A/N: Once again, I find myself needing to apologize for a late update. Sorry guys, but I've been suffering with a bad back for the past four days. I'll be out of town this weekend, so I'll try my best to get the next chapter written and posted before we go.

Thanks to tiffanyanne3 for the beta and radar1230 for the pre-read.

Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended

Sacrificial Love

Bella

I ran for hours. All through the night, I pushed forward, separating myself from everything that had ever mattered. Leaving Edward behind felt… wrong. With each step, my heart demanded that I turn around and go back. But Edward had sacrificed himself for my safety, and I owed it to him to protect myself, to avoid the Volturi at all costs. It was what he wanted.

As my feet raced across barren stretches of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, questions raced through my mind. Had they healed him? Was he okay? Was he as worried about me as I was about him? What information would he provide them when he woke? Where would they take him? What would they do with him? To him? And ultimately… How could I get him back?

Unfortunately, I didn't have answers to any of those questions. I could only hope that Edward had survived; I couldn't begin to imagine life without my mate. Yet at the same time, I knew that if the Volturi had been successful in resuscitating him, I would never be safe again; they wouldn't rest until they found me. Not now. That fact was the only thing that drove me onward.

I had no idea where I was going; I just knew that I needed to run as fast and as far as possible. Running blindly and by instinct, I stayed on an easterly course. I was careful to avoid cities and settlements, although this far north, it wasn't that difficult, and with the cover of night I was protected by darkness. When I came to lakes or streams, I submerged myself and swam, knowing the water would help to disperse my scent trail.

By the time the sun began to peak over the horizon, I'd reached the Hudson Bay.

I'd been running for more than fourteen straight hours by that point, in one direction or another. I wasn't necessarily tired, but my body felt drained. I'd never before tested the limits of my vampire strength or speed in this way. There'd never been a reason to. Everything with Edward had always been planned meticulously, plotted and measured in a way that would maximize our travel and minimize our energy consumption. All activity was meant to train my body, not exhaust it.

The way I was feeling now was quite different. I was exhilarated from the continuous exercise, venom coursing through my entire body in an adrenaline-like high. But once I stopped moving, that high faded rather quickly. I found myself feeling sore and shaky. And suddenly, very, very empty. A dry ache tickled at the back of my throat.

It took me a moment to make the connection.

In almost ten years of traveling with Edward, we had always hunted prior to our departure. If long journeys were planned, hunting stops were scheduled along the way. Thinking back, I realized that it had been a while since I'd last fed—several days at least. And in my need to get as far away as possible, I hadn't stopped once during the night to replenish my energy stores either. My body was now demanding nourishment; my throat was burning wildly, and my limbs were practically shaking with need.

I'd never felt this… hungry… in all my time as a vampire.

Rational thought began to fade as the need to feed took over. Luckily, I was in the middle of nowhere; I'd seen no evidence of civilization in the past hour of my travels, so I didn't have to worry about potential witnesses. Closing my eyes, I listened carefully to the sounds coming from the forest behind me. There was the scurrying of rodents and the harsh cries of birds, both of which I eliminated as insufficient; I required large prey in order to replenish the massive amount of energy I'd exerted in the past day. As soon as I registered the unmistakable sound of thick, wet blood pumping through the hearts and veins of several larger animals, the remaining vestiges of humanity fell away, and the predator within me took over.

Concentrating on the sound, I determined that there were three deer in a clearing a few hundred yards to my north. Inhaling deeply, I breathed them in—the dusty dirt and dried sweat on their hides, the full and rich bouquet of their lifeblood. Before a plan of attack even formed in my mind, my feet had already carried me downwind of my intended meal in preparation for my upcoming attack. Venom pooled in my mouth, and my entire body quivered in anticipation as I began stalking my quarry.

Weaving between the trees, I closed the distance on the deer. They were drinking from a small pond. There were two adults and an older fawn, the remnants of spotting still visible on its haunches. I immediately focused in on the larger of the two adults—a male, as evidenced by the velvety growth on top of his head. While protective and potentially deadly in battle, the antlers gave me an advantage. And a target. I leapt across the clearing and grasped his regal crown in my hands. Giving a quick twist, I snapped his neck cleanly. He was dead before his companion even noticed anything was wrong. With a startled trumpet, she bounded away, her fawn following closely behind.

By the time the body hit the ground, my teeth were already buried in his neck. Blood splashed hot and wet against the back of my throat, soothing the burning ache. I guzzled greedily, draining him quickly in a desperate attempt to refuel. When I was through, my body no longer shook with deprivation, but I was by no means satisfied; the blood had been absorbed by my exhausted body almost as quickly as I'd downed it.

I needed more. I still had more travelling to do later in the day.

Closing my eyes once more, I listened to the sounds of the forest and prepared to hunt in earnest.