Act III

Victoria didn't seem to be able to fight the compulsion that gripped her day and night. She had to try… try to get to her. Just… one… more… time.

Bella. Bella. Bella.

The name pulsed in her brain like a phantom heartbeat until she was certain she would go insane from need. The need to witness the unadulterated terror in Bella's eyes as she stalked her. The need to hear her screams as she tore into her soft flesh. The need to feel her last heartbeat as it pumped her sweet blood into Victoria's mouth. Above all, the need to taste Bella's death.

Victoria hadn't even been close to Bella's house when she felt danger eddying closer and closer, moving within the sphere of her senses. Then, she caught the familiar scent of her enemies, heard their nearly silent footsteps racing toward her in the dark, only seconds after she smelled them. Her gift quickly informed her that not only were they coming at her at great speed, they were hunting her, chasing her down.

But… where is Edward?

If she had made it to Bella's house, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have found them both there. Together. Alone.

Apparently, while she was busy building an army to distract the wolves in order to remove Bella from their protection, the Cullens had decided to return to Forks. She was in no way prepared to confront them on her own and if they caught her now, all her well-laid plans would be for nothing.

She turned and ran, speeding along over the leaf-covered ground as fast as she could. Then, though she couldn't smell them yet, danger of another kind buffeted her senses. She heard the heavy breathing and felt the strong pounding footfalls of the werewolves that lived nearby. She could feel their speed rumble through the ground and this time it was more than one or two that pursued her. By the sudden stench that reached her nose, the werewolves seemed to have an army of their own, a pack of angry, smelly dogs.

All her keen senses screamed at her to go faster, to escape the danger that was coming at her from both sides, but she beat it down. Did the these two opposing sides have any knowledge of the other? Yes, the werewolves definitely knew of her existence, but what would they do when faced with a coven of vampires?

Her brain worked quickly to use these two natural enemies to her best advantage.

As each dangerous faction drew closer to her, she ran within yards of the wolves territory, traveling as close to their boundary as possible, hoping to draw them out. With the Cullens so close behind her, it was her hope that the two enemies would clash, come together, and destroy one another, leaving little for her army to deal with in the end.

She slowed her pace only slightly, keeping just ahead and dangerously in reach of the one brawny vampire she remembered as Emmett. Suddenly, one of the wolves that had been gaining ground on her, snapped his huge jaws not in her direction, but at the vampire who's hand had reached out to snatch her from behind.

Just as she had hoped and expected, the sounds of snarling vampires and growling werewolves filled the air behind her. She glanced back for only a second to see the vampire and werewolf tumbling to the ground in a great heap. Arms and legs twisting and flailing, fists driving and teeth slashing. A wicked smirk crept to her face as she poured on the speed and ran even faster.

She would switch to another plan of attack. Obviously, what she had over heard from the coven in Denali about the tiny black haired Cullen with the gift of foresight, Alice had seen her coming. But… would she see the approach of another vampire? A newborn she had never had any contact with before. Would Alice see the motives? Victoria would have to risk it.

~*~*~*~

A wonderful floral scent floated through the air the moment Riley stepped inside the door, his arm wrapped around a lumpy pale pillowcase. Every muscle in her body tightened. That delicious smell set her teeth on edge and her venom flowing. Victoria sighed and breathed in deeply with each breath. Riley smiled at her, his face brightening. Victoria could tell he was very happy to see her. Unfortunately, for him, her pleasant reaction to his arrival had little to do with him beyond the fact that he succeeded in returning, his mission complete.

Victoria stood and though she wanted to race across the room and yank the bundle from Riley's arms, she held back, practically slithering to his side. Her hand caressed his arm, his chest and finally the soft worn pillowcase he held.

"Tell me everything you saw, everything you heard." She whispered.

"That coven is very close to her. I could smell them, more than one of them… in her room." Riley shook his head. "How do they do that? Live so closely with humans and not feed from them?" Victoria didn't bother to answer. It was just as much a mystery to her as it was to Riley.

