The Cullens, Sara and Samuel spread over the clearing. It wouldn't be long now.

Indeed, some minutes later, branches snapped. Aro appeared, closely followed by Marcus and Caius. They were flanked by the small female vampire and the big male, obviously their bodyguards.

Aro looked surprised to see Carlisle and his family alongside the two wolves. „What's the meaning of this?" he demanded to know, looking at Carlisle.

The man held his gaze. „We cannot allow you to take Edward, Aro."

„So you decided to team up with the very wolf you begged us to kill?" Marcus seemed equally surprised. They certainly wouldn't have expected this outcome of events. Vampires and werewolves side by side was a thing unheard of. They were enemies, not teammates.

Samuel growled. His fur rose and made him double his size. He was massive. The two bodyguards hissed but they seemed unsure of what was expected of them.

All eyes rested on Aro and Carlisle.

„Think about it, Carlisle. You can fight us but what will happen after? As soon as the battle is over, this… creature… will turn on you. Weakened from the fight, you will be no match for him. He'll kill you, the first chance he gets. We are your better chance at survival. All we ask is for one of you to return with us. One live in exchange for many. That seems fair."

„Edward is my son, Aro. I will not let him go and expose him to a life that will drive him mad and eventually kill him."

„Oh Carlisle, look at you. Once you were one of us, one of the best. But you just had to grow a conscience and live this perverted life. Drinking from animals, living like a family. That is not the way we are supposed to live."

„I beg to differ, Aro. I won't judge you for what you are, but I cannot live like this any longer. You call it perverted; I call it freedom. But you'll never understand, just like you can't understand why I won't give up my son in exchange for my family."

Caius sneered, then he turned to his companions. „Enough of this nonsense, Aro. If he wants to die, let's grant him his wish."

Aro tilted his head. Then he nodded thoughtfully. „You are right, dear friend." He looked at his bodyguards. „Call the others. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get."

After that, everything seemed to happen at once. Without a glance back, the three Volturi leaders disappeared behind the trees. Samuel sped after them, fangs bared, a mighty roar erupting from his big body. At the same time, the clearing filled up with other vampires, snarling, bloodthirsty, red-eyed, evil. Without a word they threw themselves against the Cullens, who, in turn, countered their attack viciously.

Sara let her instincts take over. Submitting to her wolf-side and the deeply embedded inherited knowledge, she began to tear, and bite left and right. Soon, the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, but instead of being disgusted, she relished in the feeling. It seemed to make her stronger somehow, maybe due to her vampiric nature. One, two, three… At some point she lost count of how many she had killed. She had also lost sight of her family, but she didn't let that distract her. She knew the only way of protecting them was to kill as many vampires as possible.

After separating the head of a blond male off his torso, she threw the still twitching body aside. Having a little breathing space, she took a quick look around the battlefield. It was amazing how quiet everything was. There were no shouts or screams, just the sound of ripping flesh and the occasional snarl or growl.

She saw Alice and Jasper fight against a black vampire girl with long black hair. On the other side, Emmet had the black-haired male bodyguard locked in a tight hold, obviously trying to tear his head off. Nobody seemed seriously hurt.

Looks like we are winning, Sara thought. But at the same time, another thought entered her mind. It's too easy

That was when another voice entered her mind. Just one word, but it made her body grow cold and her muscles tense.

Help

Edward looked up. After fighting and killing a young red-haired, red-eyed vampire, he had the chance to look around at how the fight was going.

Everything seemed to be going well. He could see a few of his family members fighting and winning, without getting hurt. There had been more vampires than anticipated but with Sara's help they had managed.

Sara…

Edward scanned the battlefield but couldn't make out the silhouette of the white wolf. Where are you, Sara?

There!

At the other side of the clearing, her slender form appeared. She was surrounded by dead vampires, and he could feel a sense of pride rising in his chest. His Sara, so beautiful, so powerful. So different from her clumsy, mortal mother. Every feeling he had ever had for Bella paled in comparison to what he was feeling at this particular moment when he looked at his mate. His fiancée.

He was just about to run over when she did something unexpected. The white wolf cocked her head, as if she was listening to some inner voice, then suddenly she turned around and vanished between the trees.

A feeling of dread rose in his stomach. Where was she going?

