“Her eyes.” Edward directed his attention.

“Red.” He announced. “Less than an hour then.”

They mumbled some other things that I didn’t catch before I heard Edward ask – “Is everything moved?”

“Yes.” Was the response. “We are waiting for you guys. Alice is going to drive you two, so you can sit in the back seat with Bella.”

They continued talking, but I lost focus of what they were saying. Carlisle exited a moment later, just as I had begun to slowly recover from the pain that had captivated me for the last…….was it only three days? It seemed so much longer.

“Where are my clothes?” I suddenly realized aloud.

“You were complaining about the burning, and you said that my skin helped.” Edward supplied.

I then realized that Edward’s clothing was also missing. I understood, then, his focus on pressing as much of his skin to mine as he could and I was immediately grateful.

“How’s the burning?”

“Gone.” I replied honestly.

“Good.” He nodded. “I was so impressed with you, Bella. You were so strong.

“It hurt like hell.” I admitted shamelessly.

“I know it did.”

He held me for a few more minutes until all of the pain vanished entirely.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

I frowned. I felt something, that was for sure. I didn’t know what exactly it was that I felt though.

“I feel….”

“Thirsty.” He finished for me.

That was it. I was thirsty. I had been prepared for this, but the intensity of the feeling shocked me.

“Alice and I will stop and hunt with you before we get to Denali.” He answered my silence.

There it was. Fear. The elusive fear that had escaped me in the most convenient of times. There it was now, invading my calmness like a tornado. I didn’t know how to hunt. What if I was bad at it? What if I couldn’t handle the blood?

“You’ll be fine.” He promised, reading my expression. “But we really should get going before you get anymore thirsty.” He warned.

I nodded in agreement.

He stood up and stretched. I realized, as he put his clothes on, that he hadn’t left this bed in almost 4 days. Another surge of gratefulness flowed through me as I followed suit, gathering my clothes with surprising speed and grace from the floor. Yes, this was going to take some getting used to. Edward smiled, and held out his hand for me. He felt much softer to the touch now that I was less breakable. I marveled at the ease with which I descended the stairs. I didn’t trip at all. I grinned, proud of the undeserved accomplishment. Edward didn’t need to save me from falling to my death at all. What an improvement. Edward surveyed my discoveries as he walked beside me. When I caught his eye, he was grinning widely.

“What?” I was confused.

His only response was to lift me up and lock his hands behind my head. I caught on quickly and offered no opposition. I hooked my legs around his waist and allowed our lips to collide dangerously as he pressed my back into the stairway wall much more forcefully than he would normally have. The force was welcomed. It was so much different to kiss Edward when I wasn’t fragile. I didn’t feel so weak and breakable anymore. His tongue parted my lips and fearlessly darted in and out of my mouth. The caution that had always been present before was completely absent now.

“I can’t wait to get to the house.” He grinned.

I was very pleased to find that my thirst and desire for blood did not overpower my desire for Edward. All of the same urges were still there, the only difference was the addition of another, still unfamiliar, one.

The kiss could not last long. His family…… our family was waiting downstairs to welcome us back.

Still holding his hand tightly, we descended the remaining flight of stairs to greet the family, and our future.