Chapter 5

Author's note: It took me a bit longer than normal to write this chapter, because writing as Edward is so damn boring.

Twiilight belongs to S.M. Blah, Blah, Blah..or Bleh Bleh Bleh. Haha, weak Dracula joke. Ignore me.

[POV Edward]

I had watched Alice's vision a thousand times.

Myself, running through the forest with Bella at my side, instead of riding my back. Bella was not only running beside me, she was outrunning me. I reach out for her, playfully to grab her. She turns back to me, her beautiful flowing hair billowing around her face-the sun lights her diamond covered features and she is divine.

It was selfish, and I knew that-but I wanted forever with her. When I took her as my wife, and therefore my vampire mate-I would claim her soul. I would offer it's sacrifice upon an altar of beauty and blood, eternally. I would claim not only her virgin innocence, but the innocence of her soul as well. As greedy as it was, I looked forward to it.

Her blood no longer heralded my thirst, it hadn't for a while now. But I wanted her. I wanted her safety above all else, and vampirism would make her incredibly less fragile. Right now, she was a mere human. So easily killed. Surely, she should be at home safe with her father or here with me. But she had elected to stay with the Quileute wolf pack, due to the snow.

Why did she have to stay on the reservation? My mind growled. It is not safe. It is not safe at all. What is going on in her head?

I would never understand her…devotion…to Jacob Black. Try as I might, I could not read her thoughts as I read others. Jacob had indeed brought her relief when I brought her pain by my absence. But he was a werewolf and unpredictable. It drove me insane that she had to be in his company while I hunted and contented my thirst. But there was Victoria on the loose, and Bella could not be without protection. While the wolves did offer that, they also were formed of young teenagers who could easily snap and explode into a wolf the size of a horse at a moment's notice. Even Sam Uley had hurt his own beloved Emily. What was to stop Jacob Black from-?

STOP! I had to force myself to not picture Jacob snapping Bella like a twig between his jaws. I had stopped the images, but I could still hear her scream-the same scream she screeched when James bit her-and sickening snapping and twisting sounds filled my brain.

I rose quickly. I needed to get to Bella now. I couldn't allow her to risk more than she already was. I started formulating a plan. I would keep her here at my house, and she wouldn't be allowed to leave. We could convince the school to send her school work home with Alice or Jasper. We could also convince them not to inform Charlie of her absence. Money could speak volumes, as could vampirical charms-or threats. I would have to revisit how to handle Charlie later. She wouldn't be allowed to leave-and would be constantly surrounded by vampires. She needed to be safe-because I couldn't think straight while she was in danger.

How can I retrieve her without breaking the treaty? I asked myself.

"Edward!" I heard Alice say my name, and I was beside her, downstairs in an instant. Jasper was holding Alice's hand, and exchanged a worried glance with her. She turned to me, at an apparent loss of words.

"Alice, what is it? Have you seen something pertaining to Victoria? Is she coming?" I frantically searched her face for answers, simultaneously searching her mind. But there was only black there, and I waited for her to speak.

"Edward, I can't see her." Alice's voice was a whisper. Not that it mattered, I could hear her even if she didn't speak at all.

"Alice, she is still with the wolves. Of course, you wouldn't see her!" I snapped. Alice was delaying my calculations to arrange for Bella's safety.

"No, Edward. I mean I can't even see her future with you." Alice said, looking deep into my eyes.

I felt rage break across the stone façade of my face. A growl threatened to rip me from the inside out.

Bella was in danger, her existence was no longer certain and I could somehow sense with absolute certainty that Jacob Black was involved. As I thought of strangling Jacob Black, Alice gripped my arm. She would have no doubt have seen my future suddenly go black as well, and easily assumed what plans were taking shape.

"Edward, we don't know what's going on-we just need to get there, now!" Alice shouted.

"Carlisle!" I shouted. Carlisle and Esme flitted to join Alice, Jasper, and myself.

"Emmett and Rose are hunting." Jasper said.

Carlisle took charge. "Alice, call them and tell them to meet us at the boundary line. Edward, we will go to the boundary and will speak to Sam to confirm Bella's safety-"

My rage lashed out and got the better of me. "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH! BELLA IS IN DANGER! I NEED-"

"Edward!" Esme shouted. "We can't risk stirring up the wolves. We don't know what's going on and I won't lose any of you over an easily avoided misunderstanding!"

"We won't allow anything to happen to Bella, Edward." Carlisle gripped my shoulder. It felt more like a restraint than a comfort. "Let's go."

Carlisle, Esme, and I took off for the boundary line. Alice and Jasper would catch up to us after confirming that Rose and Emmett would meet us there. It was hard to hear through the phone at high speeds.

Snow flew past myself and my parents. A normal person would have been very much delayed but obviously, we were anything but normal. I could see the individual patterns on the snowflakes as I past them. They fell and joined the ever-growing blanket that had formed on the forest floor.

I couldn't feel the cold wind that would have cut up flesh like a razor. I wasn't delayed at all by the deep snow. I could only feel fear and rage. With every second that brought us closer to our destination-to Bella-the rage inside me threatened to consume all my being and turn me into the monster I had always been afraid to relinquish control to.

I heard a howl sound in the distance. The wolves were alerted to our presence. I couldn't catch any of their thoughts. I supposed that the wind might be carrying the sound further than normal.

