Chapter 37: Thunder and Lightning
Bella's POV – Tuesday
I shouted and sat up straight in bed. The last few images from my nightmare flashed again through my head. The red-eyed cougar jumped on top of me and was leaning its head down to make the kill, but a giant, dark-eyed wolf rammed into it, knocking it off of me. The wolf howled, a summons to the storm, and the storm obeyed, sending a twisted bolt of lightening down upon the cougar, which roared and disappeared, only to be replaced by a dying Edward.
I felt Edward's cool hands on my hot face as I took deep breaths to calm myself. "Shh, love. I'm right here," he purred. "It was only a dream. Not real."
After a moment, I pulled myself together and banished the unpleasant scene to the back of my head, focusing on the concerned, angelic face in front of me. "I know," I said. "I'm okay. I'm awake."
"What's in store for today, then?" he asked cautiously, as if he wanted to change the subject so I wouldn't dwell on my dream. And I knew that was exactly what he wanted to do.
"Oh, we should probably do Esme's chores – get them over with," I answered calmly. Edward gave me a brief kiss before standing up so I could get out of the giant bed.
So after I took my shower and dressed, we hunted around for a broom and vacuum. Taking the broom that we found in a downstairs hall closet, I headed for the kitchen, planning to start at the front of the house and work toward the back. Edward took the vacuum and began on the living room so he could stay close to me.
The kitchen was fairly large – just like the rest of the house – and it was connected to the dining room. I knew it would take a while to sweep it all thoroughly, so I hunkered down and set to work. I plugged my earphones into my iPod while I swept. The music shuffled through random songs, and I found myself sweeping along to the beat of the music, changing tempo with the song. Eventually "Would You Go With Me" by Josh Turner came on, and I happily began two-stepping along, occasionally twirling the broom around me like a wooden dance partner.
I was next to the cabinets, and I suppose I got carried away. I spun a little too extravagantly and my hand knocked the sugar canister off of the counter. Knowing I couldn't catch it, I winced and waited for the crash that would result in a bigger mess than what I had started with. But Edward materialized out of nowhere and caught the canister only inches above the floor. I pulled the earphones out my ears and paused the music while Edward replaced the sugar to its spot beside the flour.
"I see you're still fast enough to outrun gravity, and my clumsiness," I said gratefully. "You just prevented me from having to clean up one huge mess."
He grinned. "And from having to explain to Esme why you broke her sugar jar. What were you doing to knock it off anyway?"
I blushed crimson. "Dancing. With the broom." I looked at my feet. "I kind of got caught up in the song."
Even though I was staring at my toes, I could feel his eyes laughing at me. "Well you better stop it," he teased. "Any more of your antics and this house might turn into a disaster area."
My face was still red with heat. "Yeah," I mumbled. "Better get this done." Edward returned to the living room and I put the music back on, purposely sweeping off-tempo.
We had to cover all three floors of the house, plus the basement. I thought it would take all day, but the time went quickly between talking to Edward and listening to music. We were finished by one o'clock, and I had worked up an appetite for a good, solid lunch.
"What are you making?" Edward asked as I dug around in the fridge.
Pulling out eggs, sausage, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, I finally emerged from the giant refrigerator. "An omelet. The size of Emmett." As if to emphasize my point, my stomach chose that moment to burble in hunger. I cracked two eggs into a bowl and started stirring. Meanwhile, I put Edward to work chopping the vegetables. When I had mixed and seasoned the eggs, I started frying the sausage.
Edward leaned over the skillet and inhaled thoughtfully. "Hmm," he said quietly. "That actually smells good, for human food."
"If I didn't know any better," I replied, pouring the eggs into another pan, "I'd think you were turning into a human, with all of these changes you've been having. Except for your eyes, of course." His irises were now the color of red wine. They would have been seriously unnerving, had I not gotten acclimated to it.
Edward scoffed. "That's not possible. I'd have to have blood running through my veins, not venom."
"Then what do you think will happen, if you continue with this experiment?"
"I don't know. As far as I know, no vampire has ever tried going this long without blood. Usually the thirst would have driven him or her mad by now."
"To be honest with you," I started, "I'm worried about how far you can take this before something really bad happens." I folded the egg over the vegetables and sausage and cheese. "What if you just snap? What if it goes on so long that you," I gulped, and my breath caught in my throat.
"So long that I what, Bella?"
I tilted my face up so I could stare into his blood-red eyes. "Die," I whispered. "What if you just…keel over from malnutrition or something? I…I couldn't stand it if you died." I scooped the omelet onto a plate and turned to the table so he couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes. Lately my dreams had an extra edge to them, like Edward dying wasn't only just possible, but also plausible. And I didn't know what the recent addition of the wolf meant, but it really freaked me out.
