Chapter 4
We finally made it to Alaska. Everything was snow covered, which in my opinion was beautiful.I didn't pay much attention to the landscape, so I didn't notice when we pulled up into a driveway. When I did notice, I noticed a huge house. A mansion sized house. I gaped at it. The front door was a light brown wood, maybe oak, and had glass panels in it. The exterior was white paneling, and the roof was black with a greenish tint. It was pressed against a small mountain, not small enough to be called a hill. A chimney spurted smoke, and I noticed Carlisle's Mercedes ahead of us in the long driveway. They must already be inside then. My phone rang again, and this time Edward picked it up. He offered no greeting. My enhanced hearing picked up the conversation.
" Bella! You know you two getting divorced is an option, right? I wasn't trying to offend you! Come home! I need you back! Dump the bloodsucker!" I cringed, and Edward's face got colder and colder.
"Jacob, stop calling this number. You are wasting her money, having to pay to talk to scum like you. Long distance. So, leave her alone, or not even my brothers could stop me from breaking your face." I heard silence on the other side of the line, then Edward snapped the phone shut.
"He is really getting on my nerves. First he ignores me for a few months, and now he won't leave me alone. He has issues." The numbing sensation had worn off, and was replaced by excitement. I couldn't wait to see the room that was officially mine and Edward's. As in, belonging to both of us. Our first joint possession. We piled out of the car, and walked up the porch. I put my hand tentatively on the elaborate doorknob. I took a deep breath before opening the door. The house was breathtaking. This was a foyer, with lush red carpet and cream walls. We walked down the hall, peeking into rooms, until we found the stairs. There were stairs going up, and stairs going down.We took the ones to go up. We passed at least two more floors before we got to the top. Edward led me down the hallway, and we came to a stop in front of a large door.
"Apprez vous." He murmured, and I stepped into the room. It was beautiful. The carpet was silver, and the walls were a deep royal blue. It was a breathtaking combination. There was a skylight situated in the middle of the ceiling. The room was shaped like a hexagon, and there was no furniture yet. I heard Emmett hoisting furniture with ease that Jasper struggled with.I heard them joshing as if they were beside me, instead of three floors down. Edward kissed the top of my head.
"I need to go help them unload." He left the room. I walked to the center of the room, and basked in the warmth of the sun on my icy skin. The room couldn't have been more wonderful. And now it was mine. Just then Edward came through the door with a silver leather sofa in one hand, and the old stereo in the other.
"Anything I can do to help?" I asked as he sat them down, and Emmett came through the door with a desk and ten boxes stacked full of Edward's CD's.
"Yes. Organize it. And that means you have to actually touch the fragile stuff, so be extra careful." Emmett commented. I glared at him.
"He's actually right, you should try to organize a bit. I'll be back in a minute." Edward defended his brother. We focused for a few hours on getting the house looking like it was lived in. By the time we were done, we all sat in the living room. I was exhausted. The rest of them were fine, probably because I wasn't used to using my new found strength.
"Well, Bella, do you want to hunt now, or are you ok?" Carlisle asked. I actually hadn't noticed until he mentioned it that my throat was burning crazily.
"Now. I'm really thirsty..."Carlisle nodded, and I noticed his eyes were black. In fact, everyone's eyes were except for mine, which were probably pulsing red, and Edward's, who still had a ruby tint from the conversion. It looked terrible.
"Well, let's go out to this forest, here. It's far enough from civilization that there's no risk." He pointed at a section on a large map.
"What about the rest of us? Deer are so boring!" Emmett complained. Edward glared at him.
"You will hunt deer until Bella gains enough control to hunt only with Edward." Carlisle declared, in a tone that clearly ended the conversation. We all got up and we decided to ditch the cars and run. Up until now, I had either stayed at human speed, or had Edward carry me. I had many fears when it came to running through the forest. One, trees. Two, hitting trees. Three, hitting trees and having Emmett laugh at me. And so on and so forth.
