The gentle tapping of rain against my bedroom window was the first thing that captured my attention; waking up the next morning. Second was a quiet snore, coming from directly behind me. I noted how achy my body felt, no doubt that was due to yesterday's activities.

I didn't get up, instead I snuggled back closer into Edward's arms and let my eyes shut again. The room was relatively quiet, the only thing that I could hear was my neighbors living directly above my apartment - stomping around and talking loudly. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was a constant buzz of annoyance that I dealt with several times a week.

The clock illuminated seven o'clock on the nightstand. I knew I should get up, but it felt like heaven being in Edward's arms. However, it wouldn't be long before he would have to leave. He would be tied up with his reaping list throughout the day. The only positive to this would be the fact that Jacob wouldn't be watching over me today. It would be Katlyn. I don't know much about her, but I had a positive first impression of her already.

I wasn't sure how long I laid there, eventually I found myself sitting upright in bed as I took notice of the eternal marking. It had changed again. It was spreading even further, up my neck and down to my hip. Beautiful and darker in appearance.

"Does it bother you?" Edward murmured quietly.

I flinched, my heart dropping in my chest. I hadn't realized that he was awake. "No, it doesn't bother me. But I do wonder how much further it's going to spread."

"As our relationship progresses the marking will continue to spread… until it reaches your heart…" There was a hint of discomfort on his face now. He averted his eyes, looking out towards the window.

"And what happens once it reaches my heart?"

Silence. He didn't meet my gaze. He continued to stare out the window. Was he lost in thought? Or did he not want to answer my question?

"Edward," I nudged him lightly.

"I'd rather not say yet. We aren't anywhere close to that happening."

He was beginning to worry me. What else would I have to go through? There was already so much going on in my life. I didn't want him to keep secrets from me, even if those secrets were terrifying. I wanted to face them.

"Don't you think I have the right to know?"

"Of course you do," He paused, finally looking at me. "But I'm not ready for this conversation. Can we please cross that bridge when we get there?"

Now he was using my own words against me. I didn't want to let this go, but I also wanted to respect his wishes. If we were going to make a relationship work, I needed to trust him. This would be the first step. Learn to trust people. I can do that… right?

"Fine," I let it drop, but couldn't contain the sour look that came to my face. I knew this was going to eat me alive. But I really didn't want to fight with him, not when I knew he wouldn't be here much longer. "But like I said yesterday, I do have some questions that I'd like you to answer."

He sat up now, keeping a somber look on his face as he pulled me to his bare chest. I easily melted into his side, getting comfortable. "Ask me anything,"

"What happened to Tanya?" I couldn't ignore the way Esme had talked about her. Without so many words, she suggested that she may have hurt her in some way. I wondered if that would be a very real possibility in my future, if I do something to upset her.

Edward's brows pulled together, he scanned over my face closely. My question must have taken him by surprise. "She was terminated. There is no chance you will be running into her. Why do you ask?"

"Esme had made some comments. Along the lines of making Tanya as ugly on the outside as she did on the inside."

"And you were wondering what that entails."

I nodded my head as I searched through Edward's dark eyes. I couldn't tell what he was feeling right now. He didn't leave even a hint of an emotion on his face.

"Reapers all have special abilities, well, I shouldn't say that. Higher ranking reapers have abilities and for Esme, she is capable of putting curses on people."

Curses. That reminded me of the brief conversation we had yesterday regarding Hecktor. He was cursed. Edward never mentioned who cursed him, or why. But Hecktor is forced into isolation because of this curse. Everyone that comes into contact with him… is forced to despise him.

"Okay, so your mother can curse people… does she do that often?"

Edward's lips twitched, just slightly. "She doesn't curse people often. It's a bit of a taboo thing among reapers." He paused for a moment to read my expression before continuing. "She knows many different curses, but the only ones that I've seen have involved brutalizing a person, deforming the target and setting a condition for the length of time that curse will be in effect."

"So a curse doesn't last forever?"

"Not necessarily. But it will be impossible for Tanya to break her curse." Edward muttered. "The only way her curse will break is if I fall in love with her. And that isn't going to happen."

My heart ached at his words. I couldn't even allow myself to let that completely sink in. The possibility of Edward falling for his ex-wife again. It was agony.

