AN Edwrad didn't handle that quite well, but let's see if he can redeem himself :)

here's the next chapter, this time from Edward's point of view.

Hope you'll enjoy!

Chapter 11

EPOV

I fell to my knees as Bella or rather Isabella disappeared from my sight in the blink of an eye. My voice caught in my throat as I tried to call after her, but it wouldn't work. Then she was gone and I was alone, sitting in the clearing where my world had just been turned on its axis. My mind was still reeling from everything she told me.

Could it really be true?

Could Bella really be the most feared vampire in existence?

I stared at the spot she had disappeared from.

It would definitely explain a few things. Her speed, her strength, her gift… the way she carried herself. From the moment I'd met her she'd seemed wise and poised. Like she truly knew who she was and why she was here on this earth. It was something I had never met before in any other being. It probably came from being thousands and thousands years old. My mind rebelled as I tried to grasp that fact. Bella had to be tens of thousands years old. The things she'd seen… the things she'd done… I suddenly felt like a child in comparison.

An insignificant child.

But did it change anything?

Did knowing Bella was indeed Isabella the first change the way I felt?

I wasn't sure.

I hung my head. I simply wasn't sure. I couldn't rhyme what I'd learned with what I knew. She'd not been fearsome or murderous to me. but she had deceived me and my entire family. Lying clearly was a second nature to her. I'd not doubted her story for one second.

But could I hold her deception against her? She'd come on a mission, a mission driven by her purpose in this world. I knew she valued the peace of the vampiric and supernatural world above everything else. Not just because that's what she told me, but also because that was the returning theme of all the legends surrounding her. she was ruthless, but only because she protected our world. She couldn't every well just come into our family and demand we tell her our secrets, we simply wouldn't have. And if she'd revealed herself as Isabella the first from the beginning Carlisle would definitely not have welcomed her with open arms like he'd done. She wouldn't have been able to learn anything.

And she did tell me everything just now.

I still couldn't believe it though… the first woman in nearly a century I feel any inkling of attraction towards, and she turns out to be the most powerful being in existence… Isabella the first… was my mate.

It was hard to wrap my head around. it was hard to believe. I slowly got to my feet and stared into the forest where she'd disappeared.

Isabella the first was my mate, and I'd just let her run from me.

I was an idiot.

I groaned and set off towards the house. The rest of the family was fathered in the living room when I entered the house.

'Son?' Carlisle asked concerned as I trudged to the couch and threw myself down on it face first.

'Yeah?' I mumbled into the couch cushions.

'Are you alright?'

I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head. 'No.'

'What happened?' he asked carefully.

'Will Bella be coming later? I got these colour swatches-' Esme started with a smile on her face, but as I turned to look at her, she stopped short.

'I don't think she's coming back.' I muttered, turning my face back into the couch before I had to see the pain come into her eyes.

'What did you do?' Rosalie demanded immediately sounding incredibly pissed off.

I growled at her, sitting up. 'I didn't do anything.' I hissed.

She cocked a brow at me and Emmett pulled her back slightly.

'What happened exactly?' Emmett asked.

I sighed, closing my eyes and holding my head in my hands.

'Didn't you tell her how you feel?' Alice asked.

'I didn't get to that part.' I muttered, nearly soundlessly.

'Why not?' Rose asked at the same time as Jasper started speaking.

'But then she couldn't have rejected you… so why did she leave?' Jasper asked, probably feeling the misery and confusion coming off me in droves.

'I'm not sure I can tell you.' I muttered.

Carlisle and Esme frowned at that. Their thoughts were full of concern and worry.

'Perhaps she's just scared?' Rose suggested in the kindest tone she'd probably ever used with me. 'Perhaps she knew you were trying to confess to her and she got scared and ran.'

But I shook my head. 'It wasn't that.'

'But why would she leave then?'

'It doesn't make sense.' Alice added.

'She lied okay?!' I finally snapped, my emotions getting slightly out of control and anger winning out as an outlet. 'She lied about a lot of things and she…' I snapped my teeth together. I wanted to let everything out. I wanted to tell them how she was part of the Volturi, but I couldn't do that without revealing too much… and although I was hurt and angry, I didn't want to betray her. I couldn't… I didn't want to. I wanted to protect her secrets, even now. even when my own heart was shattering. I let out a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.

'What are you talking about?' Carlisle asked, concerned. His thoughts were racing, wondering what kind of things she could have lied about. He was worried about her.

Rose's thoughts were similar. Rose had noticed that Bella had lied about some things, and she was wondering what the truth was that had sent her running away from us.

'She's got enemies.' I finally muttered, as I brought my emotions back under control. 'She couldn't stay or she'd lead them here.'

It was the best I could come up with for now.

'That's bullshit.' Emmett burst out. 'She doesn't need to leave because of that, we can help her.'

'That depends on what enemies she has. I'm gathering she told you?' Jasper asked, his mind already coming up with ways to make sure we wouldn't be associated with her, so her enemies would remain far away from us.

I sighed. 'They won't be coming here, she'll make sure of it.'

'How can you be so sure?' Jasper challenged me.

'Because she told me.'

'Wait… wait…' Rose interjected. 'She told you something, revealing she'd lied about things. Then she tells you her enemies are coming and she needs to leave to keep us out of it… AND YOU LET HER LEAVE?'

