A/N – Again, thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing my story, it really is a pleasure to get so many varied and positive remarks – please, continue! It really does put a smile on my face.

Chapter 23 – Knowing

Alice's POV

Bella bit me.

I was the vampire, kissing a human.

And she bit me.

How ironic.

And how utterly amazing.

And it was.

Bella's kiss was… amazing.

I never expected her to respond the way she did when I lent forward, throwing all caution to the wind, and possessed her delectable lips with my own.

She was the epitome of beauty, to me. The epitome of perfection – and here I was, kissing perfection.

I could hear her quickened heartbeat, and feel her passion – it oozed from her body and beckoned me to explore further.

I forgot who I was.

I forgot what I could do if my essence engaged overdrive.

Nothing seemed to matter except the feel of Bella's lips, and tongue, as it gently probed further.

I didn't think about what I was doing, what we were doing, because I didn't want to break the magic – and that's what it was.

I was a vampire, alone for so very, very long – waiting patiently for that special someone to enter my life… and here she was, my magic and compassionate Bella.

I never wanted to let go.

And then she bit me.

And my reaction startled me.

She had so much power over me… a simple bite on my bottom lip, and my animal instinct kicked in… and I realised, then, that a kiss would not be enough.

I wanted Bella Swan… I wanted to feed on her, not in the literal sense, although I knew instinctively that her blood would taste like nothing I had ever consumed before… no, I wanted to feed on her, every ounce of her flesh… one night… I wanted to spend it with only her, in her arms…

And then that look – when she realised what she had done… those flushed cheeks…

I felt so blessed that she had responded the way she had. Bella had responded to my kiss, and as I watched her cheeks turn scarlet, I couldn't help myself – I had to feel her again. I placed my hand on her beating heart.

The heart that had a rhythmic beat and kept Bella alive.

The same heart that kept me alive… or as alive as I could be.

The heart that I had fallen irrevocably in love with.

Bella's heart.

My heart.

And then her words tumbled from her lips… 'We were kissing….' and I couldn't help but smile, and pull her down next to me as I sat.

Bella was completely adorable, even more so when she was flushed and confused… those dark, chocolate eyes were mesmerising, and hypnotic to me. I placed a piece of her silken hair behind her ear as if in a trance.

We had kissed.

And the realisation hit me hard.

Bella knew what I was… and I had kissed her…

Did she mind?

It felt like she had enjoyed it, but uncertainly hit me full in the face….

Had I overstepped the mark?

And then Bella surprised me.

She pulled me in for a second kiss.

Bella was the only person who was capable of surprising me, and I realised I liked it.

My mind, always so focused and alert, was floundering. The heat from Bella, from her lips, melted into my body and nothing else mattered but her… and our connection.

And then a sound, so soft… what was it?

My vampire senses had seemingly left me.

We leapt apart, at that sound.

Yet my thoughts had still deserted me.

I couldn't comprehend what the sound was, until the door to my room opened, and Esme entered.

Yet still I was dazed from what had happened.

I heard Esme speak, and Bella answer, but I was still unable to move, or even look up.

All I could think about was Bella's kiss and how it made me feel.

Esme soon left, I think. Perhaps she had stayed a while – I honestly couldn't say.

My brain was working overtime, Bella's name seemingly on repeat as I thought about what had just happened between us… and how it made me feel…

Bella, Bella, my Bella…

We had kissed, and Esme had nearly caught us…

If I had the ability, I think I would have blushed, then.

And then I looked at her, my Bella.

And she was looking at me, intently.

She was worried about me…

So I replied with the only words I knew would explain…

'You breathe new life into me'…

And she did.

No longer did I feel as though I was merely existing, no – for the first time I felt like I was living…

And then she asked me, why I hadn't seen Esme coming…

At first I didn't know. My mind, sharper than the most lethal sword, had failed me…

But then I knew.

Bella.

I had been so engrossed in her; my mind was blank to any outside influences.

Only Bella was important to me, at that moment – Bella, far more delicious to me than any vision…

I wanted to say so much more, but her mobile became the second interruption of the day.

I gave her some space, more so for my benefit. Standing so close to her was having an amazing effect on my sense of balance and direction. I needed to control my urges, and the only way was to remove myself from her immediate vicinity.

I walked towards my open window and gazed at the world outside. I didn't need to breathe, but for some reason I found myself taking large gulps of air into lungs that hadn't worked for years. It seemed silly, yet it seemed to calm me as I listened to Bella speak to her father.

Guilt soon replaced desire.

Of course Bella's father would be concerned about her.

I hadn't given it a single thought when I had brought her back to my home.

Yet she understood, as she walked towards me and smiled.

I knew it was time to take her home.

Yet all I really wanted was to keep her here, with me, forever.

Forever….

Of course, I could remain here, forever,

But Bella… a human…

I tried to push the thought away from my mind as I pulled her out of my room.

For the first time I stuck to the speed limit when I drove her home. The quicker I drove, the sooner we would arrive at her home, and the sooner I would be alone again.

And then he turned up, again.

Jake.

It didn't matter anymore – didn't matter how I reacted when Wolf Boy was around, because Bella knew what I was, though the growl had escaped from my lips before I could even curb it.

I hated the thought of leaving her with him.

I knew, now, how he felt – it was obvious to me. He loved her, perhaps he always had.

He was my nemesis.

I trusted Bella implicitly – I knew he wouldn't be able to alter her opinion of me, of us… the Cullen's… what we were…

But I hated the thought that he may try and make her his…

Bella wasn't an object to be owned.

But if she was, she would be mine…

Would she tell him that she knew what I was? Would this anger him further?

My mind was working overtime as I tried to allocate my thoughts…

And then she took my hands in her and kissed them…

And I knew.

She would never be his, because she only wanted to me mine…

And that thought sent my vision into overdrive…

And I saw her.

Saw her with me.

In her room.

Together.

And I knew.

She would be with me.