*AN: B/E sex flashback. I've noted where the lemon starts and ends so if you don't wish to read it, then you can skip it. Also, this is essentially a mirror chapter of the last chapter, only in Bella's POV. It's annoying I know, but a necessary evil, I assure you!

In addition, Edward is a bit OOC in this fic. We won't see a lot of the Cullens but when they are introduced into the story, he's a bit off. You should probably stop reading if you're sensitive to a bit of Edward bashing, because frankly, he deserves it in this fic. Sorry, I adore Eddie too, but this plot detail is crucial for Bella's future development and relationship with Alec.

FYI: I've paraphrased Edward's words from the New Moon forest chapter and twisted them into letter form.

(Remember, just like in New Moon, he's attempting to leave her for her own good. Though, he's a real dick while doing it.)End warning*

"She'd cried over a broken heart before. She knew what that felt like, and it didn't feel like this. Her heart felt not so much broken as just ... empty. It felt like she was an outline empty in the middle. The outline cried senselessly for the absent middle. The past cried for the present that was nothing." Ann Brashares, Sisterhood Everlasting.

*Twilight is the sole property of SM and her publishing company.*

*Chapter 2- Distractions are a Bitch*

Bella

Several months had passed since Edward departure, yet my heart still skipped a beat every time I heard his name. All things considered, it was difficult not to respond, even my own thought were triggers.

The purplish-black bruises had slowly faded from my skin some time ago, to my dismay, leaving behind yellow and green impressions of his fingers. I desperately wanted them back for I had grown rather fond of the blemishes that had spackled my hips, thighs, ribs, and arms, and now that they had all but vanished, I felt dejected. The fading damage was proof that he had existed—testimony of the love that I believed we had shared. Although nearly all vestiges of moment in time had left my pale skin, my memory of our time together would never dissipate over time, however much he wished it would have.

Edward had warned me of the inherent dangers of our sexual encounter. He had been concerned for my physical safety, afraid of potentially losing control. At the time, I believed he had been merely over cautious and exasperatingly overbearing. During our short duration of a relationship, he had the proclivity to exaggerate the slightest of things, or so I believed at the time. I adored Edward in every way, and I understood the risk completely, however, the consequences were of little concern. A moot point really. Nothing he had said could've dissuaded me from seeking out a physical relationship. Sex, I believed, was the natural progression of any relationship. Perhaps not the cornerstone, but most definitely an extension of one's love for another. Honestly, I should've realized just how flawed my thoughts were, especially in my parent's relationship—the consequences of their own rash behavior, the every impetuous teenage condition. Obviously, it had been an erroneous mistake on my part. I was rather stubborn, in that regard. Of course, hindsight was twenty-twenty.

On my eighteenth birthday—a day I've labeled as the worst of my short life—Edward had skipped town with my innocence and my family, leaving me with nothing more than a cliché Dear Jane letter on my pillow and sense of worthlessness in my heart. The letter had been straightforward and entirely too formal, the product of a very skillful and learned manipulator. Apparently, the memo was meant to heighten my resentment for his character. Perhaps force me to move forward, forget that he had ever existed at all. However, after reading his words, those terrible contemptuous and beautifully penned words, I had half-a-mind to find Edward Cullen and beat him about the head with his own arm.

I winced at the memories, feeling the waterworks swell beneath my thick lashes. Even now, the thought of him brought a new ache to my chest—an all-consuming chasm of grief and sorrow that swallowed me whole, time and time again. Losing the battle, I once again pulled the parchment out of my jean pocket and scanned it over one last time, I felt a new round of grief slither back inside my heart, and I clutched a comforting arm around my middle, trying to hold myself together.

Beneath the Cullen crest, on blonde, linen stationery with a damask border, were Edward's words. The lovely paper was in terrible condition, now: wrinkled, overly folded, and tear-stained like my heart. Having stared at the perfect swirling letters and hurtful words a million times, I could've recited them in my sleep like a well-loved book. Only they weren't such a comforting distraction, like my beloved Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice, they were a real and damning account of two former lovers from a different time, and another species—not a fictional tale. Yet allowing my eyes to roam over the familiar letter had given me some sort of normalcy, however fucked up that sounded.

