The Showdown

I left Bella in the bedroom to recollect herself while I returned to the front room to rejoin Charlie and the boys; mama still hadn't returned from checking us out and Henry was helping Charlie with a few last-minute things. Good, hopefully that would keep them distracted while I had a talk with Geoffrey, who was sitting at the table, eyeing me. He already knew. 

"Are you insane?" He hissed through clenched teeth, his voice barely above a whisper as I crossed toward him; mirroring how his ears laid flat against his head and meeting his furious brown eyes, I sighed. 

"Geoffrey...you know this isn't how we wanted things to go -" 

"This is exactly what we were trying to avoid!" He narrowed his eyes, "We left home so we could escape James and this sick hunt of his and now you and Bella are running right into his arms!" 

I glanced uneasily at my stepfather and younger brother's backs, hoping whatever they were talking about right now would be enough to keep their attention before I turned back to Geoffrey, "Geo, I want to protect Bella as much as you do, but we have to do this..." 

"Why?" He shoved away from the table and stood practically nose to nose with me, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell mom and dad exactly what you and Bella are planning." 

"He has Renee and Phil." Hesitation flashed in Geoffrey's eyes and I quickly pressed on, "Geoffrey, if Bella and I don't go alone, he's going to kill them...even if we involved the Cullens, it wouldn't take him long to do what he needed and flee...Bella and I have to do this..." 

"How can you be sure he really has them?" Geoffrey argued, trying very hard to rationalize. 

"I didn't hear Renee, but Bella did...I could tell from her expression." I thought back to the raw panic and fear in Bella's eyes when they'd met mine, the silent plea for help she hadn't been able to voice in that moment. Geoffrey released a long, low sigh and ran a hand through his thick brunette hair, pushing it back out of his face, contemplating this. I gave my younger brother a pleading look, "Look, Geo...don't think I want to do this...the last thing I want to do is put Bella in danger, but we can't just leave Renee and Phil...but to do this, it has to be just us..." I paused, taking a breath, "So please...please don't say anything to the others...don't say anything to mom or dad..." 

Geoffrey stared at me for a long, silent moment, considering the situation before he sighed once more, "Fine, I won't say anything...but I can't promise I'll be able to keep this from Edward when his plane lands..." 

"Bella and I will be gone before it touches down...we're planning on slipping away in the airport." I bit my bottom lip, going over the plan in my mind one more time. 

"Kinda figured as much...with so much sensory stimulation, ma's gonna be all over the place as soon as we walk through the doors." Geoffrey rubbed his neck, watching Charlie and Henry, "Should be a piece of cake for the two of you to slip away before she notices anything is amiss." He turned back to me and, without warning, reached out to take my hand in his, staring into my eyes, "Dawn, promise me you'll be careful out there...please." 

I looked deep into those double pools of chocolate brown staring back at me, brimming with a maelstrom of emotions; on the surface, I knew he was confident in the fact that I would fight with everything I had to protect our family, to protect Bella, her mother, and stepfather, wise in the knowledge that I was a capable enough fighter that I might have a chance against this vampire, but underneath that was something deeper, an acutely buried emotion engrained in each of us since before we'd learned to walk upright: fear. This fear, however, was not for himself, but for Bella and I in this very moment, a fear of the possibility that neither of us would return alive. 

Smiling quietly, I pulled Geoffrey into a hug, burying my face in his shoulder; he stiffened, taken aback at the sudden gesture, but then he wrapped his arms tight around my waist. 

"I'll do my damnest, Geo...I'll do my damnest." I whispered, squeezing his waist gently. He nodded, took a deep breath, then pulled away, "All right, let's not get all mushy..." he sniffed, swiping at his nose with his wrist; I smiled weakly at his attempt to look cool and kissed his forehead, "C'mon, we have to finish getting ready to go..." 

We returned to the bedroom together to make sure we'd packed everything while mama returned from downstairs; after a quick talk, each of us kids took a quick turn in the shower (mama and Charlie would wait until we got to Connecticut to wash up), changed, then we left the hotel and piled back into Carlisle's Mercedes to head to the airport. Alice and Edward text me a few times with updates on Alice's visions but, after exchanging quick looks with Bella and Geoffrey, I decided not to answer and stuffed my phone into my jean pocket, feeling my unease grow. 

When we arrived, mama parked on the fourth floor of the attached parking garage and led the way to the elevators, which we rode down to the third level, the floor where passengers disembarked. Luckily for Bella and I, this was the level we needed to make our escape; the Cullens' plane was due to land in terminal four, the largest and most confusing, where most flights came in. There was a door we could take that could be our only chance. 

Once in the airport, mama and Charlie steered us into a small restaurant near the arrival board, where Henry sipped on a pineapple smoothie while mama and Charlie talked over coffee. Our flight to Connecticut wasn't due to depart until 10:30, which would have given us enough time to meet up with the Cullens before we were due to board. 

