DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to us, although we would love to have Edward. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer, but we are willing to purchase them if she ever decides to sell.
It was dusk as we entered the woods at the back of the house. The fading light of the day hitting the moss-covered trees made the forest seem like an ocean of emerald green. As we made our way in deeper, the towering trees seemed to swallow us up as the smell of wet Earth filled our nostrils.
We were all silent at first, assessing what sorts of creatures were lurking around us. I held Bella's hand and kept her close to me. She might have been stronger now, but I was not about to chance harm coming to her in any form.
Esme and Carlisle were further ahead of our group, scouting our surroundings as they usually did when we hunted together in this way. Rosalie and Emmett were spread out, flanking Carlisle and Esme from a few feet behind, as they surveyed the forest on either side of our group. Rosalie usually enjoyed this separation, using it as an opportunity to flirt with Emmett from afar. Needless to say, it was a few miles before Emmett managed to focus on the task at hand.
Alice and Jasper walked side by side, right behind Bella and me. Alice was quiet…which was unusual for my pixie sister. I tried picking up on her thoughts, but she was focused completely on Jasper. My brother was amazed at the level of control Bella was showing as she casually strode next to me. He couldn't understand how she could be so relaxed with so many blood sources close to us. I wondered the same thing myself and hoped this expedition would give Carlisle the answers we needed.
I looked down at my beautiful mate. Bella seemed to be taking in her surroundings, content to stay at my side. Her eyes shifted restlessly as she scanned everything around her, and her head would snap in the direction of even the minutest sound coming from the trees. I kissed her hand and tightened my hold on her, feeling equal parts proud and apprehensive. What did her early control really mean for us?
"Edward, how much further?" Bella questioned with her thoughts.
I smiled and gave her the answer in the same way. "Not far now, love."
We neared the base of the mountain and the trees began to thin out, becoming less dense.
Carlisle suddenly motioned for us to stop. "Alright everyone, I think it would be a good idea if we split up into pairs to hunt. We can meet up after to demonstrate a few things for Bella." Carlisle's fatherly gaze landed on my face. "Edward, take the lead. Esme and I will be right behind you."
I tugged Bella's hand and nodded to the right of us, letting her know which direction we would take. From the smells and sounds bombarding my senses, I knew there would be a kill not too far off.
This time, I led Bella, wanting her to watch me. I smiled ruefully, remembering a time when I had actually been afraid of her seeing me as I truly was. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to show off for my love.
Bella held my hand as she walked just a step behind me; she was engrossed in memorizing every single thing about her environment. Her thoughts process was amazing, as she not only catalogued every tree, rock, and bird, but also judged distance, height and weight. She was truly taking in all of her surroundings.
My nostrils flared as I breathed deeply, pinpointing the mountain lion as being just a few miles ahead of us. I picked up the pace and sensed that Carlisle and Esme had done the same. From her thoughts, I knew that Esme had taken to the trees and was leaping gracefully through the night. She had always loved the view from a tree branch, even when she had been human. That was actually how she had met Carlisle the first time. She had fallen from a tree and broken her leg, and Carlisle had been her doctor.
Bella's head snapped to the left at the same time that a second scent hit me—from the left. There was another mountain lion here, and this one was going to put up a fight. He was running parallel to us, seeming to bob and weave through the trees as he tried to determine if we were prey or a threat.
The next few seconds occurred at a speed too fast for any human to follow. Carlisle stopped behind us, Esme hissed from above us, and the lion hurtled through the trees aiming right at me. Carlisle grabbed a hold of Bella as I ran toward the lion, meeting the beast in midair as it roared fiercely. I returned its cry, only mine was much louder.
This was as primal as our species could get—roaring, hissing, clawing, biting. We had human qualities, wants, and desires, but beneath it all, we would always be predators. When we hunted, we could release that side of our self without reservation. We could be the vampires we were, use the strength we possessed, let out the primal, guttural sounds that resounded within us. And to be perfectly honest, I loved it when my prey fought back!
As we collided, the lion and I rolled together briefly before I landed in a squat behind it as it scurried to its feet. I bared my teeth at it as a low, menacing growl ripped through me. The animal circled me and it seemed unaware, or unconcerned, with the rest of my party. I made sure of where they were, just to know how much fighting room I had. Esme was still above me, sitting in the tree. Carlisle was to my left, holding Bella back, her eyes dark as a moonless night and filled with her thirst.
The lion circled me once again, snarling and hanging its head low. I mimicked its moves, noting that this creature was as graceful as me, but still no competition.
I could hear its heart bursting with adrenalin as it snarled again, its lean body rippling from the tension in its muscles. Moving stealthily along the wet ground, my fingers curled and flexed, waiting for the right moment to attack. The lion lifted a single paw, batting it at the air to see if he could get me to be the first to move.
