It's Not Over

By Ginamr

Summary: He'd hurt her and nearly destroyed her. But Edward's crucial mistake was thinking that Bella wouldn't fight back. Bella was a lot tougher than she looked and she was damned if she was going to believe for one minute that the last several months of her life had been a lie.

Soundtrack for this chapter: What I've Done by Linkin Park

This chapter is from Edward's POV.

Ten

EPOV

"Aren't you going to get that?" Bella whispered.

I hesitated. "Yes, but you should know that our Denali cousins have decided to come by for a visit," I informed her. "Though they have deliberately ignored my request to wait for my call."

Bella smiled and nodded. "It'll be okay. Let's just tell them. They'll understand."

It took a moment for it to click that Bella was putting on a show, as she knew that they could hear her. Her mind, however, remained silent and I sighed. Though I had become accustomed to this, it was still difficult to not know what my lovely angel was thinking. Before I could stop her, she opened the door and her eyes fell on Tanya. I don't know how she knew which one was Tanya, but somehow she did.

Her gaze traveled over the others and she beamed invitingly and she extended her hand. "Edward's cousins, right? It's so nice to meet you all. Edward's told me so much about you. I'm Bella. Edward's fiancé."

I froze. Could this mean she was intending to accept my proposal or was this just part of her plan to keep Tanya at bay? Tanya's gaze locked with hers, narrowing. Bella didn't even flinch. I shuddered. My love was going to be a very dangerous vampress someday.

My mind raced. Had I truly accepted her change as inevitable after all of this time fighting it? A reaction of a different kind stirred in my jeans as I rolled the thought and accompanying images around in my mind. My Bella—my wife—my beautiful vampress. I couldn't deny that the thought of us tangled together in an unrestricted passionate frenzy was enough to make the world around me spin as though I were riding a tilt-a-whirl at the county fair.

"Why, Edward." The voice snapped me from my daze and I recognized that Irina was addressing me. "I had no idea you had a girlfriend, much less that you were engaged."

Going with the conversation, Bella added, "We've only been seeing each other for a little over a year, but it feels like a lifetime."

I grinned like a fool and moved immediately to her side, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "It certainly does."

"B—but she's a Human!" Tanya protested, her eyes widening comically.

My gaze locked with Bella's and I chuckled. "Yes. And my singer."

"That's amazing, Edward!" Eleazar complimented. "Truly remarkable! Never in my entire existence have I known a vampire who is able to resist his singer's blood—and yet, here you stand with her as your wife-to-be."

Carmen's warm and honest mind overpowered Tanya's objections. "My congratulations, Edward. She is lovely and her spirit is very generous."

"Shield!" Eleazar declared, stunning me with his loud declaration. It was so abrupt that it had escaped his lips before the thought had a chance to form in his mind. "Most astounding. So rare. And hers is the most powerful I have ever come across."

Bella's talent. But how could he know?

Seemingly reading the expression on my face, Eleazar grinned. "Yes, yes. Normally she would need to undergo the change before her ability could be determined. But as I've said, she is extraordinary powerful. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she could control it even while Human."

"While I appreciate the flattery, I'm just as vulnerable to bruising and bleeding as the next Human," she murmured, her cheeks pink. "Maybe more so since I'm such a klutz."

He shook his head, taking her hands in his. "Of course, my dear. But I was referring to the marvelous way that you shield your mind."

Mental shield. "That's why I'm unable to read her thoughts," I offered.

Eleazar nodded. "Precisely. But were she to drop her barriers, you would be able to hear all that she would willingly share so long as you maintain skin-to-skin contact with her." He returned his attention to Bella, his expression morphing into one of concern. "Be cautious, my dear, for Aro would stop at nothing to add you to his prized collection. A talent like yours would make him invincible."

Bella sighed. "Well, then—it looks like Victoria is the least of our worries."

Kate frowned. "Victoria?"

I grimaced. "James's mate."

"Yes," added a familiar male voice. "No doubt she seeks revenge for her mate's death."

My gaze flew to Bella's face and I heard her heart miss a beat as all of the blood drained from her already-porcelain face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Laurent step forward and I instinctively threw my arm across Bella's chest and crouched ready to attack, an angry hiss slipping past my lips.

"You dare to show your face here?" I growled, ready to sink my fangs into his throat at the first sign of movement toward Bella.

Laurent paused and I froze when Irina wrapped her arm about his waist and fixed me with a fierce stare. "He's one of us now, Edward."

My eyes locked with his and I realized that she was telling the truth. The brilliant crimson of his eyes had dulled to a luminous golden yellow. Though I kept my arm as it was, I raised myself from the attack posture.

