Bella
The bloodlust I felt for Edward grew steadily, like a slowly leaking faucet filling a large sink drop by drop. The possibility of overflow was always at bay, and I consumed human food any time it was dangerous; at least this way I'd only have one hunger to worry about satiating.
I carried snacks with me constantly and when Edward would catch me pulling them out of my bag, he'd joke about my healthy appetite. Though we didn't discuss it often, I knew he could see the color change in my eyes. From an amber color to pitch black. He knew I was hungry.
The silver lining of the steadily collecting craving for Edward's singing blood was that I thought little of Volt.
When I'd first met Edward, the paranoia of being caught by Volt consumed my mind. My every move revolved around ensuring a nameless life on an endless radar. Now, and especially when I was with him, I lived effortlessly. Each day was something to look forward to, instead of something to leer cautiously from a distance at.
I closed my eyes at night with no worries, and opened them again in the mornings with no resolve for my past. As the girls had put it "I'd 'moved on'" from my past. (Not that I'd shared with them my genetic differences, of course. Both Alice and Rose simply believed I was 'mistreated' in the past.)
Today should have been no different. I went to school as I always did, with Edward's hand resting chastely on my lower back. His hand was warm, the warmth seemed through my blouse. His heart beat thumped at a steady rhythm beside me, and I listened to the sounds of his humanity contentedly as we walked together.
His heart still reacted to seeing me, touching me. I thought happily.
How fascinating that his body gave away what his confident demeanor never did: nerves.
"You look happy." He commented out of nowhere, bringing my attention back to the present. Green emeralds were fixated on my onyx irises. A breeze tickled the locks of his hair, making them sway just so in the wind.
How have I become so easily distracted by him?
"I do?" I asked innocently. A minuscule smile graced my face that I could see in the reflection of his eyes.
"Yes. I'm glad," Edward said simply, and pulled me closer to press a kiss to my hair. The electric currents seemed to pass through us, as it did each time we touched, and we both were left speechless. We let unspoken words speak their peace as we walked in comfortable silence together to our classrooms.
Things are perfect. I've never been so contented with who I was becoming, and to be comfortable with a person to rely on. A partner.
When it was time for us to part to our respective classrooms, Edward gave me a crooked grin.
"Are we being ridiculous? I can't keep my hands off of you." He mockingly complained. He gesture d towards our joined hands. "Should we start wearing matching clothes? Three legged pants? We may as well just consider ourselves one entity, at this point." He flashed a dazzling smile at me, exposing pearly teeth that should've been in a toothpaste commercial.
I chuckled a little at his antics.
"I think it's just as ridiculous as the concept of a vampire dating a teenage boy in highschool would be." I countered dryly, peeking up at him from my eyelashes to see his expression. Edward chuckled warmly, put a hand affectionately on my hair.
"You're cute." He murmured, but it sounded as if he were speaking to himself. He cleared his throat after a moment of distraction. "I'll see you at lunch break?" This question required an answer, and I nodded.
"See you then." Edward smiled and lifted our entwined hands to his face. His breath warmed my hand as he brought the back of my hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss to my knuckles, before he closed his other hand around mine, squeezing my fingers gently before he let go. He offered me a shy wave of his fingers before he turned around and started for class.
The small gestures he bothered to make... I thought with a small shake of my head. I wished there were a word that could express the power that Edward had over me.
I watched him set off to his class, and entered the doors to my classroom only after he had disappeared in a sea of students.
A.P. English proved uneventful, as usual. I always seemed to be more comfortable near the windows, even if I knew rationally that there would be no need to escape.
Old habits die hard, Edward had tried to comfort me once.
I took notes that I didn't need as I always did, outwardly diligent, but my ears listened for everything but the class material.
Did you hear Jessica Stanley has no prom date?
-this class is absolutely unbearable.
I heard the soft taps on a cellphone, three phones, to be exact, coming from beneath the desks of the bored students that surrounded me.
All of the background noises was something I was so attuned to, the noise passed effortlessly from one ear to the other. It allowed me to compartmentalise and focus on the lesson with little distraction. That was until I heard a new sound: a radio from outside.
It was a soft, scratching sound, like a phonograph's needle scratching a record. Followed by a high pitched beep. I struggled to find the source of the sound, and tried to make out the words, but it sounded like numbers were being exchanged. It left a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I warily gripped the edge of my seat in angst, looked immediately towards the window.
My eyes feverishly scanned outside of the windows, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sounds. When I deduced where the noise was coming from, I had dropped my pen onto my desk, I blinked my eyes in disbelief. Everything felt as if it were in slow motion.
Am I hallucinating?
I saw an unmarked white van with tinted windows in the parking lot.
My mind flashed back to that day in the alley again, when Edward had followed a similar white van out from school and had saved me from being taken by them. I remembered watching the van pull away, from when I was lying on the ground, barely conscious. The day happened in such a blur, I could not recall any details of what the van that day looked like.
