Disclaimer: Don't own it, just get a kick out of writing about it. Thanks Stephenie!

I'd like to thank my beta, Emilie Fauve, for wisely advising me NOT to ask for her to send certain emails…and shame on me for begging her to do it anyway…

AN: The definition of Venery:

1. Hunting or the game hunted; the act of sport or hunting (i.e. the chase)

2. The pursuit of sexual pleasure.

Enjoy!


I immediately picked up her sweet scent just off to the left of the front porch. Honey and Orchids. I blinked twice and shook my head rapidly in an attempt to dispel such pernicious thoughts. Letting my memories travel down the tempting path of our past few days together was outlandish, yet wholly unavoidable.

I think we need to stop doing this.

Her thought repeated over and over in my mind as I jogged into the dense verdure surrounding our home. Again, I tried to work through the whole incident, first seeking out what had brought us together in such an unthinkable way, then grappling with the intense feelings and emotions that drove me to act as I had. At least Rosalie had enough sense to stop us from continuing. But you didn't want it to stop, did you? I hissed at the devil roosting inside of me, his unsolicited presence coaxing forth deleterious, primal urges, some of which I could hardly recognize. Just find her and bring her back, then go on your merry way.

Rosalie's trail led north into the wilderness, and evening was quickly approaching as I made my way down a steep slope. Although I moved at a good pace, I was not rushing ahead; having spent a fair amount of time with the inveterate creature, I instinctively knew that her safety was nothing to be concerned about. The last thing Rosalie would do was seek out humans - she was most likely sulking on a rock somewhere.

After tracking her for nearly half an hour, I realized she hadn't stuck close to home, like I had originally thought. Odd – had she ventured this far before? I continued ahead, crossing several ridges as I moved deeper into the mountains. Dusk was closing in, and the sticky air was finally beginning to cool. Creatures large and small were coming out to enjoy the milder temperatures, their movement suddenly spurring an idea. Could she be hunting?

Abruptly, I halted, turning my head slowly around and focusing all of my attention on the sounds that blanketed the forest. Crickets were starting to sing, their simplistic melody growing louder by the second. To my left, I heard the soft pads of a family of jackrabbits scurrying about, nibbling on the grass blades nestled between the conifers. Behind them, I could faintly detect the sound of running water – no doubt a brook of some sorts. But I heard no telltale sounds of larger beasts, and most definitely no indication that Rosalie was nearby.

A small part of me began to worry – what if something had happened to her? Before I could stop myself, a snort erupted through my nose. You know she's fine, I thought. She probably doesn't want to be found, especially by you.

Deciding that my last assumption had to be correct, I turned around to head back home. Rosalie knew her way around this wilderness just as well, if not better, than I did. She'd be fine. Besides, if she did decide to do anything rash, it really wasn't my problem. After all, I was the one who resisted her encouragement to cheat – I had done nothing wrong. She simply needed to learn how to control that fiery temper, and develop more ubiquitous morals if she was going to meld with our family. The memory of her churlish behavior earlier that afternoon brought a satisfied smirk to my face as I jogged back along my path towards home.

The woods quickly became shrouded in darkness as the air continued to cool during my descent down one of the ridges. I was so caught up in my internal musings regarding Rosalie's immature reactions that I didn't hear it at first. It wasn't until I became aware that the entire forest was now completely silent that I skidded to a stop on the steep slope. I froze and attuned my ears, seeking out the source that had quieted every animal and insect in the area.

From down below, I heard slight footsteps moving stealthily across the forest floor. They were so faint, that I would have thought I had imagined them, if not for the ominous hush of every other living thing in the valley. There was only one creature that could evoke such a reaction. Vampire.

It had to be Rosalie.

Stepping softly and discreetly, I crept forward to spy on her, desperately curious to see what she was doing. As I made my way closer, I heard it – the sound of a lone mountain lion snaking through the treetops. It was most likely stalking its dinner; little did it know that it too was being preyed upon at that moment.

Mountain lions were my favorite kill – I preferred them over the populous deer and elk, buffalo, and even the feisty black bears in the area. The large cats were confident, powerful, and never ran from us in terror like the herbivores. They were accustomed to being at the top of the food chain, and few had encountered men often enough to naturally fear our shape and smell. It was that superciliousness that made them so exciting to hunt, and due to their small numbers, the rarity of happening upon one by chance further added to their appeal.

My gut instinct urged me to race forward and cut Rosalie off, taking the beast for my own and draining its body of that enthralling, delectable blood. My throat began to throb painfully in anticipation of the thick, sating liquid, imagining it flowing easily through my mouth and placating every cell in my body. I clenched and unclenched my fists in rapid succession, doing everything in my power to not attack the beast. Instead, I crouched low, moving forward on the balls of my feet, quietly creeping up behind Rosalie.