"Do I have to? You can carry me..." I looked into the shadowy forest as my tone got weaker and weaker. Edward smiled and shook his head. I took a deep breath, and took his hand in mine. He took off, forcing me to follow. It was just like running as a human, just faster. And more effortless. I was amazed at the ease of dodging trees. It was as if I had hit auto pilot and my legs did all the work for me. It was exhilarating. But at the same time it was terrifying. Trees whipped by at deadly speeds, and I was sure I would trip at any moment. The run took minutes, and yet also took hours.
When I finally caught scent of something, I spun and chased it down. It was a polar bear. I froze in my tracks. It was ready to fight back, unlike the weak deer. Edward came up, and saw the fear in my eyes. He tackled it gracefully, pinning it to the ground. I sprang toward it, and finished it off. Polar bears were much bigger than deer. It only took two to quench my thirst. I watched as Edward tackled them each to the ground. Then he paused to quench his own thirst. I watched jealously as his eyes turned from black to gold with every swallow. I remembered this was something I had wanted to see for a while, and I took in every move. His movements were graceful, and lethal. I took a few tries to hit the jugular, while he took seconds. Yet another thing he was better at than me. When we were done we ran back. This time I just had to wash my face and hands, instead of a whole shower. Edward and I were snuggling on the silver couch in our new room when we heard the doorbell ring, and an unfamiliar voice ring out.
"Hey, what's up guys? Having fun in Alaska?" Edward got up automatically, pulling me with him.
"Who?" I asked him. He just smiled, scooped me into his arms and started running down the stairs.
"There you are, love bugs. Irina, Bella. Bella, Irina." Jasper smiled at me. Irina...wasn't she... the girl who liked Laurent! I felt a surge of hatred, and Jasper looked at me, confused.
"Nice to meet you...oh my god! Is that a wedding ring?? Tanya will fre-eak!" She said freak like a song. Or a yodel. Her voice was like Lauren's. Way too high and pitchy. She flung her coat at Emmett and pranced to the living room. "What a cute little house!" If this was little, I'd hate to see big. "What color is this?It's adorable...oooh, look at the curtains... the carpet is cute..."She switched topics so fast my mind couldn't keep up. Then a rock flew through the bay window. On it was an all too familiar manure smell. Werewolf. I saw someone dart through the trees, far out in the forest. I felt waves of peace swirl around us, and I suspected Jasper felt the sudden tension in the air. The door blasted open, and Jacob, flanked by Sam, Quil and Embry, blasted through the door. Jasper and Edward made eye contact for a millisecond, and Edward jerked his head at Emmett. They all grabbed Irina. Carlisle put a restraining hand on my shoulder.
"Bella, you have to listen to me! I'm sorry!" His eyes burned into mine, and a buildup of fury hit me. I ripped away from Carlisle. Alice and Rosalie tackled me, as did Carlisle. Combined they were able hold me down. How dare they! I held tight to my anger. It was like all my anger I had held for the past few years was unleashed in one blast. I heard Irina screaming in the background.
"Let go of me! He killed Laurent! He will pay!" I tried to breath evenly, and the floating conquered me again. I imagined Charlie and Renee, happy as could be. And Billy, ripped apart with the knowledge of his son's death. I took courage from that thought, and sat up carefully. I smiled vaguely at them, to show them I was calm. Alice's face went blank for a moment. Then she became reanimated, letting me go and helping me up. She must have seen I was fine. I focused on the situation at hand. Irina was livid, and all seven Cullens grasped her. I stepped up alongside Edward. I grabbed her arm, and the extra strength helped pull her to the couch. Nothing moved in slow motion. In fact, the whole exchange took a matter of minutes. I turned my attention to the group of quivering boys at the doorway. Jacob was the only one under control. He smiled wide in my direction when he noticed my stare. His black eyes didn't seem the least bit repentant, so I glared. Irina was calming down too. She settled on glaring, angry and lethal, in Sam's direction.
