Song Fic inspired by "Latch" by Disclosure Featuring Sam Smith
Note: I do not own the song "Latch", nor do I have any affiliation with either Disclosure or Sam Smith (no matter how cool I think it would be). Additionally, I do not own nor do I have any affiliation with the Twilight franchise or Stephanie Meyer. Writing makes me zero dollars, and singing even less, so Stephanie & Sam are safe…
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
Her scent entered the house moments before she did. It brightened even the air that it floated upon, just as she seemed to lighten the hearts of all those in our house. Bella and her gentle, enchanting nature seemed to turn the cold walls of this house into a home.
Funny, she tended to have a gift with knocking down all sorts of walls. All of us had easily fallen for her charms, much to his dismay. Her laughter buoyed all of our spirits and busted through the boundaries that some of us had tried to set up between our two very different species.
Bella was a gift. A pure, beautiful, untainted gift.
He didn't deserve her.
I heard the growl rumble in his chest as he escorted Bella into our home. Bella was completely unaware of the feelings that she seemed to have awakened in all of us. He, however, was not.
Perhaps I should feel grateful to Edward for bringing Isabella into our lives. I would like to believe that we would have noticed her and her charms without him and his stupid obsession with her blood and silent mind, but I know that isn't true at all. While we lived amongst the humans, we were aloof and mostly unattached. We wouldn't have stopped to take notice of the diamond in the rough that was Isabella Swan.
Our whole family had spent decades living amongst the humans, pretending to be like them. No matter how well we succeeded at blending in, we'd never felt real and true acceptance from any human being like the pure unadulterated love and acceptance that so easily flowed from Bella. Even before she knew exactly why we were different, she never shied away instinctually like most humans did from vampires like us.
None of us thought Edward worthy of sweet Bella's affections. He coveted her like a possession. Her silent mind and sweet blood called to him. He wanted to keep her as a human pet for as long as he was able. All of us knew he had absolutely no intent of ever changing her. She was too sweet and untainted to see what we saw.
He growled again, this time loud enough to startle Bella.
If you don't like what you hear, then stay the fuck out, Edward.
Her dulcet tones were music to my ears, "What's wrong, Edward? Is everything okay?"
She was so sweet, always thinking of others.
Even if the 'other' that she was thinking of wasn't worthy of even one of her thoughts.
She'd know soon enough, though. I'd found her now and there was no way I would let her go.
Edward be damned.
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Shortly after Edward's outburst, I had to excuse myself. Running through the dense, moist evergreen forest I tried to clear my mind of all things Bella, but it was impossible. Her scent clung to me, filling my senses with her. Everything came back to her.
My Isabella. My sweet, sweet Bella.
After Edward quickly brushed off Bella's concern, she gave each of us her customary greeting of a hug. I could still feel her warmth and her magical scent truly consumed me.
I played her hug back in slow motion.
Her body pressed so gently against mine. I knew that it took so much effort from her small body to get me to feel that gentle pressure. Her heart beat momentarily against my chest and I swore that for a moment, I felt my own dead heart spring to life. Her soft mahogany hair fell around her face and onto my shoulders as she leaned further into the hug. Warmth infused my face as her cheek brushed against my own. She took a moment and seemed to breathe me in. Was I imagining that? No, I wasn't. I'm sure she breathed me in as I did her.
Did my scent consume her as hers did me?
Oh, if only.
I shook myself out of my Bella induced stupor just as Jasper entered the clearing that I seemed to have stopped in at some point. He stopped and stared at me intently for a moment before plopping down on the ground.
"So, Bella, huh? How you think that's gonna wind up workin' out for you?" he drawled.
I knew he wasn't trying to be intrusive. I knew that he wanted to help, but as his amber eyes met my own, I couldn't help but feel defensive.
Jasper knew. Edward knew. How long before the rest of the damned family knew? I didn't know if Bella would even ever accept me.
"Look, Jasper, you'd do well to keep this to yourself. I know that you mean no harm, but I won't have you or anyone else meddling about," I ground out. Jasper might not view me as a threat, but he'd be wrong. Many had underestimated me and many had fallen.
