A/N: squeezed in another place name for my Facebook group at the beginning of this chapter xx Alexis
We are steadily running at an angle to get us out of the USA and into Canada. Our home is on the outside of Gove City, Kansas and our next stop, well we'd just be passing through was Philipsburg. Then over the line into Nebraska passing through Hastings and Aurora, which is the biggest place so far. I love the sound of some of the place names, others are well, inventive that's for sure. The next place we'll hit is Sioux City, Iowa and then on into Minnesota. We are waiting until we reach Minneapolis before we feed again, as it has a much larger population than any of the others so far.
This was only day one and we decided to stay over in Minneapolis, it has been about a six hundred mile run give or take a few. It's nothing to us and what would take a human several days maybe only took us a few hours. We booked into a hotel and settled in for the night, no use rushing ourselves, Jacob wasn't really that far away and he unlike us needed to rest. Our lack of luggage is glossed over by paying with a black card. Money sure talks louder than most things. Peter does have a rucksack and I am using my big bag that was at the Cullens. They held at least one change of clothes and we'd buy more as needed.
Our tans will have faded by tomorrow, but we have our contacts and both of us have hats to shade our faces as much as possible. We don't have much intention of being around people once we reach Canada. It all depends if he crossed over into Greenland or not which way we go once we reach Thunder Bay, Ontario. If he has then we'll cut across to Newfoundland and swim the Labrador Sea. If not it's straight up to Nunavut and push him to make the crossing. Either way, Conrad will be on the lookout for the fool tonight, giving Peter and me some time to spend together completely alone.
Most people would think because we're alone we would just be constantly having sex, but no! A lot of our time is spent either talking or just laying side by side holding hands and enjoying our togetherness. It's more on a spiritual level than an emotional one, to just be, nothing else influencing us. I never could have envisioned this as a human, it's more than I expected, so much more. I think it has much to do with being a vampire. We can reach a level of stillness that no human could, one where our senses take over and we just feel. It's as if our minds open to each other and we converge and converse in a different plane of existence.
Dawn is streaming through the windows of our hotel making us stir for the first time in hours. I bag the shower first, but end up sharing it with him anyway,
"That was..., I've never felt anythin' like it suga'. But am glad I felt it with only you my mate, my soulmate!" Peter says as he gently even reverently washes my hair,
"It was amazing, beyond amazing. It was out of this world!" I reply smiling ecstatically at him,
We both knew we had reached a level of understanding between us that was far from the norm. It started to show in the simplest of things. Several times he answered my questions before I voiced them and I knew he was about to have one of his little information drops or tell me something prior to it happening. I thought we were in sync before but this was way, way more. It didn't feel odd or strange, the exact opposite actually it felt right, well right for us. I would have to ask Char and Abriel if they had a similar thing happen to them or was it just us?
Peter's cell pings breaking me out of my reflections and he winks at me knowing exactly what I was thinking.
"It's Conrad; he crossed over late last night. Looks like a longer swim for us. He'll tail him and see what he plans to do next" Peter tells me as he packs up our things,
We were heading for Duluth now and then over into Canada at Thunder Bay. That was about three hundred miles so we decided to get on the road as we were still running. Cars are a waste of time when we can run faster and don't have to follow any roads. This means no delays and shaving off many miles, basically, we are travelling as the crow flies. No mountain is too high for us or ocean too deep, the only thing that could deter us is a volcano or forest fire. But I'm not worried; Peter will get us where we need to be. No matter the lead Jacob Black has I will catch up to him eventually.
Our feet eat up the miles easily and I long since shed my shoes, they can't stand the pounding quite as well. Peter laughed and took his off as well,
"I don't usually abuse my boots like this suga', most nomads walk everywhere not run," he tells me as we hit the Canadian border,
"We'll walk back, I promise you, my mate. I think I'd like to do this again when we're not in a hurry "I answer taking in the view,
"We've all the time in the world suga', so I'll keep you to that," he says smiling at how happy I am,
"Where to next?" I enquire as I've never been to Canada before,
"Nipigon and then head for Timmons, but overland ignorin' the roads. We feed there and then press on overnight. It could get a little hairy in Quebec as the Inuit's have shifter tribes too and they won't stop to ask questions first!" Peter explains and I nod,
"I've been shielding us all the way so far. I'll strengthen it if trouble finds us!" I tell him and he squeezes my hand,
"Sorry, I forgot. I'm not used to someone else coverin' my butt" he says laughing,
"Well, it's a very nice butt and it happens to belong to my mate. So they'll just have to pass on taking a bite out of it!" I huff, pretending to be upset,
"I'm okay with that suga'. You're the only one I want bitin' me. Feel free to bite me anywhere you want!" he says wiggling his eyebrows at me,
I can't help laughing heartily at his innuendo. That's one of the things I love about him, he finds the humour in any situation and lightens the mood because of it. At first glance, you would think he wasn't paying attention to what's going on around him, but you would be wrong. Peter's mind is constantly moving, processing and working out the probabilities. He knows when to push his luck and when to stay silent. I'm guessing many vampires have underestimated him in the past, especially when he was by Jasper's side. He's nobody's sidekick, he's a threat in his own right.
