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Chapter Thirty-Three: The Truth

Jake pulled on his shorts and shook the remaining energy from his phase away from his body. His hands stilled and he rolled his neck, tension already building in his muscles.

Anger simmered below the surface as he walked towards where Esme was, her back turned to give him some privacy. When she heard him approach, she turned to face him, lowering her hood.

"Start by telling me what you are and why you're here." His voice was hard. It was his job to protect the people of Forks and because of Esme's actions, that creature had gotten away. It didn't matter that he had considered her a friend.

"I'm a Valkyrie." Jake had never heard of them. "A female warrior originated from Norse mythology. I'm stronger and faster-"

"I gathered that," Jake cut her off. He didn't need to know what she could and couldn't do. He just needed to know why she felt the need to shoot him with an arrow instead of letting him rip the creature's head from its body. "Why did you shoot me?"

"It wasn't personal," she said. "I didn't want you to get hurt-"

Jake let out a humourless laugh. "You shot me with an arrow."

Esme studied him for a minute. "Do you know what that creature was?"

His silence was his only answer.

"It's called a satyress. Her name is Chelsea and she came here looking for me. She believes that sacrificing me will allow her to find her one true love."

"That still doesn't explain why you put an arrow in my side."

"Her blood is poisonous. One drop touches your tongue and you're dead. I saved your life."

"Thanks," Jake told her, completely deadpan.

Esme could see he was pissed.

"You said… Chelsea came here looking for you, why?"

"Valkyrie's are rare." Esme knew of two others in the States and that was it. "Chelsea has convinced herself that my sacrifice will give her what she wants—love."

"And she's wrong?"

"I don't know but I'm not dying for her."

"Why did she kill Edna?"

Esme ran a hand through her hair and Jake could see how tense she was. Her posture was rigid and she shifted on her feet. "I think she was trying to lure me out." She looked at Jake. Esme had a decision to make. She had spent the last nine months running from Chelsea. The satyress has discovered her when she was six months pregnant and working as a receptionist at a hotel. They met and then six hours later Esme was running for her life. She left town that night and moved.

Everything had been fine until a few weeks ago when Chelsea had managed to find them again. Ethan had been asleep and the beast had crashed into her living room, claws slashing anything that got in her way. Esme had barricaded herself and Ethan in her bedroom, holding her son close as he screamed and cried and feeling utterly useless. She's called the police but when Chelsea heard the sirens she left.

Three days later, Esme packed them up in her Toyota and moved them to Forks. But Chelsea had found them again and this time, Esme wasn't going to run. She was done being afraid.

Esme told Jake all of it and throughout the entire story, he remained quiet. Not a single word passed his lips until he said: "I assume you have a plan."

"Less of a plan and more of an idea." Esme reached behind her and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. She turned it in her hand and showed Jake the tip. It glinted in the moonlight, the smooth surface revealing deadly sharp edges. "Satyress' are vulnerable to the same thing as vampires; silver. A silver arrow needs to pierce her heart for her to die." She twisted the arrow in her hands again and her finger hovered over the sharp tip, resisting the urge to test just how sharp it was. "My idea was to try and distract her and then get as close to her as possible."

"How's that been working out for you?"

Esme raised her eyes to meet Jake but didn't answer. Chelsea was still alive, that knowledge was answer enough.

"I don't think I can do this on my own, Jake." The words were strange for her to say. Esme had done everything on her own. She'd left home at eighteen when her parents decided to go to Valhalla. From then on, she'd stood on her own two feet and supported herself. Even after she had fallen pregnant with Ethan she had still been on her own; his father… or sperm donor as she liked to call him, hadn't wanted anything to do with him. She'd left his apartment with her head held high, a hand on her belly and a promise on her lips. She'd look after her child by herself. The day Ethan came into the world she had been alone. When her contractions had progressed enough she drove herself to the hospital. Two days later, she'd driven herself back home, a precious bundle in the backseat. Doing things on her own was the way her life had been for the last eight years.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to then," Jake told her. "My job is to protect the people of La Push and Forks from threats and Chelsea seems like a big threat right now."

