Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Thanks to every one who have stayed loyal to this story and supported me every step of the way. I write for myself, but I am so happy that there are people out there who appreciate my writing. A big thanks go out to you guys! This is the last stretch, so, let's end strong.

The rest of the story will be written in Edward's point of view.

Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Ominous

EPOV

It's been three weeks since the night Bella made her decision to leave us. Three painful weeks of trying to live without her.

Every time I close my eyes and pretend the pain isn't there, shadows begin to materialize into her face. At first she was my Bella, laughing and playful in the forest behind our home. When darkness falls, her face transformed into that of a monster. Blood of her victims trickled down her mouth and onto her skin soaking through her clothes.

I don't know why I torture myself so, but if I could hold onto her face just for a few moments, I could live through the next couple of hours or minutes. It feels like everyday she's slipping away from me, and I can only picture her through the veil of my closed eyelids. To see her was what I wanted, but the bloody scene returns every time to haunt me. Yet, I hold onto it with dear life, because once I let go. She is truly gone.

"Edward! Edward, get up! Edward!" I heard Alice shout from a distance.

The shadows began to disappear behind my eyelids as Alice threw open the curtains that blocked out the sun. Why couldn't she just leave me be like the rest of them? Stupid, annoying, little canary.

"Dammit Alice. Pipe down!" I groaned turning onto my stomach.

Alice began to jump up and down on my bed, "You have to get up, Edward. You have to help her!"

Quickly, I reached out and snatched at her tiny legs, but I missed by a fraction of a millimeter. Earning me a kick in the gut off the side of the bed and into the wall. Furiously, I sprang up onto my feet and stared at her with clenched fists.

"OoO…I'm so scared," She taunted rolling her eyes at me.

I had to remember that this was Alice, but if it were anyone else, they would be dead by now.

"What do you want me to do, Alice?" I asked using the wall for support.

She leaned against the bedpost, "If you really love her, you can't give up. She needs you, Edward. James is making her do exactly what you heard him think that night you saw them. She's suffering, and she wants to stop, but she doesn't know how."

"I warned her. She brought it on herself!" I shouted angrily.

Damn her.

I heard it all through Alice's mind about Bella's new hunting habits. She fed mostly every night, but once she regained her reasoning, Bella was frightened of what she had become. Alice even saw Bella returning home to us many times, but shame and fear of rejection made her gave up on the idea. Stupid, little lamb.

She was terrified of being alone, wondering through the woods, and hiding in the shadows. That was when Alice saw her accepting James invitation to join his coven. I figured she accepted because she believed she had no where else to go, and he trapped her just like that. Offering her safety from the world, but forcing her to bring him his dinner every night. Bastard.

I swear if I ever get my hands on him-

"Fine. Leave her with him and the Volturi is bound to destroy her," Alice interrupted my silent thoughts.

'Mr. Berkeley is downstairs,' Alice spoke through her mind.

"What is he doing downstairs?" I asked.

"Why don't you let him explain it to you?" Alice questioned leaving my room.

My family were talking in whispers when I entered the living room. Jasper flinched uncomfortably at the pain he felt radiating from me, but he knows better than to play with my emotions like he does with others.

"What's going on here?" I asked taking a seat next to Esme.

She patted my hand keeping all thoughts to herself.

"Kyle has some concerns for our Bella," Carlisle answered.

'You look like hell,' Emmett frowned at me.

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," I replied sarcastically.

"He says Bella's been recruiting on campus grounds for James. Luring students to the house they share and slaughtering them," Esme choked up at the end.

I knew Esme truly loved Bella like a daughter, and secretly wished that we would be married soon. This must be extremely difficult for her to accept, and it nearly shattered my already broken heart.

"What's the full story, Kyle?" I questioned.

"For the past two weeks, students have been disappearing from my campus regularly. A few at first, but now the numbers increase every night. When I looked into the disappearances, they seem to be linked to rave parties. All the students who went missing on the same night agreed to go to a rave party outside of town. Then, they never came back and their bodies burned beyond recognition," Kyle paused.

"How do you know it was Bella's doing?" I asked warily.

"I checked the security cameras on campus myself, and I saw Bella posting the flyers. Students on campus are cautioned not to go to any more rave parties, but it seems they have taken another direction. There is talk around campus about a bonfire in the woods. I have a feeling they were getting ready to strike again," Kyle finished.

He began to pace the floor, "If we don't want the Volturi to come her, we have to finish this ourselves. Attack them at the bonfire and make sure we kill every single one of them. Of course we have to make sure the students are safe."

'…Kill every single one of them…He means Bella, too,' I thought silently.

I shot up from my seat, "Over my burning pile of ashes will you lay a finger on Bella."

"By our laws, she must die along with the rest of them," Kyle protested.

'You cannot save her. She threatens to expose us,' He thought.

Angrily, I clutched his throat in my hands. His eyes bugged out the harder I squeezed.

"Edward, let him go," Carlisle urged resting a hand on my arm.

'You're picking a fight with the wrong person, Edward. Save it for James,' Emmett thought.

Reluctantly, I released him and he staggered back.

"My apologies. Edward has been on edge lately," Carlisle said.

'Berkeley's right, minus the Bella part. We have to take them out,' Alice thought.

"We'll handle the vampires ourselves," I announced.

"It is my campus and my students. I have to be there to see it is done," Kyle said wise to keep his thoughts to himself this time.

"If you insist, but you have been warned," I reminded.

Not long after, I found myself by the pool gazing up at the stars. My Bella was somewhere with him and his coven of bloodthirsty vampires. I wondered if I was the one who drove her away. That this was somehow all my fault.

"It's not your fault," Carlisle's voice startled me.

"Not my fault about what?" I asked trying to gather my scattered thoughts.

He sighed, "No one has to tell me that you blame yourself for Bella's departure. I know. I see it written on your face as clear as the brightest star. Aside from that, can you guess how I would've figured it out?"

I shook my head.

His expression was pained, "Because I blamed myself when you left. I wondered if I've been a good father, if I paid attention to you, if there was anything I could've done to prevent you from leaving."

"Did you come up with any answers?" I asked.

"Sometimes a person just needs to find their own way and make their own mistakes before they realize what they left behind," Carlisle said.

I nodded, understanding.

He squeezed my shoulder.

"You know Kyle wants to destroy her. I've seen it in his mind," I stated worried.

"Remember, there's only one of him and seven of us. Whatever you decide to do with Bella, we are there to support you. But you do realize when Bella comes back, Esme is going to demand a wedding, right?" Carlisle smiled.

The thought of Bella and I standing before a minister reciting vows gave me hope. A will to find her and bring her back, but not to force her to stay with me. It would be her decision, but until then, she needs me and I will be there.

To be continued…

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