AN: Without You is now posted on ff so go check it out if you haven't read it yet. It's Bella's history with Jake before this story, so obviously it's not a HEA.
Sorry for the delay, but I was actually writing this chapter and the next one, so you won't have to wait as long for it. Happy New Year! Oh, and read the disclaimer on this chapter and the next...
Disclaimer- I own nothing but the story line. Twilight characters all belong to Stephenie Meyer, and I sure as hell ain't her!
Oh, and Jace and Clary belong to Cassandra Clare, but Jamie Campbell Bower is all mine. I stole his sexy British accent and turned him into a white trash vampire ;)
Hey Girl- Chapter 7
Bella jumped, startled, when Peter tapped the horn twice, and Garrett laughed loudly at her human reflexes. "Welcome to Texas!" Peter said, echoing the sentiment of the large painted sign off the highway.
She looked around at the familiar barren landscape, trying to see a difference as they crossed into the "promised land," as Peter had called it. Other than a slight change in the road surface she couldn't tell a difference. "Um, it looks like Arizona... and New Mexico..."
Peter scowled as Garrett laughed again and leaned over to whisper, "Don't worry- it looks a lot like Mexico too. It won't change much until we get closer to San Antonio- I told you this was a long drive."
Shrugging her shoulders, she settled back against Peter's shoulder, falling back to sleep easily as the miles passed quickly under their tires. "We stopping in El Paso to see Diego?" Garrett asked quietly, knowing their route would take them right through the occupied city.
Peter shook his head and smirked a bit at the question. Garrett might be able to travel at will without regards to boundaries, but Peter was a stickler for customs and always let a vampire know when he would be passing through their territory.
"No, I called him and he has a three-month-old so it's not a good idea for us to stop. We don't need to put Bella at risk and he was terrified about what I would do if something happened to my mate in his city," Peter laughed. "He'll probably be holding his breath until we're across the state.
Garrett nodded in understanding. "And everyone else is meeting us in Houston?"
"Yep," Peter's smile was genuine this time as he leaned over to rest his cheek on his sleeping mate's hair. "We've got us a regular vampire convention gracing my fair city. Can't wait to see what kind of trouble we can get into."
Garrett settled his gaze on the scenery flashing quickly by the windows outside. The truck was moving quickly by human standards- raising the speed limit was one of the best things Texas could have done for vampires- but it was still slow to the supernatural beings inside.
Garrett was an easy-going guy, getting along with pretty much everyone he met. He had a long and varied history- beginning in the American revolution, then the vampire wars of the south, before he settled into his current nomadic lifestyle.
He wasn't gifted in the sense that the Major and Edward Cullen were, but he had a very magnetic personality and could be fairly persuasive when he put his mind to it. That, along with his strong fighting skills, made him either a powerful ally or a formidable opponent. Most vampires tried to stay on his good side, giving him free passage through their lands, and allowing him to hunt when he needed to.
Garrett's thoughts had been troubled since finding out about Bella's past. He liked Bella- not just because she was Peter's mate- but because she was an interesting person. She was fierce, in a very kitten-like way, and she was the only human on earth who could tame supernatural creatures the way she had.
Peter wasn't exactly a caring or sympathetic person before he met Bella. Charlotte had softened him somewhat, but after her death he was hard as nails. He ran through life with his no-bullshit manner of approaching things, and it had bothered Garrett somewhat that his friend wasn't truly living- he was merely existing.
Everything was different since he and Bella found one another. Bella had her own share of heartache that had toughened her frail human skin. Her heart had been broken twice in such a short period of time that she had forced herself to remain aloof, cut off from her fellow humans as she struggled to survive the supernatural world she had been so callously thrust into.
Garrett had nearly destroyed the house when she showed him her pictures of Jacob and explained how the poor boy had died. He was furious that the Cullens had left Bella in such a mess, and that they not only left a vindictive enemy alive, but they failed to assist the wolves- a group they had formed a treaty with. They left the pack of young boys to do the vampires' work. Garrett simply couldn't make sense of that.
He knew that the next time he saw his old friend Carlisle, he would have some words for the vegetarian- not to mention the Major! It was bad enough that Jasper had left Peter to fend for himself after the loss of his companion, but there was no way his little seer didn't know who Bella truly belonged with. She could have prevented every ounce of heartache that these two had been through if she had only told them.
Peter could tell when his friend just needed time to think, as he was accustomed to solitary life as well. He left Garrett to his thoughts as they drove across the state, stopping twice for Bella to eat and stretch her legs. She feigned interest in the scenery, but Peter knew she wouldn't really be impressed until they got closer to their new home. First they had to stop in Houston.
