Hey guys, quick post because I'm running late for Uni!

Again, I'm really sorry for making you all wait! But thankyou for all the awesome reviews and alerts and favourites in the meantime :)

Oh, and FYI--This story came second in Best Writing-In-Progress over at the Twilight Awards! ;) YAY! Thankyou to everyone who voted, you guys rock!

xoxoxo


Part IX – You are the most dangerous creature I have ever met…

The vision flooded my mind. The young secretary from Bella's office, Lanna—she was collapsed against the wall beneath the window in Bella's office, covered in blood, her throat half torn out. Bella, crouching in front of the girl, her eyes black and wild with thirst…

"No, Bella!"

There was a loud thud in my ear as she dropped her phone. Snarling, I threw my phone aside as I jumped off the roof of the building across the street from her office.

EPOV

Bella's office was on the fourteenth floor, looking out over the road I was on. I pounced across the street, catching myself on the side of the building before scaling it as quickly as I could.

Lanna's weak, disjointed thoughts were getting weaker, despite that I was getting closer. Her mind was half-crazed with fear and there were no solidly coherent thoughts—all I could see were hazy images that kept jumping and changing so erratically that it was difficult to tell what they meant.

Except for one.

Bella; leaning forward, teeth bared.

I snarled again.

The curtains were closed in Bella's office, a muted light from a desk lamp shining around the edges. Snarling, I swung my feet up and through the window.

The scent of fresh blood hit me like a bullet and a thirsty snarl ripped from my chest.

In front of me, Bella was unfurling from her crouch, rising to her feet—as graceful and deadly as a lioness—her onyx eyes glaring, snarling back at me.

Instinct kicked in and I pounced at her, forcing her back until we slammed into the wall, where I held her body in place with my own. I closed my eyes as she snarled in my ear, trying to dispel the thirst burning at the back of my throat and the sudden hunger gnawing at the pit of my stomach.

She shoved against me.

"Let me go."

Let her go. Let her go back to the human and watch her feed…and let her hate herself afterward for doing it.

I pushed her back against the wall. "No. You know you don't want that, Bella."

She struggled against me, laughing. The laughter was full of pain and ended in a groan that reflected it. I almost stepped back and let her go—I didn't want her to be in pain. The only thing that stopped me was knowing that her emotional pain would be so much worse when the bloodlust cleared.

I pinned her against the wall and whispered into her ear, "No, Bella."

She surprised me by attaching herself to me, wrapping her arms around my back, pressing her nose into my shoulder. I had expected her to keep thrashing against me, to keep trying to get back to the girl—back to the blood. I pulled her closer, tightening my arms around her as much as I could, trying to give her some silent support. She whimpered, pressing her body closer still, fidgeting in my arms.

It took me a moment to realize why the scent of blood, already so strong and so heady in this tiny little room, was getting stronger. It wasn't until Bella let out a hungry snarl that I remembered the hand she had had on the girl's throat.

I twisted and snatched her hand away from my back, away from her. The action infuriated her and she exploded into the kind of frenzied aggression that could only be brought on by the scent of fresh blood, snarling and shoving, trying to break my hold on her.

And for a moment, she did.

She twisted under my arm and darted back toward the girl, snarling. The only grip I had on her was my hand on her bloodied wrist. I pulled her back, as she tried to escape, with enough force that her body collided loudly with mine. I slid an arm around her waist to pick her up, to restrain her.

She screeched like a banshee as I carried her out of the room, slithering like an eel in my arms. I tried to ignore her, to ignore the pain she was in. There was nothing I could do for her, short of letting her go.

And there was no way I was about to do that.

In the hallway, she managed to get her feet back on the ground. She turned and I braced myself for another round.

But she surprised me again, stepping close and tucking herself against my chest, looking up at me with wide, wild eyes.

"Let me back," she whispered.

The demon in me wanted to, to go back in with her, to feed with her and quench the thirst burning the back of my throat.

"No," I said, as much to my own demon as to hers.

"Please," she sobbed, closing her eyes against the pain.

"No."

