Chapter Ten
When we get back to the beach, we are met by several hungry wolves eying the sandwiches.
"Feed this one first," Pete grins, pointing to Quil who is sitting in his lap. "He worked up quite an appetite."
Quil turns fifty shades of red at the comment and Char glares at Peter. "You'll have to forgive him, Sugar, his mama never taught him any manners," she apologizes on Peter's behalf.
Quil smiles bashfully. "It's okay, I'm fine with people knowing."
Before anyone has a chance to tease Quil about swiping his V-card, Em's parents and Paul finally emerge from the woods after being conspicuously absent for the past fifteen hours or more.
"Oh hey, the Whitlocks are here!" Em's dad cheers walking up and doing a fist bump thingy with Peter. "And you got yourselves a wolf, I see. Congrats! They come highly recommended." He grins, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Sweet, there's food, I'm starved!" Paul smirks, grabbing three large sandwiches off the tray without asking.
"Help yourselves." I laugh, setting the trays down on the little plastic beach tables where people can just grab what they want.
"I'm gonna make some pitchers of iced tea," I offer. "Anyone have any other requests while I'm in there?"
"I'd say beer, but you'd probably say no." Jake snickers. "Would it help my case any if I told you eighteen is the legal drinking age in some parts of Canada?"
"Fine, I'll give you a beer...if you run to Canada to drink it." I smirk.
"Ugh, nevermind. I'll just wait until Dads wake up. They'll let me have one." Jake pouts.
"If it's any consolation, I would have let you have one if you'd asked me first." Jacks snickers.
"Sweet! So I can, then?" Jake grins.
"Not on your life, Kid. Bells already said no." Jackon smirks, backing me up. I can't help the juvenile impulse that leads me to stick out my tongue at Jake in triumph.
Jacob grumbles about how it sucks being the youngest and proceeds to drown his sorrows in sandwiches while I head inside to make the iced tea and check on Dads.
After all the wolves and Angela are fed, hydrated, and overall satisfied, the beach volleyball tournament starts back up again. It lasts until dusk when the wolves start complaining of hunger once more, despite the fact they've been snacking throughout the afternoon.
Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper head into town to do some grocery shopping since it seems we are going to need copious amounts of food to keep all the wolves fed going forward. Meanwhile, I start cooking steaks, and potatoes, and fish, and corn, on the grill at Dads'.
Just as the food is finishing cooking, my cell rings.
"Hello?" I ask, not recognizing the number.
"Bells? It's Leah calling from the hospital. My dad is just waking up from surgery and Carlisle says everything went smoothly. He's not outta the woods yet, but it looks like he's gonna be okay," she tells me, the emotion clear in her voice.
"Oh, Leah, I'm so glad, that's great news!" I tell her happily.
"I think I might stay overnight here if things are okay there?" She asks. "If nobody needs me right away?"
I'm not sure if she means the pack or my dads or both, so I decide to reassure her all around. "That sounds fine, you stay there in case your dad needs you. The other wolves are taking turns patrolling, but mostly they're just hanging out around the fire with us on the beach. And my dads won't be waking up until tomorrow night. So it's all good here," I insist.
"Okay, great! Thanks, Bells!"
"No worries. Have a good night, Leah. I'll pass along the news," I tell her.
Taking the food off the grill, I load it onto trays and bring everything over to the beach. "Guess what, Everybody? Harry made it through surgery! Leah says it's looking good. She's spending the night at the hospital with her family. We'll know more tomorrow, I'm sure, but for now, it seems like he's gonna be okay." I beam.
Everyone cheers excitedly while Quil explains to Pete and Char who Harry is. Then all the wolves dig into the grub. A while after dinner, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper arrive, dropping most of the groceries off in the kitchen at Dads'.
They do bring several bags of snacks down to the fireside, though, including the makings for s'mores, hot dogs for roasting later, several bags of chips and dips, beer for the older wolves, and I am impressed to learn that vampires can drink and get drunk. As long as it is only straight spirits that metabolize, rather than having to be regurgitated. So the vamps get to have whiskey.