I'd become fond of Jasper and would hate for him to meet such a fate simply because he couldn't keep his damned mouth shut. Hope he was good with keeping his yapping wife's mouth shut, too. Both of their lives could well depend on their silence.
Jasper's eyes widened. He felt the confidence and power that I radiated. He'd never felt those particular emotions from me. I'd been able to keep much of myself hidden from my family. Jasper had just had a tiny glimpse of the true monster that I could be. I just hoped that he would never truly evoke my wrath.
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
After Jasper left with assurances that he'd not betray my confidence, I returned to my thoughts of my sweet Bella.
Edward didn't deserve her. I knew she loved me. She loved everyone. I knew that if just given the time and opportunity to be out from under his thumb she would be able to see just how good we could be.
She would see that we were meant to be.
She just had to.
Bella would love me.
Bella, could you love me? Would you be mine?
I was only asking for forever.
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
Bella began to stir on the soft cotton bedding I'd purchased just for her. Edward had bought silk for her. Did he ever pay attention to anything she said?
I paid attention to everything she said.
The room was designed with Bella in mind. I knew she wasn't one to make a fuss over herself or want frivolous, expensive things. Alice had always shoved that stuff down her throat.
Alice didn't pay attention to anything Bella said, either.
I did.
Bella didn't want much from life. It was so obvious that all she wanted was to live a simple life where she would find acceptance and love.
I could give both to her.
Bella pulled her small hand toward her face to brush her hair away, causing the delicate chains of her shackles to jingle.
I hoped she would love me, but I wasn't willing to risk her running before she even gave me a chance.
I was willing to wait.
I knew how stubborn my sweet Bella could be.
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
My Bella had been awake for hours and hadn't stopped crying. Was she afraid of me? How could my love, my life, be afraid of me? I'd left everything for her! I felt certain that the rest of the family would be unaware of our absence yet. Hell, even once they were aware, they would have no easy time finding us. I had time. Bella & I had time.
Jasper hadn't taken my threats lightly and he and Alice had left on one of her 'fashion trips' only days before I executed my plan. Perhaps they were both smarter than I'd given them credit for. I truly didn't want to have to hurt anyone in my family, but I would for my Bella.
There isn't anything I won't do for my Bella, though.
And I could truly call her mine now. I'd whisked my Bella away under the guise of a grocery shopping trip in Port Angeles for special ingredients, of course. A quick seaplane ride from there brought us to a cozy cabin that I'd had constructed for my Bella and me.
I listened to my Bella. She really had simple tastes like me. She didn't want fancy cars or fancy clothes & houses. Why didn't the rest of my family see that about her? Why didn't they see that about me? Perhaps if they had, they would have realized that Bella was meant for me. She was never meant for him.
He would have constructed some sort of gaudy mansion or Victorian manor. Of course she would tell him that she loved it. She was so sweet like that. My Bella.
I constructed a simple log cabin. The two bedrooms would be more than enough for the two of us. For now, I intended to stay in my own room. In time, of course, I hoped that my room would be turned into a guest room and I'd share a room with Bella in the home I built for her. For us.
The floor plan was open yet simple. I'd purchased only the barest essential furniture. I might have built this home, but I built it for her.
I built this for her. She will love it. I know she will. Bella loves everything.
She was going to really love this place. Well, once she stopped crying and once she trusted me. I really had no intention of keeping her shackled forever. She was my love, my equal. As soon as she realized that, I would turn her and give her the gift of immortality denied to her by him.
First things first, she had to trust me enough for me to take the damned shackles off.
I left my sweet, sobbing Bella and headed to the small kitchen to fetch a snack for her. All of that crying was going to sap her energy.
She'd feel better soon and then we could start our lives. She wouldn't want to start off feeling drained.
Of course, she may ask me to turn her right away. I could work with that.
Thoughts of my sweet, sultry Bella transformed from her soft, fragile human form into a more defined, durable vampire form had me hard. Her smell had already permeated our small home. Palming my erection through my jeans, I took a detour into my own room, adjacent to hers, of course, to take care of myself.
