Chapter 25: Heightened Senses
CAUTION: Rated M for violence and sadistic themes in the first part of the chapter. Wicked humour and lemons come after this.
I'm far too loquacious of late. So, you get more story. Again. We're now on, what? The fourth chappie of A/J? And there's one more, plus an outtake, to come? I guess A/J fans should be happy.
FYI, I wrote 32 pages Sunday on my last day off. Aren't you impressed with me? Review.
If you're a Twi-Guy, beware. Women? You'll be laughin'. Trust me. You can see Pennington's Clamp on Wiki. Yeah, you know I am so writing this scene, Val. Stephibaby? Our Volturi intruder is creepy. And yes, my dear Boston, Bella needs discipline. Sorely.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Music can be found on my playlist, "I Hunger 2", at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight, beginning at # 56
Yes, I know the Marianas Trench is not Robsten's Song. But it does suit them so well. Their Song is on my youtube under favourites (Van Morrison). It didn't work for this chapter.
'Beside you', by Marianas Trench.
'Time', by David Bowie
'Another One Bites the Dust', by Queen
'Hurts So Good', by John Cougar Mellencamp
'We'll Make Love... Make Magic', by Kate Walsh
Definition: Mysophobia: The fear of contamination caused by dirt or germs.
Tour Ipanema at ipanema(dot)com
Lyrics from artists(dot)letssingit(dot)com
When your tears are spent on your last pretense And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defence
When it's in your spine like you've walked for miles And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you I'll be right beside you
When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath When the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless
When you try to speak but you make no sound And the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you I'll be right beside you I will stay
Nobody will break you Trust in me, trust in me Don't pull away Trust in me, trust in me I'm just trying to keep this together
Cause I could do worse and you could do better
Tears are spent on your last pretence And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defence
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you Nobody will break you
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you Nobody will break you
Monday, August 21st, Approaching 3 am
Edward's pov:
"Well, well. Look who we have here," he crooned, his thoughts filthy. "How charming to see you, young Edward. Bella. We received the wedding announcement. So kind of you to have sent it." His filmy, burgundy eyes narrowed, and he licked his salacious, dry lips thirstily. He was too pretty. Girly. Bizarrely youthful-looking for his advanced age, and dressed like a runway model. And he'd brought his own cheering committee: Demetri and Felix.
"Caius," I acknowledged gruffly, tucking Bella farther behind me with one arm. She peeped out from under it timidly. The most wicked of the Volturi leaders laughed again, obviously enjoying her fear. I hesitated to ask him why he was in Rio. Alice said not to initiate any conversation. I waited, quietly, feeling Jasper's calming influence steal over me.
"Well, well, well, young Edward. We find you strong, and obviously in a better emotional state than when we last met. Are you not glad we did not grant your request?" Caius leered repulsively. Should have taken him down when we had the chance. This one is powerful. A threat. Aro is a fool.
It had been Caius who pressed the hardest to do me and Bella in, once her existence was discovered. Aro was too interested in novelty to destroy us, and Marcus had been too attached to his poor murdered mate to ever wish any harm to mine. No, Caius was the depraved one. The one I feared.
"It is true, Caius, that I am glad to be alive. You find me, and my mate, under much happier circumstances than when we last saw you. You, and Aro and Marcus, received our wedding announcement?"
"Indeed. And it was not my intention to check up on you when I came on this trip. Quite the fortuitous accident. Aro will be ... gratified to hear that Bella is a vampire. So beautiful. She still has something of the ingenue about her. How I'd like to hold her hair and whip her until it passes right through her flesh into the bench beneath. "When did you turn her?"
I squeezed Bella's hand, warning her to keep silent. "In the spring. Soon after we got home from Italy." Oh, shit! Jane, Demetri, and Felix had seen Bella after we fought Victoria's newborns. "The weekend that I killed Victoria, I turned Bella. No-one threatens my mate."
"She is amazingly well-controlled for such a youngster. Tell me, young one, are you not tempted by this plentiful food?" Strange and unnatural like him, I expect. Pity.
Bella cleared her throat. "No, sir."
"Nice manners will take you far, young one." Perhaps to my bed. I'll make her scream like a gutted pig.
I did not growl at him. He was trying to provoke me. Even with Jasper fighting, it would not be an even match. Demetri and Felix: two experienced killers versus Jasper. They would take him together, and Alice and I would be trying to keep Caius off of Bella. He would kill her in the blink of an eye.
It was too great a risk. I stared at Caius, impassively, taking comfort in the breath and heartbeat of my mate, even if both were a little uneven. I did not think Caius would notice her heartbeat. The hall was full of humans and he was not attuned to her as was I. I stayed calm. Bella was counting on me, as were my siblings and every human in this dance hall. If I fought and lost, everyone would go down. In blood and fire.
"Your red eyes are most becoming, Bella," Caius crooned. He reached out and touched Bella's hair. 'Bellissima..." he hissed. I bit my tongue to keep silent, tasting venom, and felt my mate turn her face into my side.
In the name of all that was holy, I would wipe this lascivious bastard off the face of the earth at the soonest possible moment. Which was not now, with Demetri and Felix standing behind him, guffawing at his comments like a bloody damn laugh track. Goons. They bore me no personal malice. I wondered if they did any thinking for themselves. Surely, they were intelligent. They were high up in the Guard.
"How are your brothers?" Jasper drawled. "I am sure Carlisle would like news of them." Edward, it's too even a fight. If it goes down, get Bella out. Tell her to hide at the cottage. Tell her to swim there, to lose the scent trail. Then come back to fight with us. If it starts, though, I don't know how we're going to save the humans.
Caius waved his hand dismissively. "Same as always," he said, as though bored. Shame you brought your friends, mind reader. I would take everyone here slowly, breaking their bones and crushing their skulls. Then, I would rape your mate and kill her in front of you.
Venom pooled in my mouth, and I swallowed it a second time.
"And your wife?" Alice asked, a trifle sternly. She did not like the way Caius had touched Bella. I warned her with my eyes. Caius was a madman, not to be trifled with. Psychotic. He was imagining himself removing layers of Bella's skin from her thighs as she screamed, tied naked to the huge marble columns set in the floor at Volterra. Apparently, Caius had done it before. My innards squirmed.
"My wife is the same as ever. So dull. She is competing for a bad spouse award with Dona Carlota Joaquina, I promise you. And why anybody thought to turn that woman is beyond me. If it were not for the fact that Athenodora is Aro's sister, I would have long since pulled a Henry VIII." Then I can search for a more like-minded partner. Or not. "You know, he was an intelligent man. Shame nobody transformed him. That would have been wonderful fun. We did so enjoy his exploits."
"I'm sure," Jasper agreed dishonestly. Now I see what you meant about corrupt, Edward. How does Aro put up with this weirdo? I don't like the feelings he's giving off. He's not right in the head. "Dona Carlota Joaquina is alive? I would love to ask her about her life. I'm very interested in history."
