I'm updating for the third time this week. My brain feels like mush. Once again, I apologize for errors; there is no beta. By the way, I keep forgetting my disclaimer. Love you guys. Keep the reviews coming. Thank you to all those who have reviewed. Virtual Hugs. Enjoy.
P.S. From now on my vampires can cry.
Declaimer: I don't own Twilight. I just wish I did, well at least Edward.
Chapter 8: Werewolves (BPOV)
Once we had entered the house, Edward gently set me in my feet, but seeing as I had no desire to let him go, I immediately wrapped my arms around him. He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. He returned my hug, and I purred against his chest.
Then I pulled away in panic, "Edward, you didn't eat today! You must be starving!" Oh, what if he fainted from lack of nourishment!
Edward calmed my mini panic attack, "Love, I was in the sun all day so I absorbed a lot of energy. Solar powered remember? I don't need to eat today."
"Oh, that's good," I put my hand over my heart then I remembered. "Edward my mark is gone. So is yours," I said after looking at his chest.
"It only appears when our emotions are intense," he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. I was surprised, but I didn't complain. I whimpered when he pulled away. He traced his finger over my heart, and when I looked, my spiral was there, and so was his. They faded again after a while. "They're gone again," I said sadly.
"Don't worry, love. They'll be back again soon. I'll make sure of that.," he whispered into my ear. His velvet voice was seductive and enticing, and I melted into him, allowing him to claim my lips once again.
"Edward, Bella, you two are finally back. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," Esme said bashfully as she caught us in our intimate embrace. I buried my face into Edward's chest while he charmingly greeted Esme.
"It's no problem, Esme. You wanted to tell me something?" Edward inquired.
"Yes, Carlisle is eager for your nightly idea exchange," she chuckled. "I swear you are his favorite part of the day."
Edward's chest rumbled as he chuckled, "Well, I do enjoy our talks as well. It's nice to be able to exchange stories. He is in his study, correct?"
"Yes, dear." I pouted. I didn't want Edward to leave. Esme wants the excuse to talk to you, love. Don't worry, you'll be back in my arms before you know it. My jaw dropped, and I openly gaped at Edward. He chuckled at my expression. I had just heard Edward's voice in my head.
Surprised?
I wanted to give it a try. We can talk to each other mentally?
Yes. It's part of our bonding. I'll explain it better later. Carlisle is waiting for me, and Esme wants to talk to you. He gave me a goodbye kiss and left the room. I missed him the second he was out of my sight.
"Bella, dear, could I have word?" Esme asked.
"Of course, Mom. What is it?" We sat down on the couches in the living room.
"Well, I'm sorry if you find this intrusive, but I consider you my daughter so I would like to ask, what exactly did you and Edward do today?" My face would have been bright red if I was human.
"Is it that noticeable?" Did I have 'I'm not a virgin anymore' written on my forehead?
"Well, to me who has known you for decades, I could tell that you are happier, and that your love for Edward is a bit stronger now. Also, your rumbled hair and clothes, and Edward's lack of shirt was also a big hint."
I hid my face in my hands, "God, this is embarrassing."
Esme giggled, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I would like to hear about my daughter's first time."
"Well, I do think of you as a mother, Esme. Honestly, it was wonderful. He was so loving and gentle, and even now I miss him and just want to kiss him and never let go. He's amazing Esme. I can't even begin to describe just how magical it was." Oh great, I was going to cry for the umpteenth time today.
"That's wonderful, dear. You've been alone for so long, and I could tell that you were hurting more than you let on. I'm so glad that you and Edward found each other. I've never seen a more perfect couple."
I couldn't help but smile at her words, "Thanks Mom."
"Now from a girly point of view, was he good?"
"Oh my God, Esme!" I squealed and hit her with the cushion. We giggled on the couch chatting until well after midnight. I told her about how gorgeous Edward was, and she scarred my mind with stories of her and Carlisle's escapades.
"By the way, Esme where is everyone? I don't hear Alice, Rose, or the boys."
"Oh, they all decided to spent the night somewhere. There are probably at some hotel in Portland or Seattle," she rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at the thought of her adopted children.
Suddenly, Edward's lovely voice filled my mind, I'm heading up to bed now, love. Would you like to join me, or are you two still chatting?
I'll come up now, baby. I hopped up from the couch, eager to be with him again. "Excuse me, Esme. I'm going to join Edward for the night."
"Good night, dear." I kissed her cheek before racing upstairs. I was greeted by a very cozy looking Edward. He was sitting at the foot of the bed drying his hair with a towel. He was shirtless seeing as he never slept in a shirt, something I was very grateful for, and wearing a pair of gray pajama pants. He seemed to have just finished taking a shower. I sat next to him on the bed.
"Do you need help, baby?" I asked. He looked like he was struggling.
"Yes, it is usually pretty easy to handle, but it's aggravating me today. I need to cut soon," I wanted to faint when he said that. He wanted to cut his beautiful flaming hair?
"No, don't cut it. I love your hair."
"Don't worry, love. Even if I did cut it, it would be back to this length in two months, but it stops growing once it gets this long, so I won't cut it if you like it that much, but there are times when it exceeds this length and goes down to my knees, and if it does that, then I am cutting it."
"Fine, but only if it reaches your knees," I was satisfied with our agreement and went to get a brush. I sat down on my knees behind him on the bed and began to brush his silky mane. He relaxed at my touch and allowed me to brush out the tangles. His hair was so lovely and soft.
"Sweetheart, I'm going to fall asleep if you don't stop now," he said drowsily.
I giggled, "Sorry, baby." I kissed his cheek. "All done."
"Now it's your turn," he took the brush from me and pulled me onto his lap. He then began to gently brush through my tangled mass of hair. I could see why he almost fell asleep. The feeling was so relaxing and I was purring not even a minute later. Edward chuckled behind me and kissed my head. "Ready for to join me in bed?"
"Yes, baby. Thank you, that felt really nice," I turned in his lap so that I straddled his waist. He looked at me his eyes dancing and a small smile in his lips. "What do I have something on my face?"
"No, but I noticed that you've been calling baby."
"Does it annoy you?" I really had called him that a lot tonight. I didn't even think that it might have bothered him.
"I love it, really. I can see why you look so delighted when I call you pet names," he kissed my forehead.
"Come on, bedtime for Edward. You must be tired," I tugged him up to the top of the bed. He chuckled, but humored me and got under the covers without complaint. Why couldn't all men be like him? "Alice was right, you are docile," I couldn't resist teasing him.
"I am not docile," he pouted. He was so freaking cute! I jumped on him and peppered his face with kisses.
"Okay, okay I love you too," he laughed as I attacked him. I giggled against his lips. I changed out of my clothes and into the one of his shirts. He turned off the lamp, and I crawled under the covers with him. I cuddled against his chest, and he gave me a goodnight kiss. "I love you, Bella. Thank you for today. Thank you for being my mate."
"I believe I should be thanking you, my love," I quoted him. He smiled at me sweetly.
"Sweet dreams, Edward. I love you."
"I'll dream of you," he kissed me one final time before drifting into a peaceful sleep. For a moment, I just looked at him, admiring how gorgeous he was. I had given myself to this man. My body, heart, and soul were now his, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I thought I would feel so different after I lost my virginity. I thought I would feel mature or sexier, but I still felt like Bella. No that was wrong; I felt like Edward's Bella, and I loved the feeling. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest. Unconsciously his arm went around my waist, and he whispered my name in his sleep. I smiled and snuggled up closer to him. I enjoyed the feeling of his warmth on my cold skin. I listened to the sound of his heart and allowed it to calm my mind. Anyone else would say it was boring or creepy, but I listened to his heart beat all night, and I was the happiest woman in the world.
(EPOV)
I would like to say that I woke up to the sight of my beautiful laying in the bed beside me, but alas, I cannot. It was cloudy day so the sun wasn't visible, and the bed was vacant aside from myself. Even though the clouds blocked out everything, I could simply tell that the sun wasn't completely up yet due to my phoenix.. That probably meant it was five in the morning, and I had only slept for five hours. What really woke me up was the sound of Emmet and Jasper quarreling downstairs.
"Guys, please be quiet. You're going to wake up Edward," Bella's voice reached my ears. Well, I guess waking up wasn't so terrible. No matter how peaceful sleep was, it couldn't compete with seeing my Bella.
"Too late, love," I grumbled. My voice was still thick with sleep. The whole house got quiet and I heard the sound of Jasper and Emmet get smacked I unison by who I believed to be Alice and Rose, and once again by Esme. Bella raced up the stairs to my bedroom; she looked unnecessarily guilty about the behavior of her brothers. I opened my arms for her, welcoming her to come to me. She climbed into the bed and cuddled with me.
"I'm so sorry, baby. Jasper and Emmet got into this stupid fight about something that probably doesn't matter. I'm sorry they woke you."
"It fine, love. I was going to wake up in about another hour anyway, so it just means that I get to see you sooner." I kissed her. "Good morning by the way."
"Good morning, charmer," she smile against my lips before kissing me once more. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, it was nice until about five minutes ago," I chuckled.
"I'm going to kill those idiots," she growled.
"It's fine, angel. They aren't used to having someone who sleeps in their house. It's not their fault," it was my fault in a way. I was living in their house after all.
"You are too wonderful for your own good, and it is absolutely, completely, one hundred percent their fault, and don't you think any different," I fought the urge to smile. She knew me too well. There was a knock and Alice, Rose, Esme, Jasper, and Emmet were standing in the doorway.
"Bella is correct. Emmet, Jasper apologize to Edward," Esme commanded in her stern mothering tone.
"Esme, thank you, but it's not necessary. I understand their situation, and it's fine really. I would have woken up in an hour anyway," I said trying to ease some of the tension, but this only caused Jazz and Em to look even more ashamed.
"We really are sorry, Edward. That was selfish of us," Jasper said sincerely.
"Yeah man, that wasn't cool. Sorry," Emmet said equally ashamed.
"It's alright really. I'm use to irregular sleeping hours," this was getting embarrassing.
Alice broke the tension by skipping over to my bed and kissing my cheek, "Good morning, handsome."
I chuckled knowing her true intensions, "Good morning, Alice. As long as they're comfortable and not too formal, you may choose whatever you want to dress me in."
"Yay! This is why you're my favorite.," she skipped into the closet and came out with a navy blue button down and dark wash jeans. "I know you normally wear jeans without a shirt. You totally have the body for it, but I'm curious. You don't wear shirts when you're not in public."
"It's easier. If I have to spread my wings while not in my phoenix form, then it saves me the trouble of ripping dozens of shirts," she nodded her head in understanding.
"Well, let's leave Edward to get dressed in piece. Edward is omelet alright with you for breakfast?"
"Yes, Esme, thank you," I was being babied by the Cullen women.
"Alright, out all of you. March! Good morning, Edward," Rosalie said as she exited the room.
"Good morning to you as well, Rose," I chuckled. I kissed Bella's head before going into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my hair and teeth. The thing I loved about being a phoenix was that we didn't collect bacteria like humans did. No morning breath or sand man, but we did have excessively long hair which could be very annoying at times. When I returned to the bedroom, Bella was still there. She was still wearing my shirt and looked far more tempting than any woman should be allowed to look. She bit her lip shyly as her eyes traveled over my exposed chest.
See something you like, love?
She let out an adorable giggle. I see someone I love. I walked over to her and kissed her deeply on her lips. Her smile was dazzling, and her eyes sparkled. She looked so beautiful and happy. I kissed her smiling lips one more time before changing into the clothes that Alice had picked out for me. I was very aware of Bella's eyes on me as I changed, and as soon as buttoned my shirt, I attacked her. She squirmed and giggled under me. I tickled her until she begged for mercy. Once our laughing fit was over, she chased me down the stairs trying to get revenge on me. We tumbled onto one of the couches, and she was hitting me with a cushion when Esme came in.
"Bella, dear, you should really calm that violent nature of yours," Esme said sweetly.
"What?" Bella shrieked. I laughed at the outrageous look on her face. She climbed off me, folded her arms, and pouted. I was about to go comfort her when I was attacked by another female Cullen. A beaming Alice was sitting in my lap, and she looked more hyper than usual, which could not be a good sign.
"Edward, since it's spring break, and we haven't gone hunting in two weeks, we're going on a hunting trip today. Would you like to join us?" Alice asked.
"Well, seeing as I don't really hunt, I think I would only be a hindrance," Alice pouted sadly. "Why don't I just fly around until you are finished?"
"Fine," Alice huffed. I patted her head before she left my lap in favor of Jasper's, allowing Bella to take her vacated spot.
"Edward, can I talk to you about something?" She asked. Her voice was barely a whisper.
"What is it, love?"
"Could you explain the whole mental mate conversation thing to me? I'm not sure I understand really."
I took a deep breath. I had been expecting this after all, "We can communicate mentally because to a phoenix, mating is mental and physical. You are giving yourself to you partner body, heart, and soul and trusting them to take care of you. Since we are bonded mentally, we are able to communicate. The mental bond is different for every pair; some feel emotions, some can sense if there is something or someone dangerous around their mate, and others can see into their mate's dreams when they're sleeping. For my sister and her mate they can see share memories of the past."
"That sounds amazing. It's comforting, when I hear your voice in my head. I feel closer to you, like when to touch my mark you," she placed my hand over her heart, the place where her mark resided, hidden from our eyes. The Cullens began to set out on their hunting trip. I removed my shirt seeing as I was going to fly. I had decided not to change into my phoenix and simply spread my wings. I was aware of the gazes of the women as I took off my shirt, and I heard Bella scolding them when they voiced their appreciation. I chuckled. The Cullens truly were an interesting family.
I really don't want to leave. Are you sure you don't want to come. It's not a bother, really. Bella's sweet voice filled my mind. I turned to see her nervously nibbling on her bottom lip. She had changed out of my shirt and was now wearing jeans and a long-sleeved, dark purple shirt, and her hair was tied in a pony-tail.
It's fine, angel. I would only slow you down. I'll just fly around for a while. Call for me when you're done. I was unfurling my wings when the rest of the Cullens returned to the room. They all gaped at me when they saw my two giant wings folded against my back.
"Wow," Bella said softly. "Can I touch them?"
"Go ahead, love." She gently stroked down my wings. Her touch was very soft and felt nice against my feathers.
"They're so warm and soft. They feel fluffy almost," she giggled. I could hear everyone's curiosity in their minds and decided to leave before I became a personal petting zoo. I kissed Bella good bye before flying up into the sky. It was very cloudy, and the sun wasn't out so I glided amongst the trees. After a while I became aware of the sound of footsteps and the smell of dog.
Holy crap! The guy has wings.
What is he?
Sam, there is some freaky bird-man flying around here.
Where are you?
We are close to the ravine.
Oh, so these must have been the shape shifters that Carlisle had told me about last night. They were wolves, and it seemed their pack consisted of multiple teenage boys and a girl. I must have flown over the treaty line. I quickly landed by the ravine. I perched on a large bolder on the side opposite of the wolves and folded my wings, but I kept them unfurled in case I needed to flee quickly. They finally reached me about five minutes later. There were around ten of them and they were about the size of horses, and every one of their minds was focused on me and just how powerful I was.
Who is this guy?
Well this was getting annoying, "My name is Edward Masen." I was gifted with simultaneous 'what the hells'. The largest one, black, wolf stepped forward. I assumed he was their leader. "You are the leader of this pack?"
Yes. You can hear us?
"Yes. I have the power to read minds."
Well isn't that just peachy. This came from a wolf who I believe they called Paul.
Hush! Sorry about that. My name is Sam Ulley. What are you exactly?
"I'm a-"
"Edward! Are you alright?" I saw Bella running towards me and the others following not far behind. She leaped onto the boulder I was standing on and threw herself into my arms. "Alice said that your future disappeared. She couldn't see you well before, but she said that it was completely black, and I was so worried. I thought that they had attacked or-," she was crying into my chest. Why was she so worried. They weren't dangerous at all compared to the other super naturals I had fought.
"Shh, sweetheart, calm down. I'm fine. They weren't threatening me or anything," I tried to calm her. I wiped the tears from her cheeks before returning my attention to the wolves.
Disgusting bloodsuckers!
He's with them? Is he also a creature that feeds on humans?
Oh, God, they smell awful. My nose is burning. These disgusting mutts.
Geez, my visions are completely messed up around them.
I was surrounded by a mirage of malicious thoughts. Both parties seemed to detest one another. Insults were being thrown back and forth. Insults about their smells, diets, looks, etc. My mind was throbbing at the amount of intense thoughts that infiltrated it. I felt my control slipping more and more. I felt the gold markings appear on my skin, and my vision heightened even more as my eyes turned black.
"Silence!" I unintentionally used my mind control powers. Nobody could talk any more. Steam came out of my nose every time I exhaled. I calmed myself and halted my command, but even though I gave up my control over them, they still remained quiet. I assumed they had all gone into shock when they lost control over their bodies because I could no longer hear their thoughts. My mind shut down as I formed a mental barrier. "You are arguing like children, and frankly it's giving me a headache. Sam I will speak to you another time." I took off into the sky flying to who knows where. I just needed to get away. I hated situations like that. Petty squabbles like that was what caused the war between dragons and phoenixes. It was a stupid altercation that became a bunch of terrorist attacks on their race. Dragons were volatile creatures, and all it took was one phoenix. Just one phoenix, and in less than a year dozens of lives were lost; his parents' lives included.