Just then Bella let out a whimper, no doubt overwhelmed by her instincts. The sound distracted the lion and it turned to find the source of the noise. I used the animal's moment of weakness to leap on it, both of my hands grabbing hold of its muzzle before it could even react. I easily wrenched its mouth open, snapping the bones as if they had been brittle little twigs. A few of its teeth snapped off with the force of impact, small shards flying out to the left and right as I bit deep into the lion's neck, the delicious, hot liquid hitting the back of my throat.
As I fed, I nodded to Carlisle. He let Bella go and she made her way to me with slow, measured steps. Once again, I was amazed at her level of control. Any other newborn would have rushed me, tearing the limp body from my hands to quickly stop the burning in their throats. But not my Bella, she knelt next to me still moving carefully, and bit the other side of the neck, feeding on the beast with me. I had my fill and sat up, stroking Bella's hair lovingly. Her thoughts became more focused with her feeding and I was able to see that she had committed this fight to memory.
Carlisle and Esme had left us to get their own prey, and I hoped it meant Carlisle had gotten the answers we needed. I opened my mouth to tell Bella that it was time to rejoin the others when her head snapped up. She stared off in the direction we were previously heading, and before I could get a handle on her thoughts she darted off, running faster than I had seen her move yet. I gave chase immediately, wanting to make sure she didn't do anything she might regret.
"Bella wait!" I called out.
She didn't answer me, but that was okay—her thoughts let me know her intent. "The other lion…is getting…away."
Carlisle and Esme caught up, running alongside me, as the brush thickened and the rain let loose upon us.
"Alright! We got a live one, kids. Look alive!" Emmett bellowed as he leapt through the trees above us. "This one's gonna be great! I feel it in ma' bones!" he roared.
Alice and Rosalie giggled at his remark as they joined us in the run.
"Think he's going to snap a branch and fall before we get there?" Rosalie chuckled, glancing at Alice.
Alice's grin widened. "Not today. But tomorrow is a much clearer possibility."
"Jesus, Edward! Did you give Bella the super venom or something? The woman even runs faster than you," Jasper said as he struggled to keep up with my pace.
Emmett's laughter filled the clearing, mixing with Alice's giggles and Rosalie's haughty laughter.
I ignored them all, staying focused on Bella. The rain had soaked us and the ground completely, making it actual work to follow Bella's trail whenever we briefly lost sight of her. She was mesmerizing in her movements; her hair spiraling behind her as she vaulted off trees and ran like a gazelle. I pulled ahead and finally caught up to her, excited to be able to hunt side by side with her.
The second mountain lion, this one a female, had sensed us and was making a run for it, although she was in view now. Bella suddenly darted right with the lion still running straight ahead. I glanced over at her, uncertain of what she was doing. She didn't give me any sort of sign, not even with her thoughts. They were still focused on the idea of the lion getting away.
Moments later, the lion jerked right, moving exactly to where Bella was already waiting. She pounced on the beast, snapping its neck, as they tumbled onto the muddy ground together. Bella was resting on her hands and knees, staring into the creature's eyes, when we all came to a stop. Bella suddenly snarled and bit hard into the back of the lion's neck. I smiled with pride, looking around to gauge the reactions of our family.
This was one of the most exhilarating hunts we had been on in years, and Bella had certainly proven herself as a hunter tonight. I glanced over to Carlisle and his face said it all—he was just as impressed and proud.
I turned to see Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie wearing identical masks of confusion and awe.
Emmett looked somewhere between jealous and proud. "Did she just do that?" he asked Jasper incredulously.
"I think you've got serious competition now, Em," Jasper chuckled.
"Edward, are you sure you changed Bella just a few days ago?" Alice asked, smiling widely. "It would appear her skills are more honed than some of us pros," she chuckled, looking right at Emmett.
"Emmett, I really don't think you should arm wrestle her," Rosalie laughed, hugging his arm.
I walked over to Bella as she finished feeding, already seeming to have mastered when to stop drinking. I was beaming with pride as I whipped her up in my arms and spun her. "Bella, you were amazing!"
She laughed and locked her arms around my neck. She had the tiniest bit of blood on the corner of her lip and I couldn't help myself…I licked it right off. She moaned softly causing my entire body to scream with desire. I leaned in and kissed her softly, not wanting to chance getting carried away with the family right next to us, if we had been alone, though…
"Would you two get a room?" Emmett smirked.
Rose smacked his chest instinctively. "Better be quiet before Bella does to you what she did to that lion."
I put Bella down and she wiped the wet hair away from her face, showing off her huge grin. She was enjoying having Rosalie not only be nice, but teasing Emmett for her.
