Better Than Revenge

ANDREA’S POV
Fire coursed through my veins. The powerful venom that granted mere mortals perfection and immortality was lethal if it reached my heart. My entire being ached and it felt like molten lava was in every bone, every muscle, every cell of my body. It hurt more than anything imaginable and I instantly pitied anyone that would ever have to feel it. I realized how much my aunt Bella must love Edward if she’d so willingly gone through this pain to be with him forever.
“Please!” I sobbed frantically. “Make it stop.”
“Pathetic,” I heard Jane sneer. “And here I thought you were above begging. You’re worthless.”
I growled but the sound was more of a whimper. She was right; I was being pathetic. I planted my hands on the cold stone beneath my chest and gently pushed. My weak arms wobbled and tears spilled down my cheeks and were trapped in my dark curtain of hair hanging limply along the ground. Focus. Get up!
“Splendid, splendid,” Creeper clapped cheerfully at my awkward attempt at bravery. “She is quite the strong one. Even in the face of death she fights. Jane?”
“Master?” vampire bimbo said eagerly.
“How long do you think before the venom kills her?”
“At least eight hours before it reaches her heart. After that she’s got the three days of pain and by then she’s as good as dead,” she answered smugly.
“Hmm… Alec,” Aro said thoughtfully. “Be sure her blood is free of the venom at the seven hour mark.”
Jane made a little squeaking noise. “Master?”
“I believe this one has power like her aunt and mother. We can use her. I am quite intrigued. And we can utilize her as a guard dog like the Cullen clan did.”
I was kneeling by then. I couldn’t get my legs under me but I was able to work out a pretty impressive growl considering. “Go to hell,” I ground out. “I’d rather die than have anything to do with any of you.”
I saw him shrug through my cloudy vision. “How unfortunate. Is that what you want us to tell Elizabeth? That you were given a chance and chose death?”
My already weak arms gave out and I literally ate dirt. It wasn’t fair. There was no way in hell that I’d ever agree to be their little leashed dog but I hated to imagine what my mom would do when she found out I was dead. I needed to find a way to get out of this mess but with the vampire venom in my system that was pretty much impossible. I guess the first step was going to be getting that crap out of my blood but like the rest of my situation I was at a loss for a solution.
I stayed on the cold ground and slipped in and out of consciousness. After like the fifth time I woke up the voices that had plagued me through the night were gone. I shakily forced myself up into a sitting position. Everything hurt but I was able to partially ignore the pain as I stood on wobbly feet. I wasn’t going to just sit around and wait for my death. I took a few hesitant steps and the world around me spun. I felt like I was in a dream were I couldn’t move fast enough and nothing was in focus like it should be.
“You can do it,” I muttered quietly to myself. “One foot in front of the other.”
I took three small steps before I crashed into the ground. Blood oozed from the cut in my knee but it was so minor compared to the rest of the hurt I was feeling. I didn’t know how long I had left before I was too late to be saved but I did know that I needed to be as far away from that place as possible.
“Get up,” I hissed under my breath.
Miraculously I made it back to my feet. I stumbled toward the woods and my feet were subjected to the harsh undergrowth of the forest floor and my palms slid roughly against tree trunks as I plowed deeper into the forest. I’d made it about two miles before I couldn’t go any farther. I slid down the base of the tree and hid in the shade against the rising sun. If I hadn’t been found by now then it was probably the best time for some rest.
Now that the sun’s heat wasn’t a problem I had to deal with the fire burning in my blood. I knew that it was kind of like snake poison; that I had to somehow suck the poison out. Well considering that the bite was on my neck I doubted that was going to be possible but I had learned a few survival tips from camping when I was little. My nails were sharp and they were going to have to do the trick. I scratched along the collarbone until more blood oozed out. I whimpered as I did the same to each of my wrists and then just sat there. Bleeding the poison from my system was dangerous but it was the only choice that I had. I swallowed back the scream that was bubbling in my throat.
I must have fallen asleep because the moon had replaced the sun and the next thing I was aware of there was a rustling sound. I took a small sniff and knew that I was in trouble. The self-inflicted cuts on my arms were faded into tiny pink lines but the one on my neck and the bite were still throbbing. I’d lost enough blood already and some of the venom was still in my body so I wouldn’t be able to fight back whoever was coming.
But now a different kind of fire flooded me. It wasn’t destructive like the venom that was itching its way to my heart to kill me. The new heat was warm and comfortable and familiar. The wolf within me came alive and pushed me to my feet. I shoved away from the tree so that I was standing on my own and glared in the direction that I knew the vampire was going to be coming from. I shoved the jacket way from my shoulders and let the tremors take over, barely holding the wolf at bay.
Let them come. I was ready for them.