A/N: Good morning! It's been a while, indeed. I had a busy few months, but rather than bore you guys with details I already included in my story status update a few weeks ago, let's just get right to it. First...a couple of important points:
1. We have 8 chapters left in this story. To get us through the rest without (or should I say, hopefully without) pulling out our hair, I WILL BE POSTING ONE CHAPTER EVERY OTHER DAY THROUGH THE END. So since I'm posting today, Wednesday, I'll post again on Friday. Then, I'll post again on Sunday, followed by Tuesday, etc.
2. Thanks so much for your pms of encouragement, your continued reviews, and generally for being such great, patient guys throughout my little absence. I truly appreciate it. This fandom has the best guys in it, I swear. :)
Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes. (All remaining mistakes are mine).
Most characters belong to S. Meyer. The rest is all mine.
Chapter 27 – Little White Lies.
Good morning, our top story continues with new developments related to the massacre which occurred three days ago at Seattle's University of Washington campus. This morning, the manhunt for Edward Masen, the main suspect in the cold-blooded murder of twenty-three students and staff members at the University, is being expanded nationwide.
An unfavorable police sketch of Edward flashed across the screen, making me wonder who exactly provided the source material for such a distorted representation. Setting down my fork, I angled away from the warped likeness and twisted my head toward the window instead. Despite the rumbling seeping in from outside, the sun's rays streaming in gave a beautifully resplendent glow around the cabin that reached every nook and cranny of the naturally dark room.
In the past three days, reported sightings of Masen have come in from across the country and as far away as Chicago, but so far, there are no credible leads. Masen is believed to be accompanied by Bella Cullen, a professor at the University, although; at this point, officials still haven't clarified whether Cullen is considered a person of interest or an individual held against her will. In another development, Professor Cullen's father, Doctor Carlisle Cullen from Forks, Washington, has also been reported missing since the day of the massacres.
"They're leaving you an out," my dad said.
He and I sat at the table eating breakfast – the only two individuals within five square miles who'd fed on something other than blood for the past few days. Not for the first time in those past few days I also wondered about how things would be once we were gone from there, one way or another. How long would it take for the Northern Cascades' wild population to recover from the predators who'd been suddenly introduced into their environment at the very top of the food chain?
"You know, in case you want to give yourself over to them peacefully," my dad continued. With a muttered, "Assholes," he finished his musings, which cut through my own nonsensical ones.
I wrapped my hand around his and squeezed. "Dad, I'm so sorry you're involved in this."
He turned his attention away from the TV and toward me. "Bella, I may not have known exactly what I was getting into that day in the hospital when I made the decision to keep your mom's secret, but I haven't regretted it for one single day of my life." Turning our hands over, he squeezed mine in return.
"I misunderstood your reasons for everything," I confessed.
"Well, I suppose in hindsight, I could've been more forthcoming with you. Regardless," he sighed, and with one final pat, released my hand, "that issue is moot. They, however, know very well that neither of us is being held against our will."
"Jakob, Charles, and the shifters know the truth," I nodded, "but those reporting the story most likely don't. What's more, we still have no idea how many of the people involved in this manhunt are actual shifters. Many of them might truly believe that Edward murdered twenty-three innocent people instead of twenty-three individuals who'd already been turned into mindless monsters."
"Mindless monsters." He shook his head and snorted. "When your mother warned me of monsters coming after you, I had no notion of how literally she meant that word."
"Apparently, she meant it pretty damn literally."
In spite of the horrible manner in which he'd made their acquaintance, over the past few weeks, Carlisle Cullen had become a veritable father-figure to not only me, his stepdaughter, but also to Edward, Emmett, and Jasper as well. He saw how protective they were of me, and in my stepdad's eyes, anyone who protected me had his eternal devotion.
Eyewitness cell phones have all been confiscated by the authorities. We also have reports of officials carefully monitoring social media for any posts of the events which occurred on the campus.
"They don't want the truth of what happened to come out," I said.
"That would expose them as well as Edward. No, they have to contain the events at the university as much as possible or imagine the mayhem."
