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In which Edward gains a deeper appreciation of Christmas
Summary:
"Mate," he rasped.
Her eyelids, which had momentarily fluttered closed at his closeness, opened now. For the first time it registered to him that her irises were burnished gold- the color of marigolds.
She shared their diet.
"Mate," she echoed.
There was a roaring in his ears, which he belatedly realized was his own answering growl.
Authors note: Welp, 2020 has been a bag of dicks. This story is pure fluff with a side helping of smut- which I think we could all use this year. Think hallmark movie meets vampires, with sex. This story earns its rating, so if we're all grown girls (and boys), enjoy, and Merry Christmas ;-)
Cheers,
Jen
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Christmas was not his favorite holiday. For all the cheer that Esme and Alice tried to suffuse the house with, Edward regarded the day with the same dread some people associated a root canal.
In her typical fashion, Alice had gone completely overboard. This year she had forgone a theme- thank god! Edward still hadn't quite forgiven her for the year she had subjected them all to a minimalist Christmas. Emmett, a great Christmas aficionado, would never let her forget the potted pine she'd purchased in lieu of a proper tree. The decorations this year were at least tasteful- if a bit overabundant.
A twenty-foot Douglas Fir adorned the great room now, bedecked with soft white lights, red shining orbs, and silver, sparkling ornaments. Esme had contributed to Alice's fervor by needle pointing new stockings for the entire family, and baking gingerbread cookies for the hospital staff. Emmett had A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life, playing on the flatscreen in a continuous loop for the past twenty-four hours. Esme put her foot down when he tried to add Bad Santa to the mix an hour ago, while Jasper and Carlisle were deadlocked in a game of chess. Even Rose was in a good mood.
It was unfair to the rest of his family, he knew, that he could not quite get into the Christmas spirit. As a mind reader, he was all too aware that each member of his family had varying degrees of concern for him. Esme's thoughts were the loudest, echoed closely by Carlisle's. Alice mourned for his unmated status, and often searched the future, looking for the day Edward would find his mate.
Last he checked; she had been unsuccessful.
"Edward, darling," Esme called up the stairs. "We're going hunting. Will you join us?"
Ah, yes, Christmas "dinner," he thought with a wry smile. But instead of utilizing the dining room table, a prop used mostly for family meetings, his family would hunt together.
"Of course," he replied, loping down the stairs and adopting a smile he didn't feel. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Jasper met his eye, undoubtedly feeling the contrast between his words and his emotions but said nothing. Just as Edward was discreet with his gift, Jasper seemed to know when to keep his family's secrets.
The seven of them took off into the woods at a light jog, by vampire standards, at least. Edward hung back, watching his family pair off and join hands. If spending a century unmated was an unusual and painful experience, then being the only single vampire in a household of mated couples was agonizing.
Edward felt himself slide back into the melancholy that had been coming all day in fits and spurts. Carlisle had been planning on speaking with him but couldn't quite decide what to say. He knew his 'son,' for want of a better word, was suffering, but not how to help him.
Carlisle had thought about taking a trip to England to see an old acquaintance and dragging Edward along with the hope that he would meet his mate. His maker's history as a matchmaker was spotty at best. He had known, of course, what Esme was to him before he changed her. Rosalie and Emmett had been a happy accident, which was a credit due to Carlisle, but setting up Edward had always ended disastrously.
The good doctor had actually turned Rosalie with the hope that she and Edward would form a connection, which was laughable now. There was also the many, many times that he had tried to push Tanya Denali at him. Although undoubtedly beautiful, Tanya was in no way his mate. He also didn't care for the sometimes mean shape of her thoughts. And, of course, there was the disbelief in the privacy of her mind, that any man could reject her, which made her try all the harder to bag Edward. He had no interest in either her or being a conquest.
The idea of a visit from the Denali's had been tossed around, much to his chagrin. If this came to fruition, he may need to excuse himself while they were here, even at the risk of being line of thinking had darkened his mood even further, making him scowl as they traversed further into the Olympic National forest.