What are the chances that this van could be the same one?
This van seemed to sit on the perimeters of the school grounds, but on the farthest side of the administrations office. Closest to the building I was in. One name surfaced in my mind.
Volt.
I felt my hands go clammy, and my heart palpitate.
"Miss Swan."
Only until I was addressed by name did I notice the attention of an entire class fully on me. I tore my head away from the van in the parking lot.
"Y-yes?" I answered in a small voice. The stares of the other students practically penetrated my body.
"I said, it must be a painfully boring lesson if even miss Swan is staring out the window." Mr. Gordon's voice held a hint of irony, but it was mostly impatience.
"Not at all, I apologize." I looked down once more at my notes and picked up my abandoned pen, as if to resume my note writing. The rest of class returned to business as usual. Only when Mr. Gordon was no longer glaring at me from his peripheral vision, I rubbed my eyes and stared out the window, at the nearly empty parking lot. Not a single sign of a white van, or any suspicious cars at all.
You're imagining things.
It's been two months since they attacked.
You have no tracker in your arm.
VOLT has seen no reason to come after you, why would they change their minds now?
I shook my head at myself with a regrettable sigh.
Stop being irrational, Bella.
But a small voice in my mind spoke, fearfully.
Why not now, Bella?
Why not now... when you least expect it?
Why wouldn't they attack when you're not ready for them?
Despite the full heat of summer, a shiver blazed through me, and there was a tension in my body that I couldn't shake for the remainder of the class.
The bell rang and I gathered my things with trembling fingers. I was more than ready to see Edward, the girls, Jasper and Emmett, to feel the relief that I associated with being with my friends.
As soon as my bag was over my shoulder, I walked with as much speed as I could muster without running to the cafeteria. I caught myself scanning the faces in the crowd, profiling each one, performing a recognition check on each individual I passed.
Recognition? Check.
Recognition? Affirmative.
I was so fixated on this routine, that as I rounded the corner, I hadn't noticed the strong arms that wrapped around my rib cage and pulled my feet off of the ground.
I shrieked and tried to elbow the figure behind me. My elbow made no contact, I must've missed. In my unprepared state, I scrambled to find the other side in me that was capable of change. My arm hair rose and my vision was exposed only by a few degrees.
Why was I changing so slowly? Within a millisecond, my worst nightmare became a figment of my imagination when the arms that held me hostage began to tickle my side,
"Gotcha," Was whispered into my ear and I felt a soft bite to the crook of my neck as my feet were lowered back down onto the ground.
I finally breathed out a sigh of relief that I didn't realize I'd been holding, as I turned around.
Edward chuckled as he relaxed his hold on me. His eyes were curved in innocent laughter reserved for pranks. His smile faded as he took in my reaction.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Bella. Did I scare you?" His eyebrows pulled together in concern and he pulled me into his arms in an apologetic embrace.
"Yeah." I admitted against his chest, knowing I'd only told him half of the truth.
Don't tell him you're seeing things. He'll think you're crazy.
Lunch was as usual, the boys chortled over jokes that seemed illogical to us, and Rose and Alice chattered about the commonalities in their relationship, worries about coordinating the upcoming prom event. I offered a few nods here and there, even vocalized my agreement when appropriate, but felt distant. Light years away from the conversation at the crowded table in the cafeteria.
"You okay, Bella?" A soft voice spoke, and I was met by large, brown eyes framed with curled lashes. Alice's eyes were ridden with concern.
"Yeah," I responded, but I sounded half-hearted, even in my ears.
"Did something happen between you and Edward?" Rose spoke now, her usual boisterous voice dropped to a soft, private octave. Even Rose had sensed something was wrong.
I shook my head.
"No, not at all."
This, at least was truthful. Every day was filled with bliss. Every time we were together and alone it was amazing...
"Did you remember something from your past?" Alice dropped her voice to a sympathetic squeak. I offered a single dip of my head in what likely came off as a dismissive nod.
"Sure. Something like that."
Both girls' slender arms wrapped around me in a semblance of comfort. Though I couldn't afford to let the armor of my guard down, I did allow my shoulders to relax ever so slightly in their embrace. The edge in my posture softened for a moment as I exhaled with my eyes closed. I felt serenity in their arms, even in the loud cafeteria.
"We're here for you, Bella." Rose murmured.
"And nothing will change that." Alice affirmed from beside me.
I blinked, and offered a tight-lipped smile in return, along with what I hoped was a believable nod. But a small part of me wondered the extent of my "unconditional" friendship with both Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice.
"Nothing will change that' would've sufficed in many normal situations I'd witnessed thus far. I couldn't help but doubt it'd work in a scenario where one confessed to being a genetically modified weapon.