I end up getting pretty toasted myself, even though my twenty-first birthday isn't for another couple of months. Of course, Jake tries to get judgy about it, until I break down and hand him a beer, stipulating that he is only allowed to have one.
At some point, once most of the group is pretty wasted (except Em's mom, who offers to stay sober to watch Micky, so we can all let loose and have a good time) someone suggests we play truth or dare.
We all make a pact that what happens around the bonfire stays around the bonfire and can't be held against anyone at any point in the future.
Once the rules are set, we draw sticks to see who goes first. Paul gets the short stick which he seems far too excited about. "Bella, truth, or dare?"
"Dare," I state, knowing that where Paul is concerned, that's probably the lesser of two evils. With my luck, he'd probably ask me something embarrassing, like how often I masturbate.
He grins a shit-eating grin and I know immediately I'm in trouble. "I dare you to kiss this 'Uncle Jasper' dude. He looks like Jackson anyway." He shrugs, stifling a laugh.
"You're an ass." I huff. "Any objections?" I confirm, looking from my guys to Alice and Embry, before daring a glance at Jasper.
No one objects, so I sigh, running my hands through my hair as I walk over to him. I find myself grateful for my lack of heartbeat and my newfound inability to blush.
Soon, he takes pity on me and shoots me with an emotional blast of calm and confidence which serves to negate my nerves. "Thanks." I smile, taking a seat in his lap for the kiss.
"No problem, Darlin'." He smiles with a cocky grin that has me swooning. He really is just like a slightly more Texan version of Jackson. A fact that makes it much easier to initiate the kiss, and much harder to stop it once it starts.
The kiss goes on for a long time and I half expect to hear the clearing of throats or maybe a whistle, but instead, everyone is quiet. Eventually, we reach a point where it feels like things are about to escalate if we don't stop it, and since the dare was only a kiss, we both reluctantly pull apart.
I smile and head back to my seat, leaving the unspoken words hanging in the air around us.
"Are we okay?" I ask Em and Jackson.
"Yep, that was fuckin' hot, though." Jacks snickers.
"I shouldn't agree here, cuz like...that's my uncle...but yeah, what he said." Em laughs.
"You two are adorable," I tell them, feeling immensely relieved there are no hard feelings from my guys. I feel even more at ease, once I hear a similar consensus from Alice and Embry.
And now it's my turn to ask someone 'Truth or dare'. As tempting as it is to get revenge on Paul, I decide to wait until he isn't expecting it.
"Alice, truth, or dare." I grin.
"Truth! Just because I like your question." She giggles.
"Right, psychic, frick!" I laugh. "Okay, cool. So, am I crazy to think there may have been some...interplay between the Cullen couples in the past?"
"Damnnn, Bells don't mess around." Jake chortles.
Alice grins. "You're not crazy, nope. Just very observant. And that's all I'll say about that, for now."
"Fair enough." I laugh with a nod, my curiosity at least moderately appeased for the time being.
Alice turns to Peter. "Truth or Dare, Petey."
"You know I'm always good for a dare, Mi Hermana Hermosa." He grins.
"I dare you to verbalize every thought in your head for the rest of the night. No editing. No omissions. Beginning right now." She smirks.
"I dare you to sit on my dick." He laughs, evidently complying with her directive.
"Oh man, shit just got interesting." Paul chuckles.
"More interesting than you, that's for sure," Pete smirks.
"Hey! Screw you, I'm plenty interesting!" Paul huffs.
"Prove it. Truth or dare, Wiseass," Pete challenges.
"Dare." Paul winces, rightfully afraid of what is coming next.
"I dare you to phone up good ol' Doc Cullen at the hospital and pretend to be a phone sex operator and tell him all the dirty things you'd like to do to him." Pete snickers.
"Easy, peasy, I've never even met the man." Paul scoffs dialing the hospital from his cell phone.
It rings twice and a receptionist answers. "Hello, can you put me through to Doctor Cullen, please? This is Doctor Bradford with an urgent matter about a patient." Paul states in his most professional-sounding tone.
