AN: Is this really an update and not a fluke? Yes!

I am so sorry for the confusion a few weeks ago where you got a notification that this story had updated when it hadn't. Things have been pretty crazy and my head just wasn't clear when I updated, so I ended up updating the wrong story. But FINALLY, I've found the time and inspiration to continue with this little tale. Please check out Leah's story in My Sun and the beginning of Jake's story in My Pack Protector.

Enjoy!

You all know how much I love your reviews, so please feel free!


My Revelation

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I feel how my body slowly comes to life after a long night of sleep. Stretching against the soft sheets, I keep my eyes closed for a while longer, enjoying the simple fact that there is absolutely no rush to wake up this morning. Moving my hand from beneath my pillow, I become temporarily confused when my fingers brush against something slick and hard. My eyebrows immediately draw together, and I quickly curl my fingers around the foreign object to see if I can recognize its shape. It takes me about a second to realize that it's just my phone.

Turning onto my back, I wipe the sleep from my eyes as I switch off the screensaver, a wave of giddiness bubbling through me when I see that I've received a text message from Edward.

Good morning, my love!

I pause, drawing a finger over his new nickname for me. An all-consuming warmth explodes from the top of my head to my toes, as my heart swells with such overwhelming happiness that I worry my heart may just explode . Releasing a contented sigh, I continue to read.

We were up at the break of dawn to get back on the road, but the early hour didn't even phase me. Want to know why?

A wide smile spreads across my lips as a vivid image of him flashes in my mind.

Because I got to sleep next to my beautiful mate all night and I slept like a baby. I don't even care that it was only through the phone and that I now sound like some lovesick fool. Promise me that we'll do that every night until I can hold you in my arms again? Jesus, I miss you. Call me, text me, whatever and whenever, today. I love you.

The muscles in my face ache as my smile widens to extreme proportions. My entire body feels as though it's vibrating with elation. I hardly recognize myself. Hugging my phone to my chest, I glance up at the ceiling, not even surprised when I see that I'm cocooned in a protective shield of red.

God, I love him.

My eyebrows touch my hairline in shock at how naturally those monumental words have risen to the forefront of my mind. Examining my emotions, I realize that there isn't even a single sliver of doubt in my mind anymore. I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with my mate. And for the first time in my life, the idea of loving someone so deeply didn't terrify me, it only made me feel strong and confident.

Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes and allow myself a moment to imagine a future that I never dared believe possible. A future where I could finally express my emotions openly, without the fear of rejection holding me back. A future filled with so much love and happiness. A future with Edward, my one true mate.

Exhaling, I open my eyes, staring at the ceiling as I consider my options. There is a large part of me that desperately wants to profess my love for him as soon as possible. I want my imagined future to become reality and I want it now! However, at the same time I'm hesitant to declare how I feel over the phone... The first time I say those three simple words, I want the recipient to actually be there. In the flesh. I want to look into Edward's beautiful, emerald eyes when I tell him that I love him. I want to feel his reaction through our bond and watch how his expression changes when he realizes that I'm telling the truth.

Dragging my bottom lip between my teeth, my mind becomes more and more made up. I'll wait until Edward returns. A few extra days won't kill me. In fact, holding off will allow me some time to prepare so that I can make the moment super special for both of us.

Lifting my phone, I begin typing out a reply.

Good morning, handsome!

I woke up rested and with a smile on my face this morning, all because of you. Please take care of yourself today. I can't wait for you to come back home to me, but in the meantime...

I pull back the thick duvet and snap a quick picture of my bare legs and feet, pointing my toes to make my legs look as long as physically possible. Perhaps Edward's ideas about sexting and late night video chats weren't such a bad idea.

I hear delayed gratification is a thing? Have a great day, handsome.

X

My cheeks burn at my unusually forward reply, but when my wolf quickly wags her tail with open excitement and shows her support by releasing a satisfied bark, I decide not to overthink it. I was in love with Edward, so I could do whatever the hell I pleased.

Placing my phone on the night table next to me, I throw my legs over the side of the bed and stretch my arms over my head, feeling how every single muscle comes to life, and is surprisingly rested and strong. Escaping to my bedroom early last night had been exactly what I needed and now I felt ready to take on the monumental task of sorting through my mother's things. My emotions were still a little raw after my shocking discovery the day before and I had a lot of unanswered questions swirling around in my mind that I needed to deal with. However, after my good night's sleep, I felt strong and ready to take them on. Talking to Edward and finally accepting the true extent of my emotions for him, had also helped.

Quickly completing my morning routine, I all but bounce down the stairs before heading to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast before I head out to the garage.

"You're up early."

Jumping to high heavens, I place a hand over my racing heart while I turn to face the man who just scared the living bejeezus out of me.

"Jesus Christ, Quil!"