She wrapped her arm around me, pulling herself closer, sliding her hand to the back of my neck, pulling me down. I pressed my face into her neck, silently urging her to fight her demon. My own resistance was failing with every passing moment, the thought of feeding with her growing more appetising by the second. The thirst always brought every instinct to the surface—not just the instincts of the predator, but the more basic, elemental instincts. And every little action she made was wearing against my basic, male instincts, making it so much harder to resist. It felt like I was hyper-aware of her arms around me, of her hand on the back of my neck, of her lips at my ear.

"Please." Her voice was low in my ear, seductive…and I drew back as I realised…

"No, Bella." I frowned at her. I felt oddly vulnerable, exposed. She knew what she was doing and she knew it was working. "You called because you wanted help. You wanted to do the right thing. And draining Lanna"—I stressed the name, hoping it might bring some element of her conscious self back—"of life if not the right thing to do."

She wasn't listening to me—it was obvious in the way she stretched her body against mine, inhaling along my jaw, purring in my ear. I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the sensation, rather than fighting it…until she slid her tongue along my jaw.

"Bella…" Her name came out in a low growl, my fingers flexing on her back. I felt her teeth graze my ear.

"We could share it."

Her voice was a soft, sensual purr in my ear, her body pressing hard against mine. Her scent was in my head, mingling with the scent of blood, creating a heady brew that was slowly, surely, driving me insane. The image was in my head before I could stop it—the human propped up between us—Bella in front of it, me behind it—as we fed on it.

I felt myself snarl hungrily as I swung her to the left, pinning her to the wall. Her eyes were bright with excitement—for what, the blood or me, I wasn't sure—and wild with thirst. I let her lift her bloodied hand, bringing it between us. Ignoring the part of me screaming at me not to do it, I ducked my head, closing my eyes as I inhaled, the scent burning my throat.

We could share it.

I growled, pushing my body closer to hers, feeling every curve of her delectable body. I didn't want the blood so much as I wanted her.

And I would be able to have her without adding a human death to our consciences.

I moved her hand, pinning it to the wall above her head.

"No, Bella."

She howled furiously, throwing her fist against my chest, trying to push me away. But I had her wedged firmly between my body and the wall, one of her hands trapped and useless.

Then quite suddenly, she gave up, throwing her head back and sobbing, her legs giving out beneath her. I caught her and held her tight to my chest, wishing there was something more that I could do that wouldn't result in her hating herself.

"Get me out," she whispered.

I scooped her up straight away, leaving through the fire escape, just as I saw Carlisle coming down the hall.

Go. We have everything under control.

I took the back door and ran in the opposite direction of the sirens. I didn't know what story Alice and Carlisle had concocted but I didn't have time to worry about it. My only concern was Bella. Her whimpers were quieter now, her face buried in my shoulder. I kept whispering to her as I ran, hoping that the sound of my voice might do something to help her.

I slowed down when I heard Alice behind us, barely even pausing as I pulled open the back door of Bella's little car. Alice was pulling away from the curb before I got the door closed.

Very subtle.

She put the windows down, letting the fresh air push out the overwhelming scent of blood. Bella coiled herself up beside me, keeping her nose against my neck, her hands fisted in my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my face against her hair.

I didn't know what to think.

What had happened? Surely Bella hadn't randomly attacked the girl? She'd just gone hunting yesterday—her thirst should've been sated enough for her to be able to be around humans—and she'd been fine earlier, when we had stopped by her office. She and the girl seemed to get along well enough. Perhaps the girl had given herself a paper cut. It wouldn't be the first time something so trivial had caused a vampire to go beyond reason—one particular occasion was permanently etched into my mind.

But even so, why would Bella practically rip the girl's throat out? Sure, fresh blood drives us into a crazed frenzy, but it's more of a frenzied need to feed, rather than anything else. What had been done to Lanna had just been downright sadistic—a cold, calculated form of torture.

Not Bella, then. Bella had never been one for violence. She was too sweet natured, too kind—she had never even been able to stand the sight of blood, let alone inflict torture on someone. And besides, she had already told me she'd never drunk from a human. There was no way she could have done something like this before and not have tasted human blood—particularly given her reaction to it all in the first place.