Not wanting to add Seattle's possible chaos to the list of things I was already imagining, I turned back to the window. Outside, Edward and a few of his vampire friends were carrying on last-minute prep. Up until a short while ago, I'd been out there with them: practicing and combining their strength with my iffy powers while testing what we could do together. When Edward announced exercise time for just those of a vampiric nature, I joined my dad in the cabin. Now I could see why he wanted me out of that field.
As they sparred and threw fists, blocked blows, round-kicked, and swept one another's feet out from under each other, the hits that made contact reverberated throughout the forest like sound waves rippling through the air. A few trees were down. The entire picture didn't quite match the bright sunshine overhead.
"I'd hate to be at the receiving end of a blow of that magnitude," my dad murmured.
He wouldn't be, not if I had anything to do with it, and certainly not if I could just learn how to fully control my abilities…
Out of nowhere, a band of gray clouds rolled in accompanied by flashes of lightning. Edward and the rest stopped sparring and looked up at the darkening sky. Then Edward's gaze flickered toward the cabin, and a knowing grin spread across his handsome face.
"Was that you?" my dad asked.
"We're far away from civilization, but even out here, there has to be a reason for all that clamor."
"You're right, of course. Good call. And good job," he added softly.
Those involved in the investigation have informed us that no vehicle has been found, no physical traces have been found, and no electronic traces have led to the whereabouts of the suspect. It's as if Edward Masen has disappeared into thin air.
Over the past couple of days, while watching the sparring sessions between Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and the other vampires who'd come to help us, I'd noted that all of them possessed the superhuman strength and physical attractiveness I now associated with the three guys I now considered my vampires. However, just as with humans, these characteristics were present in each to varying levels. For example, Benjamin, Henri, Liam, Peter, Eleazar, Raoul, and Diego, the seven male vampires who'd joined us, were all incredibly handsome. Yet, in my opinion, Emmett and Jasper, and most especially, Edward, were the best-looking.
Of the five female vampires who'd joined us, Sasha and Charlotte had jet-black skin that literally shone like ebony jewels, lips in the shape of pink flower petals, rich dark eyes, and thick, raven hair which neither limped nor frizzed. Chelsea and Renata both possessed an olive-toned complexion so sublime that no miracle cream could ever hope to deliver its equal. Their hair was pure silk, and their lips looked like they were wearing dark red lipstick when in reality, they wore none. Of course, none of these female vampires would ever have to worry about the effects of time and/or gravity on their tits and asses.
Then, there was the one who was currently sparring with Edward.
Victims' families and neighbors are planning to gather this afternoon for a vigil as close to the campus as they'll be allowed. They plan to protest the lack of information being shared by the Seattle Police Department as well as by the FBI, DHS, ATF along with other agencies involved in the ongoing investigation.
With her long and lithe body, Irene resembled a lioness on the prowl. Fast and flexible, her wavy blond ponytail swayed like a pendulum as she bounced nimbly on her toes while aiming an uppercut toward Edward's jaw, which just barely missed its mark. Grinning and grunting, she limberly dodged his jabs, apparently enjoying the shit out of exercise time.
Deputy Chief of Police Charles Swan plans to once again address Seattle this afternoon, asking the public to remain vigilant for this likely armed and extremely dangerous individual. We'll bring his remarks to you live as soon as…
In the second it took me to blink to the TV and back, Edward dropped into a crouch and swept Irene's feet out from under her unending, shapely legs. She reeled back, heading straight for the dewy grass, and I waited for her body and the hard ground to make contact. In my mind's eye, I saw her splayed flat and imagined the ungraceful thud her perfect backside and glorious head would make when they impacted with unyielding earth.
Instead, in the next fraction of a second, she grabbed Edward's neck and yanked him down with her, somehow managing to roll in midair so that they headed for the ground with her on top of him, grinning. When Edward landed with a hard thud, and she ended up pinned to the tree behind her instead of landing on top of him, her eyes grew wide in shock.
"Ooh!" My dad's exclamation followed a sharp hiss through his teeth.
For a moment, I considered denying my involvement. However, I quickly realized it was unlikely that anyone would believe me, especially since six sets of vampire eyes were glued to the cabin, each displaying varying expressions of shock, surprise, and amusement. Clenching my tingling hands at my sides, I stood from the table.