She would have easily heard me, had she been paying attention. But instead, she was entirely focused on the large cat, completely oblivious to my presence. When she finally came into view, I noted her posture – it matched mine exactly, yet it was different, somehow. More…fluid and graceful, yet also much more animalistic. Rosalie's blonde locks were tangled and matted, and her long skirt was torn near the hem, likely having been caught in the thick underbrush as she stalked her prey. Despite her disheveled appearance, she was utterly breathtaking, so much so that I suddenly found myself rooted in place, unable to move.

I was no longer aware of the cat, or the decreasing air temperature, or anything else around me. It was as if every other sense had abandoned me – all I could do was stare at her lithe form as she drew nearer to the mountain lion.

Then she sprung. I was well aware of our extraordinary abilities to leap large distances, but I had never seen her do it. Rosalie vaulted from her place on the forest floor, easily landing thirty feet above on a thick branch of the tree next to the cat's. Her sudden movement startled the beast, and it whipped its head skyward, simultaneously hissing as it sought out the perceived threat. Most animals would flee at this moment, but not this intrepid creature. Instead, it held its ground, snarling lowly during the heated stare-down with its competition.

I expected her to drop upon the creature and quickly kill it. But instead, her lips curled back, returning the cat's growl with one of her own. The vibrations from the distinctly feminine snarl hit me like a tidal wave; I blinked several times as my vision clouded over, everything suddenly hued into a deep shade of crimson. My limbs twitched sporadically, and venom began coursing through my mouth at an alarming rate. All at once, I was no longer even remotely interested in the mountain lion – instead, my entire being desperately craved the predator that hovered above the feline, so much so that I felt my knees bend sharply, preparing to spring my body skyward to capture her provoking form.

As I felt my weight shift and my body automatically sinking down into a low crouch, Rosalie launched herself from her tedious perch towards the cat, so quickly that she was nearly a blur as she moved from one tree to the other. The mountain lion shrieked in surprise as she landed gracefully in front of it, instantly leaning forward to thrust her face before the cat's sharp, pointed teeth. I reflexively sucked in a quick breath, startled by her brazenness, and honestly, nervous for her safety as she stared down the beast, her red eyes mere inches from his snarling jaws. That feeling of protecting her had surfaced before in the cabin, therefore I wasn't completely unfamiliar with it. Yet, I still didn't understand why I would feel such a way, since the cat obviously posed no life-threatening danger to her. Both continued their threatening low hisses at one another, but neither moved – offensively, or defensively. It was as if they were both taunting their prey, casually toying with their next meal.

Although all of this took place in a matter of a few, short seconds, I felt like time had stopped. My vision was still blurred, but I could clearly make out Rosalie's tantalizing form above me. I had to have her – now. All rational thought was gone from my mind – I was prisoner to a force more primal and powerful than I ever knew existed, and the thick rivulets of venom that seeped down my throat screamed for blood. Glorious, red blood.

As I flew upwards into the tree, Rosalie sprang forward, capturing the brave cat between her arms as she thrust her face against its thick neck. The beast screeched in fury, raising a heavy paw to swat at her hair, claws fully extended. She buried her face deeper against the animal, and the next howl that escaped the feline's throat was much higher pitched. Absolute terror. Finally, the cat was aware that it was no longer the predator, but the unfortunate prey for the lissome woman whose razor-sharp teeth had successfully torn a hole into its jugular.

I landed noiselessly on the branch behind the two, and instantly rushed forward to quench my own thirst. I still could not, in the slightest, comprehend my body's primordial desire. Was I seeking to kill her?

Through the red haze, I found one minuscule shred of understanding as I mentally flailed against my involuntary actions. You won't kill her. But what was I after, then?

Blood. Something deep inside of me roared upon wholly registering the scent, and I impulsively pounced forward, joining the two beasts struggling high above the forest floor.

The cat screamed again, still hanging onto life by a tautly-stretched thread. It extended its paw out to bat me away, but I easily slid out of reach, its claws hitting Rosalie's back and ripping four large holes into her blouse. As the feline's cries began to dwindle with its ebbing life, I unthinkingly thrust my face near the two, completely baffled by my actions. Was I seeking out the cat's blood? The sweet smell permeated the air around us, even managing to mask Rosalie's undeniably enticing scent as she remained rigidly frozen, still greedily drinking from the beast's throat. Was she even aware of my presence?

My hands moved forth of their own accord, grasping the nearly deceased cat by its shoulders and pushing it away from Rosalie's hungry mouth. Her grip was stronger though, and she continued to hold the body tightly, refusing to cease her drinking. A loud growl emitted from deep inside my chest as I moved to rip the cat away from her hold again. I wasn't sure if it was my animalistic utterance, or something else altogether that finally made her aware of my presence. But whatever it was, it made her pull back from the cat, allowing me to successfully shove the dead creature out of the tree.

