Just as I settled into the passenger seat of my car and Troy buckled his seatbelt behind the steering wheel, I let loose the squeal I had been holding back. My face was stretched wide with a childishly radiant grin. Troy looked at me amused before starting the engine and pulling away from the Council Hall.
"What's got you so happy, vixen? The verdict won't be in for a week." The liquid tenor flowed over me and I sighed happily.
I placed my hand over his on his thigh. "You're Chief!? When were you going to tell me?" I asked enthusiastically. I was so happy for him.
Troy chuckled deeply and flipped his hand to interlock his fingers with mine. "Today, when Elder Foy told you. If you hadn't figured it out after that." He side eyed me playfully and I squeezed his hand.
"I'm not stupid! Chieftain Ceremony! I'm so proud of you, Troy." The smile wouldn't leave my face. I had a question though. "What happened with your father's title? Why was he removed?"
Troy face darkened slightly at the mention of his father and his voice deepened with his emotions. "He had a choice. Lift his bans and resign or be forced to step down."
The only sound in the car was the noise of the tires on the road as we sped up the interstate back toward Little Sioux. My mind was slow on the uptake today, however because it took me a moment too long to realize what happened.
I gasped. "He refused! He was forced to step down!" My incredulity raised my voice and Troy nodded.
"He is letting his own unhappiness ruin his life. He had choices." I couldn't fault his bitterness.
"Misery loves company." I agreed sadly.
Shaking his head as if to dispel the bad vibes, he let a smile grace his handsome face. "I have a feeling that you'll be welcomed into the Tribe with no problems, Bella. Then I can move you into my den and make lo…"
I interjected with a loud laugh as I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Don't be so confident. Thomas could rule against me." I pointed out but that didn't deter from my mate's good mood.
"That's one negative to five positives. I'm not kidding when I say that you made a good impression on the Council today. You were quiet, polite, beautiful, respectful, beautiful."
I laughed again. "You said beautiful already."
Lifting our interlocked hands, Troy kissed my knuckles without taking his eyes off the road. "You are so beautiful that it warrants being listed twice."
I blushed and grinned at him. "I read the book that Billy gave me. I think that helped a lot."
Troy shook his head, causing his hair to shimmy on his shoulders. "It's all you, vixen. You're a natural. Grams and I are both confident that you'll fit in perfectly on our lands. Oh that reminds me, Grams asked us to stop by. She has something for you."
Pulling into Gram's driveway a short while later, Troy held my hand as she seated us at the dining table and laid out a tray of tea and cookies. After hugs and greetings were out of the way, I was famished so I devoured most of it without remorse. Grams only chuckled and set more cookies out while Troy refilled my tea. I smiled thankfully.
"This is for you, child." Grams said as she set down a few pieces of paper in front of me. I pushed my cookie plate to the side and checked it out.
Gasping excitedly, I looked up and met her wide wise eyes. She smiled at me as she handed me a blue ballpoint pen.
"You're that confident?" I asked eagerly.
Grams nodded and Troy laughed. "Yes, she is and so am I. You're coming home and you will work on our force and we will have a wonderful, long, happy life."
I knew in was smiling like a loon throughout the whole process of filling out the Omaha Police department application. Grams ended up smacking the back of my head when I thanked her a few too many times.
"You're the oddest creature. So giddy over an employment application." She tsked. I only smiled and thanked her again, ducking when she raised her frail hand in warning. Troy actually giggled at our silly antics.
We spent another hour with Grams but left before dinner because she had a hot date with her doctor to which I teased her lightly about. She told me I was just jealous and I laughed loudly.
As soon as we stepped through the cottage's front door, I slipped off my sandals and groaned as my bare feet sighed in relief. I hated wearing sandals.
"Do you want me to start a late lunch?" Troy asked as he wound his large arms around me. I leaned against him a moment before pulling away slowly and turning to face him. I lifted a hand to the strap of my dress and slid it slowly down my arm. His eyes followed the movement.
"Hm. No. I think I have something better in mind." I murmured as I pulled the other strap off my arm, letting my pale blue dress pool at my feet, leaving me clad in only a pair of white lace underwear. I watched with no small amount of satisfaction as his eyes darkened with his desire.
His hands deftly removed his own clothing, throwing them catterwall around the livingroom and kitchen as he advanced on me. I kept my front facing him as I retreated through the small livingroom into the kitchen and I stripped the rest of my clothing. As Troy reached for me, I turned quickly, ducking under his muscular arm and whipping open the back door. I giggled wildly as he quietly cursed and followed after me, pulling the door closed with a resounding bang. My fishtail braid was falling apart as I ran naked across the backyard and into the bushes of the woods. Troy's heavy footsteps followed quickly and I ducked down behind a large oak tree, shifting fluidly into Nidawi. My foxy laugh echoed against the trees as Troy growled in playful frustration before he shifted into the beautiful charcoal fur of my Pahoja.
I didn't have time to stretch my foxy legs and toes before sprinting out into the thick brush of Loess Hills. Pahoja chased me, nipping at the fur of my tail and bouncing all around me as we played. I kept ahead of him, chuckling loudly to taunt him as we ran. I followed the scents of our demon friends and crossed the F-Twenty, careful of the non-existent traffic. We darted around the Cullen's home twice, snickering and babbling extra loud, before heading straight for Preparation Canyon State Park in Moorhead.
