AN: Man, this week has been long! I couldn't wait until Sunday to post. Can't wait to hear your thoughts and comments. I really LOVE reading your reviews! Just a reminder, I have decided to make my AU into a series of books called the Mate Series. This is book 1 and the 22 chapters that are a part of this book is written and with my beta and pre-reader. I need to tweek them a little, but the story will be updated weekly until the book is complete. Then book 2 of the series will begin. There will be quite a few things unanswered in book 1, but stay with me.

I hope you enjoy my little alternative universe.

Enjoy, folks!

A Broken Friendship

Edward's kisses are suddenly filled with purpose and his hands are going everywhere, almost as if he doesn't know where to begin. There is a sense of desperation behind his touch that I hadn't been witness to earlier, it's exhilarating and ignites a frenzy within me to match his. All I can do is cling to him and meet his bold touches and kisses with equal fervor. A grunt falls from my lips when he lifts me up from the ground and presses me against the wall. I kick off my shoes and lock my feet together at his back, twisting my fingers in his hair as I hold on for dear life.

Edward's lustful kisses soon leave my lips and begin trailing across my cheek. I throw my head back and moan loudly when his talented tongue traces the shell of my ear causing my toes to curl with pleasure. After extracting as much desire as possible from that specific area, his lips begin to descend down my neck. He nips and sucks my skin into his mouth sometimes so hard that I am sure he is leaving a mark, but I'm too gone to care. In truth, everything he does only increases my lust for him. My fingers are tugging his hair so hard that I'm surprised that I'm not ripping fistfuls of strands out, but I can't help myself. I feel completely unhinged.

A surprised squeal falls from my lips when he pushes me even higher and I'm suddenly above him looking down. His large hands are cupping my ass, pushing me upwards against the wall. My breasts now directly in line with his eyes and the look he sends me is one of a hungry predator. A thrill runs through me at the wild and almost barbaric look in his eyes. I see his wolf flash in them and the electric green sends a sensual pulse directly to my core. Edward tugs down the top of my dress with ease and the cool night air licks the bare skin of my uncovered breasts. His movements still for a short moment when they come into view, and for a second I can feel embarrassment flow through me. I know my breasts aren't very large and I suddenly feel self-conscious. The painful groan that vibrates from his chest quickly dispels my worries. Nothing, however, can prepare me for the wave of pure ecstasy that follows when his lips begin to pay homage to my breasts. One hand leaves my ass and joins his tantalizing lips. He licks, sucks, tugs, massages. I can't even keep track. All I know is that I never want him to stop. My head tilts back and I can see that the sky is filled with stars, for a brief second I feel like I'm floating amongst them.

Soon, however, I realize that I need more. My core is soaking wet against my panties and his shirt, again I can feel deep shudders of pleasure pulse through my body. I'm breathing heavily, but soon my moans turn to impatient whimpers. He hears my pleas and sensually drags his tongue up the skin between my breasts and up my sternum to my neck, then he gently allows my body to drop so that we are face to face again. I tighten my thighs against his waist and lock my feet behind his back again.

The kisses Edward now leaves on my lips are light and soothing, almost as if he is telling me not to worry, that he will take care of my every need. With agonizingly slow movements, he drags the tip of his fingers up the inside of both of my thighs, pushing the material of my dress up over my ass, bunching it up at my lower back. Then his movements stop and our eyes meet, both of us holding a breath as we take a moment to simply acknowledge that this is something we both want. Exhaling at the same time, Edward leans forward and lightly caresses his nose against mine before kissing me sweetly, almost reverently.

It doesn't take long for our kiss grows with intensity and then, finally, his long, delectable fingers are right where I want him, where I crave him most. A single digit traces my slit through the material of my panties and we both break our joined lips to moan. My breath catches when he presses harder against the material and slowly begins to swirl two fingers against the swollen numb at the top. Unable to focus on responding to his kisses any longer, Edward moves his mouth from my lips to my ear. My brain has turned into a puddle of mush, unable to do anything other than focus on my breathing and his mesmerizing touch.

"That's it, baby. I got you."