Not that I want any trouble on this journey, but I know Peter will see us right. I'm no slouch, but never having fought supernaturals puts me at a disadvantage for now. I'm sure as our time together progresses I'll get a chance to change that because there are always cocky, stupid assholes just waiting to pop out of the woodwork. We manage to share a meal at Timmins since it's not a huge place, but we don't stop overnight. We do clean up a bit in an abandoned barn further along our route. We're eating through hundreds of miles by not following the roads very often. The next place we head for is called Matagami.
Peter explains that we will be heading into some less inhabited terrain after Mistissini; the road to Labrador City, Newfoundland goes well off our course so we will just run on through. I'm certainly seeing parts of Quebec not many visitors do. We will be sharing a meal in Labrador City too we agree, as it's only got a population of seven and a half thousand. Our last stop in Canada is going to be Hopedale, well near it anyway. Then the big swim across the Labrador Sea to Greenland. We will be trying out Conrad's diet here so as not to offend him or deprive him of his meals.
OTITRM
Well, it was different; it was very different, but not totally awful. The bigger the marine animal the better it was, just like land animals, Peter explained. It was all about predators really, the ones that eat each other were better than the ones who filter plankton etc. I would rather stick to humans all the same and if Jacob Black is going to do what I think he is we can get back on our own diet sooner. Conrad is meeting us shortly and he has seen the wolf heading southeast towards the coast. So he is heading for Iceland and probably the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.
"Aluu Peter, is this your mate Bella?" (Hello) Conrad asks as he arrives and I can't help but stare,
"Hello Conrad, you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen!" I blurt out and would have been blushing if I were still human,
"Yup sure is. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. How are you Conrad old buddy?" Peter says smiling at me,
"Good, I'm good and thank you, Bella. The ladies all seem to like them" he answers and wiggles his eyebrows at us,
"Damn! Were you two separated at birth?"I ask laughing,
They both stare at me and just before I make a worse fool of myself they burst out laughing. Explaining that everyone says that about them. Char was the first, then the Major and finally Garrett.
"Oh, did Peter tell you Jasper found his mate? She's just stunning, she's so freaking sexy. Gabriella is hot, plain and simple!" I explain not in the least abashed that I find another woman attractive,
"That's high praise coming from someone as beautiful as you Bella. You're very special" Conrad replies and Peter nods,
"Bella is down to earth and tells it like it is. She's right about Abriel though, she makes us all look plain next to her" Peter agrees with me,
"I'm so happy for the Major, after putting up with the little witch, he deserved better and it looks like he's found it now!" Conrad comments,
I wonder if anyone actually liked her. Wouldn't it be a sad epitaph for Alice, that the woman who killed her was once her only real friend!
"So this wolf-man you're chasing, what's his story?" Conrad asks me now,
"Oh, the usual, greed, avarice and murder! Except the man he murdered was my uncle and then he caused my death. That was his biggest mistake, letting a vampire turn me.
He could have killed me and Edward that day, but he ran like the coward he is. Humans who can't fight back are more his speed!" I spit angrily just thinking about him,
"Ah, revenge is sweet is it not? Well, he's stolen a small canoe and looks ready to make the journey to Iceland. It's an easy crossing for us, but tiring for breathers. He has been hunting, hoping to build some energy I presume" Conrad explains,
I tell him about the elevated temperature of the wolves and their strength. So he will no doubt make it across, but so will we.
"So are we right in thinking, the Faroe Islands next and then the Shetland Isles?" I ask Conrad and he nods,
"Sounds about right, then onto Norway. Why didn't he go the other way around?" he says and we both shrug our shoulders,
"Panic, I think or just damn stupid. Maybe he thought he could lose Bella. He doesn't know she's not alone yet" Peter adds as an afterthought,
"Well good luck and good hunting my friends. Maybe next time you can stay for a little longer"Conrad says before turning away to head back up north,
"Thanks, goodbye and we will, we promise" I call out after him as he disappears from sight,
I've had my hair braided since our last swim and decide to just leave it that way. Not because the water could actually damage it but because it gets so tangled and nobody likes tangled hair. I thank God, it's not as long as it used to be, but still long enough. With the way, it grew during my change it would have been down to my knees if I hadn't gotten it cut before the funeral. In fact, I'm glad about everything I did before the funeral. The nails, the body hair, the eyebrow shaping, I had, had the works done and I couldn't be happier about that.
Running across Greenland isn't quite as bad as I expect and soon we are near the coast and can just scent the lingering smell of the wolf. He is starting to use his head and aimed for the shortest crossing point. It's still about one hundred and seventy-five miles, but easy for us and doable in a small boat. Weather permitting, of course, that's something that can even stop or slow us. But most of the time we can push on through. Peter tells me several vampires have over the years been severely thrown off course by a raging storm. They never know just how much until they eventually find dry land.