"Doctor Cullen speaking?"
"Hey, Big Boy. I'm gonna make you so fucking horny, Baby. Oooh, I wanna suck on your big fat lollipop and make that nice creamy center explode in my mouth." Paul groans, in a sultry, seductive tone.
"Umm, goodbye."
Carlisle hangs up with a loud click, clearly flustered, and everyone bursts out laughing.
"That was epic." Em's dad laughs, with a look that clearly says whose lollipop he'd much rather Paul be sucking.
"My turn to ask, again." Paul beams rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"Angela, truth, or dare?" He grins.
Jake frowns. "You better watch yourself with this one."
"Truth," Ang says, playing it safe, not that I blame her.
"In your opinion, is Jake the sexiest wolf here?" Paul grins, clearly underestimating the pull of the imprint magic.
"Hands down, yes." She beams, happy to have gotten such an easy question.
"I'd say yer all pretty fuckin' sexy!" Pete smirks, still obeying Alice's dare.
"All the wolves?" Paul confirms.
"Naw, every single person around this fire pit, except fer the baby." Pete shrugs.
"Oh good, I'm glad my child is exempt," I state, slightly concerned he felt the need to clarify that point.
"Give it fifteen years and he won't be," Pete smirks.
"Geez!"
"What the actual fuck?!"
Several people react to that statement, myself included.
"What? He has sexy parents, it's not unreasonable to assume the kid'll grow up to be sexy too," Pete defends.
"I'd hardly call fifteen grown up, Petey," Char cautions.
Angela wisely interrupts before the conversation can devolve anymore. "My turn to ask. Emmett, Junior, I should clarify, truth, or dare?"
"The truth seems to be getting people in trouble, so I'm gonna pick dare." Em grins.
I probably should have warned him that Ang gets a little wild when she's drinking. "I dare you to have sex with one or both of your significant others in front of everyone here."
"Ummm, can I leave before that happens?" Rosalie grimaces. "That's not something any mother wants to see."
"Yeah, anyone who wants to leave, can. We'll come to get you when it's over." Ang offers.
Em looks at Jacks and me. "Are either of you interested in a little PDA for the masses?" He laughs nervously.
"I'm game, yeah." I nod.
"Same here." Jacks agrees.
Em's parents leave and take Micky into the house with them. Jake kisses Ang deeply and playfully calls her a kinky freak, then leaves, stating that he gets enough glimpses of our sex life through the mindlink and doesn't need to see it in person.
Pete makes a joke about how Jake is probably just gonna 'go beat off about it anyway' and is allegedly just 'tryna save face'.
I focus on Jackson and Emmett and ignore the others remaining around the fire, at least at first, as we begin to kiss and things escalate pretty quickly. I feel like I ought to be embarrassed about having an audience, but I'm not. A little shy, maybe. A little self-conscious. But not embarrassed.
Embarrassment is a term that, at least in my opinion, should be reserved for circumstances outside of our control. And even though this is a dare, going through with it is also a choice and therefore I am in complete control of this situation.
And given the rate at which we vampires metabolize alcohol, I can't even cite liquid courage as a contributing factor here. The decision to make love to both of my boyfriends on the beach in the firelight, in front of eight or so other people, is one I am making fully sober.
Perhaps that explains why I find the whole thing so exhilarating. Or why I reach climax more times than any reasonable person should ever expect to. Or why I haven't a single solitary regret. Even as the two other throuples around the fireside begin engaging in similar pursuits and the remaining individuals, Paul and Angela, leave the scene in search of their lovers.
It might be bizarre to say it, but for many years to come, I know I will still recall this night as one of the best sexual experiences of my young life. All thanks to a game of truth or dare gone wild.
By the time the sexual escapades are at an end, the early morning sun is coming up on the eastern horizon and a new day is fast approaching. With it, brings the awareness that in just a handful of hours, our dads will be waking up as vampires.