Isabella,

I'm so very sorry to have chosen this moment to take my leave. It's both callous and cruel of me to leave you alone, especially after the beautiful morning we shared. It was truly a magical experience, one that I'll remember for the rest of eternity. Even so, looking over your ghastly wounds, I have come to realize you, my love, just don't belong to my world. Pretending to be human isn't healthy for either of us. Cowardly as I am, I didn't have the strength to stay away when it mattered, when it was possible, but I've gathered the strength to keep you safe, now. I've allowed this fiasco to continue for far too long, I fear, because I cared for you and believed we could whether any storm. I am truly remiss that I've caused you to suffer the brunt of my shortcomings and lead you to believe that our kind was compatible, for we are anything but. My sins are painfully obvious, now.

I promise you'll not see me again in this lifetime. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I never existed, if that is what one would label my life. I understand this new revelation will be devastating for you to accept, perhaps even cause you to become disheartened, but you're human, love. Humans are resilient creatures. I assure you, time heals all wounds for your kind.

Of course, I'll always love you. Always and forever. My sweet Bella, you've fundamentally changed me in all ways. You'll be forever etched in my mind, never changing, always young, beautiful, and brave. My wish for you is to live a long and happy human life and forget that Edward Cullen ever existed. I will do my best to keep my promise. It should be relatively straightforward. My kind, I'm afraid, we're very easily distracted.

Sincerely,

Edward Cullen

Some distractions were evidently better than others, and taking my virginity clearly wasn't a poignant enough moment in his existence to keep me at his side for eternity. It turned my stomach that he wanted me to disregard that particular memory. Forgetting his existence was unconscionable, however much I wished that it possible.

I grasped the beautiful paper between my fingers and meticulously tore the article into tiny slivers, dropping each sliver into the fast flowing stream that bordered the Cullen property like a serpent. The water whipped wildly through the riverbed, splashing me gently with water droplets on its journey downstream. I took a quick cursory glance at the large, white mansion and sighed. I hated that Edward had made me return to the scene of the crime to dispose of his cowardly excuse for a goodbye.

*Flashback*

I woke up to strong, cool arms wrapped around my waist. Edward pulled me against his chest, and I moaned as his morning affliction dug into my ass. I ground myself against him, garnering a rather feral growl in my ear. I loved how I affected him. He trailed his fingers up my sternum softly, cupped my chin, and tilted it toward his mouth, ghosting his lips against mine.

"Happy Birthday, my love," he breathed, sending light shivers through my body. "I know you specifically stated no presents, though if I'm not mistaken, there is one present you've been continually coveting. I love you, Isabella Swan, and I'm tired of playing indifferent to your beautiful body. I want nothing more than to lavish you with affection and worship your body. I want to watch ecstasy cross your features as we join our bodies together in that age old dance."

Holy Fuck. Am I dreaming?

I almost came undone by the underlying desire that coated each word. Feeling him against me set me on fire.

Edward grasped me by the waist and rolled to his back, swinging my body across his hips. I boldly straddled him and shifted myself over his pelvic bone, purposely rubbing myself against his groin. He closed his eyes and tightened his fingers on my thighs, moaning at my continued ministrations. I bent my head slightly and touched my mouth lightly to his, deepening the kiss when he parted his lips. Edward growled and forcibly grasped my waist, rolling our bodies swiftly back on to the mattress. His lips never left mine as he nudged my legs apart with his knee, settling himself between my legs.

Hovering over my frame, Edward ground his groin against my own, and I sucked in a deep lungful of air and moaned in pleasure as his cool frame continually stimulated my sensitive bundle of nerves at my core. I arched my chest against his and raised my pelvis, allowing desire to wash over me, not wanting to lose the ratcheting friction.

"Oh, God. Edward," I murmured almost incoherently.

Edward cupped my cheek and trailed soft kisses from my lips, across my jaw and down the clavicle towards the hollow of my throat, nuzzling the soft flesh right above my breastbone. "Oh, Bella, love, you smell divine," he purred against my skin.

My angel pushed himself to his knees and slipped an arm gently under my body, lifting my torso off the mattress, quickly divesting me of my camisole faster than I believed possible without destroying the fabric. He threw the article to the ground carelessly and gazed longingly upon my bare breasts. I watched with a mixture of awe and trepidation as the topaz of his eyes bled away, revealing the liquid onyx of hunger and lust.

Was this really happening?

Edward cupped my waist with the palms of his hands and reverently slid me back to the mattress, running his fingers up the length of my ribcage. His cool fingers set my naked flesh ablaze, and I shivered as his roaming hands stopped beneath the curvature of my breasts. My heart rate increased exponentially as he tenderly cupped the soft flesh in his palms. I hissed in pleasure at his wandering fingers, mewling loudly when they danced across each hardened nipple. He gently pulled and twisted the taunt peaks, giving each equal attention, eliciting another moan.

