AN: Hello, hello everyone!
Hope you are all doing well and are ready for E & B's first date (insert squeal). I've just started writing part 2, it isn't finished at all, but hopefully I will be able to get it ready for you by next Friday.
Two small pieces of information:
1) I've started a page on Facebook called Irene da Silva's Space and would love it if you come by and say "hi".
I wanted a place to post what I'm working on, thoughts, projects and recommendations, and figured that was the best way to do it for now.
2) I started posting My Stubborn Mate in October 2019. Before that I hadn't written creatively for over five years and even then I didn't write much. Getting into the Twilight Fandom again has been incredible. I feel like I've evolved a lot as a writer and as a person because of all the incredible people I've "met" through this fandom. I've begun rewriting My Stubborn Mate into an original fiction for the fun of it and I've found that I'm changing quite a lot. My writing has changed a lot since the beginning. I'll probably post some of it on my page.
Anywho, enough with my ramblings...
Let's check in on our E&B!
My Date Part 1
We drop my bag off in Edward's truck before strolling down the streets in comfortable silence. Both of us simply enjoying the fact that we are together and that this is our first night out as a couple. Edward's warm hand in mine makes me feel like I'm the luckiest girl alive and when he glances my way, his lips curling into a tender smile, it's like nothing in the world matters; nothing but him. It takes a little while for me to notice, but he appears to be lost in thought. Although he is trying very hard to hide it, I can feel that there is something brewing inside that is clearly bothering him. I want to help, but I don't want to appear pushy, so I wait. Luckily, I don't have to wait for long.
Without warning, Edward pulls me decisively away from the main walking street and into a dark alleyway, spinning me around to face him.
"Are you okay?" he asks, deep concern dripping from his tone
I immediately feel my brows furrowing in confusion. Why wouldn't I be okay?
"I heard what Rosalie said," he reveals and suddenly the turmoil I've felt from him makes sense.
He takes both of my hands in his and squeezes them gently, his expressive eyes willing me to believe him as he makes his point.
"You are not my downfall."
Perhaps it's because I haven't seen him in several hours, but the genuine and undeniably honest expression on his face combined with a rush of his emotions completely overwhelm me. My heart skips a beat and I can physically feel how that small seed of doubt that Rosalie planted within me during our conversation shrivels away into nothing. Without even knowing it, Edward has given me every assurance that I need to bury each of Rosalie's spiteful words. Before I can even think about what I'm doing, I've launched myself into his arms, kissing the hell out of him. As always, desire explodes between us and the rest of the world simply fades away.
A needy whimper escapes me as I try to get as close to Edward as I possibly can, which is quickly followed by a grateful moan when two strong hands lift my feet off the ground and I am finally able to wrap my legs around his narrow waist. In no time whatsoever, my back is pushed against a cold brick wall for support as my entire body is engulfed by flames as Edward matches my every move. His hands are everywhere as we both lose ourselves in this all-consuming and animalistic hunger that we have for one another. Our kisses are sloppy and desperate and yet so utterly perfect at the same time. I can feel him, hard and hot between my legs and my hips immediately begin grinding against him, driving us both insane. This isn't going to take long.
A sharp whistle followed by a "Get a room!" comment, harshly yanks us both back to reality. Our eyes meet, wide with surprise at how quickly our bodies respond to one another, as we try to calm our uneven breaths and racing hearts. In a matter of seconds, we both burst out into laughter, the absurdity of our situation crashing over us. It feels incredible to laugh with him like this.
"You are going to get us both arrested one day," Edward teases lightly as he slowly drags me down his body until my feet touch the pavement.
I send him a look, reminding him that he isn't exactly an innocent bystander in this and we both share a knowing grin. As I lean down to pick up my purse, I can feel a sense of conviction build within him and am not surprised when I am met with an increasingly serious expression.
"I don't want this to ruin the rest of our date, but I want you to know that I will talk to my sister. I won't allow her to speak to you that way."
I release a deep sigh and try to collect my thoughts on the matter.