"Why you would want to meet that witch is beyond me. She never submitted to her husband. There's nothing else important about her." Caius waved his hand dismissively. I bet this slip of a girl doesn't submit to her husband, either.
Caius fixed his oily gaze on Bella again, and she met his eyes, revolted. He was really starting to get on my nerves. "What brings you to Rio?" I asked, tight-lipped.
"There's a human here who has caught Aro's attention. Some, erm, passing fascination with his music. Aro wants him for his entertainment." I saw fantasies play out in Caius' twisted brain. Scenes of domination and abuse. A fifteen year old boy. Sickening.
"While I am here, I shall indulge some fascinations of my own." I could, unfortunately, read his mind. He was thinking about the last bunch of humans he had played with. Cat and mice. No contest. Fucking incubus of the worst order.
Alice: a vision. Caius' fantasy, turning into a plan? Raphael, trying to defend us and dying for it. All my humans crushed and dying. And Bella. My daughter. And the Hales. I must not let it happen. But how to proceed? Why wouldn't Jasper think some tactics in my direction, for pete's sake?! He was the one with all the battle experience.
"Caius, you simply cannot do what you are planning," Alice hissed. "If you try, you will fail, and a man will escape and tell the whole world about us. Aro and Marcus will have every vampire on the planet hunt you down and kill you.
"He'll have to find out it was me, first," Caius drawled, lazily.
"He already knows," Alice claimed, looking solemn.
"How could he? He does not bother me when I indulge my ... passions," Caius cackled again. Oh, no. Raphael's attention was caught.
It was starting. Caius was planning his first move.
"Aro knows, and he's angry," Alice insisted.
"I doubt it," Caius sneered.
My sister held up her open cell phone. "When we visited your castle, Aro asked me to be a Guard. He gave me the phone number where he could be reached. He's listening. Right now."
Did I have a great sister or what? I hid my feeling of triumph carefully.
"Give me the telephone," Caius barked.
"Yes, sir." Alice passed over her phone.
"Aro. Yes, it's Caius... Yes, brother. If you insist." Caius' infuriated eyes met my cool ones. Round One to the Cullens. Caius passed me the phone. I took it while he consulted with his cheerleaders, trying to save face.
"Hello, Aro," I said, eyeing Caius mistrustfully.
"Young Edward. How pleasant to hear your voice. How is dear Isabella?" Aro gushed.
"Lovely. Her transformation went extremely smoothly, and I am incredibly happy. Except your brother-in-law is threatening us right now. He wants to rape my mate." Bella gasped, and growled under her breath at Caius. My little lioness.
"That will not be permitted, Edward. I have ordered Caius to come home. His little foray into the world is done."
"I am glad to hear it, sir. He is contemplating atrocities against the local humans that would be very ... noticeable." Caius bared his teeth at me. Demetri and Felix exchanged a worried glance.
"Thank you, young Edward. It will be dealt with. I wish you joy in your mate. Joy such as Sulpicia has afforded me."
"Thank you, sir. You are most kind."
"Put Caius back on, would you my dear boy?"
"With pleasure, sir. I wish you a good day." In the name of all that's holy. Was I having a pleasant conversation with a Volturi leader? I passed the phone back over to Caius.
"Yes, brother? I will. No, I will not harm any of them... you want me to what? But I'm so thirsty. Very well. Do you not want your guitar player? Alright."
Caius shut the phone extremely gently, whilst contemplating crushing it to dust. Instead, he handed it back to Alice. Foiled by this beautiful boy again. I shall have him, someday.
Caius looked hatefully at all my family members in turn. Then, he stepped toe-to-toe with me. I continued to watch him coolly, not responding. "Until we meet again, Edward Masen-Cullen. Next time, you had better hope your sister is there to defend you, because if she is not, I fear you will come to a ... sticky end."
I smiled, my face devoid of humour. "Kindly give my father's regards to your estimable brothers when you see them," I told him. Caius' eyes burned. He turned from me to Bella, who met his eyes steadily.
"Such a pity," he crooned. "I'd have liked to have ... tasted you." He put his hand out to touch my diamond in Bella's navel. I pushed her further behind me, firmly.
Fuck. He touched the Bonita and Eduardo didn't hit him. He must be really bad. "Excuse me? Is there a problem here?" Raphael asked in heavily accented English, coming up between Caius and me.
"Another of your pets?" Caius asked, smirking.
"No. I don't know him," I claimed coldly, ignoring Raphael completely. Thank God he had enough English to understand my intent. Wisely, he stayed silent and excused himself, claiming a mistake. Unfortunately, his family and friends were beginning to congregate in the corner of the room, their expressions anxious. God, help me to contain this. Keep them from interfering or they'll be marked for death.
"Ido not believe you," Caius stated, watching my innocent humans prepare to defend me. Well, if I'd been a fool to expose them to my world, it was too late to cry over it. They were my family now, and I would see they were safe. The only way to do that was to stay involved in their lives. I knew that from hard experience.
I had to show the Pereiras and Company that there was no cause for alarm. Slowly, I took Bella's hand and drew her out from behind my body, holding her at arm's length. Alice stood next to her, casually.
"Whether you believe me or not really does not matter," I shrugged. "I do not want you to massacre these humans, because they know nothing of our world. It would defy our law. I would appreciate it if you would hop on the next available plane and go back to your kingdom."
"You dare to order me, little boy?" Perhaps I should fuck him, too. Teach him submission. I wonder whether Demetri and Felix would like a piece ...
Little boy. I chuckled softly. That was rich. And the rest didn't bear dignifying with an answer. I looked at least two years older than he, and stood a foot taller. And this one was soft, from having others to do his dirty work for him. I bet he knew nothing about fighting vampires. I bet he'd never killed one that hadn't been fettered up or held down by one of his minions. If he tried anything, I calculated, I could finish him easily. As long as Demetri and Felix were not beside him.
Big question was, where did the loyalties of his bodyguards lie? If they could be trusted, I could encourage them to get him out of the country without bloodshed. But if they sided with him, there would be trouble.
"Demetri? Let me hear your thoughts. Aro wishes Caius to return to Volterra, immediately. May I rely upon you to assist him safely on his way?" I looked at the big vampire as though I were offering the most considerate treatment to Caius. Which, in a way, I had. I was delaying the likely-inevitable act of murdering him. He was getting a chance to live a little longer. Providing Aro put him on a leash. Well, we would see.
He's presenting this as a benefit to Caius to help me look like I'm not betraying him. That will make life easier. I don't like this royal incubus. He defies Aro and puts us all at risk. The Cullens are powerful. It is too even a fight, and it is without just cause. "I shall certainly assist him. I expect he will wish to rejoin his brother, as Aro desires."
