CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Jonathan moved stealthily towards the house, where there was only one light on in the living room and he smiled back at me. I gave him a very shaky smile in return, my mind still working ten to the dozen as to how on earth I was going to get out of this.
"If you don't hunt tonight Bella, you will be a very hungry little girl," murmured Jonathan and I nodded, uncomfortably. He patted me on my bottom and then pushed the small of my back to make me move towards the house. We entered silently through the back door which they had foolishly left open and suddenly found ourselves inside the living room. They were cuddling on the sofa, a couple in their early thirties. The woman's cascade of black hair flowed over her husband's shoulder, as she looked up at him through adoring chocolate brown eyes. He leaned towards her and kissed her lips tenderly, speaking to her quietly in a language I didn't recognise.
"Urdu," murmured Jonathan, so quietly the couple wouldn't have heard him. I could have watched them all night; their tenderness was so beautiful. Thoughts of Edward clamoured in my mind and I had to push them away or risk falling into the gaping chasm of misery that came with the loss of his contact.
The man leapt to his feet when he saw us, shouting in Urdu. The woman sprang away from him, watching us through nervous eyes. I could hear their heart rates pounding fearfully; I could see from their expressions that they knew we were not human. Jonathan started to speak to the couple and I knew he was speaking the same language the man had used. But then the woman spoke, softly in English.
"Please, please don't hurt us," she begged and I watched as her hand moved to her stomach; my eyes widening. She was pregnant. And suddenly I knew I had to get them both out of here, safely before Jonathan could hurt them. He seemed unfazed by her plea, his attention still on the husband who was trying to cross the room to his wife.
"Jonathan," I murmured, my eyes finding his briefly. "Please."
Jonathan glared at me, obviously angered by my apparent defiance, but I crossed the room swiftly, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking up at him imploringly.
"She is pregnant," I said. Jonathan shrugged, his gaze becoming cold, as he tried to detangle himself from me.
"What is it to me? One less human polluting the world?"
"Please. I will do anything you want, only please, not them... please..." My voice cracked and he suddenly seemed to tower over me, his face becoming ugly with rage.
"You do as I say; you do not ever defy me, especially in front of humans!" he said, his voice filling my ears at such volume I winced. But in the time it took him to berate me, the humans had fled the house, out into the night. I grabbed at his arm when he went to follow them, but he shook me off with ease, looking down at me, furiously. "Marvellous, just marvellous!" he muttered and then disappeared in a blur out into the night. I went to follow him, frightened of what he would do when he found the couple, but then my eyes found a mobile phone left on the table. Grabbing it, I switched it off and then tucked it into the inside pocket of the padded jacket Jonathan had given me to wear and rushed out into the night after him.
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Back at the house, Jonathan was pacing up and down, while I stood before him, my head bowed; a picture of contrition. I knew my only hope was to appear as if I felt very guilty for defying him, though I did not. The couple had fled in their car, driving away at speed onto a busy motorway and he could not follow them without being seen. And he was absolutely furious about it; so furious that for now he could not even speak. My apologies had met with such a cold glare that I had fallen into silence, watching him warily.
"Jonathan..."
He held up a hand and I fell silent, watching as he stopped, leaning against the top of one of his chairs. His eyes were the darkest I had ever seen them and I was frightened of what he might do to me; though my fear was tempered with relief that the young couple had escaped.
"Do you want me to go to the room?" I asked, nervously. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully and then he barked out a laugh.
"Not much of a punishment if you request it is it, darling?" he snapped. My face whitened a little and he sighed, running a hand over his short dark hair before crossing the room and grabbing my arm. "Though perhaps a few hours to think about what you have done might do you good. And I might be tempted to give you a bloody good hiding if I have to keep looking at you!"
I hadn't even considered that he might physically hurt me and I trembled as he dragged me to the room and pushed me inside. But I didn't attempt to escape, as he slammed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the darkness. I waited for a moment, my heart thudding in my ears and then took the phone from my pocket. Checking that it was on silent when I switched it on, I quickly found the text message service and hastily typed a message to Edward.
I am in England. Jonathan's house. I love you. B
I typed in Edward's number and sent it, chewing on my nails fearfully until it registered that it had gone. Seconds later, the phone flashed.
Bella, I am coming for you. Do not do anything to anger him. I will find you. Stay strong; I love you.
