Chapter notes:

This is the seventh chapter, in which we learn more about Emmett.

Head's up: This chapter is very different from the others, and includes some hunting/blood references.

Twilight and the Twilight characters are solely the property of Stephenie Meyer. She owns them. I just let my dirty mind make them my slaves.

**********

September 18, 2020 - 3:06 p.m.

Bella

Jasper and I sat on the couch, fully clothed now, nestled together watching a DVD. We hadn't discussed what he had done earlier in the day, but I had the feeling he was as much in need of a rest as I was. We often watched Blackadder together when no one else was around. Partly because no one else liked it as much as we did, and partly so we could shout out the lines without being too annoying.

Jasper almost always called out Baldrick's lines, while I was everyone from Queenie to Lord Percy. On the screen in front of us, Baldrick had been shot with an arrow, and was congratulating himself on the fact that the arrow was stopped by his private parts.

"I shall call it my lucky willie!" Jasper hollered out, quoting Baldrick. Leaning in, he gently kissed the top of my head. I smiled, hugging him tightly, a cloud of content surrounding us.

Towards the end of the episode Jasper nudged me slightly. I looked up at him in question, only to hear at that moment what he had already heard. The footsteps of someone approaching the house, probably half a mile away. The confident, agile steps traveling at faster than human speed could mean only one thing. Edward was coming. Whether he had chosen to stay away until it was safe, or had just timed his return fortuitously, I wasn't sure.

Jasper and I stayed on the couch, but pulled away from each other so we were still entwined but less...glued together. As a human I had not been a touchy-feely sort of person. As a vampire surrounded by so much love, it was hard to not embrace my family – literally. I had always been physical with Edward, of course, but now it was common place to find me snuggled up on the couch with Alice, Esme, or Jasper. Edward would not think anything of finding us like this.

Jasper's thoughts were another thing. Edward had been present when...things...had happened with Carlisle and Alice, and seemed fine. When he left with Esme I was honestly OK with it, but also very much didn't want to know details. Suddenly a knot of anxiety gripped me as I realized that keeping his thoughts to himself would be an almost impossible task for Jasper. I had no idea how Edward would react to being hit with images of Jasper and I together. I reached out, gripping his arm tightly.

"Jasper...your thoughts..." I whispered frantically to him.

I was hit with a wave of calm.

"Don't you worry darlin'...I've got it covered. Besides, I'll just chill him out if he gets all worked up," he chuckled to himself, then glanced over at me. "But seriously Bella, Edward's a big boy, he wouldn't have signed up for this if he wasn't sure he could handle it. He just wants to know you're OK."

Mollified a bit, I relaxed back into the couch and forced myself to pay attention to the screen, though at least half my focus was on the approaching footsteps.

After another minute, the back door opened, and Edward walked in. He was looking down, his face a mask of concentration. Then his expression shifted to grim bemusement.

"Aides-de-camp of U.S. Presidents?" he asked Jasper, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Jasper laughed aloud, "Damn, you're good! I was going to go with Confederate Generals, but that's too obvious."

Edward raised a sardonic eyebrow, "Plus I'm guessing the list isn't long enough for what you needed to hide."

Cringing internally I looked at Edward, but Jasper laughed again, completely at ease. He would be able to read Edward's emotional state, and clearly wasn't worried.

"Your lady is concerned about you," he explained, "I'm trying to honor her wishes, though we all know it's a fruitless effort."

Chuckling, Edward leaned in and kissed me briefly on the lips. An odd expression crossed his face, and I saw his nostrils flare slightly as he pulled away. But the look disappeared in the blink of an eye, and he lowered himself into the arm chair next to me, sighing dramatically.

"Yes, Jasper, there's not much I wouldn't give for a bottle of brain-bleach sometimes." Then, looking to me, he asked, "Are you OK love? I don't want to be a mother hen or anything, but I can't help worrying."