"I saw two of them." Riley added. "Not up close and they never saw me. The man had blonde hair, young, maybe in his early twenties and the woman had kind of golden brown hair, about the same age, driving a black Mercedes, heading into town." He placed the pillow he'd been carrying on the make-shift table in front of her and began pulling out what he had shoved inside, a pair of socks, a gray sweatshirt, a red blouse along with a few other pieces of clothing. Each one saturated with Bella's compelling fragrance.

Victoria took the pillow, held it to her face, breathing deeply. Then, she lowered her ravenous black eyes. A wicked murderous thrill shot though her body. It was not only Bella's perfume that excited her, Edward's scent permeated this fabric also.

Now she would have her full revenge. The thought curved her mouth into an evil smile. Her desire for Bella had taken over her every sense. She would punish her, torture her, and bleed her dry before the eyes of the vampire who came back for her.

Vendetta. That's what it used to be called. Bloody retaliation is what Victoria called it. It was all that filled her sadistic mind. No past. No future. Only the present. Only the constant manic drive to kill. To exact her revenge on the human girl whose scent had been burned onto her brain, into every crystalline cell of her body, just as it would soon be burned into every newborn she created.

Riley had proven his worth by creeping into Bella's bedroom and stealing her personal belongings. Every article carrying her luscious aroma would be passed around like bits of soft candy between the members of her army to taste with their nostrils instead of their mouths. Victoria would have them memorize Bella's fragrance like a pack of braying bloodhounds and there would be nowhere in Forks that Bella could hide.

She instructed Riley on what needed to be done. She used him as her liaison; to lie to the newborns, mislead them with falsehoods just as she deceived Riley with promises. Promises of a future full of eternal love. He knew nothing of her past, nothing of her love for James. She had filled Riley's head with lies, fabricated reasons why the Cullens would attack in Seattle and instead of waiting like lambs to be slaughtered; she would take the fight to them. Protect their territory.

Their territory. Hers and his.

However, just the thought of sharing herself with any other than James twisted her insides and each time she gave her body to Riley, it was all she could do not to tear his head from his neck. Nevertheless, she did what she had to do, no matter that on some level, it made her feel as if she were betraying the very man she was seeking to avenge.

Victoria was very careful to never mix with the newborns. Each time she fed and successfully changed another human, she left them to Riley to bring to heel, to organize, though many were hard to control in their newborn state. Not only did they slip away to feed, they fought endlessly amongst themselves so much that Victoria was often forced to turn more to replace ones that had been killed during their petty fights.

She had wanted more. She had wanted to launch an invasion of sorts. She didn't care if they wiped the entire town of Forks from the earth. It didn't matter to her how many would die or even if she herself were to be hunted down and destroyed for risking the exposure of their kind. So long as she could feel Bella's flesh between her teeth, her blood, hot and sweet, as it flowed down her throat. For James, her only love, it would all be worth it.

~*~*~*~

Time was a luxury she could no longer afford to waste. She had to make a decision. She resigned herself to the fact that this was a battle she may not win. There was no win or lose, only destroy and believe in the end. Once Bella lay dead and cold at her feet, she would again use the only talent she had and find a way out. Sacrifice all to the one goal. Riley and her army of newborns were essential for this one task and if any remained, she would kill them herself.

She made a decision, set the date, informed Riley, and stuck to it. If Alice saw her coming, so be it. Victoria had a violent offensive force against a coven of five strangely obscene drinkers of animal blood. How strong could they possibly be intermingling with humans and subsisting on such a weak horrid diet? Keeping all this in mind, she felt the odds were drastically in her favor.

~*~*~*~

The closer the day came to let loose her army on the Cullens, the more Victoria realized she was closer to her own destruction. Her brain was clouded with doubt. Riley had informed her that her newborns fought endlessly amongst themselves, killing off one another as fast as she was creating them. Riley had delegated duties to the oldest of the newborns and any who had fed on humans and failed to hide the evidence were quickly put to death as a lesson to those who would do the same. This drastically cut down the unexplained human deaths and turned them in to disappearances, taking the threat of exposure of the vampire race down to a manageable level.