And 'oh yeah, I'm also a half bred vampire' didn't exactly smooth over the problematic points of the previous statement.
Surely the truth would change things.
Perhaps I've let my guard down too soon.
I let my arms slide out from under the girls' as I retreated back into the quiet of my mind, plotting, preparing for...
Whatever this was.
Edward, Emmett and Jasper had music lessons, then baseball practice tonight. It would be a long day for me. Rose and Alice offered to take me to the nail salon with them, but I had no interest, and politely declined. I went to the library instead, to kill the four hours until Edward and I could ride home together.
Times like these did make me wonder if one day I'd have a need for a driver's license, a car.
I found myself doing homework, reorganizing a section of the disorganized library, then reading a book. I tried desperately to stay busy despite the fact that my mind was elsewhere. I simply couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, since that first class of the day.
My eyes skimmed pages aimlessly, reflexively, though I didn't retain anything. I tried to find distraction until Edward was done.
After what felt like hours of faking a routine, when the clock read 4:45, I promptly gathered my belongings and made my way to the baseball field. The sun beamed down today, making the baseball field a shimmering white plain.
I sat behind the bleachers. I told myself it was to stay out of the overwhelmingly bright sun, but I couldn't admit to myself I was afraid of being seen. I wanted to deny my delusions for as long as I could, and watched as one by one the baseball team members entered and then exited the locker rooms, with duffel bags slung over their shoulders. With each student that passed me, my eagerness to see Edward grew along with a sense of trepidation. I found myself wringing my hands, pacing in circles.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar silhouette, both tall. Once I turned to face them, I knew instantly it wasn't Edward. One figure was too tall and too wide to be him. The other one was a little too slender in comparison to Edward.
"Jasper, Emmett!" I shouted, and caught their attention with a wave. They both grinned upon seeing me and jogged over to me.
"How's it going Bella?" Jasper asked politely.
"Good, thanks. Where's Edward?" I asked.
Both of them looked to each other, as if they were unsure of what my question implied. The pit of my stomach began to sink.
Why wasn't he with them?
He's always with them.
Jasper finally spoke.
"I thought he left half an hour ago. We figured he'd be with you." Terror filled my body, chilling my blood ice cold under the blinding sun.
I wasn't imagining things when I thought I'd saw Volt's van today.
Something happened to Edward.
Emmett and Jazz seemed to notice my change in demeanor.
"Bells? You okay?" Emmett asked, placing a thick hand on my shoulder. I was brought back to reality instantly and nodded robotically.
"Yeah, fine, I forgot. I was supposed to meet him at the library," I lied. I forced a tight smile over my teeth. My thoughts were nearly whispered aloud as I chanted to myself:
Don't involve them. They'll only hinder you in a fight. They can't know.
Emmett squinted at my expression reluctantly but released his hand from my shoulder with a pat.
"Alright Bellsy, if you say so."
"We can walk you there," Jasper offered, with a tilt of his head towards the sidewalk. His elbow was out for me to take. His southern hospitality was ever chivalrous, I knew I needed to reject it as quickly as possible before I raised any suspicions.
"Oh I'm fine, thank you," I said as quickly as I could, throwing a wave in lieu of excusing myself.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I added weakly.
"Get home safe, Bells." Emmett said with his usual boyish grin. Jasper nodded, but I could see a tinge of concern in the set of his brows.
"Have Edward let us know when you guys get home, alright, Bella?" Jasper added. He waited to see my nod before they said their goodbyes again and began walking to their cars.
As soon as they turned the corner to the walkway, and I was out of their line of sight, I knew immediately I'd have to change to hunt for Edward.
Where are you?
I closed my eyes and let my primal side tap in. I felt my teeth elongate, my pupils dilate until the baseball field was nothing more than a shimmering pearl in the sunlight. My jaws snapped multiple times as I felt a snarl in the back of my throat.
Hungry.
Then I smelled it.
Blood. It wasn't the sweet scent that Edward's blood carried, it smelled slightly earthy, honestly. Gamey. But hunger took precedence, and didn't care about the grade of the food I was being served.
I took off running towards the scent. My vision turned blood red as I pounced on whatever held the source of the scent. I succumbed to the other side as I blindly attacked and drained.
I regained my composure as myself only after I was full of hot liquid and the silence of a stopped heartbeat was deafening. I looked down at the ball of fur in my hands and gasped, dropping the mass to the ground. It hit the ground with a dull thump and glassy eyes. It's soft nose was dripping little rivers of blood.
I'd killed a rabbit.
My hands shook as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
Then I smelled a scent I hadn't caught in the air earlier, in the center of the field.
The forbidden fruit.
How could you have made it a second priority?
I ran towards the smell of Edward's blood as if my life depended on it. I forced myself not to change just yet. Edward will need you coherent.
