I'm probably going to say something like this every time but THANK YOU so much for the support and love, you guys. Really, I'm amazed at the reaction I'm getting from this story that started as a random little plot idea in my head. I love you all! Thanks for the reviews, alerts, favorites, and guess what everyone! This story is now in a community is as well! Yay! I'm blown away, seriously.
Now, moving on from me being sappy! Lots of you had questions on things I've posted so far and I hope in this chapter I answer some of your questions. I love that you guys do put your questions in reviews and such because it lets me know if I've maybe skimmed something I shouldn't have and the like. So please continue with that.
PLEASE READ THIS NEXT LITTLE BIT IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE OF THE AUTHOR NOTE.
Was that clear enough? Haha.
I'm sure you're wondering why this update is twice the size as the last three chapters and the answer is that this next weeks is finals for me and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get an update up and whatnot. It could be a whole week and while that's usually the norm, I don't want that to be the norm for this story so I decided to apologize in advance with a lengthier chapter. As always, I hope you all like this update!
Please, please, please let me know what you think. Reviews brighten my day SO much and they do help by letting me know what you guys think/want.
-Shadow
Title: Now and Forever
Rating: M (because of possible lemons, language, and violence)
Summary: The Swan family has moved back to Forks, WA thinking it would be a quiet senior year for Bella. But when Bella goes grocery shopping, a seemingly simple task, she meets Edward, her vampire mate and things are suddenly not so simple anymore.
Notes: -My vampires are similar to S.M.'s vampires but there are some differences.
-Bella and Edward are a bit OOC as this is whole story is AU.
Edward had thought holding her in his arms at the grocery store had been nice, had thought feeling her body all along his as he awaited for he to wake was amazing, but kissing his mate? Heaven. He had been worried for her as she had been out for over an hour since they left the store but Carlisle had assured him she would wake when she was ready and that she was fine. He had felt terrible for scaring her so much, but Esme had touched her! Rationally he knew it was just Esme but everything had been on overdrive those first couple minutes. He had already apologized to Esme but she had brushed it off, knowing how mates could be.
He had to admit he was amazed by how well his Bella was taking everything. Was she in some form of shock? But any concerns drifted to the back of his mind when she had stared at him with those large, brown eyes begging him to kiss her. It was odd, not being able to hear her thoughts but he could read her expressions pretty well so it wasn't too bad. He would have to talk with Carlisle about Bella's amunity to his gift. But later, perhaps much later.
"Are you going to bite me?" Bella whispered and he froze, staring down at her, watching her breaths come in in gasps. Then some guilt started to worm it's way into him. He wanted to bite her and mark her as his, but as he met her eyes and saw the tiniest bit of fear he knew he couldn't do it. He could never hurt her.
"No, little one." Edward murmured and ran a hand gently down her face, taking in how she relaxed a little bit into the bed. He had bitten, had sex with and killed many women but he would never force anything on his Bella. Not that he was a rapist or anything. "Why don't we continue talking?" He suggested and smirked a bit as she let out a disappointed sigh.
"Alright." Bella nodded her head and he pulled her up with him to sit across from each other, but he kept her hand in his, needing some sort of physical contact.
"What do you want to know?" Edward asked after watching Bella open and close her mouth a few times and glance his way before looking down at their joined hands. Her shyness was cute, and refreshing. He was used to women throwing themselves at him and while it made it easy for him to feed and such, it was more often than not annoying.
"You... wanted to bite me." Bella hesitantly began and Edward nodded, curious to where this was going to go. "And you feed from humans..." Again, he nodded. "So... are you a murderer?" She whispered and from her tone, Edward could tell she was fearing this answer. She may not fear him but she didn't like the idea of him being a monster.
"I used to kill people before I could control my thirst and strength." Edward sighed and waited until she looked back up at him when he paused too long. "But I don't kill anymore, Bella. I feed on people, yes, but I don't kill unnecessary." He said. "I don't feed on children, the elderly, or those who are with child. I'm not a complete monster." He said with a humorless smile and Bella cringed.
