All characters except for Annabelle Causley and a few others belong to Stephenie Meyer…and, of course, the writer is not receiving any profit for this story whatsoever.

This is an AU out of Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. This story starts after Eclipse, two weeks before Edward and Bella's wedding.

Chapter Forty

Annabelle stood still, her muscles rigid, her joints locked.

The odds had been against them but they had succeeded…they had won their freedom from the Volturri.

Marcus and Caius had agreed to let them all go, including Annabelle, but the agreement hadn't come until after damage had been done.

Jane was no longer a problem as neither was Alec…Annabelle had destroyed one and Edward had finished the other…

It was thanks to Bella and her newly discovered talent that they had been able to stand victorious against the guard of the Volturri…but it hadn't been enough…

"Annabelle, we need to go. The sun's coming out and we can't help him here."

It was so easy for Edward to grab her arm and pull her along with the rest of the family. She couldn't think enough to put one foot in front of the other or to even pay attention to where they were going.

They moved quickly until they reached a small hostel outside of Voltura, Esme approaching the manager while the rest moved through the lobby and up the stairs in pairs, Emmett and Carlisle holding Jacob up, doing there best to downplay the situation so as not to alarm the manager.

Annabelle followed them up the stairs, Edward still grasping her arm. He knew that if he let go, she would stop moving, fall apart.

Rosalie and Alice quickly found an empty room, rushing in to draw shut all the drapes, throwing the room into darkness.

Emmett and Carlisle laid Jacob across the bed, allowing Carlisle the freedom to do a quick body scan.

"He's going to be alright," Bella stood next to Annabelle, her heart twisting in sympathy at the look of torment on her face, "This has happened once before…Carlisle will get him patched up."

"Bella," Edward stood across the room at the opposite side of the bed, ready to help Carlisle but knowing there wasn't much to do after seeing what Carlisle had diagnosed, "It's not the same…"

"What," Annabelle looked away from Jacob's pale face to look into Carlisle's eyes, "What's wrong? Can't you help him?"

"He's got five broken ribs," Carlisle moved his hands down Jacob's torso, "A ruptured spleen, bleeding liver…three of the ribs punctured his lung…he's bleeding out faster than he's healing."

Annabelle moved slowly towards the bed, unaware of Carlisle moving aside to let her by. Looking down into his pale face, she couldn't continue to stay on her feet. Sinking into her knees, she reached out to touch his face, wanting him to open his eyes.

Jacob groaned then coughed, a thin trail of blood slowly trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he turned to look at Annabelle, his dark eyes filled with pain, "Anna…belle."

"Jacob," Annabelle gently ran her fingers over his brow, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't move fast enough…"

"It's not…" Jacob groaned as pain ripped through his chest, "Your fault. I wasn't…looking…"

"Annabelle," Carlisle placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling useless at his inability to keep Jacob from bleeding to death, "We're going to lose him."

"No," Annabelle shook her head, hair falling over her pale face, her burgundy eyes wide with despair, "There's got to be a way to save him. He can't die. I can't lose him."

"Anna…" Jacob moved his hand to take Annabelle's, his breath coming fast and shallow, "You won't…lose me…there's…a way…"

"How," Annabelle leaned closer, her breath brushing over his face, "Tell me and I'll do it."

Edward looked over at Carlisle as they both realized what was going through Jacob's mind, neither sure if it would work.

"You know…" Jacob's eyes moved over her face, "I'd rather…be…like you…than to be…without you…"

Annabelle stared at Jacob, her eyes wide with shock and despair, "No…no…I can't…Carlisle, you do it."

Carlisle moved towards the bed but stopped when Jacob shook his head, "No…I…I want…you…"

"Jacob," a dry sob escaped Annabelle as she moved away from Jacob, thoughts of his throat, his flowing blood overwhelming her, "I can't. I'm not strong enough to stop…please, let Carlisle do it."

"No…" Jacob shook his head slowly, "You…I trust you…"

Annabelle shook her head as she tried to move away but Jacob tightened his hold on her hand and even though she knew she could easily extricate her hand out of his, she didn't have the power to stop touching him.

"Annabelle," Carlisle looked across the room at Edward, "He won't last much longer."

"Do it…" Jacob closed his eyes as he moved her hand closer to his beating heart, "Now."

Annabelle shook her head even has she moved closer to Jacob, burying her face into his shoulder, her body shaking with unshed tears and overwhelming pain, "Jacob, please…let Carlisle…"

"Anna…" Jacob moved his head to press his lips against her forehead, "I want…you."

Breathing in deep, Annabelle closed her eyes before moving her lips over his throat, kissing the weak pulse before sinking her teeth into it, the lush tearing of flesh filling her mind, her throat constricting as his sweet, rich blood filled her mouth.

The taste was overwhelming, so rich and exotically unique. Annabelle moaned as she sucked another mouthful, thinking of nothing but the way his blood filled her mouth, coated her throat, quenching the fire she had lived with since she first smelled him that long ago day.

Annabelle wanted to die…

Because she knew he had trusted her to keep him alive and yet she couldn't stop herself from killing him.

Because even though she loved him with everything that was in her, she wasn't strong enough to stop from gorging herself with his blood, from sucking him dry to satisfy her thirst…

Her heart was breaking because she knew…she knew she wasn't strong enough to stop herself from killing him…

She wasn't strong enough to save him…