Bella was restless while we waited, fidgeting in her seat and playing with Henry's straw wrapper; he didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied people watching while mama and Charlie chalked it up to anticipation for Edward's arrival. Geoffrey, though, kept glancing between her and I, drumming his fingers on the table. I gave him a silent look, telling him to play it cool before allowing my gaze to sweep the crowd milling past, waiting for the perfect opportunity; I needed to time things just right if Bella and I were going to be able to slip away. 

Already, I could tell the overstimulation was getting to mama and the boys, the constant noise, movement, and smells too much for their sensitive senses. In situations like these, my family was known to sometimes hyper focus on something if they felt it was important, to the point they often blocked out anything else going on around them. I just had to wait for mama to find that thing to fixate on before I could make my move. 

As the Cullens' arrival drew nearer, the Seattle flight appeared on the arrivals' board and began to creep its way upward as the flights before it arrived on time. Mama went from casting the board an occasional glance to focusing entirely on it the closer the plane's arrival drew. 

At half an hour before touch-down and her attention completely on the arrival board, I took the chance; as I opened my mouth, however, the numbers suddenly changed. The Seattle flight was ten minutes early. Crap. 

The legs of my chair scraped across the tiled floor as I pushed away from the table, "Hey dad, Bella and I gotta go to the bathroom. We'll be back in a minute, okay?" 

Charlie looked up from his coffee as I grabbed Bella's hand, blinking, then nodded, "Okay, be careful girls." 

"We will." I threw over my shoulder as I guided Bella into the main hub of the food court, quickly scanning the adjourning halls. 

"It's that way." Bella pointed and I spotted the sign hung above the door of the level three ladies' room. Gripping my sister's hand tight in mine, I pulled her toward it, casting a quick glance over my shoulder as we slipped inside. As soon as the door swung shut behind us, we were sprinting toward the other end of the room, where there was a second exit. We'd each gotten lost at least once in this bathroom because of these exits, which came in handy for this very situation. 

Once through the far door, we sprinted down a short hall and rounded the corner leading to the row of elevators. Ignoring the stares and whispers of other passers-by, I shoved a foot between the closing doors of an almost full elevator and ushered Bella inside before squeezing my way in beside her. The other passengers gave disgruntled grumbles as I glanced at the keypad on the wall, letting out a sigh of relief when I saw the button for level one was already lit while the doors closed behind us. 

The elevator gave a quiet ding as we arrived on our floor, the grumbles of the other airport patrons little more than background noise as I dragged Bella through the baggage claim to a pair of automatic doors that let us out onto a crowded curb. 

"Shit..." I whispered when I couldn't spot any cabs; mama would still be hyper focused on the arrival boards upstairs, so I knew there was no danger of her coming after us just yet, but that didn't mean we were out of the woods. As soon as Edward was within range of Geoffrey, he would know exactly what was going on and it wouldn't take long for him to find us. We had to leave now. 

There was a quiet hiss from a few feet behind us and I whirled to find the source, praying for anything that could get us out of here. Standing before us was a shuttle to the Hyatt. 

"Wait!" I picked Bella up and sprinted toward the vehicle, waving my free arm to get the drivers' attention. 

"This is the shuttle to the Hyatt." The driver said in confusion as the doors slid open. 

"We know." I carried Bella up the steps, "That's where we're going." 

The driver eyed the two of us, obviously curious as to our luggage-less state, but then shrugged. I sighed in relief that he didn't care enough to pry. 

The shuttle was mostly empty, so Bella and I took seats up front; she leaned into the window, watching the sidewalk and airport fall behind. I could see her eyes glistening in the reflection of the glass and knew she was probably picturing how Edward would look, standing at the edge of the road where our trail had ended. I squeezed her hand in mine, a silent promise that she would see him again as I stared out the windshield, preparing myself for the fight I knew was looming on the horizon. I was going to need to be careful when facing James, at least until I could get Bella, Renee, and Phil out of harms' way. 

Luck seemed to be on our side today; as our shuttle pulled up to the Hyatt, I spotted a tired-looking couple pulling their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. I pulled Bella off the shuttle before it'd even come to a full stop and hurried to slide into the backseat of the cab amid looks from the couple and shuttle driver. 

The cabbie wrinkled his nose when Bella told him Renee's address, "We need to get there as soon as possible." 

"That's all the way in Scottsdale." He complained. I rolled my eyes as I pulled my wallet out and tossed five twenties onto the front seat. 

"That enough to get us there?" 

"Sure, kid, no problem." 

I sighed and leaned back into the seat, rubbing my temple in an effort to stave off the headache I could feel creeping its way in. As much as I would like to relax at the knowledge that we had managed to slip away and make it this far, we had quite the ways to go...we still had to get to Renee's house and figure out where we would need to go to find where James was keeping her and Phil hostage. 

I spent the twenty-minute drive mulling all this over and staring out the window, only vaguely away of the city passing us by while Bella stared resolutely through the windshield, readying herself for the confrontation. It had to be a place he could get in and out of easily, a place that would be more difficult for his prey to escape, probably somewhere there were as few exits as possible. Then, I thought of Alice's visions, knowing there had to be something in there that could give us a clue... 

(Wait, what was the first place Alice saw when James arrived here?) I thought back to the first room she'd described and the drawing I'd made of it flashed through my minds' eye, (The studio...) 

