6

"Will it hurt?"

Edward looked at Carlisle before he turned in his seat, looking back at the fragile human girl in the backseat. She was curled up in a ball, her face hidden her knees, her hands grabbing the side of her head. Her long, dark hair was tangled around her fingers. The pain must have been intense, and he wished he could hear what she was thinking. It was odd, he thought. He'd wished more times than he could count for silence, yet he wished he could read her thoughts, know how she felt saw him.

"Yes," he told her, watching her peek over at him. Her eyes were wide, dark and full of pain. "For a few days, it will hurt, burn as the venom changes you, makes you like us, but then, you won't hurt anymore. Not ever."

She nodded, and pressed her face back into her knees. "And will I sleep in a coffin? Turn into a bat? Wear a dark cloak?"

While Carlisle smiled, Edward laughed and said, "No coffins, no turning into bats. I suppose you can wear a dark cloak, but if I'm being honest, they're not as comfortable as they appear. Kind of itchy."

"Good. I'm not much for itchy," she whispered, turning back and looking at him.

Carlisle pulled his car up in front of their house and as the two men climbed out, they shared a look when they both caught the scent in the air. They were coming.

We need to hurry, Carlisle thought.

"I know," Edward murmured, opening the backdoor and reaching for Bella, who placed her hand in his.

As he helped her out of the car, she flinched against the brightness, which was ironic since the clouds were quite heavy, the sky dark and thick with unfallen moisture. He swept her into his arms, causing her to throw her arms around him. The feel of her against him sent shivers down his spine, though he didn't understand why the fragile human made him feel so . . . calm and peaceful.

"I've got you," he whispered, pressing his lips against the side of her head.

"It's so loud," she groaned, covering her hears with her hands.

Edward carried her into the house, pausing when he found Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper standing with Carlisle. While Alice and Carlisle had already encountered the fragile human girl, the others hadn't, and Edward worried what their reactions would be. However, Esme gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she looked from her to Edward.

That poor child, she thought.

Jasper tilted his head to the side, and Edward felt him sending waves of tranquility their direction, but Bella groaned and turned her face into Edward's chest, and Jasper stopped.

I don't affect her at all, he thought. Odd.

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other, before they turned back to Edward and Bella, their facial expressions much softer than they had been the day before when they venomously refused to allow her to be changed.

I get it, Rosalie thought, while Emmett merely nodded.

"We don't have much time," Carlisle said. "Minutes only. Only gather what you need. The rest will have to stay."

Edward carried Bella over to the sofa, laying her down, but Bella refused to release him.

"Stay with her, Edward," Alice said. "I'll gather your belongings."

"Thanks," he whispered, shifting them so that he was seated with her on his lap. "It's okay, sweetheart."

"Tell me more," she whispered, her breath thick with rot and he worried that she might not even make it for the trip north.

Edward smiled against the stop of her head. "You'll be stronger than you've ever been and fast. Very fast. It will be difficult at first, to be around humans."

"Which is why I can't be around them, right? My mom and dad?"

Edward hummed. "Yes. You'll be what we call a newborn, and you're thirst, your hunger for blood, will be intense. You can call them, write them letters, but you won't be able to see them, and we'll never be able to come back here."

"Because of who is coming?" she asked, shifting her eyes up to him. "Someone's coming to stop you, aren't they? That's why everyone is going so crazy."

"Yes," he confirmed. "How'd you know?"

She shrugged, then winced. "There's a smell in the air."

Edward was stunned. Of course, he knew the smell she talked about, the stench of the dogs off the reservation. But how could she? She was only human, wasn't she?

"Let's go," Carlisle yelled, causing her to wince again and burying her face against his chest. He grimaced and thought, Sorry.

Edward waved him off before standing with her in his arms again, and turned as everyone gathered in the living room, each of them carrying as many of their belongings as they could. Esme looked at him and Bella with sadness, while Rosalie and Emmett appeared passive. It was start, he thought. At least she wasn't glaring at the fragile human, not that Bella would have noticed. She wasn't like other humans, that much was clear, and Edward wondered what her reaction to them would have been had she not been dying. Would she still want to be one of them?

"We'll meet in Denali," Carlisle said, looking at each of them. "We can change her there, and then decide where to go."

"Okay," Rosalie said, shifting her eyes to Bella. "We should go. She doesn't have much time."

Edward, Alice called to him, and when he looked at her, he saw the vision playing out inside her head. The wolves were descending on them, they had less than two minutes. You should run her north. I'll take your car, and we will meet you on the boarder.

"Are you sure?" he murmured, and while everyone looked between them, she nodded so he simply said, "Okay."

Edward tightened his arms around her and took off out of the house, heading north. He could hear Alice explaining to everyone as they quickly hurried into their cars, knowing running would be faster than driving. Edward leapt over the river, zipping around the trees, when he heard their heartbeats, the smell of them causing his nose to burn.