"I appreciate that you want to stand up for me, Edward, I do. And I am truly grateful that we can be open about this. Your assurances mean the world to me," I pause, reaching out for one of his hands and quickly intertwine his fingers with mine. Our bond hums with contentment.
"I know that you want to protect me, but-," I take a breath, honing in on a particularly painful topic. "We can't force our opinions on others, Edward," I shake my head and bite my bottom lip.
My wolf clearly doesn't agree with me on this matter at all and is making it difficult for me. She is chomping at the bit to challenge Rosalie, and anyone else who might share her views, to a fight and teach them all a lesson. However, I know that simply fighting the wolf won't make much of a difference if the human isn't convinced to change their opinion. A change that won't happen easily, especially not if it is made by force.
"We knew this was going to be an uphill battle," I begin, but Edward quickly interrupts.
"Bella, we are the new Beta's of the Pack. We have to lead by example and be very clear on what we don't tolerate. Our packmates won't respect us as leaders if we don't throw down the axe now and again."
"I understand that and I agree with you. I just don't ever want us to lead by force, Edward."
I'm reminded by the discussion I overheard at the Council meeting between my father and Carlisle. I almost lost my free will that day and I shudder to think about what would have happened if Edward hadn't imprinted early on me. Allowing our pack mates their freedom of opinion and freedom of choice is the one thing that I will fight to protect, because I almost lost it myself.
"Everyone needs to be entitled to their opinion, Edward, and we can't expect them to just instantly change their minds because it is something we want them to do. Change takes time."
I can both feel and see how conflicted Edward is about this. The Alpha in him wants to obliterate any one who dares speak against him, but the human knows that I'm right. I take both of his hands in mine.
"We will lead by example and we will prove to whoever stands against us that they are wrong. But we will never do it by force, promise me that."
My wolf huffs out in annoyance, but I can feel her acceptance as long as she can kick their asses and lay down the line in wolf form, she doesn't really care. To this I give her a silent nod and she instantly calms down.
"I'm not saying that we shouldn't speak up, because of course we need to and yes, I would appreciate it if you did speak to your sister and to your grandfather. They both need to know how you feel about us."
Edward clenches his jaw as though he wants to argue, but after a moment's pause he slowly nods his head in confirmation.
"Rosalie is very close to my grandfather. I have no doubt that it's his teachings that she's still holding on to. She is fiercely loyal and she loves her family," Edward explains and I can feel his regret as he undoubtedly is reminded of how he too treated me unfairly in the beginning because of his grandfather's prejudices. I try to remind myself of that as well and at least try to not hold a lasting grudge against Rosalie should she come around.
"We'll prove them all wrong," I declare as confidently as I possibly can.
This time it's Edward who makes a move, taking a step closer, his tall frame acting like a protective shield in front of me. Keeping his eyes on mine, he gently cups my cheek and begins dragging his thumb slowly over my cheekbone, a gesture so loving and tender that it makes my body melt against his touch.
"We've got this, huh?"
His use of those familiar words instantly brings a wide smile to my face. I gaze up at him, and touch his hand that's on my cheek.
"Yes, we do."
The confidence and joy I feel in this moment makes my head spin and I can feel how my emotions are influencing Edward's, assuring him that I'm okay and that he too can let his guard down and enjoy the evening.
"Now, I believe I was promised a first date. Getting felt up in a dark alley isn't exactly what I had in mind when you asked me out," I tease.
Edward joins me with a deep chuckle that makes my insides tingle. His expression is growing playful and light.
"Well, if I remember correctly, we were never very good at keeping our hands away from one another whenever we got near a dark, partially secluded spot. It's kind of our MO," there is a huskiness to his tone that makes my body sing.
Memories of our encounters at the Den immediately come to mind and I feel my cheeks heat as my body comes to life. Perhaps we should just call it a night and go back home? Edward's eyes darken and I can feel a wave of desire roll through him like molten honey. Jesus. I feel my knees shake in response to his emotions. Our bond crackles in my ears and red sparks fly between us. I know I need to stop this before it gets out of hand. I gently pinch his arm, wondering for a moment if I should do the same to myself.