"Hey, what was the number again?" I jumped at the cabbie's voice, shaking the thoughts away as I turned to him again while Bella blinked slowly, coming back from her own thoughts. I had no doubt she'd been somewhere off in a daydream with Edward, judging by the somewhat dazed look still in her eyes. 

"Fifty-eight twenty-one." I said, glancing out the window at the house he'd pulled up to. 

"Well, here we are." I could see the cabbie watching Bella and I from over his shoulder with knit brows, as though sensing our distraction. He was probably wondering about now if there was something wrong with us. 

"Keep the change, huh?" I followed Bella out of the cab and hurried her toward the front door, casting the yard a quick glance and eyeing the windows. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no ominous presence lurking inside that I could sense, but something seemed...off. His scent was there, a wild mix of faded fabric and pine needles, but it was faint; he hadn't stayed long after he'd made the call this morning. There was just...something missing, something I couldn't quite put my finger on... 

Bella let us into the house using the key they kept hidden under the eave of the door and disappeared into the shadowed entryway, her footsteps deafening in the silence as she ran for the kitchen. I followed her inside at a slower pace and paused in the foyer, which was a great deal cooler than outside, even if the air conditioning hadn't been run in months. 

Everything looked the same as it had the last time we'd visited, the furniture in the same place it'd been when I drew it this morning, undisturbed, just as it should be. And yet it felt so completely wrong...it was too clean, too...organized. Even the most experienced and cautious hunter couldn't erase all the evidence of their hunt, not under the scrutiny of another supernatural creature. Humans weren't observant enough to pick up on subtle clues those of our world left behind, their senses unused to the things ours were. 

"Dawn." I turned instinctively at my sister's voice, one ear swiveling toward her while the other continued to twitch, restless, "Dawn, we have to go -" 

"To the old ballet studio." I could see the confirmation of my earlier suspicions in her eyes; I grabbed for her arm, hauling her onto my back before she could open her mouth to protest, "We can get there faster like this." She locked her arms around my neck, holding on as tight as she physically could as I raced out the door. 

A blanket of moist heat hit me in the face as I sprinted across the prickled, dead grass of the front lawn, immediately bringing forth a sheen of perspiration that stuck my hair to my forehead and the back of my neck. Bella tightened her grip around my shoulders, fingers gripping my collar to find purchase against the sweat that now coated my skin; I rounded the corner, gripping her knees in each hand, ignoring the stifling heat against my back where her body was pressed against mine, nearly insufferable in this heat. The top of my head and my ears burned under the sun's intense gaze, and I suppressed the anxiety coiling in the pit of my stomach at the knowledge of how exposed we were out here. This place was far too open, too dangerous. It caused an ache deep inside, a longing for the familiar, lush forests of home. Our stay here was temporary, of course, but that still didn't erase the anxiety I felt at this moment, knowing the danger I was running toward...the danger I was forcing my sister to have to face in order to protect her family. 

I slowed at the corner that let onto Cactus, spotting the studio a stone's throw down the street; Bella immediately clambered off my back, but I put an arm out in front of her, gripping her forearm to keep her behind me, unwilling to allow her the chance to run ahead or leave my sight. Her eyes burned into the side of my face, but she didn't protest as we neared the studio together. 

The parking lot out front was empty, the blinds on each window drawn. Fingers twisted in the bottom of my shirt and Bella's breathing hitched, shallow and anxious now; I had to concentrate on maintaining a calm facade, knowing at least one of us had to keep a cool head, least our anxieties got the better of us. 

As we reached the sidewalk out front, my attention was drawn to a piece of hot pink paper taped to the window by the front door, announcing that the dance studio had been closed for spring break. I glanced at Bella before we crossed the asphalt, and I cautiously tried the door handle. It gave little resistance as I turned the handle, and the door swung inward. 

The smell of shampoo filled my nose as we stepped into the unlit lobby and the door swung shit behind us with a click, the only other sound that of the air conditioner thrumming through a vent high up on the wall. In a corner were several stacks of plastic chairs. My ears folded as I eyed the viewing windows for each of the dance floors; the one on the western wall was open, but dark. The blinds were drawn on the eastern window...and aglow with light from within. 

Beyond those blinds, I could sense him waiting, his scent unmistakable over that of the carpet cleaner...the only other scent of another 'living' creature (aside from Bella) I could discern... 

Warning bells blared as my thoughts returned to the foyer of Renee's home, my unease about how normal the house had seemed and how out of place it was in this situation. Renee and Phil's scents had been there, ingrained into the very walls of the house itself, a presence which had slowly faded over time while they were in Florida. But there had been no fresh trail; the scent in the house had been completely stale, old, like the house had been abandoned without anyone else's knowledge. There was not a single, strong trace of their scent here or at the house. 

Renee and Phil weren't here...I'd made such an idiotic mistake and brought Bella straight to him. 

Before I could move or even open my mouth, Renee's hysterical voice called out through the open door on the eastern wall. 

"Bella? Bella!" 