"Thanks for breakfast, Dad."
As I stepped into the cool, misty meadow, Edward and Irene were once again upright. Their heads were bent close together, and from my angle, I could see Edward's mouth moving furiously around inaudible words. Irene scowled down at the ground, apparently receiving some sort of reprimand. Yet when she looked up and met my gaze, her glowing blue eyes rimmed by a livid shade of red, there was nothing conciliatory about her.
Lioness on the prowl, indeed.
Still, I approached with my palms facing upward, determined to show my own contrition and mete out a little white lie or two for the sake of harmony.
"Irene, I apologize. I was trying to keep you both from falling, but as you guys have seen, I can't always control how they work." I wriggled my fingers in illustration.
Meanwhile, I could hear Emmett's quiet snickers off to the side.
"All right, let's take a break. Go feed or sleep or…" Edward trailed off and jerked his jaw toward the open woods. Irene kept her scowling gaze on me for a moment longer than necessary. Then with a bitter huff, she disappeared in between the trees. The rest followed.
When I reached Edward, he took my hand wordlessly. Lacing our fingers together, he swung us around in the opposite direction from which the rest disappeared. Then, we walked without aim or conversation.
"So, how's it going?" I finally dared ask.
"How's it going," Edward echoed with a bland chuckle, his eyes remaining front and center. "Well, we're honing already well-developed skills, we're feeding voraciously, we've got scouts all over the perimeter, and we've been taking turns catching a couple of hours of strength-building sleep. What's more, I see your powers are progressing as well," he smirked. "All in all, I'd say it's going pretty well."
"You sound supremely chipper and confident this morning," I smirked.
"That's because I am." Smiling much more genuinely, he squeezed my hand and gave me a sidelong glance, apparently choosing to ignore the passive-aggressive tone I'd failed to suppress. "Bella, after ages of loneliness, I found you. I found you and succeeded in regaining your love, as I've always loved you. Now, my existence is just as it should be. So, of what is there to be unsure?"
"I'm such an idiot. There are so many more important things to deal with, and I'm-"
"You're not an idiot," he contradicted, dropping a soft kiss to my temple. "You're wonderfully human. All will be fine, my love."
We came across a clearing about the size of a parking lot, where a gathering of cherry-blossom trees bloomed, their pink and white flowers ready to burst. The trees grew almost in a concentric circle as if standing sentry around the small meadow. We'd found a few such cherry-blossom tree groves up here over the past few days, but this one appeared to be the largest.
"I didn't think cherry-blossom trees were native to this region," I said, my eyes narrowed curiously.
"I don't believe they are. Perhaps you made them grow."
"Who knows?" I sighed and shook my head. "Our presence here is completely destroying the Northern Cascades ecosystem."
With another chuckle, Edward pulled my hand and leaned up against one of the trees. He parted his legs while drawing me into the tight space between them. Then, he wrapped his hands around my hips and pulled me close.
"Now, would you like to tell me what's truly bothering you?"
I rested my hands on his chest and looked into his eyes. "We have less than twenty-four hours before the solstice arrives."
He nodded. "Yes."
"Do you think he…Jakob will come as soon as the sun rises?"
Edward shook his head. "Solar noon, the point at which the sun will be highest in the sky and therefore at its most powerful all year, will arrive at one-ten p.m. tomorrow. He'll most likely make his appearance thereabouts or later, but definitely before the sun sets. Don't worry, Bella," he insisted. "The perimeter is surrounded. He'll not arrive without us knowing, and when he does, we'll take care of him and his minions expeditiously. You won't even have to leave the cabin. We are ready."
I looked toward the direction from which we'd come. "Your…friends, they don't like me very much, do they?"
"They barely know you, and they are in awe of you."
"In awe of me." I grinned wryly. "Is that what we're calling those looks?"
"Don't tell me you're unfamiliar with the concept of being held in awe, Bella." He pulled his gaze from me, resting it somewhere past my shoulder. When he spoke again, his tone was unexpectedly hard-edged. "I seem to recall a conversation on a rooftop bar between you and your friend, Kate, a few short months ago. She pointed out that something inborn within you tends to awe people, which is why despite your beauty, so many men have kept their distance in the past. Nevertheless, if I remember the rest correctly, you decided to test that theory."
