Apologies to any readers who were faced with warped formatting, I've corrected the error. Thanks, littlestir for pointing it out, I wouldn't have noticed.

Evening faithful readers! I am so appreciative of all your support and reviews, they mean more to me than I can say. I love you guys.

In this chapter, we'll see some of Bella's transformation from her point of view, after the Cullens took her inside, as well as a peak into her first hunt! Exciting stuff, huh?

If you like what you read, please feel free to let me know in the comments. I love your thoughts.

Bella

The pain is subsiding. Slowly, but surely, making way for sensation. I don't know how long I've been on Dr Cullen's couch but I do know that I've seen the sun come up and it is now starting to go down. Things are changing. I can feel subtle differences when I smell the air, when I listen to the Cullens speaking to one another from different parts of the house.

It started with my fingertips and my toes. The relief held no significance, not in comparison with the excruciating burning that I will never become accustomed to. It was a start, though.

Then the absence of pain began to crawl up-the-ways, the fire fizzling out in my hands and feet. My reaction was to wriggle my toes, but I still can't move anything past my torso. I am free to flex my fingers, though.

Now, as Esme Cullen holds my hand, I can somewhat appreciate her touch. I'm not as frightened of her as I am of the rest and that worries me on a fundamental level. As the pain has faded, my attention has returned, but it is basic. Sometimes, as the fire licks my flesh and bones, I feel like I might pass out, or pass away.

I don't, though. I still wish for death, but no one will grant me it. I know that Rosalie wants my death and if I wasn't in so much flaming agony, I know I'd be brimming with curiosity and fear.

"Shhh, honey. It's going to be okay. You've not got long to go, now."

I moan and whimper, beguiled by her caring nature. The Cullens are monsters, just like the strange woman who bit me. Why is she being so soft and kind? Is it to torture me before finally reigniting the fire?

"Please," I gasp, barely getting the words out through gritted teeth. "No more biting. I can't take any more!"

My eyes are slits, hardly able to remain open as I gauge her reaction. She looks...pained, as if my words have hurt her.

"Oh, honey, no. Is that what you think you're here for? I promise you, no one is going to hurt you. We're going to take care of you, Bella," she croons tenderly, stroking the flesh of my hand with her thumb. I wonder briefly why she isn't so cold anymore, before the fire pulls me back in. I wail, crying out, begging for death.

"But...I...oh god," I moan, shaking. I growl in unparalleled frustration. I need to get the words out. "I just don't...understand."

Esme sits back for a moment, worrying her top lip. I wrench my hand from hers, so that I can clench both of them into fists, balled against my chest as I curl up tight. The pain is too, too much.

"Bella...sweetheart...I think it best that Carlisle explains this to you. Right now, he is talking to Rosalie. I just don't think–"

"I don't know what's going on!" I scream, pulling my hair, tugging painfully on my burning scalp. Every part of me is like a furnace, every part but my hands and my feet. I can feel the pain evaporating from my ankles and wrists, too slowly. It's like the fire is leaking away, one drip at a time, like a broken faucet.

I expect Esme to be upset by my outburst, but she doesn't appear frightened or appalled. She just sits patiently, with compassion in her face. Her kindness is both infuriating and lovelier than anything I expected to receive upon my arrival.

"You're changing, Bella. We've all gone through it. It will end, though. I promise you that. I know I can't say anything that will make the pain ease any quicker, but I can tell you that you are safe and that everything will be alright."

"Why can't I see my dad?" I demand through gritted teeth. "He thinks I'm missing, doesn't he? Why won't you tell him what's happening?"

At that moment, I hear footsteps approaching the door, and the doctor enters, smiling compassionately.

What the fuck is there to smile about? Are you hungry? I am not a meal! I think to myself, longing to berate him, but too consumed by more burning. Is it intensifying? Or am I just developing more capacity for pain?

"I think it's time to explain ourselves, Bella. Darling, I think Alice needs an extra body by the door," he murmurs quietly, touching his wife on the arm. She touches my hair, smiling sadly before exiting the room. I hear her settle herself by the door, beside Jasper. The tiny, sing-song voice of Alice makes itself known as she instructs Esme to stay there while she-

I don't hear any more, because I am once again pulled back into fiery agony. It takes minutes for me to find semi-composure, still burning.

