Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

All plotlines, characterizations, and details in Eternally Intertwined 2.0: Blood Ties belong to the author: Bronzehyperion. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without the author's authorization. ©2011-2013 Bronzehyperion. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is the sequel to Eternally Intertwined. I advise you to read/skim over it before you read this because otherwise most won't make sense.

This story wouldn't be the same without my BETA Litmom.

What happened previously:

"What's wrong?" he frowned, but then, before I could answer, he leaned back, his eyes wide with shock.

"You are afraid," he spoke, stunned. "You are afraid…

Of me."

CHAPTER 7: THE MONSTER OUTSIDE

"Edward," I protested. "I am not afraid of you."

I am afraid for you.

I am afraid I will hurt you. Or worse.

But I couldn't tell him that.

I tried to grab his hand but he pulled back before I could.

"Bella," he said. "I know what fear looks like."

"What it smells like..." He added in a murmur.

And then, abruptly, he was by the foot of the bed.

"I need to go," he muttered to himself. "I need to..."

He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he shot me an apologetic look, before opening my window and jumping out without making a sound.

Like a ghost in the night.

Knowing it would awake Charlie if I yelled after him, I simply whispered his name forlornly.

"Edward..."

I knew he would hear me anyway.

EPOV

Bella was afraid of me.

I could sense it in every fiber of my immortal being. In every fiber of her.

One, two, three heart beats. That's all it took for me to realize. There was an unfamiliar fluttering of Bella's heart.

I'd heard it before, just never with her.

It was the sound that told me people were afraid.

It was fear.

Bella feared me.

That had never happened before. She hadn't been scared of me before she learned I was a vampire and that hadn't changed when she'd found out about that ugly truth.

And not ever since. Until now.

I chuckled darkly at the irony. Many times I had wished for Bella to be more afraid, because it would help with her lacking sense of self preservation.

But for her to fear me now, now that we had decided to spend forever together, that was bitter karma.

The girl I wanted to be with for the rest of eternity was finally afraid of me. Of what I was. Of what she might become.

Yes, fucking irony.

I flew over the moss covered grounds, trying to put distance between me and the girl I loved.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. I was in no mood to have a conversation with Alice.

It had to be her. She would be the only one who would call me now.

The buzzing stopped and I kept running. But it was pointless, because I wasn't able to outrun my thoughts.

Bella was afraid of me.

Confused and dazed, I halted in the middle of the woods, trying to catch a breath I didn't need. There were so many questions running through my mind. Why was Bella afraid? What had I done? Maybe I should go back and ask. Then again, maybe she needed time. How were we going to fix this problem?

I shook my head, hoping to get some clarity.

My phone buzzed again and it angered me. It made me want to smash it into pieces. I needed peace and quiet. I needed time to think.
I needed...
*buzz*

"Oh, for Fuck's sake," I bellowed as I pulled it out, ready to break it.

"What do you want, Alice?!" I snapped after pressing the call button.
"What?!" She snapped back, her voice, usually so lithe and musical now harsh and angry. "Don't take that tone with me."

I sighed. "What is it?"

"Hmm, well, let's see. Oh, right. Get your ass back to Bella right now. Don't you dare leave her and her father unprotected! That's WHAT, brother of mine."

Guilt washed over me instantly. But I hesitated. I wanted to go back, because I wanted Bella and Charlie to be safe. But I wasn't sure, if I was wanted.

"She is afraid of me, Alice," I told my sister. "That's why I ran. Because she is scared of me. She has never been afraid of me, but now she is."

I could hear my sister snorting and imagined her rolling her eyes.

"You are wrong. I know Bella and I can guarantee you that she is not afraid of you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Edward, you have this tendency to overreact about meaningless things," Alice chuckled.

Now I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't," I argued.

"Don't deny it, Edward. I am sure you overreacted. Anyway, I do think there is something that is bothering Bella. And whatever it is, she is doing a bang up job of trying to hide it." my sister said.

"What could that be?"

"That is for you to find out. Now, you need to go back to Bella," Alice said before hanging up on me.

I stood outside Bella's window, in the shadows, going over Alice's words.

