Chapter 10

His arm's engulfed her small frame as he moved his head in closer to her neck. "Mmm...you smell... so good."

"Do I?" came her reply as she smiled and turned around to face the tall, dark man.

"Oh yes, good enough to eat," answers Sam still caressing her lightly. "But I mean that in a metaphorical way," he flashed a smile. "Sorry I over slept again."

"It's OK. You were tired when you got in last night," said Emily as she broke free of the embrace and started to pour cereal into a bowl. Placing in on the table Sam took a seat in front of it.

"You out again this morning?"

"Yeah, extra patrols, you know the deal."

"Yeah, I know the deal" she answered with a sad smile. He looked up as he swallowed the mouth-full of cereal. "It's just while King Leech is around."

She turned away. Reaching for the cloth she started to scrub at the already immaculate white sink. Misreading her reaction to the sudden introduction of Aro into their conversation, Sam tried to reassure her, "It shouldn't be for much longer. I know the area feels less safe with them around, but I've got to grudgingly admit, they've kept to their side of the deal. Jacob says they're being the perfect guests...Still though...I'll sleep easier with them gone. Never trust a leech!"

He stopped as he noticed Emily staring out of the window as if in a daze.

"Em? You listening?"

"Yes, I'm listening," she replied as she turned on the tap, allowing it to run. Reaching to her left she picked up a glass and filled it with the cool water. "I just don't want to talk about them anymore," she spat out as she turned back to face him, taking a sip of the water as she does. "Me and you. That's all I want to hear." She broke into a smile as she removed the tablet from the small pink packet she drew from her jeans pocket and swallowed it down with a gulp of water.

He returned the smile as he backed away from the table, bowl in hand. Taking it she placed it in the sink with a coy smile, "I'll do that," she whispered as she placed it in the sink next to the glass.

His lips meet with hers in a light kiss that gestured goodbye and Sam made his way towards the door.

"See you later, love."

"Bye...love" she repeated in a low voice with a sad smile on her face.

I know it's cheating on him, but it's for the best she thought as she raised her hand to her mouth and spat out the tiny pill that she had held onto beneath her tongue.

Throwing it down the sink, she reached for the faucet.

"Em...what do you think you're doing?" came the voice from behind. A voice mixed with anger and puzzlement.

She spun around and was frozen for what seems like an hour. "Nothing" she answered as she finally regained some sense of herself as she reached for the faucet again, but this time in a hurried way. A strong hand gripped hold of her wrist before she has a chance to run the water.

"It doesn't look like nothing," replied Sam as he looked into the sink. "It looks like your contraceptive pill. Looks like you've spat it out and tried to..."

"Sam..." her words died away as she turned her head away from his stare. Her face flushed red with shame, a red that only comes when the guilty are caught red-handed.

"How long?"

"Sam" she pleaded.

"How long?" he repeated still holding her wrist and using it as the means to get her to look at him.

"Not long." A pause. "A few weeks...two, three months, at most."

"MONTHS?" he roared, finally letting her arm go with a push that makes her arm swing backwards.

Sam moved away and leaned on the table, looking like he needed the support after such a betrayal of trust.

She motioned to follow him.

"DON'T!"

She stopped suddenly.

"Don't come closer. I can't...I won't..." his sentences died away as he tried to calm down and think coheritatly. "We agreed now wasn't the time. It's not good with the pack and all...We agreed..."

"YOU, you agreed." she shouted as she cut across him. All shame and embarrassment gone, replaced instead with anger and a sense of being right in her actions.

"WE," he corrected her.

"No, Sam. You agreed. I had no choice but to go along with it."

"That's not true and you know it."

"It IS true. You wouldn't touch me until I agreed. I didn't have a say. I was either to lose you or give up hope of a baby."

"Lose me? How could you lose me? I did touch you. We were...together."

"No we weren't. You held me, hugged me, kissed me, but nothing else. Any time I tried to start anything you would say 'you know we can't' or 'I'm tired' or some other pathetic excuse.

"They weren't excuses. You know...we've discussed this. A baby, now, it's just not feasible."

"And why not?"

"You know why. We've been over and over this."

"But you've not listened to me."

"Yes I have. You've just been close minded and refuse to see things on the whole."

"I'm close minded?" she shouted, incensed. "All it ever is with you is that goddamn pack."

"I've a responsibility..."

"What about your responsibly to me? You don't have to Alpha, not now, with Jake. But you still do, because I'm your second best."

"That is so far from the truth...How can you even say...even THINK that? You are everything to me. And 'lose me'. How could you think you'd lose me? It's me and you, you said it yourself. Me and you. Always!"

"But a baby," she said almost pleadingly

"No, Em. No baby. Me and you, that's it," he said in a final tone. "Perhaps in a few years. Not right now," he added in a softer tone. "Now's not the time." He looked at her pleadingly while she stood with folded arms looking obstinately out the window. "Promise, Em. Promise me no more lies and deceit," he asked as he picked up the half empty packet of pills.

She doesn't reply, the only movement she makes is to clench her jaw as warm tears roll down her face.