Still, any other vampire would see what was happening in Seattle as a sign of a newborn out of control. If she didn't move quickly, no doubt someone would come looking for her and they would show no mercy whatsoever.

Even though grief and revenge had ruled her existence for so long, she found she was not ready to give up her life, such as it was. She had changed her mind once again, deciding to let the newborns have Bella, knowing full well, if even one newborn laid its hands on her, Bella would be torn to bits. Just the thought of Bella's bloody destruction sent a darkly delicious thrill through Victoria's icy veins.

She instructed Riley to send the newborns ahead in two groups, keeping Riley with her, trailing behind. Promising they would help when and if, she deemed it necessary for them to do so. However, if Bella fell into her hands through some unimaginable circumstances, she would gladly bleed her and revel in every second of it. The annihilation of the Cullen family and their pet would do much to settle the ache in her dead heart. Still, she was content with her decision to let her frenzied army indulge in the savagery of tearing Bella to shreds along with as many of the Cullens they could destroy as well. Then, she would send Riley in and even if a few of the Cullen 'family' survived, it was not in a vampire's nature to show mercy. They would massacre every last newborn, including Riley, and never know who had sent them or why. Her plan could not be any more perfect.

~*~*~*~

Edward. Victoria was positive of it. His unmistakable scent meandered far from the trail her newborn army followed into Forks. Though she could smell only Edward, she wondered if this was a diversionary tactic. Were the Cullens hoping to separate her troops? Then again… where ever Edward was, there was a possibility that Bella would be there also. She and Riley broke off from the path and pursued Edward's trail instead, traveling the almost 9 miles in only a matter of minutes. Danger beat at her, bombarding her senses with a warning she chose to ignore.

It's only Edward. It's only Edward. One lone vampire.

Victoria took Riley's hand, stopping him as she listened to the forest around her then, wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately as his hands moved all over her. Victoria broke the kiss and whispered.

"It's only one of them, only Edward." She traced her tongue along his neck as his hands gripped at her, holding her to him. "You know what I want, Riley. Kill him."

Victoria and Riley crept out of the forest, their footsteps nearly silent in the fluffy new snow that had fallen during the night. There, across the clearing, back against the rock face that stood somewhat above them was the object of Victoria's all-consuming obsession, Bella Swan. The sound of her heart racing, pounding thick warm blood through her veins, was a clear sweet melodious song. Each heated breath panting in and out of her lungs was easily heard across the small clearing. The wind gently gusting through the trees wafted Bella's delicious bouquet in every direction at once.

Every cell in Victoria's body came alive as if an electric current were shooting through her veins. Venom poured into her mouth. Each deep inhalation through her nose burned like fire as it traveled throughout her lungs. She had never felt the pull of prey like this before and wondered for only a second if this was how James felt when he finally caught up to his long sought after quarry. It was a high of sorts.

Of course, just as Victoria knew he would be, Edward was there, crouched in an attitude of dark distinctive possessiveness. Where else would Bella be if not by his side or hidden behind him? Though it didn't show on Victoria's face, it pleased her to no end to find Edward and Bella alone, unprotected by the other members of their bizarre coven.

So… they knew I was coming for her. His precious pet. Did he really think taking her a few miles from her home would hide her from me? If he really wanted to save her so badly, he should have shipped her off to some other country. What an idiot. But, maybe… Alice didn't see me coming in time… maybe …

Suddenly, the wind whipped Bella's fragrant fear around the clearing and Victoria sucked it in deeply with each deliberate breath she took. Her searing thirst for vengeance was never stronger than at that very moment. Venom spilled into her mouth again, a deluge that coated her teeth and her tongue in the paralyzing poison that would practically shoot into Bella's veins.