My cousin's pink lips curl into a wicked smirk, his dark eyes dancing with mischief as he watches me from his seat at the kitchen table. Instead of commenting, he slowly lifts a steaming cup to his mouth, eyes flickering over to the coffee brewer. Taking a moment to calm the pumping adrenaline rushing through my body, I lean heavily against the cool counter for a second before pouring myself a cup.

"You scared the hell out of me," I inform him accusingly as I grab a bowl and pour some cereal into it.

"Well, if you had used your Beta-senses you would have realized I was in here before you even stepped through the door," he teases, returning to the newspaper in his hands.

Pulling the milk from the refrigerator, I finish preparing my breakfast and find a seat next to Quil at the table.

"How was guard duty?"

"Quiet," he responds shortly.

We sit together in comfortable silence while I eat my breakfast and he reads his paper. Quil, I've realized, is a man of few words. The silence is soon broken when my cousin's phone vibrates a few times against the wooden table, alerting us both that he's received a message. Finished with my breakfast, I walk over to the dishwasher as he reaches for his phone.

"Embry will be up in a few minutes."

I nod.

"Good. Then you can get some much needed sleep," I say, sending him a pointed look.

Quil releases a short laugh.

"Nah, Dad needs me over at the Ranch."

He stands up and pulls his arms through the leather jacket that's been hanging on his chair.

"Your body needs sleep, Quil. Are you all this stubborn? I told Jake the same thing yesterday. You can't protect the Pack if you're at the verge of exhaustion."

I'm surprised when my cousin's large hand squeezes my shoulder affectionately.

"Perhaps those Beta-senses of yours need a little practice, but you are headstrong and hand out orders like a pro, Bella. I'll be proud to have you as my Alpha-female one day."

We're both distracted as the door leading down to the basement opens revealing a sleepy looking Embry.

"I'll get a few hours of sleep, I promise," Quil says, before he takes his leave.


Brushing the sweat from my brow, I straighten from my crouched position, feeling the muscles in my back scream out in agony as I do. Looking around the garage and then down at the neat piles of books I've successfully managed to categorize, I feel a wave of pride and achievement. Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I smile at the long correspondence of messages Edward and I have shared throughout the morning. Impulsively I press the video sign to call him, my heart skipping a beat when his handsome face almost immediately fills my screen.

"Hey, baby!" he greets with a wide smile.

I know from our messages that they are still on the road and from what I can see he's currently hanging out in the back seat.

"Hi there!" I say with an awkward wave, suddenly aware of just how disheveled and dirty I must look after a few hours of hard physical work in the garage.

"Jesus, you're beautiful," Edward albeit groans and I can't help but snort at his reaction.

"You, sir, are biased," I declare, raising a stern eyebrow at him.

His warm chuckle sounds incredible as it rumbles through the speakers.

"Sir, huh? I could get used to that."

My cheeks burn with sudden embarrassment. Coughing, I clear my throat before continuing. Edward's sexy smirk widens.

"Believe it or not, this video-call isn't just for you, Edward. I need to have a word with my uncle, if he's available."

The disgruntled look that crosses Edward's face makes my smile widen, but he quickly complies, handing the phone to the person seated in front of him. Aro's kind face fills the screen, but I'm happy when I realize that my uncle has angled the phone so that Edward's face also appears.

"Bella, my dear! How are you?"

"I am doing well, Uncle. How about you?"

We chat back and forth a few times, but soon I reveal the intention behind my video-call.

"Aro, I've been sorting through some of my mother's things," I switch the video so that I can film the neat piles of books I have stacked together on the floor.

"She had several of these," I point the camera to the Coven Grimoires and watch how my uncle's blue eyes squint as he watches the screen.

"Esme mentioned that you might be interested in these?" I say crouching down to show the old leather books in more detail.

"You've found the Grimoires I see. I never understood your mother's fascination for those," Aro shakes his head.

"However, I do know Caius would be very interested in having those returned to the Vault."

My uncle laughs at my confusion.

"It's just a room, Bella, don't worry. Caius works as a History Professor and is responsible for any historical Coven objects we might find. He likes to call himself "The Keeper of Legends" for fun. But in reality, he simply makes sure to display every single object in his little area in the Coven Library so that every member has access to them at all times. The room where they are placed doesn't have any windows and is pretty small and dark, so we began calling it the Vault."

I nod, feeling nervous for some reason.

"Tell you what, let me call Riley and have him stop by to pick those up. His brother, Royce, is Caius's second hand man. He suddenly became very interested in Coven history a few years back and has been volunteering at the Vault ever since."

"I don't want Riley anywhere near Bella."

I hear Edward all but growl, Aro rolls his eyes dramatically.

"Fine, I can have Seraphina and the kids drop by your house and they can drive the Grimoires over to the Vault. They'll be pleased to see you, Bella."