I visibly shrink away from Carlisle as he sits down where Esme had, right by me. A sound that I can only describe as a hiss blows past my teeth, which are firmly clamped together.

I have never hissed in my life.

"Don't be afraid," he soothes, looking me in the eye. "It will end soon."

I need it to end NOW.

"Tell me everything I need to know," I choke out, barely above a whisper.

"Of course, you deserve the truth. I just thought it would be better to wait until you were coherent enough to fully understand what I am saying," he calmly, slowly explains to me.

I quickly nod, once, impatient and afraid.

"Do you remember everything about your attacker?"

I wince. Of course I do. I will never forget that moment as long as I live. I nod, beyond speech.

"So, you must gather that she was not quite...human?"

"Yes," I shudder, curling up tighter, frustrated that I can't pull my knees in. I can't decide if the trembling is brought on by the agony of my burning, or by the vivid memory of being lured and bitten. "You are the same as her." I struggle to get the accusation out past my teeth.

"In essence, yes. We are the same type of creature, but we are not the same. You see, the woman who...bit you...was doing it because that is how she eats."

The word flies through my head so quickly I almost don't catch it, my mind a fog from the awful pain. Somehow, I manage to say the word without even thinking about it, as if it flows right from my brain through my mouth without preamble.

"Vampire."

Carlisle is silent and I know, with sickening clarity, that I am right. Ever since I stepped out of Charlie's house, to approach that monster in the woods, my life has changed. Reality has spun on its head and I know nothing of it anymore. What's real and purely invention are now combined, merged into nothing and everything. There is no solid separation, no black and white.

Vampires are real and I am burning, but there is no fire.

I need more information, now.

"Yes, Bella. That is what we are. I know this must be a lot to take in, but it is important that you listen carefully before letting fear or confusion cloud your perspective."

I nod again. Speaking requires all of my effort, because it is almost impossible not to scream and cry everytime I open my mouth.

"I'm assuming your attacker had bright red eyes, Bella. As you may have noticed, in spite of our striking similarities, myself and my family all have gold eyes."

I nod, panting through the pain. I need to get through this, so I can understand, so I can know what on earth is going on here.

"Our eye color is a marker of our diet. Vampires who posses red eyes...they feed on humans. That is what your attacker presumably intended to do to you, before Sam saved you."

Sam. That was the name of the strange man with the giant wolf, who brought me to the Cullens. I had no idea he was saving me. I was so sure he was throwing me to the sharks when he dumped me here.

"We don't drink from humans. We are...vegetarians, if you like. We hunt animals. We resist the overwhelming urge to feed on humans, and in result, we are able to live among them, without being exposed. We are not a danger to the public, nor are we a danger to you. We are a family with the sole intention to live as humanely as possible, without harming people."

For a moment, I am able to push the pain aside, somewhat, enraptured in this new information. I keep telling myself, all through his speech, that vampires aren't real.

I know, now, that I am lying to myself.

I get the impression that Carlisle is being nothing but truthful and all but sag in relief. Life is still upside down. I still don't know what's going on, but I do know that these people...vampires...are not a danger. Not like the one I met yesterday.

"More," I croak, closing my eyes against the agony. Carlisle pauses for a minute, letting me ride it out, before proceeding. When I reluctantly open my eyes, his expression is understanding, kind.

"What happened to you...in the woods – you were bitten, as I'm sure you understand. When she did that, she released her venom into your blood stream, which is why you are in such excruciating pain, now. The venom itself is not harmful and you will not die, alright? The only chance of death is posed when the human is already dying before being bitten, but clearly this happened when you were in a stable condition."

I nod, again, in understanding.

"So, when the venom is released, a transformation begins and it is very, very painful. It will feel like your burning, but you are not. You are perfectly fine; in fact, your body is changing into something much more durable," he explains softly, his eyes cast downward.

Then, I realise what his words truly mean. I understand, now.

"No," I gasp, disbelieving. Carlisle presses his lips together, watchful of my reaction. When he reaches out to touch my hand, to comfort me, I pull back, staring at him in complete horror.

"I'm sorry, Bella. This is not the life we choose. I know that it is going to take some time for you to adjust, but you will. As long as you want us, you are welcome to be a part of this family. You will have to adopt our lifestyle, though. That is our one stipulation."

"This isn't real!" I yell, clutching my fiery stomach. Suddenly, I am imploding with fury, unable to swallow this news. "You're lying to me!" I hiss viciously, no longer surprised by the sound. It feels natural.