Consumed with hunger and the need to kill the human girl, Victoria found she could hardly keep her eyes from her. Victoria's acute senses shrieked at the present danger, but she denied them, shoved them to the back of her crazed mind. Bella had been the focus of her existence for so long now and to have her so close made the desire to taste her blood impossible to resist. She could feel the gnawing hunger in every cell of her body as each muscle coiled and tightened her into an attack position. She moved lightly on her toes, her knees bent, ready to propel her forward at the first sign of an opening.

Out somewhere far in the distance came the cry of a lone wolf. Victoria wondered for only a moment if the presence of her newborn army would attract the pack of werewolves that seemed to guard the land southwest of Forks. It didn't matter. It couldn't happen. It was broad daylight. They couldn't change during the day. Besides, her newborns were more than a match for anyone or anything who might be foolish enough to come investigate the goings on. After catching a glimpse of the size of her army, Victoria was certain they would literally turn tail and run.

Riley looked over to her for direction and with the slightest lift of her chin, she let him know it was time. Delicious ferocity ran like a storm through her veins as she held Bella's trembling body in her sight. But, before Riley even took a step forward, his name came softly from between Edward's lips.

"Riley," Victoria's brilliant deep crimson eyes flashed at Edward. His face was soft and pleading. Something she was very glad to see. "She's lying to you, Riley. Listen to me. She's lying to you just like she lied to the others who are dying now in the clearing. You know that she's lied to them, that she had you lie to them, that neither of you were ever going to help them. Is it so hard to believe that she's lied to you, too?"

How could he know this? Victoria's mind raced. Kill him, go ahead, kill him. Victoria thought, not really knowing which vampire she wanted killed, Riley or Edward. It didn't matter. One would kill the other and give her the seconds she needed to put her teeth to Bella's throat, her fist through Bella's flesh and bone, grasp her fragile human heart and tear it from her chest. Victoria would leave no doubt that Bella would be beyond saving, beyond turning.

Victoria watched closely as Edward moved small, almost insignificant amounts in Riley's direction, each movement taking him fractions of an inch from her prey. She didn't bother to chance a glance at Riley, he was as good as dead now. She could only hope he would keep Edward engaged in a fight long enough for her to have her fill of the sweet human before having to kill her. She would not have the time to torment Bella as she would have liked, but just the satisfaction of killing her while Edward, her mate, looked on in helpless horror, would be enough.

Oh yes, it would be more than enough.

Edward moved again, this time by a few inches and from the corner of her eye, Victoria saw Riley do the same.

"She doesn't love you, Riley, she never has." Victoria had to admit Edward had skills, something that had been alluded to by a few members of the Denali coven, though Victoria never really caught their full meaning. Edward's voice was also quite enthralling to one who had no will of his own. Victoria was quickly realizing that if Edward kept speaking, Riley would be compelled to succumb to his arguments. "She loved someone named James, and you're no more than a tool to her."

The sound of her beloved's name coming from Edward's mouth was almost more than she could stand. She fought down the urge to fly at Bella, with her guardian still much too close, but she didn't bother keeping the evil contortion of her lips from spreading her mouth, baring her razor sharp teeth.

You know nothing. She wanted shriek at him even though she found she could not bear to look away from Bella's terrified face. Her voracious vampire instinct was set to one thing only and she would take blatant sadistic pleasure in Bella's death.

"Riley?" Edward's voice was full of truth though Victoria was still unsure how he could know so much, unless Alice's gift of seeing the future included more detail than Victoria ever thought possible. "She knows that I will kill you, Riley. She wants you to die so that she doesn't have to keep up the pretense anymore. Yes – you've seen that, haven't you? You've read the reluctance in her eyes, suspected a false note in her promises. You were right. She's never wanted you. Every kiss, every touch was a lie."

Edward moved ever so slightly toward Riley widening the small space between him and the girl. Again, venom shot into Victoria's mouth as her blazing eyes calculated the distance and the seconds it would take to reach her prize.