"Hurry, Edward," Bella cried out, her arms wrapping around him even tighter. "Hurry!"

"It's going to be okay," he promised her as he ran faster. He hoped, at least.

Edward jumped over a ravine, and slid to a stop, looking back and finding the wolves on the other side. There were four of them: all of them big, smelly, and angry. He smirked, knowing they wouldn't be able to follow as he turned and started running again, taking the fragile human who already owned him away from anyone who could stop him from saving her. He couldn't live in world where she didn't exist, not ever again.

—Stay—

Bella held on as tight as she could, even if she couldn't explain why she needed to. The feel of his arms around her made the pain easier to handle, even if it was only a little. It was stupid and silly, but she needed him to hold her, to take care of her. This strange, beautiful vampire. Why was he so important to her?

She wasn't sure how long he had been running with her when he slowed down and eventually stopped. He found a rock. Well, a boulder, and set her down. She closed her eyes, taking a deep calming breath, trying to ease the pain inside her head. Nothing ever worked, not the therapy, the medication, the herbal drugs. She simply hurt all the time.

"Are you hungry?"

She shook her head, regretting it immediately. "Fred and food don't really get along."

"Fred?" he asked, laughing as he knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her waist, holding her upward. "Who is Fred?"

She smiled and placed her finger against the front of her heard, where her tumor was located.

"You named it Fred," he said, nodding. "Clever."

"Thanks," she whispered, closing her eyes. Her head was throbbing. "Why did we stop?"

"We're waiting for Alice."

"She's the little one?" Bella asked. "With the dark hair."

Edward nodded. "Sorry. I should have made the introductions, but we were in a hurry."

"Because of the wolves," she said, and when his eyes widened, she smiled. "I saw them over your shoulder while we were running away."

"Ah," he said softly. "They're not very happy with us at the moment."

"Because you're changing me?"

Again, he nodded. "There's a treaty, and technically we're breaking the treaty."

"Why?"

"Why is there a treaty? Or why are we breaking it?"

Bella smiled weakly. "Both."

"Back, almost a century ago, we lived the area, and, um, our presence made life difficult for the Quileute, the Native Americans who live on the reservation," Edward said. "They shift into giant wolves when we are around for a long period of time. They consider us their enemy, and we consider them ours, but in an effort to keep the peace, Carlisle negotiated with their Chief, a man named Ephraim Black, that we would keep our distance, not hunt in the area, and as long as we didn't shed any human blood, they would keep our secret, leave us be. That meant no feeding, not that we feed on humans, but also, that we can't change anyone, either. But now, we've taken one of theirs. They won't be understanding, which was why we had to leave so quickly."

"Then why are you doing it?" she asked. "Why'd you agree to change me?"

"Because you're worth it," he said, and before he could elaborate further, the sound of a car stopping, drew his attention, and he stood up, offering her his hand. "Alice is here."

Bella placed her hand in his and stood up, but her legs were weak and she started to slide to the ground. He swept her into his arms, and when she looked up at him, she saw a look in his eyes that seemed . . . different, but she was unsure of what it was.

"Why am I worth it?" she heard herself ask.

"Because I need you to live."

"Why?"

"Because you're important to me," he confessed, just before they heard Alice pressing against the car's horn. "We should go."

Bella leaned her head against his chest as he carried her through the trees, where they found Alice standing next to the shiny silver Volvo. Her eyes shifted from him to her, and she smiled.

"I was started to get worried," Alice laughed. She tossed the keys to Edward, who managed to keep Bella in his arms and catch them at the same time. "We'll meet you there," she added, her eyes shifting to Bella before she looked back at Edward, who simply nodded.

Alice turned and hurried to the black Mercedes Carlisle had driven when he took her from her father's house. They pulled from behind them and headed up the highway, leaving Edward and Bella standing there.

"Sorry about her," he said, quietly. "You'll get used to her."

"She seems nice," Bella whispered as Edward carried her to the car, opened the passenger door and placed her inside, she brought her hand up to his face, causing him to close his eyes, and turn so that his lips were pressed against the palm of her hand. "Are you going to be the one that changes me?"

Edward's eyes snapped open. "Do you want me to be the one that does it?"

"Yes," she said.

"Then yes," he responded, reaching over and buckling her seatbelt. "If you want me to do it, I will."

Bella smiled. "Then we should go."

"I suppose we should," he laughed before he closed the door and hurried around and climbed in behind the wheel. "Why'd you say yes to being changed?"

Bella pulled her knees to her chest as she shifted so that she was facing him. "Because they needed me to live. Because I'm not ready to die." She paused and smiled. "Because you asked me."

"Why did it matter that I asked you to?"

Bella smiled. "Because you're important to me, too."

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews!