Come to me in the night hours

I will wait for you

And I can't sleep cause thoughts devour

Thoughts of you consume…

I can't help but love you

Even though I try not to

I can't help but want you

I know that I'd die without you

Stay with me a little longer

I will wait for you

Shadows creep and wants grows stronger

Deeper than the truth

I can't help but love you

Even though I try not to

I can't help but want you

I know that I'd die without you

I can't help but be wrong in the dark

Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts

I can't help but want oceans to part

Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts…

A FIRE IN HIS HEART

"Until the day you can look at me and feel something other than pain."

Those words haunted Isabella as she laid in the comfort of the bed and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact he had noticed. That her pain was so palpable, he'd seen it. That all her efforts to keep it concealed were rendered null because now it was out in the open between them.

It was then, in the dead of night, when a tiny voice in the back of her mind spoke the truth.

Edward hadn't noticed her pain.

He felt it.

Every time she felt that stab in her heart when she looked at him, he felt it. Every time he did something that reminded her of him and she winced, he had felt it. He knew that, to some extent, that there was something about him that hurt her. And even though he had no idea what or why, he still gave her space. He hadn't demanded an answer or claimed his right as her mate, he simply… gave her space.

Tossing the covers aside, Isabella got out of bed and approached the window. There was nothing but the darkness of the woods ahead, only illuminated by the moonlight. Cullen Manor had fallen into silence, and yet somehow this silence was more eerie than the one back in Hawthorne Manor.

Isabella almost laughed at herself. Here she was, in this beautiful manor, with her mate, no longer alone and yet she found herself missing her haunted manor with its chilly walls, creaky floor and lonely ghosts. She let out a sigh, pressing her forehead against the cool glass.

There was that pull again. That tug in her chest, more prominent than before, and now she knew where it was pulling her towards. Where it wanted to go. Pulling away from the glass, Isabella glanced at the wall behind the bed - the new barrier between her and her ghost. Could he feel it as well? Was he glancing at the same wall, fighting back the urge to come to her and give into the bond?

That familiar restlessness fell upon her once more as she didn't give in to the urge. She glanced at the door, wondering if she walked out in the woods, would he take it as her running away? Would the rest of his coven even when that was not her true intentions?

Isabella sighed again.

And she did the only thing she knew would help with her restlessness.

She walked.

She walked in the confines of the bedroom, surrounded by her mate's scent.

She walked in circles in this strange home, with strangers she had no idea she could trust.

She walked with no idea of what the future had in store for her.

Her ghost moved his things to the room next door the next day, making space for her in the rather large closet. He'd done it while Isabella was in the shower. She'd been unsure of what to do when the sun rose, sun rays peeking through the trees and into the bedroom, so she slipped back into the shower, letting the water wash away her troubles. Or at least attempt to.

She felt him then. It wasn't a pull or a stab in her chest, she simply knew. Glancing at the door, she knew he was on the other side, staring at the same door. She could feel the uncertainty rise within her. Would he walk in? Or walk away?

Edward, on the other side of the door, stood there with his eyes closed and inhaled deeply. The scent in the room was maddening. It was a mixture of his scent with hers. A perfect mixture. A mixture so intertwined, he did not know where he began and she ended. He didn't dare a glance at the bed nor did he come close to it. He knew if he did and he smelt her amongst his sheets, it would break the rest of his resolve. Knowing she was on the other side of that door, naked under the spray of water, was already testing his limits and he wouldn't break his promise to her.

He'd come close to it the night before, sitting on the futon furthest from the wall that separated them. He could hear her pacing about the room, sometimes standing on the other side of the wall and it took a great deal of self control to keep himself from entering that bedroom and do the one thing he knew would help them both sleep. But neither of them did. She paced and paced, and he sat as far away from her as he could, hearing over every step, wondering why his presence brought her so much pain.

