Chapter 12 – Too late
Edward's Point of View
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For the briefest of moments, I allowed myself to see clearly, to look at what they had done to my Bella more closely. Blood was smeared across her chest and down her ribcage, trickling from the wounds in her head. A pool of her blood was gathering in the puddle beneath where she lay. Bella's leg lay on an awkward angle where yet another stain of blood soaked through her jeans and streamed down in to the puddle, now a deep crimson red in color.
A low, deep growl erupted from my chest.
Bella
My nostrils flared as the scent of her blood filled my senses. The monster within me roared in anguish, begging, and coaxing me to dispose of these men so that I might take my prize – a prize now lying helplessly in front of me. It would be so easy. The easiest meal yet.
No!
I could not justify a slip in control. I would not allow myself to drink from Bella. My angel, the reason for my existence.
My broken angel! What have they done to you.
These men, on the other hand, deserved nothing less then a gruesome fate as I would take their blood and then tear each of their bodies' apart, limb from limb.
I was no longer the Edward I had been mere seconds before. No. I was as far from that person as it were possible to be. A burning thirst for these men to suffer, to take their lives as gruesomely as I was able, consumed my thoughts, allowing me to easily succumbing to the fury.
Something in the very back of my mind screamed for me to stop, but I pushed the feeble excuse for a conscience away.
The monster was engulfing me whole and pulling me under. And I went willingly.
The creature I had beaten back for so many years, had disciplined and locked away in order to attempt a life more normal then a creature such as myself deserved, was finally free. And it thirsted for these men's heads, wanted to hear each of them scream as it tore each one of them in to tiny fragments.
Hot, searing rage coursed through my dry veins and as each of the men turned, as they noticed my presence, the fire and anger grew with the passing of each second.
"What do we have here!?" One of the men called, delighted. I was hoping this would get a little more interesting.
"HEY! It's that guy from before!" Another shouted in disbelief. He was grinning from ear to ear, having recognized me from our previous encounter.
I felt my fists clench and my jaw lock. Unlike the last time, there would be no happy ending for these filthy, repulsive men. No, they wouldn't even make it out of this alleyway. I had made a grave mistake, not disposing of them previously.
But not this time.
"Why don't you come on over here?" One man taunted.
I felt another growl growing from within my chest, ripping at my insides. The monster was hungry for vengeance.
"If ya do, we might spare you her fate," another man shouted as his hand and thumb made a gesture towards Bella.
I roared, howls of rage tearing from my chest. Each of the men's faces were quickly wiped clear of their smirks as they slowly assessed and then noted the real threat.
It was standing right in front of them.
I sunk in to a crouch while the monster roared. It was getting tired of this and wanted, no needed, their blood. And I wanted their heads. Together, the monster and I would tear these filthy creatures apart without hesitation, without regret.
It would be so simple. Bella would not be harmed, of course; I would make sure of that. But these men, these repulsive excuses for humans, they would parish. But not before they suffered ten times the pain that they had caused Bella.
Their deaths would be slow and painful ones.
But not before you bring Bella to safety.
I stopped, the monster enraged that I had some how gained momentary control and interfered. Slowly, I rose from the crouch and in an instant was at Bella's side, the men stumbling backwards.
"What the hell!?" one screamed, terrified now.
Gently, I picked Bella up into my arms, ignoring the flames that licked at my throat as the scent of her blood filled my senses. The scent was both tantalizing and deadly, and the monster hollered with rage and need.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" another man screamed. "Get back here!"
A feral growl resonated from my throat, daring them to challenge me. When none of them did, I proceeded forwards, cradling Bella lightly against my chest.
I crossed the small distance within a tenth of a second, carefully shifting Bella's weight to one arm and removing the light jacket I had been wearing, now smeared with Bella's blood. Placing it under a sheltered doorstep to an abandoned building, I gingerly lay her down.
"I'll be back soon, my Bella," I whispered gently. "I promise."