His gruff whisper and almost lazy touch causes an uncontrollable shudder to run through my body. The skin near my ear is extremely sensitive and with every breath or gentle touch, I feel goosebumps spread like wildfire on my skin and shivers flow through me.

With an expert twist of his hand he pushes the material of my soaked panties to the side and, with a hiss, moves his fingers against my warmth. It doesn't take him long to push a long finger deep inside of me and this time it's his turn to shudder.

"Jesus, Bella," he groans, biting the skin at the juncture between my shoulder and neck in unfulfilled frustration.

His finger finds its rhythm, slipping in and out of me, creating an incredible sensation each time it enters. My moans grow with intensity as his thumb joins the sensual dance, swirling firm circles over my clit. My breath falls in soft gasps as my entire body begins to tremble, a delicious tension building within me.

"I can't wait to taste you," he whispers in my ear again, and the image of that pushes me even further. "Would you like that?" His voice is gruff and I can hear the question, but I am in no shape or form able to answer him. I'm at the brink of madness.

I feel a slight burn and realize that he's now entered two fingers inside of me and his other hand has taken over caressing my clit. The tension within me builds in tenfold. My entire body shakes uncontrollably against him, every single part of me preparing for the wave of pure bliss that is just within my reach.

"Come for me, Bella," he commands in a deep and powerful voice, his Beta shining through just as he pinches my clit.

His magical fingers have strummed my body like a an expert musician would to his beloved instrument and I'm suddenly unable to hold back. With a deep moan the earth shatters as I let go and am propelled into the heavens by waves of sheer pleasure. Heat floods through every particle of my being and my heart feels like it is going to burst out of my chest. My mind goes blank and I sag against him, completely spent and he grunts.

It takes me a while to come back to reality, never having experienced an orgasm so powerful before in my life. At the edge of my consciousness, I notice that Edward is fumbling with something between us, and soon I become aware that he is busy pushing down his pants and boxers with shaky fingers. Anticipation immediately begins to build again when I consider what that means and a flare of lust flows through me again. I pull his mouth to mine and kiss him fiercely. His body is trembling and I recognize that he has reached the absolute end of his control.

When he pushes my panties to the side so hard that I feel they might rip and his warm blunt tip meets my slick heat, our lips break apart in shock. His almost midnight eyes meet mine and I know then without a shadow of a doubt that this is exactly where I belong. My body sings with joy and I can't stop a silly smile from spreading on my face. Edward is everything I want and more. He moves his hard column up and down a little, coating himself with moisture, each movement causing a thrill of anticipation to flood through me, before he finds the place that will join us and make us one. Instead of driving forward to claim me, he finds an inch of restraint and pauses, an unspoken question apparent on his features. I can see that he is struggling to hold back, but his gesture means the world to me. I nod, tightening my tired thighs around his waist and he begins to press forwards with a shuddering breath.

"What the hell?!"

A familiar and shrill voice cuts through the air like lightning and it is as if both Edward and I are thrown into the icy waters of a wintery lake. Our safe and lust filled bubble has shattered into a million pieces and suddenly where we are and what we were about to do, hits me like a wrecking ball. I can't regret what happened, but the lack of privacy makes me question what we were thinking? The answer quickly resounds in my head: we weren't.

Everything that happens next passes by in a blur of motion. Edward drops me to my feet, quickly tucks himself back into his pants and then turns around to face the voice, creating a protective stance in front of me to shield me from view. The ground is cold and uneven under my bare feet and I immediately regret kicking off my shoes earlier. I quickly pull my dress back up over my breasts and then tug the hem down over my butt and thighs. Just as I finish, I see Edward's shoulders be pushed back one by one and I realize that someone is pushing him as they scream out in open frustration. Anger rises within me and I quickly move to his side to support him, but when I see who the culprit is, I instantly freeze in my spot.

"What the hell were you thinking?! You idiot!" Rosalie screeches as she hits Edward over and over in the chest with clenched fists.