The scent took me into the baseball team's supply room. I pushed the door open, not surprised to find it unlocked. I took my last breath of fresh air and entered.
The concrete room was silent, filled with metal lockers in a long row down the space. There were sports supplies strewn haphazardly around the room, plastic bags filled with uniforms and P.E. equipment. The only windows were jalousie windows, yellowed plastic that let in minimal light. A tap dripped somewhere in the dim room, only adding to the austere feeling.
The smell of Edward was overwhelming in this room. It was thick, concentrated and I caught an additional scent of sweat and... fear. It permeated my nostrils as I hesitantly entered the wide open space of the supply room.
Was his scent mixed with someone else's?
Something's not right.
My ears detected a shuffling noise from behind me and I whirled towards the sound; it came from behind a concrete pillar.
"Bella, so nice of you to join us," The voice that mocked me was all too familiar in the thickness of his accent, the darkness in his tone.
Demetri.
"You really thought we'd let you run, 1906? You're a danger to society." He chided. Edward was pinned under Demetri's thick forearm, the blade of a knife was pressed to his throat. Edward's eyes widened at me, his neck was tense beneath the knife. He tried to speak through the cloth that was tied around his mouth but Demetri's fist made contact with his side, and he exhaled sharply instead.
"Hurt him and I will kill you," I spit, through my half elongated teeth. I lifted my lips in a snarl.
"It doesn't work that way Bella." He jeered. "You are surrounded." I now realized why they'd chosen the supply room. I hadn't noticed the six other men in the room, all hiding behind lockers or pillars. They were in uniform in their silver armor, shields held high up. I had been so distracted with Edward's scent that filled the room, I hadn't noticed anyone else's.
Shit. It was a trap.
"Your little friend is dead unless you come with us." He sneered. "Surrender yourself willingly and there will be no consequences to the boy. We'll leave him right here, untouched." My eyes darted between them and Edward. Edward and them.
If I surrendered myself, would I save Edward?
Could I trust them to hold up their end of the deal?
And if I did surrender, returning to Volt after running was certain death.
Could Edward be spared if I managed to fight them, while protecting him somehow?
Edward said nothing, but he shook his head once, no ever so slightly behind the knife, as if he could read my mind.
"Bella, don't do it," He seemed to say, I could practically hear it being mentally screamed at me.
I surveyed the men in silver, all six of them. If I were to fight them, I'd have to make as little contact with the silver as possible.
I felt the edge of my control slipping. The room was intensely bright, and my vision was tinged maroon, making my enemies look as if they swam in a sea of blood.
"Run." I said quietly. Both of the guards looked at each other in doubt. I doubled over, as I felt the trembling take over me, the hunger multiplied into a furious war within me.
My teeth expanded fully within milliseconds and the rest of my teeth filled in sharply to match my elongated canines. My jaw cracked multiple times to accommodate my mouth as I exposed new and larger teeth.
I roared when the change was complete and watched spit fly from my teeth as my vision turned blood red, blurring out everything except my targets.
I curled my upper lip back, exposing the monster that I was for everyone to see.
The boy under Demetri's arm who's name I could no longer remember looked surprised by me, but strangely unafraid.
I roared at them again, challenging them now that I was feeling stronger than I ever had before.
It's no coincidence I'm strongest after feeding.
The guards in silver released the tranquilizers from their guns, I heard them explode intermittently.
I dodged all of the bullets that moved too slowly for me, and took only two steps to reach for the only guard who's shield wasn't blocking his face.
My fingernails wrapped around his unprotected neck with a single hand and I squeezed hard, until the bones crackled under my hands. I heard the breath leave his body and I dropped him to the ground without a second thought.
One man down.
No matter how much time had passed since my captivity at Volt, fighting came naturally to me, and ran instinctively through every vein in my body.
From my peripheral vision, two more guards ran for an attack from behind, running at me at their full speed. I pushed my heels off of the ground as hard as I could to kicked off of the guards' chest, sending them both flying instantaneously against the lockers.
The proximity to the silver was dangerously close, I forced myself to stay conscious as I felt my mind grow light headed. I used the momentum of my kick to flip backwards, rolling on top of the metal lockers with ease. I gasped as I recovered from the contact with the metal.
The metallic clang of tranquilizer shells sounded, hitting the lockers beside me.
A narrow miss.
I gathered my bearings and peered down from the top of the lockers, Demetri still had the bronze haired boy in his arms right below me. His human reflexes were just now catching up to the speed of my movement, he just now saw the bodies that hit the metal lockers limply and his head was turning as he looked for me. I jumped down from the locker to ambush him from behind, and went straight for his wrist, prying the knife away from the boy's throat.
Another guard lunged at me as I did, his proximity was dangerously close. I ripped the knife from Demetri's hand in time and I threw it between the eyes of the guard coming at me as hard as I could. It spiraled through the air in a blur. I didn't bother seeing how the knife would enter his skull, I could already foresee that the force of the knife would knock him off of his feet.