"Fine. I'll leave you do calm down," he throws the pills on the counter top as he walked out the door.

After a few minutes of standing Emily moved slowly forward to take a seat, resting her head upon the wooden table. Still so angry that once again she failed to make him see her point.

Lifting her head she caught a glance at the clock. Not even mid-day. A voice from the not so distance past came to her mind and a feeling of being unsure flooded it's way through her, mixing with the anger that is already residing in her.

In retrospect it's this anger she will blame for what she does next.

Putting on her coat she grabbed the truck keys that hung, as usual, on the hook next to the door.

What am I doing. What am I doing. Turn back Emily, turn back. Utter madness!

X X X

Drumming her fingertips atop the table she soon became irritated by the sound and let them drop to her sides. With an audible sigh she stood up and moved through the open double doors and into the living room. Pacing back and forth she lost herself in a train of thought before stopping suddenly as though she had just hit upon something.

With the air of a woman in a hurry she rushed from the living room back into the kitchen and reached for her keys.

"Going are we?"

The voice made her start. Looking up she met his gaze, but quickly she looked away and back at the counter to where her keys lay. Picking them up she positioned each key through her fingers as she curls her hand into a fist.

Still standing there he looked her up and down, giving her the impression that she is being X-rayed.

"Is there a need for that?" he asked in his usual smooth voice. He made to move closer but she kept the distances by moving to her left.

"Or that?" he asked again.

"Stay away from me! I'll scream if you come any closer," she threatened.

"Oh my dear, you know I'd have your neck broken before anything escaped you lips," he answered with soft smile and a touch of sadness to his voice as though it would pain him to do it.

It shocked her into silence and stillness, and she could only stand and look him in the eye. The silence passed between them for what seems an eternity, the only sound is the erratic beating of Emily's heart. Somehow she found her voice after a pause.

"Leave. You have no right to be here, get out."

He smiled again, she really is quite remarkable, to stand there and order him about as though she had no fear of death. What a wonder she is!

"Come now Emily, you don't want me gone."

"I don't, don't I?" she answered with sarcasm.

"Yes. Why else have you come here, if not to see me?"

She scoffed, "This is my sisters house, I've a right to be here. You don't, now if you don't mind, I want you gone. I've things to do."

"So..." he began as he started to pace the floor, looking down at the cream tiles, "...you've not come here to meet me? Like I requested you do yesterday?"

He looked up at her now, gauging her subconscious actions. She remained still, a slight quickening of her heart beat is all he can decipher.

"No," came her clear reply.

"And if I touch you, I will see it was for other reasons why you've come here?"

She blushed, and kicked herself internally for not remember that was all he had to do to know the truth. The smug smile on his face angered her and she made to move away.

Before she can even blink he has her pinned to the counter. She can feel the coldness of his skin through his white shirt and knows its useless to try push him off. That realisation doesn't stop her though and she pushed her hands against his rock hard chest.

Taking her arms by their wrists he pulled them away from his chest positioning himself closer to her, feeling her breasts pressed against him.

She looked away towards the ground in embarrassment or shame, he's not sure which. Gently he let go of her wrists but remained pressed against her.

"I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to. I won't even touch your skin if you don't want it," he assures her softly.

Whispering in her ear "I don't want to hurt you...not unless you ask me too."

She brought her face up and looked at him. It is quite lucky he is a vampire as the words she speaks next came out so low only someone with extra sensitive hearing could hear it.

"What's so wrong with me that you don't even want to whats going on in my head?"

The question is so weird and random to him that he can't help but laugh. Taking his hands he reaches for her face, hovering centimetres away, and traces her lips, her nose, her scars, her tears.

"Nothing is wrong with you. I like the mystery that you are. From the moment I saw you, you have so intrigued me," his voice became a whisper too, "to have the enigma all laid out and shown to me so soon would be a travesty." His hands still lingered and are concentrated on her tear tracks and her lips now, "It is the curse of my gift that I've not known until now. I want to keep your mystery, yet I want to taste your lips, your breasts..."

"Stop" she interrupted as she brook free from him, a freedom she is more than aware he had granted her, "keep me the mystery then. We...I...can't..." she turned and looked at him again, "keep me the mystery and leave me alone."

He looked solemnly at her. "As you wish, my dear."

Inching closer and placing his hand on her upper arm, "but tell me one thing..." his face, only inches away from hers, "it is not my imagination, you want me too?"

There was no reply from Emily, only a look that told him his answer. He smiled and before either of them can say anything more Emily bridged the distance between their lips.

X X X

In years to come she'll look back and wonder what her reason for doing this was. Like all things in her life, the reason became lost in time. All she remembered is the mixture of emotion she felt as they shed their clothes, the coldness of him as he entered her and the smile she wore as she returned home as she realised that she now had one thing that wasn't to be shared with the pack.

OK, that didn't turn out anyway like I had planned. It went kinda romantic-y crappy. Right now I still feel Aro is messing with her here, I don't think I got that across at all. Glad you all are reading and thanks to those who've reviewed. I won't promise an update soon, when I do something happens and I end up taking forever to update :( But stay posted, there is more to come :)