I laughed a little, looking sheepishly at Jasper, then back to Edward.

"Yes, Edward, I'm fine, as you can see. Jasper and I were just watching Blackadder."

"Ah, the million-to-one lucky willie episode." He said, glancing at the screen, then at Jasper. Half covering his mouth with his hand, he lowered his voice to a stage-whisper, looking at Jasper significantly, "How appropriate."

If I could still blush I would have been fourteen shades of red then. I ducked my head, trying to hide my mortification.

"Indeed." Came Jasper's dry reply.

His look lingered on Edward in that tell-tale way that let me know he was communicating non-verbally. It used to irritate me when people spoke to Edward like that, but in the past decade I had come to cherish any form of privacy we could get.

When Edward replied to the thoughts directed at him, his voice was thick with sincerity.

"Jasper...all is well. Truly. Bella worries for me as I worry for her, but she needn't. And neither should you. After all, I could ask you the same question."

Jasper's answering smile had an old-world look about it – that of a man who had experienced much and seen more.

"Edward, it's different. You two are new to this, Alice and I are not. Trust me, everything is fine with Alice and me. I know how Bella feels, I just want to make sure all is well with you."

Edward gave an unexpected laugh, "Yes, Jasper, everything is fine with me." He then cocked an eyebrow at Jasper, continuing "But I'll warn you, if you make Bella smell like that again anytime in the next decade, I will tear your arms off and use them to rip your privates from your body."

Jasper's eyes widened, and pressing his palms to his cheeks in mock terror he squeaked, "Noooo! Not the little Major!"

Their laugh, and my wish to die from sheer embarrassment, was interrupted by Alice's voice drifting down the stairs. She called quietly for Jasper. He extricated himself from my legs and rose from the sofa.

"On that moderately uncomfortable note, I believe my wife would like to see me."

He kissed me quickly on the forehead and left the room, giving Edward a mock salute as he exited.

Edward took Jasper's place on the sofa, and began running his fingers through my hair. I lay my legs across his lap, resting my head against his shoulder. There was a time when his shoulders felt cold and unbelievably hard to me. Now they felt...perfect. I could, and often did, spend days just resting against him. My desire to do that hadn't faded one iota in the past twelve years, and I couldn't see any way that it would in the next hundred.

I sighed contentedly and smiled at my husband. He leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. Wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer I deepened the kiss. His love for me, and mine for him flowed around us. It was a perfect buffer against the scent I carried on me, and the scent he had carefully washed away from himself before returning. The aroma of soap drifted from him in a clean cloud.

"Are you truly well, love?" He asked me quietly.

"Yes, I really am. Are you? I don't want to know anything, except that all is well with you...and Esme?" My voice lilted into a question at the end, mostly because I wasn't sure how to phrase the question exactly.

Edward encircled me in his arms, pulling me tightly to him.

"Yes Bella, all is well. I can't say I ever expected to learn anything new about my family after all these years, but today was very...educational. And I think so far this day has served its purpose."

We lay for awhile just being close, kissing every once in awhile. It was very calm and peaceful. I was reassured about our decision today.

Edward was running his fingers through my hair, working out a random knot when a loud crack broke the silence.

"What was that?" I asked, startled.

Edward tilted his head, resembling a retriever listening for his owner.

The sound came again, echoing through the air. This time it was followed with low voices and what sounded like a moan.

Edward's knowing smile made me slightly uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing love. Do you want to go for a walk?" He rose, offering his hand to me to help me stand.

I glowered at him in silence, waiting for him to catch my not-so-subtle hint that after twelve years of marriage – and vampirehood – I expected to be treated as an equal, which meant not protecting me from information he considered unsavory. He sighed and looked abashed for a moment.

"It's Alice, Jasper and Rosalie."

"Yes, I can hear that, Edward. But what is the noise?"

"A whip."

That shut me up.