I looked at Felix, who was attempting to prepare an answer of his own, should I decide to ask him. This royal idiot is going to get us all killed. I want to go home to the fortress.
So, I did not need to acknowledge either vampire's mental response. They would stand with Aro. Perhaps we could get out of this without Caius losing any more face.
"Perhaps you would care to accompany me to the airport?" Caius suggested. We'll have it out along the way. Who lets a female fight his battles? This one is a coward.
"I think not. I have my own agenda on this trip, and it will not be interrupted."
"Your agenda!" Caius scoffed. "Your love life, you mean." I will teach these two submission if it is the last thing I do.
Perhaps not.
"Your brother Aro is very fond of my Bella. He would not wish her to come to any harm. He is still not over the death of Didyme. I wonder if he and Marcus have any inkling of what happened to her?" I asked mildly.
"You dare to threaten me?" he snarled, eyes burning. Jasper amped up the serenity. It was working for me. I wondered what it was doing to Caius.
"I have no need. Aro will take care of you. As long as you leave the humans in my territory unmolested, and do not threaten my coven, I will let you live."
"You claim this territory, and talk like you have power, when you have none. You don't even have your own coven. I could take out all your precious humans right now," Caius sputtered.
"Your brothers would be displeased. I wonder how unhappy they would be if they were to know about your ... salacious activities. How you train your newborns. How you kill your prey, when you're off on your own. Somehow, I can't see it fitting in with Aro's concept of fair play."
"Aro is a fool. It shall be his undoing. He will not always be in charge," Caius stated. Idiot.
"Warn Aro," I counselled Demetri. "Tell him Caius wants to orchestrate a coup. Tell Aro that Caius killed his beloved sister, because she refused to have relations with him. Didyme truly loved Marcus. I've seen her pleading for mercy in Caius' memories. Tell them."
"I will show Aro," Demetri promised.
"Excellent. I accept your word. I'm claiming this territory for myself. No hunting within 300 miles."
"As you wish, sir." A sensible vampire, however odd his lifestyle. No more odd than Caius, I suppose. This male keeps his temper even when his mate is threatened. He has changed since he came to Volterra. Even if he cannot best me and Felix physically, he can take charge in a problematic situation. He will gain power. He will be fair with his followers, like Aro. Not like Caius.
"I appreciate your ... respect. Watch him. He will try to escape you."
"I shall contact Jane. She will accompany us home."
Jane. On the same continent as me. Yuck. "Where will you wait for her?"
"At our hotel." I mentally surveyed the hotel location and information. I would share it with Jasper later. We would have to check up on everyone involved in this little fracas during the next couple of days. Shouldn't be too taxing. Less taxing than holding Alice's damned piercing clamp, at any rate.
"I am sorry to have disturbed your evening, Mr Cullen," Demetri stated.
"I do not hold you at fault, Demetri. Please remove Caius from my property."
"Good night, Cullen family." Demetri and Felix bowed slightly to me. How strange.
"Goodbye, gentlemen," I nodded at the bodyguards. They took Caius from the gafieira, snarling.
"Alice?" I asked at vampire speed, unmoving. She answered me at the same rate.
"I think we're good. They are being honest. Hopefully, Caius won't come up with a bribe they'll accept to release him. But I See Jane coming, and dragging him home. Should be quite the show. She hates this part of the world."
"Will we have to see her?" I asked, repulsed.
"No. But she will phone and tell you the job is accomplished.
"Fair enough." I relaxed, and Bella threw her arms around my neck, trembling. "Hush, love. It's nothing to worry about. You know Aro. He won't kill his brother-in-law for the sake of loyalty, but he will make his existence a living hell for quite some time. Marcus, on the other hand, will probably torture him. And Athenodora. She will be fit to be tied."
"It's just like James and Victoria. We've made an enemy," Bella whispered nervously.
"He's not capable of killing me. He's soft and weak, and he doesn't have my advantages. He would kill me if he could, but he's too much of a coward to attempt it single-handed. He doesn't attack unless he has at least two goons to back him up."
"Mind you aren't arrogant," Jazz cautioned. "Take his threat seriously. Even small children can kill if they catch their victim unawares."
"I understand. Thank you, Jasper. Thank goodness Demetri and Felix prefer the leadership of Aro."
"Aro will be able to control Caius for now," Alice stated, zoning in. "But not forever. I See a conflict in the future. Possibly even a war."
"Well, I saw that coming when we were in Italy. The Volturi fear our family. We're too talented."
"They can't beat us. Bella will be too powerful." Alice smiled cheerfully.
My mate regarded me smugly. "I told you so. I was born for this life."
"Minx," I accused, bending slightly to kiss her. "Fine. I was wrong. So sue me." Bella laughed and the tension was broken. She looked at me affectionately, dragging her fingers through the scruff on my chin. I would have to shave tomorrow, I decided. Or at least tidy up my beard.
"Ah, I think it's time to get back to our honeymoon," I claimed, pulling my mate back to have another good look at her. She'd said she didn't want males fawning over her. Then, she buys a dress that's every guy's dream. One knot, and she'd be bare.
Hmm. Later. My old warhorse wanted information.
"What's the plan, Edward?" Jazz asked, still anxious.
"We'll stay here awhile tonight and make sure they don't come back to bother my humans," I stated. "My humans will have to maintain a distance from us once the vampires have left. We're going to have to check up on everyone for a couple of days. Can you two stay an extra night?"
"If we're not cramping your style," Jazz said.
"You aren't cramping my style. Caius is."
"But I think he's in check for a while. He'll need time to formulate a new plan," Alice stated.
"I agree. Provided they make it on the plane. Things will be fine once they're off the continent. For now."
"You think we'll have to fight them?" Bella blinked.
"If Caius gets off his leash, I reserve the right to expunge him from the planet. Sending him back to Aro gives him a shot at reforming, Bella. If he wastes it, I'm not going to allow him to abuse innocents."
"You would kill him," Jasper eyed me narrowly.
"If he loses Aro's protection, and maintains his sick lifestyle, yes. Si vis pacem, para bellum."
"Agreed," Jasper nodded respectfully. "Perpetuo vincit qui utitur clementia. A Deo et Rege."
"Volente Deo," I murmured.
"Huh?" Bella blinked. "Can you go back and say all that in English, please? I don't have enough Latin."
"Sorry, honey. 'If you want peace, be prepared for war'." I translated.
"He who shows clemency is the victor forever. From God and the King." Jazz continued.
"As God wills it," I finished. Not as Edward wills it. Although the two wills might be a little more lined up than I might have imagined a week or two ago. The monster in me would enjoy ripping the incubus to bits, whether it was wrong or not. I considered contingency plans.
Bella nodded and kissed me, and then we were surrounded by a small group of highly agitated Pereiras.
