Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer created Edward and Bella. I just twisted them around and had fun with them.

I hope you are continuing to enjoy my convoluted re-telling of this love story. I love writing it and sharing it with you!

Thanks to , the grammar vixen!

I desperately wanted to nip at his heels, to lunge forward and overpower him. But I resisted, swiping my tongue along the edge of my sharp teeth before swallowing the venom that began to pool under my tongue.

It would have been ridiculously easy to outrun him, but I wouldn't let him know just how fast I was. At any time during the chase, I could, with very little effort, launch myself into the trees and, using only a minimal amount of my boundless strength, spring forward past him. But against all my instincts, I allowed him to maintain his lead, his loping canine gait setting our pace through the forest.

Jacob had no idea of the extent of my newborn strength and stamina. He was used to running and hunting with Bella, who, despite her vampire impulses, retained much of her human uncompetitive nature. She had no desire to challenge her werewolf friend, so I refused to give in to the need to upstage him with my new abilities. I appreciated his company too much to jeopardize our friendship.

Just when I thought he was tiring, Jacob quickened his pace. His meaty paws pounded a thunderous rhythm on the muddy forest floor, while my silent, but rapid steps sinuously skimmed the ground's surface.

As we neared our destination, Jacob slowed his pace and I leapt forward to run next to him. He turned his head toward me, his glistening orbs twinkling delightedly, and howled joyously. I flashed him my teeth as we continued our exercise, running as equals – brothers – regardless of our differences.

I couldn't understand Jacob's easy acceptance of me in my new incarnation. He should have been wary, perhaps he even he should have been fearful, but he wasn't in the least. After only a few weeks of being a vampire, Jacob appeared on our doorstep, curious whether I was dangerous to him and his pack, and volunteering to help test my control.

Bella was extremely protective, growling at Jacob and not wanting me to have any interaction with him. But when I promised her that his smell repelled me and was so unappetizing that I'd never lower myself to drink his blood, she reluctantly relented and allowed me to step out of the cabin with him.

We talked and walked around the perimeter of the cabin, reacquainting ourselves with one another. Though he was open-minded and patient, it took several visits before he drew my undead body in for a hug, declaring me to be "not all that different."

When Jacob suggested that he and I hunt together, Bella adamantly protested, fearful that we were tempting fate and that one of us might end up hurt. So we compromised and tried simply running together. I suspected that Jacob wanted to test my abilities, but it didn't matter to me; I reveled in the fact that I didn't have to hide myself away, and could allow myself to enjoy his company without the fear that I might kill him.

We tore around the corner and came to a skidding stop at the edge of the clearing. I watched with fascination as Jacob phased back into his human form, his long, lanky limbs a harsh contrast to his compact and muscular wolf body.

I waited while Jacob retrieved his pair of cut-off jean shorts that we'd left before our run and pulled them on. I thought that even as a man, with his deep, ruddy skin, his long, obsidian hair, his tough bare feet making imprints in the wet dirt, he looked natural in the wild setting. He seemed part of the forest itself, as if he belonged to it as much as it belonged to him.

I envied him, knowing that I, in contrast, looked alien and unnatural. Neither man nor beast...I was something else, something that didn't belong anywhere.

And yet, as we walked side by side toward the small cabin in the woods where I'd been living for the past several months, I realized that I belonged with Bella. She was my purpose, my reason for being. She was my everything, now more than ever before. Together we were…complete…right.

As the cabin came into view, I opened my mind to Bella's to hear her thoughts anxiously welcoming my return. She stepped through the door onto the front porch, a gust of wind lifting her hair from her shoulders and slapping it across her gorgeous face. She looked so incredibly human as she tried to tuck the errant strands behind her ears, wrestling with the wind as stole the hair from her fingers.

She finally gave in, letting her hair whip around her head as it willed, giggling at the impossibility of keeping it under control. I smiled, charmed, my vampire body falling under the illusion of warming at the sight of her. How was it possible that my feelings for her only seemed to grow stronger – that our connection to one another became deeper, more impenetrable each day?

