"You're not an animal-drinker." The blunt statement left Edward's mouth almost immediately after we were alone, the clubs' upstairs area normally barred off from customers. Vampires didn't follow rules very well. The dull light of the 'EXIT' sign illuminated the hallway more than enough for us to talk in the damp, mossy building.

"What can I say? I prefer to leave the animals be. Humans are easier, I just have to sway my hips a little, walk into an alley, and dinner comes to me." I loosely folded my arms and watched him watch me.

"That's disgusting, you're playing God. You're not the Bella I knew. You're deciding who gets killed and who doesn't." He spat. I was somewhat surprised he wasn't foaming at the mouth. The livid look in his topaz eyes suggested he wouldn't be far from it.

"No, I'm not. I drink from anyone who's stupid enough to follow me. I don't go searching out the terminally ill, the rapists, the paedophiles, the drug-addict, the killers. I don't search full stop. It's fully up to the people who decided to follow me or not follow me whether they die. I'd be playing God if I did. I won't choose who dies in this world because I have absolutely no right to do more than drink what I need to sustain myself." I paused and looked at him. "Besides, the animals aren't silly enough to come near me. Think of it as me giving evolution a helping hand. I'm taking out the people who'd slow down the progress of the human race. Smarter humans means smarter vampires." Edward had moved in front of me, in an attempt to assert his power over me no doubt.

I stood my ground, staring into his cold irises that once held so much misunderstood love for me.

Now?

Now they held possessiveness, jealousy, anger. Those emotions swirling in his eyes, they made me happy.

"You're no better than Jasper." Edward snarled.

A sharp slap resounded through the hall, Edward's eyes darkened and my hand fell back to my side.

"You will not speak of Jasper like that. Jasper is better than you'll ever be. He lets me make my decisions, he stands by my side and supports me through the right ones and helps me back on my feet through the wrong ones. He's my equal. You are nothing compared to him." I spoke calmly, not letting his petty insults get the better of me. If it weren't an insult directed at my beloved, I could've laughed off his immaturity.

Edward's eyes were almost a black, his rage finally surfacing. In an instant, his hands clamped around my throat and he forced me back, slamming my back against the wall, the plaster cracking and straining under the force.

"Pathetic." I spat out, pulling my leg up between us and kicking his stomach, his hands slipping from my neck. "Absolutely pathetic. Always the child, Edward. Little Bella stepped out from under your protective wing and stood up on her own, and you can't stand it. I'm not living like you, so I must be wrong. Such a close-minded way of living, don't you think?"

He snarled at me, down on one knee but ready to throw himself at me. I dropped down slightly, readying myself for his attack, and preparing to use his weight against him.

Finally he snapped, almost roaring in rage as he leaped across the small distance. I grabbed his arm and flipped on top of him, his stomach on the ground and his body straining against my strength. I pulled his arm further up his back, my knee between his broad shoulder blades, pressing him further down.

"You're never going to win. You rely too much on hearing everyone else's thoughts that you don't really have any of your own. Pity I can block you out, or you might've given me a run for my money." I stood up, releasing him. "Get out of my life, get out of my town, and never come near me – or Jasper – again. This is your one and only warning." I walked away, waiting for him to have the final word, like he always needed to have.

"You'll regret this! One day Bella, you'll come crying back."

I didn't respond. I didn't really care what he had to say, I just wanted to get back to Jasper.

"Isabella! Where were–" Jasper started to question me, but stopped midway. Edward's scent likely drifted to him, it probably surrounded my entire body.

Jasper's eyes flooded to black, his voice rolling in his throat.

"What's he doing here?" Jasper was ready to attack. Attack what, I didn't know. As far as I was concerned, Edward was long gone.

"He voiced his displeasure in my dietary choices. Apparently he doesn't like it when I feed from humans. Who knew?"

"Isabella." Jasper seemed to be growing angrier and more uneasy as the seconds ticked by.

"I don't know, Jazz, he talked about my eyes, he talked about you. That was about it. I have no idea why he's here in the first place. I don't think he knew I was alive. I think it was an accident that he found me, but he isn't pleased, that's for sure." I'd barely finished speaking and Jasper was on me in a heartbeat. Not my heart beat. Someone's, somewhere, I'm sure.

"He's all I can smell. He's all you smell like. I can't find your scent at all. I can't even find mine on you. What. Happened." It wasn't so much a question as it was a demand.

"I made him angry, as usual. His hand was on my throat, and he was on me in a confined space. He wanted to talk long enough that his odour has clung to me." I started to press against Jasper, my hands travelling up and around his neck, tangling in his hair. "You can fix that though, can't you?" I could hear my voice purring, I could feel myself starting to lose control. The instinctual part of me only wanted to be drenched in my mate's scent and nothing else. The rational part of me wanted that too, but she was more conservative about voicing the wish.

Naturally, Jasper responded immediately. Grabbing my legs and carrying me to the bathroom.

"First, Darlin', you need to have a shower. I'm airing out the house before I join you."

I clung to him and nuzzled his neck, barely able to control my desire swirling around my stomach, aching with my want and need for him.

He dropped my legs and turned on the hot water while I shimmied out of my jeans and pulled off my shirt. He disappeared in a blur and I heard the sliding windows being pushed open all around the house. Soon Edward's sickly sweet perfume would vanish without a trace, and Jasper and I would fill it again with ours.

Before too long, Jasper was against me again, already naked and pulling me into the shower. His mouth was against my throat, his breath swirling around my neck and ear. Shivers traveled across my entire body as he continued to spread himself over me again, replacing the foul fragrance from before.

"Isabella." Jasper's drawl sending me weak at my knees and light-headed. I hummed in response. "Isabella if he touches you ever again, I will kill him."

"I know. But concentrate on you touching me now. I missed you Jasper."

Half a second of our eyes meeting was enough to push any thought from our heads, our primal instincts took over and we focused on our desire for one another.

It's been a while. This is the final chapter, I promise. I've had this on USB for quite a while and just never got around to uploading it but here it is finally. Idk how happy I am with it, reading back on it after so long. But the first chapter didn't really feel complete I guess. Yeah. Thanks!

Fox