"You don't have to die, there are other ways to live than the way she's shown you. It's not all lies and blood, Riley. You can walk away right now. You don't have to die for her lies." Each word was so smooth, so silky and full of promises. Promises of mercy. Victoria could almost feel Riley giving in, could see it in her peripheral vision. Riley's body loosening, going the slightest bit slack. Edward somehow knew and Riley was beginning to believe the truths.

She watched in silence as Edward moved toward Riley once more. She leaned into the attack, ready to spring at any second. Then she heard a quiet, almost pleading whisper come once more from Edward, as far from a threat as it could possibly be.

"Last chance, Riley."

Riley caught Victoria's eyes and held them for only a moment. She could sense a deepening understanding in him that perchance Edward was telling the truth, that maybe he would not have to die today; perhaps there really was another way to exist in this cruel world. Edward had shaken his resolve and Victoria would lose everything if Riley backed down.

"He's the liar, Riley. I told you about their mind tricks. You know I love only you." She tried to smile at him, reassure him, but she knew it was not much more than a grimace of gleaming teeth. Nevertheless, her profession of love seemed to spur him on, his body became ridged, pulling once again into attack mode.

Victoria's body shook with excitement as she saw the determination come back into Riley's eyes.

Just a few more inches …Draw him off just a few more…

Her senses were overwhelmed all of a sudden. A swiftly growing menace was coming at her, moving silent and fast. Then, from behind Edward and Bella came an unfamiliar bestial snarl. Not vampire. An animal snarl. With little more than a seconds warning, a huge tan werewolf blasted out from between Bella and Edward, flying at Riley, pinning him to the ground, ripping at him with its massive jaws and teeth.

"No!" Victoria couldn't believe what she was seeing. This strange animal is what compounded the danger she had sensed. Not only Edward's presence, but also one of the werewolves. One she had not seen before. Moreover, with his arrival and attack solely focused on Riley, it left her to deal with Edward.

She had no choice. Destroy the one who took her only love from her, execute this utterly unnatural vampire freak or … or run. Run knowing that she would never have this opportunity again, never have Bella Swan this close, so close she could taste her sweat on the breeze.

Victoria's mind raced on so many different levels. Jumbled. Muddled. Chaotic. She tried to concentrate on her prey, but no matter which way she moved, Edward moved there one second faster, as if he were the one orchestrating this macabre dance instead of her. She tried to block out Edward's words, her deadly gaze fixed on Bella's every breath, every heartbeat that pulsed frantically beneath the surface of her nearly translucent flesh.

No matter how far Edward's feet moved him from his pet, it was never quite enough for Victoria to slip past. She wondered if James would have done the same for her. If he loved her enough to put himself in front of her, protect her, fight for her.

Yes, yes he loved me. He would have fought for me.

Run.

How could Edward possibly love this… this… food?

She's human! She can never love him!

Run.

Bella could never feel the bond that is shared when vampires find their mates.

James loved me.

Run! Run! Now!

Edward's voice, so hypnotic, so silky broke through the ripping, screeching sounds of Riley's battle that filled the little meadow.

"Don't go, Victoria, you'll never get another chance like this."

Victoria's hard lips peeled back from her teeth as she hissed at him. Still, he continued to taunt her, pull her to him with his words.

"You can always run later. Plenty of time for that. It's what you do, isn't it? It's why James kept you around."

No.

"Useful, if you like to play deadly games. A partner with an uncanny instinct for escaping."

No!

"He shouldn't have left you – he could have used your skills when we caught up to him in Phoenix."

The entrancing sound of Edward's voice shredded her dead heart. Every word he spoke fanned the fires of hatred she had carried inside her since the night she found James ashes. Shut up! Another snarl ripped through her.

"That's all you ever were to him, though. Silly to waste so much energy avenging someone who had less affection for you than a hunter for his mount."

No! No! James loved me! It was the only thing she had left to hold on to so she chanted it like a child's lullaby.

"You were never more than a convenience to him. I would know." Edward's hand moved to his head, a finger tapping lightly at his temple.