Once we were within sight of the boundary line, I could hear the wolves' frantic voices, sounding together.

Cullens!

Bloodsuckers are here! Cullens!

What do they want?

Why are they here?

Where is Sam?

Sam! They're coming!

I stopped, a wolf blockade-5 wolves strong-had formed in a small break in the pine trees. I searched their minds. I could sense them one by one: Leah Clearwater, Jared Cameron, Seth Clearwater, Quil Ateara, and Embry Call.

They resoundingly shouted in unison: "What do you want!?"

Carlisle and Esme had caught up to us at this point, and stopped.

"We are here because we had good reason to believe Bella is in danger, we need to cross the boundary to check on her safety." I composed my voice, I hoped it conveyed a sense of worry without being threatening.

Leah: Like hell you're coming on our territory! She's safe. We don't need you!

"Leah doesn't want to let us in-we don't have time for this!" I growled.

Carlisle spoke, clasping one hand on my shoulder. "Alice usually has visions of Bella's future-your presence prevents her from seeing Bella's immediate future but not the distant future- and that distant future has completely disappeared. The only way this can happen is due to being close to death." The wolves were quiet. I could hear the snowflakes touching the ground.

"Bella is safe. Say nothing." A booming voice took over their minds. It was the voice of the Alpha, the voice of Sam Uley. He was commanding them not to speak, and he was close enough for me to hear his thoughts.

He stepped through a thick grove of pine trees behind and off to the side of the wolves. He was in his wolf form, his powerful muscles bulging under black fur. He was thinking of Jacob Black and of Bella, interchangeably. I couldn't understand his thoughts. Perhaps this was a deliberate effort on his part.

Sam took his place at the head of the line. "Bella is safe," Sam said, repeating his thoughts to make sure I heard. "She is coming here."

"Edward?" Carlisle said.

"Bella is safe," I repeated Sam's words. "She is coming to the line."

"But how did she know-?" Esme began to ask, but stopped. In her mind, she finished. "But how did Bella know we were coming, to be ready to meet us so fast?"

"I see we were expected." Carlisle chuckled. The wolves didn't know him like our family knew him, and I could hear nervousness color his voice, ever so slightly.

I heard Jacob Black before I saw him. First, I heard the crunching of snow under his feet-then I heard his thoughts.

"I want to be done with this." Jacob said, quietly. Jacob's mind usually was full of images-usually they involved images of Bella, or more likely-images of us locked in combat. But, tonight it was black and I only heard words.

I caught Bella's scent, intermingled with the wolves' scent. Her scent carried the warmth of her blood. She and Jacob stepped through the tree line together, much too close together. I felt rage boiling in my stomach, and Carlisle had to restrain me from crossing the line to get to her. She and Jacob stood a few feet from the edge of the line, off to the side of Sam.

"Edward." Bella said, seeming dismayed of my presence.

"Bella!" Bella, we've come to take you home." I wanted her as far from Jacob Black as physically possible.

"No Edward," Bella said. "I'm not leaving."

"Bella, you're driving me insane-you can't be around these wolves-they're dangerous! You may be in more danger with them than without them!" I felt my voice rising.

Several of the wolves growled. I knew they wouldn't like being compared to Victoria-but I was desperate.

"So, I would be safer at home where my scent would draw Victoria to Charlie? Do you even hear yourself? That's ridiculous. This pack would never hurt me."

"And what assurance do you have of that?!" I yelled. "What's to stop Jacob Black from injuring you, as Sam Uley did to his Emily?!"

Sam's ears flattened behind his head and he snarled. "Don't speak about MY Emily." He growled in his mind, warning me. I ignored him, and waited for Bella's answer.

"And what's to stop you or your family from losing control and sucking her blood!?" Jacob snapped at me. "Isn't that the reason you left Forks in the first place? Because Jasper tried to kill her?!"

Esme looked horrified, and Carlisle remained silent. He was right, damn him.

"Edward, I'm not leaving Jacob's side." Bella said. "Jacob and I…we've imprinted. I am where I belong."

"You…imprinted? What do you mean…?" I knew the definition of imprinting, but I couldn't fit the pieces together…Bella…Jacob…Imprinting.

I looked at Jacob's grinning face. I searched his brain for an answer, but none would come. It was making my head ache to search so hard.

"Looking for an answer, leech?" He thought. "How's this for an answer…"

I waited for the pictures to come, but there was nothing. Then, as clear as day I could hear Bella's voice.

"Touch me, Jacob…." Bella moaned.

The sound of absolute pleasure in her voice-in his memory, conjured images in my brain. Bella in Jacob's arms. Jacob, thrusting inside her-.

My rage submerged me in hellfire. It was black and thick like tar, yet was white hot. It boiled over my skin and threatened to disintegrate even my hard stone body.

"Edward, I am ending us," Bella said quietly. "I want to be with Jacob, and only Jacob forever. I am his imprint, and he is my future."

"YOU MATED WITH HER!?" I screamed at him.

"Bella has made her choice, and it's not you, bloodsucker." Jacob said, grin still plastered across his face.

"I'm sorry, Edward." Bella said quietly. Bella turned to walk away.

I couldn't let her do this, she was throwing away her life. She had to be made to see reason.

"Bella!" I called her name and began to sprint towards her.