Whether I was promising her the return of the Edward she knew, the Edward she had somehow fallen in love with, however, I did not know.
I rose slowly, turning around to face the men.
Another low growl pierced the air.
"Hey! You got what ya wanted!" one man shouted.
"Leave us alone!"
The monster was back, and it was furious that they would assume that once I had what I had come for, it would leave them to their peace.
Not. A. Chance.
"It's too late, now. Nothing you do could ever make up for what you have done." I spat, advancing several steps further towards them.
"What…what are you?" another whispered, backing up. His name was Kevin. He worked at a construction site not far from here, had a pregnant wife waiting patiently at home for his return. He was regretting ever taking part in this, now. He just wanted to go home.
The monster smiled. How amused. What pathetic excuses for humans these creatures were.
It was time to end this now. And now that they were truly scared, I would reveal to them just how scared they should be.
They backed up as I continued slowly closing the distance between us, pressing themselves against the walls, their heads whipping around, searching fruitlessly for an escape that wasn't there, panic and confusion engulfing their thoughts.
Bella.
For the briefest of moments, I saw past the monster, past the rage that was threatening the very essence of what I had striven towards. I was going to kill these men; I couldn't change their fate now. They deserved much more than even I would do to them. I was going to break the faith Carlisle had bestowed in me, too.
Yet another feral growl pierced the air.
Enough!
The monster was finished playing games.
I moved faster than the human eye, coming to a halt a mere foot from them. I could smell their tainted breath, sense the fear in their eyes.
"Don't...don't…don't hurt us!"
I roared hysterically in laughter.
"What? You want me to spare you?" I snarled.
One man had the nerve to nod. I flashed to his side, my hands grasping his chin tightly, examining him. The other men shrunk backwards against the wall, whimpering like filthy canines.
I brought my mouth to his ear and whispered in a dangerous voice, "And what makes you think that you deserve that?"
He was quivering now; sweat dewing up on his grimy brow. His breathing was erratic, and his heart was beating faster then a rabbit's.
"Answer me!" I roared.
From behind me, the man named Kevin had slipped out from behind the group and had began to run.
I turned to watch him, amused, allowing him to gain several meters before intervening. Then, letting go of the man I had been holding, I flickered to Kevin's side.
He screamed, stopping mid stride. He swiveled, making for a piece of metal strewn beside a garbage can. A wide grin transformed my face. He picked up the long piece of metal bar and turned and swung. I moved suddenly, letting Kevin's momentum carry him forward through the place where I had once been. Pivoting, the man turned to face me, now behind him.
The monster found this amusing and pathetic. What a weak creature.
Sweat dripped from the man's brow, streaming down his reddened cheeks. He suddenly swung the bar forwards again, but this time I caught it, twisting the metal. It screeched in protest and then snapped. It clattered from the man's hand to the ground. The man's mouth had opened wide in terror, and I took advantage of this, grabbing his arm and twisting.
He screamed, dropping to the ground, as the monster roared in satisfaction.
The blood now dripped down the man's twisted arm, falling to the dirty cement below. He continued to scream, his knees folding underneath himself as he dropped to the ground. My hand still clasped his mangled arm.
The monster now beckoned me to drink from him, telling me to forget tearing this one apart. There would be four more men that I could invoke tortures upon, after sating my bloodlust.
I was powerless to stop; I wanted to suck on the wound, wanted to suck this man's veins dry, and lastly, wanted to take his soul.
I crouched down beside the man, eying his arm hungrily. Lowering my head down towards the source of the streaming blood, I twisted the man's arm back until I heard another loud, sickening crunch.
With one last shriek, the man slumped silently forward, passing out of consciousness.
I licked my lips, the monster eager and thirsty and began closing the few inches still left between the source of my craving, and my teeth.
"EDWARD! STOP!" somebody screamed from behind me.
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Author's Note: Sorry this took so darn long! And, a large thank you is in order for my Beta for this Chapter, Anne-Marie.
As always, reviews are appreciated! Next chapter coming, hopefully, soon!