Sensing through our bond that it is best not to argue, I simply nod my head in acceptance. I'm about to ask if they might be interested in all of my mother's notes and translations, but after finding that strange piece of paper hidden in her jewelry box, I decide not to. Aro hands me back to Edward and we chat for a little while longer before I hear Alice shout my name. Promising to call him again later, when we both have more privacy, we hang up. Picking up a heavy box filled with some of my mother's personal journals, I exit the garage and make my way towards the house.


Dropping the journals off in my room, I take a quick shower before meeting the others downstairs. We've made a good plan for the day, including a few too many stops at some "absolutely essential" stores (Alice's words, not mine), a lunch date with Esme and finally a trip to the Ranch to pack up the last of my things. The day passes by in a blur and when we eventually meet up with Esme for lunch at a nice restaurant, I'm exhausted. Claire, Alice and Jared together have proven to be an explosive trio of energy and exuberance. Embry and I follow them blindly, literally holding on by our fingertips as they raid store after store for the "perfect this" or the "perfect that". Although I feel like I've just been pulled through the wringer, I'm pleasantly surprised when I find Nessie seated next to Esme at our table.

"Nessie, what are you doing here?" I exclaim, giving her a warm hug.

For some reason, this sweet, timid young woman appears to bring out a protective instinct in me that I haven't experienced before. Instead of questioning it, however, I accept my reaction and quickly find a seat next to her, happy to have yet another chance to enjoy her company. Squeezing her shoulder affectionately, I can't help but notice how happy my wolf is to see her as well.

"My parents learned that Esme was in need of some extra help in preparing for the Mating Ceremony, so I volunteered," she answers softly, a splash of color rising to her pale cheeks at the attention.

"And I am so happy that you did, sweetheart," Esme shoots in, her voice filled with gratitude.

A look of confusion spreads across Alice's face, but after receiving a stern look from her mother, she quickly masks it. Interesting. Considering the extremely detailed plans Alice has concocted and set into motion before the celebration, I can understand where she is coming from. There isn't exactly much left to prepare, so why Esme suddenly is in dire need of some help, is a little odd.

"Ah, look, there's our food!"

We're all distracted by the banquet of food placed all around the table in front of us. The meal is incredible and after a while I realize that Esme is expertly steering the conversation, making sure that every single guest is given an equal amount of attention. She was truly a master-host. However, after what I observed earlier with Nessie, I couldn't help but wonder if she was hiding something, or perhaps covering something up. When the topic of something called A Ladies Luncheon suddenly arises after a conversation between Alice and Jared, I swear I see the beginnings of a grimace spread across Esme's face before she can stop it.

"What exactly is a Ladies Luncheon?" I ask, watching Esme's reactions carefully as I do.

"Oh, it's a traditional lunch held for all the females participating in the Mating Ceremony," Alice pauses, holding her mother's gaze in something resembling a dare. Yes, something was definitely going on.

"We booked the Tea-room for Wednesday, right Mom?"

Esme's jaw clenches.

"Yes, dear, I had Nessie give them a call to confirm. We were going to stop by the caterers after lunch to have a look at the menu and check that everything is in order."

"But I-," Alice begins to argue, however quickly bites her tongue.

"Bella, darling, have you heard from my son lately? Carlisle said that he and Jasper are following a lead in Port Angeles?"

I freeze, realizing what I'll need to do to keep Edward's whereabouts a secret. My wolf releases a low growl. Hiding my face behind my glass, I give her a nod.

"I spoke to him today actually. He's fine," I answer vaguely, an idea crossing my mind.

"I wish he was at the house with me though. We have all these guests and I have no idea where things are! Luckily, I have Alice to help me! She's a godsend."

Jared then jumps in asking Esme some decorating advice and what I imagined could have been a crisis is averted.

The meal ends shortly after, Esme takes Alice to the side and speaks quietly to her for a few moments while the rest of us walk outside, allowing Claire a moment to play on the local playground across the street. Nessie's bright and expressive eyes follow Claire's every move as she runs around and plays, finding new friends almost immediately. It's almost as if she's never seen a playground before.

"You okay?" I ask, softly.

She nods her head, but doesn't say anything in response to my question. A part of me feels as though she wants to open up, but that there is something that is holding her back from doing so. Unfortunately, our conversation never has the opportunity to develop into anything more, because Alice and Esme arrive and Esme effectively takes Nessie by the arm, thanking us all for a nice meal before bidding farewell. Unfortunately, I'm not given the opportunity to question Alice about what happened, because she suddenly announces that she too needs to run by her house and pick up a few things. Having driven in two separate vehicles we easily split up, Jared and Claire leaving with Alice, while Embry and I head over to the Ranch.