So if Bella didn't do it, who did?

A phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. I frowned as I reached for it. I had thrown my phone aside on the rooftop—I remember hearing it shatter. The phone I pulled out belonged to Alice. She must have slipped into my pocket when I was on the phone with Bella before leaving the house.

I slid it open and opened the message from Carlisle. There was nothing but a picture.

And that picture spoke a million words.

I moved the phone closer to my face, to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. Alice's gift to Bella earlier, the framed picture, had been moved and now sat on the window sill of the same window that I had swung though earlier. Only now, Bella and I were in the confines of a crude love-heart sketched out in blood. And beside where the framed picture sat, three words had been smeared on the wall in more blood—I've found you.

But none of that mattered.

The only thing that stood out to me was that Bella's face was obscured by a smear of blood.

I growled, the sound catching Bella's attention.

"What is it?" she asked softly, turning slightly to try and see the phone. I turned it around for her, watching her reaction as she absorbed the image. She frowned and glanced up at me. "What is this?"

What was it? Good question. Carlisle hadn't sent anything other than the picture, hadn't given me any extra information—just the picture.

It seemed like it was all aimed at Bella—the message on the wall, attacking her secretary in her office, smearing her face with blood. Someone was obviously trying to send a message. But who? Bella had little interaction with humans except for the ones she worked with, and what had gone on in that office was beyond the capacity of those humans. I hadn't heard anyone harbouring ill feelings toward her when I was there earlier, and…

I had heard my name.

And everything fell into place with that stray thought.

I snarled furiously, damning myself for being so blind. I had heard her voice down in the parking lot! How had I not realised who it was?

How long had she been watching Bella?

"Edward!"

None of it was for Bella. I glared at the tiny picture.

It was all for me.

"Mate for mate," I hissed, furiously.

Bella frowned. "Why does that sound familiar?"

I snarled. "Because it was what Laurent said before he attacked you." I snapped the phone shut, still cursing myself for not placing it earlier.

"Victoria," I hissed.

Mate for mate.

Rage flared through me, pure and strong, made all the more potent by the bloodthirsty demon raging just beneath the surface. I growled as I turned to look out the window, watching the buildings flash past as Alice drove us out of town, even as I tightened my arms around Bella.

Victoria was back and she was after my Bella. I frowned, glaring out the window. She was out there now, in the city, watching, waiting to make her next move.

I was going to kill her.

The thought was sudden, but pleasant. Yet my rage wouldn't dissipate. I was beyond furious that she had gone out of her way to so extravagantly remind me of the debt she still claimed, over eighty years later. Although, I guess, in all fairness, eighty years wasn't that great of a time span for a vampire.

But I wasn't in the mood to be fair.

I didn't care that we had killed her mate—such was the way of life. He had picked a fight and he had lost. All I cared about was that she was trying to justify his mistake with Bella's life.

And that was what infuriated me the most.

Bella was still just an innocent bystander. She hadn't done anything except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she was still stuck in the middle. I growled. There had been no need to expose Bella like that. There was no need to involve Bella at all. The only reason Victoria was targeting her was because of me, because she was my mate—I didn't need to see Victoria's mind to know her thoughts on the matter. As far as she was concerned, I was the one who killed James; I'm the one responsible for everything that's happened. The message in Bella's office had been for me, to tell me that she had found us and she was intending on making me pay for her loss with a loss of my own.

I snarled again, quietly. Just let her try.

Still fuming, I pulled Bella out of the car as soon as Alice pulled up in front of the house. I led her around the side, still gripping her bloodied hand. Never letting go of her, I pulled the hose off the tap and set the tap running. Then I pulled her closer, positioning her within the circle of my arms, and put her hand under the water.

My anger flared at her pained whimpers as I gently rubbed at her hand, washing away the blood.

I was going to tear Victoria limb from limb and make it as painful as possible.

Just who did she think she was, exposing Bella like that? If her reaction was anything to go by, it was the first time Bella had been exposed to fresh blood.

Has Victoria been watching her long enough to know that?