That is for you to find out

Bella was bothered by something, but my sister didn't know what it was. So, what could it be? I wondered. And should I believe Alice? I mean, she was hardly ever wrong, but I wasn't stupid. I had seen Bella's reaction before. I had smelled her fear.

Bella couldn't stand to be near me and there had to be a reason for that. If it wasn't fear, what was it?

I glanced back up to the window, pondering. I was aware of her nightmares, which were obviously very severe. Bella had been thrashing around, twisted in her sheets just last night, trying to fight off whatever monster was stuck in her head.

Maybe it was me, I wondered. Maybe I was tormenting her in her dreams and that's why she froze when I'd gotten too close to her.
There was only one way to find out...

I took a deep breath and jumped, dashing up the wall to the window with ease. It didn't surprise me that it was still open, not that Bella was still awake and waiting for me.

"Alice?"
"She texted," Bella explained, holding up her phone.

I climbed through the window and quietly closed it behind me.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Hi," Bella waved, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

"I'm sorry I ran like that," I told her. "I suppose I freaked out. Well, Alice calls it 'overreacting'."

Bella chuckled. "Cool and collected Edward Cullen, freaking out. It's kind of funny," she teased.

I wanted to move closer to the bed but I hesitated. Bella was resolute though and padded the mattress.
"Come here..."
I smiled and walked over, before sitting down at the foot of the bed. I still kept my distance, not wanting to overwhelm her.

Bella frowned when she noticed I was creating some space between us.

"I am not afraid of you," She said, grabbing my hand firmly. "Really, I am not," she emphasized.

I nodded. "But you are afraid of something," I stated, with Alice's words flashing like a neon sign in my mind. I had to find out what was wrong with Bella.

Bella sighed and padded the spot next to her pillow.
"Come lie down."

"Bella, we need to talk about this."
She sighed. "I promise we will talk tomorrow, but right now, I do need to get sleep. Please hold me?" she asked gently.
I moved over to lie down and, wrapping my arms around her waist.

Bella shivered again but this time, I knew it was simply because of our difference in body temperature.
I tucked the blanket around her and buried my nose in her hair. The venom still burned- like it always did - and it was strangely comforting to me. At least not everything between us had changed.

"I love you," I told her.

"I love you," Bella assured me as she shifted a little to look at me. "Please don't ever doubt that."

BPOV

I was tired the next day and I had no one but myself to blame. I had to stop focusing on these stupid nightmares and, more importantly, I should be better at hiding my worries from Edward because he was clearly only jumping to the wrong conclusions, which was actually quite common for him.

Alice was right, Edward did like to overreact. Or freak out, like Edward himself said.

I loved him. So, so much. There were no doubts. And if there were no terrible consequences to my impending transformation, I would have no doubts about the change at all.

But I couldn't shake the nightmares. And I couldn't hold off on talking to Edward about them much longer, either.

But first, I had to make it through another day of school.

I stifled a yawn and focused on my cereal.

"Rough night, Bells?" my dad asked, snapping me out of my morning blues.

"Couldn't sleep," I said.

"Sorry, kid," Charlie offered. "I know things have been tense."

"Will you go to the station today, or are you needed elsewhere again?" I wondered.

Charlie had been all over the place lately. From Forks to Port Angeles to Tacoma and Seattle. He'd been very involved in the investigation into Angela's disappearance as well as Jessica's death. In between those trips he was always at the station and often fell asleep there.

"Well, I do need to go to Tacoma again to talk to some guy, supposed forensics export or something. He might be able to give me something that could tie Angela Weber's disappearance and Mike Newton's animal attack to Jessica Stanley's death."

"You think they are all related?"

Charlie frowned. I knew he didn't like to talk shop with me.
"Well, we found bite marks on Jessica and they seem to match Mike's wounds."

"And what could tie this all together?" I asked.

"Hopefully DNA. There was blood on Mike's shirt and maybe the expert can determine the type of animal. That might lead us to Angela's body, assuming there is any of it left," he muttered.

I grimaced, thinking of how instead of being ravished by an animal, she was the monster now.

"Sorry, Bella. Not exactly a pleasant conversation first thing in the morning. Maybe we should drop it."

