I'm so excited to let you all know that Awake and Alive won in the Glove Awards for Best Alice! Thanks sooooo much to all of you who voted… I can't even tell you how much that meant to me!
I'm keeping this brief again, but please take a sec and read the note down below. Enjoy! :D
Chapter 10
Jasper
.
Bliss. Euphoria. Ecstasy.
The words didn't quite come close to what I'd experienced over the last few days with Alice, but they were the best I had. We'd been wrapped up in a bubble where only the two of us existed, and I'd never, in all of my life, dreamed of happiness and peace such as I felt with her. If this was the eternity I had to look forward to now, then I'd embrace each day as a gift instead of the curse I'd come to see it as before.
The last several days had been those of discovery and joy as we'd given our bodies to each other. We'd loved each other continually, unable to allow even a breath of space to come between us.
Out of all the memories I'd stored up in more than a century of life, the memory of Alice baring herself so intimately, so trustingly, to me was one that I would treasure most. She was breathtaking – perfectly formed and flawlessly beautiful. She was tiny and feminine – all soft, sweet-smelling skin, and supple curves… delicate as porcelain, smooth as alabaster. From her raven black hair, to her gold eyes, and her milky white skin, she was absolutely gorgeous.
But just as alluring as her beauty was, her innocence was almost equally so. I could feel her slight hesitation at first, her uncertainty at the intensity of what was happening between us. And in the midst of the desire that had coursed through my veins, I'd felt a sweeping surge of tender protectiveness.
Alice had never known any touch but mine. And she was willingly giving that innocence to me – entrusting herself to me.
That knowledge was humbling and empowering and utterly astounding.
I'd worshipped her body, savoring it as I'd told her, giving her as much pleasure as I possibly could. I'd stored up in my mind all the sweet sounds she'd made as she let me take her body to planes it had never been before and the look on her face as she'd fallen over the edge that first time.
Joining my body with hers for the first time, I'd thought that surely there could be no pleasure greater than that, but, innocent though she was, Alice had proven me wrong over and over again. Every time with her seemed more fulfilling and passionate than the last as we'd learned each other's bodies, finding all the places that elicited pleasured gasps and moans. We'd sought them out, memorizing them and coming back to them over and over, unable to ever get enough.
Admittedly, I'd been hesitant at first to let Alice see the full extent of the damage that had been done to my body. I'd stopped caring about my scars a long time ago. They were simply an unavoidable part of the life I'd lived. But I'd been almost fearful about letting her innocent eyes see the kind of ravages that I'd been left with after more than eight decades of war.
She'd surprised me once again, however. Only Alice would think to bathe the scars with a kiss the way she had. She'd poured into me her compassion, her acceptance of who and what I was and had once been, and most important of all, her unconditional, all-consuming love. I'd felt it in every single touch, clearly conveyed from her hands and her lips… and from her heart.
I'd nearly come undone as she'd so lovingly traced all the marks my past had left me with. She was far more than I'd ever deserve… and she was everything now.
I'd known on some level the depth of the bond between immortals and their mates. I'd felt it from others even though I'd never experienced it for myself. I'd thought that I was just incapable of feeling anything that deeply. But Alice had proven me wrong again.
Anything I'd ever felt before her was a mere shadow… a specter of the real thing.
Change came very infrequently for us as immortals, set in stone as we were. But when it did, it was deeply-rooted and permanent. Overcome with such powerful emotion as I'd experienced with Alice, I'd been able to feel myself changing – the love I had for her became the foundation of my entire being… she became the very thing that my life revolved around. And nothing else in all the world mattered to me more than her.
The realization of that should have worried me – I'd shied away from any strong emotion for many years. I'd fought against being that dependent on anyone. The more you cared about any one person – the more of yourself you gave to them – the more power they had to hurt you. And that was something I'd tried to protect myself from.
But I knew without any shadow of doubt that this was right. This, with Alice, was what I had always been meant for… right here with her was my safe place… the one place I never had to worry about that. And for the first time in my life, I felt at peace.
"Jazz," Alice's quiet, musical voice spoke from where her head rested against my shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"
"You know you can." I brushed a wayward strand of hair from her forehead and kissed the same spot tenderly, still reveling in this new liberty, this new right, to touch her so freely. I wondered if there would ever come a time when something as simple as a touch would cease to thrill me this way. But I couldn't imagine that… not with Alice.
Her hand traced an abstract pattern on my chest as she contemplated her question, a crease forming between her pensive eyes. "What would you call what I am to you now?" She looked up at me with a curious expression.
I kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. "My world," I said simply.
A dazzling smile stretched over her face at my response, and she tucked her face in my shoulder for a moment. "That's sweet," she said, looking up again. "But that's not what I meant."
"I know," I said, catching her hand in mine and kissing her fingertips. "I'm just not sure that there's a label that fits what we have exactly. You're my mate now, certainly. You're lover and friend. You're my partner. But it's more than that, too. You're a part of me now, Alice. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but you're not just a part of my life now but of me. You're flesh of my flesh," I said quoting a long forgotten ideal.
"I know there was no pronouncement, no traditional ceremony, but I'd still say that 'wife' seems to come closer to describing what you are to me than any other label does."
"Really?" There was a bright kind of hopefulness in her eyes as she asked.
"I believe so, yes. And, when you think about it, we had a commitment and a consummation. As far as I'm concerned, for us, that's as binding as any human tradition. And actually, in some historical cultures, that was all that was necessary for a marriage to exist anyway."
Alice was quiet again, but I could almost see the wheels of her mind turning. "And isn't it usually customary," she asked in a hesitant voice, "when a woman marries that she takes her husband's name?"
"Generally, yes," I said as she lifted her face once again.
"So, does this mean that I get to be Alice Whitlock now?"
"If you'd like," I told her, trying to sound nonchalant, but in my mind I was turning the idea over and over, surprised by just how much I truly liked the sound of that. It was only fitting, after all. She was sharing my life, my future, and everything else. It seemed only appropriate that she share my name as well.
"I'd like that," she said, eyes sparkling vividly as she looked up at me. Her whole face seemed to be lit from the inside, joy illuminating her features. "I'd like that a lot. You know," her musical voice turned contemplative again, "it was because of you that I even knew my name to begin with."
"How so?" I asked, trying to pull her body even closer, even though we were already tangled together as close as two people could get.
"Before I woke up," she said, curling contentedly into me, "I heard you calling my name. Instead of pain during the transformation like you've described, I just remember feeling surrounded by darkness, and not knowing how to get out of it. But then I heard you.
"You called me Alice," she smiled against my neck. "You called me your Alice. And you told me that you loved me. You were going to kiss me, too, but that's when I woke up." Her face twisted in an adorable little pout at the memory of being denied that first fantasy kiss.
I chuckled at the sight and tilted her face back. "You are my Alice. And I do love you," I said, pressing my lips against hers and smiling as she melted into my touch. I was more than happy to make up for the loss of her dream kiss… and then some.
She sighed in contentment when I pulled away long enough for her to breathe, stroking her fingers over my back. "I have a whole name now. I'm not just 'Alice' anymore," she said, seemingly to herself, sounding awed by that fact.
"Actually," she said, her voice becoming very quiet again, "at first, when I found you, I wondered if I'd been wrong about my name too. It was an odd feeling having to wonder if I was really 'Alice' at all."
My heart twisted painfully in my chest at the reminder. The day that she'd found me, I'd called her a liar. I'd told her I didn't want her. I'd actually thought about hurting her… about silencing her to protect myself. The thought of that made my stomach drop like lead. I didn't even want to imagine how horrendously different my life would be right now if I'd done something that stupid. I'd done my best to drive her away, but I'd spend the rest of my life grateful that she hadn't let me.
I held Alice tighter, feeling the futile urge to protect her from what I might have done… as if I could erase the past by loving her now. But I couldn't – and I knew the memory of that was something I'd have to live with for the rest of my existence.
"I'm sorry," I told her, looking into her eyes so that she could see my apology as well as hear it. "I'm so sorry for everything I said or did to hurt you that way. I've done a lot of things that I regret, but that…" I shook my head.
Alice placed her finger over my lips, quieting my confession. "I'll never do it again," I promised her, kissing her fingertip and moving to cradle her face in my hands. "I don't ever want to hurt you again."
"I think you've done a pretty good job of making up for all of that. And I'd do it all over again, you know… every bit of it," the astounding depth of her love shone through her eyes. "You were worth it."
"But it's a good thing for you," she said, mischief written all over her face, "that I didn't know what I was missing before I found you." She crawled on top of my chest, her legs on either side of my waist as she trailed her parted lips down my neck and over my chest. "I might have tackled you to the floor right there in the diner."
Heat blazed through my body everywhere her lips touched, scattering my thoughts and making it difficult to think of anything besides her. "Remind me again why that would have been a bad thing,"
She chuckled lightly as her lips found mine again. "At the moment, I haven't the faintest idea," she murmured around our kiss.
"So much wasted time," I breathed, wrapping her inside the circle of my arms.
"Love me," she said, her kiss and the movements of her body over mine becoming more insistent.
I smiled against her lips. "Something tells me I've created a monster."
"Mmhmm," she murmured as I rolled her over onto her back and settled between the cradle of her thighs. "After all, I've got a lot of years of loving to catch up on… almost thirty of them, as a matter of fact." Alice's voice caught in her throat, trailing off, as her body stretched around mine once again.
"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me, then."
Loving her this way had seemed to become as natural as breathing – and far more necessary. I was wrapped up in her to the point that I could almost make myself believe that this was the only thing we needed to survive. But eventually the outside world did intrude once again as other needs began to make themselves known.
I'd noticed Alice's eyes gradually losing their golden hue as the days had passed, and I knew that mine were surely becoming as dark as hers. Eventually the burning in our throats had become more prominent in each of our minds as our thirst grew.
I stroked the column of Alice's throat as she swallowed against the burn once again, trying to soothe it. "We need to get you fed," I told her, feeling her silky skin under my fingertips.
"I know, but I don't want to," Alice said, burrowing closer to me.
"You're hurting. And there's no reason for you to be." I didn't want to move any more than she did, but I knew it couldn't be helped.
She sighed deeply. "I'm not sure why it's so bad. It's barely been two weeks, and usually it takes a little longer for me to feel this thirsty."
"Well," I said with a grin, kissing the top of her head, "you and I have both been expending a lot of bodily fluids this week. I'm sure that doesn't help."
"Jasper!" She exclaimed as a wave of embarrassment swept over her. She buried her face in my shoulder as I threw back my head and laughed at her response. One of her tiny fists pounded ineffectively on my chest as I shook with laughter.
"Really, Alice, as close as you and I have been, after everything we've done in the last week, how do you have any room left for embarrassment?"
"I don't know. But that's not the same thing," she pouted, still hiding her face.
"I'm sorry," I kissed both of her eyelids, still chuckling.
She huffed good-naturedly, letting me know she wasn't truly upset, and rolled out of bed, scooping up my shirt from the floor and wrapping it around her tiny frame. I didn't like having her body hidden from my eyes anymore, but I had to admit that there was something about seeing her wearing my shirt – I couldn't even describe what it was, but I liked it… a lot.
The fabric dwarfed her, emphasizing how dainty she was. The hem covered her knees, and she had to roll the sleeves several times before she could even get her hands through. She should have looked like a child playing dress up as much as she was swimming in the excess fabric, but, to my eyes, she looked anything but childlike.
Sensing my unblinking gaze on her, Alice looked up at me almost flustered. She smiled, though, reaching down and grabbing my pants that were still lying where I'd tossed them days before. Wadding them into a ball, she lobbed them at my face.
"Get dressed," she said, spinning on her heel and fleeing down the hall to her room. As I pulled on my pants I could hear her moving around, opening drawers and gathering her clothes.
I padded down the hallway, stepping up behind her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I nuzzled her neck, breathing in her fragrant skin. "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting my clothes on," she said as if I'd suddenly lost my mind. "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"You already have clothes on," I informed her, sliding my hands up her sides, covered by the thin cotton of my shirt.
"I'm not going outside the house like this," she said, sounding shocked by the idea.
"Why not?" I asked, finding the sensitive hollow behind her ear with my lips. "Who's going to see it?"
She hummed and tilted her head so that I could have better access to the soft skin. "It's not decent."
"I don't see why not. That shirt is long enough on you to be a dress. Tie a belt around the waist, and you're all set." I teased, kissing along the length of her neck, spanning her tiny waist with my hands to emphasize my point.
She laughed, swatting my hands away and taking a step to the side. "You're incorrigible. And I'm sorry to disappoint, but no."
"Oh well," I shrugged, tracing her pert little nose with the tip of my finger. "Can't blame a man for trying." I winked and turned towards the door. "But just so you know," I said, standing in the doorway, "you look very, very sexy wearing my clothes. You're welcome to borrow them anytime you'd like," I smirked, feeling her flush of embarrassment at my blunt statement.
She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to… I wouldn't have heard it anyway. Because in spite of her embarrassment, right at that moment, she let my shirt fall open and drop to the floor. She eyed me with a smug grin, knowing that she'd gotten the best of me in this game we were playing, and stepped to the side, pulling on her undergarments.
Holding up her forefinger, she stopped me in my tracks as I'd unconsciously started moving towards her. "Nuh-uh," she said. "You're the one that said we needed to get dressed. And that's exactly what I'm doing. Don't try to distract me."
"Fine," I said, still walking across the room in her direction. "No distractions."
"Oh no you don't," she said, foreseeing what I was doing. She picked up the shirt she'd dropped and held it away from me. "You have other shirts to wear. This one has been laying on the floor for a week. It's dirty and wrinkled."
"Maybe," I said, slipping my arm slowly around her waist, drawing her towards me. Placing my open lips over the hollow of her throat, I flicked the tip of my tongue over the tender skin, feeling Alice's body sway slightly, immediately melting into my touch. "But the other shirts don't smell like you. This one does." I snatched it neatly out of her hand while she was distracted by my caresses and backed away again.
I fought back a laugh as Alice's dazed eyes blinked several times, adjusting to my sudden departure. "You fight dirty," she grumbled as I slipped my arms inside the shirt that was now laced with her fragrance.
"I never claimed otherwise," I teased, winking as I left her to finish dressing in peace. I knew if I stayed much longer the clothes would be coming off instead of going on, and we both did really need to hunt.
Walking into the quiet living room, I stood peering out the window at the sunny October afternoon. My mind wasn't on the crisp fall air or the colors of the changing leaves. Instead, it was on the choice that I had to make now.
The last week with Alice had brought me joy and peace like I'd never dreamed of before. The idea of tainting that now with the horrific depression that followed on the heels of a hunt was unthinkable. But there was only one other choice.
I wasn't at all enthusiastic about hunting animals, but, at this point, the idea actually did seem to have some merit if I could skirt the negative aftereffects of my usual hunt. Distasteful as the idea was, it actually did seem to beat the alternative. I didn't want to compromise this happiness… not if I had a choice.
I supposed it wouldn't hurt anything to try it at least. After all, what did I have to lose?
Alice's arms twined around my waist as she came up behind me. Her lips pressed against my spine, their warmth seeping through the thin fabric. I smiled and lifted my arm to tuck her against my side, loving the way so fit so perfectly against me… like she'd been made for me.
