He starred at me for a long time. His nostrils were flaring and his eyes had turned black from anger. When he spoke, it was severe and sharp, but calm. As if he was determined to not give something away.

"Of course I'm human, Bella. What else is there?"

I took a deep breath. He was determined to brush this off; I was determined to find out the truth.

"I'm tired of the lies, Aaron."

"I've never lied to you, Bella."

"You are right now! What are you?"

"Human. What you are."

"No, you're not. You are different than everyone else! And don't give me the older excuse! If it was that, Leslie would be stronger!"

"Maybe she is."

"She's not."

"Bella, you're being ridiculous."

"You're not human. I know you're not!"

"You don't know anything, Bella."

"I thought you said you would protect me!"

He was suddenly angry. "I am!"

"How? By lying to me?"

"Yes, that is exactly how! Please grasp that, Bella! I'm only doing this for your safety!"

"So, what Aaron? So I shouldn't know what I'm up against? What your kind is? What I'm supposed to do with these powers?"

He didn't know what to say to that. His voice was pleading when he spoke again.

"Please, Bella. Let it go. I'm not allowed to say anything. Please."

His now darkened topaz eyes pleaded with mine.

"It's getting late, Bella. You're parents will worry if it's dark."

I nodded and opened the door. Before I completely walked out though, I called to him over my shoulder. "This isn't over yet, Aaron!"

I knew he wouldn't give in easy. Well, neither would I.

I had come to the conclusion I was getting these powers for a specific reason. Obviously, like humans, there were good and bad people of Aaron's kind. I believed that I was getting these powers to stop those that were bad. I couldn't do that if I didn't know what they were in the first place.

I was about half way to my house when I looked down. In the sewer opening there was something there. I didn't know if it was of vital importance, but I felt a strong need to grab it. It glinted slightly when I looked at it from a certain angle.

I don't know how long I was squatted there trying to get this thing out, but when I looked up after I cut my hand on the side it was dark outside. And now my hand was bleeding. My face was streaked with tears due to my frustration.

But of more importance, were the three men walking towards me with purpose in their stride.

My hand didn't hurt anymore.

I quickly stood up and started walking home.

"Hey girl! You lost?"

I didn't answer, but I started walking faster. I wondered if they had put the object in the sewer to keep me there.

There was an alleyway up ahead; I was going to look for a trashcan or something to throw at them, when a third man came out.

I came to a stop. I was surrounded. And I would never be able to make it across the street fast enough.

Where was Aaron when I need him?

They laughed at my helplessness as I tried desperately to find an escape.

"Where you going girly? We just wanna play."

"I don't wanna play." My voice was weak; they laughed again.

"Good thing the wind isn't very strong today, huh boys? We wouldn't be able to see her face." He words sparked a flame of hope. If I could use the wind I could get out of here.

I concentrated as hard as I could but it kept slipping through. I couldn't get a hold of it. I was really panicking now. Why couldn't I grab it?

With one last heave in my mind, I was picked up and thrown several feet past the men. I was bloody and scrapped now, but I quickly got up and started running.

I was quickly grabbed and threw to the ground.

"That was a neat little trick girly."

I got up and started backing away. They followed predatorily.

"You don't get a choice whether you get to play or not." The leader sneered at me as he grabbed for me.

"I say she does." The man stopped his hand as I sighed in relief.

Aaron. Finally.

The leader had stopped his hand but did not retract it. Nor did he turn to look at Aaron.

"Whatever man, get out of here. She was ours first."

Aaron was silent. All of us turned to state at him. He had the same furious glint to his eyes as he had when he found the boys beating me.

I knew instinctively that if these men didn't leave, they would die tonight.

The leader shared a look with the other three in his group as they weighed in Aaron's stance and the menace in his eyes.

They chose wrong.

They all turned back to me and started walking towards me-with me backing up at the same speed-when Aaron spoke again.

"Leave." The men froze and turned to once more look at Aaron.

I knew I should be leaving while they were looking at Aaron but I couldn't make my legs move.

Or the instinct that told me that wherever Aaron was, I was safe.

These things combined caused me to stay rooted where I stood as Aaron and the leader had a stare-off.

But, even my instincts couldn't quell the fear I felt when I looked into Aaron's eyes.

He looked menacing…a predator.

"Now." His voice was low and threatening. I nearly ran from the menace that dripped from his voice.

Even though they weren't all facing me, I could clearly see the smirks flash across each of their faces.

They didn't stand a chance. When Leslie was here, she somewhat had calmed his-as she had said- "Animalistic instincts." He had glared at her after that.

He had told me before that I was his girl and that "no one or thing on this planet or otherwise hurts my girl. I don't care how justified they think they are."

So, I knew that if they had any intent on doing something like that they would die.

Sure enough the other three men made a human wall in front of the leader, as he said plainly and clearly "no."

It was the last word he would ever speak.

He had started to turn back to me. The men's wall didn't do anything.

Moving so fast that he was just a blur, Aaron was there by his side before he could completely turn around.

He pulled the man into an alleyway next to us-how odd that I didn't realize we were next to one- and pressed his lips to the man's throat.

The man's eyes went wide as he started screaming and thrashing in Aaron's grip. I didn't want to think of what Aaron was doing.

The other men didn't need any more encouragement; they turned and fled as one.

I tore my gaze from the running men back to Aaron. As he dropped the man, it seemed that his eyes were slightly red…

Aaron quickly gave chase to the other three but I didn't watch. I was looking at the first man's body.

His skin looked nearly translucent and there was something on his neck.

I hesitantly moved the head to the side to get a better look at his neck and nearly collapsed. It was a very good thing I was kneeling.

The man had a very distinct bite mark on the side of his neck.

In the exact place where Aaron had placed his lips.

Acting on instinct, I took a nearby rock and scrapped it along where the main veins were.

I gasped as a stood up and backed up against the alleyway wall.

I wasn't big on knowing about death and all that, but I did know that the body should still have some blood in it.

I looked up at Aaron dragging the other three back to where the first lay. Dead.

As I watched him, the pieces slowly fell into place.

The speed.

The strength.

Not coming out in the sun.

No eating.

No drinking

Bite marks.

Lack of blood from the men he just killed.

Bite marks.

A Different diet.

Red eyes.

Vampire.

He obviously wasn't the traditional vampire, but it was very much clear that he was one.

Good heaven, what did I just get myself into?

I started to pay attention to what he was doing.

He took a covered knife out of his pocket, and somehow without touching it himself, curled each man's hand around the hilt.

He took the knife, still in the first dead man's hand, and plunged it through the chest of the other three.

I winced, but I couldn't look away. Of course, no blood came out.

He slit the throat of one man and put him by the dumpster.

He grabbed two and placed them in and dumpster.

He slit the first man's throat and made sure the knife was close by his hand.

I realized with a start that he had made it look like the one man had murdered the other three and then committed suicide.

As he began to stand up and slowly turn towards me, my heart sped up.

Faster than could be healthy most likely, of course why would it matter? I'd be dead soon anyway.

His now red-black eyes locked with mine.

As I stared into the eyes of my killer-eyes that held a familiar blackened gleam, eyes I could out anywhere, eyes that I used to trust-I couldn't make my legs move.

But what would be the point to run, when he was so much stronger and faster than I?

As he met my terrified gaze and sauntered forward, only one question and one terrifying fact continued to swirl through my mind.

Aaron McCarthy is a Vampire.

WHY???

I closed my eyes and prayed for a quick death.

A/N: Yes, I know I'm evil. Recognize that last part a little bit? you should.

Big thanks to those few that review.

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