It was early morning, just before dawn when they finally pulled into the suburbs around the city. Bella woke slowly, shocked beyond belief when Peter pulled into a rather large house in a gated community. "Where are we?"
Peter smiled as he led her from the truck and opened the door, ushering her and Garrett inside. "We're in Katy. This is my house, though as you can see by the neighborhood it's not very appropriate for a newborn. I thought we could rest here today and clean up before our meeting tonight."
He directed Garrett to the far end of the house, telling him he had to bathe again, despite his recent shower in Arizona. Garrett grumbled the whole way, but Peter couldn't stand to bring another male to this meeting that was covered so heavily in his mate's luscious scent. The others might get the wrong idea about things, and the last thing he needed was a fight with his allies.
Peter scooped Bella into his arms and carried her upstairs at vampire speed- her delighted giggles trailing after them. She let out a gasp of surprise at the luxurious walk-in shower, much larger than the house they left behind in Phoenix.
"Why did you buy this house, Peter? It's rather large for just one person..." she asked, arching her eyebrow in question. She knew this wasn't a home he had shared with Charlotte, since Texas had been under Maria's control until after her death. She also knew her mate had kept to himself for the past ten years, so the oversized house that screamed luxury had her thoroughly confused.
He smiled as he turned on the water and began stripping her clothes slowly, following each piece with his lips and tongue. She was a whimpering mess of desire once he stepped back and reached for his belt.
"Oh, I just used some of Maria's money and bought it. It was a foreclosure that needed a lot of work- and I needed a hobby. I've spent the past few years fixing it up, and now that you're here I'll probably put it up for sale unless you think you'll be attached to it," he said, his voice giving no indication of his own arousal. If it wasn't for the sight of his erection straining against the fabric of his underwear, she would think he was sitting calmly discussing the weather with an old acquaintance.
Fed up with his toying, she stepped forward and reached down to wrap her hand around his dick, pulling him toward the shower. When she dropped to her knees on the cold tiles, he watched her through black, hooded eyes.
She returned his teasing, kissing him from hipbone to hipbone before snaking her tongue out to trace gently along his length, then darting it out to catch the shiny drop of venom oozing from its tip. She giggled and he growled as she finally took him in her mouth, and he used every ounce of self-control he had not to thrust his hips.
He didn't last very long before he pulled her up to kiss her fiercely, his mating instincts on high alert with the upcoming meeting. He needed to fill her with his scent, and cover her in it, and the shower was not the place to do that.
They washed quickly, then Peter carried her into the large master bedroom, eternally grateful that he had the same bed in this house that she loved so much in Phoenix. He had a feeling he better order several back-ups for her newborn year; once he could really let go and fuck her, they would probably destroy beds quite quickly.
Once he had her laid out before him, he began to trace every inch of her skin with his tongue. Having lived with a wolf, she understood the instinct and sat patiently through his thorough ministrations. They were both aching with need when he finally laid back and lifted her to ride him, enjoying the view when she planted her hands on his chest and writhed sinuously above him.
Bella took a short nap while Peter reapplied his scent everywhere it wasn't quite strong enough for his liking. He wanted no doubt as to who she belonged to tonight, as there were several unmated vampires joining them.
She dressed nervously as he told her about his friends. The rag-tag group he'd pulled together from Maria's ranks, and a few that came over from Arizona and New Mexico, were all indebted to Peter for freeing them from their former lives and working out a peace agreement with their neighbors. He knew none of them would cross him, but throwing a human into the mix was definitely an unknown.
"The only one I'm worried about is Jace. He's really the one I want to train you in fighting once you're turned, but he's extremely prejudiced and has no trouble sharing his bigoted views," Peter explained. "I'm hoping that his mate, Clary, can keep him in check while you're human, but I wouldn't be surprised if the little punk runs his mouth."
They joined Garrett in the living room and the nomad added his two cents about the vampires they would be meeting. "Clary's a gem- I swear she's part angel- but I don't know what powers on earth got her stuck with that greasy little inbreed," Bella giggled at his statement but Garrett continued on. "I'm serious! The kid is like the vampire godfather of trailer trash."
"Ok, ok. That's enough. I'm sure he'll show his true colors when I introduce you. Now let me tell you about the rest." They sat quietly, with Garrett interjecting a word or two as Peter told her about Amber (Garrett's fuck-buddy from Shreveport), and Chris, whose small coven held the heart of the state from Austin to San Antonio.
Bella was relieved that only the coven heads were coming, along with their mates, so she wouldn't be exposed to a huge group of strange vampires right away. She was a bit worried to meet Chris, who Garrett described as being larger than Emmett, with Maria's requisite shoulder-length blonde hair. She had to give it to Jasper's sire- she was nothing if not consistent.