"You're coming with me?" Her voice actually sounded uncertain as she looked up at me.
"I thought I would this time if that's all right," I replied, bending down, unable to resist the temptation of her upturned lips.
"It's more than all right," she said when I released her mouth. "You're welcome to hunt with me anytime you'd like."
"Are you ready now?" I asked, stepping back and holding out my hand.
She nodded and took my outstretched hand, smiling broadly. "Let's go."
We ran through the forest, leaving our little home behind us. I'd never hunted quite this way before, so, for now, I let Alice take the lead, slowing down and releasing her hand as she caught the scent of her prey. She glanced up, looking to me for reassurance. I nodded and gestured for her to go ahead.
That was all the encouragement she needed as her thirst took over – her actions coming under the control of her instincts. I watched, slightly spellbound, as she flew towards the moose drinking from the nearby stream. I'd never seen my cultured little Alice in quite this light before.
She was feral… predatory as she took down the animal that was several times her size without even a struggle. Even her movements as she drank from the animal, sating her thirst, were graceful and poised. Seeing her in this primal way, she was glorious and beautiful.
I waited until she was finished, until I saw the rich gold color return to her eyes, before I gritted my teeth and took off after the moose's mate that had fled when Alice and I had appeared.
The animal's scent was anything but appealing as I caught up to him, snapping his neck in one swift motion. Closing my mind to what I was doing, I lowered my mouth, biting through fur and skin to pierce the vein.
Blood filled my mouth, but it tasted all wrong. I wrinkled my nose and forced myself to keep drinking the blood that didn't taste quite like blood. It soothed the fires in my throat, but only marginally. I made myself drink until there was nothing left, until I had drained the animal dry.
After I was done, I stood, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, still tasting the unpleasant, earthy flavor on my tongue.
Laughter, like the chiming of little bells, sounded behind me, and I turned. Alice had her hand clamped over her mouth, trying to hide her giggles, but it was a lost cause. Her body shook with them.
"That's not funny, Alice. How do you live like that all the time? It was nasty as hell," I grimaced, fighting the urge to spit against the disgusting aftertaste that still lingered in my mouth.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, still cackling. "But you should have seen your face." Her laughing stopped just long enough for her face to twist in an exaggerated grimace, her nose wrinkling before she fell into hysterics again.
"Just for that…" I warned, sprinting towards her. She squealed, still laughing as I caught her in my arms, but her laughter abruptly stopped as I swooped down, taking her lips in a searing kiss.
She offered no resistance whatsoever as I backed her up against the tree that was just behind her, plundering her mouth with mine and tasting her now instead of the paltry excuse for blood. She tasted far better anyway. Every other thought fled from my mind as Alice hummed into my mouth, responding with equal desire and need. She brought her legs up to wrap tightly around my waist and tangled her fingers in my hair, holding me tighter to her.
The undertone of this embrace was different than the ones we'd shared in the past week… this one was primal in nature as our instincts were so much closer to the surface after the hunt.
My hands raked over Alice's body, but it was hidden by the barrier of her clothes, blocking the warm, soft skin that I'd grown so accustomed to feeling under my touch… and that was unacceptable. Tearing my mouth away from hers, I pulled back just enough to see her eyes glowing with the same raw desire that pumped through my veins.
"Do it," she said, her voice rough with need.
Those words from her were all the encouragement that I needed. I hooked my fingers in the neckline of her dress, hearing the rending of the fabric as I wrenched it off in one motion. Heat filled her gaze as the breeze carried away the remnants of fabric baring her body to my hands and eyes again.
A breathy moan passed her lips when my hands began their exploration again, and she pulled my mouth back to hers eagerly. While my hands were busy stroking and kneading the curves I was growing so familiar with, hers were busy disposing of my clothes with a little more care than I'd shown for hers.