A smile played at the corner of Edward's mouth and he repeated, "Would you like to go for a walk? I'm thinking they might like some privacy."

We left the house through the back, walking past the cabin and into the woods. There was no hurry, so we barely broke human running speed as we walked hand-in-hand through the dense forest. After a few minutes we encountered a familiar scent. I tensed, concerned we might be interrupting another coupling, but relaxed when the scent hit me again.

"Emmett," I stated the obvious. "He's alone."

"Yes, and I think he might like some company."

Edward's voice was laced with concern. I wondered what he had heard in Emmett's thoughts. We found him easily, sitting on a fallen log, head in his hands. His body language needed no expert to read it. He was miserable. I approached him, laying a tentative hand on his large shoulder.

"Emm? What's up?"

He lifted his head to look at me, and attempted a grin. It came out weak and lopsided.

"Hey Bells. Nothin' doin'. Just sitting here...waiting...I guess. What are you freaky kids up to?" He looked from me to Edward and back again. "Thought you guys were off doing...whatever. Or should I say 'whomever'? "

He threw me another smile, this one more genuine, before continuing.

"Why are you all the way out here...Oh shit!" He cut himself off as some realization struck him. "You two came out here to get busy, and here I am in the way! Sorry man. Look, I'll just..."

"Emmett." Edward's voice was stern and abrupt. "Stop talking for a minute. We didn't come out here to...'get busy'...we came out for a walk to give the others some privacy and came across you. I didn't mean to listen Emm, but we're here to help."

Emmett sighed heavily.

"Ed, man, you can't. You know that as well as I do. I just gotta tough it out. Besides, Alice already tried. Didn't help much."

Rolling my eyes, I interrupted, "Um...helloooo...non-mind-reader here. What are you two talking about? What's the matter Emm?"

Emmett looked down, discomfiture coloring his features. His voice was muffled, and he spoke quickly, "It's just hard for me, OK? No big deal. Just have a tough time sharing. But it's all good."

For whatever reason, when the realization of what he meant finally hit, it almost knocked me over in surprise. He didn't like this day. He didn't like sharing Rosalie. My surprise said as much about me as it did about Emmett. I realized the assumptions I had made about him. I had assumed that he would like this. He was such an overtly sexual person – he had made that clear in the first year of our marriage, with his endless stories about their sexual exploits – I assumed this was a day he anxiously awaited. But I hadn't thought about jealousy.

"Emm, if it bothers you, then why do you do it? Can't you just ask Rose not to?"

He looked away, a hurt, angry expression crossing his normally cheerful features.

"Bella...It's hard to explain. I can't. And I don't want to. I want Rose to be happy. And it's not that I don't...enjoy myself...on these days. It's just. Shit, I don't know. I'm just being a big-ass baby, and I need to suck it up." Turning to Edward he mock punched him in the arm, "Eddie...Esme huh? Nice. She's...unexpected...yeah?"

The gentleman in Edward rose in indignation, while the embarrassed teenager turned to walk away, hiding his reaction. Emmett looked abashed. He was clearly having a hard time today.

"Naw, man, don't go. Sorry I said anything. Really. I was just making stupid conversation." He turned his head to me, looking from me to Edward and back again, speaking quietly, "I shouldn't have mentioned it. Sorry."

Emmett was normally the good-natured balm to any emotional situation. Today, he was hurting. I longed to help him, but wasn't sure how. He sat back down on the log, looking dejected. Edward sat on one side of him, while I sat on the other, resting my arm on his shoulder, my head against his enormous chest.

"I'm sorry Emmett." I said quietly. A moment later, "But why is it you can't just say no? I don't get it."

He sighed heavily, and I saw Edward running his hands through his hair. He was hearing Emmett think through his response, and was patiently trying not to explain for him.

"It's hard to explain Bells. It's just...she's into it. And so am I, I mean, sort of. I mean, hell yeah, I'm a guy, right? This is the sort of thing guys like me live for. Maybe not angsty emo boy over here," he nodded his head in Edward's direction, giving him a quick grin, "but for the rest of us..."