Peter had an odd look on his face when he talked about Jace, and Bella was almost certain he was hiding something, but she had no idea what that could be. Deciding that he would tell her when he felt like he needed to, she allowed her mate to lead her out to the truck, laughing when he sent Garrett to sit in the back so he wouldn't be pressed against her for the drive into the city.
They pulled into the parking lot of a run-down bar that looked eerily similar to the Bulls Eye they left behind in Phoenix. Bella let out a giggle when she saw the name- Sharp Shooters. Peter just looked at her like she was crazy until he finally made the connection. "What? I have very particular tastes. And just so you know, this whole neighborhood is protected so you don't have to save any humans you see, ok?"
Bella looked at him in question until he sighed and continued, "My human home was just down the street here. Of course it looks nothing like it did then, but I can't help but think there are people around who could be my distant relatives. So I don't hunt here. Ever."
He was surprised when she leaned up to kiss him fiercely, and he barely caught her when she practically climbed up his body to wrap her legs around his waist. Before he could ask her what she was doing, they were interrupted by a low whistle and a loud voice with a nasally twang.
"Hey, Big Daddy Pete! Is this my new momma?" Bella watched in shock as Peter quickly dropped her to her feet, leaving Garrett to steady her fall, and turned to embrace the vampire who had spoken.
He pulled back with a look of unmistakable fondness on his face, and grinned as he ran his knuckles across the top of the boy's head. "One of these days, boy... You have to stop sneaking up on me! And how many times do I have to say it- I ain't your daddy, boy!"
Bella glanced at Garrett who was just shaking his head, then back at the boy who could only be Jace. He looked nothing like any vampire she'd ever seen before. He was wearing stained and torn Carhartt overalls and a filthy white undershirt. His pants were tucked into work boots that looked like they had been worn for the past twenty years without ever once being cleaned, and Bella gagged a bit when she spotted several streaks of dried blood on both his clothing and shoes.
His dirty blonde hair was, well... dirty. It hung in greasy strands beneath a Texas Rangers baseball cap that may have been white at one time. His face was young, probably sixteen or seventeen at the time of his change, but what stood out the most was the dark ink that decorated his pale white skin.
He had tattoos swirling in random patterns over his arms and between the scars on his neck. Like her own, the scars worked with the ink to form patterns and designs of beauty that had her instantly mesmerized. She didn't realize she was staring until she was nudged from the side and turned her head to meet another unfamiliar set of red eyes.
"Hey there, I'm Clarissa, but you can call me Clary. You must be Bella," the girl said, holding out her dainty hand for Bella to shake. "Jace and Peter will probably be a while- they tend to lose focus when they're talking to each other."
Bella wouldn't call what she was seeing "talking" exactly- Peter currently had Jace in a headlock, his bicep bulging around the boy's slender neck. His face was relaxed and happy, so Bella wasn't worried too much. She turned her attention to the object of his amusement.
There was something about the boy's face that seemed familiar in a way, though she was absolutely certain she had never seen him before. He was lean and wiry, and quite a bit shorter than her mate. He was thin to the point of emaciation, so his human life must have been quite rough before he was changed.
When Clary cleared her throat, Bella realized she'd been staring at the two of them and ignoring her other companions. She turned back to the girl with a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Yes, I'm Bella. It's very nice to meet you."
Garrett stayed close as the girls chatted amicably. Clary had only been a vampire for just over six years, so she found it easy to converse with the human girl. Bella found herself drawn to the likable young vampire, and she forced down her inherent mistrust that stemmed from her failed relationship with Alice Cullen.
Peter finally pushed Jace away and turned back to his temporarily forgotten mate. Bella thought if he could blush he would have been, judging by his look of chagrin. "I'm sorry, Iz. I didn't mean to get caught up with this punk, but it's been a while. I see you met Clary, now here is her much uglier mate, Jace. Jace, this is my Bella."
She jumped a bit when he reached for her hand, unsure of how Peter would react. He nodded at her so she accepted the boy's handshake cautiously. "It's a pleasure to meet ya, ma'am. Garrett, didn't really expect to see you again this soon, but this here is Pete's town, so I'll ignore ya for now," he sneered at the nomad, still gently squeezing Bella's hand.
Clary pinched his waist, drawing giggles from Bella when he visibly flinched, and tugged his head down to whisper furiously in his ear. His shoulders drooped and Peter snickered at whatever was said, but just shook his head at Bella's questioning look.
"Ok, ok, we have plenty of time for fightin' later. Let's go in and see where the others are, alright?"
AN: Ok! I'm giving you homework before the next chapter. Go read Whirlwind by BetterinTexas if you haven't read it yet. If you don't have time, then read his awesome Christmas one-shot "A Ty and Bella Christmas." That's all I'm saying for now. Just read them...