Edward in turn stands there with his arms stretched at his sides and allowing her to treat him as a boxing bag. A door hits a wall with a loud rattle and suddenly Rosalie is pulled back by Emmett. She struggles against him, but soon the fight leaves her and tears well up in her blue eyes. I can feel my entire body begin to shake as icy fear spreads through me when our friends one by one walk out into the ally. Their eyes are quickly puzzling the pieces together when they see the state Edward and I are in. Uncomfortable silence grows around us, the only sound being Rose's soft cries. The atmosphere is somber and tense.

A burst of anger flows through Rosalie again and she steps forward, Emmett tightly holding her arm, but she quickly manages to shrug it off. She doesn't hit Edward, but simply stands directly in front of him, forcing his focus on her.

"How long?" she demands, her piercing eyes locked on Edward's. When he doesn't answer immediately, she raises her voice and repeats the question.

Edward shoots her an unreadable look and then answers vaguely, his jaw clenched and his muscles tight.

"Not long."

I can see that she too is biting her teeth tightly together as the muscles in her jaw moves.

"You know what a relationship between the two of you will mean, Edward."

Her voice is hard and I feel like someone has just punched me in the gut. A chill runs through me and I quickly wrap my arms protectively around myself as tightly as I can manage.

"Rosalie," Edward warns, his voice equally hard.

"NO!" she shouts and I can see Emmett, Alice and Jasper wince simultaneously behind her.

She pauses, clearly trying to calm herself down by inhaling deeply. When she continues her voice is softer.

"Our entire family will be implicated if the two of you start something. You can't let that happen, Edward!" she implores, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. Edward runs a frustrated hand through his hair and I can see that he knows full well what the consequences are, and he is fighting against them himself.

"An imprint isn't something that can be stopped, Rose," he responds, almost as if he's begging for understanding. Begging for permission.

"She isn't 21, yet. There's still time." Rose's voice is suddenly sickeningly sweet and I can feel my stomach roll at her convincing tone.

"We can speak to Dad, maybe he and Grandpa can come up with something. This isn't inevitable."

Her voice portrays a ray of hope, but I can't help but feel betrayed. Apparently, Rose will do anything to keep us from imprinting. She doesn't want me within a mile's radius of her brother. In a way I can understand that she doesn't want her brother to get hurt, but-. This feels like something more. Like there is something that I still don't know, a horrible consequence that must be averted at all costs. Well, then why the hell hasn't anyone filled me in on the matter?! Also I feel hurt, I've lost a friend this evening. Rose had been one of the first people to welcome me to Forks, I considered her a good friend, but now-. How could a friendship suddenly just vanish into thin air.

Edward doesn't say anything and that makes the sense of betrayal even worse. Does he even want to be with me? Or is everything that has happened between us just due to the incomplete imprint? The thought opens the floodgates of doubt and it hits me like a tidal wave. The emotions that follow make it difficult to breathe and feel myself begin to hyperventilate.

There is a flurry of movement as Jake hurries towards me with long strides. His dark eyes quickly assess me before he throws his jacket around my shoulders and pulls me to his side to keep me warm, rubbing my back comfortingly with his strong hand. Edward turns and I can see deep concern cross his features and he immediately takes a step in our direction, reaching for me. Before he can get close, Leah cuts him off.

"Don't," she warns, her voice deadly. I can see a look of complete surprise on both Edward's and Rosalie's faces.

"You want to fight the imprint, go ahead, but you know as well as I do that it's already too late. She's your mate, Edward, are you really going to let your family get in the way of that?" Leah askes a hint of disbelief and deep disappointment in her tone.

"You can't know that for certain!" Rose interjects, but Leah simply snorts in response, keeping her eyes locked on Edward and I see that it dawns on him that I've told Leah everything.

"Well, she is my family and we, Swans, take care of our own without pushing others down in the mud in the process," Leah continues shooting a pointed look in Rose's direction.

Then she turns on her heel, picks up my shoes and rushes to where Jake and I are standing.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," she whispers with deep compassion in her voice, before kneeling down to help me with my shoes.

"Don't bother," Jake grunts, lifting me easily into his arms.