"So what are you saying? You're a guy, so you have to be into it, even if you don't want to be? That's stupid."

Emmett laughed, but the normally booming sound was shallow. He was about to reply when Edward rose, walking to the edge of the clearing, cocking his head as if listening for something. After a moment, he turned and came back towards us, watching Emmett carefully. When he spoke, it was to me, though his eyes remained on Emmett.

"Bella, will you come for a quick walk with me? Emmett, we'll be back shortly.

Emmett nodded absent-mindedly.

**********

Emmett

I hated myself for feeling like this, and what's worse, I had no room to complain. I did just as much "playing" on these days as Rose. But still, if I were honest with myself, I would happily give it up to not have to share her. There was no way in hell I would ever tell her that though. I had my pride – and I really did want her to be happy.

Bella returned to the clearing, finding me in pretty much the exact position I had been in when they left. I still felt like shit.

Sitting next to me, she put her head on my shoulder. She really was sweet girl. I had a special place in my heart for Bella. A quick memory tore across my mind: Edward and I talking about Bella after he realized he was in love with her. I had called her "uninteresting."

What was I thinking?

"Honestly, I can't really see the draw," I had told Edward.

I could be so retarded sometimes.

Since then I had learned that Bella was fantastically strong-willed, smart, determined, and fiercely loyal. She was also hellishly funny, though usually not on purpose. She had a lot of the same qualities as Rose, but neither of them would ever want to hear that. She was just less...prickly...than Rose. But Rose had her reasons – good ones – for how she was. And her heart was solid gold underneath that veneer of bitch.

Wrapping my arm around Bella, I gave her a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for being here. Sorry I'm being such a pussy." It wasn't until I spoke to her that I realized Edward wasn't around. I couldn't help myself, grinning a little I asked, "Speaking of pussies, where's Edward?"

She snorted, "He's gone back to the cabin for awhile. Something Alice told him, I guess. He didn't give me details...well...except for one."

"Which was?"

Her shoulder rose and fell in a small shrug. "I'm supposed to take you hunting."

"Why? We just went a few days ago. Is this some sort of bonding thing? Can't you just arm-wrestle me or something, you know, since I can actually beat you now?"

Bella laughed. "God Emmett, are you still not over that?"

Her laughter was a balm – I needed something that wasn't this...angst around me right now.

She continued, "No, Alice said I needed to take you hunting. Edward was really vague about anything other than that. He just said it would help you, and I should go along with it. Actually he said I should 'go along with everything'. Whatever that means."

"Just don't bet against the pixie, huh?"

"Nope." She looked up at me, grinning. "But I'll bet against you, Emma. A hundred bucks. First to get a grizzly."

Before I could even agree, she was up like a shot, running through the woods near the house, calling out behind her, "You gonna let a girl beat you Emm?"

Oh no she didn't! Freakin' hell. She was going to race me to a bear. OK, that might actually make me feel better!

I chased after her through mile after mile of forest, heading towards bear country. She was fast. Not as fast as Edward or Jasper, but she was an even match for me, and she had a head start. I pushed myself to catch her, but she was always just ahead of me. Every once in awhile I heard a chuckle drift back to me. It spurred me on to keep up with her. I couldn't let the girl beat me. Shit, that would be the end of my ego for another decade. I really wasn't over the arm-wrestling thing yet.

Suddenly the movement ahead of me stopped. I came to an abrupt halt also, only just able to make her out between the trees about a hundred yards ahead. She was crouched low, head cocked slightly to the side, listening. Sniffing, I caught the same scent that had stopped her.

Grizzly.

She had sniffed it out first, true, but it wasn't dead yet. The game wasn't over. I needed to think fast. Moving as quietly as I could, I circled around Bella. She was focused on finding the bear, so I was pretty sure she hadn't seen me move. Racing around, I kept the bear's position by its scent. I had to get on the other side of it – fast.

