Her heartbeat was agonizingly slow. Each beat threatened to be the last and her eyes fluttered shut.

“Don’t,” she breathed, “’s my own…stupid fault…danger magnet, remember?” She attempted a weak smile, tearing at my heart. Of course she would blame herself.

I didn’t know what to do. Carlisle was too far away to help, and by the time even I got her to a hospital it could be too late.

Her soft voice interrupted my racing mind. “Edward,” her eyes met mine in a piercing gaze. “I’m dying. I can feel it.”

I could feel it too. Every sense was screaming this at me and I could not ignore it. “No, no, you’ll be fine,” I tried to reassure her. I didn’t believe me, and it was clear that she didn’t either.

Her eyes never left mine. “You can save me,” she whispered.

I exhaled the stale air in my lungs, “You don’t know what you’re asking,”

“I don’t want to die.” She begged me. “Please.”

“I don’t know if I can,” I admitted fearfully in a whisper.

“Please.” Her lids fell shut.

I looked around hopelessly, searching for some kind of answer, something to help me, even though I already knew it was hopeless. She was dying, and there was no stopping it.

But I could not lose her.

My frantic eyes landed on the still-warm bodies strewn about the dark alleyway. Perhaps…

“Edward,” one last plea fell from her lips.

It might have been the most selfish thing I’ve ever done and ever will do, but I could not watch her die.

I laid her back on the cold cement as gently as I could. She whimpered in protest and fear. I brushed one hand against her cheek. “Shh, I’m not leaving you.”

Truthfully, I don’t think I could’ve left her. But there was no one to stop me if I lost control, so I needed to take as many precautions as possible – even if it was only this one thing.

Perhaps if I drank my fill before biting her, it would be easier to stop. It wasn’t much of a plan, but I had to try. It was all I had.

I quickly made my way to the nearest body, picked it up and hesitated a split second before biting into his neck, preparing myself. The venom pooled in my mouth like saliva.

I bit down and drank the still-cooling blood.

The rush! It had been so long since I had tasted human blood that I had forgotten how powerful it made me feel! The vampire in me took over, draining the corpse in minutes, moving on to the next without thought or hesitation. I was an animal, acting purely on instinct. I was on the hunt, and I would have my reward.

I didn’t regain my sense of thought until the second body was drained and I began to feel full. I drained the third and felt gorged. Half way through the fourth I felt as if I could drink no more. I finished anyway, just for good measure.

Their strength was mine now. Human blood coursed through my veins, and I felt more alive, more on fire than I had in decades. I wanted to run and see how fast I was. I wanted to hunt just for the thrill, to see how powerful I was.

Then I saw Bella’s limp form and my veins froze. My task, my sin lay before me, waiting.

I had not taken a breath since I had entered the alley and I did not dare breathe now with the thrill of the feast still in the back of my mind. Her heartbeat seemed impossibly slow and the dull thud filled my ears. I squared my shoulders and faced her. I could do this. My bloodlust was momentarily satisfied. I could drink no more.

I knelt beside her once more.

“Bella,” I whispered, my lips at her ear, “Don’t leave me…”

My teeth hovered over her throat, poised.

I prayed.

And then I sank my teeth in.