(Edward P.O.V.)

Head pounding, Edward steepled his hands across his face and groaned. For weeks he had felt a dark craving welling up inside him. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. As much as he breathed he couldn't get enough oxygen. As often as he slept or as often as he worked a cloud of restlessness hung over him. As much as he ate he still felt empty inside. What was this torture?

Everywhere he went it was like bony fingers were reaching out plucking at his skin, but he could never discern how to make it stop.

Edward stood and swept across the throne room. Despite his mysterious ailment Edward was still a king and kings did not take sick days. Still he realized it was fruitless to work under such dizzying conditions and so he prowled the castle letting his thoughts consume him.

Finally after an interminable amount of time Edward noticed he was in the feeding wing. He counted back the days in his head and cursed himself when he realized he was long overdue for a feeding. Afterwards he would feel much restored and be able to get back to work.

Hurrying down the hallway Edward felt the darkness that had been welling up inside him become a driving force pushing him onwards. It seemed he was hungrier than he had thought and chastised himself for his carelessness.

Edward gasped as he felt an icy fist form around his heart, something was wrong, something was horribly horribly wrong and it was coming from the feeding chamber. No longer in control of himself Edward ripped the door off it's hinges to be greeted with the sight of his brother holding an angel, about to bite into her ivory skin.

With a snarl Edward rushed forward and threw Emmet against the wall was a resounding thud. The girl had fallen back onto the bed and as Edward looked on at her it was as if all of his maladies had vanished. His headache ceased, his heart calmed, and for the first time in what felt like forever Edward was able to take a deep breath.

With that breath came her beautiful scent and Edward was filled with an innate sense of calm and peace. Looking at her as if she were the only thing holding him to the earth he growled out, "Mine."

Ignoring his stunned brother he reached down and lifted his angel into his arms. In the back of his mind a dark rage was forming for what his brother had been about to do, for touching what was his. And yet he was able to keep it to the back of his mind in order to put his precious first. She would always come first. There would be plenty of time to deal with Emmett later.

Not wasting time with a human pace he flashed from the feeding wing to his own personal wing on the other side of the palace. Still holding his delicate blossom he carefully opened the door. He closed the door quietly behind them, doing his best not to disturb his love. Carefully he walked to the center of the room which was occupied by a large bed. Pulling back the covers Edward placed her in before taking off his shoes and sliding in beside her.

He wrapped her in his arms and buried his head in her silky hair, breathing in her scent. Her breath escaped her lips in a steady rhythm that he matched his own breathing to. Although he couldn't bare to fall asleep and miss a single moment with his beauty Edward felt more rested than he could ever remember.

...

(Bella P.O.V.)

Bella groaned in delight at the warmth surrounding her, and buried herself in a little further. Her head felt more clear than it had in days but she had no desire to get up. Her body was surrounded by a light shaking as a chuckle sounded next to her. Bella's eyes shot open to see a hard chest clothed in thin linen. In her panic she tried to scramble away, but the man's arms tightened around her and a warning growl had her body freezing in fear. Oh god where was she?

"You're heart is beating faster then the wings of hummingbird." The man murmured, his voice dripping honey and doing absolutely nothing to slow Bella's pounding heart.

She wiggled in his arms fighting just to be able to glance up into this man's eyes. Realizing what Bella wanted the man shifted and relaxed his arms slightly so that they could see each other. Bella almost gasped at the love and adoration shining from the man's gemlike eyes. She started to tremble with the intensity of it.

"Please let me go." Bella whimpered. She had no idea how much time had passed since she had been called on to be a sacrifice and the memories between now and then were fuzzy at best. How had she ended up in a bed with this strange man, and why was he looking at her like that, holding her like this?

"No." He said with a rumble his body tensed for another struggle. Bella began to shake harder, the trembles wracking her delicate body.

"Who are you?"

The man seemed to calm once again. This did nothing to soothe Bella. He was unpredictable, she had no idea what would set him off or calm him down or how far it would go in either direction. WHile his arms were now cradling her gently Bella had no doubts that if she moved even a fraction of an inch they would become steel bands once again.

"My name is Edward. That is all you need to know for now."

"But-" The protest died in Bella's throat, the fear of his anger too strong.

As though he were handling a precious family heirloom instead of a person Edward adjusted Bella so that she was more comfortably pressed to his side. His deft hands stroked her hair slowly, as though he were savoring each touch.

"My little angel, you have had a hard few days. Please rest now. I promise I will not leave your side." Edward murmured.

"I don't want to inconvenience you." Bella whispered trying to control the quiver in her voice and shaking in her body. She was convinced she needed to show some module of stability for him to go and yet the thought of him staying caused such a panic in her that Bella could not quite seem to achieve it.

Or at least Edward wasn't fooled.

"Never say such a thing my love," Edward said with a strange combination of fierceness and soothing. "I will always have time for you, especially when you need me most. Do not be afraid my angel for I will make sure you are never alone again."