"I wish I was," he murmurs, almost wistful, keeping his eyes glued to mine, as if he's holding me to the earth, keeping me grounded.

"I'm not a monster," I choke. I feel my eyes begin prickling, but there is only dryness, no tears.

"You don't have to be," he responds calmly. "Join us, in this way of life and we can help you keep your humanity. If you go on to a diet of human blood, you will become the monster you fear, living for the kill. If you live compassionately by feeding on only animal blood, that will help you return to yourself, once you are used to your new thirst."

I can tell from his words, even through my immense rage, that he is serious. This no guideline. This is his promise to me.

I think about my parents and instantly, my priorities change.

"What about Charlie? My mother? She...n-needs me." My wavering voice is pleading as I try to override my pain.

Carlisle's eyes tighten in something like pain and then soften.

"Your family cannot know about you. No humans can. It's an unconditional part of being who we are and its one rule that we will not bend."

"But...can I see them again?" My dry eyes prickle once again as I absorb all of this new information. It's too much. It's all too much and not enough. Coupled with the pain, it is unbearable.

"I'm afraid not, Bella. I am so sorry. I know that nothing I can say will ease the pain, but you have to understand that this is not just for our protection. If your family, or friends, or anyone you know, see you again, you will be putting them all in grave danger."

My heart stutters. I picture my parents and it very nearly breaks.

How will they cope? How will I cope?

"Why? I can't just not see them again!"

"I know, but you simply cannot do it, for the sake of your family and for the sake of ours. If you reveal our secret, there are others like us, who are more powerful and less forgiving, who will not tolerate risks of exposure. If they were to find out about us revealing our true selves, to any humans...they would kill us. No questions asked. They would murder your parents, too, along with anyone else who harbours any awareness."

I'm silent, breathing heavily, covered in day old sweat, as I take this in. I will never see my parents again. I will never be able to say another word to my mother and father. I won't even get to say one last goodbye.

My heart feels as if it shatters into a million fragments, even though I still feel its strong, vital beat.

This can't be real.

"What will they think?" I whimper so softly I almost don't hear the words myself. "That I've disappeared?"

"No," Carlisle assures. "We won't do that to them. There will be investigations and suspicion, as well, which is something we absolutely avoid. We don't want your family to be too hopeful about seeing you again, either."

"Then what?" I demand, knowing where this is headed.

"We staged a scene, outside your home, where you were bitten. We constructed it with the use of some of your clothes, torn up and stained with your blood. Chief Swan will believe that you were attacked...and carried off...by a wild animal."

For a moment, I am utterly silent, just managing to ignore my physical pain. Then I realise the picture he paints doesn't really add up.

"My blood? How?"

Carlisle looks ashamed, before explaining, hurriedly.

"We extracted a sample of your blood, not long after you were handed to us by Sam. You were too far gone, completely incapacitated by your own pain. You were not with us, for a while. You didn't even flinch when I inserted the needle. It never gets easier, seeing another innocent person have to go through that."

I sob. The sound is broken and cracked, but it makes Carlisle sag, looking one hundred rather than in his twenties.

"I'm so sorry. I wish we could turn back the clock for you, but the only solution is to make your life as easy as we can. We will stand by you, Bella. I promise."

It's not enough, I want to tell him. I'm becoming a monster. My parents are now under the impression that I am dead.

I wail. I scream. I curse. It's all pain, emotional, physical and it is more than I can bare.

"Kill me," I demand. "Just end it, please."

"I won't. I'm sorry. I feel that, with time, you will learn to adapt and accept your life as of now. There is happiness to be found, even in this life."

"I need to be alone," I say, staring out the window in front of me, wondering why the tears aren't coming. My eyes throb and prickle but remain bone dry.

Carlisle silently makes his way out and I cave in.

I don't know how long I cry for. The tearless sobs wrack through me. It feels like days yet the sun has not risen. The physical pain leaks away to the point where its absence crawls halfway up my limbs. I watch the clouds move as I grit my teeth, willing the pain to pass. I don't think about my parents. I don't think about the life I will never have.

I try not to think about anything. I notice the little things, like when Alice comes home and swaps places with Esme, when the pain gradually starts ebbing away a little faster, the drip quickening. I notice when my skin becomes noticeably paler and when my senses begin to sharpen, allowing me to perceive things in a way I never imagined a person would be capable of.

