Yes. But he'd been dying.

Bella was only in danger because of him.

(Well, and because she couldn't seem to walk over a flat floor without managing to find someway to fall down. He still wasn't sure how he'd managed to miss that she was clumsy.)

"I won't take her life or soul from her."

It's not even won't. He can't--can't even think straight at the idea of anything so greatly altering who and how she is at this exact time.

She was too stunning the way she was.

She had to be protected from them.