"And how do you know it isn't going to happen?"

Edward gave me a hard look, before wordlessly lifting my arm - he nodded to the marking he had given me. "The moment this appeared on you, the possibility for me to fall in love with anyone else became impossible. Not to mention, Tanya is the last person in the world I would ever want to return to. I had been so completely blinded to the kind of person she was."

That made me feel a little better. I clung to those words and tried to instill some confidence in myself. I had to stop trying to compare myself to everyone else. I didn't have to compete for Edward's affections. He was already more than willing to give me forever. Why was it so hard to put my complete trust in that notion?

"So… what happened to Jane… is it the same thing that happened to Tanya?"

"How do you know about Jane?"

"I asked my question first."

Edward sighed, squeezing his arm around my shoulders. "Jane is cursed, but it's nothing compared to Tanya's punishment. At least Jane can still function. Esme made sure that Tanya would never live comfortably again."

"What does that mean?"

"I answered your question," He said with a smirk. "Now, you answer mine. How did you know about Jane?"

"I met her. When Stenton took me for breakfast. Stenton didn't go into a lot of detail. Just that she is your ex-girlfriend and the reason that she looks… the way she does… was because of your mother."

Edward grumbled to himself under his breath. I couldn't make out what he said, but I had the feeling that he wasn't pleased. I hope I didn't get Stenton in trouble. That was the last thing I wanted.

"So, what happened to Tanya?"

"She has taken on the physical form of a devourer. Her body is deformed, putrid, she is miserable. Living in the shoes of the very creature she hates most." He muttered with a slight frown on his face. I had the feeling that he wasn't pleased about this. "Her mind is still intact; she is still herself. It's just the outside that has changed."

Part of me was shamefully relieved. It gave me the satisfaction of knowing that she wouldn't get in the way of Edward and I being together. But that wasn't really me. I wasn't a mean, spiteful person. Sure I didn't like the woman, but that doesn't mean that I'd wish her any harm. This wasn't my business. Tanya hurt Edward badly. She had an affair with his best friend. It was something we never really talked about. I could tell that it still bothered him.

Lightly Edward leaned down, leaving kisses at the top of my shoulder. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. He was really good at distracting me. As the kisses moved up to my neck I shivered. If I didn't stop this, we wouldn't be leaving this bed any time soon.

With some reluctance I pulled myself away from him, meeting his gaze. Edward gave me a curious look as he lightly let his fingers trickle through my red curls. "You have more questions, don't you?"

"Of course," I smiled innocently. "If you don't mind."

He paused to leave out a long sigh. "I suppose, just one more. I really should be getting ready to head out to work. I've only been able to stick around this long because the first person on my list is… close by."

My eyes widened. "Really, it's not someone in this building is it?"

"Is that your final question? Or was there something else? I only have time for one more." He snickered, moving now to plant a warm kiss against my lips.

My eyes closed as I let our kiss linger. I wasn't sure what I should ask. I wanted to know the situation with Felix. But also if there was someone about to die in my apartment, I wanted to know that as well. Especially if it's someone I know. There aren't many people in this building that I've talked with, but there are a handful that I would really miss, if something were to happen to them.

"No," I sighed, pulling away from his lips to rest my forehead against his. "I want to know about Felix."

"What would you like to know?"

"Do you think this was deliberate? That Heidi girl mentioned that he had some soul stones at a replenishing station. Then he started going nuts. It's not possible for it to be anything else right? He actually devoured a human soul, didn't he?"

Edward nodded, while his eyes were slightly narrowing. "It's under our consideration that this wasn't an accident. We suspect that someone has stocked the replenishing station with human souls."

"Why would someone do that?"

"It's obviously a rival company," He sounded matter-of-factly.

"So, what would another company gain from turning your guys into devourers?"

"If all our staff have become devourers the business will collapse, along with the control over the reaper world as we know it.."

I recall Edward bringing up another company in the past, the one that Jacob transferred from, Galen. Emmett had an unusually strong opinion of the Galen reapers, he made it clear that he didn't like or trust them… not even a little. The same could be said with Jacob. But no one really talked about the reasons behind all this hostility between the two companies. Maybe since I wasn't a reaper, I wouldn't understand it.