Though I still hadn't quite come to terms with my new life and how to define my existence, I liked to think of the excruciating pain of the transformation as a rite of passage on my path to Bella. We couldn't fully be together until I'd walked that path. I never for one second doubted that it was all worth it.

Perhaps I should have been remorseful for the loss of my human life, or horrified by my supernatural characteristics, but my first days as a vampire were blissful. I accepted the realities of my new life optimistically, knowing that I could overcome any obstacles with Bella by my side.

And yet, I would never forget how lost I was for a few moments before I'd awoken from the transformation, how bereft I'd felt. And then, it was as if the entire world lit up from the inside out, and as my body healed itself, so did the emptiness in my mind.

I'd felt each of my final heartbeats with an acute sensitivity that was almost overpowering in its intensity. It felt as if every cell was concentrated on the single act of wresting the last bit of human life from my body. And yet even as I was consumed with the heavy reverberations of my heart, I found my mind exploding with new stimuli. Even before I took my last breath, I realized that I was able to compartmentalize my thoughts like never before, to use all my senses and analyze several things at all at once at an alarmingly rapid pace.

Though I was still detached from the outside world, occasionally my mind floated to the surface as if spying on the world I was no longer a part of. I heard snippets of conversation, crying, heavy breaths. Hot fingers touched me, squeezing my hand, wiping my forehead. And through it all I felt Bella's constant presence, her words of love and reassurance repeating over and over like a prayer in her thoughts.

Interrupting my silent fixation on my slowly dying body and my obsessive observation of my surroundings, Bella abruptly severed our physical connection, moving away from my body, announcing to the house that I was about to awaken. Just as Bella was warning my father that they needed to leave, I felt a deep and powerful instinct to protest.

I struggled to open my eyes, to move my limbs, but the heavy blanket of darkness kept me prone. As a surge of icy liquid pumped through my veins, I filled my lungs with air, consciously taking a deep, unneeded breath, and inhaling the lingering imprint of the human bodies of my family.

I was instantly tortured by an intense hunger, the utterly mouthwatering and tempting scent of life around me, rousing such a potent need in me that I could barely hear Bella's faint call, her sweet voice drawing me to her. The instinct to wake was so powerful that I fought with all my strength to tear myself from the cocoon I'd been imprisoned in until my eyes finally shot open and I leapt to my feet all in one smooth motion.

My eyes sought Bella, and before even a second had passed, I had her slight body enfolded in my arms. I wrapped myself around her, breathing in her potent, intoxicating perfume as my fingers ran across the skin of her arms, relearning her body. My lips attacked her neck, her mouth, feverishly kissing and tasting the sweetness of her skin as she offered herself up to me, her lips eagerly meeting mine.

"Bella," I whispered along the delicate curve of her neck. "I can see and touch you and feel you so much more now than ever before. The need…for you…I can't restrain myself," I groaned.

"I know…I know," she moaned, dropping her head to the side, giving my tongue access to the edge of her jaw. She felt warm and perfect, and her delicious smell was inciting me to a frenzied state of animalistic need. I wanted to consume her.

Even though I could hear every thought, sense every emotion and every need inside of her more acutely than I ever did with my human mind, I couldn't get close enough to her. I wanted to open my chest and tuck her inside so that we would never be apart.

With every impassioned touch, I felt my flimsy restraint slip away. I was savage, my hands nearly clawing at her. "Bella…I can't stop myself. I need you so much," I moaned at her, my hands pushing roughly under her shirt and greedily palming the silky skin of her back.

"Don't stop, Edward. I don't want you to stop," Bella replied breathily, her eyes hooded with desire. I took a quick step back to pull the shirt over my back, casting it quickly aside. Bella used the distraction to lunge forward, knocking me off my feet and throwing me against the far wall where I crashed heavily, causing several framed photographs to shatter and fall to the ground.

"Catch me!" she yelled playfully, as she jumped out the back door, instantly disappearing into the woods. I took a brief second to scan the living room of my family's house before I turned away, and giving into my instincts, I pursued my mate.