I can't help the feeling that everything is somehow about to change. The anticipation that things will be different, is palpable. The air hangs heavy with it. If I had to guess what that change will be, I wouldn't have the slightest idea. I just know...change is coming.
Once everyone is dressed, I head into the house in search of sustenance for the wolves. Clearly Rose had the same idea, as she is brewing coffee in one of those twenty-cup coffee makers, and squeezing oranges, while Em's dad sings to McCarty.
I have to laugh at his song choice, however, and wonder how appropriate 'Baby Got Back' is for a two-month-old's lullaby.
"If he grows up to be some kind of pervert, can I blame you?" I grin and start cooking bacon, ham, sausages, eggs, hash browns, and pancakes. Thanks to vampire speed, the whole process takes a fraction of the time it otherwise would have.
"Oh trust me… This kid is a Whitlock, Bella, I'm the least of your problems." Em's dad smirks.
"Ya know…after hearing Peter's inner monologue aloud, I think you might be right." I chuckle.
"Yep, I'm tellin' ya...Rosie and I are the good influences in this family." He shrugs, stealing a piece of bacon.
"Uhh, you know you're just gonna have to regurgitate that if you eat it, right?" I remind him.
"I know. That's why I don't plan to eat it. I plan to smell it. Human food might taste like garbage, but it still smells awesome." He beams, sniffing at the bacon.
"Such a waste of bacon." I laugh.
"No, seriously, try it." He grins, sticking the bacon under my nose. "Come on, Bella, have a whiff."
I laugh and shake my head at his antics, but I do smell the bacon and he is right about it. It smells just as good as when I was human. "Okay, fine, you win. But now I'm hungry and since I can't eat any of this...I'm gonna have to leave you two to finish cooking while I go for a quick hunt, yeah?"
"Oh, oops! Yeah, probably a good idea since the only thing here you could eat calls you Momma." Em's dad snickers.
"Emmett!" Rose chastises, smacking him hard on the butt with her spatula. "Not a funny joke, Husband!" She huffs.
"Okay, byeeee." I wave, sprinting out of the house and into the trees.
It was tempting to assure them I would have rather eaten Angela than Micky if it came down to it, but I doubt Jake would have found that to be a very funny joke, on the off chance he was listening.
After a quick Elk Blood breakfast, I feel recharged, reinvigorated, and ready to take on the world and whatever it has in store for me.
When I return from my hunt, the wolves (and Ang) are just finishing their breakfast. "There she is, the pornstar herself." Paul snickers as I approach.
I roll my eyes, not willing to let him get under my skin. Jackson and Em both look unimpressed though.
"You'd better watch yourself," Jacks cautions him. "Or I'll have you running from here to Alberta doing beer runs."
"Uh, not to nitpick, Fearless Leader, but how exactly would you propose I should carry it?" Paul smirks.
"Well, you could always run in human form with a backpack." Jacks grins.
"In human form, we barely run as fast as a vehicle. And that is a full day's journey at vehicular speeds," Paul states.
"We could always attach a collar to you and hang a messenger bag from it, if you like that better" Jacob suggests.
"Why is everybody picking on me?" Paul grumbles.
"It's just because you're so cute and they're jealous." Em's dad teases, kissing Paul on the cheek.
"I am so cute, aren't I?" Paul smirks, instantly cheering up. "Sorry about the pornstar comment, Bella. That whole thing was actually pretty hot." He shrugs.
"Really, it was an insult to the pornstars, not to me." I shrug. "I'm far too clumsy to ever get paid for sex on camera."
Pete smirks. "Did anybody even bother ta tell this girl she's a vampire now? Ya ain't so clumsy anymore, Little Filly, if ya haven't noticed. If vampire porn ever becomes a thing, I'll hire ya on the spot."
Alice giggles. "The dare has been over for a while, Pete. Feel free to quit saying every little thought that comes into your head."
"But why, Sugar? It's so much more fun if I do." He chuckles.
And on that note, Carlisle's BMW pulls up at Dads' house and he, Esme, Seth, and Leah all climb out of it and walk down to the beach.