It certainly wasn't the first time that I'd had to resort to my own hand due to thoughts of my Isabella.
Hopefully it'll be one of the last.
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
This wasn't going according to plan at all. My Bella was not seeing sense! Why did she continue to cry for him? He wasn't worthy of her attentions, let alone her precious tears!
Each time that I asked her if she thought she could love me like she loved him, the answer stayed the same.
Never
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In all of my existence, I hadn't realized it was possible to hate two syllables with every fiber of my being.
When I asked her to eat.
When I asked her to drink.
When I asked to hold her.
When I ask for her love.
Never
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
She was gone. Sure, her body was still here. Well, at least part of it.
My beautiful and vibrant Bella had allowed herself to waste away to nothing; all because he convinced her that they were mates. She was still human. She didn't know that there was no way he would even know if they were mates or not. My sweet, gullible Bella had bought his story, hook, line & sinker. She was so starved for love that she took the first imitation that was thrown her way.
That tall story was going to cost my little Bella her life.
She was so lost in his false charms. Why couldn't she see what was before her? We had always been so good together; she just hadn't seen that fact in the right light. She couldn't see me beyond the "familial" roll that he had assigned me.
Her breaths had become shallow and her heartbeat was starting to become sluggish.
If only she would allow me to take care of her. My sweet Bella doesn't have to be the caretaker anymore. I am here for her now.
I hugged her weak body to mine. She no longer had the strength to try and push me away like she used to. I wanted her fire back. I wanted her spirit.
Never
~oOo EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
Bella's breath eventually slowed and her body relaxed into a fitful sleep. I still held her close, leaching what warmth I could from her thin, ragged body. My eyes closed bringing to me visions of my Isabella… the vibrant, happy, beautiful soul who lit up every room she breezed into. I recalled the hugs she'd given me.
I pulled to mind every shoulder swat, every hug, every kiss on the cheek.
Her smell had changed with her decline, but the real smell of my Isabella still clung to me and the entire two bedroom cabin like a warm summer breeze.
My mind instantly slipped into a favorite fantasy.
Bella loved me. She had finally left behind whatever hold Edward had on her and was truly free to be mine. She knew without a doubt that I had been hers from the moment our skin touched. She'd enraptured me immediately.
She agreed to be mine for eternity, with one condition: She wanted to feel me before her change. Her one condition before her change was that I love her as a human woman at least once.
How he had ever resisted, I'll never know.
My cock instantly hardened. This was the moment of my dreams.
Isabella was mine. She would now be mine heart, body and soul. Forever.
Lips crashed. Tongues met & fought. Hands roamed frantically in their haste to finally feel what we'd both been denying ourselves for far too long.
My name left her lips in a whisper, as if a reverent prayer.
She was calling my name, begging for something, for more.
I knew what she needed, even if she didn't. Slowly and ever so gently, I parted her sweet lips for the first time…
The feeling of her warm, sweet fluids on my fingers shook me from my stupor.
Never
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
No!
This can't be happening! She was finally mine!
Never
My sweet, perfect, fragile Isabella lay lifeless in my arms.
Her brown eyes once filled with love and acceptance were dead. Her soft, sweet mouth that I'd so longed to taste was now forever frozen an eternal gasp of horror. Her perfect, heart shaped face was gaunt and nearly skeletal due to her refusal to nourish her precious body.
Oh, my Isabella. Why, My Love?!
Her blood, the very life force that had coursed through her veins, stained the perfect cotton sheets and my hands.
No! I don't want her blood! I want my Isabella! She is what I need! Blood. Fucking Blood.
I've no use for blood. Life means nothing without My Love.
Her heartbeat, long the drumbeat by which I'd marched fearlessly into our certain future, was silent.
No! Not silence! Bella is laughter and love and soft breaths and freely given affection and heartbeats and LIFE!
Bella is MINE!
NEVER
~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~EFT~oOo~
A/N - Edited to remove song lyrics.
~ET