Chapter Fifty Four
Bella
The next few months were wonderful as the new Whitlock Coven made its collective home at Peter and Charlotte's ranch. Peter and Jasper helped Emmett build he and Rose a cabin on a plot of land between our two houses in between trips out to horse sales. Peter had decided on raising horses and as he and Jazz had plenty of experience with horses it worked well. Emmett was good with them too although Rose and I found them somewhat intimidating. Of course, Peter found this highly amusing.
"Fuck me, two of the apex predators scared of a couple of horses. They should be scared of you, especially as they appear on your particularly sick menu."
Everyone got on famously and although Peter ragged us about our diet at every opportunity he got as good as he gave. Emmett seemed to grow before my eyes now he was out of Edward's shadow. He was still a kind and gentle giant but he was also amusing and very intelligent but it would be a mistake to underestimate him. If he felt an injustice had been done I honestly believe he could be as deadly as either Peter or Jasper.
No one had forgotten our unfinished business and I knew Jasper kept in contact with a friend who had eyes in Volterra. If Alice set foot outside the town we would know and I was pretty sure she and Aro were well aware of that. In the meantime, the days and weeks passed without a mention of what had happened and finally Jasper and I got a weekend to ourselves.
The others decided they wanted some R & R so Peter had booked them on a climbing course in the Rockies. Why he had chosen this no one could fathom but I could see Emmett was excited. I guess climbing was a skill which as a new vampire I didn't see the fun in. I still liked the idea of jumping from the top of a cliff and landing catlike at the base.
From Peter's expression, I could guess that it was going to be an unmitigated disaster for the poor instructor. I could see Peter now, explaining to him where he was going wrong and waited to hear the full extent of his high jinx when they got back.
We were invited along but I wanted the peace that their adventure would give us. With everything that had happened over the last few months, we hadn't stopped for breath and had never been alone. I was excited about having these few days alone with Jasper, just the two of us with no one to interrupt us.
After we waved them off Jasper turned to me,
"So darlin', all alone at last. What would you like to do?"
I smiled at him taking his hand in mine.
"Well, as it's just the two of us and no one is going to rush in and interrupt us why don't we take this discussion upstairs and allow me to show you."
He grinned, "I like the way you think."
Sweeping me off my feet he ran up the stairs to our room with it's huge bed which had seen too little action as far as I was concerned.
He laid me gently on the mattress and joined me, a lazy smile on his beautiful face.
"Now what darlin'?"
I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him, tasting him on my lips then demanding entry to his mouth, I wanted to taste him and feel his body close to mine, as close as it was possible for two beings to get.
His clothes, meanwhile, were getting in my way so I ripped them off throwing the tattered remnants to the floor in an untidy heap at the side of the bed.
He smiled at my impatience.
"Whoa there, we have all the time in the world.'"
"I can't wait that long, Whitlock."
I nuzzled his neck, running my hands down his flanks feeling the scars of a thousand fights etched on his skin. The scars didn't frighten me but they did fill me with sorrow. That an innocent young man should have been subjected to such violence angered me and I must have reacted to my anger because he pulled my face back to his and kissed me again,
"What's wrong, Bella?"
"Later," I breathed as I continued my exploration of his naked body, each touch of my fingertips sending tingles up my arm and straight to my very core.
Jasper
Something had momentarily upset Bella but I guess now wasn't the time to talk about it. I could feel her hunger and impatience and being a perfect gentleman was only too eager to oblige.
The feel of her clothes against my naked skin was good but I knew something better and her clothes soon joined mine on the bedroom floor.
As we caressed each other our desire grew until neither could stand it any longer and as I entered her she screamed in delight and pulled me close, devouring me until she could get me no closer. Then I started to move inside her and her waves of excitement took me over, I couldn't have stopped if she'd begged me but in fact she was begging for more and more and I used my gift to calm myself as long as I was able but in the end I could resist my own need no longer and came with such violence that I cried out myself and sank my teeth into her shoulder unable to stop myself. She wrapped her arms and legs around me tightly and we lay together like this until the sun went down and then watched the stars appear in the night sky through the open window from our bed.
"I love you, Jasper. I never thought I would ever be able to love and be loved like this after all that happened. Thank you for this gift."
I stopped her with more kisses.
"You will always be my love. I could never love another the way I love you, darlin,'" I whispered between those kisses.