After a fashion, the Cullen's fanned out. Carlisle and Esme stalking a herd of deer, Alice and Jasper after a bear, and Emmett and Rose fondling each other in a large pine. Edward grimaced, trying to tune out their lascivious thoughts.
With his family distracted, he wandered off. He was not particularly thirsty, having hunted two days earlier. His meadow was not far, and Edward couldn't help but meander in that direction. He had not been there since August, and while it would not be in bloom- alive and teeming with wildflowers and tall stalks of crabgrass- winter held a delicate beauty all its own.
The forest was frozen today, and a thick, curling mist drifted through the trees. Alice had seen a white Christmas, but so far it was not forthcoming. The air did, Edward admitted, smell like snow. Perhaps a light dusting would coat the ground this evening.
A gentle wind blew, moving the fog in soft, billowing swirls. The scents of the Pacific Northwest ghosted over Edward, who was walking at human pace to his destination. It was another smell that caught his attention, however.
He was not alone.
The scent of an unfamiliar vampire, female, he thought, found him. He crept forward, following the aroma, which became more potent as he neared his meadow. It was practically ambrosia, and unlike anything he had scented in his 109 years. Light and floral and fresh, with notes of amber. Something he refused to name took flight in his chest, beating its wings so hard, Edward could almost believe it was his dead heart- come back to life.
As the clearing became visible through the mist, Edward froze, his entire body going rigid, perfectly still in the way only a vampire could.
Was what he was seeing real? Could it be? Did God, if he existed, grant him a Christmas miracle? Or was this the manifestation of his deepest desires- a twisted figment of his tortured imaginings?
Dimly, he wondered if vampires could hallucinate.
Edward blinked, half expecting the mirage to vanish into the twilight haze as he did so. It didn't. She was there, fifty yards away, sitting on a fallen log with her knees tucked under her chin. She was upwind and hadn't sensed his presence yet. Her eyes were gazing up at the towering firs that surrounded the clearing.
His mate was beautiful. Slender, with a classically built figure and long, wavy brunet hair. Her creamy, pale skin glistened in the winter twilight. How had Alice not seen this? Had Alice seen this and kept her thoughts from him? There would be time to consider that later. Much later.
His mate's attire was a little worse for wear, indicating that she, like most of their kind, was a nomad. She wore leggings with holes in both knees, no shoes, and a chunky, cable knit sweater that was obviously made for a much larger person. It might even fit Emmett. Her hair was the deepest dark brown, waist length, and curled at the ends. She was, in a word, perfection.
Edward didn't have to be physic to know that Alice was going to try to dress her up and fill her closet with impractical, but fashionable clothing. If that made her happy, he'd gladly hand his credit card over to his sister. This girl, his mate, deserved everything he could give her.
He loved her even as he set his eyes upon her. Vampiric mating was the origin of the phrase 'love at first sight' for a reason. Once a vampire saw their mate, it was a done deal; they were unconditionally and irrevocably in love.
Using his gift, he reached his mind out to hers, desperate to hear her beautiful thoughts. He blinked, startled when he heard nothing- thinking that she had left and he hadn't noticed- but no, she was still there.
This had never happened before. Even when he wished he could turn his gift off; he was still subjected to the thoughts of everyone- human and immortal alike- whether he wanted to hear them or not. His mate's mind, however, was closed to him.
Was he going mad, or was she gifted, he wondered? He had never heard of a vampire losing their grip on reality- not even Marcus had when he'd lost his mate. She must be some sort of mental shield, he thought and wondered if she were immune to the rest of his family's abilities as well. Was that the reason Alice did not see her? It was ironic to an absurd degree that the one woman's mind he most wanted to hear was the only one that he couldn't.
No longer content to simply watch, he thought of ways to make his presence known without spooking her. Female nomads were well known for scaring easily when faced with the males of their species. Other than the Children of the Moon, other vampires were their only true threat.
Before he could formulate a plan, however, the wind changed, taking his scent with it and making his decision for him. Faster than he expected, she whirled off the log she was perched on and landed in a defensive crouch. Terrified that he had ruined his chances and that she would flee into the woods, Edward raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture.