Four down.
I turned my attention back to Demetri.
I twisted his arm back and he grudgingly let go of the boy with a grunt. I saw only a flash of his bronze hair as he began to fight the guards with the silver shields. He was fast; even for my reflexes. He ducked with a near premonition for what was coming, his unorthodox swings would cause damage at the speed his fists flew.
How are you fighting like that...?
I was amazed that words had formed in my mind. I realized I'd been staring a second too long. Demetri had turned and squinted his eyes as he closed his hands around my neck, with intent to kill.
He caught me off guard.
He slammed me into the lockers by the head and I snarled at him in response, snapping fangs at him. I struggled to loosen his grip on me. He wore silver gloves that I hadn't noticed before. It took all I had to remain conscious. He dented the lockers with my head, whipped me into the walls, but I refused to give in, even without breath.
I pulled at his hands around my neck, they barely budged; my grip strength was nonexistent with the silver. I finally reached for his head with both hands, and twisted as hard as I could, hoping it'd cause enough damage that he'd let go of me.
A sickening ripping sound echoed the air and a dull thump sounded on the floor. The sight of it was enough to shock me out of my monstrous state for a moment.
I was stronger than I thought.
I had beheaded Demetri.
The bronze haired boy who's name was escaping me had kneed his guard in silver. When the guard doubled over, the boy threw a blindingly quick uppercut and the man dropped to the ground, limp as a rag doll.
The last standing guard frantically tried to fire the all too familiar tranquilizer at me, but by the time the sound of tranquilizer had fired once, I was already within arms distance of the guard. I grabbed the gun with my fist, and twisted the barrel away from me as if it were a thin branch in my way.
I growled, picked him up by the throat and threw him against the other guard writhing on the floor in one fluid motion. Both of them hit the concrete floor with enough force to bounce off of it, effectively preventing them from moving again.
When the boy's drumming heartbeat was the only sound in the air, I knew everyone around me was dead. I turned now, to the last human standing. He stood, unarmed and defenseless. Extremely vulnerable.
His body smelled of adrenaline and his frantic heartbeat thundered in my ear. His blood smelled incredible... As if the entirety of his body were created from something saccharine, like nectar. Pure ambrosia.
I approached him in a crouch, eyes trained on my target...
6'2. Based on the way he fought, he would be a feisty target, but my hunger for him was unbearable... I growled, ready to consume him. I kept my eyes trained, and stayed low, ready to pounce if he ran.
"Bella." The boy with the unusual eyes and tousled hair uttered the familiar sound, and his strangely green eyes locked on mine. These eyes were oddly trusting. I knew they had a name...
Edward.
I felt my pupils shrink, the red faded slowly from my vision, beginning with greens, then blues, yellows, whites. The world around me began to dim again, and the length of my teeth shortened. My jaw followed suit, slowly retracting, until I could close my mouth again.
How was he doing this? How is he controlling this side of me when I was so far gone with hunger?
"Bella," He breathed once more. He held his arms open as if he weren't vulnerable enough as he was. "Come back to me." I remembered now. All of it. As if my own name had broken a spell, I was instantly untethered to the monstrous side.
I'm Bella. I'm human again. I blinked, wiped flecks of blood off of my face that wasn't mine. My life returned back to me in a rush and I gasped, remembering that Edward had been hostage to a knife just moments ago.
"Edward." I whispered. I closed the distance between us in two strides, throwing myself against him. I held him tight against me as if I could protect him from being held captive again with just my arms. My hands that had rested on his back for only a moment immediately searched his body, from the back of his head to his torso.
"Are you hurt? Did they get you?" My words rushed out in a single rush of breath. He shook his head, and took my wrists in his hands, linking his long fingers around me to stop my hands.
"I'm fine." I felt his arms return my embrace, wrapping around me, tight. "I'm just glad you're okay." Large hands cupped my face and he pressed his lips to mine, moving them against me with urgency for a single second.
Despite being in a dark supply room spattered in blood and dead bodies, I was taken away for just a moment by the golden warmth that radiated through my face. It blossomed from my lips and cheeks. For a single second, I was relieved to know he was safe, and by my side.
He pulled away and it felt too soon.
Edward and I inevitably turned our attention back to the bodies surrounding us. The room impossibly seemed to grow darker as the weight of the situation settled upon me. I was painfully aware of Edward's reaction, it seemed to pan out slowly.
He stared wide-eyed at the bodies on the ground. I saw him swallow hard as his chest heaved once.
He'd never seen a dead body before. Let alone seven. I remembered this regrettably, knowing that this moment wasn't one that would leave his memory again.
God knows mine hasn't.
