A/N I didn't want to break this chapter up, which is why it's so long. Chapter two is mostly written already as well. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
APOV
Two hours later…
"Where have you been, Alice? We were starting to worry." Esme, my mother, questioned as soon as I appeared at the back door.
"Sorry, Esme, I got distracted."
"With what?" My brother, Emmett's voice boomed from the living room. Not answering, I walked straight passed where Emmett and my other siblings sat distractedly. Barely acknowledging them at all, I headed up the stairs to my room, where I promptly collapsed on my bed, staring up at the vaulted ceiling.
I'd only been with the girl… no Bella, for a few minutes, but it was enough time to become completely infatuated. Bella was beautiful without a doubt, but what really captured my interest was the mystery surrounding her. Why didn't she turn back into a human? Perhaps she didn't trust me enough to be in that form, but then why did she nuzzle my hand before she left? My questions were endless, but I didn't have any answers, and what bothered me most was that I might never get any.
"No!" That's unacceptable. I have to find Bella again! Just as I was about to jump up and dart towards the window exit route, a soft knock came on my door.
"What?" I growled, impatient to find my new obsession. My body was already poised to pull itself out into the cool night air.
Edward peeked his head around the heavy oak door and gave me a small smile. I immediately felt bad for the rude greeting. Edward was my baby brother. He was turned quite young due to sickness. He was only fourteen physically and emotionally, which should have made him a pest to have around, but thankfully he was a very quiet and introverted kid. That's not to say he didn't have his immature moments, but the combination of his natural character and his having nearly a hundred extra years of experience as a teenager, made him tolerable. In fact he was probably more mature than Emmett most of the time.
"Hey Alice…" He looked down at his shoes, obviously not sure how to ask me something, but I didn't have the patience for this at the moment.
"What is it, Edward?" He looked up at me, and I could see the guilt on his face. That was enough to tell me why he was here. "You were listening to my thoughts?" That nosy little bugger. Edward and I both had talents. I could see partial futures and he could read minds. After several decades of work, Carlisle had taught Edward to shut off his power. He wasn't supposed to use it on any of us without our permission, but again…he was a fourteen year old boy. I knew for a fact that he sometimes listened in when Emmett and Rosalie were going at it, the little pervert. Of course I couldn't really blame him. It would be awfully hard to resist the temptation to know everyone's secrets, but that didn't make me any less furious that he'd invaded my thoughts. That meant he probably saw Bella in her human form, naked. I bristled at the thought. I didn't want other people seeing my Bella that way.
"I know I'm not supposed to look, but you seemed so out of it when you got back and everyone was worrying…"
"That's no excuse to invade my privacy!" I growled, glaring at him.
"Please, Alice, I just want to know what that was? It looked like an albino lion or something." He said, his brow furrowing in thought. "But not a cougar, and those are the only big cats around here." He continued, and I relaxed slightly. He must not have seen her human form, or he wouldn't have been so focused on the cat part.
"Edward." I called, getting his attention back from the thoughts he'd strayed into. "I'm going for a walk. We'll talk about this when I get back." I said, not waiting for a response before I propelled myself out the window and down into the green grass below.
I sprinted back to the clearing where we'd met and easily found her scent from earlier. I darted through the trees following it as it got stronger and stronger. I was probably only a couple miles from where I'd started when I found her. She was curled up beneath a tree on what looked like a makeshift bed she'd put together from ferns and leaves. She was still in her cat form and looked adorable, snoring little purrs. But then realization hit me and I frowned. I had thought her scent would lead me to a house, where she lived. Why was she sleeping on the ground in the middle of the forest? Didn't she have a home?
She looked so peaceful that I couldn't bear to wake her, despite my curiosity screaming at me to do so. Instead I took a seat against a tree nearby, watching on as the beautiful cat continued to slumber. Occasionally, her lips and whiskers would twitch, or a little growl would slip out. But the most amusing moment came just as the dawn neared. Her back leg twitched, then the front followed suit, before suddenly all her legs were moving like she was running, little snarls coming through her upturned lip. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me and soon I had to cover my mouth while I shook with laughter.