I landed by a gurgling brook. It was quiet, and the grass was cool, though slightly damp. I laid down on it and closed my eyes. Soon the heavens opened up, and rain poured down on me. It soaked my jeans and hair. It stopped what seemed to be hours later.
Edward? It was Bella's voice, but it sounded meek and hesitant. I opened my eyes to see Bella a few feet away from me. She was completely soaked like I was. I waited for her to come closer, but she just chewed on her lip anxiously. I realized that she thought I was upset with her. Silly girl. How could I ever be mad at her?
Come here, love. She took a small step forward before walking over and sitting next to me. She rested my head in her lap and ran her fingers through my wet hair, "Why are you set, angel? Didn't you go back to the house?" I enjoyed her fingers softly combing through the wet strands of my hair.
"I was going to at first, but I was worried about you so I searched for a while. It was hard to track your scent in the rain. I was going to call mentally, but I didn't know if you were still angry so…" her voice trembled.
"I could never be angry with you, angel. I was just upset. The fighting brought back some bad memories, so I had to get away before I said something and ended up controlling you again. I apologize for that," I had taken away her free will, yelled at her, and then I had flown away. I felt like the biggest jerk on the planet.
"It's fine. I'm sorry too. I didn't know that everyone would react like that. I was just worried when Alice couldn't see you. Then when you flew off, I was really scared. I thought you weren't going to come back. I just watched you fly farther and farther," her voice trembled, and a tear streaked down her cheek. I wiped it away with my finger caressed her cheek.
"Sweetheart, there will be sometimes when I must fly, but you don't ever have to worry about me not coming back. No matter how high I go, I will always return to you."
"Can I ask what happened? Why do you have bad memories?"
"Well, about two centuries ago, a clan of dragons migrated to our lands. They were angry with us for not giving them permission to reside there. It had been our home for generations, and we didn't want to give it up. The dragons called us selfish creatures who thought of ourselves as gods; that we were conceited. Dragons are volatile creatures, and once they form hatred, it stays in their hearts. The attacked some of our fledglings, and my parents fought against them. They lost their lives protecting the fledglings. My siblings and I had to end it," I didn't want to relive this, but Bella was my mate. She deserved to know about my past.
"Edward, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked that," she looked completely shamefaced.
"Don't worry, angel. You're my mate. It's only right for me to share my past with you. It doesn't matter how painful or personal. Never be afraid to ask me anything."
"Then, well, you said that phoenixes die when they choose to reincarnate themselves. How is it that your parents died?"
I was afraid that she would ask this, "Phoenixes can die if they incinerate themselves. What happens is that, well, you've seen the golden markings that appear on my skin when I use my powers. Those are veins containing my flame. If I use too much of it at one time, I could end up burning myself from the inside out. It's not a very romantic way to die, but it's what my parents had to go through."
She trailed her fingers down my cheeks and nose and over my lips. "What were your parents like?"
"My father well he was similar to Carlisle, always seeking knowledge but was a very compassionate person. He had a strong sense of duty and would do anything for our people. My mother was a very gentle woman. Just her presence seemed to calm anyone. She loved to take care of the fledglings, and she always had a warm smile for everyone. She would have loved you." I held her hand and kissed her fingers.
"Your sisters, she is supposed to be visiting this week, right?"
"Yes, she's bringing my niece," Hestia was the most adorable little girl in the world.
Bella giggled at the smile on my face, "You really love your niece, don't you?"
I chuckled, "We drive Stella mad together." Thunder rumbled over us, and it was only a matter of time before it started pouring again. "We should probably return home." She nodded, and we both rose to our feet.
"Edward, wait," she tugged on my hand to stop me.
"What is it, love?"
She cuddled into my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her, "Thank you, for telling me about your past. I know it must have been painful, but it makes me really happy when you tell me about it because I have four centuries worth of memories to make up for, and I want to be as close to you as possible."
"I want to know about your past as well, angel. We'll learn together, deal?"
"Deal." We sealed our promise with a kiss before running back to the house.
Holy Poseidon, this was ten pages. Wow! Once again my vampires can cry. Love you guys. Please review. They help me write faster.
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