Bella shoved past me before her mother had even started calling her name a second time and sprinted for the door. I cursed under my breath and bolted after her. 

"Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again!" The voice continued as I grabbed her arm again, yanking her to a halt in the middle of the long, high-ceilinged room. She whirled to face me, her face scrunched in anger, but, before I could speak, we heard Renee laugh and we turned. 

Against the wall, atop a portable AV stand, was a large, bulbous television set. Renee beamed out at us from the screen while she tussled her, then, twelve-year-old daughter's hair in relief. The memory of that Thanksgiving flashed through my mind, when mama and Charlie had brought us to California to spend the holiday with Renee, Bella, and Renee's mother shortly before the older woman had died. We'd decided to go to the beach one day and Bella had given us all a fright when she'd leaned too far over the edge of a pier. Mama had caught the infamous moment on camera. 

There was a click behind us, and I whirled around as the screen turned blue. James stood silently by the back exit, a light smile on his lips and the remote control in one hand. I turned more fully to face him, putting an arm out in front of Bella again and baring my teeth warningly. He only chuckled. 

He strode toward us, passing too close for comfort on his way to place the remote down next to the VCR. I turned carefully, keeping Bella behind me as I watched his every move. 

"I'm sorry about that, girls, but isn't it better that Bella's mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" 

He spoke in a very kind, courteous voice that sent a prickle down my spine; I growled, a low sound from deep in the back of my throat. 

"You tricked us." My voice was little more than a snarl, the bridge of my nose wrinkling as I pulled my lips further back from my teeth. He turned to look at me, quite amused. 

"Yes, well, I did have to find some way to get the two of you here, didn't I? I knew you wouldn't risk someone you care for being hurt in your stead." He looked the two of us over with interest; his irises were almost completely black now, edged by a ring of ruby. Thirsty. "I will give that strange coven of yours this much, though, humans and other...creatures like you," he eyed me with interest, "are quite fascinating. I haven't seen many of you before, but...there is a certain draw to you. Humans are...interesting, to say the least...some don't seem to have any sense of self-interest at all...and you -" 

"Wolf demons." I ground out through clenched teeth. 

"Right...you seem to have a strong sense of family...so much so you're willing to put yourselves in harms' way to protect them. You're like giant dogs, in a way." 

He crossed his arms, looking me up and down slowly, taking me in. He seemed completely at ease, comfortable, as though this was nothing out of the ordinary. There wasn't an ounce of malice in his face or stance. 

Looking at his vampire now, I was suddenly struck by how completely average-looking he seemed; there wasn't a single remarkable thing about him aside from the familiar, alabaster skin and the haunting red eyes. If he'd still been human, he wouldn't stick out from a crowd, not even dressed in that long-sleeved pale blue shirt and his faded blue jeans. 

"And yet, you're different, aren't you?" James took a slow step toward us, and I tightened my arm around Bella, "I don't think I've ever come across someone like you before. Not quite a wolf, not quite...one of us?" I grit my teeth, jaw flexing in answer, "I thought so...I could smell it. Wild and free, yet...cold. Like the forest in the dead of winter." 

He leaned in close until I could feel his cool breath waft over my face, inhaling my scent. I took a step back, forcing Bella to do the same. He smiled slowly. 

"Well, I can say this is something new to add to the list, even if the hunt was rather boring." He stepped back again, sighing, as though disappointed, "I had hoped for a greater challenge...I'd hoped to use more of my skill to find you and your family, but it seems I only needed a bit of luck." 

"A bit of luck?" I narrowed my eyes, "You drove us out of our home." 

"Yes, I did, but it was quite easy for Victoria to get her hands on your information and piece together where you might have gone. Wouldn't make sense for us to run around like chickens with our heads cut off, chasing you down when I could wait somewhere comfortable of my choosing. So, after Victoria got what we needed, I decided I would come to Phoenix to pay Bella's mother a visit. I'd never dreamed any of you would actually come here, too...humans are so very predictable, but I'm afraid I can't quite say the same of demons since I don't know as much about them. After all, who would go to the very last place they should be when in hiding?" 

He shrugged, "But then again, I did have a bit of a hunch. I have something of a sixth sense when it comes to my prey. When I arrived, I heard the message Bella left on the machine, but, of course, I couldn't be sure where exactly she had called from. I should thank her for giving me your number, though, Dawn, it was very helpful. Thankfully for me you were close by, which made things a lot easier." He smiled to himself, "But then, Victoria tells me Bella's boyfriend got on a plane to Phoenix and I knew my hunch had been correct. And, naturally, I was already prepared: by that time, I'd already been through all of Bella's charming home movies. All that was left was the bluff." I got a grim sense of satisfaction at the gloomy look that returned to his face. 

"Unfortunately, though, this just made things too easy and not at all up to my usual standards." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I guess my only real hope for entertainment is the reaction of your families. I'm quite sure Edward and Dawn's mother aren't going to be all too happy about all this." He smirked again, "But I guess I'll just have to wait and see." 