"Do you think it was Galen?" I muttered quietly.

Edward raised a single brow, before shrugging his shoulders easily. "It's hard to say one way or the other. Galen reapers have been our closest ally for years. I can't imagine them being involved with this. But my judgment has been spectacularly wrong in the past."

I wanted to continue asking questions, but I recognized the shrill ringing of his phone. This was a call from the office. This signified that Edward's quality time with me has ended. It was so abrupt. My heart felt like it was getting ripped to shreds while I watched Edward stand from my bed and begin getting dressed for work.

It was difficult to not sulk. I couldn't stand being away from him. It left me feeling very incomplete. Like he stole a piece of my soul and left with it each time we parted. But I knew I had to get over it. I had a whole life before I met Edward. And I was content. I could handle being away from him for a few hours. I needed to stop acting like a lovesick teenager.

'"Katlyn is my guard for today, right?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye I watched him as he stood in front of the full length mirror in the corner of my room, to adjust his tie.

He was gorgeous. No matter what he was wearing. It was actually a little distracting.

"Yes, she has already arrived," Edward said, turning to offer me a controlled smile. "I'll try to come see you for lunch, although I can't make any promises that I'll be able to get away from the office today."

"It's alright, don't worry about me."

Edward gave me a rueful look as he swept me up from the bed, into his strong arms. I clung to him breathlessly, letting my head rest on his shoulder.

"I'll always worry about you," His lips brushed against mine gently. "You will be the only thing on my mind. So, any chance I get to see you, I'll take it. Do you understand?"

My heart squeezed tightly in my chest, my legs trembled a little bit as I leaned up to press my lips back to his. Over and over. The heat began to build between us again. I desperately wanted him to stay.

Edward groaned quietly, leaning back away from me to give me a look. His hands slid down to my hips as he drew me tighter to his body. His eyes were beginning to turn black and filling with desire.

"Bella, please," His voice was like a soft echo. I could hear the inner turmoil leaking through each word. He felt it too. He wanted to stay. And I apparently was making it really hard for him to do so.

I chewed on my lip, watching him melt. With a little courage I slowly moved out of his hold and sunk to the floor, getting myself level with his groin. I placed one hand on his belt, the other went to the fly of his pants. I kept my eyes trained on him, making sure I didn't do anything that made him uncomfortable.

Edward visibly swallowed, watching down at me with eagerness. He didn't try to stop me. So I continued, moving his pants down, my hands slightly grazed over the length of his member. His body shook for a few seconds and his breathing became uneven.

This was something I didn't have much experience with. It's true, I've had many… questionable late nights with gentlemen in the past. It was something a lot of them were keen on asking of me. But it never felt right. At this moment, this is what I wanted. I wanted to pleasure Edward, to the point that the only thing that mattered, was what I was doing to him. Nothing else.

As his boxer briefs hit the ground, I leaned in to capture the length of him in my mouth. My eyes closed, but I heard a throaty groan and felt his body swaying.

I've never done this completely sober. It was different than I had remembered. The sensation of his skin, almost like hard rubber, with a slight salty taste. I ran my tongue along him, moving my head back and forth, at first slowly.

Edward gasped quietly, his hips moving along with my motions. But suddenly I felt his hand coming down to my face. Gently he moved to make me look up into his lustful eyes. He was biting furiously hard on his bottom lip, but there was a clear resolve highlighted in his expression. He had made up his mind on something.

Wordlessly he had me up to my feet and all but tossed me back into the bed. I wanted to continue where we left off, but Edward had other ideas. He was on top of me and had roughly turned me onto my stomach. He stationed himself behind me and the moment I felt him push himself inside of me I felt all the tension leave me. Nothing but pleasure and bliss remained.

He kept a single hand on my hip as he guided our movements. The sound of our skin colliding against each other bounced throughout the room. Thunderous clapping. Heavy breathing. I couldn't stifle my moans. Nor did he attempt to. Everything had moved so fast and so passionately, I couldn't even imagine how long we made love. But no measure of time would be long enough.

