I am not the inventor of Twilight. Sad.
Author's note: A few of you have mentioned that the POV changes aren't standing out enough. So I will attempt to be a little more obvious with it so you can tell which perspective we are in. Also this chapter is dedicated to EntrustingLove. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and multiple threats! P
Family Tree Chapter 16
Bella's POV
I huddled in the furthest corner of my bed against the wall, the covers pulled up to my chin, my knees curled up tight to my chest. I watched the window with unblinking eyes, waiting. I fervently hoped that neither Alice nor Julian had been hurt in the spat. I tried to focus on the conversation that Julian and I had; it kept my mind off of other, more important people. I couldn't bear to think of Edward with Dahlia.
I didn't have to wait long. Alice leapt from the tree into my room and landed silently as a cat. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you ok?" I asked her, worried that she may have been hurt.
She shook her head and sighed, exasperated. "When will you learn that I can take care of myself Bella?"
I smiled at her tone. "Probably never. I worry about the people I love."
"You're going to give yourself an ulcer."
"Really?" I wondered if she meant that literally.
"No, not really, but listen, you really don't have to worry about us. You should watch out for yourself, however. How long was Julian in here?"
"Just a few minutes."
"The sneaky bastard…I should have known." She sighed and then sat down on the floor, her legs crossed beneath her like some yoga guru.
"What do you mean?"
"I knew he would come visit you, I wasn't sure of the night because he kept changing his mind. Of course he chose tonight…with Edward away. You know, he's very protective of you."
I nodded. Edward had been increasingly protective in the last few weeks, since we'd learned some of my heritage. I wasn't sure why it affected him so much, but he clearly didn't care for it. What did any of that matter anyway?
"So how did things go down at La Push?" Alice asked disdainfully, looking at me with something close to disapproval.
"Fine…well, sort of. It was strange."
"Imagine that."
"Alice!"
"I call it like I see it Bella. You know I don't like you spending time down there, learning all of their customs. What good will it do for you? In the long run you will leave with us and parting will be that much harder for everyone involved."
"Are you sure of that?"
"Sure…no. The things I see are constantly shifting around you. You really are an anomaly Bella."
"So when is Edward coming back?" I asked, trying to shift the conversation. I had a sudden, desperate need to know when he was coming back. I missed him so much.
"A few hours. There's nothing to worry about Bella, he's all right."
"I don't like Dahlia," I admitted, in a hushed voice.
"No one does, not even her mate, I don't think. She's really strange. I haven't quite figured her out. I search for her future but don't see much of anything beyond what she's doing now."
"Has that ever happened before?"
"There have been a few others…but it doesn't matter. We don't intend to become close to either one of them."
"Really? Why not?"
"Remember the night we invited them over?"
"Yeah…you wouldn't let me come," I reminded her, sullenly.
"For good reason," Alice explained, "they weren't exactly forthright and things got a little out of hand."
"I thought they wanted to join your coven…"
"We believed that as well. Julian did a good job of making us think that they were like us but there are a lot of things that don't add up. Carlisle and Esme did some research into their backgrounds and couldn't find anything. They supposedly stayed in Denali and learned of us there but their story didn't check out. Rosalie seems to think they might be Volturi."
"Wouldn't you know that though? The Volturi aren't like you at all…just by the color of the eyes you can tell!"
"It would only take a few weeks of abstaining from human blood and then switching to hunting animals to change the eyes. I think Julian has an easier time of it than Dahlia."
"But…she went hunting, with Edward."
"Yes. I think she's trying to repair the bridge that was broken, when they lied to us. I don't know what we are going to do or how close we will let them become, but you are to stay out of it. I mean it Bella, I don't want to find you alone with Dahlia or with Julian. Edward would be furious and I think that Julian has his eye on you."
I shuddered, thinking about being alone with Dahlia. That was not something I wanted to experience. Julian on the other hand…somehow I knew he was safe. He wasn't trying to hurt me. He had the perfect opportunity to do so with no one around and he didn't take it. He warned me and he told me he would change me if Edward refused. It was always nice having an ace up my sleeve.
Alice watched me and her eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it, Bella."
I smiled falsely. "I'm not thinking about anything."
She rolled her eyes at me. "You can pretend all you want but when it comes down to it, you know that Edward will be there for you. We all will be. We love you and I'm only telling you so you don't go and do anything foolish. Edward would never get over it Bella."
"Get over what?" I raised my voice a bit for emphasis. I thought I knew what we were talking about but suddenly I wasn't sure.
"Julian."
"What about him?"
"He's handsome, suave, intelligent, and you like him," Alice shot me a look.
"So what? I LOVE EDWARD!" I shouted, angry that Alice would ever think that I would do something like that. Blood filled my cheeks and Alice watched me, her black eyes suddenly glittering. I gulped.