"I don't think you're a monster... I just... The thought that you're out there killing people and me knowing about it without doing anything to stop it?" Her pitch got higher and higher as she spoke and he rubbed the top of her hand, feeling bad that he was making her upset. "My dad is the Chief of Police, Edward. I couldn't have looked him in the eye knowing..." Bella sighed and looked away.
"Hey," Edward said and brought his free hand to guide her face to look back at him. "I promise, I won't do anything to make you feel guilty or anything." He assured her. "You're my mate, Bella, and as such your safety and happiness is my number one priority." He smiled at her and she nodded her head.
"So you and your mother both feed on people? How do you hide that in this town?" Bella asked after a moment and he let go of her hand to grab her around the waist to bring her closer to him.
"Sorry, I just need you close to me right now." Edward whispered into her hair as she settled into his side. She smiled up at him, no longer looking upset. "It's not just me and Esme; there's a whole family. Esme and her mate Carlisle, my "siblings" Jasper and Alice who are mates, and my other "siblings" Emmett and Rosalie."
"Wow... that's a big family." Bella whispered and Edward thought he could detect a hint of jealousy.
"Yes, and they're yours now as well since you're my mate." Edward said and she looked up at him with wide eyes but he could see the sparkle in them. His heart leapt. She looked happy, surprised yes, but happy.
"Just like that? What if they don't like me? I mean, I'm just a human and-"
A growl escaped him before he could control it and Bella stopped speaking, her eyes wider but now she looked cautious.
"You're not just a human, Bella. You're so much more than that." Edward said firmly and Bella swallowed loudly before nodding her head. "And they will love you, Alice is already excited to meet you as is Carlisle and Emmett. Esme would love to know more about you."
"And Jasper... and Rosalie?" Bella asked, frowning a bit.
"They're a bit indifferent but that will change once they get to know you." Edward smiled at her. She sighed but slowly nodded her head.
"Right... so how do you all hide yourselves if you're all feeding here in town?" Bella asked and he smirked a bit. She wouldn't let her curiosity go. He liked that.
"Well, only Rosalie and I actually feed on humans. The others feed on animals." Edward said and Bella blinked a few times.
"You can survive on animal blood?" She asked.
"You can survive." Edward said. "You're slower, you're weaker and less powerful. Plus when you're around humans as much as we are it makes it more tempting." He explained.
"Oh..." Bella said and glanced at him before looking away.
"You're wondering why I don't feed on animals." Edward stated and smiled at her surprised glance. "I used to feed on animals but I found that when I was feeding on humans, I was more comfortable in my skin and like I said I'm more powerful and when I'm around humans it's almost not a problem at all to be surrounded by them. Also with my power-"
"Power?" Bella asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Ah yeah," Edward nodded. "I can read people's minds." Bella's face paled and Edward's arm around her tightened. "But not you! For some reason I can't read your mind." Edward told her. Bella didn't say anything for a minute before frowning.
"So there's something wrong with me?"
"What?" Edward raised an eyebrow, not following her logic.
"You can't read my brain so something must be wrong with it." Bella expanded.
"Or it's because we're mates?" Edward countered and she sighed but nodded. "Bella, I sincerely doubt anything is wrong with you. It's either because we're mates or it's a power manifesting already before you're a vampire." He shrugged but Bella stared at him with wide eyes.
"Before I'm a vampire?" She echoed and he froze, his mind now racing. She didn't want to be a vampire. She would die and then he'd be alone forever. Maybe Jasper would end his life for him?
"Edward! Stop that right now!" Alice scolded him in his mind and he blinked a few times. "Jasper would never do that, and calm down, I see her as a vampire in most of my visions. There are only a handful where she's older as a human. She's already canceling that idea out as I speak."
His shoulders drooped with relief and he smiled a bit, thinking about getting something to thank Alice. She always was there to calm him down.
"I've sent you an email with a link to a pair of shoes that I want." She giggled in her mind and he smirked a bit. Knowing her, they would cost more than small chunk of change.