"Holy Mother, Eduardo! Who the hell is that mafioso?!" Raphael said, grabbing my bicep. I turned my eyes on him, forgetting in my preoccupation that they were steely cold as death. He recoiled. Eyes of an assassin. How do they turn so black, when they are usually so golden and friendly? I softened them, drawing him into a one-armed hug.
Fer slipped her arm around Bella, releasing Paulo's hand. I reached out to shake it, and he took it. Humans overcoming their instinctive revulsion always surprised me.
"Hi, Paulo."
He nodded at me, worried. Cristina and two of the cousins were also regarding me particularly closely.
"No fear, Raphael. I swear you will come to no harm from that man. The situation is serious, however. Fer? I need everyone to understand this at once. Please translate for me."
I addressed the group of twelve humans and my small clutch of vampires. "That psycho is someone from my past," I shrugged. Fer repeated my words after me, in Portuguese. "A past that I long since ran away from. He is a very nasty piece of work. I never expected to find him here. He rarely leaves Italy. I do not want any of you to leave this building for the next hour, until my family ensures that he has left the area. I have been forced to contact his brother, who will put him back on his leash.
"For the next two days, you will pretend you do not know me. You will deny any contact between us ever existed, and you will forget you ever saw that man. Stay away from this place. Make a mistake, and his people will not hesitate to kill any or all of you. When I have received confirmation that he is out of the country, I will give the all-clear.
"And no, I am not a mafioso. I'm not bad. I try to do good. I just happen to have retained the respect of a very powerful leader, thanks to family connections. These people are too powerful for me to bring down. However, I would prefer to have nothing to do with that world. I have influence there, but I live free of it by choice. There is no blood on my money.
"Once you leave the building, go home and go about your normal activities. I will be phoning Raphael and Fer to confirm you are all safe. Your safety is all that matters. If you don't wish to see me ever again, I will understand."
"But who will protect you, Eduardo? And the Bonita?" Raphael worried. I smacked him lightly on the shoulder, smiling.
"I can take care of myself, brother. And if I run into a situation where I can't, I'll ask for help. Meanwhile, stay out of the middle. It will all settle down, if that man's brother honours our agreements. I protect innocent human beings from scum like him. I've claimed this territory."
"Will you get the drugs out of Rio?" Cristina wondered. He protects people from the Italian mafia.
"I don't have that kind of power, Cristina. But some of the drug lords connected to that monster will be pulling up stakes, yes. Unfortunately, there are always more, willing to take their place. And I can't live here to supervise my territory. I have responsibilities at home."
"We can be your eyes and ears," Paulo offered.
"You will do nothing to endanger yourselves," I ordered. "If you hear rumours, you can let me know. That is always helpful. I will warn you that any action my family takes to clean up the city on my behalf will only be a drop in the bucket. I'm not God."
"When you say 'family', do you mean your actual family, or a mob 'family'?" One of the cousins wondered.
"You're Carlos, right? My actual family. Parents, siblings and cousins. We dissociate ourselves from criminals, but our family is old. Very old. I can name our relatives, going back nearly 450 years." I often talk to said relatives, actually. "Powerful people. European nobles. It's hard to avoid being related to some unsavoury characters."
The assorted Pereiras nodded in relief. Raphael answered for them, but the reactions were all the same. "We trust you Eduardo. You have done our family nothing but good. We will not desert you. You are family."
"Family," I repeated, holding out my hand. All the Pereiras shook it, as did Raphael's friends. Then, they shook the hands of Jasper, Alice and Bella. It was getting downright strange. They'd be asking to make blood oaths next. And that wasn't going to happen on my watch.
"Volente Deo. Alright. Bella? I want you to stay with the Pereiras while Alice, Jazz and I have a scout around. We'll be back in ten minutes, okay?"
"Yes, love. Are you sure it's going to be safe?"
"Alice?"
"Yes."
"Yes, Bella. We'll return shortly. Raphael?" I opened my wallet. "Take these Reals and order everyone some food, please."
"Okay, boss."
Jazz and Alice accompanied me outside. We sniffed around cautiously, and found no new traces of Caius' scent. I phoned the hotel Demetri showed me.
"Demetri? Cullen."
"Yes, Dom Cullen?"
Well, that was novel. "Any problems?"
"No, Dom Cullen."
"Excellent. Keep me informed."
"Yes, sir."
I snapped the phone closed and stowed it in my pocket. I expect I looked a little bemused.
"Well?" Jasper coaxed, curiously.
"Hmm? Oh, no problems. Apparently they have control of Caius for the time being."
"Then why are you looking and feeling so strange?" Jasper inquired.
Alice promptly doubled-up with amusement. The Pixie started laughing at me. "Oh, boy! Aren't you the guy who has avoided leadership of any kind for over 90 years?"
"Shut up."
"What?" Jasper insisted.
"They've made me a boss," I admitted, glad that it was dark and nobody could accuse me of blushing.
"I See you with a huge coven someday in the distant future, Edward. All vegetarians. A bigger family than ours," Alice chuckled. "And a fleet of humans and wolves to go with it."
"Impossible, Titch."
"Never bet against me, Dom Cullen," the Pixie crowed. "I've always said you'd be the Dom."
"You meant the other kind of Dom, though. Not a ... Don. I'll never leave Carlisle again, Alice. Never."
"No, you won't. But your father-son relationship will help you build your own family, not prevent you from doing it. Carlisle will still be your leader, and we'll all still be around."
I sighed, not sure whether to be happy or not about having leadership responsibilities thrust on me. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked at my feet. "How far away is this future?"
"The seeds are already planted. No pun intended. The first fruits will come soon after the baby is born."
"Birthday?" I smiled. Alice was reliving a memory of the future. A young girl of about fifteen, with Bella's eyes and my hair, singing and playing a guitar at First Beach for a circle of onlookers. Captivating.
"Later in November."
I nodded. My heart lifted. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, playing Daddy to a bunch of humans, vegetarian vampires and shape shifters. Although I couldn't imagine how this odd mix was going to come about.
My siblings and I sauntered back into the Estudantina. It was nearly dawn. We needed to leave.
Our party was the only one still in the hall.
From the manager's thoughts, I understood that Raphael had paid them to stay open for us. Our ten humans and Bella were sitting at tables, eating finger foods and drinking caipirinhas, the beverage made from distilled sugarcane alcohol that was so popular in Brazil. No molasses in it, unlike rum. Most people were drinking it on the rocks, with lemon, in squat, old-fashioned glasses.
Bella stood out as the only person not drinking alcohol. Fer was eyeing her suspiciously. Bella had tea. She was, however, picking at some fried shrimp and mandioca. When we came through the door, she hurried over and launched herself into my arms. I gave her a little swing, grinning. I played back Alice's memory in my head. Bella's eyes and my hair...
"I was so worried," my Minx said, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"It's only a pissing contest, love. Don't worry. I think it's over. At least for now."
"And what is the outcome?" Fer demanded.
