After the minor cliffhanger of chapter 13, some of you were confused and others were on the right track. I didn't want to leave you hanging too long, so I present to you: chapter 14. Everything will be explained to you.
In the following few seconds I make two big mistakes.
The force of Jasper's power is so strong, that it literally knocks the breath out of me. I breathe in deeply to replenish the air in my lungs, which is my first mistake.
Alice is standing right next to me, so as my lungs fill up with air again, I also take in Alice's scent. Her scent combined with the wave of lust nearly sends me into a frenzy, but I manage to control myself just barely.
I turn to look at how the others are handling it and naturally my eyes land on Alice first. Which is my second mistake.
I let my eyes trail down her body and back up again. As I reach her eyes, the little bit of control I have disappears. Without thinking about it, I forcefully pull Alice towards me. When her body is flush against mine I quickly lean in to claim her lips with my own. There is nothing soft or loving about the kiss we share. It's passionate, it's raw, it's pure lust. I moan in ecstasy and bury one of my hands in Alice's short hair, while I rest the other on her ass. As she takes my bottom lip in between her teeth, I squeeze her ass and Alice moans quite loudly.
As we continue kissing and groping each other, I become aware of the voices around us.
"How long are they going to keep at it like that? Don't they care that we are in the same room?" Rosalie sounds a bit disgusted.
"I hope they keep doing this all night long! I don't mind watching this at all." Of course this comes from Emmett.
"I'm sure that once they figure out that they are no longer under the influence of Jasper's power, they'll stop soon enough." I seize all motion at Edward's words and my eyes open wide in shock as I realise that I can indeed no longer feel Jasper's power influencing me.
I manage to tear myself away from Alice who just looks at me confused and tries to pull me back to her to continue kissing me. It's difficult to resist her but I still manage to do so, but unfortunately Alice doesn't give up.
"Alice! What are you doing? Stop that!" My words don't have any effect on her and Edward chuckles.
"Alice, let the poor girl go before her cheeks catch on fire."
Alice stops trying to kiss me but refuses to let go of me. "Why did you stop?" She sounds disappointed.
"Because," I take a quick look around me and if possible, my cheeks become even hotter from embarrassment. "we are surrounded by your whole family!" I say this in a quiet whisper, which is useless because everyone in the room besides me is a vampire.
Alice shrugs her shoulders at my words. "So?"
I look at her incredulously. "So we can't do.. THAT. Not with everyone here. You can't tell me that you're not the least bit bothered by the fact that everyone could see us?"
"Actually, no. I'm not bothered by it. Not at all." She pauses. "But I can see that you are, so I'm sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable." She says apologetically.
I sigh. "Well, its not like it was your fault. I was the one who practically jumped you, so…"
"Yes that is true. But you weren't exactly in control of yourself after that wave hit us all."
That's right! I got into this because of Jasper! I look around the room, preparing to scowl at him, but he's not there.
"Where did Jasper go?" I ask confused.
It's Esme who answers me. "He excused himself after he got his power under control again. He's in the backyard right now talking with James."
I scan the room again and notice that James is indeed absent as well. Huh, weird, why would he be outside talking with Jasper?
"You really have no idea whatsoever?" Edward asks me.
Damn it, I have my wall down again. I scowl at Edward.
He raises his hands. "Hey, you know I can't turn my gift off. You can at least keep that wall up if you don't want me to hear you think."
I stop scowling at him, because he's right of course. "You're right, sorry. But no, I have no idea. But I have a feeling that you do, so please enlighten me."
Edward is about to respond, but Rosalie beats him to it. "Oh come on Bella, do the math. Jasper sees James and vice versa. Both their feelings of lust are so strong that they overwhelm Jasper which causes him to lose control of his power. Which resulted in you and Alice almost dry-humping each other, but I guess that's besides the point here." She smirks at her own words and I glare at her before I think about what she just said.
It only takes me a second to grasp what Rosalie is getting at. My eyes widen in surprise at my realisation.
"Wow, I didn't see that one coming."
Alice giggles at my words. "I don't think that any of us knew this was going to happen Bella. Such things tend to be rather unpredictable. Just look at how the rest of us found our mates. Rosalie saved Emmett from being killed by a bear, Carlisle found Esme in the morgue, and I was tackled by a giant wolf."
Carlisle had found Esme in the morgue? To my knowledge one can only turn into a vampire when ones heart is still beating. I'm about to ask for more details when Jasper and James step back into the living room.
"I'm going to accompany James on his first hunting trip." Jasper tells the rest of the family.
Then he turns his gaze upon Alice and me. "I apologise for my lack of control just now Bella."
After having the situation explained to me, I can't really blame Jasper for his slip up. "That's alright. I understand what happened." My next words are for James. "Have fun hunting."