Driving through the familiar archway on the dirt road leading to the Ranch, I'm struck by how at home I feel. My new house with Edward is stunning and I really can't wait to build a future there with him, however at this point in time, my little cottage and the Ranch is still the place that feels most like home. Pulling up in front of Nanna and Pop's old house, I'm pleased to see my father in full work gear, helping some of the men near the barn. He looks strong, comfortable and completely in his element. Watching him I realize that I've never seen him this content before, not even when my mother was alive.

"You okay?" Embry's voice is surprisingly tender.

Blinking away a surprising wave of tears, I discreetly clear my throat and look away.

"Yeah, just emotional," I answer vaguely, successfully stopping the conversation by opening my car door.

"Dad!" I shout, gaining his attention immediately.

"Kiddo!" he replies with a wide smile, pulling off a pair of thick gloves as he jogs over.

"I didn't think I'd see you for a while, seeing as Edward basically built you a little castle in the woods."

His thick black, moustache dances when he speaks. Opening my arms, I invite him in for a hug, which he quickly welcomes. Inhaling his familiar scent, I realize that there is a slight change to it, as though it's stronger somehow.

"This is still my home," I mumble against his chest, holding him for a few more seconds.

"I'm glad," he whispers against the top of my head.

With my father's help, we're able to find a few moving boxes at the house before we walk up to the cottage together. Embry excuses himself, deciding to pop in and visit his parents for a little while. Entering the small cottage, I can't help but feel a little wistful.

"I'll really miss this place," I murmur softly.

My father turns around to face me, the expression on his face full of understanding.

We don't say much as we work, but the mood is comfortable and light. My remaining clothes and books are quickly packed away, however at my father's insistence, I end up picking a few other tidbits to take with me as well. I have no idea if they're needed at all in my new house, but I don't care. We're finishing up in the kitchen when I finally get up the nerve to ask him about my mother.

"I know you don't like to talk about Mom, but I'm sorting through a lot of her stuff and I really need to ask you a few things, Dad."

His warm brown eyes find mine and when I motion to the kitchen table, he quickly follows, folding his hands in front of him on the table. His simple golden wedding band shining like a beacon. Staring at it, I can't stop the first question that falls from my lips.

"Have you ever wondered why you never imprinted?"

My father's eyes widen slightly and I realize that I've taken him off guard.

"Bella, I loved your mother."

I interrupt him.

"I know that. I do," I say, placing both palms flat onto the table as I try to find the right words to explain why I've felt the need to ask him about this.

"After imprinting on Edward-," I pause. "Dad, the mating bond is so strong and after experiencing it for myself, I just-."

Releasing a frustrated sigh, I look down at the table, suddenly unable to hold his gaze.

"I know you loved Mom. I experienced it every single day that she was alive and for a long time after her death as well. But you can't tell me that you haven't wondered why you never imprinted. Was there any truth to Edward Senior's. accusations? Did Mom do something? Did-."

My breathing becomes shaky as the panic inside me grows. This time even my love for Edward can't hold it back.

"Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella," my father mumbles, rushing around the table to wrap his arms comfortingly around me. My entire body begins to tremble.

"Listen to me."

Two strong hands press down on my shoulders, anchoring me in my seat as a pair of fiercely determined eyes lock onto mine.

"Your mother was a wonderful person. She was compassionate and loving. And she did not deserve those accusations, not then and certainly not now. I was the one who chose to start something with her. We'd been close friends for years, and she always spoke of the imprint with respect and understanding. She never pushed."

Vivid images of my mother begin to flash in my mind. Her wide and infectious smile, her open and honest laughter, her unconditional love. Tears immediately well up in my eyes.

"I was the one to take things further, Bella. Me, not your Mom."

The chair my father grabs scrapes against the floor, creating a loud and cringing sound. He settles down on it heavily, holding both of my hands in his rough ones as he takes a calming breath.

"Things were very different back then. I know I've said that before, but Edward, Carlisle's dad, he was a hard and unforgiving Alpha who ruled with an iron fist. When I was chosen as future Alpha and had to become his apprentice? Bella, I-. I hated it. I felt like I had to be someone I wasn't and that my life was no longer my own."

My breath hitches at his heartfelt revelation.

"Your mother saw me for who I was outside of the Pack; the real me," he pauses, glancing down at our joined hands.

"When I didn't imprint right after my 21st birthday, I was relieved. I saw it as a way out. You can't be Alpha until you imprint. I knew there were risks, but I couldn't help myself. I loved your Mom, Bella, and she will forever be the love of my life."

Inhaling deeply, I hold my breath for a few seconds before releasing it, feeling some of the stress leave my body. I still didn't know why my mother had a spell to break an imprint hidden away in her jewelry box, but at least I now knew with utmost certainty that the love my parents shared was true.