My eyes locked on Demetri's beady half opened ones, still glaring at me a few feet away from his dismembered body. Blood seeped rapidly from the stump of his neck that sat unevenly on the concrete.
I had beheaded Demetri. One of the Volturi's core founders.
They would come after me, for more than just a resource. They would come for me with vengeance.
And revenge only meant certain death.
I spoke quietly, realizing the grief of the situation.
"They managed to find you, to get to me." I said, guilt engulfed me and made my voice waver. "Removing the tracker from me wasn't enough; somehow they have tabs on you, too." The horror of the situation must've finally dawned on him, I saw it cloud his eyes. The usual brightness in his green eyes was extinguished to a muted forest color as he recognized.
He was a target of Volt, now, too.
We could no longer guarantee the safety of him or his family.
Edward's face paled as he processed the information.
"Shit... what do we do?" He asked under his breath, his fingers wove into the bronze locks of his hair, yanking on them nervously.
"Now that Demetri is dead, they won't stop coming for me, and worse, they'll come for you, too. Maybe we can run?"
The door to the supply room slammed open, and we both froze. I gripped onto Edward's arm, ready to pull him behind me. I was expecting the worst. Cops. FBI. An army of Volt's men.
To our great relief, Emmett and Jasper came charging in. I felt Edward's arm relax beneath mine as he recognized his friends. Emmett held his baseball bat in his hands, he looked as if he were ready to swing. Jasper had his helmet on and bat raised, as well. Their eyes glinted even in the darkness, they looked as if they were ready for blood.
When both of the boys saw we were unharmed and alone, they stopped in their tracks and bent over to catch their breaths.
"Thank god you're okay." Emmett wheezed.
"We heard the gun shots as we were driving out and ran back here as fast as we could." Jasper explained, with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Emmett nodded in agreement as he panted behind him.
They let their eyes wander behind us and saw the scene before them, the bodies strewn everywhere, and worst of all, Demetri's beheaded corpse seeping blood into a pool on the concrete floor.
"My god..." Jasper whispered.
"Jesus." The baseball bat slipped from Emmett's large hands to hit the concrete floor with a loud clang.
I stood quietly, shaking like a leaf.
It was over now. This human charade.
They know.
If they don't already know? They'll know now.
I'd never known what it was like to disappoint someone. I felt overwhelmed, knowing my secret was no longer mine, and I likely lost the trust of the few people I'd connected with.
My friends.
Emmett saw me shaking first, and he wrapped me in a burly hug.
"Don't look, Bells." He turned my head towards his body, away from the massacre. I was left confused.
Did he think I was a victim here? Instead of the predator, the threat?
Did they not suspect that I was the killer?
"You're probably in shock." Edward murmured.
I found myself nodding against Emmett's large abdomen, not knowing quite what the word meant.
Edward scooped me up, my feet left the ground before I could refuse. He held me in his arms against me with no more effort than if I were a small child. Emmett turned to Edward and Jasper. "We need to get out of here. There are no security cameras in here but we could've been followed. There's no time to waste." Emmett suddenly became quick in his thinking, instinctive, and uncharacteristically logical.
"It's safer if we split up." Edward stated. "Jasper, take my car, and Emmett, you take Jasper's with Bella inside, in the back seat. Take the long way. Make sure you aren't followed. Once we know for certain we aren't followed, we meet at Emmett's."
Before we parted ways, Edward took my hand and brought it up to his lips, brushing his lips against the back of my hand like he had this morning. When our situation was so blissfully different.
"Trust me," his eyes seemed to say as he nodded to me once. We parted ways.
Emmett was oddly quiet as he drove me in a long rounded way around the town to make it back home. I watched the rear view mirror warily from the backseat. His eyes examined and searched the surroundings like a hawk, hyper-focused in his calculated path.
He caught my gaze in the mirror and offered a fitting smile on him. His brown eyes instantly softened when he saw my worry.
I'd never noticed that Emmett and Edward had a similar ethereal glow to their irises...
Emmett smiled with a boyish empathy, dimples creased his cheeks and his eyes crinkled.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Bells. We're family now." Emmett reassured me with a nod of his head, but I couldn't help but look away, afraid of what he's see in me despite his assurances.
Would I still be family if you knew what I truly was?
Emmett drove us quietly for another twenty minutes.
It felt like an eternity.
I was looking over my shoulder even as we pulled into Emmett's driveway, and entered the door. Emmett motioned for me to follow him. He led me upstairs, into his cluttered bedroom. It was adorned with baseball relics, a drum kit in the corner, dirty clothes everywhere.
I was surprised to see Rose and Alice were already there, sitting on the edge of his unmade bed. The worry was clear on their faces, their hands were locked in each other's grasp. Based on Alice's clouded expression, and Rose's red rimmed eyes, someone must've filled them in on what had happened. They both gasped as I walked in. They sprung up from the bed immediately and crossed the room to envelop us both in a huge embrace.