"God, you witnessed the entire scene on that roof?"
His eyes panned back to me. "I believe I've already informed you I was there. When you left that rooftop, I followed you." His broad shoulders rose and fell in an unapologetic shrug.
"Were you the one calling me Bellaria and scaring the shit out of me as I walked down the streets that night?"
"You know I wouldn't do that, not when you still knew so little. The one who did that paid the price for it."
I lifted my hands to his shoulders, curling them around tense, rigid muscle. "Edward, just a few short weeks ago, all these revelations both horrified and infuriated me. Not only am I not completely human or inhuman, but also, I'm being pursued by shape-shifting werewolves because their master either rightly or wrongly believes that joining his bloodline with mine will create the strongest being to walk the planet in thousands of years. Oh, and add to that the fact that I'm being protected by vampires."
He quirked a brow. "Yes, I recall your fury and horror a few weeks ago at finding out your actual reality. So, if the fury and horror have abated, what's left?"
"What's left?" I snorted, watching the breeze play with the soft wisps of hair along his forehead. "Now, instead of angry or frightened…if you were at the rooftop and witness to everything that night, then you saw me-"
"Yes, I saw you with the shifter who presented himself to you as Jakob. I saw you dance with him, and I saw you press your body to his. Nevertheless, you had no idea what he was or who you were for that matter, not yet."
"Always making excuses for my stupidity," I murmured, shaking my head and dropping my gaze to his chest.
Easing a finger under my jaw, he lifted my chin, forcing my eyes back to his. "Bella, considering the short period of time in which you've had to absorb so much, I believe you've done amazingly well. And I believe I've done a credible job over the last few months of calling you out on your bullshit when truly required."
I threw back my head and laughed so hard that the birds hiding in the branches scattered and soared toward the mountains.
"Well, you don't mince words with me anymore, that's for sure." I quirked an eyebrow. "I don't believe ancient knights are supposed to use that sort of language around ladies. It's un-chivalrous."
He further surprised me by pursing his lips and rolling his eyes. "My point is, you didn't know, but the few things I'd already told you along with the things Kate pointed out to you that night all began awakening your subconscious and your anxiousness. Unfortunately, I think it may have been your subconscious awakening which called to Jakob. Humans give off an appetizing scent when they are anxious, and yours…yours is uniquely amazing. I can smell it right now."
"Can you?" I drew closer to him, pressing my chest to his while tightening my arms around his neck. I angled my head upward to hold his calm and steady gaze. "I wish I'd never denied my attraction to you. We would've had more time."
At this, his composure seemed to crack a bit. He swallowed thickly, cradling my cheek. "Bella, we have all the time in the world."
I reached for his face, ghosting my thumb over the scar which traversed his jaw. "You should know," I whispered, "that the night on the rooftop, it was you I was visualizing as I danced with that thing that called himself Jakob."
"I did not know that," he replied, his eyes darkening the way I'd come to learn meant he was either angry or full of lust. "And you should know this," he hissed. "Even had you agreed to go home with that thing, I would not have allowed it. In that case, you would've found out that same night who and what I was. Call me ancient, possessive, or archaic," he said carelessly. "I care not."
"You're possessive and archaic, at the very least," I said, giving in and touching those wisps of hair on his forehead, "but I suppose that makes me possessive and archaic as well."
His responding chuckle erupted from deep within his throat. "Irene is an old friend, Bella, nothing more."
"From where do you know her?"
He exhaled. "If you must hear this story, Emmett, Jasper, and I fought for the British during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. In those days, many soldiers took wives and mistresses into battle along with them."
My breath hitched.
"Before you jump to conclusions," he said, anticipating my outburst, "Irene was the young, French wife of a young, French soldier. When we met Napoleon and his army at the Battle of Waterloo, Irene's husband was one of the many men who fell at the end of my sword. Afterward, when she witnessed me feeding from him, she tried to attack me. Unfortunately, once she realized neither her hands nor her blade were doing damage, she turned her blade on herself. Obviously, she was not thinking clearly, so as she lay there dying, I felt bad because-"
"Let me guess. You felt bad because you couldn't allow so much youth and beauty to go to waste," I said dryly. "I thought you said you've never created a vampire?"