Bella shivered and Edward's grip tightened again. Although her mind wasn't as foggy as it had been she still couldn't think clearly enough to even attempt an escape. And once her mind recovered there was still the fact that her small body would ever be enough to overpower Edward. Who was this man who held her so tightly? All of the pieces of the puzzle were there and yet no matter how hard she tried she could not connect them.

Jacob please hurry, she thought desperately.

...

(Edward P.O.V.)

His angel awake and snuggled tightly against his side was enough to want to make Edward groan with pleasure. But it was obvious his little blossom was in distress and he did not want to frighten her further. They had lain together for hours, every second the hatia nectar filtered through her system brought her closer to awareness. She was silent now but her body still shook with fear.

He wanted so badly to reassure her, but he wanted her in his arms more and he was afraid that with her comfort would come more requests to leave, and that was something he could not bear. His muscles tensed at the thought of being parted from his one and only. With the two in such close proximity his angel felt his anger and began to shake harder. Immediately Edward tried to calm himself. His little blossom was far too delicate to face his anger and so he would try to contain it. In his happy haze it should have been easy and yet even the mere twitch of her body that put a breathe of air between them called to the darkness inside him to hold her, and claim her, and never let her go.

The thought occurred to Edward at that moment that he knew nothing of his angel. He wanted to know everything there was to know and yet it was his need to hear her voice that urged him to say, "Do you have a name my little blossom?"

His angel looked up at him the fear so evident in her eyes. A part of him hated that fear, hated that she had not fallen into his arms without resistance, but a small part of him reveled in it. Edward craved that assurance this his love would not cross him, would not go against him. It meant she would not leave him.

"My name is Bella." She said in her soft melodic voice. Although she was afraid it did not come through in her voice which while quite was steady.

Edward leaned down and breathed in her scent again. "Bella." He murmured, "Bella, Bella, Bella." He said rolling the name off his tongue with relish. "You are so beautiful. Everything about you is perfection."

She whimpered and he closed his eyes, a scene flashed across his mind of her ivory skin illuminated in the moonlight. She writhed on his bed as he ran a finger slowly up her pale thigh until he reached her glistening sex. "Edward," She whimpered, "I need you."

He growled in satisfaction at the thought. Overcome by his sudden lust his hand, which had previously been running through her silky hair, tightened, and he drew her to him. At the first touch of her lips against his he felt euphoria. He quickly flipped her over so that he lay on top of her, his large frame encompassing her much smaller one. He nipped her lips until they parted and he was able to deepen the kiss. One hand was still in her hair keeping him steady. The other trembling slightly touched her soft cheeks wet with tears. Inside he felt his heart breaking.

Forcing himself to show restraint he ended the passionate kiss and instead placed small delicate kisses along her cheekbones and nose and everywhere else he could reach without moving. "Don't be afraid," he begged. "I love you so much, I-I just couldn't control myself."

Edward looked into Bella's sparkling brown eyes hopefully, imploring her to understand, to forgive. She turned her head to the side and he felt the darkness inside of him rear up once again. By the power of will he was able to push it down. He didn't just want to own Bella, he wanted his sweet angel to give herself to him. But first she needed to learn to trust him, then the love would follow.

"Please Edward, I don't want to be here. Please just let me go." Bella asked, breathless with fear.

"No," he growled, not able to fight the burning sensation in his gut that came with the thought of her leaving. His hands tightened in her hair once more as he jerked her head so that he was staring deeply into her wide doe eyes. Even filled with unshed tears they were so beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. "You're never leaving Bella, you belong to me."

Edward shifted so that she could feel his hard cock pressing through his trousers, her lip trembled. The need arose in him was so great, he needed to claim her once and for all. She couldn't leave. He had to make her stay, he needed her. He could show his sweet angel all the things he could do for her if she would just give him a chance. He would pamper her in every way if she would just stop antagonizing him. Surely she knew what she was doing.

"Don't," She whispered.

He was again assaulted with the image of her naked body before him, her whimpering for more. Begging for him to thrust into her until she came. He knew he was acting crazy, he knew this could bring nothing but trouble but a larger part of him thought if she would just give him a chance to show her pleasure she would never want to leave his bed again. Edward thought that once he had fulfilled this dark desire his little blossom could begin to get to know the real him. He wanted that with all his being, and yet-.

Edward knew it would take only a few minutes for his blossom to melt in his arms, but for those first precious minutes she would be unwilling, and he couldn't bare for their first union to be like that. Bella was crying in earnest now but he was too far gone to try and comfort her. Just being with him should be a comfort, didn't she realize she needed him just as much as he needed her? He had to show her somehow. he had to claim her. Claim her now.

No longer capable of rational thought Edward felt his fangs lower, and he pressed himself to his Bella, marking her ivory neck and claiming her as his.