"Nah huh, no more of that until you prove your mama right and treat me to a very proper, PG-rated first date."
Edward reacts as though my pinch has truly injured him, but then quickly takes my hand in his and gallantly leads us out of the alley and back onto the main street. I exhale a sigh of relief, hopefully now that we are out in public we'll be able to rein in those carnal desires that so easily fire up between us when we are alone.
"How about we up that to PG-13? I have every intention of kissing you before this evening is out," Edward pushes, making it impossible for me to keep my face serious.
"As long as you keep it far from that R-rating we were rapidly heading for earlier, that's fine."
The wink Edward sends me tells me that he has every intention of pushing those limits, which causes the pit of my stomach to heat with excitement. Edward pauses and leans close to whisper something in my ear. The heat of his breath on my skin sends ripples of shivers down my spine.
"I'll agree to your request, sweetheart, but the moment our front door closes at the end of the night-," his words trail off and my breath stutters at how incredibly sexy he sounds.
My wolf immediately begins to whine impatiently, making her opinion on the matter crystal clear. To hell with this date. I keep my eyes straight ahead, knowing that if I turn around and face him, I too will give in to exactly what my wolf and my own desires want and we'll be racing back home at lightning speed instead of innocently wandering the streets of Port Angeles.
When Edward firmly squeezes my hand with his, I can feel just how tempted he is to do the exact same thing, but there is also a fierce determination in him to do the "right" thing and go through with the date. One thing I know for sure is that our first date will not end with a chaste kiss on the front porch, that is not just a certainty, but a promise. In a final moment of hesitation, I consider asking Edward if we should just head to a drive-thru and call it a night, but then I'm reminded of how excited I was earlier when he asked me out and how important this is for building our relationship.
Luckily, I don't have to deal with my conflicting emotions for long, because soon we are standing in front of a beautiful restaurant perfectly placed right on the water near the docks. It looks to be much fancier than any place I've ever eaten, and although it's already dark, I can see that it has an incredible view and can already sense that it is the absolute perfect spot for our first date. I flicker my eyes over to Edward and the excited smile I see there makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
"You like?" he asks with a grin.
"I love. This place looks so beautiful!"
"I figured we could get something to eat here and then we could go for a walk along the docks. I hear there is a fair in town being set up just at the end there." He almost looks nervous for some reason as he points in the mentioned direction.
Childish excitement bubbles through me. I've always loved going to the fair and just the idea of actually going there with Edward makes me feel like I've won the lottery.
"That sounds wonderful, Edward, thank you" I tell him genuinely, truly grateful for the fact that we are finally able to spend some quality time together in the real world.
Edward surprises me by pulling me into his strong arms, holding me close in a tight hug. His body against mine makes me feel safe and appreciated.
"Thank you, Bella. Thank you for being mine," he whispers with such gratitude that I feel my throat grow tight with emotion, realizing that I feel the exact same way about him.
When he moves away, he holds his arm up for me to take, like the perfect gentleman, before leading us both into the restaurant. Inside, my breath catches at how stunning the restaurant is and I realize that it must be incredible during the daylight because of its panoramic view of the bay and Vancouver island. The hostess greets us with a welcoming and professional smile and immediately escorts us to our table. As soon as we arrive Edward pulls out the chair for me to sit. He makes me feel like a princess and I adore him for making such an effort. I quickly comply, sending him a sweet smile as I sit down.
"Such a gentleman."
We share a laugh as he too finds his seat. A male waiter with bright red hair and a pale complexion promptly arrives and hands us our menus, giving us a brief yet expert account of what the specials are before leaving us to make our decision. Before leaving he gives Edward a nod and I notice that their eyes hold for a second longer than necessary, but I'm too distracted by looking around to give it much thought. My eyes wander around and take in the décor of this incredibly romantic restaurant. We're sitting next to an enormous window and after I've had my fill of the restaurant I look out to see the bright lights of Victoria shimmering towards me over the glittering water.