"I guess that makes logical sense but I can't think about that right now, Edward." Bella's voice pulled him from his mind and he looked down at her to see her twisting her hands to together in worry as she looked up at him.
"Of course, Bella. Let's talk about something else." He suggested and she nodded.
"Right, well, how do keep yourself a secret, I mean obviously if you bite someone they're bound to tell someone." Bella shrugged and he nodded.
"They would but when a vampire feeds, they release a hormone that clouds the human's mind making them sort of zone out, almost feel pleasure." Edward explained, knowing how it felt since he could read minds. "And when we're done we have about a minute to tell them what we want them to think happened. It kind of fills that blank, pleasure zone in their memory." He explained.
"Huh." Bella frowned and he chuckled.
"You'd have to experience it to see what I mean." He said and she nodded her head.
It was quiet for a few minutes and it was nice. Bella rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed and he rested his head on hers gently breathing in her scent. Freesias. He could breath in her scent all day.
"Are Carlisle and Esme your real parents?" Bella asked after a while.
"No," Edward sighed and picked up his head. "My parents died when I was changed. Carlisle is my maker. Carlisle and Esme are like parents to me now, though." He said and she slowly nodded.
"I'm sorry about your parents, Edward."
"Me, too." He said quietly. They had died after experiencing a lot of pain through sickness, a sickness he didn't really remember but he wished that they hadn't experienced as much pain as they did.
"Oh God, my parents!" Bella gasped, sitting up straight, patting her jeans pockets.
"Bella, calm down." Edward said and she sent him a glare that had him chuckling. She wasn't very intimidating, she was too small. "Your mother called after you were gone for half an hour so we let it go to voice mail then Alice texted her back saying you met her, actually, at the store and was hanging out with her. Your mother was quite happy you had made a friend," he chuckled and she blinked a few times.
"And... she hasn't called since?" Bella asked.
"It's only been about thirty minutes since she called but she did ask you to not be gone long through the text conversation." Edward shrugged. Bella gaped at him for a few minutes.
"Then... I should probably go because I still need to get the groceries and my mom needs to make some weird dinner and-"
"Bella," Edward interrupted her as she slid off the bed and she paused, her face caught in a worried expression. "Alice had called and told Esme to buy the groceries on your list so you don't need to buy them." He smiled. "You don't need to leave yet." Please don't leave yet.
Bella frowned.
"I only have my card. I don't have cash to pay Esme back."
"Bella," Edward laughed, "you don't have to pay anyone back and if you try, Esme won't let you."
"You got that right."
Edward smirked at Esme's thoughts.
"That's too kind of her," Bella said, "I need to at least thank her in person!"
Alice squealed from her and Jasper's room and Edward sighed.
"Everyone downstairs!" Alice called so everyone but Bella could hear.
"What?" Bella asked as Edward rolled his eyes. "It's the right thing to do, Edward."
"Not you, little one." Edward said. "It's Alice. She's having everyone meet up in the living room so you can meet them all."
"Oh..." Bella said, her eyes wide.
"Yes, 'oh'." He said and got off the bed. "C'mon, the more we make her wait the more annoying she'll be when you do meet her."
He could hear Alice grumbling downstairs and some chuckling because they all knew it was true.
He held out his hand to Bella and she placed her hand in his. God, she was so much smaller than him. He was a whole foot taller than her and her hand was surrounded by his, but he found that he loved it. Normally he went for tall, curvy women but Bella... God, he didn't know what he had been thinking. She was perfect. He kept a slow pace since her legs were short and he could hear Alice jumping around, whispering excitedly. He smiled a bit. He and Alice were close, both having mental gifts made things very difficult in their day to day lives and they just got each other. He would do anything for the pixie and vice versa.
As they descended the last staircase, as he was on the third floor, Bella seemed to grow nervous and shuffled closer to his side. He grinned. He was glad that she felt comfortable enough with him that she would seek comfort from him when she was nervous. Almost all physical contact in his room had been initiated by him, and while he had no doubts or fears, it was just nice to know that she was seeking him out. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, her arm going around his waist. She molded herself to his side as they entered the living room and saw his family.