He had felt it the first time they laid eyes on each other. Whereas he felt as if the world had stopped spinning, as his endless search and wondering came to an end and he saw the embodiment of his dreams before him, she saw… what? What did she see in him that would filter that much pain through the bond?

He moved when he heard the water turn off. And he and his things were gone by the time Isabella stepped out of the bathroom. "The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe" went with him.

Esme came with bags filled with all sorts of garments and shoes for Isabella later that day. She'd been gone for most of the day, as well as Carlisle. And though she could hear the rest going about in the manor, Isabella hadn't dared to venture out just yet.

Isabella was mesmerized by the amount of garments laid up on the bed. Esme made sure to lay it all in plain view, wanting to gauge what would catch Isabella's attention and maybe figure out her style. Isabella, on the other hand, could do nothing more than to just stare at the clothing. She'd seen how fashion changed over the decades and was more than aware of the current trends, trends that would've sent her father into a grave if he ever saw her wear what the women wore nowadays.

She had always been an outsider. A girl forever frozen in time, unable to move on. The world changed and evolved, societal norms with it, and while Isabella stared at the clothing, she found it hard to picture a place for her in the modern world.

Esme, having seen Isabella's hesitation, said, "I got the basics. All different styles and fabrics. You can try them out and see what you like, and if not-"

"They're beautiful," Isabella said, trying to ease some of Esme's concerns.

She ran her hand over blouses, floral dresses, trousers - or what Esme called jeans -, leggings, cardigans and skirts. The dresses and skirts were all modest in length, nothing like what Isabella had seen humans wear in the times she'd watched from the shadows. A part of her liked to think Esme did it so as to not frighten her with such a drastic change, and she was grateful for that.

Esme sat on the edge of the bed.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I…" Isabella hesitated, picking up a brown cardigan from the bed. The fabric felt soft and warm. She pressed it against her chest and looked at Esme. "I'm finding it hard picturing myself in these. Almost as if I will be playing dress up, trying to fit in a world I was never meant to live in. I do not belong here."

Isabella felt a wave of anger through the bond, and she wondered if her ghost heard her. She couldn't imagine what about her statement would anger him and she didn't have much time to dwell on it because her attention was snagged the moment Esme took her hand in hers.

"You do belong here," Esme told her. "I know this is a lot to take in. So many changes, so many strangers, all in such little time. But you do belong here, Isabella. With your mate, with us, and soon you will find your place in the world."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Isabella wanted to think there was a place for her here, but how will that be possible with the Vulturi after her?

She shook those thoughts away. That was another issue, one she would force herself to dwell upon at the moment. If she did, well… then she would finally find out whether or not vampires could fall into madness.

"Thank you," she said, looking down at the clothing once more.

She could try to fit in. As scared as she was, as confusing it all seemed at times, she wanted to try. Hell, she could pretend and perhaps if she pretended hard enough, she'd believe it one day.

"Do you want me to teach you how to style them?" Esme asked.

Isabella nodded, a little choked up and finally said, "Yes, please."

It turned out, there were so many different ways to pair the clothing Esme had brought her. The possibilities were endless when it came to it. They had spent the better part of the day talking about the clothing, with Esme having Isabella try each outfit, discarding the ones she didn't like and putting away the ones she did.

Isabella found herself hating jeans. She did not like the tightness or the feeling of the fabric against her skin. The flowy pants and leggings were nice, but it would take some getting used to. She found herself more drawn to the dresses and skirts, though they were nothing compared to her old garments, they brought a familiarity that made her feel secure.

The more time she spent with Esme, the more at ease she felt. Isabella could not remember the last time she talked as much as she did that afternoon, nor the last time she actually smiled. Genuinely. She never had a reason to.

Isabella was admiring the flow in the skirts of her dress when the door opened and she felt that pulse through the bond. She whirled around, finding her ghost looking at her. A wave of awe came through the bond and with the intensity of his emerald gaze, Isabella suddenly felt bashful. She bit back the urge to reach for the cardigan and cover herself, feeling rather exposed under his gaze.