She went still much in the way he had, the only movement her harsh breathing as she scented the air around her. Her lips parted, her jaw going slack as she gaped at him. Apparently, she was as surprised to meet her mate as he was. Slowly, as though she were battling her fight of flight instincts, she straightened.
"Um, hello," she said. "I'm Bella."
Her voice sounded musical, like an instrument that Edward had never heard. Bella. Her name was Bella. Was that short for something?
Instinctively, Edward moved at vampire speed and blurred to her. He intended to introduce himself properly, to not be driven by instinct alone and behave like a caveman, as Emmett had when he first laid eyes on Rose. But as they say, man makes plans and God laughs.
Edward thought he understood how he would feel when and if he ever met his mate, having experienced it through the thoughts of others several times after all. He now knew how foolish he was to make any assumptions- laughable even! He had never felt more like a vampire, more cognizant of his nature. Not even during his 'lost years' when he hunted his traditional prey, did he feel more like the creature he truly was. Only this time the self-loathing that had come with murder was not present. He inhaled her unique fragrance, more intoxicating and infinitely more devastating this close.
The urge to consummate their bond was almost overwhelming.
"Mate," he rasped.
Her eyelids, which had momentarily fluttered closed at his closeness, opened now. For the first time, it registered to him that her irises were burnished gold- the color of marigolds.
She shared their diet.
"Mate," she echoed.
There was a roaring in his ears, which he belatedly realized was his own answering growl. Without pausing to think, he seized her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her in. Her lips found his, and Edward's eyes rolled back in their sockets. The warmth of her mouth was divine, and he began to understand the idiocy his brother's, and even Carlisle, were driven to in the pursuit of pleasing their mates. She was everything, all-encompassing. The sweetest blood, the most vibrant sunset, the aurora borealis in the Alaskan night sky- nothing compared. During his lonely years as the odd man out in his family, Edward had spent many evenings picturing this day. His expectations fell spectacularly short.
The pads of her fingers trailed a tentative path up his biceps, past his shoulders, and found the back of his neck. A low growl formed in the pit of his stomach. Edward slanted his mouth over hers and she opened for him, allowing him to slide his tongue along hers. She submitted prettily, making a sound between a sigh and a purr. Her deft little fingers found his hair, running her nails over his scalp. He growled again, feeling for the first time that exquisite threshold between pleasure and pain.
He was on the brink of doing something rash, like taking her here and now in the brittle, frozen grass, when a cleared throat interrupted his vulgar plans. On instinct, he whirled around, snarling at the threat, and shoving Bella behind him.
Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Alice, were watching them with varying expressions of surprise and delight from the edge of his meadow. Alice was beaming. His rational mind, the one that recognized these vampires as beloved family members tried to intervene, but Edward's instincts prevailed. A roar rent the air between them, warning the others to stay back.
"Edward," Alice said, trying to take a small step forward. Jasper, recognizing the threat of a newly mated vampire, snatched her elbow and pulled her to his side, whispering in her ear too quietly for
Edward to hear. His brother's thoughts, however, came in loud and clear.
Unpredictable and volatile, need to get Alice home, this nomad could be anyone.
"I think Edward and his new mate could do with some alone time," Jasper drawled.
Good idea, Edward thought, even as he was incapable of rational conversation. Carlisle nodded, smiling brightly.
"We'll be at home, son," he said gently. "Introduce us to your bride when you're ready. We're so happy for you."
He took Esme's hand, who looked as though she would have been crying tears of joy if she could, and together, the four vampires backed out of the clearing and out of sight.
"Your coven?" Bella asked from behind him.
He turned to her, his hands finding her slender waist and squeezing roughly. She squeaked adorably, her expression fading from one of curiosity to lust. Her golden eyes faded to black as she took him in.
"They're my family," he managed.
He would explain the dynamic of himself and his unorthodox coven later. Much later. Bella seemed to agree, as she nodded blearily, no longer interested in hearing the details. They were chest to chest, and she was forced to crane her neck to see him, making him realize that she was a full head shorter than himself.