Only a few seconds passed when I spotted Bella – and the bear between us – near a cluster of evergreens. She was low, keeping herself hidden from her prey by the underbrush. I had seen Bella hunt many times in the past years, and she was beautiful when she did. True, we all had a sort of grace about us – it was part of the whole "bloodsucker" thing – but she was particularly beautiful. So small and sinewy, but strong. And damned if the girl wasn't accurate as hell. But there was just something insanely sexy about the way her dark hair made her white skin glow, contrasting even more against her eyes, black from the hunt.

Pulling myself out of my distraction, I realized almost too late that I needed to keep my head in the game. Having seen her hunt often, I knew Bella had a "tell" for when she was about to strike. The fingers of her right hand would twitch just before she lunged. Looking down, I saw her hand contract once.

Shit! I needed to get in there.

I flew forward, heading for the bear. At that moment, Bella launched herself in the air, a graceful missile bringing quick death. I lunged, using all my strength to cover the distance I needed. She was closer, but I could cover more ground in one leap. Mid-air I realized we were going to hit it at the same time.

I was not willing to go for a tie. I wanted to win.

Reaching my arm out just before hitting the bear, I slammed into Bella's shoulder, driving us both off-course. We crashed to the ground, missing the prey completely. I heard Bella's surprised exclamation, as well as some very unladylike language.

Edward would be pissed if he heard about this, but screw it. The girl threw down the gauntlet first, and unlike Edward, I knew she could take it. She was actually pretty damn tough.

Rising from the ground, I saw the blur of movement just before she hit me, colliding with my side knocking me down again. Normally she was too small to knock me over, but the element of surprise was hers this time. Her recovery was also faster, and in another blur she was up, flying at the bear before I had time to react. Our attack had been so quick I don't think the bear even knew it was in danger yet.

However, I was about to lose the bet, and I wasn't having that shit. Not today.

Driving forward just as Bella's hands met the bear, I grabbed at her, trying to pull her off. My hand slipped from her thigh just as she sank her teeth into its flesh. The massive beast reared its head, crying out – most likely from surprise at being attacked by something a fifth of its size. It hadn't realized it was dying yet.

I kept my grip on Bella, but had stopped trying to pull her off. She had won.

Dammit!

She continued to cling to the bear as it fell to the ground in a motion that always seemed incongruously graceful for such a large creature. Her throat worked as she drank from it, the sight and smell making me thirsty.

Great, now I was pissed, humiliated and thirsty.

After a moment Bella pulled away, looking at me. Her eyes were still black, mouth curled in a feral snarl. I could see her struggle, trying to calm the predator inside. She motioned at the bear's neck, inviting me to share. I was surprised – and impressed. We are, by nature, possessive animals. We let go of our "human" side during the hunt. As a result, sharing a kill is rare, even between mates. Her strength and self-possession were still a surprise, even after all these years.

I leaned in to drain the rest of the bear, sinking my teeth where Bella's had been. Its blood was rich, warm, and delicious. But this bear had a flavor I'd never tasted before. It tasted fantastic. If I were to put a human-food description to it, it would be a fruity flavor. Like the smell of certain berries. Woodsy, but fresh, and slightly sweet. It took me a moment to place it.

It was Bella. Her venom. Damn it tasted good.

I heard a low growl erupt beside me, and looked up to see that Bella, though valiantly trying to share this with me, had ultimately lost her battle with the predator inside. She wanted her kill back. But it was mine now, and I was no more capable of giving it up than she was of watching me take it. I kept hold of the bear, continuing to drink, though there wasn't much left.

Bella lunged, determined to take what was hers, grappling with me, snarling. Her tackle unbalanced me enough that I detached from the bear, landing on the ground with a thud, a trickle of blood running down my neck. Reattaching herself to the animal only to find it drained and useless, Bella gave a rumble of discontent, throwing its head to the forest floor in disgust. Her eyes turned to me, accusingly.