He really thought I wasn't going to be that big of a challenge to him, did he? Well, then, he was going to be in for a very big surprise. This asshole wasn't walking out of his room alive...but there was only thing I had to do first: get Bella out of the line of fire. I just had to wait for the perfect opportunity... 

"Hm, would either of you mind if I left a little...message for your family?" James looked at the two of us as he moved to touch a handheld digital video camera he had balanced atop the stereo. A small red light blinked behind the wide lens, indicating it was already running. James adjusted it a few times and we could hear him widening the frame. I clenched my teeth, glaring as I moved Bella back another step. 

"They might already be angry after I kill you, but sometimes it makes things far more interesting when someone is riled up and I know they won't be able to resist coming after me after they watch this. After all, I wouldn't want them to miss anything." James finished what he was doing and returned his attention to us. I eyed him as he stepped toward us, smiling, while my ears flicked, putting out feelers for anything that could indicate an exit. I already knew of the door we'd come through and the emergency exit at the back of the room, but I needed to know of all of them. If Bella had any chance of escape now, I was going to need to block James in here somehow and keep him from going after her. I had to make sure all my bases were covered... 

"Now, before we begin, I would just like to take this moment to rub it in, just a little bit." He folded his hands behind him, "After all, the answer to everything was there all along and I still got away with it without Edward ruining everything. It did happen once...no, wait, twice," he paused, thoughtful, "The first was ages ago now, when my prey was taken from me...and I'd say the second was before I could even begin the hunt in the first place!" Another sign, forlorn this time. 

"I do have to say, though, I am quite impressed at the old vampire's willingness to protect my victim as much as he had, to the point he made the decision Bella's boyfriend is too weak to make now. When he knew I was on his little friend's trail, he stole her away from the asylum where he worked – the obsession of some vampires with you humans, I'll never completely understand – and as soon as he freed her, he changed her. Poor girl hadn't a clue what was happening, didn't notice the pain...but then again, she had been stuck in that dank little hole of a cell for so long...if it's been a hundred years earlier, she would've been burned at the stake for her visions. Unfortunately for her, in the nineteen-twenties, it was all about institutionalizing people like her and using shock treatments as a cure. When she awoke, strong with raw power, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. Her creator had succeeded in turning her into a strong new vampire and I had no other reason to touch her after that." He sighed again, "So, naturally, I destroyed the old vampire for revenge." 

My heart sank as my best friend's face flashed through my mind, "Alice..." 

"Yes, your little friend." His smile returned, "I was rather surprised when I saw her in the clearing, but her coven ought to derive some comfort from all this. I get you two and they get to keep her. One of the few victims that managed to escape me. Quite the honor, if I do say so myself." His voice drifted then, caught up in a memory, "My one regret is I never did get to have a taste...she smelled so delicious back then, even better than Bella here does." He smiled at her over my shoulder, "Not to be offensive or anything, you and your sister do have very nice smells, after all. Foral and soft, somehow..." 

He reached toward us, and I knew this was as good a chance as any; he had come to the end of his rant and was ready to attack. I had to act now. 

A long, serpentine form flew past my left shoulder, hitting James square in the chest before he could lay a finger on either of us; he flew backward, hitting the opposite wall. I spun on my heel as a loud crunch filled the room, accompanied by the crackle and pop of solidifying water forming a temporary prison, snatching Bella up by the waist to race her to the lobby door. 

"That ice isn't going to hold him for long, so you need to listen carefully." I set her on her feet and hurriedly dug my phone and wallet out, pressing them into her hands, "Here, take these and get back to Renee's house. Call mama or one of the Cullens -" 

"B-but, Dawn -" 

My eyes snapped to hers and I scowled, "Damn it, Bella, you promised you would listen to everything I said when I agreed to this and you're not going back on that promise now." I growled, grabbing her shoulders, "You will do exactly as I tell you if you want this whole thing over and done with. Now you'd better haul ass out of here or I swear on my father's grave that I will make your life a living hell when we get back home. You do not stop, you do not look back, you keep running until you get yourself somewhere safe. Do you understand me?" 

Bella stared with the wide-eyed shock of a child getting scolded by a parent. I would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. 

"Y-yeah...I-I understand." She managed to get out, her voice small. 

"Good, now go!" I gave her a gentle shove toward the exit and grabbed the studio door, slamming it shut. Ice splintered, cracking and thudding against the wooden floor behind me; I spun again, watching as the cracks in the ice encasing James deepened. 

(Okay, Bella's out of harms' way...now just to keep this douche trapped in here until help arrives.) Steeling my resolve and squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath and concentrated, skin prickling as the energy in the air shifted. The temperature dropped, thinning the air until I could see my breath form a mist in front of my face. A chorus of quiet crackles and pops echoed off the walls as a sheet of ice swept the room, coating every surface, including the windows and doors, until only something of tremendous force could break through. 

"I guess I should have expected something like this, shouldn't I?" Instead of sounding angry, James was visibly amused as he broke free, landing on the floor on his hands and knees. He shifted his weight, slumping into a crouch I knew all too well, his easy smile widening to reveal more of his glistening white teeth. 