From whom, I wasn't sure.

Edward gently lowered himself between my legs and wrapped one arm around my back, placing all of his weight on the opposite elbow. His free hand ghosted down my ribcage and trailed his dexterous fingers softly across my abdomen, pausing once again, at my breasts. I cried out in delight as he turned his attention to the opposite nipple, leaning down and blowing cool air across my sensitive skin. As he traced the contours of my breasts, twirling and taunting my engorged peaks with his lithe digits, I felt as though my body would fly apart at the seams.

Suddenly, my god-like Adonis halted his fondling and quickly launched himself to his feet. I was worried at first but when Edward grabbed the seam of his shirt, I knew he wasn't rejecting me. Edward promptly tore the article in two, and I laughed as buttons scattered haphazardly across my bedroom. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him struggle with the rest of the garment, smirking at the thought of Edward unable to accomplish something as simple as removing a shirt. The man composed symphonies with nimble fingers and sharp intellect, but it amused me that he was just as awkward as any other unexperienced teen.

Once he'd finally liberated himself of his shirt, he tossed the item to the floor, glaring at the inanimate object as though it had aggrieved him somehow. He eyed me hungrily as his long fingers rested on my belt buckle. He raised my eyebrows, giving me the opportunity to bail. There was no way on God's green earth that I wasn't having sex this morning. I nodded emphatically and took in a ragged breath, biting my bottom lip and rubbing my thighs together in anticipation.

Edwards clumsily slipped the leather from the buckle and freed the button of his jeans, lowering the zipper carefully. I watched my lovely angel slip his hands into his jeans and slid them down his hips, promptly releasing his ever-burgeoning erection from its confinement.

I licked my lips.

I gasped at the sight before me, entirely transfixed by his naked form. I was certain that I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. Everything about him stroked a fire in my belly, from the perfect curvature of his hips to his firm, sculpted chest. And that set of delectable muscles that led to the Promised Land. He grasped his engorged member firmly in one hand and stroked it hard, examining me with lust filled eyes.

Several seconds later, Edward crawled slowly back on to the mattress and kneeled between my thighs. He grabbed the hem of my sleep shorts and gently tugged both my panties and my shorts down my hips. I lifted my ass off the bed and he swiftly slid them down my thighs, throwing the items behind him with utter abandon. His fingers felt like fire as they trailed down my skin. I burned everywhere.

"Are you certain this you want, love?"

I nodded fervently. My hands flew up and grasped him around the neck, pulling his face close to mine and touching my lips to his. He groaned and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, ever so gently nibbling it with his teeth.

Grabbing my knees, Edward pushed my legs apart, revealing my warm, pink flesh that ached for him. My breathing was erratic, pulse hammering in my chest. I wanted him so fucking badly that I felt it in the marrow of my bones. Edward looked at me a ravenous beast—like that first day. For a moment, it looked as though he were warring with himself, suppressing the veracious creature that always loomed in those fathomless depths, now obsidian like the night sky.

My love laid one hand on my knee and the other on my inner thigh, slowly tracing small circles on my knee. Oh, God. I closed my eyes and moaned, as he trailed his long, slim fingers across the crease of my hip and ghosted it ever so softly across my sex. It was as light as a feather but set every nerve ending on fire. I shuddered and cried out as he traced each digit through my folds, coaxing my body to become wet with arousal. My hips bucked against his hand, as he swirled them around my nub with precision.

Obviously being a telepath was beneficial. His many years of accidental exposure to the sexual exploits of his siblings had educated him in the art of foreplay. Those long fingers moved as though he were manipulating the tiny black and white keys on his piano, stirring across my body in a concerto of ecstasy. Even inexperienced, my Edward was quite definitely a protégé with his hands.

Slowly he inched one finger into my warmth, pirouetting it around the flesh as adeptly as he stroked the keys of his piano, sliding it out only to plunge it back in again. I hissed with pleasure. He experimentally slipped a second digit in and moved both in and out swiftly, garnering delicious sounds out of my lovely lips. Edward continued his ministrations with fervor, enjoying the sight of me writhing on my bed, hair splayed out like a halo.

I opened my eyes, gazing at him though hooded lids. He removed his fingers and brought them to his mouth, laving every drop of arousal from his fingers.