I stabbed the omelet with my fork, and Edward sat next to me. "Love, I won't just snap, I promise. As long as you're with me, I have perfect control."
"You don't know that for sure," I said, then immediately regretted it. I shoved a bite into my mouth and chewed mechanically, turning red again. I swallowed. "I didn't mean that, Edward. I trust you. But with all these changes…and my dreams…" I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder. "I'm scared for you."
I felt his lips against my hair as I took another bite. "There's no need to be afraid," he purred, and I couldn't help but feel better at his velvet voice in my ear. Then he picked up a stray piece of sausage and popped it into his mouth, chewing pensively. I gaped at him. After he considered long enough, he spat the sausage into his hand and threw it away, grimacing. "I suppose that just because it smells decent doesn't mean it tastes that way," he said with a disgusted face.
I had to admit it; this made me feel a little better about the situation. "I guess you aren't becoming a human, then," I mumbled.
-X-X-
Edward's POV
I felt bad about lying to Bella – the sausage did in fact taste okay, which shocked me – but it was best that I kept a straight face and convinced her that it tasted gross. I had to reassure her that I was confident in my control. And really, I was confident that Bella's presence would keep me from attacking anyone, but I was completely in the dark about what would happen if I continued to exist without blood. Not only did the sausage have an acceptable flavor, it awakened in me a feeling I hadn't had in over ninety years – hunger. Not thirst, but hunger.
I had wanted to eat it. It was a longing stimulated not by pain in my throat, but by pain in my stomach. It made me wonder, can I start eating human food? If an omelet could satisfy me, then perhaps I could survive on regular food, and I would no longer need to kill to eat. The theory seemed almost too good to be true, but I could not deny that the slight twisting sensation in my gut was indeed hunger.
Bella was quiet as she cleaned up the kitchen, and I was thinking too furiously to say anything, either. So it was in silence that Bella went to the front windows, where she stared out over the large field in front of the house. A light drizzle outside blurred the edges of the trees at the far edge of the meadow, and beyond that I could see a heavier cloudbank rolling slowly toward us.
"It looks like a storm is coming."
Bella just nodded.
-X-X-
It was as I had predicted. Three hours later, heavy rain pounded the windows, creating a steady rhythm to match Bella's heartbeat, which I could still hear when she was curled up with me on the couch in the living room. Bella's face was glowing, and I could practically see the energy she seemed to be gaining from the storm. She told me once, when we had first started dating, about how much she loved thunderstorms, and I could see it was true. Her face was content and her eyes were bright as she watched the rain drum against the windows.
She leaned her forehead against mine and smiled softly. "The rain is beautiful," she murmured.
"So are you," I replied, giving her a quick peck on the lips and staring into those wonderful brown depths, the eyes of my perfect little doe.
"Let's go outside," she said quickly, standing up. I followed, and we donned our rain jackets. When I reached for the umbrella by the front door, she shook her head. "Scared of a little water? There's nothing wrong with being wet," she laughed, and danced out of the door before I could protest. I didn't want her to get sick, but it seemed she didn't care.
As Bella opened the door, the sound of the rain tripled, and she hopped down the stairs of the porch. "Bella!" I shouted after her, but she ran into the meadow with her arms spread wide, laughing and spinning in the pouring rain. For a moment, I hesitated on the porch, thinking oh, man, she's going to get sick, for sure. Then Bella's enthusiasm and sheer joy infected me, and I ran out in the rain to sweep her into my arms and spin her around.
"See!" She laughed even louder in delight. "This is amazing! I love the rai…"
She wasn't able to finish. Seeing her at this moment, when no one else was looking, and when she was confident and beautiful, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I smashed my lips against hers, drinking in her radiant energy. Heavy drops of rain leaked through my jacket and hair, soaking me to the skin, and though the water was cold, Bella's heat made me warm. Her hands tugged at my wet hair, and her lips moved with mine to the rhythm of the rain and distant thunder.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her as close to me as I could, letting her heat wash over me. For a moment, I let myself believe that, with everything that had happened – the loss of strength and hearing, the okay smell of human food, that brief pang of hunger – I might have actually felt a thump in my chest. Being with Bella made me feel more human than any other experience in the world, and I loved her so much for it.
I hungered for the feel of her hot skin on mine, and the taste of her lips on my tongue. I hungered for her fingers in my hair and around my neck. I hungered to have her legs intertwined with mine, to become physically closer to her than I had ever been. Then maybe, just maybe, she could really start my heart beating for good.
I pined for all of these things as Bella kissed me fiercely there in the rain. The water that ran down her face ran into my mouth, and it tasted like the sweetest, most intoxicating red wine ever known to man. I held the nectar of the gods in my arms, and I hungered for more of her. No…I thirsted for more of the potent, hot liquid that she provided. The rain that mingled with her skin reminded me of something savory, something fragrant – like freesia and strawberries – that I had almost forgotten the taste of…that I hadn't tasted in nearly three long months.