Esme smiled gratefully at him and the tightness she had previously felt in her chest began to ease itself slightly.

"Where's Ethan now?" Jake asked, folding his large arms across his bare chest.

"With Maude Hollywell."

"Is he safe there?" Everybody knew Maude. She was an older woman in her sixties. She had been married for five years when her husband very sadly passed away from cancer. She had never remarried but had been known to help out parents with their children. She adored them.

Esme nodded. "Maude's husband was a warlock. When he died, he passed his magic onto her so she would always be protected. If needed, she could get her and Ethan away."

Jake nodded. He suspected Maude wasn't completely… normal. There was something about her. And once, when she was in the bar, he could have sworn that she knocked the salt pot over but it never landed on the floor—now he knew why.

"Is silver the only thing that can kill a satryess?"

Esme nodded. "Yes, she's very similar to a vampire in that any wounds unless inflicted by silver will heal quickly but only a silver arrow through the heart will kill her."

Jake's mind raced and then an idea occurred to him.

"Mind if I bring in some help?"

Bella sat in the back of the SUV, snuggled up to Edward's side as they drove back from the airport and towards Black's. It was late into the night and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"I can't believe Esme's a…" Bella paused. "What was it again?"

"Valkyrie," Emmett said from the front of the car. He, Rose, Nessie, Bella and Edward were in one whist Jasper and Carlisle had run ahead.

Both of them choosing to come back to Forks had been unexpected but not unwelcome. Bella could see how pleased Edward was that he got to have his maker near him. Edward had tried to describe the bond to her. He said it was unlike anything he had ever felt before; the loyalty, devotion and care that he had for Carlisle were obvious and Bella could see a similar relationship forming between Edward and Nessie. Vampires seem to experience everything in a much more intense way.

"I grew up with the legends but of course I thought they were just that. Never in a million years did I expect them to be real."

"But was does it mean?" Rose asked. "Does she have any special… abilities?"

"She's stronger and faster than your average human, trained to fight from an early age, she doesn't age—"

No one does around here, Bella thought sarcastically. Jake didn't even have to age if he didn't want to, not so long as he kept phasing.

Rose turned and gave Bella a smirk.

"—she's basically a badass with a sword… and a bow an arrow… and possibly a dagger." Emmett shrugged. "I don't know what her weapon of choice is."

"Bow and arrow, apparently," Rose said.

When Bella gave her a strange look, wondering how her cousin knew that, Rose smiled. "She shot Jake."

"Is he alright?" Bella asked as she began to worry for her friend.

"He took a bullet to the head, I think he can manage an arrow," Rose reminded her and Bella felt herself settle back down. She'd forgotten about that. But to be fair, she'd tried to blank out that day for several reasons. She shivered and Edward pulled her closed.

When they got to Black's, they piled out of the car and into the empty building, Carlisle and Jasper walking in with them.

Jake greeted them enthusiastically whilst Esme stood in the corner of the room, holding a blue bundle close to her.

Bella sensed heard her thoughts and the worry that flashed through them. She didn't know how they'd feel about her now that they knew the truth and a small dark corner of her mind thought back to Edna. Would they blame her for that?

Bella walked forward and enveloped her arms around Esme. When she pulled back, there were unshed tears in the woman's eyes.

"We'll figure this out," she told her. Her hands were still on her arms and she squeezed them gently. "You're one of us now."

Esme gave a tearful giggle before a loud noise came from the small bundle she was holding.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Esme cooed. "Bella, meet my son, Ethan."

Esme adjusted her arms slightly so that Bella could see the small human she was holding.

Bella felt her heart skip a beat. He was adorable. He had large green eyes with brown hair and was dressed in what appeared to be a blue onesie. His head moved about before finally settling on Esme and a sweet little smile graced his face as one of his hands left the warmth of his blanket and he reached towards her.