"You're too cute." I whispered to the sleeping beast. Its nose twitched, but it continued to sleep on for another two hours.
Finally, with a huge yawn the large cat stood and stretched its strong body, its rear end up in the air, like it was doing downward dog.
An idea suddenly came to me and before I was noticed I quickly shut my eyes, feigning sleep. I knew she had finally noticed me when I heard a bubbly sound I can only describe as a purr with a high inflection at the end. I almost chuckled at the thought that this was probably the cat equivalent to "What the hell?"
The sound of soft paws padding towards me was followed by warm breath on my face. I discreetly breathed in the scent, nearly able to taste it on my tongue. It was an earthy smell like musk and flowers, but still fresh. I took in another whiff enjoying the heat as it washed over my skin. After a moment, I heard myself being smelled and couldn't help but smile when a deep, soft purr began to accompany the scent investigation.
The almost inaudible sound of moving bones, caught my attention, and soon, there was a rough human hand caressing my face, seemingly examining it by touch. Unable to wait any longer, I slowly opened my eyes, only to find them gazing into the blazing green orbs I'd been thinking about constantly since yesterday.
"Hello." I whispered into the inch of space between our faces. Apparently, her ignorance of personal boundaries didn't change in this form, but I wasn't complaining. She studied me for a moment, before leaning back on her heels, squatting before me. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done to keep my eyes on her face, when she was practically displaying herself for my viewing pleasure. But I'm glad I did, because after contemplating me for a moment longer, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and she opened her mouth, hesitantly and carefully forming…something.
"Haa" Her voice was gravely, like she'd never used it before in her life, and I suspected that she might not have. I watched her intently as her face scrunched up, while she focused on forming her mouth correctly. "Lo." She finally growled out. Now I was the one confused. "Haaa-Lo." She tried again, looking up at me for a reaction. This time I understood. She was mimicking me. Her "haa" was too long and her "lo" came out a little more like "Wo," but if my assumption that this was her first time speaking was correct, she'd done magnificently.
"Good, Bella!" I praised smiling at her and clapping my hands, she grinned at me. Granted it was kind of a feral grin, but I could tell she was proud of herself and I was practically beaming with pride myself. Now that I knew why she hadn't responded to me, I felt an urge to continue teaching her. This must have been how Jane felt when she met Tarzan. Of course, Bella was much more attractive than an ape man, and better smelling, I'm sure. Excited to try more words, I pointed to myself again and said, "Alice." I was careful to pronounce each syllable slowly and carefully, so she could understand. She studied my mouth and I repeated my name, before urging her to try.
"La-Liss" She tried, frowning at herself when it didn't sound right. I took her hand, getting her attention before pointing to my mouth and making the "Ahh" sound for "A" which she copied. Next I showed her "Li" and finally hissed out an "S" sound. When she'd successfully managed all three sounds, I put them together for her again and she copied me, or tried to.
"Uhh-Liss." She spoke in her same gravelly tone. She frowned and tried again with the same result. Apparently frustrated, she growled softly. Suddenly, that feral smile returned and she leaned forward, her face stopping an inch from mine. "Liss." She said with finality. I frowned. Did she just change my name?
"Bella…"
"Liss!" She repeated, staring at me hard, until I finally backed down. I guess these things took time. When I sighed, my gaze accidently wandered a little too far south and my breath caught in my throat. I needed to get this girl some clothes or it would only be a matter of time before she fried my brain and I became nothing more than a drooling idiot.
I took her hand in mine again and stood, pulling her up with me.
"Liss." She said again, observing me with interest, but also frowning, as she dropped my hand. I realized she thought I was leaving her and shook my head.
"No, Bella! Come on." Knowing she didn't understand, I waved my arm in an exaggerated effort to try and show her what I wanted. She hesitantly took a couple steps towards me and I captured her hand in mine again, this time pulling her with me back towards my house. I had so many plans racing through my head. I needed to get her some clothes first, but then maybe Edward would be able to figure out what happened to her through her thoughts, and CARLISLE! I bet he'd be able to teach her how to speak in no time! He's really good at explaining stuff like that. I admit, my patience isn't the best, though I would try hard for Bella. I looked back at the girl behind me. She didn't look malnourished at all, but she'd definitely need a shower. She was watching me cautiously. I think she trusted me, but I couldn't really blame her for being hesitant. After all, we only met yesterday.
