A/N: So… once again I find myself having to apologize for the delay in updating. Got distracted by Halloween, then suffered from 3 weeks-worth of writer's block. *sigh* I am working on the next chapter, but I think that I've learned my lesson when it comes to making promises about when it might post. LOL

On another note, the FGB Breaking Dawn edition is currently underway, raising money for cancer research. This year, the organizers decided to put together a compilation, and I have submitted a contribution. A donation of at least $5 to the cause will give you access to the compilation—at least 50 authors are contributing.

Thanks to tiffanyanne3for the beta and radar1230 for the pre-read.

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

Sacrificial Love

Edward

The way he said it—and the shrewd way his eyes narrowed when he said it—gave me a chill. Something wasn't right. I had no idea what his, their, motives were, but I suspected that it wasn't nearly as altruistic as they would've had me believe. Aro wanted Bella. Badly. He would kill for her, as evidenced by the smoldering pile of ashes we had left behind. Yes, he had just saved my life, but I knew instinctively that he would just as quickly extinguish it if I didn't fulfill his purpose.

For now, my dysfunctional brain was my only ally. Unfortunately, it was also my biggest weakness; my mind was a complete blank. I had no clue where I was, who I was, or what I was. Nor did I have any clue as to what was lying in wait for me on this forced excursion. Somehow, though, I knew that anywhere he wanted to go was someplace I did not need to be.

All I could do was trust my instincts. However, even they seemed… off.

The sun was now high in the morning sky, and I couldn't help but notice how my skin glittered brightly in response. While the others were robed completely from neck to toe, whenever the sun alit on their faces, the same thing happened. My ears were overly sensitive, picking up sounds from what seemed like miles away, not that there was much around; I could clearly hear the rustling of fabric from the three bodies that followed behind us as we departed the clearing by the cottage as well as the muffled hum of conversation that seemed to be taking place behind closed doors. My nose picked up each and every scent: the slight tang of the coniferous needles littering the ground; the heavy, dank scent of the damp earth; the slightly sweet fragrance of those that had departed ahead of us; and… her. Even in the woods, her familiar scent was everywhere, hugging me in a comforting manner.

We were on a path about a mile from the cottage when a concentrated cloud of that familiar scent hit me. It lingered provocatively at a crossroads, and I suspected that she had done the same before departing. Instinctively, I knew that she had gone this way the last time she travelled from the cottage. I veered to follow, needing the answers that she could provide, but before I had even taken one step, I realized that I couldn't lead them anywhere that she had gone; despite his calm, rational assurances, I did not trust Aro. I would never willingly help him locate Bella.

With one final inhalation, I turned away from the only familiar thing I'd encountered thus far and instead followed a person I had even less faith in than myself.

~/~

We'd been travelling for quite some time, moving leisurely yet far more quickly than I would have believed possible—just one more thing to my growing list of anomalies—when my entire body suddenly froze. My muscles became tense, ready to spring, and my mouth rapidly filled with thick saliva. A haze descended around me; it was as if I could see nothing, hear nothing, and feel nothing, except the need to get to the aroma that had just invaded each and every one of my senses.

If the scent earlier was home, comfort and familiarity, this was something else entirely. It was the sweetest ambrosia I'd ever smelled. I didn't know what it was, but I knew that I wanted it. No… I needed it. I couldn't resist it; I didn't have the strength.

Lost in a vortex of need, I didn't even realize that I was running. I wasn't looking where I was going, but it didn't matter; my sense of smell was blindly leading me. With each step I took, the sweet scent grew stronger, more appealing and more intoxicating. With each deeply indrawn breath, I became more and more focused, more frenzied in my need to reach the source.

The sound of running footsteps and crunching leaves indicated that I was being followed. The same soprano voice from earlier called out to me.

"Edward! Stop!"

But I didn't stop; instead I increased my pace.

When a small hand landed on my arm, I turned with a snarling snap, which caused her to back off. Free from the interference, my pace increased even further. Although my feet were carrying me away from my would-be interceptor, I still heard the subsequent conversation clearly.

"Let him go." Aro's voice was oddly eager.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"This may ruin any chance of obtaining his help willingly."

"I need to see."

"This is a mistake, and you know it, Aro." Her voice was irritated and a bit angry. "He may not remember, but we do. How will he trust us in the future if we allow this to happen?"

"How will we have the upper hand if it doesn't?"

They'd obviously reached a crossroads in the conversation as all verbal communication halted. Or maybe I didn't register the rest of the exchange; when I burst through a line of trees into an open area, the searing pain that exploded in my throat drove all other thought from my mind. A figure was hunched on the ground, and I knew an instantaneous rage. With a feral growl, I sprinted across the meadow and hauled him off my target, flinging him away. I heard voices yelling behind me, but ignored them as I finally, finally, sank my teeth into soft flesh.

Warm, salty wetness hydrated my parched lips, tongue and throat. My fingers clutched desperately as I guzzled greedily. The warmth settled in my stomach, slowly filling the overly-empty space. But it wasn't enough; within seconds, I was sucking air. I dropped the limp, lifeless body to the ground and snatched up the next one, my chest rumbling in contentment when my mouth was once again filled with sweet ambrosia.