"I forgot to tell you something earlier," Edward begins and I quickly turn my attention back to his, the flames of the candles on our table giving life to his emerald eyes.
I tilt my head lightly to the side for him to continue and a sincere expression forms on his face.
"You look absolutely incredible tonight," he compliments me and as expected my cheeks flush under the heat of his gaze.
Turning the tables on him, I decide to give him a compliment as well, although I can't remember one time where I didn't find him incredibly handsome. Tonight is no different. I see that he has made an extra effort tonight because he is wearing a crisp white shirt under a suit jacket and a slim dark tie. His outfit is very different from his plaid shirts at the lumber yard and the simple t-shirts and jeans he's worn around me since we imprinted, but it fits him really well. As usual, he quite literally takes my breath away.
"I could say the same about you," I tell him, openly appraising him. "You look very handsome tonight, Edward."
"Why, thank you. It took me hours to get ready," he jokes and we both laugh.
A comfortable silence falls between us as we both take a look at our menus.
"So, what's good here?" I ask, getting the feeling that Edward has eaten here before.
"Oh, everything."
I smile and raise an eyebrow, silently asking him to elaborate. He chuckles, but quickly complies.
"David and Karen, Jasper's parents, own this restaurant and it is Esme's favorite so we've dined here quite often over the years," he explains.
The waiter arrives with our drinks and efficiently takes our order. As he leaves this time, I get a whiff of his scent and realize quickly that he is a shifter. Edward must be watching my reaction because he immediately questions me about it.
"What does it feel like for you, when you recognize a shifter like you just did?"
I glance around yet again and am comforted when I see that we are seated quite privately and that no one else will be able to hear the contents of our conversation. Turning my attention back to Edward, I can see that he is patiently waiting for my answer. I find his question a little strange, but I try not to think too much of it.
"I don't know really. Before moving here, the only other shifter I knew was my father, but I remember when we arrived at the ranch and I met the rest of the Swan family, I noticed their scent and I just knew. The same thing happened just now."
Edward takes a thoughtful sip of his wine, before continuing his questioning.
"So you're able to recognize them simply by the sense of smell?" he asks and I nod, unsure of why he's so interested in this. Is he simply making conversation, or is there something more behind this.
"Do you see anything, or is it just-?"
Unable to hold back, I interrupt him.
"Why are you so curious about this, Edward?"
He puts his glass down as though he's just realized how he has been acting, and tentatively reaches for my hand, locking our fingers together. That familiar calm I always feel when he touches me flows through me, joined by a wave of something that feels like an apology coming through our bond.
"I'm sorry if I pushed you, Bella. Sensing other shifters is very different from shifter to shifter, but an Alpha and a Beta will usually have the ability to dig a little deeper, I was curious to see if that was the case with you," he explains and my interest peeks.
"In what way is an Alpha or a Beta able to dig deeper?"
"We're usually able to see the wolf in addition to the human form and by doing so we are quickly able to identify which pack they belong to," he pauses and for some reason I'm reminded of how Paul's dark brown wolf suddenly flashed in my mind before Leah confided in me.
"There is a certain aura surrounding each wolf that will tell you which pack they belong to. It's very subtle, but when you know what to look for, you can train yourself to see it."
Edward glances over his shoulder to where our waiter just went.
"Take our waiter for example, you've already recognized him as a shifter through his scent, but what else you can tell me about him?"
I hold Edward's gaze for a moment, considering the fact that our date has turned into something of a Beta-training session, but after a moment of thought I realize that I really don't mind. This feels exciting and fun. Shifting my gaze, I watch as our waiter moves around the room fluidly and bring his unique scent to the front of my mind. As soon as I do, an image of a dark grey wolf with an almost completely white muzzle comes to mind and I inhale sharply.
The look I see coming from Edward is one of pride.
"What did you see?" he asks.
"A dark grey wolf," I respond and he smiles widely in confirmation, making me feel like I've done a good job.
"What else?"