"Get out." Edward growled ferociously. I looked at him and saw his expression was murderously angry. I shifted so I was grasping both him and Irina. I found even through the chaos, I liked the experience. I was no longer a bystander. I was an asset. Jacob was still grinning idiotically at me, and didn't answer Edward. The silence deepened. The only sound was our breathing.
"I must second Edward's sentiments. Please remove yourselves from the property. Or we cannot ensure your safety.' Carlisle sounded calm, but his face was just as strained as Edward's was. The tension in the air was touchable, tastable. Calming waves were franticly being emitted from Jasper's general direction. Slowly, we relaxed. The wolves stopped shaking. We let go of Irina. Emmett was enjoying the prospect of forcibly removing them, it was obvious from the glee in his eyes. The werewolves must have seen this too, because Quil yanked at Jacob's shirt.
"We really should go..." He mumbled quietly. Jacob ripped out of his grip.
"No. Bella will take me back. Parasite or not!" I noticed something else. Behind the manure smell, there was another heady scent. Alcohol? Impossible. But Jake was a little wobbly...
"Are you...drunk??" I was stunned. Well, maybe not so much. He did own a motorcycle, after all. He smiled goofily at me again. Edward tensed, and sniffed the air.
"I'm afraid so." Edward murmured into my ear. The anger subsided in his eyes, and understanding replaced it. He got up, allowing me to keep my hold on his arm, and walked toward Jake. He gently turned him, and guided him toward the door.
"Come back when you feel better, okay? I promise Bella will talk to you for as long as you want later. Go home right now." As he was talking he led him carefully outside.
"Get him home safe, okay?" I addressed the rest of them. Quil nodded, and they chased after Jacob. Though I felt as much hatred for Jacob as Edward probably did, I still didn't want him to get hurt. As soon as the door clicked softly back into place, I collapsed onto the floor. Too much. I didn't sleep, but I closed my eyes.I heard Edward, franticly shaking me and shouting my name. I managed to break through my stupor enough to comfort him.
"I'm okay...let me cope..." I drifted again. The numbing sensation was back. I realized with a jolt that must have something to do with my special ability. I had no idea what, but something. I felt myself lifted to the couch, and heard a tiny click, followed by a shuffle, no doubt Carlisle rustling through his bag. My jumbled thoughts fell back to Jacob. Why would he drink? I couldn't have caused that much pain...could I? I wasn't honestly that important. He would imprint, and move on. I didn't know whether to be sad or comforted at that thought. The whispers around me were getting more and more frantic. I sighed deeply. Better let them off the hook. I sat up, and opened my eyes. Edward's face was inches away from mine. I leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I felt him smile, relived I was okay. I pulled back, and looked around. The room was a mess. Irina was on a rampage, screaming and stomping around, with Emmett and Jasper trying to calm her down. Everyone else knelt around me. I blinked a few times. I noticed the light outside was starting to brighten. Almost as if it was morning.
"What time is it?" I asked. Carlisle's expression became concerned.
"You've been out for five hours, Bella." Five hours. Wow. It felt like seconds. Maybe a minute or two. Not five hours. Had I found a way to replicate sleep? I doubted it, since the only reason I passed out was an overload. I didn't feel tired. At all. My brow creased. Edward shrugged, his expression buoyant.
"Who cares at the moment? Look at the clock. It's the forty eight hour mark, with only two feedings. She's got incredible control. She sat in a room with three humans before twenty four hours. She's amazing." His eyes glazed with compassion. He wrapped his arms around me, and we sat there like that for an immeasurable moment. And I wished with all my might the pain was over, and Cinderella's castle was still standing. Jasper cleared his throat after a bit, and we let go of each other unwillingly.
"You know, I still feel like this is a dream, and I'll wake up soon and facing my first day in Forks all over again." I snuggled closer to him, and we got up together.