"I won." I said simply, shrugging. She repeated my words, in Portuguese, to the group.
"What else is new?" Alice grumbled, rolling her eyes. The humans looked at her, astonished by her perceived rudeness.
"She's only teasing," I said, standing at the end of the tables. "I have been known to be insufferably arrogant upon occasion. My women folk keep me honest."
"What's the story?" Paulo asked. I like the way he treats women.
"I've been declared the Dom of this territory," I admitted reluctantly. Bella snorted. If she told them I was the Sub I would have to spank her in front of everyone. "Three hundred cubic miles. It's safe for the moment, they have the psycho in hand. Please go home at your convenience. Remember what I said. None of you know us, until I give the all clear."
"Won't you sit and eat with us, Dom Cullen?"
"You will call me Eduardo. Same as always. I can't eat now, Christina. Thank you. I want to get Bella home. She's exhausted."
She's pregnant. Fernanda thought. I know it.
Something else to worry about? Humans with a lot of intuition. Joy. I wished everyone a good morning, and escorted Bella outside.
"Hey, Eduardo. Let me drive you back to the Bay," Raphael offered, catching up with me.
"No, thanks, brother. Jasper rented a car," I lied. "It's parked a couple of streets away. You go and enjoy some food. We've given you enough trouble tonight."
"Jasper? Send your car back to the rental agency as soon as this business is settled. While you are here, I am your driver, okay? All of you?" Raphael searched our faces.
"Thanks, brother, but Alice and I are going home soon. A day or two, at most."
"Oh. The offer stands for you and the Bonita, Eduardo."
"Your trust and acceptance mean the world to me, Raphael. Thank you."
"De nada."
The sunrise was getting terrifyingly close. We had to move. "Bye, man. Don't hug me out here."
"Bye." Raphael went back inside. As soon as he was gone, the four of us flitted away so fast we would be all but invisible to the human eye.
The angels were with us. Alice stepped out of her shoes and Bella copied her. We passed no one as we streaked for the marina. Bella began to pant after ten minutes of running. I picked her up and carried her, desperation making me continue to fly beside my siblings. Fifteen minutes later, we reached our objective.
We boarded the runabout as the bright sun split the blackness open. Jazz lifted one of the Seadoos out of the water and sat it on the deck. I got a bungee and tethered it down while he retrieved the second one. I checked the hold for intruders, and then sent Bella and Alice below. Bella sank artfully into the shopping bags. Alice sat beside her, stroking her hair. My sister's purple skirt pooled around her on the floor. Within seconds, my mate was asleep. I hurried back up to the deck.
Jasper had loosed the mooring rope and was rolling down his sleeves. "You've got short sleeves. I'll drive. You go below. Have you got a hat and sunglasses?"
"Yeah. Here." I handed the items to my brother, who immediately put them on.
"It's gonna be close," Jasper warned. "I'm gonna take this baby out of the bay as fast as possible."
"Just don't get us detained," I warned. Yeah, explain sparkles to the local authorities.
"Right. Alice? Safe to go?" Jazz called down.
"Go, Jazzy. If you pass the gate in six minutes, there will be no patrols near us."
"Hells bells. Let's go before we're in the soup." I left my brother at the wheel, and went down into the hold. Carefully, I lifted Bella onto my lap. Minxy kitty. What a night...
"Never boring with you two, is it?" Alice teased.
"No. Bella keeps everyone on their toes."
"Bless her."
"Yeah. Everything still alright?"
"As far as I can tell. Nobody is following us. Soon as we're out of viewing distance, we'll be safe."
"They won't find the island?"
"No."
"Thank God. Man, I will be glad to get home."
"To Forks?" Alice frowned.
"No. To the island."
"Two weeks, Edward. It can only be 'home' that long. Then, you must see Renee and go home to Forks."
"I know, Alice. Why do you See us in the Amazon, though?"
"I don't know. Some piece of information is missing, yet. An unmade decision."
"Huh."
"I don't See anything scary, though, Edward. More like ... you're going to be getting some facts you need."
"Concerning?" I prompted.
"Bella, I think."
Jazz had us in the mouth of the Bay in exactly six minutes. He slowed momentarily, adjusting our course for the island, then accelerated madly. In no time at all, we were back in the cove, and Alice was commandeering us into carrying the shopping back to the house. I carried Bella in to bed first, naturally. She sighed as I undressed her.
Not the kind of sigh I'd been hoping for, I reflected. Or the kind of unwrapping. Still, that would keep. I could get her to wear it again for me before her belly rounded. I slipped her between the sheets and she did not so much as twitch. My diamond sparkled against her skin. How minxy was that?
I returned to the runabout, to help bring in and sort out the shopping. By the time we had everything inside, Bella was awake. Uh-oh. She was vomiting. I headed to the en suite, opened the door and walked in. Bella was sitting on the floor, wearing my navy blue t-shirt, with her cheek leaning on the toilet seat , puking her guts out. Yuck.
"Hey, sweetie? What's wrong? Did you get some bad food?" I asked solicitously.
"No. Bad dream." She tried to rise, shaky on her pins. I took hold of her wrists and walked her to the sink, helping her to wash her hands and face. I cleaned up the toilet and flushed it, returning to wash my hands as Bella wiped her face again with the freshly-rinsed cloth. After a few minutes, her high colour faded to a waxy yellow, and she reached for her toothbrush.
"Okay, love. Tell me about it."
"I'm frightened." Bella put away her toothbrush. I steered her out to the bedroom, taking baby steps.
"Talking about dreams doesn't make them real," I reminded her.
"Bella has had prescient dreams before," Alice stated, joining us on the bed. "Remember the wolf dream. Now, Bella, what did you See?"
"Our family and the wolves, fighting a huge army of vampires. The hybrid baby boy is sitting on a pile of bodies, including Charlie's and Sue's, Renee's, Phil's and Raphael's. Everyone alive is fighting viciously. The sky is on fire, projectiles are flying through the air, and there's a lot of screaming. Carlisle and Aro are trying to stop it, and Caius is laughing. Jane is laughing, too."
"Hush, love, you're safe. Alice, do you See anything like that?" I worried, rocking Bella as she lay listlessly in my arms. Oh, that might upset her stomach. I stopped and scratched her back instead.
"No. I See a fight, but we're going to win with no losses. I think it's your subconscious, Bella, worrying about what's going to happen. Everything is still going to be rosy, I promise. And your baby would not hurt humans. Your baby will not see them as a food source."
"But the Volturi would hurt them," she said.
"Not on my watch," I growled. "Never! Over my undead body."
Bella choked a laugh, encouraged. "They'll have to get through me first," she claimed.
"There's my Minxy kitty cat." I felt calm seep into me. Jasper was controlling Bella from outside my bedroom door. No way was he ever planning on setting foot in here. "No more fretting. Our baby needs you to rest. She's tired of getting jiggled around with dancing all night. Hence her objection to you keeping down your food."