I have more questions for Carlisle but I don't want to see him. I'm afraid, afraid of what I do and don't know.

I can hear Rosalie in the next room, pacing, restless. I understand why she wants to euthanize me, now. Everyone else seems to be against it, though, and I try to convince myself that it's encouraging.

I know that Emmett, the frightening, burly brother, is in there with her, comforting her, along with the kind, good natured Esme. I know that everyone stops speaking whenever I begin to wail, but when I settle down, they seem content to speak.

I notice that Alice and Jasper are quiet. They stand by the door, probably protecting me from the radical Rosalie, and they occasionally exchange quiet words. I notice that they stand still, unmoving, for hours and hours. Jasper has been there for days.

"Don't you sleep?" I mumble, rhetorically.

"No," Alice affirms through the closed door, obviously being able to hear me. "We don't ever sleep."

I sigh. Information overload. I'm overwhelmed.

"Edward will return home, soon," Alice quietly announces, whether to me or to Jasper, or everyone, I don't know.

I do know that, even through my suffering, Edward's impending arrival sends my heart racing. I want to hit myself, finding it ludicrous that even after all of these heartbreaking revelations and all of this pain, I still feel anxiety when it comes to facing him. Just the other day, I was nervous about facing him in biology.

It all feels like a nightmare. In a way, I'm stilling pinning all my hopes on that.

I stare at the cracks on the ceiling, stunned by the clarity in my vision, in spite of the fire that still scorches me.

As more time passes, the pain fades some more, but I'm still consumed by the flames. I mourn the loss of my family. I wait.

Eventually, I can discern the differences between the Cullen's footsteps as they move from different parts of the big house, as well as their dizzyingly pleasant scents. So I know that it's Carlisle approaching, just as the second sunrise is beginning to take place, the deep blue sky lightening. He softly raps on the door and when I barely whisper for him to come in, he enters, closing the door behind him.

The fire rages on, although my arms and legs are free. I still don't seem to have movement below my waist and I wonder if my spine will ever heal.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, sitting by me again. I don't flinch, this time, when he takes my hand. I squeeze it.

I give him a look, my face still pinched in pain.

"How long left, Alice?" he says quietly. I'm still surprised when she responds with clarity, even though I've deduced that being a vampire provides outrageously high-quality senses.

"About three hours." She sounds almost chipper. I throw my head back, surprising even myself when a shrill wailing bounces off the walls. I can't handle any more, even if three hours sounds like a short time.

I hear the front door open and my eyes widen for a moment, before agony comes in more brutal waves. I very nearly lose it, but I try to contain my reaction, coughing out sobs. I try to ignore the fact that I am stupidly self- conscious, because of Edward's arrival.

With my new found hearing, I am able to listen to his every move. I hear his intake of breath and wish I could see through the floor, but my enhanced vision goes no further than the fine details of the mahogany wood flooring.

"Don't worry," Carlisle soothes, petting my clenched hand tenderly. "It's only Edward."

I know. That's what scares me.

I flinch when an ominous sound echoes through the walls, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A feral, female snarl, presumably from Rosalie, sends me on edge. My instinct tells me that she is a threat, but before I can hide behind the couch, my rational thinking keeps me still. I listen as she sweeps through the house, faster than I thought possible.

Superhuman speed, too? What next, heat vision?

My heart skips a beat when I hear unfamiliar steps climbing the stairs. I close my eyes, incapacitated by scorching agony for the hundredth time.

When I hear Edward join the others outside my door, Esme greets him, sounding almost relieved at his arrival. How long has he been gone? I hadn't realised he wasn't even in town, when he wasn't at school. Perhaps he really had somewhere he needed to be during the week.

I either don't catch his response, or he says nothing at all. Something in his demeanour must stir a reaction in Emmett.

"At least you won't have to worry about killing her," he jokes. I blanch. What does that mean?

"Don't make jokes," Esme snaps. Carlisle squeezes my hand, in another attempt to comfort me. I wince, feeling the sting of my throat flare. I feel like I have a thirst that needs quenched, but the thought of drinking water is almost repellent.

Alice takes Esme's side, shaming Emmett over his joke in poor taste.

"This is very serious," she says, her fairy's voice tightening. "Bella's parents are in pieces. They think they're daughter is dead. Have a little respect."