My fury seethed and I had to make an extra effort to focus on what I was doing. Better yet, I was just going to forget all about Victoria for the time being and focus on Bella.

Bella's body tensed slightly as the stale scent of blood wafted up. It didn't have one tenth of the attraction of fresh blood, but it was still enough to stir the thirst.

I turned her hand to let the water flush out the blood trapped under her nails and she turned her head slightly to look at me. I took a few moments to make sure I got rid of all the blood before I looked at her. Our faces were so close our noses were almost touching. Her eyes were still black, still raging with thirst…but they were sad and soft, her disappointment so painfully obvious. Her mouth tightened and she turned away, reaching forward to push aside my hands so she could scrub at them herself.

I ignored my fury and took hold of her again, forcing her hands apart.

"They're clean, Bella."

She shook her head as I turned off the tap.

"Come on."

I pulled her up and started to lead her toward the trees surrounding the house.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly over the quiet rumble of the storm.

"Hunting."

xoXox

Watching Bella hunt, I decided, was something I would never grow tired of.

I took her south, out of the city limits, cutting through fields, leaping over freeways until we reached the woodlands close to the Illinois-Indiana state border. The storm had broken overhead by the time we got there—most of the game would be under cover, seeking refuge from the storm. But that didn't stop Bella from bringing down a white-tailed deer within minutes of entering the forest.

She slipped from my grasp, voicing a low, guttural snarl as she disappeared into the trees. I smiled, taking to the tree tops. It was easier to follow her like this, and to remain inconspicuous. I knew she knew where I was and what I was doing, but putting such distance between us while staying close to her let her know that I wasn't going to interfere with her kill.

I watched as she ran through the underbrush, not making a sound, until she zeroed in on the deer carefully treading its way home through the mess of mud and leaves scattered over the forest floor. I could feel my own anticipation growing, the venom pooling in my mouth. She stayed hidden in the bushes; downwind, stalking it like a tiger stalks its prey.

Then she snarled.

The deer bolted, its heartbeat going wild as Bella pounced, shooting out from the undergrowth. It screamed in terror as she landed on its back, pulling its head back by its antlers and sinking her teeth in with another vicious snarl. The deer kept running as she drank, trying to dislodge her, even as it began to loose its balance and stumble, its heartbeat already beginning to slow. Then it collapsed completely, its legs still kicking feebly until I heard its heart beat for the last time.

I sat, perched amongst the branches as I watched Bella drain the last of the blood from the body, my body trembling with my own anticipation to hunt, my throat burning. Bella rose gracefully when she was finished, daintily wiping her mouth with her fingers, looking around as the rain leaked through the leaves and dripped onto her. She paused underneath my tree and looked up at me.

"Are you just going to stay up there and make me eat by myself?" she asked quietly.

I smirked and swung down to the lower branches. Bracing my feet against the trunk and supporting my weight on my arms, I brought our faces almost close enough to kiss.

"I like watching you eat," I teased gently. It was true—I always had. When she had been human, it had been as much what she had been eating as how she had been eating it. But now the phrase was a bit of an understatement.

She smiled at me, brushing the tip of her nose against mine. "But I would like it if you were eating with me." She took my jaw in her hands and pressed her lips to mine. "Hunt with me, Edward."

I growled at that, and swung my feet down to the ground, using one arm to pull her close and swing her around to put her back against the trunk. I braced my other hand on a branch beside her head as I lent in to trace the column of her throat. "You've been driving me insane all day," I muttered against her skin. I trailed my nose down the line of her blouse, the rain on her skin delightfully enhancing her scent. I felt another growl rumble in my chest. "You smell so good in the rain."

"I believe I've heard that before," she muttered breathlessly.

Her chest heaved with deep breaths, her hand coming to rest against my jaw, as my nose reached the V of her blouse. I inhaled deeply, tracing the tip of my nose back up the line of her blouse and opened my eyes to watch a single droplet of water land on her collarbone. I watched as it left a watery trail over her pale skin, rolling down the slight curve of her breast before disappearing beneath the first button of her blouse.

I felt a ridiculous stab of resentment that I wasn't that water-droplet.

But she hadn't even felt the water-droplet.