"It's a boy, Edward. I always see a boy in my dreams."
"You're out to lunch, Minx. It's a girl, and she's just like you."
"Oh, brother! Here we go again," Alice whined, rolling her eyes.
"Ohhhh!" Bella yawned, stretching. Her boobs popped out from under the sheet.
"Don't you use any of the lingerie I packed you?" Alice lamented.
"Not for sleeping," Bella growled. I smothered a grin unsuccessfully.
"Stop looking like a five year old who has successfully raided the cookie jar," Alice growled.
"No," I grinned, enfolding my mate in my arms and snuggling down. "Mine. I didn't steal her, Alice. I won her, fair and square."
" 'Bout time you figured that out. I need more sleep." Bella folded herself up next to my chest.
I kicked off my shoes and made myself at home, smirking at my sister.
"Don't get too comfortable. We need to get Jazz's piercing done."
Bella and I both groaned. "I need Edward to help me get to sleep, Alice. You can have him later."
"Not too much later, Edward. Jazz has to be able to walk straight after, so he can help check up on Caius, and there might be a need for a little recovery time. Plus, you said we'd meet the dolphins today. If Bella sleeps all morning-"
"Okay, okay. Give me a little while, will you?" Bella was giggling in a hysterical fashion that I hadn't heard since our overnight in Seattle. If I wasn't so damn mortified I'd have joined her.
About half an hour later, Bella was snoozing and I was out of excuses. I slid out of the bed, sighing, and went to find my insane brother-in-law and his certifiable mate.
Who was I to judge their sanity? I was more worried about clamping my brother's dick than I was about a psychotic vampire with a grudge. Maybe it was because I didn't have any experience dealing with the first, and too much dealing with the second.
They were out in the yard, a plethora of equipment with them, lounging casually near
the trees. The sun was out in full force. A gorgeous day. High 70's, already.
"Alright, people. What's the plan?" I sighed, surrendering my free will. I looked at the equipment laid out before me and shuddered.
"Okay, okay!" Alice enthused. I squinted at her. She really was madder than a hatter. "All you have to do is hold on with the clamp, Edward, and I'll use the drill and we'll be done in two seconds."
"What kind of bit is it, Alice?" I asked, eyeing the powerful, industrial strength drill.
"Titanium. Eighth of an inch."
"Wrong." I stated, handing her an unopened package of hardware.
"What's this?" she blinked at me curiously.
"Diamond Carbide, 3/8ths of an inch. Designed to go through marble and concrete," I said gruffly.
"Ooh, Edward! You do care!" she wailed.
"Of course I care, idiot. That's my brother you're abusing. Show me the jewelry."
Alice pulled out three different barbells, of various lengths and gauges. "You want the 8 mm titanium." I advised. "That's better quality than the surgical steel, although that one is a little longer, and would accommodate any temporary swelling."
"Swelling?" Jasper asked weakly. "There could be swelling?"
I walked up and looked him in the eye, hands on my hips. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"
"How much swelling?" he asked dully.
"As much as half an inch, and I don't know how long it will last. I've never done this before, or heard of it being done to one of us. And humans say it's one of the two most painful piercings available, although that should be more brief in your case."
"Let's get her done," Jazz said bravely. Better man than me. Or more foolish, I dunno.
"Jazz? I'm a little concerned that you're going to attack me when Alice drills you," I admitted.
"That's all taken care of. We're restraining him." Alice held up a roll of duct tape.
Fuck. Me.
Alice blanked out and in again. "Jazz, honey? Promise me when this is done, that you will never again do any electrical work."
"Uh, Lis? I've never done any electrical work. Why would I start now?" Jazz wondered.
"Dunno. Just swear you won't."
"Uh, okay. I promise."
"Jazz, are you sure you want this?" I persisted.
"Yep. Hurry up, I'm getting nervous. He was looking a little pale. Compared to usual, that is.
"What clamp did you get?" I asked my sister, trying to be calm and professional and not add to Jasper's anxiety. Thank goodness he was not broadcasting it.
"Pennington's Forcep." She presented me with triangular forceps meant to hold skin while a needle passed through it. I had no idea if this was the proper tool, or not. I inspected it, checking the teeth would lock, and locking and unlocking it a couple of times until I was familiar with the mechanics of it.
"Uh, hmm. Okay. Truss him up. And don't stick the tape to the hair on his wrists, yeah? Fold it together and make a cuff, then wrap more tape around it. Use plenty of tape. I'll be back in a minute, okay? Get him ... ready."
I jogged down to the beach and looked at the rolling waves. "Hey, God? Edward Cullen again. Since I can't get out of doing this thing, will You please help me keep my hands steady? I am a big coward about this. I know. Serves me right for gambling. Well, just don't let me hurt my brother by not doing the job right, okay?" I blew out my breath and jogged back to my sibling and her mate.
His arms and legs were tied up, like some kid playing Cowboys and Indians. Oh, you couldn't call it that any more. Cowboys and Quileutes, then. Did they fight? Don't know. Playing 'wolves and Laurent'. That would do.
Yep, rambling. Nervous as hell. Anyhow, Jazz was sitting in a garden chair,with his pants unzipped, bound up legs stuck out, and a surgical cloth over his ... privates.
It would never do.
"What are you doing?" I asked, attempting not to pitch a fit.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked naively.
"You have no anaesthetic, and you're punching a hole through his most sensitive body part. He has to be on the ground. I'll have to hold him down. There's no way he's going to stay in that chair when you... you know. Get him down. I'll be right back."
I hurried into the kitchen and liberated Esme's cast iron fry-pan from the oven drawer. I gave it a quick polish in the sink, with antibacterial soap.
I bet Alice hadn't washed him, either. Better grab the hand sanitizer.
Items in hand, I returned to the torture arena. Jazz was now lying a little awkwardly on the ground. "What's that for?" he asked me quizzically.
"Got to have something solid under you to help stabilize your ... dick." I explained.
"Oh."
"Alice? Did you wash him?"
"Come on, Edward. We're vampires. We don't get infections."
"How do you know? Want to take a chance? Thirty percent of humans who do this get infections. And Bella's a hybrid. Hybrids mutate germs. Remember me? The pig flu morphed into the Spanish flu, you know, because pig DNA crossed the barrier to human. Result? Superbug. Life as I knew it ended. You ever wonder why I'm a mysophobe? One word: Influenza. Wash his dick, Alice. Thoroughly."
"Okay, okay. Don't get your knickers in a knot." Alice spent a few minutes carefully cleaning Jazz up, while I admired the bright blue sky.
"Done. Anything else?"
"Guess not," I said succinctly. "Last chance to back out, Jazz," I said, picking up the duct tape and tearing off a short piece with my teeth.
"Nope. Be gentle, Alice."