Relieved, I switched the phone off, tucking it into my pocket, but then realised I was in complete darkness. Lowering myself slowly to the floor, I sat down, tucking my knees up to my chest, waiting for Jonathan to calm down enough to release me. I prayed fervently that Edward would hurry to my rescue; I could not feed on humans and the longer I stayed the less easy it would be to go against Jonathan's wishes. I knew that if I was starved enough any blood would satisfy the craving, whatever my morals might be. And I had no wish to become a human bloodsucker.
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I had no idea how long I had been imprisoned for, but when the door opened, Jonathan looked a lot more relaxed and I knew he had been out to hunt. Thankfully he made no mention of me needing to hunt and so I was able to simply try to placate him with a show of subservience that would appeal to his Volturi ego.
"Have you thought about your behaviour?" he asked, sternly, when he opened the door.
"Yes, sir," I replied, quietly, keeping my head bowed. Jonathan tilted my face so that my eyes met his.
"Don't call me sir, Bella. I know that your Cullen boy liked to be called sir, but I do not. I am Jonathan; I need no titles to make me feel like I am in charge; simply because I am in charge!"
"Yes, Jonathan," I replied, in the same tone of voice. I risked looking at him through my lashes and was relieved to see that he was smiling. He led me away from the room, pausing to close and lock the door before taking me back into the living area.
"Ah what to do with you, my sweet little human lover," he said, caressing my cheek.
"I'm so sorry about before, Jonathan," I lied. "I didn't mean to defy you, but when I saw that she was pregnant..." I broke off as his gaze momentarily darkened but then he smiled.
"You are soft, Bella," he said. "But the Cullens have made you that way. I think that we can break this curse of Elizabeth's by making you strong as a vampire should be. And when it is broken, you will be powerful and you will no longer care two hoots for a pair of humans. Humans are prey, darling; little better than the animals you will feed from."
"Would you really have...?" I broke off, unsure how to continue and I flushed. He tipped my face towards him, meeting my eyes.
"Really have what?"
"Given me a..." My face was burning now with a combination of embarrassment and fear. Jonathan laughed.
"A good hiding?" he said, with a broad smile. "I might have, but I would probably have enjoyed it far too much to stay angry enough to punish you properly."
I grimaced at his words and he laughed all the more, shaking his head.
"You might have enjoyed it yourself," he suggested and I shook my head, vehemently.
"Definitely not," I said, firmly. Jonathan chuckled and then turned my face towards him, his cold hand cooling the flush on my face.
"Ah, you are tempting me, darling. I almost want to smack you now to see how you might react."
"Jonathan," I protested and he smiled, pulling me close for a brief embrace.
"Ok, no hidings, for now," he promised, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. We sat in silence for a moment, with him stroking my hair gently; the antithesis of what he had been in the home of that young couple.
"Bella, I am going to say this just once more though," he said, suddenly. "Don't ever defy me again. I have not been that angry in a very long time and I cannot account for my own actions should you behave like that in the future."
I bit my lip, nervously and nodded, not wanting his mood to darken again.
He seemed pleased when I voluntarily leaned in for a kiss and even more so when I gently turned him so that I could massage his shoulders and his neck, easing the tension I could feel from him. I even forced myself to run light kisses along his throat, knowing that for a vampire this was a very sensitive area. He gasped at my touch and then suddenly pulled me over to him, sitting me on his lap and kissing me deeply.
I couldn't help myself; I kissed him back with an equal measure of passion and suddenly he was lifting my sweater from my body and I was lifting my arms to accommodate him. Once I was bare, he cradled my breasts in his hands, swirling his thumb against my nipples, as I gasped and moaned softly. His lips found the hollow on my throat and he kissed me there, suckling gently. I felt his touch at my core and ached to feel him inside of me. As if sensing my thoughts, he suddenly lifted me from the sofa and carried me up the stairs to the bedroom, my legs wrapped round his waist. Jonathan didn't break the kiss at all until he dumped me on the bed and then crawled up my body. How anyone could remove their clothes so fast was beyond me. I closed my eyes and my traitorous body revelled in his skilful touch. I ran my fingers over his chest, round his back, down to his buttocks and then guided him inside of me. As he thrust into me, my eyes closed and I cried out in pleasure.
"Edward!" I gasped, as I came.