It took us a while to get back, seeing as the further we got from her makeshift den, the more reluctant she was to go forward. By the end I was practically dragging her behind me while her eyes darted nervously around the foliage. Maybe I was pushing her too soon, but I didn't like the thought of her sleeping alone out in the woods. I wanted her safe and comfortable…I wanted her with me.
Just before we broke the tree line into my back yard, she ripped her hand from mine and I turned to find her back in cat form.
"Bella. It's okay." I soothed, kneeling down and taking her big furry face in my hands. Her green eyes were stormy with indecision and worry. I stared into the beautiful orbs, trying to get across my message, that I would protect her.
We sat like that for probably ten minutes before she finally started moving forward again, by my side. My family was gathered in the living room, already having heard and possibly seen us a while ago. When we reached the back doors, I opened them and went in first before holding them open for Bella, but she stopped just outside. Cautiously, she stretched out her neck, taking a sniff of the air inside our house. I knew she smelled my family, and for a moment, I was afraid whether she thought I had betrayed her when she turned an intense gaze upon me. I smiled at her, hoping she'd continue to trust me.
"Alice? What's going on?" I heard Carlisle whisper to me from the other room. It was so quiet that I almost didn't hear, and I didn't think Bella had heard at all, since she remained focused on the threshold of the house, deciding whether to take the chance or not.
"I brought home a friend and she's just a little nervous." I whispered back as lowly as I could, knowing that being closer to Bella she might hear, which she did. She stared up at me in that way she does when she's thinking hard. I kept the smile on my face, taking another step into the house and waving my hand for her to come in.
"Please Bella." I begged, pouting when she made no moves forward. The puppy dog look is universal right? It must be, because her front paw lifted, shifting her body weight towards me. It must have been involuntary because Bella looked as surprised as me, except she wasn't nearly as excited at this development.
My family was getting anxious, waiting for us. I could already hear Rosalie starting to grumble about pets and Esme shushing her.
Finally, the tension in Bella released and she made her decision, crossing over and into our house. I didn't close the door behind her. I didn't want her to feel trapped, but I led her into the living room and she followed, only a bit reluctantly.
As I could have predicted, even without my talent, the entire family was staring at us when we entered. I stumbled a bit in surprise as a blunt force hit the back of my legs and I turned to see Bella hiding behind me, as if my small frame could conceal a lion. I reached behind me, rubbing behind her ears to comfort her before turning back to my family with a grin.
"Umm, this is Bella. Can I keep her?" I asked jokingly, staring around at my speechless family.
"Alice? Where did you come across this animal?" Carlisle asked, studying Bella from his seat on the couch.
"Bella." I corrected. She was a person, even if they didn't know it. My father nodded his acknowledgment. "And I found her in the forest when I was hunting. I don't think she has any family and I didn't want her sleeping outside." Emmett laughed.
"Alice, she's an animal, they're supposed to be outside."
"Exactly." Rosalie agreed, her arms crossed as she scowled at Bella. "Besides we don't keep pets, we eat them." She added and I instinctively growled, crouching protectively in front of Bella. My sister's vampire side took this as a challenge and she snarled back at me. Emmett grabbed her arm before she could advance on me though. I could feel Bella cowering a bit behind me, her large body quivering, and immediately I returned to my relaxed stance.
"That's enough, Rosalie. No one will be eating Bella." Esme soothed, looking at Rose disapprovingly and looking concerned at the shaking cat behind me.
"Is there a reason why you're so taken with this particular cat? She is unique looking, but she's probably an escapee from somewhere, either a lab or…"
I interrupted Carlisle before he got too caught up in his thoughts. I didn't really want to tell my family; instead preferring to keep Bella's secret to myself, but it wasn't really fair to them, especially if I wanted her to stay here. Not to mention I needed some of them to help me with her.
