Here comes the bride, here comes the bride. Edward was standing there in his perfection. I tripped. Charlie fell down. My dress ripped. My knee was bleeding. Jasper lunged…
A dainty tap on my shoulder brought me out of my trance. I spun around to see a tall, blonde woman standing beside me. She had her hair pulled into a messy bun and was wearing a pair of loose jeans and a University of Alaska sweatshirt. Her eyes were dark gold. She was almost as pretty as Rosalie.
"Hi, do you have a second?" Her voice was a polite, alto tone. It kind of reminded me of the Cullens' voices, only a little bit different.
"Um, yeah, what can I help you with?"
"I'm making supper for a family gathering tonight, and one of the guests doesn't eat what the rest of the family eats. What do you think she would like?"
"Well, I would just have pasta or steak or something like that."
"Oh, okay. I'm not a very good cook so…" She stared at the box of linguine pasta in her hands.
"Just buy a box of that and some pre-made spaghetti sauce. Put the pasta in boiling water, and heat up the sauce in the microwave. After the spaghetti is cook, drain it, and pour the sauce over it."
"Okay, I think I can do that. Thank you, that was very helpful. Have a nice day." She smiled briefly at me and threw the box into her cart. She started down the aisle, picking up a jar of spaghetti sauce on her way. She grimaced at it, and set it in her cart.
I picked up a magazine, a pack of gum, and a bottle of Coke. I walked to the only available cashier. She smiled down at me, and noticed the ring on my left hand. "You're getting married, huh?"
"Yeah, in a few months."
"You're a little young…"
"I know. My fiancé really wanted to get married."
"Hmm…" She glanced down at me skeptically and smiled. She handed me the sack without another word. She probably thought I was pregnant along with the rest of the world.
I sighed, and walked through the automatic doors. The Volvo was parked across the lot, but soon sped towards me and screeched to a stop next to me on the curb. Alice poked her head out from the back window. She sighed, looking exasperated. "Hurry up, Bella! We have to be at Tanya's in an hour!"
"We have time. Edward will just drive us two hundred miles over the speed limit," I muttered under my breath. He still heard me. The hum of the automatic window sounded, and Edward looked at me through the opening.
"Just get in the car, Bella."
"Oh, fine! I don't see why we're spending the night in Denali on a school night, though."
"Tanya invited us. Carlisle said it'd be rude to decline, since we're basically extended family. Besides, it's healthy to ditch class now and then." He glanced over at me and shot the crooked smile I loved, effectively ending that argument.
We pulled up to a beautiful, blue house behind Carlisle's Mercedes. The house was large, not as large as Edward's, but still quite big. There was a wraparound porch that was decorated in huge vases of pink daisies. However, I couldn't focus on the house for too long, because three women started walking towards our Volvo. I assumed one of them was probably Tanya, the obvious head of the coven. Their eyes cast the familiar butterscotch color that I'd grown to love, and their pale skin shimmered slightly in the setting sun. They were
Edward noticed my fixation, and chuckled. I shook my head and unbuckled my seat belt. Edward already had my door open. He took my hand and helped me out of the car. He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I leaned my head into his shoulder and whispered, "Are they thirsty?"
I felt him repress his laughter. He hid his face in my hair and giggled. "Silly Bella, they're more cautious than you give them credit for."
"Oh. I was just worried."
"It's okay, Bella. They're very nice people…or vampires excuse me."
"Ha, you're funny." I mumbled before we were greeted by our hosts. A tall, platinum blonde introduced herself as Irina, and a dark haired woman introduced herself as Kate. The last woman was short, but taller than Alice, and had straight, light brown hair. Her skin was different from the others. It held a tan color underneath the chalky pastiness. She introduced herself as Carmen.
Kate stepped towards Edward and gave him an awkward hug, considering I was still firmly attached to his side. She looked down at me and smiled. "Tanya and Eleazar are inside. They're very excited to meet you, Bella." She laid her hand gently on my forearm.
"Oh, well thank you for inviting me. It was very nice of you."
"No problem. You're family now." She smiled again and squeezed my arm.
We walked up the porch steps and entered through the thick wooden door. The inside of the house was completely opposite from the Cullen's. It looked like a hunting lodge. It was toasty warm, unlike the frigid temperature outside. Kate, Irina, and Carmen led us through the house, pointing out the bathroom for my benefit. Finally, we made it to the dining room, were a dark-haired male, Eleazar, sat at the head of the table. Carmen immediately sat down next to him and turned to me. "Eleazar, this is Bella." She smiled broadly when she said my name.