Speeding up as fast as he could, he ran after his future bride. Luckily it was the full moon, and his vampiric eyes had no trouble making out her white fur in between the dark trees.

She seemed to be running in a specific direction. He followed her until she stopped in front of a large formation of rocks. On the meadow below, he could make out a gruesome display.

Marcus was dead, his head beside his lifeless body. Caius was clutching his left side where Samuel had ripped out his arm. He was in no condition to fight anymore.

That left Aro, the true leader, the most ancient and most powerful of all vampires in the world.

He was standing over something huge and black. On his face stood a triumphant smile. His fangs were elongated, and his mouth was smeared with blood. Blood dripped also from his hands. He put one to his mouth and licked it with his tongue. He chuckled, not aware of the other wolf and Edward.

That was a mistake because at this moment, Sara sped forward and threw herself against the vampire. She managed to catch him off guard. They were tumbling to the ground, a mix of fur and fangs, growling and snarling. Edward watched in horror as the white wolf tried in vain to bury her teeth in Aro's body while his fangs pierced her beautiful skin, turning it red.

Rage and fear overwhelmed Edward, and he lunged forward. He managed to grip Aro by the throat and was about to yank him off Sara when he was suddenly pushed aside.

Caius had managed to get up and join the fight. Even with only one arm, he was still dangerous. He engaged Edward, who was becoming more and more desperate, in battle. Edward longed to get over to his mate, to help her but each time he tried to break free and run, Caius stepped in front of him. Sneering, he taunted Edward: „Trying to get to your wolf? Don't worry, Aro will take good care of her. Maybe he'll even let her live. He always wanted a pet." He smiled a cruel smile.

With a mighty roar, Edward lunged again. A look of surprise appeared on his marble face as Caius tried in vain to dodge the attack. He just managed to raise his one arm when Edward clutched him by his throat. With another roar, he buried his fangs deep inside the other vampire's neck until the spine snapped and his body grew limp.

Throwing him aside, Edward turned to Aro and Sara. His body froze. She was lying on the ground, unmoving. Aro towered over her, raising his arm for the final attack.

„Sara!" Edward shouted but it was too late.

Aro sliced his claw-like fingers through her body, laughing.

Edward wanted to run but was beaten by another. Samuel had somehow gotten up and thrown himself against the vampire. Burying the enemy under his massive body, he gave Edward the opportunity he had waited for. Without a second's hesitation the younger vampire jumped right on Aro's chest. A horrified look, one quick movement and Aro's head lay severed from his body, a look of astonishment on his face.

Without taking another look at Aro or Samuel, Edward sped to Sara's side.

Her eyes were closed, her beautiful white fur matted with red. When he laid a hand on her body, he could feel her breathing, but it was weak and uneven. She whimpered in pain, too weak to move or open her eyes. Long gashes had sliced her body open. Blood was leaking from the wounds, too much blood. One leg seemed to be broken; one ear was torn. Tears formed in his eyes as Edward looked at his dying mate.

„Sara," he whispered her name, again and again, willing her to open her eyes, to look at him.

„Sara, can you hear me? It's me, Edward. I'm here. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to save you, but I'm here now, you hear me? Please, Sara, open your eyes. Please, look at me. Please, fight. Just one last time. Fight for me. For Charlie. He needs his mother. Please Sara, wake up."

But the white wolf remained unmoving.

Edward was aware of other vampires arriving. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see his family. They were bloody and dirty but all of them seemed unharmed. All, except Sara.

He was weeping uncontrollably now. His father knelt at his side, looking at the gashes. „She's losing a lot of blood," he said. Edward could barely understand him over the sobs that shook his body.

„She's healing already but too slowly. And I cannot treat her in this form." Carlisle put one hand on his son's shoulder. „Edward?"

The younger vampire looked up, face dirty and streaked with tears.

„She can survive this, but she needs your help, do you understand?"

His son nodded, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. „What must I do?" he asked in a raspy voice.

„She needs blood, strong blood. Your blood. Feed her and she might live."

Without hesitation, Edward raised his arm until his hand was over her mouth. Still stroking her fur with the other hand, he bit into his wrist and pressed it against her mouth. The red liquid poured into her, but she didn't swallow. „Come on," he urged her. „Come on. Drink. Take from me and live. I love you so much. Please, live Sara. Live."

The wolf opened her eyes and began to swallow.