"Allow me to finish, please," he growled impatiently. "I felt bad for her because, despite the fact that she looked nothing like you, she did remind me of you. Yes, she was indeed young and beautiful. What's more," he said much more quietly, "seeing her lying there…bleeding out…it took me back to that accursed day…" He shook the dark memory from his head. "Nevertheless, in the course of the battle, we'd met a fellow immortal by the name of Laurent. It was he, who was unable to accept the waste of her youth and beauty, and he who changed her. Unfortunately, Laurent was irresponsible and unruly with his feeding habits, and he taught Irene the same carelessness. It caught up to them. In 1842, their coven was attacked by a large pack of werewolves. Irene escaped and sought out the three of us. She lived in England with us for a time, but when we set sail for America in the mid-1860s to lend assistance in another war against injustice and oppression, Irene was not interested in the cause. She remained in Europe."
"Wow," I breathed, "as a history lover, there are so many things I want to ask right now, but can you believe that the thought at the forefront of my mind is that Irene lived with you for decades?"
He chuckled heartily. "Ah, my love, you are a jealous one indeed, and I won't deny that I relish it."
"So is that when she decided she wanted you," I persisted, "when she saw you preparing to set sail for the new world?"
His mouth inched closer, warm breath fanning my face, lips almost touching mine. "What difference does it make when she decided she wanted me?"
"So she does want you." I pulled back, searching his inscrutable eyes. "You admitted once that you've been tempted throughout the ages."
"I did admit it, and I have been tempted."
"Was she one of those temptations?"
He replied after a few, long heartbeats. "Yes. She offered herself to me before we set sail. I turned her down."
"Yet, she's here now, despite your turning her down."
"She's a good friend, and she couldn't resist a good fight," he smirked. "Your Dean was truthful about one thing, at least: the total annihilation of their kind is the greatest mission for most of my kind. Only I have a greater mission."
I nodded silently, my scalp and fingers prickling despite how ridiculously juvenile I knew it was. In spite of all the monumentally more important matters we faced, my mind kept conjuring image after image of what exactly she offered herself to me meant. Did it consist of words, or did she strut into some room naked, her perfect skin tight and glistening? Did she spread those long, shapely legs for him? With each consecutive image, my hands clenched tighter over his shoulders. The skies rumbled.
All the while, Edward watched me impassively. "Again, I ask, what difference does any of it make? Unfortunately for Irene, before she came along, my heart and soul had already been claimed. So, she could've grinned lustily, and perhaps…I may have grinned back once or twice," he conceded, "but it never went any further. Just as you were tempted by that thing with Jakob's handsome face on the rooftop, yet it was his misfortune that you already belonged to me," he hissed. "You could've flirted and danced with him all you wanted on that rooftop because by then, your soul knew me even if your mind still didn't recall. It would've gone no further than flirtation and not only because I would've ripped him to shreds right before your eyes had you tried to leave with him, but because I own you, Bella, just as you own me. Again, call me archaic, but let's deal with the real issue here, and it is definitely not Irene."
"What is the real issue according to you?"
"You're not jealous of Irene, not truly. You're jealous of yourself."
"I'm jealous of myself," I mocked, "not of the inhumanly gorgeous vampiress who's wanted to bed you for almost two centuries."
"Precisely, and it's this jealousy which holds you back from opening up to your gifts in every way." When I tried to look away, he locked my jaw gently yet firmly with one hand. "And you can deny who you are until you turn blue in the face. You can give me this look of yours full of fury mixed with pity when I directly or indirectly refer to you as Bellaria, but that name, that life is imprinted on your soul as much as it is on mine."
Before I could make any reply, he pulled my mouth to his, pushing his warm tongue past my lips. Our breaths erupted and mingled, morphing into moans and groans as I reached for his sweatpants and pushed them down to release him into my hand. He growled into my mouth while I pumped him as one of his own hands relinquished my face to slip inside my sweats and sink in a finger deep.