Then the truth hit her full force. James would have run long before this… she would have seen to it. She had always been the one to protect him. She saw it all now. She was only a tool made for his use. A tool he used in every way possible. Dark desperate fury roared inside her, it stung like acid in the back of her throat as she screamed in frustration, betrayal and loathing. Loathing for Bella. If not for her, James would still be here and it didn't matter any longer that James may not have cared for her in the way she had wanted, he would still exist. Victoria's glare locked onto Bella and without even a second's thought, her feet moved her forward toward her prey.

Suddenly, Edward attacked and Victoria's resolve faltered in that moment. Her mind and body raced as she defended every blow, never once connecting with her own. She could see and hear every blow Riley took from the werewolf, every bite the animal inflicted. The crunching pealing sounds of stone against stone rang out loud and clear through the quiet forest as both pairs of fighters battled for one goal… to destroy the other.

As Victoria moved through the small trees, she realized how futile her attempts to kill the girl had become. She had never fought before. Not in any real since of the word. She never stayed around long enough for the fight, always running, always protecting James first and foremost. Edward was so much more experienced, quicker, obviously trained and skilled. Fearless. Valiant even.

Each small retreating step Victoria placed on the soft ground was proof of her cowardice, of her need for self-preservation above all else. Nevertheless, the pull of Bella's blood, the urge to take her life, had permanently shifted something inside her that could barely be controlled.

If only Riley could throw off the werewolf, kill him, even injure him severely, he could divert Edward's attention from her for the briefest of moments. He could give her the seconds she needed to race in for the kill. She wouldn't have time to bleed Bella dry, but the injuries she would inflict would insure there was no way possible she could be turned. Death would come too swiftly to Bella Swan.

As she moved and dipped away from Edward's blindingly fast blows, Victoria saw the werewolf back off, circling Riley as it readied for another attack, its enormous body moving closer and closer to her opponent. Victoria was struck by the focus and concentration this werewolf seemed to have. Surrounded by three deadly vampires, this strange werewolf was completely unafraid. Bold in his every move. Almost playful.

Turn around you mangy mutt! She screamed in her head. Turn and strike!

Slowly, gracefully the monster moved until its massive tail brushed almost lovingly across Edward's back. To her astonishment, Edward didn't recoil, much less flinch from the dangerous animal that paced so closely behind him.

Her mind struggled to comprehend why the werewolf didn't attack the one vampire standing closest to it? The easy prey. The sure kill. The one vampire who had his back to it? Why did it pass Edward by to continue its assault on Riley?

Turn around! Take him!

"No, he won't turn on me," Victoria allowed herself a second glance at the werewolf as Edward's voice whispered softly somewhere near her. "You provided us with a common enemy. You allied us."

Us? The Cullens? The werewolves? I provided them with an ally? But it's… daylight!

Victoria's crazed mind struggled with the fact that this giant beast could take form at will, without the help of moon madness that drove so many werewolves to hunt and kill. She had come across them only at night.

How can that be? That's what took James so long to track one across Siberia! He only changed with the moon! That monster never had this kind of control! It was lost to the monthly cycle of the full moon, but… they are the same… aren't they?

"Look more closely, Victoria, is he really so much like the monster James tracked across Siberia?"

"Not the same? Impossible!" The words were barely recognizable between the snarls that ripped through her clenched teeth.

"Nothing is impossible, except what you want. You'll never touch her."

In a flash of anger, Victoria and Edward came together again in a deadly dance of spiraling movement. Victoria's marbleized bones cracked and snapped with each hit that she failed to deflect. Her hands and feet flew out, desperately seeking her target and missing as he darted away at the last possible moment only to attack again more fiercely each time.

Soon Victoria realized her deepest mistake…she had become the prey. Edward stalked her, but never left Bella unprotected. Never gave the slightest advantage.