Bella
We stayed locked in each others arms until the sun came up once more and our combined thirst made it necessary for us to get up and hunt. We did that, as we did everything, together. Neither of us were able to let the other out of sight without feeling a loss, a pain so deep we thought it would destroy us.
Then later, after a shower, we sat naked on the deck together looking over the lake at the back of the property. I leaned against Jasper's chest watching the play of sunlight on his bare arm and daydreaming until he spoke breaking into my thoughts.
"Bella, why were you feeling so angry earlier?"
I turned to touch his face and then ran my fingers lightly down his chest to rest in his groin, smiling as he twitched in response.
"I was thinking about your scars and how you got them."
He tensed a little as he always did when his scars were mentioned.
"Oh, do they bother you?"
"No, only what you were forced into that resulted in them. I think I'd like to have a word with a certain Mexican bitch."
He laughed and leaned forward draping his arms over my shoulders
"Maria isn't hot on talking, she's more or an action kind of girl. Anyway, that's in the past, it's over, it was over a very long time ago."
I sighed.
"And I guess I should be thankful to Alice for taking you to Carlisle enabling you to see there was another way to live."
He sighed and kissed my neck but didn't answer, he rarely did if I brought Alice into the conversation.
"Do you think she'll forget about us?"
"I don't think Alice ever forgets anything, Bella. So no, and one day we will have to face her again."
"So, you don't think Aro will keep her indefinitely?"
"I don't think anyone can keep Alice anywhere she doesn't want to be and Volterra will be far too quiet for her, there aren't any designer stores or expensive spas close by."
"If I were Alice and I had us looking for revenge I'd run and hide as far from us as I could get."
"Me too, but Alice dances to a different tune. Maybe she'll wait until she gets a vision showing her a safe way to avoid us."
We sat in silence for a while then I turned to him.
"Do you think the others are enjoying themselves?"
He grinned.
"Let's just say that Peter will be enjoying himself. As for the others on the course and the instructor….we'll see."
I ran a hand down his throat to his chest and lower.
"Maybe we should take our minds off that for a while."
"Yes, maybe we should."
And we did, for the next few hours out on the porch, under the crescent moon, serenaded by the cicadas.
Emmett
The course was going to be a riot! There were ten of us with an instructor and assistant and I knew as soon as I saw the instructor that he was in for a rough ride from Peter. The guy was a real asshole for starters, treating us like complete idiots from the get go even though everyone here had a little experience. The others who'd come on the course obviously wanted to have some fun while learning to climb but that wasn't the way he saw it.
First off we got the gospel according to St James, as Peter nicknamed him as soon as the guy introduced himself as James St Claire.
"1. Climbing is dangerous and should be treated seriously.
2. Tired climbers are a danger to themselves and their companions so there would be no late nights.
3. Untidy climbers are dangerous climbers so there will be a tent and equipment check every day
4. Inattentive climbers are dangerous climbers so there will be no horseplay on his course."
By this point I knew he'd lost, it was like a red rag to a bull as far as Peter was concerned. I saw the glint in his eye and knew he was already plotting his first prank before the poor guy got the last rule of camp out.
Charlotte
I listened in growing horror as our instructor laid out the ground rules for the course and groaned inwardly. With every word out of his mouth, he was laying himself open to more and more grief from my dear husband who probably knew more about climbing than this asses rear end. I did just wonder if perhaps Peter had known what this guy was like and that's why he had chosen this course, or maybe I was just paranoid. Living with Peter got you that way!
I glanced over at Rose who was frowning at the guy and I thought Peter might just have an ally this time out. Deciding that discretion might be the better part of valour I sat back quietly and observed Emmett who threw me a grin and winked. Well, that was it. With the three of them out for trouble, our intrepid instructor was about to embark on a weekend in hell.
Peter
I smiled when I first saw our instructor and rubbed my hands with glee, he was going to make my weekend this guy, he was such an ass. Rules! He acted as if we were fucking teenagers on a school outing. I looked around at our companions for the course, there were a group of four college students who quite obviously had no intention of listening to a thing St James said let alone follow his rules and regulations but the other three looked like they might be more fun, there was Dick Head one and two and a girl who quite obviously had only come on the course looking for a macho boyfriend. The Dick Heads didn't interest her and the four students were already paired up but Emmett and I did as we'd sat together, leaving the girls to do their own thing.
Or maybe they just wanted to disown us before we started fucking about. I nudged Emmett and whispered,
"I think she's got the hots for you," gesturing to our young Lolita.
He grinned and wiggling his eyebrows like a silent screen villain turned to smile at her.