On the opposite side of the room, Edward's phone was ringing continuously. It didn't seem to concern him in the slightest, not at the moment anyway. In the back of my mind I felt a little guilty for letting my desires take over. I didn't want Edward to get in any trouble. But he was so irresistible.

Eventually we hit our limit, both of us laid there, exhausted, covered in sweat and other fluids. I laid against his bare chest, trying to catch my breath. His fingers traced patterns against my back, softly. It was quiet between us for a while. I could tell there was something on his mind. But I was afraid to ask. Surely he would be upset with me. I had practically seduced him. I kept him here against his will. I was an awful girlfriend.

With a sigh, I buried my head into his chest.

"What's irritating you?" He asked in a quiet murmur.

"I'm sorry… if this is going to cause you trouble."

Taking me by surprise, Edward chuckled. I felt his lips at the top of my head. "You have nothing to apologize for. You aren't about to hear me complain."

"But now you're going to be late."

He shrugged. "I'm sure Emmett is picking up the slack at the office. But it's best if I get going, before he gets angry enough to tell our mother."

We didn't want that.

"I understand, have a good day at work." I said pleasantly as I watched him rise from my bed. He collected his clothing, appearing content. "It would be hard to have a bad day after that," He nodded towards the bed with a suggestive smirk.

My cheeks warmed at his comment, even as I watched him stroll out of my room, I couldn't pull the smile off my face. My body felt so light, there were a few aches and pains, a couple bruises decorated my skin where Edward's hands had been, but I couldn't be happier at this moment.

I wasn't sure what the rest of the day would bring me, but starting it off with a nice hot shower sounded perfect. Cautiously I padded over to my closet, retrieving my robe. I recalled Edward saying that Katlyn was here already. It was a little embarrassing to think that she might have heard our little… moment this morning.

However, after opening the door to my room and peeking out towards the living room, I didn't see her. With some speed I quickly headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring the creaking of the wooden floor under my feet.

The second that I made it into the bathroom I closed the door behind me, gathering a deep breath as I looked at myself in the mirror. The woman staring back at me was unrecognizable. There were a few physical changes I took note of. Edward's eternal marking seemed to grow further each day, getting darker and more intricate in the design. But that's not what had me so distracted. I've never seen myself so visibly happy. There was life in my eyes. I wasn't hiding my sorrows behind a hollow smile anymore. There was hope now. And I knew it was all thanks to Edward and the amazing world he has introduced me to.

After briefly letting my reflection sink in, I hopped into the shower and let the water run hot. I'd always enjoyed scorching showers. Allowing the small, closet-sized bathroom to fill with steam. The water pressure wasn't great, but it did the trick. I let the water roll down my achy body, soothing some of my muscles. It didn't take long for me to finish up in the bathroom, my apartment never seemed to have much hot water, I could usually only get it hot for about ten minutes before the water went ice cold.

The second I felt the water shifting in temperature I got out and dried off. I carefully raced back to my bedroom, only in a towel. I still didn't catch even the faintest hint of Katlyn being around. By the time I was dressed and ready to get the rest of the day started, I found Katlyn standing in my kitchen, preparing a meal. I couldn't tell what she was making, but it smelled delicious.

I've never really spoken more than two words to Katlyn, I didn't know much about her. But she couldn't be any worse than how Shane had turned out. I would remain open-minded. My first impression of her had been positive. She seemed more quiet and reserved then the others in Edward's team. A wallflower. I never see her talking with anyone. She was always alone. In a way, she reminded me of Ana.

"U-um, good morning Katlyn." I shyly greeted her.

She turned slightly, making eye contact for a moment, before turning her gaze fully on the food cooking on the stove. Her shoulders tensed. "Actually, it's a little after one o'clock now. I figured you would probably be hungry… I hope you don't mind… that I prepared you something to eat." Even her voice was quiet and gentle.

I had no idea that it had gotten that late in the day already. Edward was extremely late for work today. He was supposed to be in his office by seven. There was no way he wasn't going to be in trouble… Emmett would no doubt be furious. I just hoped that he wouldn't bring Esme into this. I really didn't want her to dislike me.

"I don't mind at all, I appreciate this. It's been a really long time since I've had an actual home cooked meal."