"Are you okay Bella?" They asked immediately. "They didn't hurt you?"
Jazz and Em must've filled them in.
"I'm fine." I murmured, with a tinge of self loathing. Of course I'm fine. After I endangered Edward's entire livelihood, safety, I of course was perfectly fine.
Unfortunately.
"Edward managed to keep you safe?" Alice squeaked. I huffed a small laugh, the safety of my body was the least of my concerns and I responded with irony.
"Something like that."
The door knob turned and we all whipped our heads to the sound. The door squeaked open and Jasper emerged through the doorway. Alice jumped up, tackling him in a full-contact hug.
He carried her easily in his arms and kissed her nose once before setting her back on her feet. She bombarded him with slew of questions, he responded to them all calmly with many nods of reassurances.
Emmett on the other side of the room, brushed a tendril of curled hair away from Rose's face, whispering something into her ear.
I couldn't keep watching their exchanges without feeling uneasy, and I looked away. I glanced up at the clock on the wall.
Is this clock broken, why was it ticking so slowly?
Why wasn't Edward home yet? Was he followed?
I knew I couldn't stand without pacing, so I sat on the edge of the bed, clasping my hands together, breathing in through my nose. Bouncing my leg. Doing anything that might ease my mind.
Would Edward make it home safely?
I felt the edge of the mattress I sat on give in beside me a little. Jasper had sat beside me. Something about his presence was so calming, I couldn't be upset at being disturbed.
"Edward has always been a skilled fighter, Bella." He reassured me. "He caught someone picking on Alice once and was quick to beat them to a bloody pulp for me. He's strong. God forbid anything happened, but Edward is the one I wouldn't worry about." His southern drawl made its appearance, and I knew he was relaxed with me. Truthful.
His sky blue eyes searched mine, as if he waited for me to agree with him.
I bit my lip and gave him a short nod in response.
"You're right Jasper. Thanks." I mumbled. I didn't sound convinced, but the load in my heart lightened a fraction.
His friends believe he is okay. From people that have known him for his whole life, that speaks volumes, right?
...Please let him make it back safely.
I sat uselessly on the edge of the bed for what felt like hours, as I watched the clock's hand move closer to the hour.
I heard the door squeak open once more, and Edward came through the doorway in that moment. I felt as if the ice surrounding my body fell off in a sheet. His eyes met mine and a smile stretched across his face.
I jumped up and gripped him fiercely, unable to contain my nerves conjoined with relief.
Edward was quick to respond to my hug, dropping his bag at his feet to give me his undivided attention.
"I was worried you'd be followed." I whispered shakily into his shoulder. He shook his head against mine.
"I was careful. We have nothing to worry about. I promise." He pressed kisses to my forehead, rubbed my arms as if to bring warmth into them. I shivered a bit from the pleasant sensation.
"No one would want to follow Emmett from behind anyway." He whispered to me with a crooked smile, lightening the mood with his usual antics. I sniffed and bit down on my lip as I smiled.
"I heard that," Emmett snapped from behind Rose's embrace.
"Now that we're all here, will someone tell me exactly what is going on?" A tangible panic was embedded in Rose's words. "What happened in there?" Five pairs of eyes turned to me for answers. I felt my hands go clammy, and I found myself wringing my hands and looking down at my feet.
I didn't know where to start.
I didn't want to push my friends away, but they deserved to know why I had endangered them.
That I was a fugitive.
No... a monster.
"You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to, Bella." Alice was quick to reassure me. She took my hand in her warm, small ones and squeezed once. I took in a breath shakily, collecting my thoughts before I began.
I looked to Edward. He offered me a nod of encouragement.
"It started when I ran away from a bad situation," I found myself confessing. The words seemed to slide out of my mouth, as if they were rehearsed.
How long have I waited to tell someone my story?
"These men have been following me since I ran. I came to Forks to escape them. They found me once, and the last time it happened was a few months ago. Edward was there, and we thought it was the last of it." I found myself speaking the truth easily to them. "But now I'm not certain I'll ever be safe."
That part was as real as it could be.
"Maybe we can get authorities involved? Take you to a safe house? Witness protection?" Alice was trying with all of her heart to be helpful, but I cringed inwardly at that idea. Edward was quick to respond.
"She'll have to leave eventually. She can't hide forever." Edward effectively shut down the idea of authorities, I gave him a look of gratitude from across our circle.
"I don't want to hide forever." I admitted. "Selfish, but it's true. I was finally happy to be here, with you guys... I want this over with."
"Then we fight." Emmett said diplomatically, with his hands laced together.
Rose finally spoke.
"I have an idea."
That evening, we returned back to Edward's home. Emmett insisted we stay at his home until at least the sun set. After waiting hours at Emmett's, we were mentally drained.
