𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

Chapter 1

The human heart has hidden treasures,
In secret kept, in silence sealed;
The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,
Whose charms were broken if revealed. -Emily Bronte

The ancient trees that rose above the cottage creaked and moaned in the slight breeze, the only company in Edward's solitude. Yes, the forest Carlisle had promised would provide him with the distance he needed was just that-remote and void of human inhabitants. Exactly what he desired. After what he'd done . . . yes, it was better this way. Better for his family and better for him.

Edward closed the door to his one-room hideaway and stepped out onto the front porch, breathing deeply though he had no need. The night air was fragrant and fresh, holding just a hint of danger. He leapt gracefully onto the leafy forest floor below and headed out down a dark path.

His new home was passable; he'd lived in much worse places over the years, especially during those times he was last separated from the Cullens. If only it wasn't so terribly boring. The only excitement had come from his chance encounters with other magical creatures, some familiar and expected and some exceedingly strange. A unicorn had passed through the clearing near his abode on the second day of his sojourn and Edward had refused to inhale, knowing from lore this most innocent of beasts possessed a particularly tempting essence which would be difficult to resist. The night before Edward had had a far less pleasant experience when he'd stumbled upon a colony of giant spiders, a meeting he had no desire to repeat in the near future. Though nearly invulnerable in the human world, Carlisle had warned his adopted son of dangerous potentialities should he tangle with the wrong mythical animal. Fortunately, there was also a prevalent supply of wild deer, red fox, and badger; while Edward preferred mountain lions and larger predatory game, such prey had long been extinct on the British Isles. He'd have to make due.

As he continued down the footpath, Edward kept his ears keenly locked onto any sound of movement in the forest. Not long into his venture he discerned the footfalls of a young whitetail. In a flash he'd seized the animal and latched his teeth into its tender, musky throat, draining the carcass dry in mere seconds. It was a start, Edward thought, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he discarded the body, but far from assuaging his hunger. The burden was always there, a sometimes fierce and sometimes dull void at his center. One that would never be filled again.

Edward didn't mind the chill in the air; temperature extremes didn't affect him, and he preferred colder weather. It reminded him of his old home . . . ah, but thinking of that wouldn't do. He'd broken the pact, sealed his fate, and now had to live with the repercussions of his curse. Alone. Turning his attention to more pleasant thoughts, Edward considered taking a trip to London to replenish the sparse collection of books at the cabin. Most of the ones he'd found were medical. And ancient. Which made sense; Carlisle was, after all, a doctor, and had lived here on and off throughout the first hundred years of his existence. And now that Edward had gotten his hunger under control, he could afford to go into the city . . . if only for the day. He wouldn't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary. Just as he'd begun to think about the particulars of the trip, he inhaled sharply.

A scent-so sweet, so seductive, so utterly . . . perfect . . . assaulted his nostrils with force. He almost felt, rather than heard, the luxurious pulse of blood throb through the air, igniting such a violent craving in him, Edward nearly moaned. No, no, no! There weren't supposed to be humans in this area. Carlisle had told him . . . Carlisle had promised . . .

He couldn't complete the thought. His mouth filled with venom. Without volition, Edward's body crouched into attack mode as the human neared-a male, by the smell of him. And oh, his scent. Spicy, hot, silky. Edward breathed and breathed, his cock hardening at the thought of the lush nectar filling him up, filling the void. The snap of twigs and forest detritus grew more audible as his prey approached. Edward extended his mind, listening for the tenor of the human's thoughts. Yes, take him. Drain him and take him.