"Bella, hunting has truly come naturally for you, my dear," Esme beamed.
Thanks, Esme," she giggled. "You guys were pretty amazing yourselves. I've never seen you all move so fast!"
"Your human vision was not apt to see how rapid our movements are," Carlisle explained. "There is so much for you to learn, Bella, and I have no doubt now that you will do splendidly. As a matter of fact, if you don't mind, I would love to pair you off with one of us and see how you do if you were to be attacked by another vampire."
Bella stiffened at his suggestion and looked up at me, her eyes serious.
"It's alright, love," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "We have all gone through this. We have to know what our strengths are. That way, we know what we each can contribute. You have no reason to worry. You are doing beautifully. Just let your instincts guide you, study your opponent carefully, and find the chink in their armor. And, of course, have fun with it. It's only role play here for now."
Carlisle held out a hand to her and she went to him slowly, her tense body revealing her trepidation for this new activity. "Emmett, would you do the honors?" Carlisle asked.
Emmett nodded and grinned mischievously. "I'll take it easy on Bells," he said.
"Actually, don't," she replied instantly. "I need to know that I can do this."
"Bella, these will be basic defensive movements," Carlisle explained. "I just want to see what your instincts dictate."
"Don't worry, newbie. This won't hurt a bit," Emmett taunted.
I growled deep in my chest in response to his words.
"Edward, relax! You know I would never hurt Bella," Emmett responded sternly. "I'm just goading her a little."
"There's no need for it," I told him.
"Can we get started?" Bella interrupted. "Edward, I'm not afraid," her thoughts assured me.
"Actually, Bella," Carlisle called out. "I would like for Jasper and Emmett to demonstrate first. Vampire combat is quite different than human combat, and the only way for you to understand what I mean is by observing."
I came up behind Bella and wrapped my arms around her waist to sooth her—I could tell that she was eager, but it was very important for her to understand how different she was now.
Emmett and Jasper shook hands and then began to circle one another. Emmett's face was suddenly all business as Jasper rubbed his hands on the tops of his thighs, anticipating the fight. The rain started coming down harder, deepening the darkness and causing an eerie veil to slip over the scene in front of us. The reflective glow of Emmett and Jasper's eyes helped pinpoint their location as we watched them circle each other.
When they finally decided to attack, Jasper and Emmett collided high above the ground, like two battering rams meeting head-on. They landed hard on the ground, their hands gripping tightly to the others shoulders as their heels dug deep grooves into the mud.
Jasper growled and ducked, sweeping his leg under Emmett and causing him to fall backwards. Emmett stopped his imminent meeting with the muddy ground, holding himself up with one arm as he kicked up his leg, connecting with Jasper's chest. Jasper flew backwards, crashing into the tree behind him with a sharp, loud cracking sound.
Bella gasped and turned in my embrace, her eyes and mind asking me the questions her trembling lips were unable to voice.
"Shh, sweetheart. Just watch," I said soothingly, turning her back to face them. "More durable, remember?"
Jasper recovered, let loose a guttural snarl, and darted through the air at Emmett, his right arm pulled back into a fist. Emmett lifted one large arm and swatted Jasper away like a fly. The ground shook beneath our feet as Jasper landed on the wet Earth and slid a few feet through the mud.
As the fight progressed, we all cheered for whoever outdid the other. They, of course, were not seriously hurting one another. The only casualty here would be one of their egos.
Bella was starting to enjoy the interaction between them, relaxing in my arms. "It's like a dance isn't it?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, love. Very much like a dance," I replied.
Her eyes never left them after that as she took it all in, noting every punch, kick, swat, and toss.
Jasper was finally able to pounce on Emmett, landing on his back. Emmett reached one of his over-sized hands behind him, grabbed a hold of Jasper's leg, and slung him, managing to throw him a few yards away. That one took the wind right out of poor Jasper, and Emmett strolled over, putting a foot on Jasper's chest as he smiled knowing he was victorious.
We all cheered at the win causing Emmett to become distracted with the thrill of the win. Jasper took advantage and bent his knee, kicking right between Emmett's legs and causing him to fall on his back hard.
Jasper pounced once again and landed on Emmett's chest. "Well big brother, who is the wiener now?" he joked.
We all laughed, knowing the taunting was just a part of the incessant competitive edge between them. Jasper helped Emmett up and they took turns patting one another much too hard on the back.
Alice and Rosalie danced over to congratulate their mates, getting them to finally stop smacking each other by congratulating their men with kisses.
"Thank you, boys. That was wonderful," Carlisle said laughing. "Okay, Bella. Let's see what you can do," he instructed, motioning for her to approach Emmett.