Both Jasper and James are gone in a flash.
"I'll meet you in my office Alice."
Carlisle just finished relaying to us what exactly he discussed with my dad today and afterwards we talked about how we are going to proceed. We all agreed that we will undergo no action until Alice sees something in her visions that requires it. Carlisle does want her to search the future repeatedly so she can warn us in advance. Doing that accurately takes a great deal of concentration, so Carlisle thinks it would be best to conduct her search in his office where no one will disturb her.
Alice and I are standing at the foot of the stairs, just enjoying each others company before she has to get to 'work'.
"What are you going to do tonight while I'm busy searching the future?" She asks me.
"I was thinking of taking a run in the woods in my wolf form. And I wanted to see if my house is still standing. I'm spending more time at your home than at mine."
"That's because you just can't stay away from me." Alice says teasingly.
"No, it's because Esme is an amazing cook. I only come here for the food really." I say casually. "The company is just an added bonus."
"So now I'm not only topped by a car, but by food as well." She sounds hurt, but I can tell that she's faking it by the gleam in her eyes.
"Don't worry, there's still room enough for you in here as well." I tell her as I point at my heart. She smiles at this. "Will I see you again tonight?" I ask hopeful.
"I honestly don't know. It depends on how long Carlisle wants me to keep searching. But you'll definitely see me in the morning. We have both tomorrow and Friday off because of our 'illness' so I'm planning some fun activities." She says this last part suggestively while she wiggles her eyebrows and my mind immediately ends up in the gutter. My cheeks grow hot from the thoughts I'm having and Alice's laughs softly.
"Have sweet dreams tonight Bella." She places a soft kiss on my lips and then skips up the stairs.
Once I have successfully pulled my mind out of the gutter I make my way to the backyard. I notice Edward sitting on a boulder by the stream that passes through the yard and I walk towards him at a normal pace, enjoying the night air.
"Can I join you?" I ask Edward as I reach the boulder he is reclining on.
"Of course." He doesn't look at me as he replies, which tells me that something is on his mind. Edward is a man who almost never forgets his manners, except when something is bothering him.
I climb onto the boulder and take a seat next to Edward, who remains staring ahead of him. I wait for him to start talking, but he doesn't and we sit side by side in silence for a while. It's me who eventually breaks the silence.
"I was going to wait until you told me what's going on, but seeing as one of us needs her sleep, I'm just going to go ahead and ask. What's bothering you?" I ask him quietly, trying not to disturb our peaceful surroundings.
"I was going over past and recent events in my mind." He replies.
"Anything in specific?"
"Yes. I was recalling how everyone in this family has found their mate." He pauses for a few seconds. "Did you know that when Carlisle turned Rosalie, he hoped that I would find my mate in her?" He chuckles humourlessly. "How well that worked out." He falls silent again.
I think I know what's bothering Edward. All of the people that he considers his family, have found their significant others. They have found what makes them whole and happy. Now he is left as the only one in this family who goes through his existence alone.
"I have never found jealousy a flattering emotion, but it is one that has kept me company for the largest part of these past two weeks." I don't interrupt him and just let him say what he needs to get off his chest. "I just can't help but to feel jealous when I look at Alice and see how happy she is now. I have grown used to the others being this way and hearing their thoughts, but it has been hard adjusting to the change in Alice. She has always been the most positive and happy one of us, it's just who she is, but there was always something missing in her. Until you came along and filled that one little part of her that was still empty. Which has made me envy her." He sounds upset with himself as he confesses this to me. But I can't be upset with him as well, I understand where he is coming from.
"I'm sure that you will find your mate as well Edward." I tell him. "One day, you'll meet her and you will experience something that you never have experienced before. You will see her face and know that she is what you have been looking for all along. I promise you that you will find her Edward, whoever she is. There is someone out there for all of us, it's just a matter of time before you find her."
"And time I just happen to have, all the time in the world." His voice sounds lighter to me.
He stands upright and extends his hand to me. I take it and he helps me up. "Thank you, Bella, for listening to me." He manages to direct a small smile at me.
I squeeze his hand before I let go of it. I let my mental wall down for a moment, to show Edward I'm being sincere. I will always be here if you need someone to talk to, or if you want some company.
He chuckles at this. "You'd better clear that with Alice first, I don't want her to get angry with me for stealing her time with you."
Having said that, he flashes back into the house and after a minute or so I hear a beautiful melody coming from the piano.
I jump down from the boulder and after checking to see of no one is around, I strip down to my underwear. The change into my wolf form is complete in a split second and I take off into the forest. I have no particular direction in mind for now and I wander aimlessly, until a familiar smelling scent catches my attention. I follow it deeper into the forest and the smell keeps intensifying. After a few minutes I reach a river and the scent is most powerful on the other side of the river. I'm preparing to jump to the other side when I hear movement behind me.