I consider objecting for a moment, but decide against it. This entire day has been exhausting and I feel as though I'm at the verge of a breakdown of some sort. Even my wolf is staying quiet, although leaving Edward visibly upsets her. Just as we are about to disappear from their view, Jake turns his head and shouts.

"Hey Edward!"

My eyes are already closed shut so I'm unable to see his reaction, but I feel my ears perk up.

"I'll be keeping that promise," he continues ominously.

Without waiting for a reply Jake gently helps me into the taxi that Leah has been able to hail for us. Blissfully, I'm able to sleep the entire ride home and I barely notice Jake putting me to bed before I allow the darkness to swallow me whole, simply wanting this day to be over.

When I wake up the next day, my bones feel extremely heavy and spent. It doesn't take me long to notice that I've completely overslept and I panic for a moment before I remember that it is my day off. Still, it's been a long time since I've slept this deeply, especially without Edward's wolf being next to me. Sitting upright in my bed, I have a quick look at my phone. There are a few new messages and I quickly rub some of the sleep out of my eyes before opening them. The first is from Leah, sent early this morning.

Hey sleepyhead! When you wake up, come down to Nana's for breakfast. We need to talk. – L

We need to talk? My eyebrows pinch together at her cryptic message and I huff out an exasperated sigh. Last night's disaster begins to roll like a movie in my head and I groan, pushing the memories away. I'm so sick of talking and I still feel hurt and confused. I just want to be left alone. A small part of me just wants to bury my head under a pillow all day and pretend that the outside world doesn't exist.

When I skip to the next message my heart literally jumps in my chest. Apparently, I received several messages late last night and early morning from an unknown number. Mouth dry, I open the first message and a surprised gasp falls from my lips.

Hey Bella, it's Edward. I got your phone number from Alice. I just wanted to make sure that you got home alright.

Hi again, please let me know that you are OK. I'm losing my mind over here.

Spoke to Jake, he said you're sleeping and for me to piss off, so I guess I'll let you sleep. Thinking of you. X

X? Kisses? My cheeks heat as I immediately remember all of the kisses and sweet moments we shared the day before. Today my head feels clearer, but I'm still so very confused. After the showdown with Rosalie, I can't help but wonder just how much of Edward's reactions to me are just because of the imprint. Our relationship has evolved extremely fast, especially after our wolves mated, and now that I'm away from him, I can't help but wonder just how much of it is real. I know I can't ignore my feelings for Edward and I'm immensely pleased that he's made an effort and has sent all these messages. The now familiar ache that always seems to follow when we are apart, begins to grow in my chest and I quickly drag my hand over where it hurts and breathe deeply.

The phone suddenly buzzes in my hands, revealing a new message from him and I feel anticipation grow in my gut.

Good morning, beautiful! I trust you slept well. Listen, I know things kind of blew up on us yesterday, but I really want to make it up to you.

I bite my lip, a small smile spreading as soon as I read his words. Then I consider what I should reply for a second before sending him a short answer.

What did you have in mind? – B

I hold my breath and anxiously wait for his reply, my heart skipping excitedly in my chest.

Flowers? Wine? Chocolate? Dinner? Movies? Honestly, it's your pick.

After only a second my phone buzzes with yet another message.

I just want to be with you.

My heart melts and a deep longing begins to spread. I want him near me as well and I quickly decide to set aside all of my questions and doubts from last night and simply enjoy the fact that we both want to be together.

What time? – B

I'm honestly hoping he'll say right now.

I have a meeting I have to go to in an hour, but I have my whole evening free. Does that work for you?

My smile grows, though I am a little disappointed that I have to wait that long to see him. Biting my lip, I type out a response.

I was planning on making lasagna for dinner tonight. – B

His answer is instantaneous.

I love lasagna. 7 ok?

Instead of typing out a response I simply send a thumbs up and he replies with a heart emoji.

Feeling giddy with excitement about the prospect of spending the entire evening alone with Edward, I force myself not to linger on all the questions and concerns I have about us and get out of bed. I take a long, soothing shower and feel refreshed and revived when I head down to Nana's and Pop's. When I enter, Leah is the only one in the kitchen, drinking a hot cup of tea as she reads through a mountain of books in front of her.