It's no wonder the sea claims so many human lives when it can toss and batter us with ease. It's rare we can be injured, but the sea is one of those things capable of damaging a vampire. Once we pack all our stuff into waterproof bags, including our jeans, that was just yucky the last time. Wearing soaking wet denim, even for a vampire is not pleasant at all. Plus the saltwater does damage we can see and smell, something that humans can't. It weakens the fibres more than you realise and that's why seams give way suddenly or the material itself just tears apart.
"You ready for this suga'? Let's take this at a steady pace, we can catch a meal too" Peter asks and I nod,
"Yeah, ready when you are" I reply, swimming was never one of my favourite pastimes, but I can when needed,
We swim side by side most of the way and it's so beautiful out here. Isn't funny how mother nature makes places so stunning, even when nobody is around to see it. We dive down whenever we hear a plane up in the sky, just in case. That would be too hard to explain away, unlike Jacob's canoe that could just be adrift on the sea. That's if he has the brains to slip over the side when planes fly overhead. We are taking our time as he is only hours ahead of us, not days now. Is it bad of me to be enjoying the chase? Jasper texted Peter to say he has had passports sent to all the capital cities, each one has a safe place, a bolthole as it were.
So we can fly home once I catch up to the wolf. The other passports will be there in case we ever need them in the future, it's not like we change at all. Planning and logistics, that's a trait you have to have when being a vampire. They all have friends who can use these places and they will move any mail into a safe until one of us arrives. It's a good system, everyone watching the others backs for them. By now every one of the Whitlocks European friends knows we are headed their way. Bente in Norway is watching the coast for Jacob's arrival. She is nomadic too but often uses the Oslo house.
There are no vampire in Iceland or the Faroe Islands. The same with the Shetland Isles, they are all too under-populated to support a vampire's needs,
"Land ahead suga', let's look for a bit where the trees come right down to the water" Peter suggests breaking into my musings,
"Sorry, I was miles away. That must be my only newborn trait, my mind wanders so much!" I exclaim and he pulls me towards him through the water,
"Not the worst thing you could have gotten suga', it could have been the newborn temper," he says before ducking me under the water and taking off at speed,
I power after him, managing to grab his ankle and put him under with me. Well, here's something else to score off my bucket list. Not needing to breathe has its benefits, as we sink slowly to the bottom. Our mouths devour each other's and I feel my shirt give way to Peter's hands. It doesn't take long for me to give myself over to the ministrations of my mate. The weight of the still water does nothing to deter us as he sucks and nips at my skin. I rip off his shirt too but trap it between two rocks so it won't float away. Soon we are both naked and Peter is pounding into me with abandon.
He's growling deep in his chest and I can see fish and other sea life scurrying away from our position. I only just remember not to open my mouth and scream my release, instead, I sink my teeth into his neck over my mating mark and this forces him over the edge too. We stay like this for several minutes each salving the other's bite mark, while still joined together. Staring into each other's eyes as he slowly starts to move within me once again. This time it is slow and sensual, a meeting of two minds as well as two bodies. I have never even thought of this before, but damn we will be doing it again.
We finally float apart after our release and Peter is smiling deeply at me. We collect our discarded clothes and head towards the shore.
"Wow, I liked that welcome to Iceland!" I exclaim as we surface,
"I aim to please suga', the pleasure was all mine" he replies as he pulls me into his side,
OTITRM
Once we dress in dry clothes, we head for Reykjavik for a meal and to buy some more shirts at least. It's a detour that will lose us a bit of time, but needs must as swimming long distances, consumes energy fast. It's a beautiful place, but like all others, there are always a few not so nice people. We don't know if Jacob Black will steal a boat in broad daylight or wait until nightfall. But he can only go forward to one place, the Faroe Islands. If he tried to go backwards, Conrad would capture him and wait for our return. So we relax and do the tourist thing since the sun is barely there.
The hiking area at Stokksnes looks like the place to leave from. But this leg is over four hundred miles, so he'll need drinking water as well as a sturdier boat. Animals are fairly small except one here, there are Arctic Fox, mink, mice, rats, rabbits and of course, reindeer. We on the other hand need nothing, but as we stand on the shore looking out to sea in the far distance we see a little boat bobbing along.
"We can stay here a couple of days if you want? The weather will be overcast for all of this week, that'll give him time to hit dry land by the time we catch up" Peter asks, I think he too is enjoying the chase and wants to prolong it,
"Okay, why not! Back to the capital or something more rural?" I ask in return,
"How about Birkifell, there are hot springs nearby that we can sneak into at night. I don't fancy sharin' with the tourists durin' the day!" he replies and I agree,
There is something very satisfying about knowing your enemy is fleeing for his life while you rest and relax without a care in the world. We use our phones to take pictures to send to Char and Abriel back home, up until now it's only been the odd one or two. I did take one of Peter and Conrad, the startling difference in their eyes was amazing. The ruby red of Peter's against the vibrant violet of Conrad's was breathtaking. I wonder if Peter just wants an excuse to make love to me in the hot springs and not just to avoid the tourists? Not that I'm complaining, it sounds like a marvellous idea to me.
*What's the time, Mr Wolf? Is a form of tag played in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United States, the English-speaking Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Players: 3 or more
Skill(s) required: Running, strategy, endurance, time-keeping, bravery and tenacity.