I just stared in absolute awe. The pissed off, possessive, blood-spattered animalistic Bella growling at me was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. Her dark hair was wild, blowing in the breeze. She stood, crouching slightly, the lean muscles in her arms defined and tense. Her eyes are pitch black, and wide. She wore a short cotton skirt and a button-up shirt that was stained from our wrestling, and missing the top button. A large streak of blood was smeared across her right breast.

Our eyes met for just a moment before her gaze drifted, following the trail of blood from my mouth, down my neck. I lay on the ground like a complete idiot, watching her. With shocking speed she flew at me, her body slamming into mine, cratering the earth beneath me.

I felt her tongue lave my neck, following the trail of blood upwards until she reached the corner of my mouth. Here, she stopped, and I could see she was again fighting to gain control of herself. I realized then that I didn't want her to get control of herself. Nope, I liked this Bella. A lot. The electricity that shot through me as her tongue ran over my flesh was unbelievable. My entire body tensed as she touched me, and I grew rock hard. In a flash I had a hand on either side of her face, crashing my mouth to hers in a fierce kiss. Pulling her on top of me, her body felt tiny, but solid, on mine.

Her legs straddled my waist, and she returned my kiss with a brutality that both surprised and excited me. I had never seen hunting Bella like this – but then again, she was always with Edward. Wondering if he had seen this Bella, I hoped for his sake he had. She was awesome!

My lips parted as we kissed, her tongue exploring me uninhibitedly – licking, teasing, and occasionally biting me. I could taste the blood on her still, and it brought the urgency of our kiss to near frenzy. While I gave back in good measure, I still needed this dynamic to change a little. She had bested me in the race, had killed the grizzly first, and – let's face it – I wasn't over the arm-wrestling thing. I needed to man-up a little.

Rising from the ground, I pulled her towards me, but before I could do what I wanted to her, I had to check.

"Bella? Is this OK?"

A grin broke over her face, then in the blink of an eye, she sprang at me again, hurtling herself through the air. Her body crashed in to mine, but this time I was prepared. Catching her, I held her off the ground, holding her to me as her legs wrapped around my waist.

Spotting a huge evergreen off to one side of us, I carried her towards it. Our bodies smashed together as her back reached the huge trunk. Wedging myself between her legs, I could feel the heat and desire rolling off her body. I was intoxicated by the taste of the blood, the taste of Bella, and the smell...oh lord the smell. She was an amazing combination of freesia, berries, and lust. The woman smelled like lust.

As I kissed her, my hands roamed over her body. She was wedged between me and the tree, my pelvis pressed hard against hers. I let my hands wander up to her tits, squeezing gently, then more firmly as she squirmed beneath me. Jesus she had fantastic tits. Round, firm, but soft. They filled my hand perfectly. Her sharp in take of breath and answering moan spurred me on.

Without breaking our kiss, Bella began to unbutton her shirt. I was tempted to tear the damn thing off, but remembered I had to return her to the house at some point, and may want to bring her back clothed. Once she was finished unbuttoning, I wasted no time in pulling the material from her. She was wearing a purple bra. It was nice and all, but...

"Take it off." My tone was commanding, and I could tell by the tiny groan that escaped her, she liked it. She removed the item, throwing it to the ground near her shirt.

She was fucking glorious. Milky white with rosebud colored nipples, rock hard and pert. Leaning down, I took one in my mouth, rolling my tongue over it in a circular motion. Bella began to moan, clutching the back of my head, fingers entwined in my hair. Her hips bucked at the contact, rubbing against me seeking relief.

I switched sides, licking, then nipping at the other breast as she continued to rub against me. Her moans were getting louder, and if possible, even sexier, by the minute. Then her hand came down between us, and she began stroking my length through my jeans, teasing me. It was my turn to groan.