"Oh! There you are," Esme said, coming out of the closet after putting away some of the clothes Isabella liked. "What do you think?" She asked, gesturing to Isabella.

Edward, who hadn't taken his eyes off Isabella, leaned against the door frame and said, "She's perfect. Thank you again for this."

"I'm happy to help," Esme said, clapping her hands together. "I'll give you guys some privacy."

With one last smile in Isabella's direction, Esme stepped out of the room but not without placing a kiss on her son's cheek and patting his shoulder. Edward shut the door behind her and Isabella took in a sharp - though useless - breath.

"How are you finding your new clothes?" He asked, walking slowly toward her with his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Are they to your liking?"

Isabella nodded, throating bobbing.

"They are. Esme was really generous."

She looked down at her floral dress. It reached just at her knees, with thin straps over the shoulders and a neckline lower than Isabella was used to. But it was beautiful and Isabella couldn't stop fidgeting with the soft fabric between her fingers.

"Esme has always had a good eye when it comes to clothes," he said, and when Isabella looked at him, she found he too was taking in her dress. She stopped breathing when his eyes finally met hers. "I wanted to ask you to accompany me downstairs."

"D-downstairs? For what?"

"There's something I'd like to show you." He offered her his hand, leaving it open between them. "If you're up for it."

That piqued her interest, so slipping her hand into his, and feeling that wave of comfort wash over them the second their skin touched, Isabella let her ghost lead her out of the bedroom.

"What exactly do you want to show me?" She asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Well, since last time we interrupted you in your hunt, I figured it was only fair I kept you fed," he said. "That and because I can feel your thirst."

He could feel that?

Isabella was thirty. What little she drank while she was on the hunt was not nearly enough to sustain her for longer than a couple of days, but with everything that had been going on, she hadn't had much of a chance to even feel her own thirst. But he had and he wanted to make sure she was properly fed.

"So we are going hunting?"

Edward stopped at the end of the stairs.

"We don't hunt. We prefer more… homey meals."

Isabella raised a brow. "I don't understand."

Her ghost bit the inside of his cheek, almost amused by her confusion.

"We have blood here."

The second Isabella tugged her hand away from his grasp, Edward knew he had gone around it the wrong way.

Isabella, on the other hand, was horrified.

"Do… Do you keep humans here?" Before he could even respond, she said, "No, I don't want it. I don't want to hurt a human-"

"I'm not asking you to feed on a human, love."

"Then what exactly are you asking me?"

Taking her hand once more, he walked her further down the hall before she even had the chance to protest. He led her to the kitchen where he let go of her hand and walked to the fridge. Isabella, standing on the other side of the kitchen island where she had a clear view of what was inside the fridge, was startled by the sight.

Edward pulled out a blood bag. Shutting the fridge with a thud, he turned back to a startled Isabella.

"I know you don't want to hurt a human, love," he said as he approached her slowly, almost as if he was trying not to scare her with the blood bag. "You have no idea how proud I felt when I learned of your diet."

"But?" She asked, eyeing the bag.

"But… it's not enough. Animal blood can sustain you, but it makes you significantly weaker than those who drink human blood. That and you have to feed more often." He offered her the bag. "This way, you can drink human blood without having to harm a human, and you will gain your strength at its maximum capacity. Carlisle's connection to the wolves helps in supplying this from their local hospital, so no human was harmed in getting this."

The wolves? Isabella had forgotten about those damn things, but right now she had bigger concerns than those overgrown dogs. Could she make the change from animal to human blood? If their little encounter in the woods taught her anything, it was that she was weaker than regular vampires. And if there truly was a plan to take down the Vulturi, she couldn't afford to be weak.

But could she make the change? Even after all these years? What if it sent her into a craze for human blood and she went on a rampage? That would certainly get the attention of human and vampires alike, including the Vulturi. Could they risk that?