"Your name is Edward," she observed breathlessly. He nodded.
"Come with me," he murmured, and even as she murmured her agreement, he was already off, having scooped her up bridal style.
They raced through the woods, his perfect vision and superhuman reflexes helping him to avoid trees and animals, which scampered out of their way. He didn't set her down until they were in the cottage. Esme and Alice had been fixing it up for over a year but had been very tight-lipped about the remodel. Had they done this with them in mind? Had his psychic sister known, and been able to keep his mate's existence a secret the entire time?
More questions for later.
He tossed Bella on the white, downy bed, and was looming over her in an instant. Her lips found the place on his neck where his pulse had once been and he groaned loudly when she sucked on the skin, raking her teeth across it simultaneously. His hands cupped her bottom and squeezed, eliciting a gasp from Bella.
Her hair was splayed around her head like a dark halo, and she arched her back, thrusting her breasts forward as his hands roamed up the silky-smooth skin of her back. He found his intended target and ripped her bra from her body, tugging it out from beneath her hideous sweater and flinging it across the room.
Bella's own hands were tugging his dress shirt out from his slacks and unbuttoning it far too slowly for his liking. With a frustrated growl, he ripped it open, uncaring that the garment was ruined. Alice hardly let them wear the same thing twice, anyway. It joined Bella's bra on the floor.
Without missing a beat, Bella's hands found his belt buckle and deftly slid it from the confines of his trousers. His erection was straining against the fabric, hard for the first time in the presence of a woman. Unselfconsciously, he ground against her and they both moaned in unison. Her legs opened and she wrapped them around his waist, pulling him against her most sensitive place. He moved again, this time his clothed cock grazing her own covered slit.
"Oh god," she breathed. "Take these off."
She grabbed the belt loop of his slacks to illustrate her point. Edward could deny her nothing. Their bond pulsed as he obeyed, sliding them down his legs. Bella propped herself up on her elbows to watch with glittering black eyes.
When he was clad in only his briefs, he lowered himself to the bed again, kneeling between her open legs. He grasped one dainty foot in his hand and kissed the instep, uncaring that she had been wandering around the forest sans shoes. She smiled and chewed on her lower lip as he switched to the other foot, sliding his hands up her calves to gather the fabric of her leggings in his hands. With one smooth motion, he yanked them off her, ripping the fabric as though it were tissue paper.
Grabbing his hand, she yanked him to her, making him land on her bodily. With another swift yank, he tore her sweater from her body, baring her to his eyes. Bella's ivory breasts were average-sized, and slightly more than a handful and peaked with rose-colored buds that he had an overwhelming desire to taste.
"You're beautiful," he murmured. "So perfect."
"I think you're the pretty one," she teased.
He smiled, leaning over her, and tracing her mouth with the tip of his nose.
"Are you sure?" he asked, meeting her eyes. "We have all the time in the world."
"I need you now," she whispered, arching into him again. "Don't make me wait."
He nodded; he could not agree more. Her plain black panties joined the massacred pile of what was once their clothing. He took in her naked form hungrily, committing every angle and curve to memory.
His fingers ghosted over every inch of her, starting at her clavicle and sweeping down the planes of her body. When he reached her knees they parted, allowing him to slip his hands between her thighs, pushing them apart with reverence. She was pink and glistening in her most intimate place and he inhaled sharply when the scent of her arousal struck him. He had to know if she were as soft and perfect as she looked.
She was.
His fingers found her, stroking with the utmost delicacy, causing her to sigh softly, her eyes closing at the contact. Would she taste as good as she felt? Edward decided he had to find out. Moving into position, he inhaled her greedily. Although he had no practical experience, Edward had seen the act preformed in the minds of others (against his will) numerous times. His tongue laved a long stroke along her slit, ending at the small nodule of nerves.
"Ah, Edward," she whined, writhing.
As ever, Edward was a quick study. Even without the ability to access her mind, he could discern from the noises she produced what she liked and disliked. For his part, he could spend days between her thighs bringing her pleasure again and again. In fact, perhaps he would do just that some other time. He wasn't kidding when he said they had all the time in the world to become acquainted. For now, his straining erection was aching to meet her wet heat. But first, he needed to make her come.