My mouth returned to hers, tasting the shocking combination still present on her. Our tongues met, exploring each other frantically. Suddenly she broke away, gasping for breath.

Leaning her head to my ear, she spoke huskily, "Emmett..."

"What do you need, baby?"

I could barely make out her reply, it came in a stream of consciousness.

"Jesus, Emmett, you feel so good. I need...shit. I can't...The blood. Oh God. So good. I just feel like I need to...fuck. I need you to fuck me."

My eyes rolled back in my head for a second as I took in her words. This woman...damn this woman. She was too much. She was asking the one thing I couldn't give her, and she knew it. I needed to be the one to say no. Fuck. I didn't want to say no.

I decided on another course of action. Plan B. I would make her ask for something else. Preferably beg.

"The branch above your head, grab it," I growled out.

She paused for only a moment before doing as I asked. Stepping back, I removed the belt from my jeans, using it to secure her hands to the branch. She seemed surprised at first, but didn't argue with me. We both knew that she could break the belt in an instant if she wanted to. She was playing along.

"Good girl."

I could smell her arousal, the scent driving me to almost to distraction. Taking another step back, I surveyed my handy work. Bella was naked from the waist up, arms raised above her head clinging to the branch. Her eyes were wild and pitch black, her mouth cherry red from our kisses. She was breathing heavier than usual, and her thighs were pressed tightly together. She was ready. God, she was so ready.

"Spread your legs."

A low whimper escaped Bella as she did what I said, spreading her legs a few feet apart. Walking to her, I pressed my lips to hers, kissing her slowly, deeply. She whimpered again into my mouth. Leaving her mouth, I trailed kisses down her cheek, across her jaw, and up to her ear. Working my way down her neck, slowly, I began to run a hand up the inside of her thigh, massaging gently as I went. My hand working its way up, my mouth working its way down.

"Emmett..." her voice broke through, a low whine. "I want to touch you."

"Not yet baby. You will. But not yet."

With that, I lowered my mouth around her protruding nipple, sucking harder than I had earlier. She groaned and arched her back, pressing herself closer to me. My mouth worked her nipple as my hand continued its painfully slow trek upward. Finally reaching her apex, I let my fingers gently, teasingly run up her slit and back down.

Her need was apparent. She was very wet, and so hot. I wanted nothing more than to strip naked and just take her, but I couldn't. So I contented myself with Plan B. As she thrust herself toward my hand, demanding more attention than my fingers were giving her, I pulled away, removing both my mouth and my fingers from her.

"Emmett?" she panted.

"Tell me what you want, Bella." I spoke quietly, carefully.

She hesitated, looking momentarily confused. "I want you."

"Not good enough, Bella," I growled. "I need you to be more specific."

Lowering myself onto my knees in front of her, I slowly lifted the skirt, exposing her beautiful thighs inch by inch. When the skirt was pulled all the way up, I allowed myself to look at her sex. She was stunning. So perfect, and so ready. I could see her swollen clit protruding slightly, aching for attention. There was very little I wanted more than to give it the attention it deserved. But I was operating on Plan B. I had to be patient.

"Emmett...Please touch me."

I chuckled.

"Bella, really? You can do so much better."

Beginning at her knee, I slowly trailed kisses up the inside of one leg, stopping just a few inches shy of her center. Bella groaned and pushed herself towards me again.

"Emmett, please?!"

"Please what, Bella?"

I could see her taking a deep breath, steeling herself to say what she knew I wanted to hear.

"Please fuck me with your mouth. Lick me until I come. I want your tongue on me, your fingers in me. I want to come on you Emmett."

That was it. All I needed to hear. I leaned in and ran my tongue slowly, carefully up her cleft, making sure to linger just a little longer on her clit before going back down again. Her legs spread a little further, inviting me in. Making my way to her entrance, I plunged my tongue deep into her, relishing the sound as she cried out.