Hands raced over flesh, grasping, touching, kneading like we'd never get enough. Lips tasted, teeth nipped, and tongues soothed. We drove each other higher and higher until we couldn't hold back anymore.
Her body opened for the entrance of mine without the slightest hesitation, drawing me in deeper, her arms trying in vain to pull me closer… yet we were already as close as two bodies could get.
Bright white lights exploded behind my eyelids moments later as my body surrendered to the waves of pleasure. Alice was right there with me, her climax merging with mine as we fueled each other on. Her hands tugged on my hair, her body surging against mine until we tumbled to the ground.
We rolled there on the grass, giving and taking, as our hands and mouths fought to consume and bodies tangled together until the two became one.
It was heat and passion, need and desire, intimacy and ecstasy… and so much more.
The blazing colors of the sunset painted the sky before reason finally penetrated the fog of desire that had clouded our minds. Alice nuzzled her face into my chest with a contented sigh, her satiation seeping into my very flesh. A little bemused at the rough nature of our love-play, I plucked a blade of grass out of Alice's mussed hair.
"Don't say anything," Alice chuckled lightly. "You look just as disheveled as I do."
"Do I need to apologize?" I asked, not sensing in the slightest that she'd minded how rough we'd gotten, but feeling the need to ask anyway.
"Don't you dare," she warned, her eyes still sparkling. "As a matter of fact, I might just have to get mad if you do."
"In that case, I won't say a word."
"I'm not made of glass, Jasper," she assured me.
"I know. But you are a lady."
"And you're very much a gentleman," she said with a tender smile, reaching up to brush a stray curl off my forehead. "You'd stop if I needed you to – you've proven that before. I wanted this just as much as you did. Stop worrying."
"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled, drawing her head back down to my chest.
She settled against me happily, keeping her legs still tangled with mine. "So, you survived your first vegetarian hunt. You should be proud." I felt her lips curl up in a smile, her emotions carrying a distinct tone of teasing satisfaction.
I grunted in reply. "Did you have to remind me of that? I can still taste it in the back of my mouth."
"I know it's not the most satisfying, but it's been worth the sacrifice in my opinion. Aside from being a little disgusted by the taste, how do you feel?" She asked, still smiling, though I had the distinct feeling that there was more to her question than met the eye.
"What do you mean?" I questioned, wondering what she was really asking.
She traced a gentle finger in a heart shaped pattern on my chest. "I mean, how do you feel in here?"
I took a second to think about the answer to that question, searching my emotions for any sign of the guilt that usually swamped me after feeding. The guilt, the depression, the despair… none of them were anywhere to be found. I felt… peaceful… though I knew that had more to do with my tryst with Alice than it did with feeding, but still.
"I'll admit that hunting with you certainly has its advantages," I said finally, rolling so that I was hovering over her. "Some very definite advantages," I growled low in my chest and kissed her still-smiling lips. "But you're right. This doesn't seem to have the same effect on my emotions that normal hunting does. And that's something I wouldn't miss." I laid my forehead against hers, truly considering this change of lifestyle for once.
"It's worth an attempt, I suppose," I said more to myself than to her.
"Just promise me something," she said, peering up at me through her thick lashes.
"Anything," I responded immediately, knowing that I'd give her anything she asked for.
"Promise that you won't do this for me," she said solemnly.
I chuckled and shook my head, brushing the tip of my nose over hers with every back and forth motion of my head. "I'm afraid you're asking for the one promise I can't make, darlin. Everything I do now is for you… every breath I take, every moment that I stay alive, I'm doing it for you. You're everything to me now."
Her arms tightened around me and pulled me down so that my body was resting over hers. She hid her face against my neck for a moment, but when she looked up again, earnestness was mixed with her loving expression. "I'm serious, Jasper. Don't do this because you think it's something that I want from you. Do it because it's what you want… because you think it's what's best for you.