As I flew through the forest after Bella, I was shocked to find that the feeling of running, though familiar – I'd lived it vicariously through Bella's mind – was so much more exhilarating than anything I'd ever before experienced. No small glimpse into Bella's thoughts could have prepared me for the ease and fluidity of my body, the complete lack of hesitation in all my agile movements. And I was thoroughly overjoyed by how effortless it was to track Bella. I was so attuned to her scent that the path was clear, my legs quickly closing the distance between us.

The trees almost seemed to part for me as I easily pushed through them. The tug within me intensified as I got closer to Bella. As I could hear the faint crunch of leaves under her soft footfalls, the breeze entangling me in her seductive scent, I pushed myself even harder to overcome her.

I saw the wavy tendrils of her hair flying out behind her as I crouched and pounced, tackling her to the forest floor. We tumbled in a heap, rolling through the pine needles until we came to a skidding halt. I inhaled deeply, swallowing the tangy venom in my mouth as I growled at the beautiful temptress in my arms.

"I've got you," I declared, tightening my grip on Bella's arms.

"Now that you've got me, what are you going to do?" Bella asked coyly, masking her enthusiasm.

"Bella," I pleaded, losing my control. "I have to have you…now."

"Take me. Take me, Edward," she said, offering herself to me. I looked deep into her eyes, unsure for only a moment before I reached forward and ripped the shirt off of Bella's hard body.

I ravenously ran my lips and tongue over her chest as she tangled her fingers into my hair. I bit into the fabric of her bra, tearing it off with my teeth. I couldn't stop myself from nipping at the flesh of her perfect breasts, sucking my way toward her puckered nipples.

My movements were confident and instinctual. I had never felt so wild with abandon, the animal inside me taking what it wanted. As I ran my tongue around the base of Bella's nipple, I felt her rip my jeans open, the air caressing the naked skin of my legs as she pushed them down and tossed them across the clearing. I wrapped my hands around to her ass, tucking her closer to me, and pressing her breasts into my chest. Her hard nipples sent shivers of arousal through my limbs. I shuddered with pleasure, reveling in the feeling of her skin against mine, the temperature of our bodies finally the same.

I pulled away for a brief second, propping Bella on her feet so that I could slip her jeans and tiny black underwear from her body, removing the last barrier between us. In my haste, I tore them to shreds, the fabric pooling at her feet. Already feeling the loss of her touch, I roughly pulled her back to me, slamming our marble limbs together.

I ran my nose down her torso, inhaling as I went. A nagging voice in the back of my mind kept reminding me to be gentle with Bella, to cherish her. But I couldn't. I was a beast, driven by my need. My nose found its way to Bella's core, where she was wet and dripping with her own need. The scent of her arousal was so much more potent - spicy and complex - than I was able to discern as a human. I was overcome with the desire to taste her, to feast off her juices.

I plunged my tongue into her, sliding it expertly along her swollen lips, flicking it teasingly at her clit, and circling it round again. She grunted with pleasure, her nails digging into my back almost painfully. I couldn't get enough of her, sucking and swirling my tongue until I was so aroused, I felt like I might explode before she'd even touched my erection.

When Bella screamed, her cry echoing through the trees, I slowly trailed my lips up her hip, along her breast to her mouth, my eyes never breaking our gaze. She kissed me passionately as her hand reached down to cup my balls, the venom in our mouths comingling.

I leaned forward on one arm, relishing the fact that I was strong enough for even the most difficult of positions, and grabbed my cock, rubbing the sensitive tip along Bella's opening. She was slick and hot, her skin remarkably supple to the touch. I couldn't wait any longer to have her, to make her mine in the most basic, most primitive way possible.

"I love you, Bella," I said as I eased the head into her.

I love you so much, Edward. I've never wanted anything more than to be with you…like this.

Bella's thoughts were so sharp in my mind that it took no effort to hear her. There was no longer even the faintest separation between her silent words and mine; they seemed one and the same. Our feelings were so united in my mind and in my soul that every move of my body seemed orchestrated by both of us, perfectly synchronized in all ways. We were equals now - in mind, spirit, and body.

I wanted this moment to last, but my needs were too heated. I tried to go slow, but I couldn't stop myself and in one swift motion, I slammed myself deep inside of her, bursting through the barrier inside.