"Yes, you should have." I widened my stance, that familiar serpentine form coiling its way up my right arm, "You wanted a challenge and you're damn well going to get one." 

James smirked, stalking toward me; I shifted away from the door, and we circled one another, watching for an opening, "Too bad your sister couldn't stay and be part of the fun." 

"Guess you're just going to have to content yourself with me, then." 

His eyes flashed, a mix of amusement and exhilaration at the challenge before he launched himself forward; I shifted my weight to my right leg, twisting out of his path at the last second and spun, arching my left leg around in a wide, round-house kick. It hit him dead in the back of the head and he slid across the floor before scrambling back into his earlier crouch. 

"We've got a fast one here, don't we?" he snickered, "Impressive, but it going to take more than speed for you to get the upper hand." 

I returned to my earlier stance, feet shoulder width apart, spine straight and chin raised as I indicated for him to come at me again with my index and middle fingers. He didn't hesitate to launch himself forward again, nearly a blur now; I bent my knees when he was but a foot away, shifting out of his reach again. He took me by surprise, however, as he landed where I'd just been standing instead of flying past this time, his body contorting as he got his legs under him, and thrusting upward - 

The audible crunch of breaking cartilage filled my ears, pain exploding through the bridge of my nose as the crown of his head struck me in the face. I instinctively stumbled back as tears filled my eyes, my vision little more than a blur of intermixing brown and silver. Before I could get my bearings, something small but solid buried itself in my stomach; air fled my lungs as I was thrown back, a new wave of pain racing up my spine as I hit the wall of ice that enshrouded the room. It buckled under my weight, pieces of solid water scattering across the floor around me as I landed, gasping for breath. Something heavy landed on one of my ankles hard enough to send a dull ache reverberating through my bones. 

James's laughter echoed in the cavernous room, his footsteps slowly drawing closer, "Well, I have to say, this hunt is turning out far more entertaining than I had first thought!" 

Blinking furiously to clear my vision, I slid my hands underneath me and scrambled to regain my footing, breath still labored in my chest. He was there before I could get my legs under me, his foot stomping down, hard, on the ankle that had been struck by ice; a fresh wave of pain followed the crunch of bone. 

"FUCK!" The strangled scream ripped from my throat before I could stop it, fresh tears stinging my eyes as I thrashed, twisting to grip my leg in both hands. James leaned over me, eyes alight and lips stretched wide in a sick, sadistic smile, which seemed to fade as he lifted his gaze to a row of windows built near the top half of the wall. 

"Hm, it appears I don't have much time left..." He sighed, like someone had interrupted him in the middle of a game, "That's too bad...this is one of the few hunts I've been able to enjoy in the last decade and a half. But then, I suppose all good things must come to an end." 

Lowering his gaze back to me, James bent to grab my arm; I fought against his hold as he hauled me to my feet, my one good leg scrambling for purchase as I grabbed his wrist. He secured my free hand in his iron grip, using just the strength of his arms to press me back into the indent I'd left in the ice as I glared up into his dark eyes. He smirked in return, leaning his body into mine to pin my arms between us, eliminating any range of motion I might have had. 

So, this was it...this was how I was going to die. Admittedly, I'd never thought I'd die at the hands of a vampire, not like this, anyway...but, strangely, I couldn't bring myself to regret what had led up to this moment. I'd come here with the intention of protecting Bella, her mother, and stepfather, even when I didn't need to, and I'd managed to keep her safe in the end. In all honesty, if I had to choose how I died, this would probably be at the top of the list, knowing my family was safe and sound, that I had done what I had always been meant to. Knowing I had given my life to protect my pack... 

"Finally given up, have you?" James quirked a brow when he noticed I'd stopped struggling. I stared back into his inquisitive face, suddenly unafraid with the knowledge that I had fulfilled my purpose. He searched my eyes, eyebrows arched, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Anyone else that's been in your position has fought until their last breath, but you seem...at peace somehow. Are you really fine knowing this is how it ends? You must have some kind of regret." 

Regrets? Yes, I suppose I might have more than a few, but what creature that walked this earth wouldn't have something they looked back on regrettably? I suppose I could have done better at some things in my life, better at school or maybe trying to understand more people in my class instead of dismissing them so quickly after I'd met the Cullens. I could have handled things with Rosalie better than just exploding on her before we left Forks...hell, I could have done better with the last few minutes I'd spent with my family. I'd never had the chance to say a proper goodbye to my brothers or my parents...I'd never be able to tell them just how much they, Bella, or the Cullens truly meant to me. I'd never see them or Jacob again. 

My best friend's beaming face came to the forefront of my mind, bringing with it that same ache I'd felt the other night in the hotel, that deep, hollow feeling from somewhere in the pit of my stomach. This felt different somehow, though. I felt...empty...and more alone than I ever thought I would. 

This feeling was...unexpected; I'd never experienced something like this before, not even when I thought of how my family would react to my death, only regret and guilt that I'd left things the way I had...and yet, these feelings felt insignificant in the wake of the hollow loneliness. 