I played with my cereal some more, scooping up flakes and tossing them back into the milk.

"Does that mean Edward is officially off the hook?" I asked casually.

After Angela's disappearance at prom, it was Edward who'd gotten arrested because he had tried to save her from Garrett. That's how he had ended up with Angela's blood on his shirt, which was obviously very suspect in the eyes of people who had no clue about what really happened.

Like the police. And my dad.

"Bells, you know I can't tell you anything about an ongoing investigation."

"But if it's an animal attack..." I pointed out.

My dad shrugged. "Look, kid, I know you want to defend your boyfriend. I get it. And for what it's worth, I don't believe he is guilty."

"You did a few months ago," I reminded him.
"Well, Angela's blood was on his shirt."

"He tried to save her," I argued. "But when he went into the girl's bathroom, he was too late and found nothing but a puddle of blood."

"I know," my dad shushed me. "Look, if we can prove that Mike was attacked by whatever killed Jessica, then maybe we can link it to Angela's disappearance as well. It's based on a lot of assumption, obviously, but it would not be a stretch to believe she met with the same fate as your other classmates."

"What about Ben?" I asked. "Isn't it weird that he didn't hear Angela scream? He was right there."

"Look, Bella..."

"No, dad. If Edward is considered a suspect, then people should consider Ben as well."

I knew it was ridiculous to blame Angela's ex. I knew who was responsible. But Ben was a weird guy. He had disappeared almost instantly after Angela had been taken. If I didn't know the truth, I would have found that very weird.

Heck, I did find that very weird.

My dad frowned. "Let's hope this is an animal attack and that we can catch the thing. Then we have to arrest no one and Angela's parents can get some closure."

I rolled my eyes. "I am pretty sure they don't care about that." I huffed.

The Webers moved away quite soon after their daughter went missing. They hadn't even allowed the police to take some time to investigate their daughter's disappearance. They were uncaring people in my eyes.

"Everyone deals with grief and the loss of a child differently," my dad pointed.

"Would you just pick up and leave if I disappeared?" I quizzed him, as blood red eyes, my soon to be blood red eyes flashed in my thoughts.

Soon, Charlie would find his daughter missing too.

"No," my dad assured me. "I would never stop looking."

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know if this was something to be happy about, given my soon to be immortal reality. It was better if Charlie got closure, too, after I 'disappeared'.

I would have to talk to Edward about that, too.

After Charlie left for Tacoma, with a promise he would be around dinnertime, I waited for Edward to pick me up.

He was back in school today. Part of me was thrilled, which was good, because I preferred feeling good about having my boyfriend around, instead of being relieved when he wasn't, like the way I'd felt yesterday.

But it would be a lie to say that everything was back to normal. Edward and I still had to talk and I couldn't keep on hiding my doubts about becoming a vampire from him much longer.

Of course, first, I would have to face another day of scrutiny from Lauren and her little posse.

Why was it only Wednesday?

I looked out the window and watched Edward's silver Volvo appear as soon as Charlie's cruiser was out of sight.

That was my cue. I grabbed my bag and jacket and got out the door. Outside, Edward was already waiting for me on the passenger side of his car.
He reached for my bag before I could protest.

Chivalrous as ever.

After putting my bag in the backseat, Edward turned back to me. He leaned in but before our lips could meet, he searched my eyes, as if looking for approval.

Instead of verbalizing my agreement, I reached up on my tiptoes and threaded my hands in the hair at the nape of Edward's neck. With the little human strength I had, I pulled him to me.

Our lips met and for a few moments, it was heaven. I had missed this; the way sparks flew and licked at my skin, the way Edward's lips were an antidote for the rapid overheating of my body. I loved the electricity pulsing between us.

The desire, the need.

The want, the lust.

That's when it all went to hell.

Passion was replaced with panic. I couldn't stop the images that filled my head. I should be used to them by now, but they still made my blood run cold.

Sparks turned into shivers and the heat was replaced with a terrible chill.

Blood. Red. Green eyes. Heartbeat, no heartbeat. Nipping and tugging and kissing and…

Biting.