"Actually Carlisle, she's not an animal…"
"Alice…" Emmett interrupted, but I quickly cut him off as well.
"Be quiet and I'll explain." I sneered at my brother. I loved him to death, but he needed to zip it! "Like I was saying, she's not an animal, she's a girl. A shape shifter, I think. I don't know anything else she could be." I paused looking at Carlisle, silently asking for him to figure it out. "From what I've been able to gather, she's never spoken and doesn't know English, or any other language for that matter. I think she must have grown up wild, for lack of a better term. She's smart though, she already started picking up words from me and trying to mimic them." I paused here to take in my family's reactions. Esme was predictably staring at Bella lovingly and I knew she was just waiting for her chance to coddle her. Emmett looked confused while Rosalie seemed just as unhappy with Bella as before. Edward was concentrating, on what I suspected were Bella's thoughts. Carlisle looked torn between the father and scholar parts of himself. For the moment, the scholar won out.
"Interesting. What words has she copied?"
"Hello and umm, my name." I would have been blushing at the end if I were human. But I couldn't hide the beaming smile on my face. Carlisle returned my smile softly, before looking back at Bella.
"Do you think she will turn back in our presence?" He asked, looking excited at the prospect of meeting her…in person.
"Oh, I'm not sure. I think she's still a little frightened." If the fact that she was still hiding behind me was any indication. "Plus, I'd like to try and get her into some clothes first." I added on, turning to Esme. "I think she's about your size, would you mind terribly if I borrowed a few of your things until I can go to the mall?"
"Of course not, dear. Help yourself." Esme said kindly, as I knew she would.
"Okay, I'm going to bring her up to my room and hopefully she'll become a little more comfortable being here." As I was about to turn around, I remembered something. "Umm Edward?" I asked. He looked up, but I took the frown on his face to be a bad sign.
"I can't really understand her." Well that was unexpected.
"What do you mean?" I asked anxiously. I was sort of depending on him to give me some insight.
"I mean, it's like you said, she doesn't know a language, so there are no words to explain anything in her head. It's just a bunch of pictures, but they're mostly of what's going on right now. She lives in the moment, like I would assume many animals do."
"Well you said most, so what are the other images of?" I prodded, hopeful for some clues.
"A couple times an image of you in the forest would come up. And once I got a flash of what I think was a deer, but it was half eaten already." He said.
"Oh! Maybe she's hungry!" Esme said jumping up and running to the kitchen. She startled Bella as she flew passed us, causing the large cat to hiss and fall into a crouch. Great, now I had to deal with an angry and skittish feline.
Turning, I knelt down a couple feet from Bella. I thought about clapping my hands or something to get her attention, but it seemed kind of degrading, so I just waited for her to notice me. It didn't take long. Once Esme was out of sight, Bella immediately sought me out. The thought that she might look to me for comfort or safety had me grinning like a fool. She slunk towards me, a soft growl still on her lips as her eyes watched the rest of my family over my shoulder. It was actually pretty adorable.
"Bella." I said moving into her line of vision. Her growl intensified just slightly at the obstruction, but I held my ground. Her green eyes bore into my own and once again we found ourselves in a staring contest. It was all about whose will would break first and I needed it to be hers.
Five minutes passed before she finally huffed and looked away. I rubbed my hands up and down her neck soothingly and was greeted with a partly suppressed purr.
"Amazing." Carlisle said beneath his breath, taking in our interactions carefully.
"Right, well, I'm going to take Bella upstairs." I announced before turning towards the kitchen. "Esme, will you please leave the food outside my door. I think Bella needs some time to relax." With her confirmation, I started walking backwards towards the stairs, coaxing Bella to follow me, which was easier than before because she was eager to get away from all the new people around her. I saw her look briefly towards the exit, and my dead heart stuttered in my chest. Please don't leave me.