Rosalie hissed in anger, whipping her head around to face me, her lips curled back to reveal a perfect set of blood-stained teeth. I was only a few inches away, and could practically taste the blood from my close proximity. Was it the blood that I was craving so desperately? Before I could attempt to sort through that thought, my body was in motion again, propelling forward to capture her engorged, red lips with mine. Even with the urgent movement of my mouth against hers, my tongue still snuck out to taste the remnants of the cat's sweet blood. But as I savored its heady flavor, I was shocked to find that the tantalizing substance wasn't in the least what my roguish body was craving.

Still, I couldn't stop kissing her. I expected Rosalie to push me away and fight me off, territorial over her recent kill, but instead, the moment I touched her lips, she reached around and painfully fisted her hand in my hair. It was like she had been expecting all of this, waiting for me to interrupt precisely as I had. Once again, my brain refused to function at my request, ignoring my attempt to analyze and rationalize each of these crazy responses that had begun with my secret observation of her sensual hunt.

I heard a cracking sound from beneath us as Rosalie pressed forward, trying to bring us closer together from our awkward position on the branch. Then we were both on the ground, still attached at the lips, neither of us paying any mind to our apparent tumble from the tree above.

My vision clouded more forcefully now - all I could see were rivers of thick, red blood. I rolled atop Rosalie, crushing my lips more cogently to hers, trying to slake this overwhelming need for something I couldn't identify. She growled fiercely as I pressed both of my palms to her cheeks, holding her head still. Her eyes flashed open, searching mine out, and I was vaguely aware that hers were no longer crimson, despite the red that flooded my sight. I was staring into a pair of pitch-black orbs. Before I could even attempt to contemplate their bizarre color, a voice that had been strangely absent suddenly rang through my head.

Your eyes – they're black.

At first, I thought I had completely lost my mind, and the soft voice I was now hearing must have been the verbal rendition of my own, single fleeting thought. But then it happened again — a similar voice flashed through my brain that most definitely wasn't my own.

I want to bite him.

Clarity abruptly registered within my mind - I was hearing her thoughts again. But it was more than that – the deep-seeded craving that had tortured my body since I had first laid eyes upon her was slowly coming into focus. Before my brain could take advantage and start to process this bout of lucidity, primal instinct took over again. My ravenous lips pulled away from hers and raced down her slender throat until they reached her prominent collarbone. Then, I felt them curl back, baring my teeth that avariciously sunk themselves into her soft flesh.

Rosalie cried out and reflexively pushed me off of her as she sprang up into a squatting position. She balanced on her toes, arms out-stretched defensively as she watched me warily. I was in shock – why did I bite her? But before I could delve into any semblance of reason behind my ludicrous actions, I found myself flung on my back, Rosalie straddled above my body, effectively pinning me down.

We stared at one another for a moment, her eyes still a piercing black, despite the red hue of everything else in my vision. I desperately tried to activate my mind - my rationality - to figure out exactly what was happening to me, to us. But it was pointless…I had lost the ability to think. All I could do was act, which my body gladly did.

I reached up to capture her arms, to pull her down to me, but I didn't need to. She was already bending forward on her own, until her face was flush with mine. I felt her sweet breath wash over me, momentarily concealing the permeating scent of blood, earth and flesh. I reveled in it, gulped it down, trying to find a way to mollify the burning ache for that one thing I needed so badly. Pushing myself up, I pressed my lips to hers, hoping that this might be the remedy to cool the burn deep inside, but it only made it worse.

She kissed me back with increasing urgency for several minutes before working her way along my jaw. If my brain had been functioning properly, I could have predicted her path and subsequent action and could have possibly prevented it. But oddly, I had no such desire to stop her, because maybe this was the cure to my sudden, mad need for an unnamed poison.

Rosalie bit my neck quickly, causing me to cry out like she had just a minute earlier. But as swiftly as her teeth penetrated my tender skin, they were gone, replaced by her soft lips, covering the slight wound with repeated kisses. The pain was foreign, yet blissfully right. She bit me again, lower, then kissed the same spot.

Bite.

Kiss.

Again.

I had no idea how long this lasted, but the sharp prick of each bite both placated my wayward desires, and also made them more acute. Suddenly, my body knew exactly what it needed to soothe the fanatical urges that coursed through my system. I rolled her back over, bent my head down, and bit her again, this time right behind her ear. The feeling of her skin succumbing to my incisors sent another rush of red across my sight, subsequently feeding that single, unattainable compulsion. I couldn't begin to understand why I craved this so badly, but it no longer mattered, because my will was utterly shackled and gagged as my mouth dictated every further movement.

As I slid my fiery lips down to seek out the crook of her neck, I bit down again, harder than before. Rosalie screamed out, but not in pain. In absolute, complete ecstasy. The sound of her cries spurred me forward, and as the world continued to swim in a vast sea of red, I bit her again.

More.

Nothing existed but the red, and the soft, supple feel of her flesh yielding to my greedy teeth.


So......questions? Comments? This is my answer to why Edward does not want Bella anywhere near him when he's hunting.... (heh heh)

Let me know what you think! (reviews are better than birthday presents, and my birthday is quickly approaching. Plus, I gave you two chapters in one week....)