Eleazar nodded to me, and almost whispered, "You're very welcome, Bella. It's a joy to finally meet you. The Cullen's have said a great deal of nice things about you." He rose to shake Carlisle's hand. As he sat down, a female voice flowed from the kitchen. "Hello, Bella. I'll be out in a second." I assumed it must have been Tanya, as she was the only Denali woman that I hadn't met yet. My assumption was confirmed when a thin, strawberry blonde woman walked into the room. "I'm Tanya. It's very nice to know you, Bella." She glanced up at Edward and stiffened slightly. "Laurent will be home in a few moments. He's on an extended hunting trip."
"He'll be here in thirteen minutes." Alice chimed from the doorway. I had almost forgotten her presence.
"Oh, thank you, Alice. Welcome to our home, as with all of you Cullens. It's a joy to have you here." She smiled, and turned back to the kitchen. She returned a heartbeat later with a plate of pasta smothered in tomato sauce. Realization hit me.
"I don't mean to sound…random, but did you go to the grocery store today?" I almost whispered. I expected her to look at me like I was an idiot, but the whole Denali clan – minus one – started laughing.
"Why yes, Bella. I did. I hope you like you're supper, I got a good recommendation." She winked at me, and set the plate down in front of an empty chair. Edward and I were the only ones not seated. I sat down in front of the plate and Edward soon followed, a confused expression on his face.
"Am I missing something?" Edward was very rarely baffled.
"Edward, I saw Bella today at the market. She helped me decide her supper."
"How do you know it was Bella?"
"I knew from Carlisle's description. She's very unique, a very pretty human." I blushed. A vampire was calling me pretty?
"That's my Bella." Edward smiled his crooked smile and squeezed my hand under the table. Edward leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Eat your food, Bella. Tanya worked hard." I could hear the smile in his voice.
"That I did. Go ahead and eat."
Now that I thought about it, I was starving. I took a big forkful and shoved it in my mouth. It was pretty good. I took another bite and another until I was full. When I was done, Irina picked up my plate and washed it in the kitchen. When she returned, Laurent followed. He nodded at me and the rest of the Cullens, still a clear case of anger towards me and my future family because of what happened to James. He sat down next to Eleazar and began conversing quietly with him.
Edward suddenly stood up and growled. I tried in vain to yank him back down to his chair. He let go of my hand and leaned over the table towards Laurent. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't think what you're thinking now. I don't think Irina would like it if I killed her mate."
"Edward!" Three voices suddenly shouted. I looked up to see Emmett, Carlisle, and Irina standing as well.
Laurent threw up his arms in defense. "I'm sorry. I've been on this diet less than any of you have, and I was distracted. I'm in complete control of myself now." Edward seemed to believe him. He slid down to his chair and pulled me onto his lap. If I wasn't terrified, I would've been embarrassed. Edward tightened his grip around me, almost crushing me to his chest. He was tense and immobile as stone. Alice, Emmett, and Carlisle shifted their chairs to somehow block me from Laurent. The tense silence hung in the air for half of a second when Tanya suddenly jumped up. "How about we move to the sitting room? Irina." She nodded towards Laurent and spoke something so quick and low that I couldn't hear. Edward rose and dashed to the sitting room at vampire speed. He sat down on the only armchair, with me still on his lap. He never released his grip from me.
Tanya, Carmen, Kate, Eleazar, and the rest of the Cullens followed us into the sitting room. The room was still tense, but buzzed on with random conversations. Carlisle spoke of life in Forks, Esme spoke of the impeding wedding, and Alice spoke with Carmen about the shopping in Seattle. Edward never spoke a word, only responding to question with a shrug.
Finally, after two hours of tense conversations, Edward stood up, and set me down. "Bella needs some sleep." I wasn't tired at all, but Edward's voice rang with obvious authority. "Tanya, I hope you don't mind if she uses a bedroom."
"Of course not. There's a furnished bedroom down the hall on your left. Sleep well, Bella." Tanya smiled warmly at me and nodded to Edward.
Edward rushed me away from the sitting room. Before I had time to blink, I was being set on the bed. Edward looked tense, but smiled at me. "You can sleep here, Bella. I won't leave you."
"What was Laurent thinking about at dinner?" I was scared, but I knew Edward would protect me if Laurent was thinking something bad…
"It was nothing, Bella. Just a thought." He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the door.
"You didn't think of it as nothing. What did he think?" I wasn't giving up that easily.
"Bella…" He looked at me firmly.
"Edward, tell me." I sat down next him and rubbed his shoulder. "I'm not scared," I lied.
