an eye, but he dodged between them easily, his body twisting and turning with a lithe grace that made me briefly envious. Those that hit the blade of his sword simply fizzled out in small showers of sparks that fell away only to disperse before they hit the ground, while those that struck the long grasses of the meadow instantly incinerated everything they touched, leaving nothing behind but smoke and the heavy smell of ozone to linger in the air. Realizing the futility of such an attack against him, and the danger those bolts posed to Edward should one hit him, I changed tactics, calling forth the earth itself to work against the hunter.

Long roots rose from the earth like corpses reaching for renewed life, tangling around the hunter's legs as they strove to hold him fast. His curses filled the air as splinters tore through his trousers to gouge bloody welts in his legs, and his sword swung down in a wide arc, slicing through them as easily as a knife through melted margarine. As he was hacking away at the bothersome roots, Edward lunged forward, his body no more than a blur as he went on the offensive. James was prepared for such a move, though, and as Edward neared, a brilliant dark light flashed from the tip of the sword, striking him in the chest and throwing him back into the trees on the opposite side of the meadow. It sounded exactly like loud claps of thunder as the trees bent backwards beneath the force of his hurtling body, and he disappeared beneath the falling barrage of severed trunks and branches.

My breath caught before I screamed his name, but as much as I wanted to go to his aid, I couldn't turn my back on James or we'd both die. For the first time in my life, I felt utter hatred toward another living being, and I faintly heard myself snarling the ancient words as I advanced on the hunter, all my will focused on ending his miserable life.

James smirked, the certainty of victory shining in his eyes as he hacked away the last of the roots and stepped forward to meet me, raising his sword above his head before leveling its point at my chest. As the next bolt of dark light shot from its tip, I was prepared, the wind lifting me high into the air as I leaped out of its path, turning in mid-air to let loose a wide wall of energy that hurtled toward James even as I landed lightly on my feet. Though he was fast, the wall was faster, and its edge caught him within its power, knocking him head over heels as he flew almost twenty yards through the air. I heard the bone in his left forearm snap as he landed on it face-down in the grass, which was quickly followed by his enraged cry of pain, but I wasn't able to relax yet. A broken arm wouldn't stop a hunter.

**********

Edward

Damn that had hurt! I could do nothing but lie still for a moment as I tried to regain my senses, shaking my head to clear it so I could focus properly. What the hell was that sword, anyway? I'd never seen anything like it, though now I knew why Bella had warned against letting it touch me. Too bad she hadn't thought to warn me about that damned light while she was at it.

I pushed forcefully upwards, throwing off what felt like a ton of trees holding me down, and jumped to my feet, shaking my arms to throw off the last of the light's effects. I could hear Bella snarling from the meadow, and a surge of pride flowed through me at how fierce she sounded as I began to circle around behind that bastard, running silently at full speed with the intervening trees masking my movements. My Bella needed me, and I had a score to settle.

**********

I drew my energies around me once more as I quickly closed in on James, who was slowly pushing himself to his feet with his good arm, the arm that still held the sword. My energy was getting dangerously low, as I hadn't been able to fully recharge thanks to Edward's interruption of my playtime earlier. There was enough left in me for one, maybe two, strong attacks before I would be in serious trouble, and I still had no idea how badly hurt Edward might be. At least I knew he was alive. I'd heard the sounds of movement in the forest behind me just moments ago, but alive didn't mean unharmed, and I'd never seen anyone just walk away after taking a hit like that. Things were starting to get ugly, and I was struggling to maintain my focus as the strength of my worries tried to distract me.

A split second before it hit, I saw the attack coming, but I was too close and there was no time to get out of the way. A scintilla of dark light streamed from the blade of the sword as James spun around to face me, arching across the entirety of the meadow as my body was caught within it and thrust into the air. The pain was indescribable. It took my breath away so that I couldn't so much as scream, and as my ascent gradually came to a point and I plummeted back to the earth, it completely overshadowed the pain of the shattering bones that left me lying as limply as a rag doll carelessly tossed into a corner of the room by a negligent child.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Unfortunately, I could still feel. The air suddenly rushed back into my lungs, and I found my voice as I choked on what tasted like blood, my screams finally pealing forth across the meadow in piercing shrieks of agony. I saw James move to stand over me, the gleam of victory in his eyes matched by his triumphant smile as he raised his sword high in preparation for the killing blow, but I couldn't seem to find it within myself to care. I could feel the darkness closing in around me, and my last thought was of Edward as I gratefully sank into its warm, welcoming embrace, letting the world simply fade away.

**********

Edward

I broke out of the trees to the sight of Bella hitting the ground hard, and an entirely new spectrum of rage opened up within me as her screams echoed through the clearing, each one tearing a ragged fissure into my still heart. I barely heard the vicious snarls erupting from my chest as I went for the cause of her agony, her screams covering the sounds of my approach for those first vital seconds, and by the time he heard me, it was far too late to save himself. His death was an utter certainty, had been from the moment I'd first realized he was a threat to my Bella, and now it was time to make good on that.

James started to turn as he realized the danger, but I was moving fast, faster than I ever had before, and he had no time. His gloating over Bella's now unconscious form had ensured his death, for he'd let his guard down and counted me out of the fight after that first blow. Big mistake. My hand gripped his wrist and twisted mercilessly, tearing his hand free and sending it flying across the meadow, his fingers still holding tightly to the sword. At the same time, my teeth found the back of his neck, and in a single movement that would have seemed like a kiss to an observer, it was finished. His head slowly fell forward, and before it could even hit the ground, I was at Bella's side.

Her breaths were shallow and weak, and I was having trouble finding her pulse, though I could see it faintly beating in the hollow of her throat. Bloody froth coated her lips so I knew she had at least one punctured lung, and God alone knew what else had been damaged in the fall. I gently picked her up, her arms and legs dangling limply and in a way that suggested most of the bones within them were broken at the very least. Even in her comatose state, she moaned sharply at the pain, and I began moving swiftly through the trees toward home, trying my best to keep her body from being jostled as I ran. The only chance she had now was to get her to Carlisle. Not knowing what she was, I didn't dare go to the hospital, for there was a chance they'd be able to tell she was something other than human as they did their tests, and that was a risk I couldn't take with her.

It felt like my heart was breaking with each unconscious whimper and moan that escaped her, and I made a vow to myself right then and there. Never again. I'd keep her safe no matter what I had to do. Count on it.

**********