"Aaah...fuck! Yes, God yes!"

My tongue entered her repeatedly, savoring the taste. She was so much of everything. I wanted to possess her in every way. Returning my tongue to her clit, I slowly slid two fingers inside her, driving them in and out as my tongue worked her nub. Bella began writhing and moaning, crying out unintelligible encouragement as I sped up my motions.

After a few moments, Bella cried out loudly, "Oh fuck, Emmett, I'm coming. Oh God, yes! Oh...Mmmmm...so good..."

Without giving her a moment to recover, I stood and swiftly pulled down my jeans, drawing out my aching cock. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, taking in the sight. I chuckled to myself seeing her expression. Women loved that. Even as a human, I had been...exceptional. But there was definitely a certain enhancement made during transformation.

I stood placing myself between Bella's legs. A momentary look of panic crossed her face as she misunderstood my intentions.

"Don't worry Bells, I know the rules," I told her quietly.

Nestling my length between her thighs, so it rubbed up against her wet slit, I closed her legs around me, pressing them together hard. It almost felt like l was inside her. Almost. It was enough for now. It would have to be.

I began thrusting in and out. She pushed herself against me, helping create the friction I so desperately needed. With each thrust I could feel my release building. As our bodies collided with each thrust, her breasts would quiver deliciously, the sight driving me right to the edge.

"Come on me Emmett. Please? I want to feel you come on me."

Oh God. She sent me right over the edge. With a loud groan, and a final thrust, and pulled away from her, pumping my length with my fist as I came in spurts, covering her belly, and mound. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through me, ecstasy after the long buildup and tension.

For a few moments, or possibly several minutes, I stood in front of Bella, panting as my body recovered from my climax. After awhile she chuckled.

"Um...Emmett, OK, you won this round. Can I get down now?"

Looking up at her, I was struck by the sight in front of me. She was naked, wild, tied to a tree, and covered in my essence. She had trusted me with this, had trusted me enough to not question what I needed, and just do it. My heart swelled at that.

"Bella..." My voice husky with emotion, I closed the gap between us, kissing her. My hands reached up to unhook the belt from the branch, and I took her hands in mine, lowering them to her sides. They didn't stay there though – almost instantly they snaked up around my neck, hugging me tightly. Her hands wound through my hair, pulling me closer to her.

We kissed tenderly, until I realized that we were both pretty messy. Laughing, I pulled away and began to gather her clothes. I handed them to her, suggesting we walk to a small lake nearby to wash before returning.

Walking hand-in-hand towards the lake, there was no need to talk. The companionable silence was all we needed. Though I still had an ache in my heart over Rose, I was very content at the moment. It was rare to be so sated in so many ways.

I looked at Bella for a moment as we meandered at a human pace towards the water, and realized that although Rose was my heart and my soul, Bella was a part of me I never wanted to be without. She was family. She was my friend. We shared so much. I knew I would do anything for her.

**********

Bonus: Chapter Eight Preview

"Bella?" Rose hissed angrily. "Bella?! Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Rose, baby..." Emmett's pleading tone was interrupted by a loud crack as her hand met his face, slapping him – hard.

Emmett's normally good-natured expression clouded in anger as he stared at his wife. Her eyes flashed at him, challenging. We all knew she had pushed the envelope with the slap, and he would no longer simply beg for forgiveness as he usually did. That left yelling. Everyone steeled themselves for the shouting match that would certainly follow. We had seen countless of them in decades past, and knew it would be very loud, though probably very short. Then they would have make up sex for days.

But instead Emmett simply turned on his heel, and walked out of the room in utter silence.

Rosalie gaped after him, confusion, anger, and hurt warring for dominance on her beautiful face. Then she turned to face Bella.

Author's Note:

THANK YOU for the amazing reviews! Seriously, I can't say it enough. It truly motivates me to write more.