Stop it, Bella, stop it! I chided myself. Edward was still kissing me and I tried to stay focused on that. This was good. We were lovers and kissing was good.

Enjoy it, Bella. This is you, kissing your boyfriend. No one will get hurt.

I kept repeating that mantra in my head, while my lips moved against Edward's on autopilot.

When he pulled away a combination of guilt and relief washed over me and I tried to smile, as Edward hummed and pressed his lips to my cheek.

"Good morning," he smiled. His eyes were shining and his lips were giving me that beautiful crooked smile.

Good, he hadn't noticed.

EPOV

Okay. What. Was. That?

That tiny, miniscule moment, where Bella's heart changed its rhythm. Where it went from passionate excitement to sheer anxiety. I heard it. I felt it in the way she kissed me.

One moment she was pulling my hair, keeping me glued to her mouth and the next…she was still gripping my hair, but her hold had loosened. She was still kissing me, but her mind was elsewhere.

I hated the fact I couldn't read her thoughts. If there was ever a time it would've come in handy…

Something was bothering Bella. And before the end of the day, she was going to tell me what it was.

But for now, I decided to pretend everything was fine.

I greeted her with a big smile and that earned me a small smile in return.

"Morning," Bella said.

"Sorry I had to leave this morning, before you woke up, but when I heard Charlie in the shower..." I explained.

Bella scrunched up her nose. "Don't mention my dad in the shower," she muttered as she got in the car.

I gave her a sheepish smile and closed the passenger door. Then I walked to the driver's side – at human speed, in case there were wandering human eyes nearby.

It was all about pretense today.

"I meant to say, I heard him get up," I clarified once I was inside the car. "And I didn't think he should catch me in your bed."

I laughed a little when Bella rolled her eyes at that. Charlie Swan was just worried about his daughter, especially now that her friends had become the target of some kind of monster.

"Charlie just wanted to check on you. He loves you, you know." I told her.

At least I could read one Swan's mind.

"Yes, I know," Bella whispered.

The drive to school was relatively quiet. I told Bella about the latest on Garrett and how Angela was dealing and she filled me in on what I'd missed at school the day before. I knew she had been hassled by Lauren and some of her followers because Alice had showed me as much, but we'd never really talked about it.

"So Rosalie broke your truck," I chuckled. "Wow, she must have really hated watching you yesterday."

"Understatement," Bella said. "She was in a bitchy mood all day."

"I think that's just Rosalie's amazing personality, though," I joked. "What happened anyway for her to slam the brakes that hard?" I wondered.

I knew it was easy for vampires to break something, but it did take some effort. A trigger of sorts.

"We were talking about uh...my looming immortality," Bella whispered.

Yeah, that would be a trigger for Rose.

I nodded. "She had a problem with that. Don't let her discourage you though. She is biased and judgmental."

Bella frowned. "Well, it doesn't matter. She will never like me."

BPOV

Human or immortal, Rosalie would never like me. I was okay with that, though. What bothered me was how much Edward would still like me, or want me when he learned what my real problem was.

Hey Edward, I keep having these visions and nightmares where I am a vampire and I kill you. Oh and here's the kicker: I am pretty sure you are human when I slaughter you.

That would be some conversation starter. Better to wait.

Edward and I arrived at school with a few minutes to spare until the second bell rang, so the parking lot was already deserted.

We walked to our first class, Advanced English, ignoring the glances people gave us.

It was weird, the way people looked at us now. Before, it had been mere shock that the elusive and reclusive Edward Cullen was interacting with a human; something he had never done before. It had taken a while, but eventually the staring and the whispers had stopped and the student body, as well as the teachers, had accepted that we were a couple.

So what had changed? I pondered, trying to keep my face composed. Why were we being watched again and why did it feel so much more threatening this time?

In class, Edward held out my chair and then took his own next to me. He grabbed the book we were currently reading, The Odyssey by Homer.

It was one of those unique copies that he must have bought somewhere, many moons ago. Long before I was born, no doubt.

I looked at my tattered, falling apart at the seams copy and shook my head.

In some things we were truly opposites. Like night and day. Greek God and plain girl. Etcetera.

I tried to concentrate as Mr. Berty spoke about Homer's journey and the influence of his poems in modern times.