I beamed at her when she gingerly started making her way up the stairs with me, curiously taking in the new scents and textures as she went. Once we were somewhat more secluded in the hallway, I could see some of the tension in her shoulders disappear and she began to explore everything around her even more. When we finally got to my room, I opened the door and watched as Bella's head popped up, her nose going crazy. A deep purr emanated from her chest as she quickly made her way inside. She stood to her full height taking in her surroundings, nose still twitching rapidly, like she wasn't sure where to begin. I waited in the doorway, following her with my eyes as she padded around the room. My room was pretty clean and styled in bright colors. My love of all things fashion, necessitated having a large closet, carefully organized by color, style, season, and occasion. In my main bedroom area, I had a queen size bed that felt like you were lying on a cloud, across from a large television on the wall and several bookshelves of movies. But the majority of the time I spent in my room was next to the large picture window, taking up most of my exterior wall. The window wall was at the end of a raised floor where I had an easel and several storage containers of sketchpads and other art supplies. At one time I had a bean bag chair, but it had taken the brunt of my rage and I had yet to replace it. I liked having my studio area separate from the rest of the room, even if it was only elevated by a couple steps.
I was lost in my thoughts when I felt a large head nudging me gently. I looked down to see Bella rubbing her face into my stomach, snuffing loudly, as she took in my smell.
I rested my hand on her head, petting it softly and enjoying the comforting purr that continued to ward off the silence. Though as much as I enjoyed her downy feel and lovable sounds, I wished she would turn back. I wanted to get to know her other half.
Remembering what Edward had said about her thoughts, I considered a new way of communicating with her. Giving her chin one more scratch, I moved over to the raised level of my room and grabbed a sketch pad and a pencil. I brought the human Bella to my mind and swiftly created a matching image on paper. Despite my embarrassment, I drew her whole body in great detail. I didn't know if she knew her reflection well enough to understand if I only drew her face. When I finished I stared at my drawing, eyes lingering on the tuft of hair covering her most precious place; a part of her I had denied myself anything more than a cursory glance at. It didn't seem right, despite her being so at ease nude. I reminded myself that it was only because she didn't know better.
Bella laid on the floor at the bottom of the stairs while I sketched, drifting off into a light slumber. I felt bad having to wake her up, but I was far too eager to wait any longer. A knock came at the door, followed by soft footsteps retreating down the hall. I quietly made my way across the room, careful not to disturb Bella and opened the door. Esme had left a sandwich and a glass of milk on a tray along with a neatly stacked pile of clothing for Bella.
I brought everything inside, sealing us back into our self-imposed isolation and made my way back to Bella. I wasn't sure what the best way to wake a sleeping lion was, so I chose a gentle approach, running my hand along the side of her face, caressing the soft fur beneath her ears, then down to her neck.
"Bella." I called softly, rousing her from sleep. Her nose twitched slightly, before she slowly opened her eyes, yawning widely, showing off four slightly larger than normal cat canines. Her other teeth too, looked a bit sharper than the average lion or tiger.
I gave her a bit more space as she came around, not wanting to startle her, but it was unnecessary as she seemed perfectly at ease, stretching and standing before trotting over to me, tongue hanging out happily. I smiled at her and held up the picture.
"Bella." I said, pointing to the sketch, then motioning to her. She closed her mouth as she studied the image of her human self. I tapped the picture again twice with my finger, raising an eyebrow and urging her on. She took a step back, glancing briefly towards the door, before her glorious fur receded and left a woman once more. "Bella!" I cried happily, jumping up and wrapping my arms around her without thinking. Her body went rigid in my embrace a low humming sound told me to let go, which I did abruptly, looking at her sheepishly.
Her eyes were dark, watching me speculatively for a moment before taking me by complete surprise and lunging for me, knocking my body to the ground. I twisted on the descent, so I could try and catch myself, but ended up sprawled out on my stomach, with Bella's heavy weight on top of me. She felt denser than a normal human. It didn't take me long to realize just what primal instinct I'd brought out of her. It was pretty obvious that I was being mounted. And while part of me was thrilled at the idea, namely my southern region, my brain was screaming at me get control.
Bella's toned body held me to the floor, her hips pistoning against my backside. It was raw and animalistic and I was fighting the vampire in me from responding. The snarls and grunts I heard behind me weren't helping the situation at all. Then, she was tugging at my jeans, apparently realizing that these coverings were in the way of our mating. I don't think the fact that we were both females even entered her mind as a problem for normal reproductive copulation.