"Edward…"
I threw back my head, every nerve ending in my body awakening. The mountain birds circled high above us, and the trees' branches bloomed and burst while the sun's golden rays seeped in between them. All the while, I held on to Edward's shoulder as he held me cupped within his palm, his other hand curved around my waist, supporting me.
"Yes…yes…yes…"
"I am yours and you are mine, as always, for always. Say you know this."
"Yes."
Even as unsure as I was of my right to that motto, I chanted my agreement. He withdrew his finger and pulled down my pants, and then gripping my hips, he bent down and pushed himself into me. Every breath of air left my lungs in a heated rush, chased away by the fullness inside of me. I rested my hands on his chest while his powerful hands lifted my hips slowly, easing me back down inch by inch.
"I waited almost one thousand years for this, for you, Bella," he ground out through his teeth, "to feel your hands on me, your breath on my face as we make love…your heat around me…"
"Please," I cried breathlessly. "Please, Edward, love me like no other."
"Christ's love, I do." Hissing and grunting, he knelt to the hard ground, sitting me on his lap while moving me faster up and down his length. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck as I chased the scorching heat burning me from the inside out, from the tips of my toes to the ends of the hair on my scalp. I closed my eyes, barely able to breathe anymore as the raw pleasure sent waves of ecstasy rippling between my legs to every extremity. And I wondered vaguely if Edward felt our connection as keenly as I did, if it had always been this way for him...for them.
"Feel this, Bella," he groaned. "Feel how perfectly I fill you…how sublimely you fit me…how I love you…like no other. I love you like no other, Bella," he gasped against my neck. I felt his lips pull on the delicate skin of my throat, sucking hard.
"Edward…" I whimpered, "do it, please."
He moaned as if in physical pain. "No, not now."
"Why not?" I asked, opening my eyes. "What more…?"
The rest of my thought died in my throat as I looked around the green grass meadow into which we'd wandered and saw it was now overgrown with golden stalks billowing in the breeze. The field encircled us - tall, thin stems stroking our skin as we made love. In the distance, the snow-peaked mountains were now rolling hills meeting white clouds on the horizon. Bewildered, I looked above me. The Cherry-blossom tree's flowers floated around us like pure, pristine snow.
Edward's eyes were closed, lost to his own ecstasy while his hips ground into mine. His flushed cheeks were hot and ruddy. Beads of perspiration lined his furrowed brow. The thin scar on his face looked darker, wider…fresher. He opened his eyes and gazed at me, grinning lustily, hips pushing and pulling. His…cloak lay open over his golden-haired chest and his…breeches were around his ankles, green eyes bright and completely human.
When he shut his eyes again, I just stared, unable to make a sound as the warm air blowing through the stalks caressed me, carrying the scent of ripe wheat, like bread baking in an oven. Edward's pliable thighs moved under me. Every color, every sensation, every image was as vivid as if I was right there - not in one of my fading dreams…but suddenly transported to another reality.
"Bella…"
"Edward, look!"
His eyes opened in alarm, hips stilling as he followed the trajectory of my gaze, bluish-green eyes growing wide.
"What the…?"
"Edward?" I palmed his soft cheek, slowly guiding his eyes back to me, breathing out in mystification when they were still the soft, tender green of...Sir Edward, the son of the mason.
"Edward…Edward, you're…human."
"Bella, how are you doing this?"
I swept my eyes around the fields of wheat, the trees' white flower petals billowing and turning the landscape ivory.
"You see this, Edward? You see me, Bella Cullen?"
"Of course, I do. But we're in...we're in England," he whispered. "In the England of one thousand years ago. These are the Yorkshire moors and fields behind our cottage. How are we here, Bella?" He palmed his face. "And how am I…?" he trailed off.
Completely still, we looked around in mutual fascination. The warm breeze continued whistling in our ears. The stalks of wheat stroked our skin. When we met one another's puzzled gazes again, his eyes were black.
"Your eyes are black again," I breathed, smiling despite my incomprehension, stroking Edward's cheek in wonder.
I looked away from him once more only to see that the majestic mountains of the Northern Cascades were once again behind him, Mount Rainier's snow-covered peak rising prominently above the rest.