"If this is a dream, then I'd wake up in 1918, and you wouldn't exist. If this is all a dream, when I wake up I will kill myself. Because now I know what is possible for me to feel, and I can't live without it." He planted a kiss on my cheek. Even after all we'd been through together, his words still sent chills down my spine. As did his touch..and his eyes...and his smile... pretty much everything about him. He suprised me by heading towards my car.
"Where are we going?" I asked. I didn't particularly care, but it was intriguing.
"To enroll the Cullens and the Hales into school. Would you like to be a Hale, or shall I?" At first I thought he was joking, but his eyes were dead serious.
"Edward Hale? I don't think so!" I exclaimed, and he laughed.
"Bella Hale...or, you could take the name Swan?" I thought about that. I liked the idea. But I shook my head.
"That Bella was left behind when I left Jacob. I am Bella Cullen. Or Hale, whichever. But I am not Bella Swan." He nodded at my reasoning and started the car. As we drove, we passed the wolves. We were stopped at the same light, and Jacob was nearest me. THe car on our other side had their window rolled down, and sneakily watched the exchange.
"Hey, it's the vampires!! Hey Bella! How's it feel to drink blood?" Jacob slurred at me. The human in the other car had his eyebrows raised.
"Does he believe him?" I jerked my head at the man. Edward shook his head, and I sighed with relief. I didn't want to murder anything more than strictly necessary. Quil put his hand over Jacob's mouth and looked apologetically at me. From what I saw, Jacob bit his hand. Hard. Causing Quil to let go.
"Hey Bella! This means war!! I declare war!! I'm the beta, remember!!" My eyes wet wide. Even drunk, he could give that order. And the pack had to obey. There was no choice. And I doubted Sam would counter the decision. Edward slammed the gas, running the light. The needle edged near 180 kilometers an hour. At least I was indestructible. He cut through a forest, U turning and spinning, passing Jacob, and zoomed off to the rest of the family. I pulled out my phone, dialing as fast as I could. Carlisle answered.
"Carlisle! Jacob declared war!" There was a stunned silence at the other end. Edward reached over me and pressed speakerphone.
"Meet us at Tanya's house. Bella, take off your wedding ring." I starred at him wordlessly. He sighed.
"Bella, if Tanya finds out we're married, we have no chance of their help. Take it off." He shut the phone, and started pulling the ring off himself. I yanked my hand away, hurt. I pulled it off myself with my teeth, and sat sulking like a five year old. He tried to worm his hand into mine but I jerked away. He had set his ring in the cup holder. The cup holder! I guess this was just to be expected. A god like him wasn't meant to love me. He tried to rub my arm in comfort but I unbuckled my seat belt, carefully maneuvering into the backseat. He sighed.
"You are acting like a child." He turned to look at me, and smiled crookedly. I stubbornly refused to meet his eyes.
"And our relationship is in the cup holder." I jerked my chin toward the discarded ring.
"And you are upset that I'm trying to protect you from certain death?" I nodded. He turned his attention back to the road. We sat in a tense silence. By the way he huffed his breath, I decided he was annoyed. Well then so was I! We eventually pulled into a long driveway.
"If it means that much to you, then I'll wear it." He decided as he was pulling to a stop.
"If being married to me is a chore, just don't!" I saw he was hiding a smile now. Even as a vampire my anger was unimpressive. He turned and smiled a crooked smile so beautiful it took my breath away. His golden eyes sparkled in amusement.
"A chore that never gets tedious. Bella, please don't be upset. Number one, if Tanya sees a ring on my finger she'll rip you to shreds. Number two, if there were better accommodations the ring would be there, but the cup holder was all I could find while trying to outrun a clan of masochistic mutated wolves. And thirdly, here comes the rest of the Cullens, so I suggest you make a quick decision." I slide my ring back on my finger in response. He did the same, and we ran to the door. He knocked. When no one answered, he rapped a glass panel. To my suprise, it fell out into his hand. He reached through, and something clicked. The door fell open. When the rest of the Cullens filed in, he carefully replaced the glass.