As I stood there in the field, drenched with rain, holding Bella so close that I might have crushed her into me if I squeezed her any harder, something happened inside my head. I felt at first a tiny inkling of an emotion, other than my own. Then that seed took root firmly in my chest and grew, blooming and spreading like wildfire. I couldn't hear any specific thoughts, but I could feel Bella's emotions inside me. I felt her hold me, I felt her swoon as she kissed me, and I felt her love me. All of the sudden Bella was inside me, and I knew exactly how she felt about me; it was a pure, powerful, fiery passion that I thought was matched by nothing except the feelings I had for her.
I gasped at the new presence inside me, so similar to reading someone else's thoughts, and yet so incredibly different. And somehow, I felt that she knew that I could feel her in me. I was connected to her for a few long moments – heart, soul, mind, and body. Before I could think about it, I began kissing her all over, reveling in the heady flavor of her skin. I kissed her lips. I kissed her cheeks. I kissed her forehead, her eyes, her chin, her jawbone, her neck…
Which was perhaps the largest mistake I had ever made in my entire existence. The scent and flavor of her skin, so close to the pulsating heat in her veins, was the final straw. Everything swelled inside my brain – the experiment, feeling Bella's emotions inside me, and smelling and just nearly tasting the honey of her blood – to the point where I…just…broke.
I couldn't handle it anymore. I should have never gone so long without feeding. All the weeks of torturous thirst that I had avoided by staying with Bella, my one and only love, my fiancée, came rushing to the back of my throat so fast that it nearly incapacitated me. It was all I could do to keep from screaming in pain. Thousands of white-hot needles laced with poison jabbed my throat, and the only thing that kept me from falling to the ground was the knowledge that the demon dragon inside would be satisfied soon, very soon. I was only millimeters from that precious life-giving drink, a deep well of hot, sweet blood. Venom swirled in my mouth like the saliva of a rabid dog. All it took was one tiny little nip with my inhumanly sharp teeth to accomplish what escaped me two years ago in an alley in Texas.
All of this happened in a matter of a heartbeat. Bella hissed in pain and surprise when my teeth made contact with the delicate pale skin covering her jugular. In the background I heard the rumble of the thunder, which was nearer now, as well as a more constant roar that I ignored. The first few drops of her blood touched my tongue, and I rejoiced in my triumph. Bella's blood tasted better than any other's blood. There was no comparison to be made with human food, but it felt like drinking chilled water after days in a desert, combined with the passionate kisses of one's true love. It was glorious, and as I pulled at the wound in her neck, I could feel my strength returning to me tenfold. She was my perfect victim, the one whose blood would revive me and would make me stronger than any other vampire in existence.
She gasped and choked, fighting weakly against my clutches, but I knew that she knew she wasn't going anywhere. I took another drink, slowly, to prolong the flavor. I knew I would never have another human who tasted half as good as Bella did right then.
"Ed…ward. Stop it," she begged. "Please! I love you!" In a last desperate attempt, she pulled her head away from me, but I stopped her with a firm hand against her temple. There was a roar in the distance which was coming closer, but I was much too preoccupied to care.
A car door slammed, and I forced myself to briefly look up. When I finally took my mouth away from her neck, a single, thin stream of blood ran out of the corner of my mouth. I licked it up, not wanting to miss one drop.
I looked up to see what was happening, and I was greeted by the hard, dark eyes of Officer Black, approaching me quickly, carrying a long stick in his hand. He gripped the thing like a weapon. I snarled at this intrusion, trying to figure out how to get rid of him. I let go of Bella and crouched, but I moved too slowly. He reached toward me with the stick, and stabbed me in the stomach.
I yelled. I couldn't understand why, but the weapon – whatever it was – jolted me with white-hot pain. He thrust it at me again, this time hitting me in chest, right where my cold, lifeless heart was.
Before I blacked out, I knew for sure this time that it wasn't my imagination. A feeble thump-thump sounded in my chest.
-X-X-
Bella's POV
I ran out into the pouring rain, not caring that it would probably soak me to the bone, despite my rain jacket. I spread my arms out wide, trying to catch as many of the large drops as I could. Nothing could be more perfect than this, spinning slowly underneath a canopy of crying clouds while Edward ran to me and spun me in his arms. If the clouds are crying today, I thought, they must be happy tears.
"See?" I couldn't help the joyous laughter that bubbled up from my chest. "This is amazing." I sighed and wrapped my arms around Edward's neck. "I love the rai…"
I didn't have time to finish before Edward slammed his lips down on mine, and I immediately, automatically reacted by pulling myself closer and running my fingers through his hair. Water ran down our faces, some of it making its way into my mouth, and I kissed Edward hard, exploring every bit of space on his lips. Even in the rain, it was like kissing velvet-covered steel that moved, rising and falling in time with the rumble of faraway thunder.