"Well, this was unexpected." I felt James press a finger to my cheek; blinking, I glanced down at his hand as he pulled away, taken aback at the tears that coated his fingers while more spilled, unbidden, from my eyes. James rubbed the digits together, as though testing the texture, before looking at me again, a spark of interest reigniting in his eyes, "Judging by that reaction...I'd have to guess you're thinking about the one you love, aren't you?" A grin tugged at the corners of his lips as I snapped my gaze to his again, "Of course, that must be it...I have never witnessed any of my prey react so strongly otherwise." He hummed, "This should make things a lot more interesting then...I wonder if you mate will be an even bigger challenge than your coven...once I've killed you." 

"N-no!" I shook my head, blinking rapidly to rid myself of the tears, panic bubbling up in my chest, "No, it really isn't like...that..." the light suddenly reflected off something on his finger as he held his hand up, drawing my attention; on his right ring finger was a man's wedding ring, a wide band of silver/gold with a beautifully intricate pattern of Gaelic symbols and knots. 

"W-where did you get that?" I nodded to the ring, my mind reeling. James paused and glanced down thoughtfully. 

"Oh, this old thing?" He turned his hand to examine it a little more closely, humming, "Call it a trophy from one of my previous victims. He was quite an interesting fellow I met in the wilds outside of Forks, about...hm, seventeen years ago now?" James paused to think about it as I stared at the ring in disbelief. "Coincidentally, he was a vampire, too, but there was just...something about him that fascinated me. He seemed...different somehow, had a certain spark that gave him a sense of life like no vampire I'd met before. Of course, I had to find out more, figure out where his strange warmth came from; he obviously had a mate, just not one of our own kind, he had to, wearing something like this." He stroked the ring with his thumb, his other hand a tight vice keeping me pinned to the wall, "But there was something else he held dear...something he loved just as much as his mate...it's one of the few failures I've faced during a hunt." he closed his fist, still staring at the ring dismally, "I will admit he was quite clever...he knew when my interest had shifted...led Victoria and I on a wild goose chase up into the northern mountains until we were able to corner him. And yet, even when he was facing death, he still refused to betray the ones he loved, up until the bitter end. It gets terribly boring trying to interrogate someone after a while and I decided to cut our losses, so we burned him. We each took a trophy though; Victoria was enraptured by his necklace, and I took this ring. Even now, after all these years, they're still in wonderful shape. He was quite the craftsman...I only wish I could have figured out what it was that made him so warm and full of life..." 

James's words seemed to have triggered something in my head, opening the preverbal flood gates as a wave of memory crashed through me. My mother's stories of my father when I'd found her in the storage room, reminiscing over my old cradle and rocking chair, over the photos of our family before my father's death. Her stories of his crafting these things for me before I was born, the necklace and their wedding rings...how he had disappeared and was later discovered as nothing more than ash not but a week later. Mama had never been able to find the jewelry he'd worn or held so dear, not a single article of his personal artifacts, even though they should have survived any common fire his attackers might have scraped together for a quick execution. But the ring and necklace hadn't been burned with him...they'd been taken from him, just as cruelly as his life had been ripped away, any chance he had of returning to his family, to my mother and I. They'd taken my father from us and, to add insult to injury, had pilfered his things as...as trophies. 

"It was you." My voice was tight, a low growl from deep in my throat again as my eyes flashed back up to James's; he looked up with a quirked brow, as though he hadn't the faintest idea what I meant. I grit my teeth, feeling a fire ignite somewhere deep in my belly that chased away that hollow feeling from before, burning the serenity and peace I'd felt knowing I'd die protecting my family to little more than a cinder. It swept through me like a forest fire, wild and out of control, hot in my veins as it set my heart ablaze, bringing with it a strange kind of change; a surge of overwhelming power, like a jolt of electricity straight to my muscles that both charged and sapped them of energy at the same time, like they would feel after an intense work-out, culminating in the tips of my fingers and toes as my nails grew into razor like claws. My gums itched as my fangs lengthened, the taste of copper thick on my tongue as they nicked the inside of my lip while my demonic markings stretched across my cheeks and red bled into my vision. James stared, taken aback by the change. 

"What the -?" 

"It was you!" Some part of me was startled at the force behind the roar that burst from my lips, but a larger part just did not care as I broke James's grip, practically throwing him across the room with the force of my shove. He stumbled, but caught himself as he stared at me, incredulous, "You took everything from him! EVERYTHING!" My voice was lowering, deepening into a low, menacing snarl as I took slow, heavy steps toward the vampire, my focus solely on him now, "You killed an innocent man with a family! Ripped him away for your own sick, twisted desire for a halfway decent hunt! Tore his wife's heart out and obliterated his future! You never considered the life or aspirations he might have had because all you cared about was your goddamn hunt!" The temperature of the room dropped once more, hovering just near freezing; the lights overhead buzzed noisily at the sudden shift, a few flickering and popping loudly as they went out. James flinched, still staring at me with wide, confused eyes. 

"You're getting worked up over a complete strange I killed almost two decades ago?" he asked, still incredulous. 