"Bells?" Charlie called out groggily down the hall.
I glanced at the door and then back to the floor where Alice had been. She was no longer there.
Charlie opened the door and flicked on the light. "You ok Bella?"
"Yeah dad. Just had a bad dream."
"Must have been some dream."
I rolled my eyes. "Goodnight dad."
He mumbled something under his breath and turned the light off, shutting the door behind him. I didn't breathe until I heard his door close at the end of the hall.
Alice slunk out of my closet. "I'm going to wait outside."
Her voice was strained and she sounded angry.
"Alice…"
She turned and looked at me, sitting on the sill of the window.
"I would never ever leave Edward. It's never crossed my mind. I love him more than anything and would never leave him, even if he didn't want to change me."
She nodded, regarding me silently. I waited. She sighed.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you Bella. This isn't any of your fault. I see a hundred different futures for you and I saw one where you and Julian were together. It was only for a moment and it's gone now but…be careful, ok?"
"Ok. Are you mad at me?"
"No. But I haven't hunted in a bit and I think I need some air. Edward will be here soon and I'll be nearby if you need anything."
I watched her leap lithely from my window and then she was gone. I curled into a ball on the bed and began to cry, overwhelmed by everything. I didn't understand anything that was going on. It all seemed surreal. Deep down, I knew that what I'd said to Alice was the truth. I would never leave Edward. Julian was a stranger to me and would never be anything more. It scared me that she'd seen a future where Edward and I weren't together. I vowed that no matter what we would not be apart.
All I could do now was wait for Edward to come home. I wanted more than anything to see his beautiful face. I needed my angel.
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Edward's POV
We ran until we reached the area around Ranier. The sky was a deep purplish black, casting eerie shadows on the forest ground and I could smell fresh meat not far away. Dahlia was an adept runner; quite possibly the only vampire who could keep up with me. That was interesting and disturbing in some respects but I didn't give it too much thought. She turned then to look at me, letting me know that she'd also smelled our prey. She gave me a feral smile and her onyx eyes glittered malevolently. Her teeth gleamed against the moonlight and I followed close behind her as we silently made our way through the thicket of trees.
She paused when we were close and gave me a signal. It was time.
I let go of my control, layer by subtle layer. I allowed my hearing to become focused on the sound of a beating heart. I flared my nostrils and allowed the scent of fresh blood to pervade me. I gave up the rigid control over my muscles and favored the grace and agility that was inherently a part of my existence. Last to go was my conscience. I buried it in the back of my mind, allowing the caged beast within to take over.
I flew past Dahlia and came to stand poised behind the lion. Thick golden fur, sleek headed, the female mountain lion eyed me warily. She bared her canines and I bared my teeth and began to circle her, faster and faster until I was a blur. Her heartbeat sped up as she watched my baffling display. She roared in frustration, and turned to flee but Dahlia blocked her exit at every turn.
We closed in and Dahlia lunged, her teeth sinking into the lion's neck. The moment that fresh blood pervaded the air, I became senseless and bit down under the jugular. The sweet warm blood coated my mouth and I drank of its sweet potency, sucking and draining the lovely liquid from the lion that now shuddered for the last time. We drained her.
I pulled back first, and watched Dahlia continue to suck the last of the blood from the beast. She pulled back and I watched a lovely drop of blood slide down from the corner of her mouth. Without pausing to think, without any conscious thought at all, I leaned in and licked the drop from her chin.
"You and I make a great team," her husky voice broke the silence that had fallen over the forest.
I felt my controls slip back into place. The beast retreated into the cage, content, for now. I regained control over my muscles and the conclusion of the hunt ended my hyper aware senses. Lastly I pulled my mind back together and when I did, I gasped. I felt instantly off balance and horribly, horribly guilty. I had not kissed her, had not even let a single deceitful thought pass through my mind but the blood was there and my action was instinctual. Yet it was an intimate act. It reeked of familiarity and I had no business being familiar with Dahlia. She was neither family nor Bella.
Bella.
The night flooded back in a wave of anxiety and I knew that I had to return to her. I turned to run and then realized I'd not answered Dahlia.
"Go on, go back and play with the little human. When you tire of her, I'll be around," she said, amused.
I turned back to face her. "I shall never tire of her. She is the reason for my existence."
Dahlia looked a bit put out but I couldn't care less. I turned and ran back to Forks, back to my Bella. I knew she would be all right; Alice was watching over her. As I ran I tried to reason with myself. I wondered whether or not I should tell Bella about what had happened. I didn't want to hurt her over something that meant absolutely nothing but I didn't want to be dishonest either. I decided to tell her; when the right moment came.
I whipped through the trees silently, running as fast as I could. I could not wait to have her back in my arms, my singer, my only love.
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