He sighed. "Laurent was thinking of how good you smelled. Some of his mental pictures were particularly gruesome. But it is nothing to worry about, Bella. Go to sleep." He lifted me and set me gently on the bed under the covers. He tucked the thick duvet around my small frame and lay next to me. He kissed my forehead and whispered in my ear. "Goodnight, love. Dream happy dreams." He started humming my lullaby. I slipped into unconsciousness.
When I woke up, Edward was nowhere to be seen. I panicked and squeaked, "Edward!" Suddenly, a tap sounded at the door.
"Bella, dear? It's Esme. May I come in?"
"Yes," I managed to choke out. My throat was dry. The door opened and Esme slipped into the room.
"Edward is hunting with Eleazar. He didn't expect you to wake up so early." She rubbed my arm and helped me off the bed. "Come now, Tanya made breakfast."
She led me down the hallway and into the kitchen. Tanya was waiting by the toaster with a plate. Carmen set a tub of margarine and syrup on the table. She must have noticed me then, because she turned and smiled at me. "Good morning, Bella. I hope you like toaster waffles!" She grabbed my arm and sat me down at the table.
"Tanya, the toaster will pop up in fourteen seconds. Don't freak out." Alice appeared next to me and sat down. She ruffled my hair and smiled.
"Thank you, Alice. I'm not used to toasters." Just then, the toaster popped out two waffles. Tanya swiftly set them in front of me. She started a conversation with me, but I didn't really pay attention. I was too busy think about Edward.
Two hours later, Edward returned with Eleazar. Both their eyes were lighter than I've ever seen. They walked casually into the sitting room, where Carmen was teaching me a few Spanish words. Edward seemed to be in a better mood than last night. "Bella, love, are you having fun here in Denali?"
"Yeah, everybody's so nice." I glanced over at Carmen, who was now nestled in Eleazar's arms.
"Dearest Bella, you're family now. We're so happy that Edward has found you." Carmen smiled at me, and Eleazar nodded.
Edward leaned down to my ear. "Tanya's a little jealous though." I could hear the smile in his voice. When I looked up, Edward had the crooked smile plastered on his face.
Out of the blue, an empty water bottle flew towards Edward's head. He caught it without a glance, and set it on the arm of the sofa we were settled on. I heard a scoff coming from the kitchen, probably from Tanya. Carmen and Edward burst out laughing.
Alice came into the room then, and sat next to me. "Bella, I know you're having fun, but Charlie's going to start worrying about you. We have to get you home."
"Oh, okay. Well it was fun here. Thank you for having us. It was nice meeting you all, Tanya and Irina, too."
"All the same, Bella. We will see you at the wedding." Eleazar smiled hugely and rose to give me a hug. Carmen rose, too, and kissed me lightly on the cheek.
Edward, Alice, Jasper, and I got into the Volvo. I looked around to see if Rose, Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle were getting into the Jeep. They were nowhere to be seen. "Where's the rest of your family?"
"The rest of our family is staying for a few more days. They'll be home sometime over the weekend." Jasper spoke quickly. It was the first time I'd heard him speak almost the whole trip.
"Did I do something to offend them?" I looked over at Edward, who had his hands clenched on the steering wheel.
"No, it's about Laurent." Alice piped up from the backseat. "He's having a hard time dealing with his…thirst." An automatic shiver shot down my spine. Edward took my hand and squeezed it.
"It's okay, Bella. You did nothing wrong." Jasper soothed.
"Really, Bells. The whole family loves you." Alice added quickly.
"Irina didn't like me that much." I was immediately ashamed.
"She was trying to reason with Laurent. They're mates you know." Alice said, trying to lighten the situation.
"I didn't get to say goodbye to Kate or Tanya. I really liked them." I was upset that my humanity cut our trip short. All the more reason for Edward to change me now.
"Here, speed-dial eight." Edward handed me his cell phone. He gave me his crooked smile. It took me a second to gather my now scrambled thoughts. I took the cell phone, and pressed eight.
Two rings later, a sultry voice picked up. "Hello? Edward?"
"No, this is Bella."
"Oh, Bella! This is Tanya. What do you need?"
"I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to you and Kate, so I wanted to say thank you. For everything."
"You're very welcome, Bells. We can't wait to know you for the rest of eternity. Would you like to talk to Kate? She's right here." She seemed happy. I heard Emmett's booming laughter in the background.
"Yeah, sure."
A half a second later, Kate spoke. I recognized her cheery, angelic tone. "Hello, Bella. It was nice to have you here."
"Thank you for having me. I called to say goodbye, since I didn't get to say it to you in person."
"Oh, that's so nice of you. If you need anything, Bella, don't hesitate to call us."
"Okay, well I'll let you go. Talk to you soon."
"Okay, bye Bells." The line went dead.