We didn't bother turning on any lights as we silently climbed the stairs to his room. We showered in silence, letting the water warm our bodies that still felt cold with fear. Neither of us commented at the stream of blood that swirled going down the drain, nor the bruises that decorated a purple patchwork on our bodies.
I crawled into bed with my towel still on, feeling physically and emotionally spent. I felt the mattress dip beside me, and Edward quietly sighed. He stretched his shoulders back and I heard his joints crack once. We didn't feel the need to speak.
We're both exhausted.
Edward's hands trailed up my body, and massaged the tender spots in my neck that were stretched where I was thrown around by Demetri. His hands traveled down, kneading at the knots in my back and shoulders. I again, moaned quietly at his administrations. He continued for a while, until I was nearly asleep.
Something dawned on me when he stopped, a shadow, a fear of the unknown. It never occurred to me that this simple moment could have been it's last. Edward seemed to have felt the transience in the moment, too, his heart beat faster in his chest. When I rolled over to see his expression, his eyes glinted in the darkness, showing sadness in the moisture that filled his almond eyes.
"This could be the last time we're together like this." He stated quietly, robbing the words from my mouth. My eyes flooded with tears that couldn't be contained and I sat up, resting my elbows on my knees as I sobbed into my hands. Edward sat beside me, and patted my bare back, soothingly, wordlessly. He gently formed cuffs with his fingers as he pulled my hands away from my face. He held my hands prisoner in his large ones, placing them between us.
He kissed the drops of salt away from my face, at first chastely, then with more intent. I let his warm breath wash over my face, his skin brought heat to mine as if he were the sun himself.
His lips crossed my cheeks, my jaw, and moved to my neck with an increased fervor, leaving pools of heat along the way. His tongue swiped across the bruises on my neck, as if he could heal them with his essence alone. I sighed a little, and closed my eyes, giving in to the sensations.
"Lean back," he whispered. I did as he said without a doubt in my mind, settling against the pillows on his bed.
His lips moved down to sprinkle kisses across my collarbones, my chest. He took his time, he pulled the towel leisurely off of my body, and stared at my body once before suckling my nipples gently. It felt as if he were worshipping my body. I moaned softly under my breath, and pulled my hands out of his, to wrap them around his back, his arms. I wished I could memorize the way his body felt beneath my hands in this moment.
Edward must've felt the desperation in my movements, he moved down lower on my body, and parted my knees gently with his hand.
When his tongue trailed down and made contact with the center of my pleasure, I arced my back and hissed under my breath. He gently lapped at me, and pressed my hips down with a hand, as if to ensure I'd stay in place beneath him.
I whined, feeling impatient. I was desperate to feel him, to not waste any time. I wrapped my hands around his face, pulling him gently up from my legs, and to settle against me, instead. I caught a hint of a smile when he noticed I took direction.
His weight was a blanket over me. When he propped himself up with an elbow, I admired the statuesque pose he subconsciously took. He gazed at my expression tenderly as if to see what I wanted.
I smiled back at him timidly as I reached down and began to stroke him in my hand. He groaned when I did, and closed his eyes. He was more than ready, velvet skin over steel.
How could any body part be so hard...
Edward groaned, a drop of precum was collecting on the top of his head that I spread along his length as I stroked him. He groaned, dropping his forehead to mine. I let go of him. His eyes were trained on me as he slid into me. His heartbeat thundered in my ears and his breath left his body.
The warmth that filled me took my breath away too. I gasped as he withdrew and pushed back into me, begged him for more. He complied, increasing speed as he pumped into me rhythmically. I met him thrust for thrust with my hips, letting the warmth of his manhood fill my body incessantly. My fingers gripped the sheets as I was approaching my climax. From the way Edward groaned, I sensed that he was close too.
"Tell me what you need," he whispered raggedly into my ear between thrusts.
"I don't want this to end, but I'm so close," I said between moans, squeezing my eyes shut.
"I love you, Bella." The words he uttered were soft, and so warm between the damp breaths in my ear, and sent me over the edge. I clamped down on him with a cry. Edward followed me immediately after, pulling out to shoot ropes of warmth over my body. I nearly lost consciousness as I closed my eyes to catch my breath. I must've been rocked to sleep by the aftershocks of orgasm.
I opened my eyes as a warm towel wiped my body clean.
"Thank you," I mumbled into the pillow. I found him studying my face when I opened my eyes.
"I want you to know I mean it," he murmured, his hand caressed my cheek. "I'm in love with you."
"I... I'm not sure I know what it means." I confessed. I'd seen movies, read books, but I had never associated the words to a personal level.
"It means inexplicable... desire. It means I never want to be apart from you. That I feel you're a part of me, and without you, I'd be... missing something."
Wow.
"If that is the case, what that word truly means..." I hesitated to form my sentence. "I feel the same way."
I meant that.