Advanced English was usually my favorite subject. But today it seemed like my head was in the wrong place. I snuck glances at Edward, who was taking notes effortlessly, listening to what Mr. Berty had to say in the meantime.

He probably knew more about the Odyssey than our teacher did.

I tried following Edward's example and scribbled down some words. But most of it made little sense because I was too distracted by the whispers behind us.

Since it annoyed me, it had to be like nails to a chalkboard to Edward. I mean, combine super-hearing with mind reading and he was definitely getting the colorful Dolby surround meets internal monologue commentary from our classmates.

I sighed softly. This was going to be a bad day.

Mr. Berty spoke on and on, and at some point I gave up on following his comments so I could write them down. Instead, I focused solely on the beautiful man sitting next to me.

Edward. My Edward. Was he different? His face – that stunning, out-of-this-world face - was relaxed enough, though I was certain he wasn't enjoying the thoughts that were coming his way.

His eyes were butterscotch. Warm and safe. Not those of a monster. A sign he had hunted recently. Then there was his skin, slick marble, but somehow, it seemed like his cheeks were different.

Was that a pink flush, a barely there touch of a faint brush that had coated his cheekbones with a light pastel?

Impossible.
Not only was I far from poetic, but now I was seeing things again. Or it was probably because he had hunted. It always made him seem…warmer. Almost human.

Still, I couldn't ignore the faint color on Edward's cheeks, even if I was only projecting, since blushing was usually my thing.

But for once, my cheeks weren't burning. They were cold porcelain, no hint of embarrassment in sight.

Not even when Edward suddenly looked up and our eyes locked. Normally that did the trick, but now...nothing. And that bothered me, because I wanted to be dazzled by him.

But there was no flushed skin, no impure thoughts of wanting my boyfriend to pull me into the janitor's closet and...
There was just confusion. Frustration.

Worry.
What was happening to us?

We made it through the rest of the morning in much the same fashion. No words spoken between us, Edward taking notes, me staring at him, wondering what the heck was going on.

Edward had to notice, but if he did, he never let on. At lunch, he walked beside me in silence while I filled a tray with food that we were supposed to share to fool the outside world.

At the register, Edward placed a twenty into the cashier's hand before I could dig out my wallet. I frowned and he smirked.
At least that was business as usual.

When he started to lead the way to our usual spot, I stopped him.

"Can we...find somewhere else to sit?" I wondered, not in the mood for whispers and stares.
Edward nodded and a knowing smile curled his lips.

"I know just the place."

"Remember this place?" Edward grinned as he put down our -my- tray of food and then spread out his very expensive jacket on the old work bench so I could sit on it.

"Our secret make out place," I smiled, remembering. I wanted to go back to that time. A time where I loved ditching school to kiss Edward.

Nothing much had changed here. The old shed was still packed with dusty looking, cobweb covered gym equipment.

"Good memories," Edward winked as he lifted me onto the bench effortlessly.

Good memories. Yes. My lips on his. Overheated skin. His fingers touching a sliver of skin under my sweater.

But then there was the bad.

Sapphire interrupting us. Our first introduction to the girl that had caused so many problems ever since.

"You should eat," Edward pointed out. "You are human, after all."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the sandwich. I peeled away the plastic and tried not to gag. The bread was soggy from the lettuce and tomato. And the cheese smelled like…old feet.

Grimacing, I put it back and grabbed the fresher looking green apple.

"Bella…"Edward tsked. "That's not enough nutrition."

"Did you see that sandwich? I am sure it would give me food poisoning if I ate it," I pointed out. "So an apple it is."

"At least drink the Coke," he said. "Get some sugar in your system."

I nodded and grabbed the can. Edward watched me as I opened it and held my stare as I took a sip.

It made me self-conscious.

Plus, it made me blush.

Yay, I can still blush with Edward.

"Stop staring," I muttered, which earned me a cheeky grin.

"No can do, I like looking at you," he flirted.

"Not while I am eating," I said, swallowing a piece of apple. "It's not like I ever get to watch you eat," I huffed, which made Edward frown.

"You know there's a reason for that," he muttered.

"Yeah, well…practice makes perfect. I am going to need some lessons soon," I tried to joke. "So at some point, you are going to have to show me how you eat."

Edward didn't like my joke. He didn't see the humor. He actually looked kind of…devastated.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"Do you really want to see me hunt?" He murmured as he stepped in between my legs. His hand touched my burning cheek and his eyes showed sadness.

I nodded. "If I am going to do this myself, it might be nice to see you do it."

"And are you ready for that? For all of this. Ready to become a monster?" he asked me.

Monster. I shivered at the word. I was starting to hate that word, because it instantly brought back the images I so badly wanted to repress.

Blood. Red. Green. Eyes. Heart. No Heart. Nipping, tugging. Kissing, biting.

Taking.

Keep it together, Bella!

"You're not a monster," I argued weakly.

"I am not?"

"Edward, come on," I said, grabbing the hand that was still touching my face. "You're a good man. Emphasis on man. And it's not like you kill people."

"Bella, I once did kill people. It may have been some time ago, but I was once a murderer."

"You already told me all this," I huffed. "I don't need to hear it again. I thought you wanted to be with me forever," I pouted. "Why are you being difficult all of a sudden?"

EPOV

I was being difficult? Really? I wanted to snort. If anyone was being difficult lately, it was Bella.

"I want this," Bella emphasized, enunciating every word.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you really?"

"Of course, I do."

"You could've fooled me," I muttered before stepping away from Bella.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella murmured.

She sounded irritated and that actually opened the floodgates.

"Come on, Bella. I can wink and smile and try to charm you but I am not entirely obtuse. You have been avoiding me. I can feel it when we are close. I feel you pulling away from me and I want to know why that is."

"Edward…" Bella started her eyes remorseful. "It's not…"

"Don't try and deny it," I warned. "I know you have been experiencing some very bad nightmares and if I were to guess, I bet it's not about creepy crawlies under the bed…

More like one in your bed," I murmured.

I didn't wait for her to deny it. Or worse. Confirm it.

"You're not sure anymore. You are having second thoughts about becoming a vampire. About spending forever with me."

As soon as the words were out, it felt like everything had fallen into place.

Bella didn't want to become a vampire anymore.

I should welcome this. I should be happy that she'd want to stay human. But it actually hurt. And my selfishness, the part that wanted to keep her forever, actually made me angry.

And Bella didn't argue it.

"It's true isn't it?" I said. "You aren't sure about the future anymore. About us…"

"I…"

But the words got stuck. Stuck in a moment. Time froze and my muscles strained.

I felt, heard and smelled it.

Danger.

Instinct took over immediately. I needed to protect my mate.

"Edward?" Bella asked." What's going on?"

I growled. No one was going to touch her. "Bella, I need you to stay in here. Don't leave this place," I warned.

"Edward," Bella whispered. Her voice was laced with fear and while I wanted to comfort her, the need to protect her won.

"Edward, please tell me what's happening?" she begged.

I gave her one word.

"Sapphire."

And then I was gone.

BPOV

Five seconds. Then ten. Fifteen. I tried to keep breathing.

Edward was out there. With Sapphire. And he wanted me to stay put.

How was I supposed to do that? That was my lover out there. My mate. And while I was just a simple weak human, there was no way in hell that I was going to let her hurt him.

Plus, I had something to prove to him. I had to show him that he was my future. Yes, I had doubts, but they had nothing to do with Edward. I just wanted him to be safe.

That decided it for me. I had to get out there. I couldn't do much, but I could create a distraction. At least long enough until Edward would have back up.

I mean, Alice would see this happening right? She would send Jasper or Emmett and they'd be here quick.
I stepped outside the shed and was assaulted by rain. Torrential rain that seemed to come out of nowhere.

That was fitting.

I got soaked quickly but I didn't care. I had to make sure Edward was alright.

I didn't expect to find him close, but he was standing in the deserted parking lot.

Stock-still. Unmoving.

He was completely in his element.

The man. The monster.

I watched him, completely mesmerized.

His marble skin was glistening from the rain. His hair seemed darker as he got drenched. I couldn't see his eyes, because he wasn't looking at me. He was concentrated on an area in the distance. Near the woods.

He was listening, calculating. Undoubtedly following Sapphire's every move.

He was glorious.

And for a moment it was as though I was blessed with his ultra-sharp vision, because I had never seen him so clearly.

The slight strain of the muscles in his neck. The way he stood, his legs firmly planted on the asphalt. His clenched fists, the tautness of his jaw.

Edward was in complete control.

In those few moments, I had a strange, but insightful epiphany.

This was not something to fear. This was something to admire. Something to aspire. To be that in control, to be so sure of yourself, I wanted that too. Now, I was simply clumsy, unimpressive Bella. But I could be better. Stronger. More in control.

I could be like Edward, just like I had always wanted. And if I could control the monster inside, the monster from my nightmares, then there was no fear of them becoming a reality.

I could be strong. I could be perfect for him.

I took a deep breath and the sound was enough to snap Edward out of his trance. His eyes flew open and met mine

He looked furious.

Everything happened so fast, and before I knew what was happening, Edward was pinning me down and not in the way I liked it.

"What did I tell you?" He hissed. "Do you have no sense of self-preservation? I told you to stay inside the shed."

Yes, he was very angry.

"You know me," I said sheepishly, hoping I could ease his temper.

But before Edward could respond, his head flew up. I could feel his body go rigid.

Sapphire was close.

"Has she found us?" I asked.

"Don't move," Edward warned again and then he was gone.

I lay there, my heart racing. I really wanted to get up. But I had already gone against Edward's wishes once and doing it again would certainly not help matters.

On the other hand, I couldn't just lay here. What if someone saw me? That would only draw unwanted attention.

I rose carefully and looked around me. Edward was nowhere to be found. Nor was Sapphire.

I decided to walk back to the shed, thinking that I would do what Edward had asked me to.

But I never made it there. Instead, I was grabbed, swiftly and blindingly fast. There was a penetrating smell and then there was nothing but darkness.

EPOV

I'd never been scared in my very long existence. Perhaps as a human, but the memories were too vague to remember clearly.

But now, as I chased Sapphire, a newborn, knowing that Bella was by herself and unprotected…that did scare me.

I could only hope that Alice had some kind of vision and that she was aware of the danger and would come to the school to protect Bella.

I was conflicted between following Sapphire and running back to Bella.

This might be my only chance to catch her. And if I did, that would solve a large problem. Plus, by running after her, at the very least I was certain that she was nowhere near Bella.

If she wanted to play a game, I just had to play it better. That wasn't easy though because it was still near impossible to read Sapphire's thoughts. There were glimmers, sure, but her ability to mask her thoughts hadn't faded.

It had only gotten stronger.

The one thing I did pick up on, as I ran after her, was how much she was enjoying this.

It really was a game. And I had to admit that she was playing pretty well.

She was fast with the instincts and speed of a newborn. I could barely keep up with her.

I kept poking at her thoughts, hoping to penetrate through the barriers of her mind, but there was very little of interest.

Until she slipped. Mentally. It was brief, but enough for me to realize what was going on.

This was a trick. I was never going to catch her. Not by myself. And she knew that.

Sapphire was only a distraction.

A distraction to lure me away from Bella.

"Fuck," I roared.

It got Sapphire's attention. I could hear her laughing, mocking me and pleased that her little plan had worked.

But I was no longer listening. I had to get back to Bella.

Please let her be safe. That was my mantra as I ran back.

But when I arrived at the parking lot, it was empty.

Fuck.

"Bella?!" I called out, but there was nothing. No one.

No, no, no! This was not happening. I could still smell her. She had to be close.

"Bella!"

I followed her scent, back to the shed. I hoped and hoped, prayed even that she would be there.

But no. And then her fragrance got lost, mixed with the burning sensation of motor oil and rain.

"Bella?" I whispered.

My phone rang, the sound shrill in contrast to the silence in the parking lot.

Alice. I didn't even have to check.

She already knew.

Bella was gone.

Next chapter will be up soon. :) Thanks for the comments and reviews. I guess Bella is a whiny pain in the ass, huh? Perhaps it's time for a personality transplant ;)

Happy weekend!