I slapped the duct tape over his mouth. His eyes went black with shock. "I don't want you to bite me," I said apologetically. I patted him on the head. "Be all done in a couple of seconds, okay? You're braver than me, man."
I retrieved the clamp and lay down across my brother's torso. I took the frying pan and turned it upside down. Here goes...
My brother was hard. I looked at Alice. One of those 'I can't believe this. Why are you doing this to me' looks.
He has to be hard. Otherwise, I won't know if the bit and the barbell are long enough.
I rolled my eyes. She was making a hard surface extra impenetrable. Way to go, Pixie. Thank God Bella wasn't into this shit. I opened the clamp. Only one problem: it wouldn't go around him. Not big enough. I mean, he was longer than me, uh, being taller, but as far as girth went, I think it was ... pretty obvious mine was ... thicker. Regardless, the clamp was inadequate to the job.
I moved the clamp around, trying to figure out if there was any angle that would work. I couldn't figure it out. I raised my eyebrows at Alice.
That's to hold back the foreskin. You have to hold his dick still with your hand.
I shook my head at her frantically, eyes bugging. What the hell did I know about retracting foreskins? I didn't have one. And I didn't remember losing it. So there. And holding a cock that didn't belong to me? In my hand? Ew. Please, no.
Jazz, being Jazz, picked up on my distress. The calm descended again.
You promised.
I held up the clamp and pointed at it as if to say, 'I promised you I'd hold the clamp, not touch his dick'.
Just do it. You're stressing him out, making him wait.
I rolled my eyes and wrapped the blue drape around Jazz's ... member. I would use the fabric like a potholder. Maybe Alice knew what the hell to do. "Pull back the foreskin, Alice."
She did, and I carefully took the clamp and locked it back. Hopefully, it wouldn't tear or bruise.
"Hey, Jazz, you want us to circumcise you while we're at it?" I asked.
"Nmm-mmph!!" he murmulled from behind the duct tape, shaking his head frantically.
"Okay. Calm down." I took my left hand and pushed Jazz's ... equipment firmly against the frying pan, which was braced on his legs, and gripped the clamp firmly in my right. Then, I leaned heavily against my brother's upper body. I nodded at Alice.
It was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I mean, I have seen a lot in a hundred and four years, but ... fuck me. I heard the drill roar to life, and the next thing I knew, Jazz's manhood was connected to Esme's fry-pan, via a 4 inch drill bit, like a bug on a pin. Alice had punched the drill bit right through the cast iron, and now he was ... impaled upon it.
The world went topsy-turvey as I watched Jasper's toes exit the top of his shoes. The clamp flew across the yard, imbedding itself in a tree. Jasper bucked, screaming. The scream was muffled when it started and then it turned clear. Oh, no! The next thing I knew, his teeth were imbedded in the back of my shoulder. Then, I was yelling too. But not like Jazz. Poor bastard.
Alice the Borgia calmly snapped off the drill bit and pulled it through, admiring the hole in the frying pan. She lowered her mouth to the hole in Jazz's dick, blowing cold air through to cool down the wound. It made a little sound like a penny whistle. Very funny. I wondered if that musical effect would last forever. Then, Alice calmly took the titanium barbell and pushed it through the venom-dripping hole in Jazz's glans, and screwed on the nut.
With difficulty I liberated myself from my brother's teeth, pressing my stinging, cut flesh back into place. Jazz writhed and bucked on the ground, screaming epithets at the top of his lungs. He sounded like an NC-17 rated Yosemite Sam. Fuck me, I never dreamed he knew so many swear words. Almost as many as Emmett, I marvelled, gawping at him as I rubbed at my shoulder. Who knew? He never used them in his thoughts. And he was cursing in front of Alice. Unheard of.
And here I was, trying to puzzle out what I should be feeling. Which was not aided by Jazz, emoting fear, lust, confusion, disbelief and fury all over the place. I was feeling all of those things, too, accompanied by my own amusement, mortification, relief and revulsion. Was it really possible to feel that many conflicting emotions all at once? I was pretty sure it had never happened to me before. Anxiety joined the barrage. God help me.
Bella came barrelling out of the house wearing our t-shirt, took one look at the three of us, yelped "Jesus help me!" and ran back inside, slamming the door. Now, I was jealous, proprietorial, and worried she might like the look of him better than me. Holy freakolies. I buried my head in my arms and rested them on my knees. My emotional world was spinning out of control. I concentrated on getting past the deluge.
After about five minutes, Jazz had exhausted his supply of dirty words. He lay on the ground, sobbing and whimpering. With a final cry for his momma, he grunted three times and sagged against the ground, spent. A lot of my feelings numbed out, and I found myself able to move.
My voice was as hoarse as though I had not used it in ten years. "You'd better show him the appropriate amount of appreciation, Alice. I'd say about 10 years of constant kow-towing should be sufficient recompense." I picked up Jazz's cock again, using the surgical drape to do so, and inspected the wound. It was almost totally healed around the barbell, although the pewter-tinged glans was terribly swollen and the foreskin had a nip out of it from the torn-off clamp. His own venom had cauterized everything.
"Alice? Come hold this skin together and drool a little venom on it, will you?" I asked weakly, amazed that my vocal cords still worked.
In a few more minutes, he'd be good as new. Perhaps just a little more ... musical.
In the name of all that was holy, I hoped my sister wouldn't be playing a tune when she gave him head. Sheesh. I think I've seen and heard everything now. Just wait 'til Emmett gets wind of this. Wind. Hah, hah.
Carlisle would be fascinated, I realized.
Why the hell did I feel so cheerful? Must be adrenaline. Or maybe it was Jazz, broadcasting his relief and pride of accomplishment. God, he was sick in the head.
Aiming a half-assed wave in the general direction of my now billing-and-cooing sister and brother-in-law, I headed into the house, stopping in the kitchen to scrub my hands raw with a piece of steel wool.
My shy mate had returned to the safety of the bedroom. "Well?" she demanded when I walked drunkenly through the door. I shut us in, leaning against it. Privacy. Silence. Heavenly.
Bella hugged her knees under the covers, her eyes alight with curiosity. I crawled up the bed, ignoring my mental picture of Alice and Jazz's current exploits, and dumped my head in her lap. Bella cradled it in her arms, laughing a little.
"I feel so gay," I moaned into her lap. Bella snorted. I chanced a look at her, and buried my nose between her tits to smother the giggles. A hysterical laugh busted out of me, and then, we were both howling.
Howling, even harder than we had in Seattle, when we had nearly gotten ourselves kicked out of a hotel. Busting a gut, 'til we were sobbing. After a while, I sat up and leaned on Bella's thighs, allowing her to support part of my weight.
"Alice blew in the hole to cool it, and Jasper's dick whistled," I giggled madly, my voice an octave too high. Bella shrieked and fell over. I did a backward somersault off onto the floor, ending up with my face pressed into the foot of the mattress, slapping my hand repeatedly onto it.