"Tanya, I hear you up there. We are under fire, and I suggest you help!" I just noticed Irina mixed into the group when she shouted up at her sister. When no one answered, Irina sighed. "Well then, come down to the basement. It's safe, and has a t.v, stereo, computer, game systems..." She went on and on. When we finished the stairs, she showed us to the couch. She forcibly pushed Edward and I onto the love seat, calling for Tanya again. This time there was a shuffle, and four unfamiliar vampires plowed down the stairs. Edward whispered softly in my ear.
" The only male is Eleazer. The one with reddish tinted hair is Kate, the one whose hair is soft brown with blonde streaks is Carmen. The strawberry blonde is Tanya." I assessed them all. Kate's red hair was straight, pulled up neatly in a pony tail. From the size, I would say her hair fell down to her mid back. Her face was rounded like Esme's, but she was as thin as Alice. Carmen had shoulder length carmel colored hair. She looked more like Rosalie, but her face was shaped like Victoria's had been...a floodgate opened, and a thousand memories of pain and terror flooded my mind. I pulled myself back by concentrating on Eleazer. He was muscled like Edward, not so much as Emmett though. He was tall and thin like Jasper, but his face was harder, more experienced. With a sigh of defeat, I examined Tanya. Her strawberry blonde hair was cut short, landing at about her chin. Her cold black eyes were focused angrily on the ring Edward wore. Her gaze flickered to my hand and the anger became fury.Edward was pointedly twirling my hair, avoiding her eyes.
"We seem to have a little tension here. Edward?" Irina prodded, obviously enjoying this. She jabbed him in the side with a finger. He glared at her, and dropped my hair.
"Weeeeeeelll," He drawled, eyes on our shoes. "This is Bella. We kind of got married." Now he was examining the arm of the seat. Tanya sat wordlessly on the step, possibly too angry to speak.
"We do have a more pressing issue.The Quillette's have declared war on us. The question is, what do we do?" No one answered Carlisle. Everyone was watching Tanya. Her hands were balled tightly into fists, her knuckles turning even whiter. Her teeth were clenched and her head rested back on the step behind her. Kate slid down beside her, and Tanya leaned against her. Edward cringed. It was one of those 'what's next' moments, where no one knows quite what to say or to, and time comes to a standstill. Carlisle cleared his throat loudly, and this time we all looked at him, wary.
"Like I was saying, the Quillette's are outside, and we're going to need plenty of-" A large crash sounded upstairs, followed by barking and snuffling, cutting him off mid sentence. Everyone but Tanya stood immediately and headed for the steps. When I tried to follow, Edward gave me such a threatening glare that I didn't even argue my point. I just sat. Everyone left, leaving me to face Tanya.
"Uh...hi Tanya...nice to meet you?" I stuttered pathetically. She lifted her head enough to glare at me.
"You..." She snarled, her teeth clenching angrily together. I took a deep breath and went to sit by her.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." I stared fixedly at the carpet until she suprised me by sighing. I looked up, and her face was sympathetic.
"Oh dear, I'm not mad at you...well maybe I am, just a bit...who am I kidding, I'm furious! But still, it's unjustified. You didn't know I loved Edward. And he didn't like me one bit, anyway. I guess I'm just jealous." She smiled, and I felt my jaw drop.
"Oh..that's good..." I didn't know quite what to say to that.
"NO!" I heard simultaneous shout sound from above us. I jumped up immediately, and burst through the door. Everyone was frozen in shocked silence. At first I thought it was from my entrance, but then I saw two figures. One was kneeling on the floor, and the other was lying motionless. I felt a spasm of fear, thinking it was Edward. But the kneeling one stuck out a white hand to brace himself, and I recognized with relief Edward's wedding ring. Oh no. The motionless one...of course. Me, always me. My mind burst into a frenzy, and a cry escaped my lips without my permission.
"Jacob!"