"If you still don't believe me," Laurent began. "Take my thoughts. They are pure and they are yours."

Hesitating for only a moment, I searched Laurent's thoughts and found no sign of the monster he had been while in James's coven. In fact, the majority of his thoughts centered around Irina. I arched an eyebrow. He loved her.

"You'll forgive my assumption, Laurent, as the last time we met you sought to make a meal of my fiancé," I offered.

He inclined his head. "Of course. But today I come as an ally and hopefully as a friend, to warn you of Victoria's plans for your lovely mate. She doesn't simply want to destroy you both. She won't drain your mate of her blood, but will instead make you watch as she changes Bella. She will then destroy you as Bella watches and only once you have been destroyed will she end Bella."

I frowned. "And how precisely are you privy to her plans?"

"Shortly after you ended James, she began to form her plan for your end. She attempted to coerce me into joining her, but I had fallen for Irina during our visit to Denali and elected to give up Human blood to stay with her," he offered. "Mind you, I'm not certain how she intends to capture or lure the two of you into her trap, but I estimate she will have already set the events in motion."

I nodded. "Fortunately, my sister Alice foresaw her plans before she could execute them."

A tense silence hung in the air between us. Tanya's gaze flew to Bella's empty ring finger and before I could stop her, she blurted. "Bella, darling, where's your ring? Surely, Edward bought you one."

Bella flushed. "He proposed with his mother's ring actually." Her words came out in a rush. "It was so romantic. But like I said, I'm such a klutz. When I kissed him, I accidentally knocked the ring from his hand and it fell in the mud. He's sent it to a jeweler to be cleaned. Besides, it was too small and needed to be resized. We should be able to pick it up in a day or two."

I grinned like a fool. Amazing. How well she knew me. I fingered the ring in my pocket, intending to take her somewhere outside of our Denali cousins' hearing so that I could get the real answer. I prayed that it was yes.

"It's all right, love," I whispered reassuringly. "The setting needed repair as well anyway. All the more reason to have it taken care of right away."

Her brow furrowed slightly and I had the strongest notion that she was wondering if I was just playing along with her deception or if she had inadvertently caused damage to the ring during our tussle on the couch.

I pressed a reassuring kiss to her forehead. "It wasn't intentional, my love, and it's easily fixed."

"Have you had a chance to discuss the date yet?" Alice asked as she came bounding into the room wearing a grin from ear to ear.

Don't worry, Edward. I know she hasn't said yes yet.

I glared at Alice. She was forcing Bella into a terrible position. If this was only for Tanya's benefit, Bella would set a date and then have no choice but to break her word later.

"We don't have anything set in stone," Bella replied, not missing a beat. "But since it snows in Forks in the winter, maybe an early fall or late spring wedding would be best. We would, of course, need to return here after my change. It's more remote than your home in Forks, so it would be a safer and less tempting place to adapt to the vegetarian lifestyle."

I struggled to keep my features neutral. Where did this calm, poised Bella come from? There was no hesitation in her words. Either she was a better actress than I thought or she truly meant to marry me. My heart nearly restarted at the very thought. Could she really mean to marry me? Was this more than just a skewer to Tanya's plans to seduce me?

"I honestly think that a winter wedding would be lovely," Alice chimed.

Bella shook her head. "I would imagine for the kind of wedding Edward has in mind, late spring would be best. After all, my favorite flower won't be available for order until then."

Alice waved her hand flippantly. "We'll talk wedding more later. I have yet to greet our lovely cousins."

As she exchanged hugs and kisses with each in turn, my gaze locked with Bella's and she nodded, her smile widening.

'Let's talk alone,' she mouthed.

I felt the foolish grin reappear as I nodded. I then turned to my cousins. "If you'll excuse us, my lovely wife-to-be hasn't eaten since lunch and I promised her a trip into town to sample the local cuisine. You'll stay with us for a while, I hope?"

Carmen smiled and nodded. "That is most gracious of you, Edward. Thank you."

"I'm sure Carlisle will be delighted to see you again. He should return in a few hours. Until then, I'm certain my lovely sister can entertain you."

It was at that precise moment that Jacob chose to enter the room hand in hand with his intended mate. The moment he saw Eleazar, he stiffened.

"It's okay, Jake," Bella soothed. "These are Edward's cousins. They dine on animal blood, too." She turned to them and smiled. "My friend Jacob and his girlfriend, Bree."

Everyone introduced themselves in turn while I slipped away with Bella, truly intending to take her into town. It was far outside the hearing range of my vampiric cousins so we would be able to talk honestly.

"What are you in the mood for, love?" I murmured sweetly as I backed the Volvo out of the garage.