She looked away with a flushed face and an embarrassed smile, while Rose glared at me, having heard my comment.
I ostentatiously blew her a kiss and she rolled her eyes, an action which was immediately picked up by St James.
"I hope you were listening there, Mr Whitlock, knowing the safety rules could just save your life"
I jumped theatrically as if he'd caught me red handed.
"Sure did there, Jimmy."
He scowled marking me down as the one who would need watching.
"It's, James."
"Oh right yeah, sure did, James and it's Peter. My dad was Mr Whitlock."
St James turned away to continue his little pep talk while I looked around, yeah, I was gonna have me some fun this weekend.
Emmett
The girl Peter had named Lolita gave me the eye all evening as we set up tents at our campsite, the base of a fairly steep cliff. Knowing Peter and I could scale it in a few seconds we messed about until our instructor finally had enough..
"Excuse me, Emmett, Peter. Instead of making a nuisance of yourselves perhaps you could try finding some wood for a campfire."
"On it, Jimmy!"
Peter saluted and we made off in the direction of the nearest trees, the noise of gnashing of teeth almost audible as we went.
Once inside the trees and out of sight we stopped to have a good laugh
"Hey, let's give him a treat. How about we rustle up some supper too?"
I looked at him then tested the air.
"There's plenty of elk around."
"Elk it is then."
We soon rounded up a nice big Elk and I snapped its neck before Peter used one of the climbing ropes and tied it around the elk's middle. He then proceeded to haul it back while I picked up some dead wood for the fire.
Charlotte
When I saw what Peter was doing I hid in the tent so I could laugh in private, poor James would have a fit! When I could arrange my face to a neutral look I went back out to find the others had seen what the boys had with them and were talking excitedly.
Alerted by the excited chatter James turned to see what the commotion was about and I honestly thought he was going to have a coronary on the spot.
He ran over to them hands waving hysterically in the air,
"What are you doing? What's that?"
Peter dropped it and scratched his head,
"I don't rightly know, Jimmy but as we were coming back it fell from the cliff face. I don't think it's equipment was secured properly, see."
He held up the rope which had frayed through.
"Should have listened to your talk, it might still be breathing that way."
James frowned staring at the elk.
"It dropped on you?"
"Sure did."
Emmett mimed the supposed incident and by the time he'd finished everyone except James was rolling around in stitches.
"You want me to take it back, Jimmy?"
"Its James," he shouted in frustration at Peter.
"Sorry, James. You want me to take it back? It might be missed."
We all got together and decided that it probably wouldn't be missed so Rose and I took over the butchery and it was cooked over the excellent campfire Emmett built. Lolita was giving him the eye again and Rose was enjoying his discomfort as the girl came to sit beside him flirting outrageously. The look of panic in Emmett's eyes really was hilarious.
Peter
While the others slept Emmett and I decided Jimmy needed a little wake up call so we got to work with our knives and the girls helped out as quietly as we could. Then we all rolled in our sleeping bags at the entrance of our tents until dawn began to break when there was a terrible scream from the students tent and one of them came running out, an arrow protruding from his sleeping bag and blood smeared all over him.
Next out came Lolita with war paint on and blood covered hands.
By the time Jimmy was able to extricate himself from his sleeping bag whose zip had mysteriously jammed there was chaos in camp and we were unable to move for laughing.
It took Jimmy boy a couple of hours to gain control and we did some climbing, very straight faced, no messing around, after all, there were fragile humans around who wouldn't bounce if they hit the ground too hard.
I think Jimmy thought his troubles were over after that, bad mistake! His clothes mysteriously vanished when he took himself off down to the creek for a wash so he had to spend the evening in a shirt of Em's that would have fitted Jimmy and two others and a pair of my jeans with a broken zipper. Now, I wonder how that happened?
Emmett was cornered by Lolita in the darkness when he went to collect some more wood for the fire and narrowly avoided being assaulted when Rosalie came upon them. Mind, she blamed him for leading the poor kid on so his evening ended with a whimper instead of a bang.
The next morning all the ropes had vanished and just for once I wasn't responsible although Jimmy wasn't going to believe that. He even tossed my tent! The students were in hysterics and finally owned up to being the culprits but by that time Jimmy's blood pressure was through the roof, I thought we might have to call for a medivac!
Needless to say, the weekend wrapped up early and I was none too politely asked not to sign up for any more courses. No idea why he should pick on me, I felt quite victimized.