Lost in my thoughts again, I hadn't realized she'd pulled my hips up, and found myself on all fours on the floor, her heavy body laying over my back as she continued to hump me frantically. My jeans were now ripped at the waist and falling down my backside with each thrust. Her hot breath on my neck and the sound of her panting in my ear was too much for me and I released a strangled moan. This only spurred her on and she rocked into me harder and faster.
"Mother! Alice is engaging in bestiality." Rosalie's voice carried to my ears from downstairs and knocked me out of my lustful haze.
"No, Bella!" I yelled, pushing back and rolling us over onto the ground. While she was disoriented I jumped to my feet. "No!" I reiterated to the cat-woman who was still very much on the prowl. Despite being in human form, she crawled towards me on hands and knees, green eyes penetrating mine hungrily. "Bella…" I said warningly, taking a few steps back. "Bad! Bad Bella!" I scolded her advancing form, but it did nothing to deter her and I found myself backed into a corner…literally.
My eyes darted around looking for anything that might help me hold her off, when a sparkle caught my eye. I glanced between Bella's stalking form and the bedside table where my diamond bracelet lay and made a decision. I dove over the bent form of Bella and grabbed the bracelet, holding it up in front of me for her to see. As I had hoped the sparkling gems distracted her from her previous task and I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God, because if she had gotten me in that position again, I wouldn't have stood a chance of fighting off both her and my own urges.
I let her examine the bracelet until I was sure any lustful thoughts had left her completely, then I decided to bring her the sandwich Esme prepared. I sat across from her, clearing my throat to get her attention and holding up the plate. Bella's eyes met mine before trailing down to my hands.
"Liss!" She said happily reaching for the plate, but I pulled it back from her, causing her to growl at me, rather fiercely. I wasn't having that.
"No!" I scolded her, returning her glare. She scowled, and tried to reach again for the plate, but I held it out behind me, putting a hand against her chest to push her back. "No!" I repeated. When she realized she wasn't going to win, she sat back on her haunches, huffing. I brought the plate back in front of me, gesturing to it and saying, "Food," taking care to elongate each syllable for her to hear. She didn't immediately catch on to what I wanted so I repeated the word a few more times, each time looking at her for a response.
On the sixth time around, Bella finally made an attempt.
"Foo." I smiled and repeated the word once more, emphasizing the "d" at the end. "Foo-duh!" Bella said, looking rather irritated. Eh, close enough.
"Good Bella!" I cheered, immediately rewarding her with the sandwich and a big grin.
Rather than taking the plate, she grabbed at the food, taking some of the bread and tomato attached to it and tearing a piece off with her teeth. She looked disgusted as she spat it out and snatched some of the turkey still on the plate. She didn't seem to particularly enjoy that either, but ate it anyway. I made a mental note to tell Esme we'd need more red meat and fruits in the house.
Once she had finished I retrieved the milk, contemplating whether having it in a glass was a good idea. My fears were justified when I handed it to her and she proceeded to dump the contents all over herself without even a reaching her mouth. I sighed, picking up the glass and urging Bella to her feet, so I could throw a towel over the ground.
I suppose I could try to put it in a bowl next time, but I really wanted to encourage her human side. So instead I grabbed a sheet of paper and started a shopping list, with the first item being sippy cups.
"Come on Bella. You need a bath." I said, pulling on her hand so she followed me into the bathroom. I made my way to the tub, turning on the tap and adjusting the water until it was a little more than luke warm. I poured in a little bubble bath for fun and turned around.
"Bella! No!" I screeched, racing over to her side. A bar of Parisian hand soap was half in her mouth, with another one in her right hand when I reached her. "Spit it out!" I said, holding my hand up under her chin. She looked like she might challenge me for a moment, but thankfully she let the soap fall from her mouth. It couldn't possibly have tasted good, either, which may have been an added incentive. I grabbed the other from her hand, placing them back on the counter before pulling her back to the tub.