I turn my focus back to the waiter, bringing his wolf to the forefront of my mind. I see him trotting around in the woods, the area feeling familiar to me. Our waiter is a member of our pack. Instead of pausing to tell Edward, I continue. It takes a little while, but soon my vision expands and several other wolves step into view, one of which I recognize.
"Victoria?" I say her name as a question and Edward's brows rise in obvious surprise. He didn't expect me to figure this out so quickly.
"Yes," Edward confirms, before filling me in on who our waiter is.
"Our waiter's name is Victor O'Connor. He's Victoria's younger brother," he reveals and all of a sudden I can see the family resemblance.
"Victor's a good guy. He's quiet, keeps his head down and stays out of trouble. He lives here in Port Angeles because of school, but makes sure to visit quite often," Edward explains.
"He's very different from his sister then?" I respond dryly, pulling a knowing smile from Edward.
"Absolutely."
We share a smile, before we both take a sip of our drinks enjoying each other's company.
"I think that's enough Beta-training for now, but I would love it if you'd share with me any changes you might experience. For example if you are able to recognize a shifter by something other than smell."
I nod, but before I can say anything else, Victor arrives with our appetizers, distracting us both. The meal is incredible and the conversation between us is comfortable and light. After our main course, we have a short break before dessert and I find myself asking Edward about his day.
"Well, I went over to my house to grab a few extra things," he takes a deep breath, and I suddenly notice a strange sense of longing swirling up inside of him.
"I'd really love to show you the house," he reveals almost nervously.
"I'd like that," I respond with a soft smile, trying to reassure him.
"I know it isn't an option right now because my grandparents are staying at the house, but I would really appreciate it if you'd consider moving in there with me."
His request takes me a little by surprise, but before I can say anything he continues.
"All members of the Pack have the rights to pick out a piece of pack land if they want it, making it easier for them to establish themselves and make a home for their families. Some choose to stay close to their parents such as Billy and Neyeli, while others decide they need some space and move further away."
Edward's lips curl into an incredibly sexy half smile, his voice growing deeper, drawing me in like a moth to a flame.
"When I was 16 I remember I was on my way back from a swim up near the waterfall and I came across this magnificent piece of land that just kind of called to me and I knew. I knew that was where I wanted to raise my family."
I can feel my heart swell in my chest at his words.
"I quickly got the deed and when I was 18 I started building. It took a few years, but I completed it the day I turned 21."
My breath hitches as it dawns on me how long Edward has been waiting for this; for me. He releases an almost embarrassed laugh.
"Now, I've always tried to prepare myself for the possibility that my future mate might not want to live in my house," his expression grows serious. "Believe me when I say this, Bella, the only thing that matters to me is that I'm with you. If you want to stay in the cottage-."
I quickly find my voice and interrupt him.
"I'm not opposed to moving, Edward."
The deep desire I see in him only fuels my decision.
"I love the fact that you've already created a home for us and I can't wait to see it."
Edward's face lights up with unrestrained joy and I can't hold back my own happiness and excitement about this. I reach for his hand and squeeze it lightly. Victor arrives with our desserts, but we almost don't even notice, too locked up in our own little bubble.
"I'll talk to my grandparents about it, they were only supposed to stay with me temporarily, so I don't think it will be an issue. My parents inherited their house when my Dad took over as Alpha and my grandparents then moved to Alaska to stay with my Aunt Kate and the Denali Pack, so they don't really have a place here. They came back this year to visit and help out when Henry got sick, but I don't really know how long they were planning to stay," Edward rambles on as we both take a bite of our mouthwatering desserts.
Apprehension rises as I think about Edward Sr. and how this will give him yet another excuse to hate me. Edward must feel the change in me, because he quickly addresses it.
"It's our house, Bella. They'll understand that we want to start building our lives together, don't worry."
I hold his gaze trying to allow the undeniable certainty of my mate to wash away my fears and insecurities regarding certain members of his family. My wolf growls in agreement, supporting Edward's claim and I finally find myself believing that everything will work itself out in the end.