23 the choice

ANOTHER SCREAM ON TOP OF MINE—A SHRIEK LIKE A CHAINSAW CUTTING through rebar.

The hunter lunged, but his teeth snapped closed an inch from my face as something yanked him back, flung him out of my sight.

The fire pooled in the crease of my elbow, and I screamed.

I wasn't alone, there were others screaming—the metallic snarl was joined by a high keening that bounced off the walls and then cut off suddenly. A thrumming growl was grinding underneath the other sounds. More metal tearing, shredding…

"No!" someone howled in an agony to match mine. "No, no, no, no!"

This voice meant something to me, even through the burning that was so much more than that. Though the flames had reached my shoulder, this voice still claimed my attention. Even screaming, he sounded like an angel.

"Beau, please! Beau, listen to me, please, please, Beau, please!" he begged.

Yes, I wanted to say. Anything. But I couldn't find my lips.

"Carlisle!" the angel called, agony in his perfect voice. "Beau, Beau, no, oh please, no, no!" And the angel was sobbing tearless, broken sobs.

He was cradling my head in his lap, and his fingers were pressing hard against my scalp. His face was unfocused, just like the hunter's. I was falling down a tunnel in my head. The fire was coming with me, though, just as sharp as before.

Something cool blew into my mouth, filling my lungs. My lungs pushed back. Another cool breath.

Edward came into focus, his perfect face twisted and tortured.

"Keep breathing, Beau. Breathe."

He put his lips against mine and filled my lungs again.

There was gold around the edges of my vision—another set of cold hands.

"Alice, make splints for his leg and arm. Edward, straighten out his airways. Which is the worst bleed?"

"Here, Carlisle."

I stared at his face while the pressure against my head eased. My screams were just a broken whimper now. The pain wasn't any less—it was worse. But the screaming didn't help me, and it did hurt Edward. As long as I kept my eyes on his face, I could remember something beyond the burning.

"My bag, please. Hold your breath, Alice, it will help. Thank you, Emmett, now leave, please. He's lost blood, but the wounds aren't too deep. I think his ribs are the biggest problem now. Find me tape."

"Something for the pain," Edward hissed.

"There—I don't have hands. Will you?"

"This will make it better," Edward promised.

Someone was straightening my leg. Edward was holding his breath, waiting, I think, for me to react. But it didn't hurt like my arm.

"Edward." I tried to tell him, but my voice was so heavy and slow. I couldn't understand myself.

"Beau, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Beau? I love you."

"Edward," I tried again. My voice was a little clearer.

"Yes, I'm here."

"It hurts," I whimpered.

"I know, Beau, I know"—and then, away from me, anguished—"can't you do anything?"

Something was digging into my scalp and something else was yanking tight against my broken arm. This tweaked my ribs, and I lost my breath.

"Hold on, Beau," Edward begged. "Please just hold on."

"My hand hurts," I tried to tell him.

"I know, Beau. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."

"My hand is burning!" I screamed, finally breaking through the last of the darkness, my eyes fluttering open. I couldn't see his face, something dark and warm was clouding my eyes.

"Carlisle! His hand!"

"The tracker bit him." Carlisle's voice was no longer calm, it was appalled.

I heard Edward catch his breath in horror.

"What do I do, Carlisle?" Edward demanded.

No one answered him. The tugging continued on my scalp, but it didn't hurt.

"Yes," Edward said through his teeth. "I can try. Alice—scalpel."

"There's a good chance you'll kill him yourself," Alice said.

"Give it to me," he snapped. "I can do this."

I didn't see what he did with the scalpel. I couldn't feel anything else in my body anymore—nothing but the fire in my arm. But I watched him raise my hand to his mouth, like the hunter had. Fresh blood was welling from the wound. He put his lips over it.

I screamed again, I couldn't help it. It was like he was pulling the fire back down my arm.

"Edward," Alice said.

He didn't react, his lips still pressed to my hand. The fire warred up and down my arm, sawing back and forth. Moans escaped through my clenched teeth.

"Edward," Alice shouted. "Look."

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

Alice's hand shot out and slapped Edward's cheek.

"Stop it, Edward! Stop it now!"

My hand dropped away from his face. He looked at Alice with his eyes so wide they seemed like half his face. He gasped.

"Alice!" Carlisle barked.

"It's too late," Alice said. "We got here too late."

"You can see it?" Carlisle said in a more subdued voice.

"There are only two futures left, Carlisle. He survives as one of us, or Edward kills him trying to stop it from happening."

"No," Edward moaned.

Carlisle was quiet. The tugging against my scalp slowed.

Edward dropped his face to mine. He kissed my eyelids, my cheeks, my lips. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't need to be this slow," Alice complained. "Carlisle?"

"I made an oath, Alice."

"I didn't," she snarled.

"Wait, wait," Edward said, his head snapping up. "He deserves a choice."

His lips were at my ear. I clamped my teeth against the moaning, straining to listen.

"Beau? I won't make this decision for you. I won't take this away from you. And I'll understand, I promise, Beau. If you don't want to live like this, I won't fight you. I'll respect what you want. I know it's a horrible choice. I would give you any other option if I could. I would die if I could give your life back to you." His voice broke. "But I can't make that trade. I can't do anything—except stop the pain. If that's what you want. You don't have to be this. I can let you go—if that's what you need." It sounded like he was sobbing again. "Tell me what you want, Beau. Anything."

"You," I spit through my teeth. "Just you."

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

I groaned. The fire was reaching its fingers into my chest. "Yes," I coughed out. "Just—let me stay—with you."

"Out of my way, Edward," Alice growled.

His voice lashed back like a whip. "I didn't make any oaths, either."

His face was at my throat, and I couldn't feel anything besides the fire, but I could hear the quiet sound of his teeth cutting through my skin.