"Alright, get in." I stated, pointing to the bath. Bella followed my gaze, before looking back at me in confusion. "Come on Bella!" I groaned. Like I said, patience wasn't a trait I possessed regularly. She stood staring at me, her head slightly tilted. "Fine!" I muttered, reaching down to roll up my pant legs and pull off my shoes, I stepped into the bath tub, gesturing for her to follow my lead. She stayed where she was a moment longer before taking a few steps towards me. Oh how I wanted to just pick her up and throw her in, but I knew that would ruin the trust I'd worked for with her. Instead, I sat on the ledge, patting the water.
Bella bent forward, reaching her hand until it just barely touched the water before pulling it back. "Good, Bella! It's just water, see?" I encouraged, taking her hand in mine and pulling gently, only enough to suggest her movement, but not forcing it.
After much deliberation on her part, Bella finally stepped into the tub and I continued to pull on her hand until she sat down. She looked completely adorable as she sat in the water like a lump, staring up at me with wide fearful eyes.
"Shh, it's okay." I soothed, running my fingers through her hair, trying to help her relax. Her body was still stiff as I cupped some water in my hand and raised it to her upper arm, letting it fall over her skin. "See, it's just water." I said softly, moving my hand to rub her back. I continued cooing to her as she adjusted to her new environment and sensations. Once I could feel the tension release from her body, I pulled a wash cloth from a hook and held it out for her to see. She took a hand out of the water and felt the rough cotton, examining it. When I saw her opening her mouth to taste it, I pulled it away.
"No." I told her sternly, but hopefully not in a mean way. She wrinkled her nose, narrowing her eyes at me, but made no move to try again, so I brought it back, this time, dipping the cloth in water and running it over her arm gently. She didn't object, so I discreetly added some body wash, making a lather and began rubbing it over her body, scrubbing away dirt and grime from God only knows how long.
I hesitated briefly when I reached her chest and southern bits, but tried to treat them like any other part of her body, quickly finishing up. Bella had slipped into a peaceful state, her eyes closed and head resting on one of my knees. A soft purr had started to penetrate the silence as I worked, and I had to hold off the beast within me from joining in. My vampire side, being so instinct driven, related to Bella and was drawn to her. It was ironic really, as I was trying to draw out her human side, she was bringing out the animal part of me.
When I started to massage some shampoo into her beautiful tresses a little moan slipped out of her lips. I had to bite back my growl. My body was calling for me to take her, just as she had tried to do earlier. It didn't care how well we knew each other or any other "human" concerns. It recognized her readiness to mate and was all too eager to please. But that wasn't going to happen. She was too vulnerable at the moment. I'd feel like I was taking advantage of her.
I was finally satisfied that Bella was clean and let the water drain out of the tub. The sound startled Bella and she practically jumped out of the bath and into my arms, knocking us both to the floor with a thump.
"Is everything okay up there?" Esme called up to me. I stood, picking Bella up with me and placing her on the ground.
"We're fine." I returned, grabbing a large towel from the counter drying Bella off. She watched in fascination as I made quick work of the task, lest I linger too long around her body. After that, I pulled her with me back into my bedroom and headed towards the bed where I'd placed Esme's clothes.
"Bella you can't just walk around naked. You don't want everyone ogling your goodies." I explained to the completely unconcerned girl, who had crawled on to the bed next to me and proceeded to knead the duvet with her hands. "Okay fine. I don't want everyone ogling your goodies." I admitted, knowing she wouldn't understand, even if she were listening to me.
I pulled on her leg, to get her attention, holding up a simple pair of panties. She watched curiously as I got them on her legs and pulled them into place. I was careful to keep my hands on the outside of her legs. I didn't need to tempt fate here. I stood back, waiting for her reaction.
Bella stared down at her waist for a minute, frowning before standing abruptly and wiggling her hips, letting out a low whine as she did so. I saw her start to pull on the waist band and grabbed her hand before she ripped them off.
"No Bella." I said firmly, pointing a finger at her. She stared at me, eyes glistening, and looking so sad it practically broke my heart. She moved her other hand inside the front of the panties, pulling it away from her body and grimacing. I stilled that hand as well, shaking my head no.