Without having to look, Victoria knew Riley was losing his struggle by the sounds of his battle, the ripping and tearing, breaking and shattering, the unearthly screams that erupted as the werewolf tore him bit by bit. She blocked it all out as she continued to fight off every blow she received. Never on the offensive, always on the retreat.

Just as she made up her mind to run, to save herself, she heard the marvelous sounds of an animal in pain. Though her attention was centered only on Edward, she didn't fail to notice the massive tan-colored beast flying through the air, smashing into the rock face behind Bella, then falling to the ground, panting, defeated. Whimpering. Close to death.

Yes!

As rocks and debris tumbled to the ground, Riley moved in for the kill.

An almost imperceptible gasp of pain floated out into the small meadow. Then the sweet perfume of Bella's blood filled the air. In that instant, Victoria's eyes locked onto Bella's. Dark richly scented blood trickled like a bright red tear from the inside of the girl's elbow.

Victoria's mouth burst into flame as she breathed in the insanely sweet fragrance that saturated the air. In Victoria's hesitation, her utter enjoyment of the moment, she dropped her guard and swiftly found herself flying through the meadow, crashing into a tree, her bones painfully cracking and moving in odd directions. She landed like a cat, instinctually in a crouch, her body unable to straighten into an upright position any longer. She ignored the pain that came with every slight move.

In blinding speed, Edward had raced to Riley's position, grabbed his arm from behind and pulled, wrenching bone and muscle in the wrong direction, tearing the limb easily from the newborn's body as he screamed.

Run! Run now!

No! Kill the girl!

Victoria moved as swiftly as she could, startled only for a fraction of a second as the werewolf jumped to his feet, obviously uninjured, running to join in Riley's destruction, leaving the fragile human girl completely unprotected.

Seeing only Bella, focusing every last ounce of energy on her, Victoria sprinted for her. Venom filled her mouth in anticipation. Her throat was an inferno wanting only to be quenched. Victoria could count the rapid heartbeats that pounded through Bella's jugular, each step taking her closer to her only desire.

Once again, Victoria sailed through the air away from her prey, knocked of course by a rock that had slammed into her. Riley's arm. Landing once more in a crouch, her body twisted at another unnatural angle as she kicked Riley's detached limb out of her way.

The werewolf viciously attacked Riley's remaining limb, tearing it from his body with little effort as Riley screamed "Victoria!"

She ignored him. Weak. Coward. The werewolf ran at Riley, plowing into him with his full weight, pushing him further and further until they disappeared into the trees. Riley's screams split the air in chorus with the sounds of death. Then nothing.

Riley is gone.

Victoria had nothing left. Only her innate sense of danger. It beat at her like never before. It was there during the entire fight, but she blocked it out, believing she could win, she could have her revenge.

Run!

Only then did she see the truth.

Run! Now!

Edward knew the truth just as she did. She could see it in his bright golden eyes. She would run while she still could.

"No," Edward's seductive voice sang to her. "Stay just a little longer."

Victoria turned and fled from the nearly silent footsteps that shadowed hers into the trees. Then his hands were on her arms, his mouth at her neck like a lover.

Splintering pain sliced across the back of her neck and then, a blanket of white rushed up to meet her. She was rolling, bouncing and came to rest a few yards from her twitching body. The pain was gone, but she couldn't close her eyes. She had no choice but to stare in horror as Edward methodically dismantled her body as if he were taking apart a life-sized doll. He carried the pieces out of her range of vision and then, she heard his footsteps approach as he once again came into view.

Edward's face was the last thing she saw as her head spun away into the pile of marbleized flesh and bone. The vision of him burned onto her dead retinas. She could hear and see the broken bits and pieces of Riley that were quickly piled around her. Every cell in her brain exploded in a silent scream of cruel unreserved anguish. Dry dirty pine needles were thrown unceremoniously over her face, leaving her vision blurry as she heard the flip of a lighter, the scratch of the flint and the spark of a flame. A bright searing purple blaze erupted around her, catching her hair in a crackling, sizzling inferno, burning her flesh as the venom in her eyes began to boil and she lost sight forever.