Jasper and James come to a stop next to me.
"I don't know if it would be wise to cross. This is the border we share with the Quileutes. They are not supposed to come onto our land and we're not suppose to go onto theirs." Jasper tells me. Of course I already know about this, but I had failed to remember it.
I nod my head at Jasper to show that I understand. Then I hear the sound of paws thundering against the earth of the forest on the other side of the river. I turn back to look at Jasper.
"I think it's best if we leave now, the wolves tend to get a bit anxious when we're too close to the border."
I nod at him again and take off into the direction where I initially came from. I can't hear or smell Jasper or James near me, so I'm assuming they went another way. I wander through the forest for a little while more and eventually head home. I shift back into my human self again in my own backyard and get my spare key out from under the flowerpot.
I head up to bathroom and take a long and relaxing shower. On the way back down to the kitchen, I stop at the door of the room that still has no purpose. I open the door and glance inside the room for a minute. Then I close the door again and make my way downstairs.
I open one of my kitchen drawers and dig around in it until I find what I'm looking for. I pick up the phone and start dialling the number on the business card that I'm holding. After a few seconds, someone answers.
"Esme Cullen speaking."
"Hi Esme, it's Bella."
"Oh hello dear, what can I help you with?" Esme asks surprised.
"Before I can tell you anything, I need to know if Alice is still busy searching the future." If not, my whole plan will be ruined.
"Yes, Alice is still busy with that for the time being."
"Good," I say in a satisfied tone, "that means she is too distracted to see this coming."
My phone call with Esme had lasted for about half an hour. We talked about what I want to do with the extra room I have in the house. Esme was thrilled to hear about my plan and was eager to help me out. We are going to start working on the room this Friday, but we have to make sure that we keep this a secret from Alice. The room is going to be a surprise for her. Fortunately for Esme and me, Carlisle wants Alice to have a future searching session every night. That gives us the time to complete our little project without Alice even knowing what's going on.
I'm lying in my bed and I am about to drift off into sleep, when I hear my window open. I don't need to look to know who it is, because the soft autumn breeze carries Alice's scent over to me. She steps into my room and softly closes the window before she walks over to my bed. I scoot to the side a bit to make more room for her and hold the sheets up invitingly. Alice kicks of her shoes before she joins me beneath the sheets.
She immediately drapes one of her arms over my waist and uses the other one to prop her head up. I prop mine up as well so I can be eye to eye with her.
"Hi." Alice tells me softly and she leans in to give me a light peck on my cheek. I shift my head so that she kisses me on my mouth instead. Alice giggles at my action.
"I didn't know if you would mind me coming over this late, but I can see that you don't."
"Of course I don't mind. You can always come over, it doesn't matter what time it is. I like being near you."
"That's good," Alice plants another light kiss on my mouth, "because I can't stand being away from you for too long. Besides that, I really needed to get out of the house tonight. Edward fled the house as well."
I lift one of my eyebrows up. "Why, what's going on at your house?"
"Well, unlike you," I can see Alice smirk at me in the dark, "Rosalie and Emmett decided to wait before they got it on after Jasper's minor loss of control this evening."
I try to control my blush but I fail miserably. I try to focus on what Alice just told me. "Well, I can see why you and Edward felt the need to flee from the house then." I know that Rosalie and Emmett both aren't shy, so I'm guessing that they don't care whether the whole family hears what they are up to.
"Wait… What about Jasper? Doesn't he feel their emotions as well when they are, you know, having sex?" I blush at the word. "If I where him I would have been the first one to leave the house."
Alice giggles at my awkwardness. "I don't think Jasper is bothered by that right now. When he and James returned from hunting they both went upstairs and I'm pretty sure they're not having a conversation right now."
My eyes widen in surprise and in shock at Alice's words and I can feel my cheeks heat up even more than before and I bury my face in my pillow, trying to clear my head of the mildly disturbing images that are currently floating around in it. Alice full on laughs at me this time.
After my mind is a safe place again I look up to find Alice regarding me, an amused smile still on her features.
"I can't understand how Carlisle and Esme deal with this. I mean, eventhough they are not biological parents, they still see you as their children." If it were my parents, they would go mad I reckon.
"Bella, what do you think Carlisle and Esme are doing right now?" Her smile intensifies at my expression, which I imagine is pure horror. "Oh come on Bella, we're all adults and we all have needs. Carlisle and Esme are the same as any one of us and they act the same way as every one of us. Only with a bit more discretion I might add."