Her ghost moved, bringing her out of her train of thought as he set the bag on the counter and came to stand by her side. He gently pulled her hair over her shoulder, away from her neck and face, and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her temple. He didn't move away. Keeping his lips close to her skin, she felt his chest rise against her shoulder as he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, and a wave of calm came washing over her, relaxing her tense body.

"I have been on a strictly animal diet," she said, eyes closed, her head instinctively turning to him to feel his lips against her forehead. She had to tilt her head up for it to happen. His arms came around her, one resting on her hip as the other rested on her belly. "I'm scared that if I drink this, I will go into a frenzy. That I won't only hurt humans, but also your family."

"Our family," he amended in a whisper.

"It can be dangerous," she reiterated, ignoring his comment.

Edward nudged her head with his, peppering kisses along her cheek.

"Do you truly think I'd suggest this with zero concern for your safety, love? That I would risk putting you in danger?" He cupped her cheek then, tilting her head up to look at him. He had to hold back a grimace as he felt that now familiar twinge of pain coming through the bond when her eyes met his. "I'll be here every step of the way as you adjust to this new diet."

He took the blood bag and held it in front of her. Isabella let out a shaky breath as she took the bag from him, careful not to squeeze the bag too tight as Edward snapped the cap off the tube. He felt her body tense in his arms as the scent of the blood hit her. For a moment, she went completely still. The burn in Isabella's throat was prominent now. And she was sure that if her heart beat, it would be beating out of her chest by now.

Slowly, very slowly, she raised the bag to her lips. The second the sweet, sweet blood touched her tongue, she was gone. A warmth settled over her. It was as if every hair in her body rose and her body hummed with a satisfaction she hadn't felt in a long time. She drank and drank, feeling the warmth settle in her belly and lower, and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her as the burn in her throat was finally tamed.

She pulled away with a heavy breath when there was nothing more to drink. Licking the remnants of the blood from her lips, she looked at her ghost - who hadn't let go of her. Her body was filled with a swirl of sensations alien to her. She felt light, almost weightless.

"You did really good." Edward tucked her hair behind her ear. "How do you feel?"

"I feel…" she swallowed and took a moment to listen to her body. There was still that vibrancy, that flutter in her belly and lower between her thighs. She didn't remember feeling this way the last time she drank human blood - back in the alleyway with the scum that tried to harm that poor woman. No, this was different. So much different. She was filled with a feeling of euphoria she hadn't felt before. "Good."

Pressing a kiss to her temple once more, Edward took the empty blood bag from her and tossed it in the trash bin.

Still somehow breathless, she asked, "Have you always drank human blood?"

Edward paused, holding the door to the fridge open as he took in her question. He wanted to be honest with her, he wanted her to trust him and he knew that meant sharing parts of himself he would rather keep buried. He just didn't think he'd have to share it so soon.

"I have," he said, reaching for another blood bag and snapping the cap off.

"Even before the blood bags?" She asked and took the bag he offered her.

"Even before."

Silence filled the room as she drank. Edward watched her from his spot on the other side of the island, noticing the color coming back to her cheeks thanks to the blood. Human blood also helped them look more… alive, so to speak. Animal blood not so much. It was like living off tofu for a human, sustainable but never enough.

She finished her second bag, her lips tainted red by the blood and Edward knew when she looked at him that she wanted to know more about his diet. He could feel her curiosity through the bond.

"Before Carlisle found out we could drink human blood without hurting humans, my family went with the animal diet just like you. I, on the other hand, didn't."

Isabella shifted her weight from one leg to another, clearly uncomfortable with what he was saying. Her shoulders tensed as she asked, "So you hunted humans?"

Edward nodded solemnly.

"I found the animal diet lacking. For a very long time, there was this need, this urgency, this pent up emotion I couldn't put my finger on. All I wanted was to set the world on fire. When it became too much to bear, I would take it out on some forest trees or even my brother, but the strength I had given my diet didn't do enough damage for me. So, I rebelled against my father and I began hunting humans."