"You better take it easy on her, Em," Rose warned.
I gave Bella a soft kiss and nodded for her to join Emmett. She walked over to him slowly, taking in the sheer size of him. Emmett was well over six foot tall and easily dwarfed Bella.
He smiled lovingly at her at first, trying to get her to feel at ease. But as soon as he saw she wasn't afraid, his face became serious. "Don't hold back, Bells. I want to make sure you can kick some ass if you ever need to."
Bella nodded once as she tied her wet hair back. She took one last glance over at me and when she turned back toward Emmett, that's when I saw it…something in her eyes. Something had clicked within her and she was hyper-focused on him.
She crouched down a bit, waiting for Emmett to make his move. He began to pace from side to side, staring her down. He too was assessing what he was up against and was hoping to intimidate her.
I was fully expecting Bella to make the first move since she was the novice, so I was completely shocked when Emmett came barreling right for her. She stood her ground until the very last moment…
And simply moved to the side. His arms were outreached as if he had meant to grab her, but Emmett held nothing but the empty space before him. Bella quickly turned and kicked him square in the back with all of her newborn force. Emmett went down like a ton of bricks, shaking the ground beneath him. We all roared with approval, amazed at what we had just witnessed.
Bella ignored us all, still focused on Emmett.
He stood up slowly turning to face her. "Okay, newbie. You wanna play rough? Bring it!" he growled.
This time, Bella did go at him first. She ran at full speed and leapt into the air, a fierce look of determination and concentration filling her beautiful features. Emmett reached above him and grabbed her legs, planning to swing her down to the ground. But she hooked her arm around his neck and swung him down and over her as they both hit the muddy ground with thunderous force. Bella got up almost immediately and Emmett was up seconds after, attempting a punch right at her face. Bella closed her eyes bent her knees, dropping toward the ground. Emmett's arm swung through the empty air, creating a loud whooshing sound in the small space.
It felt like I was watching all of this happen in slow motion, especially with the way Bella's movements seemed so graceful and calculated. She balled her right hand into a fist and punched straight out into Emmett's gut, causing his lips to pucker as the breath rushed out of him. He seemed to have been frozen in that position as he slid back in the mud from the impact.
Bella steadied herself again and stood up straight. Emmett was clearly shocked by how quickly she had stopped him, but he was undeterred. He came at her again and when she kicked up at him, he blocked her leg, smacking it back down toward the muddy Earth. She whimpered and came down on one knee, her face pained. I started toward her, but Esme placed a firm grip on my shoulder, shaking her head.
Bella got back up seconds before Emmett's punch whizzed past her. She was limping as she began to circle him, but she never stopped moving. Emmett backed away to let her get her bearings, impressed with her willingness to continue.
Bella nodded that she was ready and Emmett immediately stomped toward her. Bella's face was calculating as her eyes once again closed while Emmett pulled back his arm to punch. When his fist was inches from her, she caught it with her left hand, wrapping her fingers around his large fist. She locked her elbow and used her grip to push him back, giving her more room to maneuver. She opened her eyes and twisted his arm, using that same fist for leverage. With her free hand, she reached and grabbed his throat, further distracting him. She took advantage of his attempts to free his neck and kicked his leg out from under him, causing him to kneel before her in defeat.
"Well, big guy, had enough?" Bella asked, smiling down at him.
"For now, newbie," Emmett smirked. "Good job, Bella," he added, his voice completely sincere.
"I would say Bella first fight was a complete success," Jasper announced.
"But I'm sure there's plenty you can teach me," Bella said, smiling at him.
Jasper's chest puffed out with pride as all the things he wanted to teach her ran through his mind. "Welcome to the family, Bella."
Bella's glorious laughter washed over us all as she stood next to Emmett, gazing lovingly at all of us. Her thoughts were centered how lucky she was and how we all were her true family now.
"The rest of you can stand out in the rain all night if you want," Rosalie announced. "But I'm heading home to find a nice, dry set of clothes." We all laughed as we headed home, each couple holding hands as we rushed through the trees and sheets of rain. A few miles from the house, Bella pulled me to a stop. "Edward, what's that smell?" I took a deep breath, filling myself with the smells of the forest. "Rain, mud, moss, a rabbit, and a few frogs. Why?" Bella shook her head slowly. "There's another smell, Edward. It burns my nose, like cinnamon used to when I was human. But it's earthier than that."
I took another deep breath, but couldn't pick up on what she thought she could smell. "Love, I really think it's just the way the rain is making all of the smells around us stand out. It's nothing to worry about. Let's catch up to the family." She smiled and nodded her head before we took off running. With our speeds, it didn't take us long at all to catch up to our family. This night had truly been filled with surprises.