"Where is everyone?"

I'm so used to the house being full of people, that this takes me a little off guard.

"Look who finally decided to make an appearance," Leah teases, standing up to fetch me a plate of pancakes and freshly cut fruit.

"You don't have to serve me breakfast, you know?" I say with a smirk and she simply looks pointedly at the chair next to her, clearly ordering me to sit down and hold my tongue just with her eyes.

I quickly comply. She is holding my food hostage. I thank her and take a big bite of the pancakes. Leah moves and grabs a cup of coffee and some orange juice placing it in front of me before finding her seat.

I don't know exactly what I've done to earn such a feast, but I continue eating with gusto, suddenly realizing how hungry I am.

"Nana, Sue and Mom are upstairs looking after Pop. He's a little better today, so they are spending some time with him. Charlie and my Dad had some business in town and Jake and the boys are out helping build a new fence at the edge of the pasture," Leah explains, while I eat.

We make some light small talk, but I can sense that Leah's simply waiting for me to finish my breakfast. She's also glancing anxiously at her watch repeatedly, and when she does so for the tenth time in an equal amount of minutes, I place my cutlery down and ask her about it.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

Her mouth draws into a straight line and I can see how tense she suddenly is.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this," she reveals, her foot bobbing up and down nervously.

I carefully swallow and turn towards her, giving her my full attention. Suddenly, a strange feeling spreads through me, almost like a terrible premonition that whatever it is that Leah is about to tell me, isn't going to be something I want to hear.

"My Dad and Charlie were called in to an urgent Council Meeting," she pauses, as if just this little amount of information should tell me something important.

"So?" I ask, tilting my head in question.

She exhales heavily before answering.

"I don't know for certain, but I think the Council Meeting is about you and Edward. It's supposed to start at the Town Hall in 10 minutes."

I feel dread sink in my stomach and suddenly feel like throwing up all of the food I just ate. Why does a relationship with Edward and I merit a Council Meeting?

"Wha-? Why are you telling me this?" I stutter out, unsure of what her motives are for informing me about the meeting. She moves closer, touching my knee with hers.

"I was asked to distract you until our fathers got back, but I can't help but feel that it's completely unfair that you aren't there to hear what they have to say. Edward will definitely be there and so should you!"

She's keeping her voice low so that we won't be heard, but I can hear her frustration shine through. I'm suddenly reminded of Edward's message stating that he had to go to a meeting and I begin to feel conflicted. A large part of me agrees with Leah, but at the same time, I don't want to step on any toes or do anything wrong. There is so much I don't understand and I honestly don't know what to do here!

"And how exactly do you propose that I do that? If they don't want me there, then I shouldn't be there," I huff.

She bites her lip.

"We'll take your truck, I'll hide in the front seat, so if anyone sees you leave the Ranch, they'll simply think I didn't see you or whatever. When we get to the Town Hall, we'll figure something out. Most likely everyone will have arrived when we get there and we can sneak in to listen."

I can't help but feel a little apprehensive about her plan. This seems a little drastic and I don't really like the idea of sneaking around, but at the same time, I am growing sick of always being kept in the dark. If they won't tell me things, then maybe this is the only way. Drawing my bottom lip between my teeth, I weigh my options. Without allowing myself too much time to reconsider, I bob my head in silent acceptance. Leah smiles widely and jumps out of her seat, ready to put our plan into motion. We agree that we'll meet up down by the main road instead, so that no one will see us both leave the house at the same time. I'll leave first and hurry home to brush my teeth and grab my purse before taking off in my car. If anyone asks, I'll say I need some groceries. While I'm at my house Leah will sneak out the side door and run down a shielded shortcut through Nana's vegetable garden, down to the main road.

Plan in place, I quickly leave, my heart hammering nervously in my chest the entire time I get ready to head out. When I finally turn the key to the ignition and my truck roars to life, I'm convinced that something about this plan is going to go wrong and feel like I have my heart in my throat the entire way down to the main road. Everything, however, goes without a hitch, but even when Leah safely enters my truck, I still can't shake the ominous feeling that something very bad is about to happen.