"This isn't going to be an easy transition for you to make. I've seen that already. It's going to be, quite possibly, one of the hardest things you've ever done. You're going to struggle with it… for a long time. You're going to get discouraged, and you're going to wonder at times if it's worth it. You need to know that up front. I want you to know what you'd be getting into because I never want you to feel like you got blindsided when things get difficult.
"And I don't ever want to give you reason to resent me because of it." Her voice was pleading, as if she believed such a thing could ever be possible.
"Alice, I don't care what happens, there's nothing that would ever be able to make me resent you – not anything. It's not even a remotely possibility."
"Jasper, please. I've never asked anything of you before… I've never made any requests of you, but I'm asking you for this now. Please, promise me that you'll do this for you or not do it at all. You know that I'll love you either way… that's never been a condition to my being with you. I want what's best for you, and I want you to be happy. But I don't ever want you to feel like I've pressured you into a choice that you didn't want to make.
"You may not see it now, but someday you might grow to resent me for that. And I can't live with the fear that that might happen. Please, Jasper, just promise me this much."
I took a moment to truly consider everything she'd said. It was obviously something that she'd been worried about for a while, and I didn't want her to think that I was taking her concerns lightly.
"I think you're worried over nothing," I told her honestly after a long moment, "but if it gives you some peace of mind, then so be it. I promise I'll make this decision based on what I want, not what I think you expect."
Relief filled her eyes as soon as I spoke, filling her words as well. "Thank you."
"But I can't promise not to do it for you… because that would be a lie. And lying to you is something I've already promised not to do."
"I think I can live with that compromise." She stroked her fingers over my cheek, a soft light filling her eyes. "Now," she said, lacing her fingers behind my neck, "what do you say you and I go home?"
A smile of love and contentment stretched over my face at those words. "That sounds good."
"It looks like you get your way this time, though," Alice said, wrinkling her nose.
"How's that?"
"I'm going to need to borrow that shirt again," she said, glancing pointedly at the scraps of fabric that were all that remained of her unfortunate dress.
"I think I can accommodate you with that. Sorry about your dress, though."
"I'm not," she said, eyes darkening with remembrance, though a smile tugged at her lips.
I groaned, burying my face in her neck as desire swept, rapid and fierce, over me yet again. "You're going to be the death of me yet, woman."
She laughed, nudging my shoulders so that she could get up. "I can think of worse ways to go," she teased.
I stepped into my pants, which were still thankfully in one piece, as Alice wrapped herself in my shirt.
"Come on," I said, holding out my hand to her once we'd finished. "Let's go home."
But as Alice slipped her tiny hand in mine, I knew that home wasn't the four walls and the roof that made up our house… home was where she was.
She was my home.
I'm sorry that I hurt you,
It's something I must live with everyday.
And all the pain I put you through,
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears.
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be,
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you.
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know.
A reason for all that I do.
And the reason is you.
The Reason
by Hoobastank
We're almost to the end! :)/:( One more actual chapter and then the epilogue… though, to be honest, this one felt like the end to me!
I felt so bad after the last chapter's AN… I don't like feeling like I've disappointed when you've all been so sweet and supportive throughout the story. So, I've been thinking, and I've come up with a compromise that will hopefully make us all happy. I'm still sticking with my original vision for A&A, but, if you're interested, put me on author alert if you haven't already and keep your eyes open for a short project when this is over that gives a little more detail about Jasper and Alice's very early interaction with the Cullens. It's a compromise that I'm actually really excited to write! :D
And also, if you haven't read my story Journey Through the Flames and you want an idea of how I envision their actual "joining the family" occurred, you might be interested to check out Journey's Chapter 7 and 8 which tells that in detail. The link is, of course, on my profile page. :)
As always, thanks for reading! Please take a second and let me know that you thought!
Nik
And follow me on Twitter if you'd like… AnEnduringHope… I'm a sucker for giving out story teasers so you never know what you might see! ;)