Isabella's spine stiffed at his words. Hunting humans? The way he said it almost made it sound like he was doing it for sport.

"I have never hurt an innocent," he clarified, walking around the island toward her. Isabella stayed right where she was, watching her ghost approach her as he continued to explain. "I hunted monsters. People who hurt other people. Rapists, murderers, wife beaters, robbers, you name it. And I got this weird satisfaction from it. Especially when I watched them take their last breath. It was the only way I could tame the monster inside me."

Isabella wasn't sure what to say. It was hard to grasp how far the similarities between her ghost and him went, beyond just looks. She remembered him talking about that pent up energy inside him, she remembered his fiery outbursts when it came to people hurting those he loved. His mother used to say he was born with fire in his heart, and it was a fire that fueled his passion.

She could see how that would build up in a vampire like him. How lacking it was to feed on an animal, when you could go after the monsters lurking in the streets.

"Do you disapprove?" he asked after a beat of silence.

To her surprise, she found herself shaking her head.

"You don't do it anymore, do you?"

"No, not since we started drinking from the blood bags. Carlisle disapproved of my lifestyle for a very long time, but there wasn't much he could do about it, and it wasn't like I was hunting innocents for sport."

"And what about that urgency you said you felt, do you still feel it? Do you still want to go out there and find those monsters?"

The look in Edward's eyes softened.

"No. Not anymore. I would still gladly do it if I happen to be bored one night, but that feeling has finally been tamed."

Isabella frowned.
"Since when? Since you started drinking the blood bags?"

Edward laughed.

"No, not even close."

"Then?"

He got quiet then, watching her intently, almost as if he was trying to communicate it to her through the bond.

And that is when it hit her.

The bond.

It was the bond that had him feeling that way, that had him trying to find ways to get rid of that urgency he felt and he couldn't figure out why. It was the same as that restlessness she felt. An uncertainty that went away the day they found each other.

It was their bond.

"Is it always like this?" she found herself asking.

"For separated mates, yes."

Isabella let out a sigh, looking down at her hands holding the empty blood bag. She had felt this way from the beginning, from the second she fled her village and the thought that even then, in the beginning of her new life, their bond knew there was something missing… it was too much to wrap her head around it.

"I killed a man once," she said, trying to redirect her train of thought. Her ghost nodded, urging her to continue. "I… I wanted to see the city, but I couldn't risk getting caught in the daylight, so I went at night. That was when I heard a woman crying for help. I followed the sound until I found them in an alleyway. I'm not sure what came over me at that moment, I just wanted to get that man off of her, so I did. Next thing I knew, he was dead under me."

Flashes of that night rushing through her mind. The woman fleeing the alleyway, the way the man's body stiffened under her as she drank from him and the vampire… that fucking vampire. She could see the blood splattered on the cave walls and his caved in skull.

"Did you regret it?" she asked. "Did you ever regret taking those lives?"

"Not once," he said.

She could feel that sense of pride coming through the bond, and a part of her wanted to laugh. Were they really bonding over killing bad men? The whole thing, while absurd to her, meant everything to him. She opened up, just a little, but it counted for something. And it gave him hope that perhaps one day his mate might actually be open to the idea of loving him. If what he just shared with her hadn't sent her running for the hills, surely there had to be a chance.

"Did you?" he asked.

"Not once."

"Then I guess we have more in common than we thought."

I wanted to thank everyone for your sweet messages! They mean the world to me and I'm really happy you're enjoying the story. There's definitely more to come, but in the meantime, I wanted to share the playlist for this story.

The playlist is full of songs already featured in the chapters, songs that could be featured in future chapters and songs that just inspire me to write this story. Hope you guys like it!

You can find it on Spotify and it's called Invisible String by Brenda!