Pahoja circled me in a wide arc, letting me know that - in no uncertain terms - he was letting me stay ahead of him. My only response was to stick my foxy tongue out at him and dart away faster. His chuckling followed after me along with the laughter of our demon friends. We ran through the State Park, playing, hunting, and foraging for a few hours. No words were needed, I kept my mind barrier shut. It was so fun to run off this excess energy. Jasper swooped in and snatched me up into his arms. I yelped when he flipped me so that he cradled me like a small puppy instead of a wolf sized fox!
I opened my mind barrier.
Edward! Tell this Demon God to let me go!
I yelped indignantly again when the Southern God bounced me in his arms and smiled widely at me. Edward's loud laugh followed by Emmett's 'Pass 'er here!' echoed around me and I growled.
They better not!
I warned them in my head, well, I warned Edward and Pahoja. It wouldn't be my fault if the Demon God lost a hand because Edward didn't tell him. I heard Alice's gasp before she shrieked.
"Jasper! Put her down, quick!"
Unfortunately for him, he didn't. Whoops! Yes, he did. Tossing me up into the air, Emmett...My superior at work...caught me in his arms carefully and cradled me like a damn football. I decided he was losing an ankle. I'd swallow it. I didn't care how terrible it would taste. Pahoja weaved around and between rushing vampire feet as I was tossed around like a football. He even nipped at my tail! The game of Bella Ball lasted quite a while since I didn't realize they were feeding off of my mood. Once I finally surrendered to the game and let them toss me with only a roll of my eyes or random squeak, the demons got bored and ended the game.
Esme brushed my fur out with the softest brush I had ever felt as I lounged across her lap and damn near purred at the attention. Pahoja rubbed his nose along my muzzle before giving me a little lick on the cheek. I winked at him and gave him a foxy smile as he settled in front of my face. I laid my chin on his shoulders and shut my eyes, enjoying the attention. Edward sat beside his pseudo mother and petted my tail while Liv petted his hair. Jasper and Emmett ended up tossing a real football in a very boring game of catch. No wonder they wanted to use the fox. Alice and Rosalie had gone back to the house with Renee to change out of their filthy clothes.
Vampires were weird.
"I have made some tortellini if you'd like something to eat. You're more than welcome to eat at the house or take it with you." Esme offered kindly as she set her brush down beside her.
I smiled up at her and she pet my head softly. Standing from her lap, I shook out my fur to which Esme tutted. I gave a foxy laugh knowing she was thinking her brushing went to waste, but I knew my human head would shine gloriously once I shifted back. Pahoja followed my lead and we trotted behind the demons, following them back to their house. Alice's scent was all over two sets of yoga outfits when we emerged from the bushes and so we were able to be human while we visited.
"Thank you, Alice!" I called from the treeline as I dressed. I pulled my silky smooth hair into a low ponytail at the nape of my neck and followed a dressed Troy up the deck stairs and through the sliding glass doors.
"You're welcome, Bella!" Alice whispered into my ear after having appeared from nowhere. I jumped, not used to them sneaking up on me. She just giggled and danced around me before helping Esme bring the warmed chicken tortellini to the dining room table.
"I hope you enjoy it. I don't know how good it is because I can't taste test it, but Emeril's fans rave about it." Esme shrugged apologetically while running a cool hand down the length if my silky smooth hair.
Troy raised one eyebrow as I gaped. "This is Emeril's recipe?" At Esme's nod, I sat and immediately started digging in, moaning in delight at the melt-in-your-mouth tastes that exploded with each bite.
Esme giggled behind her hand. "It's good then, I take it?"
Troy didn't make any noise, while I hummed in approval and nodded my head. He simply devoured every bite of three full helpings. Esme made a list of ingredients for Rosalie to fetch from the store, stating that she was going to start cooking Emeril's recipes from now on.
I patted my belly after my second helping, stuffed to the gills...or whiskers? "You don't have to do that, Esme. This was amazing. So good! But please don't go to any trouble for us." Troy looked at me like I had two heads but nodded reluctantly in agreement.
She giggled again and waved her hand at us. "There's no trouble if you're going to enjoy it that much, dear!"
Jasper and Edward nodded enthusiastically as their better halves struck them upside their heads and I ducked my head, blushing. Troy laid a protective arm around my shoulders and hugged me close. "Maybe we will eat it at home from now on, though." He said with little amusement as he glared at the two guilty vamps while they grinned unabashedly.
"Okay, okay. You two get back before it gets too dark. You know I worry." Esme said and I smiled at her.
"Thank you again, for everything." I said, looking around at everyone.
After receiving hugs, we parted, leaving our borrowed yoga clothes at the edge of the yard. Pahoja raced me home, nipping at my heels and dodging my own nips, chuckling as I huffed in mock irritation. Shifting back and walking seductively to the back door of the cottage, I shimmied my hips as I walked into the house, grinning at Troy's desired growl. He shut the door firmly and locked it with a resounding click before stalking forward. I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms in front of my naked chest, grinning at my mate.
He definitely made me pay for dodging him earlier in the day and I relished in our time alone...all night long.
Verdict is up next!
