Originally written for Breath-of-twilight's Countdown to 2012 Farewell to 2011

A Mystical Hallow's Eve - Category: Blood Kisses

o.o.o.o

Tell me, would you kill to save a life?

Tell me, would you kill to prove you're right?

Crash, crash, burn. Let it all burn.

This hurricane chasing us all underground.

o.o.o.o

The cold rain beat heavily against the roof of my car - not that I needed a vehicle these days, mind you. I much preferred using my own two feet and vampiric speed to take me wherever I needed to go. But this situation called for discretion; I needed to keep up appearances and not call any more attention to myself than was necessary.

My nose wrinkled briefly in disgust as I entered the over-crowded bar, its air heavy and stale. The smell would've turned my stomach had I still been human, but it was actually a blessing in disguise, masking the cloying scent of the humans inside.

I spotted him immediately, nursing his beer and probably reminiscing about the sweet, innocent girl whose life he'd taken last week. She'd been a beautiful fourteen-year-old girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. I came across her, raped and dying, while I was out hunting. I took mercy on her and swiftly ended her misery.

I followed the scent of the demon who'd assaulted the child, watching him, stalking him, for the past week. Tonight, I would strike terror into his heart before I bled him dry like the animal he was. Venom pooled in my mouth as I imagined the sweet yet bitter taste of justice on my tongue.

I flipped my damp hair sexily over my shoulder and sauntered his way. It was evident that he preferred his women on the younger side, but my eternally 18 year old body, as along with my considerable powers of persuasion, guaranteed there was no chance the man would resist me. Sliding deftly onto the stool adjacent to his, I motioned to the bartender for a drink that would never touch my lips.

I glanced to my left and met his curious gaze, stepping right into my trap. His vibrant green eyes were captivated, and he gave me a wicked smile.

"Hello, beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?" His voice was deep and attractive—for a human.

My lips pursed in a coy smile, and I shrugged. "I don't know, can you?"

The way his eyes glazed over at the sound of my voice was comical. He blinked and looked away momentarily before turning back to me with a somewhat bemused smile. "I think I can handle that," he replied cockily.

Oh, what fools these mortals be, I thought to myself. This was going to be all too easy.

Twenty minutes of innuendo and flirting later, his eyes cut to my untouched glass curiously.

"Aren't you at least going to taste your drink?"

Leaning closer, so that my lips brushed his ear, I whispered, "I'd much rather taste you."

His heart started to race, and the smell of adrenaline coursing through his veins made my mouth water. He smirked and stood, pulling me up to wrap his arm around my waist.

"Well then," his voice caressed my ear softly, "who am I deny to beautiful lady?"

Just as we were out the door, his hands pawed my ass as his lips hungrily devoured my neck. Off in the distance, I heard a distinctive growl, but I had to ignore it for the moment. The rain had settled into a fine mist, making the air feel fresh and alive.

As his hands roamed across my body, we stumbled a few feet until my back hit a tree, his hands creeping under the hem of my dress. Oh no, that would not do. I was the hunter, not the hunted.

With a giggle, I pulled away, dancing lightly towards the trees leading into the forest. The man's eyes narrowed before an excited look filled his eyes.

"So, you want a chase then, baby? I'll give you a chase."

I stayed one step ahead of him the whole time, leading him deeper into the woods. His temper began to overflow, bringing out the monster that was lurking under the surface. I grew tired of the cat and mouse game, allowing him to finally catch me once we were secluded enough. His hand shot out and gripped my hair, yanking it with enough force to have ripped it out from the roots had I been human.

His lips sucked and bit at my neck as the image of the dying girl flitted through my mind, causing me to gasp. The man ground his hips into my belly, assuming my response had been a pleasurable one.

"You like that, baby? I bet you're a freak, aren'tcha?"

The growl from earlier returned, fiercer and much closer than before.

"Edward," I whispered on the wind.

The man holding me stilled and peered down at me with an evil look on his face.

"Baby, the name is Bob, but you can call me anything you'd like."

My disgust overwhelmed me, and I knew it was time to end this. Swiftly switching our positions, Bob soon found himself pressed up against a tree, frightened within an inch of his life as I held him by the throat in an iron grip.

"Wha-what's going on?" he stuttered.

"Do you remember the girl who waiting at a bus stop five nights ago? The one you kidnapped and forced yourself on?'

His eyes widened, the scent of his fear hanging heavily in the night air.

"How did you—?"

"It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is that you're never going to hurt another child, ever again."

"Wh-who are you?"

"I am vengeance."

I sank my teeth in his neck, letting the warm, viscous liquid run down my throat. It was a richer, deeper taste than anything I'd ever experienced before. It took every ounce of strength I possessed to pull away and seal up his wound as his heart started to fail. A heart attack in the middle of the woods during a hurricane wouldn't get much attention; obvious foul play would. I also doubted that once the police investigated Bob's house, uncovering his stash of kiddie porn, they'd even look twice at closing the book on his case.

Tears that I could never shed stung my eyes as I watched the light fade from his own. Any guilt I felt as playing judge, jury, and executioner was tempered by the knowledge that this man would never have the chance to harm another innocent.

"Feel better now?" my husband's voice called from the dark.

Sighing, I knew he'd been right all along. "Not really, no. It won't bring that girl back, but I take comfort in knowing he's no longer a threat."

Edward stepped into the moonlight, a sad yet compassionate look upon his face. "I know, love. You can't let it eat you alive, though. There are countless more evil men in the world, just like this one. It's an inevitable part of life."

His words sent a spike of fury through my system. Not at him, but at how right he was.

"I can't accept that, Edward. I have the ability to change that."

"I know how you feel, Bella. Trust me, it won't get any easier," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist. His mere presence warmed my body and soul. "But I will be by your side every step of the way."

"I love you," I whispered, clutching him tightly.

"Let's go home," he replied, taking my hand and leading our run through the woods.

Taking care to remain inconspicuous, we stepped onto the sidewalk holding hands like any other couple. A few children dressed in bright, colorful costumes cavorted up and down the street. I shuddered to think of what might have happened had Bob been let loose on Halloween eve. How many more children would've suffered at his hands?

"Stop," my husband whispered so that only I could hear. "Focus on the positive."

My heart swelled with love at how my mate could read me like a book, even if I was still the only person whose mind he could not read.

As we passed a two children, a brother and sister, the girl looked up at me and smiled. "Wow, lady, your eyes are so red and pretty! What are you supposed to be?"

The boy, older by just a few years, rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Ginnie, leave the lady alone."

The little girl's face fell. "Sowwy," she mumbled, turning away.

Smiling, I hunched down to her eye-level. "It's all right, sweetheart. I'm a vampire."

Her eyes narrowed skeptically. "But youse don't have pointy teeth."

"Because I'm a good vampire."

The little girl nodded, as if this made all of the sense in the world. "Okay, cool. I like having vampires like you around."

The brother rolled his eyes again. "Let's go, Gin."

Smiling, the little girl gave a wave as they walked away. "Happy 'alloween!"

I turned to Edward, who grinned at me knowingly. Taking his hand again, I leaned up to kiss him softly, grateful that the hurricane had passed.

o.o.o.o

AN: Song used: Hurricane by 30 Seconds To Mars

Hello there! If you're a regular reader of my stories, there might be one question that's been bugging at you:

Where the hell have you been?

Well, that answer is one part tragedy (my computer died) and one part exhaustion (RL got really freaking hectic).

Long story short, I'm hoping to be back up to speed in a few weeks. Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise, that is. Suffice to say, I've missed you all terribly and I can't wait to be back writing for your pleasure.