I, on the other hand, was a different story.

I slowly slid my tongue down the same path as the droplet, from her collarbone, over the beautifully smooth skin of her breast, down to the button of her blouse.

And I was rewarded with that delightful mewling sound she had made in the river.

I was sorely tempted to tear the button off with my teeth, to rip the blouse off…so sorely tempted to do more than just kiss her, just as I had been all day.

But she was still thirsty—her quiet moan ended in a quiet snarl—and I was selfish enough to want her to be distracted by nothing but me for our first time…and every time after that, if I was to be honest.

So I kissed my way back up the same path and up her neck until I reached her lips. Cupping the back of her neck, much like the same way she still cupped my jaw, I kissed her, long and soft.

She hummed in appreciation when I withdrew, smiling. She pressed a firm kiss on my jaw.

"Hunt with me," she whispered, straight into my ear. She pushed on my chest, making me step back, then ducked under my arm. She tugged on my hand, turning me around. She walked backwards for a couple of steps, smiling. Then she turned and bounded off again, heading south.

I growled in anticipation as I went after her, releasing myself to my senses. The storm overhead was a vicious one, the rain pouring down in sheets, the wind ripping at the trees. It didn't leave for much to hunt, but we found the scent of another deer, a larger one, taking refuge from the storm under a thick brush.

Bella moved around to the east, circling around it, moving into the wind. The deer caught her scent and bolted, braying as it ran…straight toward me. My body was humming with excitement as I leapt out in front of it, snarling. Screaming, it skidded in the mud as it tried to turn, almost falling in its haste. I followed it, running parallel with it as Bella pounced, deliberately aiming to miss, causing its heart beat to stutter in fear as it frantically dodged her and ran through the trees.

We both followed it, weaving in and out, darting in close and darting out, snarling, toying with it.

And all the while, I was watching Bella. Watching the way she moved through the trees, unhindered and graceful, even in her restricting work outfit; the way her mouth curved up in a delighted smile every time the deer's heart beat jumped erratically; the way she snarled whenever the deer veered towards her.

She was magnificent.

The buck ran past a dead tree that I saw Bella leap over, dead branches sticking out, sharp and random. I could hear its skin tear as one of the branches tore through the felt on its chest. The scent of its blood went straight to my head and I launched myself at it, ploughing it into the ground. It screamed as I fell on it, snarling hungrily as I sank in my teeth. Bella took hold of its kicking rear legs and sank her teeth into the hidden artery.

Between the two of us, it only took a matter of moments to drain the deer. I lifted my head and watched Bella as she bent over the animal, making sure she got every last drop before lifting her own head with a satisfied sigh. She wiped at her mouth again with her fingers. I leant over to catch her wrist before she could wipe away the small smudge of blood on her lip, leaning over to lick it off myself.

"Mmmm," I muttered as I pulled away, but she pulled me back in for another kiss, refusing to let go of me.

When she did, I smiled at her.

"Enjoyed that, did you?" I asked quietly.

She laughed in her throat, a deep, sensual sound, and I kissed her again.

I sighed as I stood up, taking large lungful of air…and caught a scent I hadn't expected to catch so far east. I growled in delight as I sank back down into a crouch. Bella moved to stand next to me.

"What is it?" she asked.

I turned to nuzzle her neck for a moment.

"Mountain lion," I said softly. I looked out into the trees, delighted but confused. "What is she doing so far from home?" I wondered quietly. I looked back at Bella. "Shall we go find out?"

She smiled. "I think I'd like to watch you, this time around."

"Going to make eat by myself, are you?"

She pecked my cheek with a coy smile. "This time."

I snarled gently as I kissed her, getting a small chuckle in return before she turned and took to the trees like I had earlier.

I took off west, closer to the river flowing through this part of the forest. Even in this storm, the female was out and hunting. I watched her through the trees as she padded through the undergrowth. I could smell the deer she was tracking, a few hundred meters ahead of her. I watched her as she slouched to the ground, claws out, creeping along almost on her belly. I moved slightly to the right, keeping my eyes on her. But she must have felt my step through the earth.