Naughty Edward was deliciously evil.

"Jesus, you taste so fucking delicious, angel."

Raising my arms, I snaked them around the back of his neck and hungrily attacked his mouth. Our lips moved in a wonderful rhythm, our tongues dancing together, warring for dominance. He'd always win but I appreciated that he let me, at least, try. Edward pulled back slightly and laid his forehead against mine, both of us panting even though he needed no air.

Edward looked down at me and scowled. "Are you certain this is what you want? This will hurt. I may hurt you."

I swore that if he asked me again that I'd let Emmett pummel him into oblivion. He had to know that was what I wanted.

"Please, Edward! No more fuckin' excuses. No stalling. I need you."

Edward sighed and settled between my legs again. He grasped the back of my thighs and ever so gently pulled my body toward his, aligning our bodies together. My vampire love wasted no time and eased his way slowly into my core, pausing to allow me to become accustomed to his girth.

He leaned down and placed his lips lightly on my nose, panting heavily as he eased himself further, halting when his hips rested against my backside. I clamped my eyes shut and hissed in pain, jerking my head and biting down on my lip to quell the cry that was strangled in my throat. Edward was a perfect angel and remained stock-still, eyes firmly closed and teeth grinding together. I knew he that he struggled; I watched it play across his features.

His intrusion was a completely foreign feeling, but not entirely unpleasant, either, and as several more seconds passed, the twinge was replaced with need.

I reached up and cupped his cheek, reassuring him. "Please, I'll be all right."

Edward pulled himself out slowly, then gently grasped my waist and drew me toward him, using the motion to thrust himself forward a little harder—a little deeper. My love trailed one hand from my waist and cupped one breast, kneading the flesh softly while simultaneously swirling his thumb around my hardened nipple. He closed his forefinger and thumb around the sensitive peak, pinching it and twisting the supple flesh.

Every nerve in my body came alive at his touch. His pace quickened each stroke faster and harder with such exquisite friction that promised mind-numbing pleasure.

"Oh, Bella," he breathed shakily, thrusting himself inside of me roughly. "You are so beautiful, love."

"Oh, Edward!" I moaned, digging my fingers into the mattress.

The muscles in my lower abdomen began to tremble and tighten, causing my legs to quiver under his steady movement. I linked my ankles together above his ass and raised my pelvis, forcing him to take me deeper and with more fervor. The waves of release crashed down all around me, sending me into a tailspin of passion. I swore that I saw a white light behind my eyelids.

Heaven.

I threw my head back against the mattress and screamed out his name, floating on a sea of postcoital bliss. I opened my eyes and gasped at his inhuman beauty. His feral passion enchanted me, rather than frightened me. It was a look that should always grace his lovely face.

Edward grasped my ass tightly and increased his tempo, thrusting erratically into my core, causing me to fall over the edge again.

"Oh, Bella," he grunted, pounding me for a final time.

Our combined cries of rapture echoed through my house in a crescendo. Oblivion was all that was left.

*End Flashback*

When my memories and my tears had run dry, I crouched by the stream, grasped a palm full of water, and splashed it on my face, relishing in the feeling of the frigid water as it healed my current woes.

A flash of black in my periphery vision startled me. My eyes swept up and met four sets of garnet eyes, all watching me serendipitously.

Great. Vampires.

An air of apprehension swept over me like a heady fog, stifling me with its intensity. These beautiful creatures obviously didn't share Carlisle's dogma regarding human blood consumption. These were the eyes of murderers, and they were looking at me as though I were a snack. I gasped loudly and jumped to my feet, scurrying backwards in an attempt to keep a wide birth between us.

"Well, well, well," one of the vampires purred, tossing the hood of his cloak back with a quick flick of his wrists. The remaining three removed their hoods, as well. I quickly made note of their faces.

The man who spoke was a large gentleman with a pasty, olive complexion, sharp jaw, and an abundance of dark hair that flowed over the shoulders of his painstakingly pristine, cobalt suit and dark cloak. The vampire reminded me of a rigid sword, hard and lean, ready for battle.

The second man was a great hulking beast, rivaling Emmett with his height and stature. This vampire's complexion was a shade or two darker than the first but equally as lovely, as were all of his kind. He had a short-cropped halo of dark hair, reminiscent of crow feathers— shiny like a well-polished pair of Armani shoes. He was also dressed to the nine in a dark, double-breasted suit and matching cloak.

Obviously a running theme, I speculated.