My heart pounds at the reminder. I weep.

"Oh, god, p-poor Renee," I cry. "Charlie."

"I know," Carlisle murmurs, sympathetically. "I know, it hurts, but it is for the best."

After a moment of more emotional and physical pain, he speaks again.

"Is it time for more information? I feel that it would be best if I explained what's coming, so that you aren't too shocked by the transformation."

I nod, unsure. Am I ready for more?

"As you have probably noticed, your senses are heightening. Over the next few hours, they might become a little overwhelming. You sense of sight, touch, smell and hearing will become enhanced far beyond any level you've ever experienced. You may become overwhelmed by your instincts to protect yourself, but don't worry about that too much. We will be very careful not to frighten you. If you need space, we will give it to you. All we want is to help you become comfortable in your new skin."

When I don't say anything, he continues.

"Another thing, will you your strength and speed. As a newborn, your physical abilities will be significantly more advanced than ours, as we are older. You will need to be aware of your strength, because throwing your weight around could cause injuries. You will learn how to better carry yourself as time passes."

I nod my head, urging him with tightened eyes to continue. I feel my legs twitch as the relief begins more rapidly climbing up my torso, past the base of my spine. The venom is healing me.

Carlisle continues, oblivious to my revelation.

"Also, you will notice changes in your appearance. Your skin is already becoming pale, harder and colder. You will notice that with the change comes immense beauty and physical enhancement. This is part of our intended survival on the blood of humans. They find us physically appealing; therefore it is easier for our kind to ensnare them. Although you know that this is not something we need, as vegetarians," he grins wryly.

I digest this information. I will be beautiful. I glance at Carlisle, in all his startling perfection. I try to imagine myself looking like that and come up blank. I can't see myself ever achieving that kind of beauty.

"There is more," he mumbles quietly, looking somewhat forlorn. "The matter of your thirst is your biggest concern."

Oh no. My thirst. I feel my stomach turn, an echo of nausea.

"As feeders of animal blood, our thirst will never be quite as satiated as those who consume human blood. The burning in your throat will dim and become manageable, but essentially it is something we've all learned to get used to and tolerate. This will be something you'll struggle with, for the first few years. We will help you overcome it, though and you will succeed, with time and diligence."

My throat flames in response. I try to come to terms with what I'm hearing, but it is all so bewildering.

In three hours, I will no longer be human. Am I prepared to face what I will become?

Fear ripples through me. I'm not ready for this. I'm not strong enough to be a part of this secret, unsavoury part of reality. This is the stuff of fiction.

As time creeps forward, my pain trickles away some more, and my heart changes. Carlisle holds my hand through the agony and I pretend not to be focusing almost entirely on Edward Cullen. What does he think about me joining his bizarre family? Is he angry, as Rosalie is? Does he still harbour an irrational resentment toward me?

I will find out about that. I need to know why he hates me, because even after my crash course on the theory of this way of life, I still don't understand.

I feel my body begin to calm, no longer alarmed by the sensations inside. My heart rate and my breathing is steadier and I silently wish that my mind could be as placid as my body. Everyone else is almost silent, breathing slowly. In, out. In, out. I focus on the sound, listening to the soft pattern of their perfectly synchronised breathing.

I hear a cough from an unfamiliar male voice and assume it is Edward. The sound is forced, unnatural.

My heart begins stuttering and pounding, making me panic. I press my free hand against the burning area, looking at Carlisle for insight.

"It's normal," he assures me. "You're heart is battling the venom. The venom will win."

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I try to suppress the anxiety over my now thrumming heart, feeling a strange sense of relief spread up my stomach. I can sense that it is finally almost over, now. I close my eyes as they begin stinging, feeling the weight of emotion overwhelm me.

More time passes and so does the pain. I sigh, in relief, in grief, as I settle into the end. The physical pain is almost completely evaporated but the ache in my heart feels permanent.

I don't know how long I sit, feeling this sense of finality, but my heart eventually begins losing the battle. I never imagined I could be awake for the final few beats of my heart.

I'm stunned and gasp from the shock of it as my heart thuds desperately, just twice more, before stopping completely.

Then there is silence.

I initially intended to include the first hunt but I think I'll save that for the fourth chapter, seeing how long this one was. Thanks for reading, stay tuned folks. Peace. x