We both groaned with pleasure at the sensation. We fit together so perfectly that I wanted to stay sheathed within her like this forever. I was reluctant to move, to put any space between our bodies, but my body moved by instinct, craving the friction. As I built a slow rhythm, I looked down at the connection between our two bodies, amazed at the erotic sight of my cock sliding along Bella's folds.

Emotions, intense and beyond anything I'd experienced before, welled up within me. Nothing in my human life had ever felt so right; I'd never felt so powerful, so raw, stripped down to the core of my being.

Bella felt it too. Every bit of her – her body and her mind – was focused on our union, on surrendering to the experience and binding herself irrevocably with me in the most profound way possible.

Without realizing it, I'd increased my pace, relinquishing control over my movements, and allowing myself to give in to the sensation. My lips were drawn back to Bella's full breasts, my tongue greedily ravishing her nipples, sucking until her moans drew me back to her mouth. As I maintained an inhuman, possessed pace, hitching her legs up over my hips to penetrate her even deeper, we explored every inch of each others mouths, sucking and licking each others tongues and lips, devouring, consuming.

I looked deeply into her eyes, smoldering with her desire, and gave into the need to bite her, sinking my teeth into the sensuous curve of her delicate shoulder. She growled at me in response, her thighs tensing as she shifted her upper body and in one swift motion, flipped us over.

With my body trapped between her thighs, she impaled herself deeper onto me, writhing wildly as she rubbed her breasts across my chest. I savored the view of the wild creature finding her own pleasure on top of me, entranced by her luminous skin, sparkling like a prism in a thin beam of sunlight that found its way through the dense foliage.

Her body was sheer perfection, an erotic masterpiece. I could no longer hold back my release. As Bella's hair draped across my chest, I encircled her arms and flipped us back over, pounding my throbbing cock into her uncontrollably. Just as I began to pulse into her, I felt Bella's ecstasy in my mind a second before her body convulsed below me and she screamed my name into the tall trees that surrounded us.

I bent to touch my lips to hers, but she smiled mischievously at me before rolling our naked bodies back over so that she was flanking me. I loved this playful side of her as well as the sight of her dominant above me.

"Ha! I've got you," she declared triumphantly, smirking.

I realized that she could never have been so free with me before and I was filled with happiness that her walls were tumbling down. Our relationship had already evolved into something new.

She dipped down to kiss me this time, but before our lips connected I rolled us again so that I was on top. She giggled when we stopped, but raised her legs and linked them around the back of mine, attempting to roll us back over. But I had already read from her mind what she was planning, and I scooped her torso around me so that we revolved a whole revolution and I was again on top. Bella snarled at me, flinging me against the ground and we wrestled for dominance, rolling around the clearing until we'd knocked down several small trees and were covered in a thin haze of dirt.

I found Bella covered in dirt incredibly arousing, causing us to spend another several hours kissing, licking, biting, and making love. As night fell over the forest and we walked naked, hand-in-hand to Bella's little cabin, I felt more at peace, more complete than seemed possible.

With no reason to hurry, we kept a slow, human pace on our way back to the cabin. Even though I never took my focus off of Bella – her delectable scent, her thoughts, the feeling of her tiny hand in mine – I began to observe and explore my new vampire body and its startling abilities. Though I'd had a hint of how the world was enhanced as a vampire - as I had viewed it in Bella's mind - experiencing it first hand was much much different.

Everything seemed painfully sharp and clear even in the waning light; there were no fuzzy edges in my vision and I could see to an amazing distance. I already knew that I was fast, having touched on my speed when I'd run after Bella. There was no doubt in my mind that I was strong too. Just to test my strength, I bent over and picked up a small boulder - the size of a man's head - with one hand, and crushed it to rubble between my fingers with very little effort.

I can think of better things for you to do with your fingers, Edward.

Bella's thoughts filtered into my mind so easily. I wondered if I'd imagined them. But one look at her sexy, impish expression, told me that she had indeed invaded my mind. It was a relief to me that we still maintained our mental connection and that it appeared to be stronger and more effortless than ever before.