Two of his long, slender fingers joined the fray, sliding into her. He recalled more than one woman's thoughts during his time in purgatory (high school) whose fantasies had included what he could do to them with those fingers. Although at the time he had been repulsed by their lascivious thoughts, he now used them as inspiration.
Curling his fingers inside of her tight channel, he made a beckoning motion, which sent her over the precipice. She cried out, her entire body bowing and arching off the bed.
Bella became impossibly tight as she spasmed around his fingers, and for a terrifying moment he wondered if she was a virgin, and what that meant for a female vampire. Would it be painful for her? He knew he was, ahem, well endowed, and worried now how that would affect his mate.
He didn't have time to wonder too long. She was summoning him with breathless little pleas to take her and make her his, which he was powerless to deny. Shucking the last barrier of clothing that separated them, he loomed over her, his cock bobbing heavily between them and weeping with clear fluid.
"Are you…" he trailed off, not knowing how to ask such an indelicate question at such an intimate moment. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he had to know if he should exercise extra caution.
"Sure?" she asked breathlessly. "Mm hmm. I want you."
"I don't want to hurt you," he hedged.
"I trust you," she breathed, rubbing her delicate foot up and down his calf muscle. "Don't make me beg."
Experimentally, he rubbed his length against her slit, abrading her sensitized clitoris.
"Edward, ughn," she cried, undulated her hips and grinding against him, seeking more friction.
She was warm and wet and sweet-smelling and it was all Edward could do not to pound her sweet little pussy into next week. With the utmost care, he aligned himself at her entrance and pressed the head of his penis inside of her.
The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and no amount of mind-reading could prepare him for the pleasure of her body. Bella inhaled through her nose and went still, her eyes closed and her brows making a v.
"Am I hurting you," he grit out, using every ounce of self-control he possessed not to give himself over completely to his instincts.
"N-no," she stuttered. "Just, ah, I haven't…This is a new experience for me," she finished softly.
She was a virgin. Fuck. Just as Edward was starting to overthink their situation and considering pulling out of her heaven, she adjusted her position, spasming around him in the process.
"That's better," she grunted. "Don't stop, Edward. I'm a vampire, not some teenaged human."
It was exactly what he needed to hear. Experimentally, he thrust into her, making them both gasp with pleasure. He carefully thrust again, and again, still worried that he would hurt her. She moved her hips in time with his, speeding up to encourage him to move faster, deeper. He still wasn't sure, however. She even wrapped her creamy thighs around his hips, pulling him deeper within her body.
When he didn't pick up the pace, she huffed.
"I'm not made of lace, Edward," she panted. "Just fuck me."
Her vulgar language did the trick. Her words sent an electric current straight to his cock, buried balls deep inside of her. Fine. If this was how she wanted it, she could be responsible for any lasting damage.
"You want me to fuck you?" rasped into her ear.
"Mmm, yes," she whined. "Please, Edward."
With lightning-quick agility, he rose onto his knees, pulling her with him and hooking her knees over his shoulders for maximum leverage.
"Have it your way," he all but snarled, thrusting into her with his full weight.
Bella keened high and loud, voicing her approval when he hit her cervix. This was heaven. Carlisle had always insisted that mates were a gift to their kind, given to have something worth living forever for. Edward, being somewhat arrogant from being able to read the minds of mated couples, had never fully agreed.
He knew now what a fool he'd been. He wanted to laugh or cry, but he could do neither. Bella's body was beginning its' ascent once more, her slick channel tightening around him. When she came, Edward couldn't help but follow, his rolling back in his head as he spilled within her with a deafening roar.
As his orgasm ripped through him something in the deepest place of his soul clicked. He felt whole. It was as though there had been a piece of him missing since birth without his knowledge and it had just been returned. It was the sweet taste of human blood, the feeling of running through the woods, climbing a mountain, composing music; It was all good things rolled into one.