Making bearlike noises, I crawled back up onto the bed. Bella met me halfway, tears of laughter pouring down her cheeks. "What if he toots like a slide-whistle, now, every time she ... you know, bobs up and down?"
"That's what I was wondering," I shrieked. Our bodies shook as we hugged each other, trying to pick up the pieces and return to sanity. The jiggling did interesting things to the places where our bodies touched. I gulped, suddenly serious. The heat flared between our midsections, my eyes honed in on Bella's black ones.
"So, you're feeling gay, huh?" she growled.
"Yeah, pretty much so," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "Just call me the poster boy for embarrassment. I really, really do not ever want to do anything like that again, okay? Penile torture? Totally not my bag. Crap. I can't believe Alice talked me into touching a dick."
"So do you want me to prove to you that you're straight?" Bella said, grabbing the waistband of my dark blue chinos and reeling me in. Grr-wow.
"I, uh, might need a little convincing," I lied, a goofy grin twisting my lip up.
"You mean, you're not a little bent, Mr Cullen? I could use you as my Sub," Bella crooned, peeling my navy v-necked t-shirt over my head.
"Sub? That reminds me. I'm the Dom now, apparently, and I told you what was going to happen to you because you teased me with your lack of panties."
Bella's eyes smoked to black. "Oh, no. I think I ought to spank you. You just touched another person's private parts. Isn't that cheating?"
"Minx! You know I was not thrilled about that. I am a doctor. Doctors do that ... all the time. Yuck. Trust me, I won't be signing up to work with Carlisle anytime soon. Perhaps never. That's beside the point. You snorted when I said the Volturi Guards were calling me 'Dom'. Everybody Brazilian and his dog now has surmised that I am the Sub. That definitely calls for some punishment."
"Great. Fetch me Esme's flogger and bend over my knee."
"Oh, no. Your turn. I've seen enough abuse of naked men today. Aided and abetted it, in point of fact." I crouched and pounced. Bella squiggled out of my arms and ran squealing across the room. I blocked the door. She ran around me. I snatched her up in my arms and marched across the floor, throwing her so hard onto the bed that she bounced. Twice. I threw myself through the air, landing over her like a protective cage.
"You're such a bad girl," I said, claiming her mouth. "And I have to teach you a lesson." I put my hands on her shorts, and ripped them as she attempted to flee. "No escaping!" I ordered, cackling wickedly as she shrieked and twisted, doing her honest best to free herself. "No, no, no. No running. Submit. Brat. Nope, get back here.
"Oh, yeah. You wear them, now. But not out in public!" With a great deal of difficulty, I managed to get Bella out of her blue cotton underwear without tearing it. I wasn't wasting anything blue. The minx collapsed onto the floor, limply, which made her practically impossible to grip. For anybody but me. I stood over her, and twisted her in my arms, over my back, and back down over my knee. Perfect. I admired her ass as she begged me, laughing melodramatically, not to beat her.
"You need discipline, Minx. So, so badly," I crooned, giving her a light slap.
"Stop! No, don't!" my mate screeched, but she was laughing, and moisture trickled out of her onto my chinos.
"You're lying to me, Minx. You like it when I give you a little tap. Admit it."
"No way," she giggled. "Put me down, or I'll tell Charlie."
"Charlie's the one who told me to spank you," I informed her, bringing down my hand about three inches again. I whapped her butt, and she squirmed in a most alluring way. But it wasn't even making a pink mark, darn it.
"Can't you hit me any harder than that?" my mate taunted.
"The intent is not to leave bruises, but to leave you all puffy and needy," I laughed.
"I dare you to hit me harder," Bella growled. "And then, I'm gonna get you."
"Reeeally?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"Dare you, come on." She wiggled her backside at me. "Or I'll tell everyone I know you love to be the Sub, not the Dom."
"Mew, mew, wildcat. You'd better watch what you say or you won't sit down for the rest of the week."
"Sub."
I smacked Bella about thirty percent harder.
"Ooh. Naughty, Sub. I'm gonna so punish you when I get loose," she squealed.
"Right." I held her to me firmly and smacked her again. Her butt cheek went all pink. Delicious. But I'd best not get carried away or I'd be leaving a welt. I moved my hand to the other side and gave her a matching pair of pink cheeks. Very nice. Bella grunted and whimpered, digging her toes into the carpet. More pre-jizz ran down her leg. Holy. I cupped her, and she dripped all over me. Enough games.
I flipped Bella up onto the bed on all fours, and gently pushed her neck down against the mattress. "Bella? I'm not feeling gay anymore. But I am feeling a little bent. Are you going to make me crazy by telling me 'no' again?"
"No. I mean no, I'm not telling you 'no'. I mean, oh, heck. Will you get on with it, already?" She turned her head sideways, trying to look at me.
"Bossy." I smacked her again with my free hand. "Do you want me, Minx?"
"Yes."
"Then say 'please'. Young people have no manners these days," I scoffed.
"Please?"
"That's better." I pushed my cock into her, eliciting a guttural growl. "Come on, Minx. I"m gonna pound against your backside. That work for you?" I smacked her again.
"Ungh! Yes, Do it."
I slapped against her in a staccato rhythm, holding her shoulders down against the mattress. I was making it difficult for her to move. Why had I ever wanted to leave her human? I was discovering all the pros to having a durable mate. Snarls vibrated in my chest. Being the boss? Not such a bad thing. Who knew?
"Are you ever going to let me up?" Bella asked roughly.
"Probably not. I could do this all day."
My mate growled and levered herself out of my grip. We grappled and snarled at each other playfully for a few minutes, and I found myself on my back, hands imprisoned under hers at my ears. Whoa! Wasn't she just full of surprises. I grinned delightedly. Bella's eyes were black and furious, and perversely, she was smiling. Uh-oh. I think I'm about to get my comeuppance.
Bella slammed down on my cock, burying me up to the hilt. I groaned, and I think my tongue rolled out onto the floor. Okay, so I like being the Sub. Sue me. I drive everyone nuts, controlling the shit out of everything else in my life, don't I?
"You're not a very good Sub, are you dear?" I teased.
"Bite me. You're the Sub. Adjust."
"Yes Ma'am, Dona Cullen."
Dom Cullen wants you to review. And peeps? I'm not into bribes. Nor am I into displaying my cards. But I really want more feedback on my smaller stories. So, AHEM: If you review one of my lesser-reviewed fics, and state that I told you you'd get a really exciting spoiler for IHFYT, I'll send you something you'll really like. Please note that I'd like your review to be at least 5 words long and say something specific about the chapter you are reviewing. And if you're one of my favourite people, who has reviewed everything I ever wrote, tell me in your review of this chapter that you're miffed that I'm 'no fair' to my long-term, loyal, wonderful fans, and I'll send you something extra-special.
Love to all, and thanks for reading.