"Bella!" Alice squealed and skipped forward. Edward had a hold on his instincts now but he still tightened his grip on Bella as Alice stopped in front of them.
"Hello," Bella quietly said, holding out her right hand for Alice to shake and Edward smiled.
"You are so cute!" Alice exclaimed and half hugged Bella, not pulling her from Edward's grip.
"Uh..." Bella seemed a bit lost.
"Oh! I'm Alice, by the way." Alice grinned and after a moment Bella smiled back. "I just know we're going to be great friends!" And in her mind Edward saw images of Bella and Alice shopping, hanging out in Alice's room, in a room he didn't recognize but must have been Bella's but they both looked happy. He was glad. Alice didn't have that many friends other than Rosalie and Rosalie was like a switch, one day hot, one day cold. And he was glad Bella would have a female vampire friend who she could go to for anything.
"I hope so," Bella replied with a wider smile and Alice winked.
"Trust me, I know." Alice replied.
"Enough hogging the human!" Emmett's loud, deep voice thundered and Bella flinched at the sound. Edward narrowed his eyes at Emmett but his brother ignored him and went up to the gawking Bella with his classic wide, dimpled grin. It was understandable why Bella was so intimidated; Emmett was six feet six inches tall and was packed with muscle but he was the kindest, funniest guy out there. But one wouldn't know that looking at him. Edward glanced at Carlisle who was sighing and shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, son. I told him to rein it in, but you know how he is."
Edward nodded. He did indeed.
"Hi." Bella whispered
"Hello," Emmett chuckled. "I'm Emmett, the handsome one of the family." He winked and a giggle escaped Bella. Edward relaxed a little. If she was happy then he was.
"Bella, human." She replied and held out her hand. Emmett let out another of his loud laughs before reaching out and ruffling her hair.
"I like you." Emmett announced before turning and going back to Rosalie's side.
"I'm Rosalie." She just nodded her head, though there was a small smile on her lips.
"Nice to meet you, Rosalie." Bella replied.
"And this is my Jazz!" Alice announced, pulling Jasper with her back up to Bella. Edward watched as Bella took in Jasper's cowboy boots and plaid shirt.
"Nice to meet you, Bella." Jasper said, his accent thick and Edward had to push down his jealousy when he felt Bella lean into his side at Jasper's voice.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Jasper." Bella said with a smile but this time didn't hold out her hand since Jasper kept his hands in his pockets. Jasper dipped his head before going back to where he had been leaning on the wall. Alice winked at Bella again before skipping to Jasper.
"And this is Carlisle and Esme. You met Esme earlier." Edward said, leading her over to his maker and mother figure who were waiting off to the side with smiles on their faces.
"Hello, dear. How are you feeling?" Esme asked, genuinely concerned.
"Oh, I'm fine. Thanks." Bella nodded. "You have a lovely home..." She trailed off glancing between Edward and Esme looking a bit confused. "Erm... what would you like me to call you?" Bella asked and Edward grinned again. His mate, so polite. Carlisle smiled at him and nodded his head, showing his approval. Edward didn't need it. Not by any means, but it was nice to have. Emmett chuckled behind him but he ignored him.
"Oh! Just call me Esme, dear. And thank you." Esme said, her smile widening to a grin.
"And call me Carlisle." His maker said, holding out a hand and Bella shook without hesitation. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."
"Finally?" Bella asked.
"I'm just glad Edward has finally met his mate." Carlisle explained and Bella glanced up at Edward with a smile.
"I'm glad I met him, too."
But then a phone rang and they all turned to Alice who pulled Bella's phone out of her pocket.
"Sorry for still having it, I didn't want to disturb you." Alice said with an apologetic smile as she handed it to Bella who glanced at the lit up screen.
"Who is it?" Edward asked.
"My father." Bella said and picked up the call. "Hello?"
"Isabella, where are you?" Bella's eyes widened as she looked up at Edward.
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