Both men were quite frightening, but whereas the first man was rigid and lean, this man was akin to an iron-spiked cudgel.

The remaining two, a boy and girl of my age, were easily the most exquisite creatures in the clearing, even more so than Edward. Their flaxen hair and soft features enraptured me. Even though the duo were unconcerned by my presence, I couldn't fain indifference. There was something about their outward appearance or demeanor that called to me on a basic level. Standing in their presence felt right—like coming home.

Both vampires were breathtakingly beautiful. The boy stood tall and leonine with full lips and long lashes. The girl was shapely and just as lovely; her long, blonde hair hanging in loose ringlets down her back. She was the only vampire who wore a stitch of color beneath the long cloaks, tinted various shades of charcoal and black—crimson to match her leering eyes.

A movement in my peripheral vision brought me back to the present—back to the danger at hand. The initial instigator studied me for a moment and smiled broadly, adjusting the bulge in his pants. I swallowed hard and shuddered at his boorish behavior, looking away, startled by a feral growl that emanated from the group. Men were such vile creatures.

"What do we have here? The fur-munchers have left their pet all alone. What a shame. She is quite appealing for a human. Perhaps Carlisle's brat grew tired of his human lover.-"He looked at her and smiled. "-Shall I take you on that piano in the foyer and let you feel what a talented lover can do, little kitten? You smell delightful!"

"You disgust me!" I spit, backing away from his imposing figure and against a large oak. "The Cullens are gone . . . they aren't here! They didn't want me. Please, just leave me be."

I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat, tears trickling out of the corners of my eyes. By the disdain in his tone and the affliction in his pants, I had a sneaking suspicion that he wanted more than to engage me in friendly banter.

Geez. You tell 'em Bella. You sound truly menacing. I'm certain they'll turn tail and run.

In the blink of an eye, the largest vampire stood mere inches from my body, running his thumb lightly through the trail of those damned traitorous tears that streamed down my cheeks. His eyes rolled into the back of his head when he exuberantly laved the salty liquid from his finger, humming with delight as it danced across this taste-buds.

His disgusting display pissed me off, and I stepped forward and shoved my palms against his hulking chest, anger rolling through my body like an electric current. If I were to die, I wanted to die with some sort-of dignity.

I glared into his garnet eyes until the hulking beast flinched. Flinched? Surprisingly, yes. The vampire reverently dipped his head and complied with my demands, smirking at me with large dimples in the corner of his cheeks. Hmm. Did he move of his own accord? Or did I compel him to do so? I would revisit that revelation later.

"If you do not want her Demetri, I will be happy to take her off your hands. This little one has fire in her belly. I would take great pleasure in breaking down those walls."

His innuendo made my stomach roll. I quickly realized that my earlier attitude might garner me a more gruesome death. I didn't want my last moments on earth to be defiled by rape, so I dropped to my knees and curled against myself, mumbling almost incoherently.

"Just kill me and get it over with. Let me die with dignity. Please . . . please, God, don't rape me!"

The big man threw his head back and laughed, grabbing a bundle of my hair and pulling me to my feet. What is it with men and fucking hair? I struggled against his hold and shrieked in pain when he tightened his grip. Seconds later, the brute gently released me, and I fell to my knees, thankful to be free of his constraint. As soon as my body hit the ground, I knew I needed to attempt to escape my two assailants before I became dinner . . . or worse.

I pushed myself off the ground with every stitch of energy I could muster and sprinted toward the house with utter abandon; maniacal laughter echoing across the empty expanse. It sent shivers up my spine. I knew I wouldn't get far, but I couldn't fathom laying there and giving up, either. My current plight was akin to those unfortunate souls featured in those stupid horror flicks that Jake used to watch. Oh, how I wished he were here, now. Of course, this situation was far beyond the scope of a mere ax murder, or a clawed maniac. I'd embrace any of those fictional psychopaths and gladly allow them to hack me to bits. My demise, I feared, would far surpass anything that Hollywood would've conjured up.

Every few feet, I looked behind me, desperate to escape my new predicament. However, my slight bout of freedom ended when I rounded the last corner of the house and a cool hand snaked out and grabbed my wrist. His touch incited a blood-curdling scream to escape my lips, quickly silenced by a swift clip of the back of my attacker's hand.

Instinctually, I flinched away from my assailant and backed myself against the other who had, magically, appeared behind me, leaving me at both their mercy.