Esme leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead before gently rubbing her nose against his, making him smile.

Bella turned to look at Edward, marvelling at the baby.

His face was set into a hard line, his features unreadable. Until he noticed her looking at him at which point he gave her a tight smile.

Bella hadn't been the only one to notice.

What crawled up his ass? Rose asked.

I don't know, Bella said. But I'm going to find out.

Whilst everyone else prepared for the upcoming attack, Bella took Edward's hand and led him outside.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "And don't tell me 'nothing'. I saw your face in there when I was with Ethan."

Edward shifted on his heels, his body tense as he looked anywhere except Bella.

"Hey." She caught his face in her hands and made him look at her. "Talk to me."

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. "Seeing you with Ethan… it made me realise that we need to have a difficult conversation."

Bella's brow furrowed.

"In New Orleans, you asked me about our future." He took her hands from his face and entwined them with his and took a deep breath. "I see a future with you, Bella." She thought her heart was going to thud out of her chest. "I want forever with you."

Joy. Happiness. Ecstasy. Those were the feelings flooding through her body. Because Edward didn't want a lifetime with her. He wanted forever. And it matched with what she wanted.

"But that's selfish of me." Suddenly, all those feeling disappeared and were replaced with confusion. "To have forever with you would mean that I'd have to change you. And that would stop you experiencing children. ." His eyes looked away from Bella's, almost as if he were ashamed. "The way you looked at Ethan… you were so happy and—"

She knew where he was going so she silenced him. "Stop. Edward, I haven't even considered children. I don't know if I want to be a mom."

Bella genuinely didn't know if being a mother was what she wanted. Her parents had been wonderful but she spent her entire childhood knowing she was different. Hearing into people's minds wasn't exactly a walk in the park. When she was sixteen, she'd wondered about any children she might have and if they'd share her ability. The thought had terrified her.

"If I had children, what if they could read minds like me?" Edward's brow furrowed. "It was hard. Growing up different and knowing what every single person around me was thinking… Sometimes I wished for silence." His green eyes softened as he looked at her and realised what she went through.

"What if you change your mind?" he asked her softly. "Physically, I can't have children."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I will… and if I do and that's a huge if, I'm sure we can figure something out. Vampires might be able to adopt children by then."

A small smile graced Edward's face and he rested his forehead against hers. "I don't want to take you away from Rose though. I don't think you're ready for that." He brushed some hair away from her face and she nodded because he was right, she wasn't ready for that.

"For the sake of full disclosure, there is something else I would love to do to you though."

His voice made her lightheaded. "What's that?" Bella wondered (part of her hoped it was sexual).

"A blood bond." She hadn't been expecting those three words. "We would exchange blood in a ritual. It would tie us together… and well, bond us. I'd feel you and you'd feel me. There are even rumours that you can hear each other's thoughts." His mouth quirked up at that.

"I'd be able to hear you?" Her head swam with the idea.

He nodded. "Yes and I'd be able to hear you."

"No one else has heard my thoughts apart from Rose. You might want to consult her first, make sure they're not too boring." Bella was nervous. This was a much-needed conversation and she was realising that the depths of her feelings for Edward went much deeper than she thought.

"Would you consider it; blood bonding with me?" Bella was silent. Not because she was upset but because she was so pleased he had asked.

"It sounds serious," she breathed out.

"It is." He released her hands and caressed her face. "I don't mean for us to do it now but sometime in the future. You can think about it for as long as you like but please know my feelings aren't going to change. I love you, Isabella Marie Swan."

Her answer was obvious. This was Edward. He made her feel things she had never felt before. With him she was safe. With him, she was home.

She pressed her lips to his and then pulled back. "A blood bond sounds like it might be in our future."

Edward's eyes went wide and a look of jubilation crossed his face before he crashed his lips to Bella's in a kiss that stole all of their air from her lungs.

She giggled against his lips, the noise turning into a squeal when he picked her up and spun her around.

"I love you so much, Bella," he told her once more.

"And I love you," she replied.