E D W A R D

Stubborn. Obstinate. Right. I finally had a synonym for this girl. Intrusive.

I'd manipulated Jenna to get this trip started in a hurry. She packed everything necessary whilst leaving Lisa to me.

I had no idea to what to do to her. Punishing was the first word that rang in my ears but then I realized handing her over to Mason would pay for everything she'd ever done.

So I let her go.

I wasn't betting on the odds but I knew she'd never let anyone lay a finger on her aunt; she'd do anything for that matter.

So manipulating her into thinking that I'd kill her aunt so effortlessly was almost everything that she needed to get in line.

We took a bus from nearby road that left us hanging in the middle of evergreen trees with a board behind us that greeted, 'Welcome to Paradise.'

"They call this paradise? What must they call the heaven then? House in clouds?" I revealed a slight smirk at her comment.

She had to be having the worst time of her life.

Me, on the other hand, I grew up near a lake with my friends discovering new lanes in the woods each day, every day of my life.

I hesitated recalling the next few years, they're no joke. Trained, drunk, slept, hunt then trained again.

Abruptly a wide eyes man in his thirties with bald face covered in thin blue garments emerged in front of us.

Both the women seemed to saw him from a distant but I was nearly lost. He shook Jenna's hand gently and then motioned for us to walk.

Even a slight glimpse of him was enough for me to know he was Anil.

He led the way to a wooden two storey house that had a counter in the ground floor. It wasn't there house but a different one where they gave the trespassers a receipt to their death.

Surrounded by tall and thick dreary yellow trees, sat a man who looked like the bald one's twin. Aman, the tough one.

Jenna and he seemed to be having a nice talk as she introduced us.

I almost wanted to laugh at the moment but held back instead. He was a good actor, I'd give him that.

Looking at the both of them I realized how comfortable she was talking to a stranger-but then again she didn't have to watch her back for enemies.

I sincerely envied how she was able to blend in so effortlessly. I wished I had more of that.

I felt like a mosquito sting on the crust of my upper arm and when my eyes hovered around they rested on the side of a pale slender bare neckline.

My eyes glowed in thirst and I forgot the last time I had such a scrumptious supper.

My instincts forced my hands and gripped them around her forearms.

I didn't realize I wasn't alone and that moment was something I couldn't hold back from.

My fangs started to itch and grow. They were so eager that I felt my mouth turning into a bed of blisters.

I'd stopped myself from this pure satisfaction more times than I could count and I wouldn't anymore. That was a frightening thought.

Eventually she started squirming in my grip and half slapped across my torso.

"Were you going to bite me?" She muttered keeping the rigidity in her tone but only enough to make me listen to her words.

I slipped my hands away from her and stuffed them into my pockets.

Her hands enveloped around each other in front of her chest. She had worn a loose scarlet T-shirt that failed to veil her left shoulder and skinny jeans.

Her hair was a pony tail stretched on her head tightly much like her raging brows.

"If you try so much as to hurt her, you'll pay for it." She threatened coming forth.

Stay away! My mind yelled. She was driving me crazy!

Suddenly I got a feeling in my gut that she wasn't going to make it out of this forest unharmed.

"No harm to her. Though I can't guarantee your life." I leaned down expecting a bit of . . . something at least.

My voice was a roar to human ears, enough to frighten a muscular man but she just gazed, more frustrated and irritated.

"C'mon kids. Time for fun." Jenna called breaking our gawking.

Lisa passed by me shooting a warning glare at my direction that contained her everlasting firmed and violent nature.

I couldn't help but stare as Aman took us near a lake surrounded by gardens of lively sunflowers.

I did question the name Paradise myself at first but when I saw the clear blue sky where the white frothy flowers enveloped in each other's embraces resided and the colorless mirror constituted by zillions of water drops formed a marvelous lake with diverse roses at the edges of the ground, I knew it wasn't less than a dreamland.

I looked over my shoulder to see Lisa's blushing face and found her gaping at the scene. Her brows twitched in a weird manner that showed somewhat empathy.

Her lips became more pinkish when they parted and she never blinked once in the whole minute.

As if knowing my sight at her she quickly brushed off the shock and flush on her face.

She slapped her thighs to get rid of the dust which was never there and shut her mouth.

I couldn't help but laugh at her reactions.

"Let's go." Aman gestured for us to proceed. That's when I saw a boat leading towards us.

He helped Jenna to get to the boat passing by a thin wood as a pathway. I walked easily to them because of my skills and received an impressive gesture from both of them.

At the same time I could hear a pair of rolling eyes behind my back as she motioned towards us.

She took each step carefully one after the other and dawdled forth.

She was almost finished and was about to land her foot on the side deck when the ground literally slipped beneath her feet and she stumbled onward resting on my torso with her nails dipped into my biceps.

My face forced into the gap of her bare neck side and I prayed slowly keeping my mouth shut and focusing at the scene apart from the fragrance that just got shoved down into my trachea.

I swallowed deep breaths forgetting I'd only have her scent and my mind began to spin.

How long had she been like that? Why wasn't she getting up? How long had it been, seconds, minutes, hours? In my brain it felt like a whole tiring day with no food, no water and the source was now in front of me.

A taste wouldn't hurt, right?

I felt my lips parting and resting on her skin, my mouth covered her shoulder and her skin felt like sweets.

I knew if I squeezed this sweet a very sugary fluid would come out. And that was it.

She drew back.

I forbade myself from another thought as her hair cascaded on her shoulder covering the spot.

She looked like she'd recently blushed and walked away gradually and cautioned.

On our entire way I tried to snoop into her thoughts. It was the first time she'd ever been so closed to me and I had so many questions but most of all, did she like it? Did I bite her?

I had to see but unlike her shirt, her hair never betrayed her shoulder.

"What's that Aman?" Jenna asked.

We followed at the direction with our eyes noticing a centuries old cave that seemed off-putting with all the beauty it was surrounded by.

"That's said to belong to a night creature who longs to wake and roam this earth again." Aman said.

"Night creature as vampires?" Lisa asked taking me by surprise.

I shot her a hard glare but she just ignored it.

"Turning into bats. Sleeping in coffins. Have cravings for our blood. Yep, that one." He replied.

He wasn't complaining but it stung like the bitter truth. When you lived with humans you had to get used to the insolent remarks.

Like he said, we couldn't turn into bats and sure as hell I'd never spent a night in a coffin. So what, I wasn't a vampire?

"Don't worry misses. That's just some folklore and us, this is what real." Lisa let out an inaudible chuckle that both amused and confused me.

A vibration was created in the water and seemed like a large fish swimming its way towards us.

Lisa jumped over to my side to take a closer look and just then we heard it.

The drums started to beat at a closer distance and she gazed into my eyes to find the answers.

"Where are we?" She asked taking a closer look.

I should've known. I watched the upcoming vibration approaching our boat.

I should've known. I muttered constantly in anger.

How could they do this? I made pretty clear that I'd complete my task on the phone this morning.

How hard was it for him to understand that I'd do anything for my mother, a girl didn't matter!

"You're just too good."

I couldn't help but wander over Marcel's words. Was he right? Didn't Mason trust me?

If he didn't then what was the point of putting me all through this? He could've simply sent one of his other followers!

Interfering in my business wasn't something I'd let go so easily. I'd make him pay for everything.

"Edward!" Lisa shook my arm vigorously.

Her eyes were failing to hide the dampness and insecurity in her voice was vivid, almost swallowing the fear that was stroking her tongue.

What was I supposed to say? At that moment the sudden urge to protect her ignited inside of me, I wanted to comfort her-if only I could find the right words to do it.