"Look."
"Christ's love, the mountains are back," he snorted.
The wheat field was gone as well, and as Edward's gaze, black as night, swept back to me, a grin spread across his face. He crushed his mouth to mine, his hips resuming their rhythmic thrusts, faster now.
"You're amazing, Bella. You're amazing," he murmured in my ear. "What more proof do you want of who you are? What more do you want?"
"I want…I want…all your love and devotion in every single form you've ever taken," I cried out.
"You have my eternal love in every form, human or vampire, that I take." He groaned, tightening his hold on me. I wrapped my body around his and squeezed my eyes shut. When I reopened them, the wheat fields were back again.
Edward just laughed. "Now I'm getting dizzy."
"Me too," I laughed in return.
Gripping my hips, he held me prone, making our laughter morph into guttural groans. His groan became a growl, a deep, loud rumble that turned into a roar before vibrating through me as he threw his head to the sky. I threw my own head against his chest as the indescribable heat of his orgasm and the thrill of his roar coursed throughout my body and made that coil inside me snap yet again. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less what landscape surrounded us. We could've been in the middle of quicksand for all I cared.
Sated, we fell sideways onto the dewy grass, panting and laughing. Edward pulled me onto his chest, where I remained immobile, trying to catch my breath. Finally lifting my head, I looked around and then resumed my position, resting my ear over his heart, a heart which I'd felt beating against mine just moments earlier.
"We're back in the mountains," I murmured.
"How in the name of all that's holy did you do that?"
"I have no idea except that…I vaguely wondered when was the last time you made love out in the open."
He was quiet for a few moments, his fingers gently raking through my hair. "We were in the wheat fields the evening before Lord Karles returned from London." He flipped us so that he hovered above me, grinning softly, his hands holding my back off of the ground. "Try it again. Try…taking us back to a day in your childhood. I would love to see how a daughter of ours might have looked."
His eyes had returned to their normal shade of green, not the soft, human shade of green interspersed with flickers of blue rimmed by pale brown but the almost unnaturally bright, glowing green.
I nodded, cradling his jaw. Once again, I shut my eyes and concentrated on random moments from my childhood: my dad running next to me as he let go of my bike the first time I rode without training wheels, my young eyes nervously taking in the surroundings on my first day of kindergarten, even the fuzzy memory of a boy with dark, curly hair who made my ten-year-old heart go pitter patter.
When I reopened my eyes, we were exactly where we'd been moments earlier: Edward hovered above me, waiting.
"I'm sorry. I have no idea how I did it before."
"It's all right," he smiled tenderly. "I suppose at this point, it's not really important."
"Edward," I exhaled, "I know we only have a few hours left before the solstice, and I know there are so many more important things we should've been doing than-"
He cut me off with an urgent kiss, sucking hungrily first on my top lip and then my bottom.
"I apologize if I made it sound as if your gift is unimportant or as if making love with you isn't absolutely everything to me. I simply meant that at this point, I am ready. We are ready, Bella. The rest of your gifts can be developed once we get past the solstice. Right now, we're doing exactly what we should be doing." He pushed his hand through my hair. "Bella…I want you to know that despite everything, these past few months have been the happiest of my entire existence."
"Will you miss the way making love to me feels when I'm no longer human?"
He grinned, but then his deep green eyes bored into mine, and suddenly, I knew what his answer would be even before he said it. I could feel it.
"Bella, I will love you in any form, human or immortal, in any age."
"You will, won't you?" I smiled. "You looked at me, at Bella Cullen, through human eyes and loved me."
"Yes," he chuckled as if that should've been obvious. "Yes. In any form in which you and I exist."
"I believe it, Edward. And so will I," I finally managed to say. "I saw you as a human and loved you as much as I love you as a vampire. You and I…we are just getting started, aren't we?"
"Yes, Bella, yes." He pulled me into his chest and wrapped his powerful arms around me, infusing me with his love and strength and…faith. For a while, he kept sighing my name almost wistfully, over and over.
"Come," he said eventually. "Let's return, or they'll send out a search party for us."
A/N: Thoughts?
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I'll see you guys on Friday. :)