The vampire before me grabbed me by the wrist and drew me close, throwing me over his shoulder like a Neanderthal. "YOU. ARE. MINE," he growled as he toted me back around the house.

The man named Demetri (more like Mr. Neanderthal) laughed maniacally in my ear and threw my body to the ground. My head bounced with a sickening thwack. He quickly pinned me under one of his massive paws and used the other to unbuckle his trousers. I squirmed under his hold, kicking and hitting anything that I could connect with my limbs. I would not relinquish my body to this fiend. I would fight him until my last breath, but I would never yield.

"I'm not gonna die like this. I refuse to die like this," I muttered, closing my eyes when the sound of fabric rustled in my ears.

My tear-rimmed eyes sprung open and swept up to meet the beautiful boy's garnet gaze so as not to meet the feral features of the man that now knelt between my thighs. He looked pained as he watched my would-be attacker release the zipper of his pants. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, silently beseeching him to spare me the humility of this disparaging act. For some reason I knew he had the power to stop him, yet for several moments he didn't move and that angered me.

Anger.

I watched the emotion as it swept over his features and coursed through his hardened veins, bright scarlet, pulsing around his slim frame like a second skin. The boy roared in fury, grabbing Demetri by the nape of the neck and throwing him to the ground, amazed his lithe, predatory movements. The blond grabbed a handful of hair, tilted his neck back, and sunk his teeth into his trachea, removing a large chunk of flesh in the process. He spat the disgusting tissue on the ground and growled, stepping back to watch the large wound weep venom down his cloak.

The larger vampire bound to his feet seconds later and dove into the boy's shoulder, catching him slightly off guard. The boy tilted his palms and splayed my fingers open, allowing an inky, billowing smoke-like substance to seep out of hands. Unfortunately, whatever gift the boy possessed worked slowly, and the caveman wrapped his arms securely around his torso, slipped his forearms under the boy's armpits, and bound him to his chest in tight headlock, preparing to remove the lovely boy's head. But nothing happened.

In the blink of an eye, both men crumbled to the ground-one uninjured and the other curled into a ball. The flaxen-haired boy, Alec, fell forward to his hands and knees, gasping for unnecessary breath. Without a conscious thought, I rushed to his side and dropped beside him, brushing his long, fair hair from his face, suddenly fearful for his safety.

Why? My actions were an enigma.

I placed my hands on either side of his face and opened my lips to speak, but my words were overshadowed by a feral scream that ripped through the darkness like fiery claws, sending up a crescendo of pain and misery to the heavens. My eyes shifted from his, to the woman who now dominated my attacker with her mind.

"Pain," the shapely beauty in red said in a singsong tone, leering at Mr. Neanderthal with demonic eyes. He was writhing on the ground as though he were burning at the stake, screaming into the heavens for mercy, as the beatific creature circled him like a buzzard. I wanted to laugh. "Agony can break a person in a matter of seconds. Strong and capable warriors have all crumbled under the strain of my power. Sadistic as I am, I refuse to allow you to defile that child. Moreover, unless I am wrong, the girl belongs to Alec, and as we are the highest-ranking guards on this mission, we have decreed that this child shall remain alive and unsoiled until we arrive back to Volterra."

I thought that I had recalled Carlisle mentioning that the vampire ruling class lived in Italy-Volterra specifically. The Volturi. My former father figure had only mentioned the group only once, yet I hadn't forgotten the tale. I had little doubt that death awaited me at their hands.

The raving beauty quickly stepped to the side and snatched me by the shoulders. She pulled me gently against her chest, never taking her eyes off the wailing man at her feet. Despite her ferocity, her touch was gentle, comforting, but I found I couldn't ponder the reason. I had to know the outcome of the battle that ragged before my eyes. His safety was paramount, I knew.

And that confounded me as these creatures wished me harm.

The boy quickly shook me off and stood, straightening his clothing, and purposely sauntered over to the massive man with a purposeful stride. He straddled his still writhing form and crouched low, allowing another round of dark, cloying smoke to seep from his fingertips. Demetri's eyes grew wide, and he beseeched the boy to stop the attack, questioning his motives.

"The girl belongs to me!" he hissed. I should've been appalled, but oddly, I wasn't bothered by his declaration in the slightest. He already possessed me.

Edward was such a fool to have thought that the supernatural wouldn't reappear at some point. Danger seemed to court me like a lover. And, sadly, I knew far too much to fade into oblivion.

Hmmm. How 'bout that Zorradesombra? Reviews are always appreciated!