She jerked her hand, testing my strength and commitment, and growled a bit when I stayed firm. She finally huffed and stopped fighting me. I thought I had won and removed my hands only to have her immediately rip the offending garment off herself, beaming at me. I tried to look angry at her, but it was no use. She was just like a toddler in the "no clothes" stage, knowing they're naughty for taking off their clothes, but doing it anyway. I shook my head, chuckling softly.
I picked up another pair to try again, but Bella fought me all the way as I struggled to get them over her feet. Eventually, she wrenched her legs apart, snapping the pink cotton.
"Fine!" I said throwing my hands up in the air. "No panties for the wild woman!" I said, ignoring the loud "Whoop" from Emmett, and the smack that followed, as I made an exaggerated gesture of pushing the pile of underwear away from the other clothes and watching Bella's smile grow wider if possible. I looked at the rest of what Esme brought, wondering just what I was going to get her to wear. Judging by her reaction, I'm guessing she didn't like the tightness. I was hoping that was all it was, or I'd never get her in clothes.
For my next attempt, I decided to try her upper half, pulling one of the looser t-shirts from the pile and moving towards Bella. She was sitting on the bed watching me somewhat defiantly, now that she knew something was going on. I placed the shirt on the bed next to her and brought my hands to her sides, sliding them up gently until I was pulling her arms up and over her head. I watched her eyes for any extreme unease, but found none. She was watching me closely, but seemed to be letting it play out for now. Holding her wrists with one hand, I grabbed the shirt with the other.
It was tricky getting her arms through, but thankfully she didn't fight me this time, or it would have been impossible. I scrunched the shirt up before pulling it over her head. I wanted to make sure she wouldn't have to find herself in a cotton prison, in case it freaked her out. When I finally pulled the shirt into place, it fit her snuggly, which I was afraid of. It lasted longer than the panties, at least, but I soon found myself staring at a naked Bella once more. Before I could even attempt to grab something else from the pile, Bella pushed everything onto the floor, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Liss. No." She said, pointing her finger at me as I had done to her numerous times today already. I gaped at her scolding me and didn't know whether to laugh or be upset with the situation. Apparently, I had found myself a nudist.
"Let me try one more time." I pleaded with the uncomprehending girl. Darting out of the room, I returned a second later holding a pair of Edward's basketball shorts. They had a drawstring, which is why I picked them, but they were going to be very loose on her everywhere else. If she was going to show off at least half her body, I'd rather it be the slightly less provocative upper half.
I held up the shorts to her and she wrinkled her nose, but didn't protest, so I carefully pulled them onto her legs and had her stand again so I could pull them into place. I tightened the drawstring, but they still barely hung onto her hips. She wiggled again, testing them. She caught my eye and held the gaze as she brought her hand to the waist band.
"No, Bella. Please." I begged her with my eyes. I didn't restrain her, this time though. She stared at me, reading my expression, her hand frozen at her waist, until finally she let it fall away. The shorts stayed.
I beamed at her, wanting to hug her again, but visions of our earlier tryst stopping me.
"Good girl." I said softly, smiling at her and letting my hands run a course up and down her arms.
All of the sudden she started looking around, sniffing, and I watched, baffled, as she made her way over to my open balcony door. My eyes widened when she squatted over my cherry wood landing!
"No!" I gasped, but it was too late. She was urinating on my balcony! I suppose I should be thankful she knew enough to go outside, but still! She turned her head to look at me in confusion, but didn't cease her actions. On top of everything, she'd just soiled the shorts I'd fought to get her in.
I slapped myself in the forehead. Unbelievable.
"I think your cat-girl needs another bath." I heard Emmett laughing from downstairs.
"Emmett, go get the hose and clean off the balcony." Esme scolded him and I smiled, before I realized he'd then be seeing Bella half naked.
"Bella, come here." I coaxed when she stood back up, pulling at the now wet shorts with a frown. Never the less, she followed my motions back into the bathroom, where once again, I carefully washed her off. Oh, the trials I had to go through for this girl.