Her head whipped around, her almond eyes staring straight at the bush I was hidden behind. Her ears twitched back and forth as she tried to hear me. I moved again, deliberately, and she hissed, turning away from her prey to watch my movement through the trees. She moved, circling in the opposite direction that I was, and hissed again.

I hissed back at her, stepping out from behind my bush, crouching down in front of her. She went completely still, staring at me, her teeth bared and a low growl rumbling continuously in her chest. I imitated her, crouched low, waiting for her to pounce.

She yowled when she did, the sound splitting through the air like thunder, high-pitched and dangerous. I snarled in return darting to the left, spinning as she came at me again, jaws wide and aiming for my throat. I took hold of her paw as she swiped at me, flipping her onto her back. She brought her hind legs up, using her claws to tear at me, her other front paw on my arm, trying to dig in her claws as she tried to throw me off. I closed her jaw with my hand, pushing it up and out of my way, baring her neck. I snarled at the taste of the blood sliding over my tongue and down my throat, easing the thirst so much better than the deer had. Her legs kept kicking at me, their strength fading as I took the blood until there was none left at all, and the body went limp.

I sat back with a satisfied sigh, licking my lips.

An unexpected delight. I hadn't thought I'd find a mountain lion in these regions.

I heard Bella drop down from the tree behind me, and she was next to me before I had a chance to turn around.

"I liked that," she said in my ear.

xoXox

We hunted for a little while longer, bringing down another four deers together, and Bella bringing down an extra one and a stray lynx on her own.

After the lynx, she sat on the ground and stared at the body. I had expected her to jump up again and start hunting the next of her prey.

I frowned as I went to her. I crouched down behind her, and put my arms around her waist.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

She frowned. "This is the part where I usually can't get up," she muttered.

The thunder crashed loudly overhead, followed by lightning that lit up the entire sky.

"What do you mean?" I asked, moving around in front of her, concerned.

She looked up at me and took a moment to examine my face. Then she smiled. It was a sad, forced smile and I wasn't fooled by it. She wasn't telling me something.

"Don't worry," she said, leaning forward and putting a quick peck on my lips. "I'm fine." I was still frowning when she pulled away, hating, as always, that her mind was blocked from me. "I'm fine," she insisted. Her eyes darted to the dead animal and her voice was barely legible over the storm when she muttered the same two words again. "I'm fine."

When her eyes darted back to the animal, my intuition flickered and I felt another surge of anger. I had known this was coming, but I had been hoping we would be back home by the time it did. At home, I'd have Alice and Carlisle and Esme to help me. But then again, maybe it was better if it was just me. Bella wasn't one for attention and maybe too many people trying to convince her of something so important wouldn't make a difference. But if it was just me…

I took her face between my hands.

"Bella," I whispered.

She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

I smothered the anger her innocent words invoked. She had to understand that it wasn't her fault.

"For what, exactly?"

She scrunched her eyes closed, like she was trying to stop herself from seeing something.

"For earlier." She shook her head, water droplets flying from the tip of her ponytail. "For Lanna."

"Bella, that wasn't your fault. What happened to Lanna wasn't your fault."

She opened her eyes and looked at me. Her eyes were full of emotion, it was hard to tell what it was exactly she was feeling. I found myself wishing I had Jasper's ability to experience other people's feelings, if only for a moment—just to know what she was going through.

"I almost killed her, Edward."

"Almost," I agreed softly. "But that isn't your fault." I put my finger on her lips when she opened her mouth to argue. "You have nothing to be sorry for," I told her. "You didn't attack Lanna, you didn't hurt Lanna. You weren't the one that spilt the blood that would bring out your demon. It wasn't you."

She pulled away from my hands and stood up. "I wanted to kill her."

"No, you didn't. You wouldn't have called if you did." I stood up as well, watching her back as she walked away from me towards a tree. "Victoria set you up, Bella. She deliberately arranged things to bring out what you are because she knew it would hurt you." I snarled. "She wanted to hurt you."

I went to her and turned her around. She avoided my eyes and hid her face in my shirt again. "Bella, you told me you wanted me to embrace who you are now…what you've become." I ducked my head, putting my mouth closer to her ear. "And I have. Now it's your turn."