He tightened his hold around my waist, but I didn't mind at all. Then he gasped and kissed me more fiercely than ever. It was like he had somehow tapped into my love for him and redoubled his own love for me. As his lips roved all over my face, I moaned into his mouth and slid my hands from his wet bronze hair down to his marble shoulders. I turned my face up to the rain as he peppered kisses all down my jaw and neck.
But then I felt a tiny sting of pain that made me hiss. Edward had accidentally bitten me – I supposed it was his overeager display of passion. I thought for sure he would stop, maybe even cover his nose and back away so the smell wouldn't overpower his will. Instead he just kept sucking at my neck. For a moment, all I could think was, he is going to give me one huge hickey.
It wasn't until I smelled the rusty, salty, pungent odor of blood that I realized what was happening. I tried to pull away from him, but Edward held me firmly in an iron grip. He took a long draw of my blood, and I fought as hard as I could to keep my lunch from reappearing. "Edward! Stop it!" I tried to make him see, make him realize what he was doing. "Please!" I groaned and tried to pull my head away from him. "I love you!" It was the only thing I could think of to say, but he ignored me completely and took another pull at my throat.
Already I felt nauseous and weak, and if it weren't for Edward holding me up, my legs would have buckled under me.
Suddenly a car door slammed, and I tried to look over at the road to see who was there, but the angle of my head prevented it, until Edward finally pulled his mouth away from my jugular. Then I did the first and probably only sensible thing I would do all that evening. I put my hand over the small hole in my neck to slow the bleeding.
Edward turned his head and snarled. I looked, too, and I saw a middle-aged, Native American man walking quickly toward us, brandishing what appeared to be a cattle prod. Edward seemed momentarily confused, and then he pushed me away and got into a fighting stance. But it was enough time for the man to get within striking range.
I stood and stared when the man jabbed Edward in the stomach with the long stick. Edward froze and a shocked expression came over his face. I briefly noticed that his eyes had gone back to black after drinking a couple of mouthfuls of my blood before the man rammed Edward again, this time in the chest.
And to my complete and utter astonishment, Edward fell to the ground in a dead faint. I looked up into the face of the man who had just brought down a vampire, and then my knees crumpled under me and I sat down hard on the ground.
"Hold on for just a second," the stranger commanded in a gruff voice. He jogged back to his car – a police cruiser, so he must have been an officer – and opened the passenger-side door. He came back with a white box in his hand and kneeled next to me. I just gawped at him with a dazed expression while he pressed a thick white gauze pad to the tear on my neck. "I'm Billy Black," he said kindly, like he knew I might start crying hysterically any minute. I very well might have, if I hadn't been so stunned. "I'm a policeman from Seattle. Don't worry, everything's going to be okay."
"But…but…you…" I stuttered. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look at Edward, who was still unconscious on the ground, three feet away from me, sprawled in an awkward position with his legs curled underneath him.
I shouldn't have done that. I howled and crawled over to him, wincing when the clotted blood on the gauze pad ripped away from my skin. I cradled Edward's head in my lap. "Is he…is he…d-d…" I couldn't even say it. Tears spilled over my eyes, mixing with the rain on my face.
"No. He'll just be out for a while."
Despite this assurance, I continued crying, and when I finally tore my eyes away from my unconscious fiancé, I looked at Officer Black, who had put the gauze back against my neck.
"Now listen to me carefully," he instructed. I stared at him, hoping he would explain all of this to me. "He tried to kill you."
Against all common sense, I laughed out loud. Mom always told me I was prone to hysteria in times of extreme stress, and now I believed her. "It wouldn't be the first time, either," I said in between sobs and giggles.
Officer Black went on like I hadn't said anything. "I leave it up to you. Do you want him to live?"
I gaped at him in horror. "You mean he can die?" I said, dumbfounded.
Black just nodded sedately. I shook my head and gulped. "No! Of course I don't want him to die! I'm engaged to him!" I lifted my left hand so Black could see the emerald ring.
It was his turn to look stunned for a moment before he composed his face into a solemn mask again. "Well, then. We have about an hour before he starts to die. Other than just now, when is the last time he drank blood?"
It took me a moment for me to comprehend that Officer Black seemed to know everything, and to take in his bluntness about the situation. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times before I said anything. "I…um…think it was about…three months ago?" I estimated.
He frowned. "That means yours is the only blood in his system now. If he had drank more recently, he would have roughly sixty minutes to live before he ran out."
"Well how much time does he have now?" I asked frantically, stroking the side of Edward's pale face.
Black seemed to think for a moment, then he looked at his watch.
"Less than ten."