If my memory was right, the last home cooked meal I had was when uncle Charlie brought me soup that aunt had made. It was wonderful and really reminded me of home. That felt like such a long time ago. I really should call in to check on Ana and my mother.

"It should be ready pretty soon." Katlyn said, not turning around. Her shoulders remained tense.

I wondered why she was so on edge. But I didn't want to make her even more nervous by asking questions. Katlyn was like a fragile deer. Moving too quickly would scare her away. I would have to be slow and just as delicate.

"I'm glad you're here, I haven't really had a chance to talk with you. If you don't mind, I'd like to get to know you a bit." I said as I took a seat at the table.

Katlyn turned the burners off on the stove and began filling up a plate. By the looks of it, she had made spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread and a large bowl of salad. It was a typical meal you would pay for at any Italian restaurant. And I could tell, just by the smell and looks of it, it was a high-quality meal. Perhaps she was some kind of chef, when she was human.

She placed a full plate in front of me and filled a small bowl on the side with salad. A tiny smile was on her face. She swept a single hand through her shoulder-length blonde locks and adjusted her glasses from the tip of her nose, back up. "W-well sure, if that's what you want…" She took the seat across from me, not bothering to make a plate of food for herself. Katlyn was on the heavier side. She was gorgeous of course, but with just a little extra weight. Curvy. I looked very similar when I was younger.

"Don't you want something to eat?" I asked, twisting my fork through the spaghetti noodles, before bringing it to my mouth. The first bite was pure heaven. Sweet sauce. Warm and full of spices and pleasant fragrances. I almost shivered. I had always had a deep love for Italian food. Spaghetti was by far my favorite.

Katlyn shook her head, letting her shoulders slump. "Reapers don't really find human food appealing."

I raised a brow, continuing to enjoy the meal she made for me. "Really? Emmett and Edward seem to like human food. I mean, I've seen them eating often… well at least once a day."

"Well, the bosses are only half reaper, they are partially human as well. I'm guessing that's why they can still take pleasure in human food."

"So, if you were to eat a plate of this… you wouldn't like the taste. No matter how good it is? And I'm telling you right now, it's the best spaghetti I've ever had." I said as I took a bite out of one of the meatballs added to the very top of the pile of pasta. It was savory, buttery. Pure perfection.

Katlyn smiled a little wider. "I'm glad you like it," She set her chin on her hand as she leaned down on the table. "But yes, human food doesn't even have a taste anymore. In my opinion… it all just tastes like sand…"

"That would be miserable. Do the soul stones taste any better?"

"Well, it just depends on the type of stones you get. I've noticed the soul stones reaped from fish, or sea-life of any kind, have the best taste." She admitted quietly. "I can't really describe the taste. It's like nothing I've ever had when I was human."

A peaceful silence began between us as I continued to eat. I wished that I would be able to eat everything. But I couldn't manage to finish the heaping pile of spaghetti on the plate. Nor did I have the room to touch any of the salad. But at least I would have a good amount of leftovers. I wouldn't have to bother with buying groceries for a couple more days. This would save me some time and money in the long run. For that I was thankful.

I helped Katlyn clean up. She went to work packing away the food in the fridge, while I washed the dishes. The silence continued. But I had so many questions for her. I just didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Do you mind telling me a little more about reapers?" I asked after we finished up in the kitchen.

The two of us decided to sit out on the balcony. The weather was decent. There was a nice breeze. Fresh air also puts me at ease. I had the feeling that Katlyn felt the same way. I could almost see her entire body unfreeze and relax, right before my eyes.

"Hasn't master Edward explained everything to you?" She wondered with a slightly raised brow. Again she was adjusting her glasses back from the edge of her nose.

"He has told a lot, but not everything. We just haven't really sat down and went through all the details. Emmett can't really come into contact with me anymore… and well… you've met Alice. She doesn't like me. I doubt she would be willing to answer any questions I have."

Katlyn chewed her lip with a look of deliberation. I wondered why there was such hesitation with her. Was there something that I wasn't supposed to know? Was Edward keeping something from me? Or was I thinking too far into this? All options were quite possible.

"I guess it would depend on what you would like to ask me." Katlyn finally replied.

Thanks for reading! I hope you are all enjoying this story so far. Have anything thoughts going into the next chapter? Let me know.