Yet, the one thing that seemed to be the defining characteristic of my new existence, besides my role as Bella's mate, was the gradually intense and powerful thirst that was beginning to consume my thoughts with each careful step I took. Admittedly, it had been lingering under the surface since I'd awoken, but I'd successfully pushed it to the back of my mind while distracted by Bella. Finally I couldn't ignore the building need within me any longer, and I stopped abruptly.

Bella turned toward me, a knowing look on her face. "It's time to hunt," she declared, anticipating my need. As soon as the words left her mouth, I felt the ache within me ignite, all my senses focused on quenching my fiery thirst.

"Listen," Bella said, craning her head to the side. I turned my head and stilled my body, concentrating. There were many sounds – the wind gusting through the pine needles above, an owl's cry echoing off a mountain to the east, the melodic tinkle of a small stream carving a meandering path through the trees. But my ears honed in on the unique hum of life nearby – the puff of an exhaled breath, the repetitive scratch of ungainly legs lumbering along, leaves squashed under solid hooves, even the faint hint of several heart beats. Blood.

"Smell," Bella ordered. I inhaled deeply, lifting the scent of something feral, earthy off the slight breeze. Deer.

I glanced at Bella uncertainly. "Now?" I asked, but didn't wait for her answer; I couldn't. My body was out of my control, desperate to quell my thirst, my legs already following the scent. I could sense Bella behind me, giving me space to find my own way, pride in my speed and agility dominating her thoughts.

I didn't hesitate, but as soon as the first deer came into view - a particularly large buck - I pounced. Possessed by my thirst and following my instincts, I wrapped my arms around its thick body. With an ease that continued to surprise me, I snapped its neck to the side, sinking my teeth deep into the tough flesh. As soon as the blood hit my tongue, my body cried out in relief and I sucked with all my strength, lapping up the warm, viscous liquid.

Within seconds I'd consumed every last drop of blood in the lifeless carcass. I wiped the blood from my chin, raising my head to search for another animal to hunt, when Bella stepped into view. She had a smaller deer - a doe - that she was dragging behind her by the scruff of its neck. It was very much alive, thrashing to free itself from her clutches.

She released it, smiling at me lovingly. It scrabbled through the undergrowth, trying to flee the scene. I gave it a short head start before flying after it, pinning it to the ground, tearing into its neck and drinking until relatively sated.

If we could have, we would have made love all night, but as soon as we neared the cabin and I caught scent of another vampire, I realized that we would not have the privacy to do so. Crouching instinctually, I had every intention of attacking the creature who dared to intrude on our idyllic reunion, but Bella placed her hand on my shoulder, calming me instantly.

"Edward, it's just Tanya," she explained. "She was badly injured…she's been healing." Her wide, angular eyes pleaded with me to understand. I was instantly contrite for my reaction to her smell, knowing that she'd probably been hurt protecting me and my family.

"What happened, Bella?" I asked, recognizing that I'd been so infatuated by exploring all the facets of my new existence that I hadn't yet thought about the events that had led me to this reality. Truthfully, I'd already begun to forget the details – the struggle with Victoria, the pain, the last moments of my human life.

"We'd only been back at the cabin for a short time when it was surrounded by newborns. But Victoria and Riley weren't there and we realized that you were in danger. Luckily, Jacob was nearby and the wolves attacked, distracting most of the vampires. I caught your scent immediately and called out to you, hoping you would hear my warning." She furrowed her brow, her razor-sharp teeth worrying her bottom lip.

"I was so frightened for you," she confessed, her hand caressing my cheek as if to ensure that I was real.

"And I felt so stupid for not anticipating that Victoria would go after you. I thought that she would come for me," she explained. "But, with the help of the wolves, we killed most of the newborns she'd sent to slow us down. Tanya had been slightly injured in the fight. She's a skilled fighter and she knew that I wasn't. She did her best to protect me, easily blocking attacks, stepping in front of me, and taking on several newborns at once. They scratched and bit at her, but she fought them all off.

"Jacob and the other wolves went off after the few vampires who'd run off, and I took off after your scent, tracking you and Victoria through the forest," she said, turning to face me and squeezing my hand. "There was no way I was going to let that bitch kill you!" she seethed, passionately.