This is like being told that your parents are still having sex. I know that it's one of the most natural things in the world, but it still seems so wrong to me. They are my parents and as far as I know they only had sex once. That was when they conceived me.
"Is it possible that we talk about something else? Because I feel like I'm going to vomit if we keep talking about this." I might be overreacting a bit here, but this is seriously making me feel nauseous.
"I think I know of a good way to distract you." Alice says suggestively.
Before I even have the time to react, she has me pinned down on the bed with my arms secured above my head. I look her in the eyes and notice that they are darkening rapidly.
"I believe we still have to finish something that you started this evening."
And then she dips her head down and plants her lips firmly on my own. It takes me only a split second to recover from my initial surprise, before I'm responding to Alice's actions in kind. We share a heated and passionate kiss and I can hear myself moan into Alice's mouth as our tongues make contact for the first time. A battle for dominance ensues that Alice eventually wins.
She lets go of my wrists with one of hands and cups my cheek, before she trails her hand down the side of my throat and places it on my collar bone. I try to free one of my own hands from her iron grip, but to no avail. Alice is in complete control of me and I can't say that I don't like it.
She breaks of our kiss, only to move onto my throat. She finds my pulse point quickly and begins alternating between kissing it and sucking on it. I just lie there helpless, breathing erratically and lost in the sensations that Alice is creating.
I try to free my hands again so I can touch Alice, but the grip she has on my wrists doesn't relent. I don't give up however and I feel something stir inside of me. I use my full strength to free my hands and I manage to succeed. I burry one in her hair, running it through her soft locks. The other finds it's way to the small of her back, where I start rubbing circles with it. Alice positions her now free on my hip, while I can feel the one on my collarbone slowly creeping downwards, towards the swell of my breasts. When it reaches it's destination, something inside me snaps and I let out a growl.
I quickly flip us over so that Alice is the one who is lying on her back. I connect my mouth with hers and my hands start touching every part of her they can reach. I put one inside her shirt and caress the smooth plane of her stomach, before I start inching it upward. When I reach her breast, I cup one in my hand and Alice gasps at the action. She arches upward and her head falls back slightly, presenting her throat to me. I latch onto it immediately and repeat Alice's earlier actions on herself. She moans in appreciation and I begin lightly squeezing her breast.
I reach around and put my fingers on the clasp of her bra, but I seize my actions at Alice's words.
"Bella, I think we should stop." She manages to force out in a slightly steady voice.
I lift my head from her throat to see if she's serious, and by the look in her eyes I can see that she is. I slowly ease my hand out from under her shirt and place it on her hip.
"Did I do something wrong?" I question Alice, immediately worried.
"No, absolutely not." Alice smiles at me lovingly. "In fact, you were doing everything right."
My worry dissipates and now I'm just confused. "Why did you tell me to stop then?"
"Because I think we have tested your self control enough for one night. I don't want us to do something we will both regret afterwards." Alice gently caresses my cheek.
She's right. I was in control for the most part just now, but I'm pretty sure that I can't handle it going much further than this yet.
"You're right. Doesn't mean I like it though. I was rather enjoying myself." Even thinking about what we just did makes me want more now.
"I don't think I have to tell you that I was enjoying it as well." Alice giggles. "I thought my moans were evidence enough."
"Yeah, you were being quite load. Thank God this is a detached house, otherwise I'm sure you would have woken up the neighbours." I say teasingly.
Alice swats me on my arm in response. "Hey! I wasn't that loud. And as I remember it, you were making appreciative sounds as well." She huffs.
I blush as I recall my own moans and my growl. "I guess I was yeah."
I roll off of Alice and lie on my side. She mimics my action so that she is facing me. She caresses my cheek again. I lean into her touch and close my eyes, enjoying her touch.
"So, what have you got planned for us tomorrow?" I ask her quietly while I keep my eyes closed.
"That, my dear Bella, is a surprise." She says mischievously.
"You know that I can just turn on Edward's gift and see for myself don't you?" I tell her.
"Yes, but you wouldn't do that." She sounds sure about that.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because I want to surprise you and you will let me do just that because you love me."
I open my eyes to mock glare "Hey! That's not fair, pulling out the love-card." I tell her accusingly.
"I never said that I would play fair Bella." She chuckles. "That said, I think you should get some sleep. You're going to need your energy tomorrow."
"Fine." I grumble and turn my back to her. She puts one of her arms around my waist and the one under my neck, curling herself around my neck.
"Sleep well, Bella."
I mumble an incoherent reply to her as I drift off to sleep.
So what do you think about Jasper finding his mate in James? Personally, I always thought he was a bit gay after seeing him portrayed by Jackson Rathbone in the films. Especially in the third film, with the curly hair and such. And having him mate with James gives the Cullens more reason to stand against the Volturi.