I growled and shot up off the couch, pacing the floor in front of the couch.

'No!' I yelled, but then again… that was what it boiled down to. I'd let her leave. She'd told me everything, warned me that being with her could be dangerous and then I'd fucking let her leave. 'Yes! I don't know, okay?' I gripped my hair in frustration. 'We argued after she dropped a few bombs on me and then before I could fucking blink she was gone.'

'And you didn't go after her?' Alice asked.

'That girl runs faster than you could fathom. If she doesn't want to be followed, she won't be. And it was clear that she didn't want to be.'

'You're an idiot!' Rose burst out.

'For once I agree.' Jasper said.

I turned on him. 'This afternoon you were about ready to kick her out yourself!'

'That was because I knew she wasn't being honest with us. But clearly she was honest with you and you just left her.'

'She wanted to go!'

'so what?' Emmett yelled. 'you need her! she's your mate.'

'I know that!'

'Calm down everyone!' Carlisle called out. I sighed and sat back down again, my head in my hands. 'Did either of you reject the mate bond?'

'I don't know.' I muttered.

'Does it feel like your soul is shattering?' Carlisle asked.

'I don't know.' I snapped. 'it hurts.'

he frowned. 'I don't think it's fully rejected. Otherwise you would have been in a lot more pain. I've seen it once before and it was a rough thing to witness. And it doesn't seem you both rejected it because you still appear to care for her. There's still time.' then he looked doubtful. 'unless of course you do want to reject the bond.'

Every eye turned to me.

Did I want to reject it? Was everything she told me insurmountable? Did everything I knew now change the way I felt about her?

I shook my head. 'No.' I whispered.

Carlisle nodded. 'Then we have to find her, and make sure she knows that her enemies, are our enemies.'

'Hell yeah!' Emmett yelled.

'Where would she have gone?' Esme asked.

'Let's start at the motel she came from.' Rose suggested.

'I'll try to see something, perhaps I can catch a glimpse.' Alice closed her eyes and started looking to the future.

'Let's all just head out and see if we can find her trail somewhere. Keep in contact.' Carlisle ordered.

Everyone nodded and set off in the blink of an eye.

I sighed. What was I going to do? I doubted any of them would find her… or rather if she'd let any of them catch her. The moment she would catch wind of any of them she'd be gone before they'd notice her. where could she have gone? Would she have stayed in the area even? Or would she already be back on her way to Italy?

But then something she'd said popped into my head.

She'd lied about her relationship with the wolves of La Push. Could it be?

Could that be where she'd gone? Without another second to spare I shot up off the couch and hurried out the door again.

I ran as quickly as I could to the boundary line. I knew the wolves had patrols often. I'd just have to wait and stake out the line to meet one of them, then I could ask them about her. if they would tell me anything was another matter though, but I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. It was the best lead I had right now. so it would just have to do.

I sat down on a boulder close to the line and settled in to wait.

I didn't have to wait long though, within fifteen minutes I heard the telltale sound of paws hitting the ground at quite some speed. Within two minutes the large black wolf form of Sam Uley appeared in front of me.

He growled and his teeth snapped menacingly.

What are you doing here? He snapped at me in his mind, immediately sending out the call for back up through the mind link he shared with his pack members, there was only one other currently a wolf though and he was far away from where we were.

'I'm not here to fight you.' I assured him. 'I came to ask if you've seen a brunette vampire woman with black eyes pass through here.'

His mind formed the picture of bella on the beach.

'Yes, her.' I jumped up from the rock. 'Is she there right now?'

Sam growled. She isn't.

'Are you sure? I need to know where she is.'

I don't care about what you want or need.

'Just tell me if she's there or not.' I snapped, my patience wearing thin.

Why? So you can cross the treaty line? I won't let that happen. One of you leeches on our land is bad enough. I won't stand for two.

'I just need to know where she is.' I growled. 'if she's there… could you pass her a message from me?'

Sam snapped again, growling at me. I'm no messenger boy. And I definitely won't let myself be ordered around by the likes of you.

He was really testing my patience now. I growled at him.

'I'm not asking you to be a messenger boy. I'm just asking for your help, this one time.' I brought out through gritted teeth.

He snarled in response. I'll never help leeches.

'Do you really want to do this?' I snapped at him. 'Your pack isn't here to help you.'

I can take you on my own he snarled and pawed at the ground.

I snarled back, my anger and frustration reaching their boiling point. 'I'd like to see you try.'

Why don't you step over the line then, we'll see who wins.

I scoffed at his obvious tactic. 'Like you wouldn't then use that to hunt down every one in my family and use that against me.'

He only growled.

'Is she there or not?!' I yelled at him, done with this back and forth. I needed to know. I needed to know if I was wasting my time here talking to him.

I'll never tell you. He snapped.

With a furious yell I threw myself at him, no longer able to hold back. He growled and in his mind I heard his gleeful laugh, he was sure he was going to beat me now.

He sprang at me with his teeth bared and his claws outstretched, ready to take me down. But my anger and frustration had been building all day and I was ready too. I was ready to let it all out.

A part of me knew I shouldn't be doing this, that I should be taking the high road. But damn, another part of me wanted to fight him, wanted to show him to fear me. I was a predator after all and one that was currently very pissed off.

We snarled at each other but before we could collide with each other, something collided with us throwing us both to the ground on our own side of the boundary line.