They came down together, taking unnecessary shuddering breaths as he collapsed on top of her. If it was possible, Edward felt rung out. Not physically, of course, but emotionally he was drained. Bella seemed to be of the same mind.
Without warning, she huffed out a laugh and Edward looked at her quizzically.
"Something funny?" he asked archly.
She giggled again, unapologetically.
"I don't even know your last name," she smiled.
Edward smiled at this, too. They had rather gotten carried away, putting the proverbial cart before the horse.
"My apologies," he smirked. "My name is Edward Cullen, and your is…?"
"Bella Swan," she grinned.
"Is Bella short for something?" he quizzed.
"Isabella. But I won't respond to it," she warned.
"Well then, Miss Swan," he said, spinning off her prone form in a smooth motion and standing at the foot of the bed with his hand outstretched. "Would you care to join me for a bath?"
"A bath sounds like heaven," she practically moaned, and Edward realized it must have been some time since she'd had the luxury of languishing in the tub. The lifestyle of a nomad was not always comfortable. He vowed to make sure she had as many baths as she wanted from here on out and would be speaking to Esme about remodeling his en suite as soon as possible. But who knew, maybe Alice was already on the job. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.
"Allow me," he whispered to his mate, whisking her off the bed and carrying her bridal style to the bathroom.
As he settled down behind her in the steaming water, they both sighed in unison. The bathroom was lavish, even by Cullen standards. The tub could have comfortably fitted his entire family and was jetted. It was placed in an alcove with floor to ceiling, marble tile, and windows that looked out on the Hoh river.
What most caught his attention, however, was a pine sapling on the riverbank, which had been dressed in white lights, and glowing red orbs. It had also begun to snow. Tiny, soft snowflakes dusted the woods around the cottage.
"Did you do that?" Bella asked lazily, gesturing to the tree.
"No," he scoffed fondly. "I think it was a Christmas pixie."
"A pixie?" she laughed. "I didn't know there were Christmas pixies."
"Not just Christmas," he said with a smile in his voice. "She has a penchant for shopping as well, so I hope you're ready."
"Is this the girl with the black hair in the meadow?" she asked.
"Alice," he told her. "She sees the future and may have seen you coming. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already bought you an entire wardrobe by the time I'm ready to share you with the rest of my family."
"Family," she said softly. "That sounds so nice. I haven't had a family in so long. This," her breathing hitched at this and Edward soothed her with a kiss to her temple. "This is the nicest Christmas I've had since waking up to this life."
Edward immediately felt guilt at having sulked and pouted all day in his room, avoiding his family and all that he had because he didn't have a partner to share it with. He couldn't help but agree with her, though. This was the best present he could have ever received.
"It's the same for me," he said softly, pressing yet another kiss to the top of her head. He couldn't seem to stop kissing her.
"Flatterer," she teased. "What should I do with you?"
Edward liked that she wanted to flirt with him, easing some of the heavy as she did so.
"I don't know," he said with a wry smile. "But I do know something I'd like to do with you."
She squealed when his fingers found her hips and he rubbed his cock into the cleft of her bottom.
"Is this how we're spending our first Christmas together? What about your family?" she demanded in a prim voice but ruined the effect by smiling.
"I'll introduce you properly after the New Year," he breathed in her ear, and they were both lost to one another.
Later, much later, Emmett would have an endless supply of sexual innuendo and colorful euphemisms at their expense. Alice did, indeed, buy half the spring line of Nordstrom's to "help her new sister discover her personal style." Carlisle and Esme were, naturally, thrilled for Edward and happy to have a new daughter. Jasper would teach her combat, much to Edward's chagrin, and even Rose didn't hate her, which for his most difficult sister, was like announcing her and Bella's engagement. She fit in so seamlessly, it was as though Bella had always been part of their family.
In June, they were wed in the back yard, much to Alice's displeasure, and Edward would whisk her away to the private island that Carlisle had given to Esme as a wedding present. But for now, the lights Christmas lights placed by his meddling little sister and the feel of his mate, his mate, against him, around him, filled his senses. All in all, Edward would say he had gained a deeper appreciation for Christmas.