I snarled, his words only serving to add kindling to the fire as I shot across the room, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the opposite wall, "He wasn't a strange, you asshole! He was my father! And you took him away from me!" My grip tightened with each word, and I got a twisted sense of satisfaction watching the way his granite skin gave way under my fingers, cracking so loudly it was like listening to the sound of crumbling rocks, "You not only destroyed his life, but you destroyed ours! You destroyed any chance I had of knowing my father!" Tears burned my eyes, and I grit my teeth to push them back, "I barely have any memory of him and because of you, now I never will! He couldn't be a part of my life! And to add insult to injury, you took his personal artifacts! You took the only things we had left of him!" 

I grabbed James's arms as he struggled against my hold, gripping his hand tight in mine, "If there's one thing more disgusting than a shameless hunter, it's someone heartless enough to take something another holds dear, especially their wedding ring." With a loud crunch, I crushed James' hand in mine; he let out a shriek as the pieces of his hand bounced off my shoes, skittering away across the floor. I let them slip through my fingers until all that was left was the ring. I glanced down briefly, confirming my suspicion when I could read the two words that had been carved into the inside in beautiful cursive. 

Her warrior.  

As my gaze flickered back to the vampire, sharp claws suddenly raked across my face; I yelped, surprised, and stumbled back, swiping at my face as hot blood dripped into my eyes. Something solid tackled me and I slid across the floor, blinking rapidly as I tried to get my bearings and grabbing blindly at the foreign body above me. When we finally stopped and I could clear my vision, James hovered above me, trying to catch both my hands in his one good one and pin me beneath him using his hips. An ugly grimace twisted his lips, replacing his previous amusement and fear. 

"As interesting as all this is, I'm afraid our time is rather limited and I am not quite ready to die. Be sure to say hello to your father for me, will you?" 

"Tell him yourself." I whispered; he narrowed his eyes, thoroughly unamused when tendrils of water appeared, coiling tight around his neck and wrists. I sat up as they yanked him backward, glaring down at where he knelt on the floor, "I have no intention of becoming one of your trophies or allowing my father's killer to walk free. Whether you like it or not, this is your last hunt." 

He bared his teeth, ready to shake the water off when I solidified it to ice, pulling a weak gasp from his throat as it started to crush his neck and wrists with a low, crumbling sound; his skin began to cave, cracks spreading out like the strands of a spiders' web across the delicate porcelain of an old China doll. 

"You can't do this! I am the greatest hunter of all time!" His voice was little more than a whisper now, weak despite his best efforts to sound strong with indignant anger. 

"You were the greatest hunter of all time." I replied coolly as a fourth tendril manifested itself behind him, twisting and writhing, "Good-bye James." 

A wordless gasp is all that can escape his lips as he opened his mouth to protest, his dark eyes wide as he glanced down at the ice that had pierced him through, pieces of his granite skin trailing down his chest to scatter across the wood floor. His gaze flickered back to my face, appalled and, somehow, amused again, as though he thought that was the best I could do. A smug feeling of satisfaction sat itself somewhere in my chest, tugging a smile onto my lips as I raised an open hand, my fingers outstretched toward him. Curling my fingers into claws, I closed my hand into a tight fist; a high, keening sound filled the room, painful to my sensitive ears, as the ice around his neck and wrists constricted, completely severing his head and remaining hand from his body. 

Watching his head roll from his shoulders, I stared down into his wide, unblinking eyes as the ice snaked its way through the rest of him, sending him crumbling into nothing like a long-forgotten statue. 

"You destroyed my family once...I'm not going to let you do it again." I whispered as a spike of ice shot up from the floor, impaling James through the head and jutting out from his left eye. Cracks appeared around the point of impact, his face crumbling as they spread across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. 

As the quiet settled around me, cooling the fire in my belly and soothing my frayed nerves, a startling wave of exhaustion began to creep in around the edges, sapping away my energy; the red faded from my vision, retracting my claws and fangs, although something felt...different somehow. My body didn't quite feel like my own...in that moment, it felt wholly foreign, even as the dull aches and pains of the fight crept back to the forefront of my mind; my nose and right ankle throbbed, bringing forth a fresh wave of tears that stung the claw marks James had left on my face: a barrage of pain that numbed my brain and made my vision swim, tilting the room. 

"Dawn!" A muffled voice called somewhere in the distance, accompanied by a loud pounding I couldn't quite pinpoint; my brain worked sluggishly, trying to distinguish if it was in my head or if it was real. My body moved on its own, as though it knew what my brain didn't, the door leading out into the lobby dancing in and out of focus amid the whirlwind of shapes and colors that swirled around me. The pounding grew louder, a melody of fists against wood, followed by an undertone of furious jiggling of the metal door handle and the chorus of muffled voice I couldn't quite tell apart through the walls and the fog that wrapped itself around my mind. Someone was trying to get in here...my family...? Had they finally arrived...? 

The temperature of the room began to rise again, melting the ice that encased the walls and windows; I sank to my knees, barely aware of the water that soaked through my jeans as my final shred of energy bled out of me, my eyelids drooping. 

The last thing I remember is the sound of the door hitting the wall as it's thrown open and my mother's voice calling my name before everything went black.