That made her look up at me. The sorrow I saw in her eyes tore at me.

"I have accepted…"

"Not everything. You need to accept that there will be times when you crave the blood of a human. You need to accept that, at times, you'll find yourself doing more than just admiring how good they smell—you'll start imagining how good they might taste. You'll find yourself determining the best ways to kill them—I've already told you how I passed the time during our first Biology class together." She hid her face again.

"It's fine to feel guilty, Bella, and quite frankly, it's unavoidable. Those of us who have embraced our lifestyle still retain our consciences and it's those consciences that make us feel the guilt. But those thoughts are unavoidable—it's part of our nature, part of what we are, and sometimes, with too much temptation, those thoughts may become reality.

"We may not like it," I conceded, "but that's just the way it is." I tightened my arms around her. "Think of it as a multiple personality disorder," I added with a smirk, remembering her frustrated question in the Forks High School parking lot.

She didn't say anything—just stood with her arms wrapped around my waist, her face buried in my shirt.

"Bella," I sighed. I tried to move back, to see her face, but her arms were stubborn marble around me and she wouldn't let me move. "Bella, love, it's not…"

"I tried to make you do it with me." Her voice was quiet again against the sounds of nature. I drew a deep breath, suddenly understanding what she was really upset about. "I tried to take away from who you are."

"Bella…"

"You should be mad with me," she stated with sudden volume, pulling away. She shook her head. "Why aren't you mad?"

"How can I be?" I asked back. "How can I hold it against you, Bella, when I wanted it just as much as you did?" She blanched, and I instantly felt bad. She wouldn't want to know how close she had come to getting what she had wanted. But she needed to know. "The only thing that stopped me was this." I waved my hand at us. "Knowing that letting you have what you wanted would make you feel terrible once the bloodlust cleared, knowing that neither of us wanted an innocent on our conscience." I shook my head, suddenly feeling deflated. "Please, Bella." I held my hand out to her. "Please. I'm not angry with you, and I don't want to be angry with you. I don't blame you for what you are and I know that neither will anyone else. You didn't harm Lanna, and you didn't give into your thirst, despite how much you wanted to. Please."

She blinked at me, obviously thinking about what I had said. I knew my face was imploring—I didn't want her to dwell on this, anymore than she wanted me to dwell on the past. I could understand what she was going through, to a degree. I hated that I had ever considered killing her when I first caught her scent, but there had been nothing I could do about that. Her scent had appealed to everything I was, man and demon, and I hadn't been able to stop myself.

The difference was, she had been exposed to fresh blood and had still resisted. Obviously Lanna didn't hold quite the amount of attraction for her as she had for me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to stop her—she probably wouldn't have rung in the first place. But it still took a tremendous amount of effort not to fall onto exposed blood like that—while it was still hot and pumping straight from the vein.

She definitely had nothing to apologise for.

She reached out and took my hand, letting me pull her close. She buried her face in my shoulder as I sighed.

"Promise me you won't dwell on it, Bella," I whispered.

She shook her head, then reached up and pressed her lips to my neck.

"I'll try," she murmured.

Not quite what I wanted, but I knew it was the best she could do.

We stood in the rain for a few more minutes, just holding each other, before I asked, "Are you ready to go home? Or do you need to hunt some more?"

"I'm fine," she said again. She looked up at me. "Are you?" I nodded and she took a step back. "Can we clean up a bit before we go back?" She looked down at herself. She was still relatively clean, except for a few muddy smudges—she hadn't even gotten any of Lanna's blood on her, but I wouldn't be surprised if she felt like she was covered in it.

I nodded again and took her hand, walking with her through the forest until we reached a rocky outcrop over the river.

She smiled. "I can't believe you let it get away," she muttered, obviously thinking back to yesterday's hunting trip.

I laughed, not bothering to contradict her, tugging on her hand as I walked off the rocky ledge, pulling her down with me.


PS: I am so jealous of you Americans right about now...I have to wait til the FOURTH before I can read Breaking Dawn...tear...so not happy! :(