"When I ran off after you, even though she was hurt and limping, Tanya went to check on your family. As she neared your house, she smelled blood…Seth. She found him at the side of your house a little way into the trees…he was…he didn't make it," she whispered, her melodious voice quivering with emotion.

"Tanya was bent over him, sniffing his wounds, trying to determine which vampire had killed him when Sam overtook her. He was so crazed with anger over Seth's death that he didn't realize who she was. He attacked her viciously. Because she was already weakened, he was able to overtake her, tearing off both of her legs before he noticed who she was and that she wasn't fighting back. He paused before killing her, uncertain.

"Luckily, he asked Jacob what to do and he ordered Sam to take Tanya back to my cabin. So he locked his teeth around her collarbone and dragged her through the forest with her legs clutched in her arms. She's been here ever since. She's almost healed," she said, smiling. As the words fell from her lips, the front door cracked open and Tanya emerged, looking so bright and refreshed that it was hard to imagine that only days before her legs had been severed from her body.

When Tanya and Bella weren't giving me instructions on how to best use my new abilities, Bella and I went off alone. We sat in the meadow for hours, holding hands, touching, listening to the sounds of the forest, staring into each other's eyes.

And we made love. I couldn't get enough of her. I was constantly caressing her, entangling my fingers in her hair, and testing the limits of my endurance. We'd yet to find the end of my stamina. We only briefly stopped our lovemaking to hunt, running through the forest with our hands linked, our minds and bodies in absolute synchronization.

After a few weeks had passed, Tanya decided to leave. I knew that Bella and I were starting to make her uncomfortable. It wasn't easy for her to hide the sadness in her eyes, our overt and continual signs of love and attachment wearing on her.

One night she simply stood from her favorite chair in the corner and announced that it was time for her go home. She embraced Bella, and I saw the pain in Bella's eyes and felt her sadness in her thoughts. While Tanya's arms were wrapped around her, Bella relived all the things she'd taught her, all the things she'd done to help and protect us, in her mind. When Tanya reached out to hug me, I felt true remorse that she was leaving. She'd been a good a friend and teacher, selflessly giving us all she had to offer.

I hugged her tightly, pouring all my and Bella's emotion into my arms. I silently thanked her for all she had done for us. As she jumped down our front steps and into the darkness, I fervently wished her the best and hoped we would see her again someday.

Jacob and I had just finished our semi-weekly run. He'd veered off when we were near the border to La Push, heading home. For once, I was by myself. As the cabin just barely came into view, I was feeling confident and proud of my level of control. I couldn't wait to see Bella again, to tell her that I'd run a ways by myself without any mishaps.

I picked up my speed, anxious to get home, when I heard her warning in my mind.

Edward, no! Don't come closer!

I skidded to a stop, but it was too late. I'd already inhaled and I smelled it…the most delicious smell I'd yet smelled – so familiar, but what kind of animal was it?

I couldn't stop myself. I sprang forward, salivating, rounding the bend to the front of the house.

There was a car there, but I ignored it, running up the front steps. Thirst was shredding my throat. I was ravenous, and so painfully eager to find the source of the smell that I ripped the door off the front of the house, growling as I leapt into the room.

"Edward! Control yourself. Step outside!" Bella demanded. She stood in front of my dinner, her arms stretched out to the side as if she could stop me.

I gnashed my teeth at her, snapping, grunting like an animal. "Move," I snarled.

"No!" she said.

"Edward?" a quaking, questioning voice asked from behind the shield of Bella's arms.

I smelled human scents – fear, sweat, the heady spice of blood under the surface of papery skin. A beating heart reverberated in my ears…pumping pumping pumping blood through veins filled with luscious blood that I needed…that I had to have.

"Bella. Move. Now," I demanded through clenched teeth.

"No. Edward, she's your mother," she yelled frantically as I jumped forward, grabbing Bella and thrusting her violently to the side.

"You'll never forgive yourself," she screamed, but I barely heard her as I wrapped my fingers around my mother's frail, thin arm and yanked her viciously toward me.

"Edward," she begged. "Please."

Sorry for the cliffhanger. It is perhaps the very last of this story…What did you think of Edward's awakening? I hope you enjoyed it! Please drop me a line and let me know your thoughts!