The First Chapter to Shadows Over the Edge!
Didn't I tell you I'd get you the first chapter Today?
I know I'm awesome. You guys are awesome too.
No Reviews to be addressed so...On with the Chapter!
If anyone had told me that I would be spending time set particularly looking for colleges, I wouldn't have believed you. First, because it was a prerequisite to get out of school first in India and second, I was pretty sure, a college education was something I would be comfortable without…even if a degree did help.
So, here I was, filling out forms and filing away the three acceptance letters I'd already gotten. I was not going to brag, I had only three, Bella, who had started out seven weeks earlier than me had five.
Still, I was pleased with myself, as was Charlie, Stephen, Edward…and Jacob.
I know, I know, aren't Edward and Jacob supposed to be enemies? Well, not so much as much as being grudgingly accepting towards each other and casting suspicious looks towards each other whenever they had the – ahem – misfortune of running into each other.
My time these days was spent in school, studying, spending time with friends and the Cullens, trying to get anywhere close to the reservation but always being chased away, and of course trying to solve the disappearance of Roosevelt Sorenson. I was also watching out for the Seattle murder spree. If you spoke to Stephen, he'd tell you I was trying to give myself a brain hemorrhage.
Rolling my shoulders back, I sat back, pulling up the newspaper articles about the two more people 'missing' in Seattle.
The three raps on the door was what made me swivel around in the chair to see it being opened by my boyfriend, sticking in his better than perfect head inside.
It had been a year and while I had grown accustomed to his beauty, I still took time to appreciate just how amazing he was to me.
His dark gold eyebrow furrowed when he saw me sitting at my desk, twirling a pen in my small fingers. All my stuff had already been hidden; his routine was now so orderly that I could manage to fool him with only seconds at hand. I was quite proud of myself for that.
"I hope you're still applying to colleges." He said, coming inside and shutting the door behind him.
"What else would I be doing?" I chuckled, watching him blur. He stood in front of me now, towering over my sitting frame.
This wasn't new. Edward had taken to putting out bits of his superpowers in front of me now. His mind reading, which he had no control over, was something I already knew but his superhuman abilities were a bit vague. He'd agreed to be 'a bit more himself' seeing that I never flinched. He would be stronger and faster when we were alone.
"Don't play innocent with me, Tulika. I know exactly what you're capable of." He crossed his arms severely.
I huffed up at him before standing up, sliding the chair under the desk, turning to leave him near the window when his hand shot out; grabbing my wrist and yanking me back to him.
A low gasp escaped me as he turned me to face him, burying his face in my hair, inhaling deeply.
He'd told me that my scent wasn't nearly as unbearable to him as Bella's, a twist of fate I was actually comfortable with as his arms wound around me, as if he wanted to merge me with him. I smiled slightly. He'd been on the tenterhooks ever since our time in the meadow. I'd forgiven him for a lot and he knew that. He was clearly trying to make it up to me for announcing himself with a will to fight.
"You're right," he mumbled, having heard the thought pass my mind, "I'm sorry for trying to pick a fight even before I said hello to you." He pulled back, examining my face carefully for any sign of anger or hurt.
I smiled instead, reaching up to press my palms to his cheeks. "Hello," I said lowly, making him chuckle. "Hello," he whispered back, turning his face to give my palm a quick kiss before detangling himself from me.
"I brought some college applications for you to fill out." He said producing a thick manila envelope from inside his jacket. I groaned. Why hadn't that changed from the books?
"Edward, I have three acceptances, I'm good to go." I said.
"These are from Ivy League. Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, Yale…" he said.
"All the more reasons not to apply…What with my life being the jungle gym that it is," I sighed, slinking away from him before I could catch the pout on his face.
"I got accepted you know." He said.
"Good for you, have fun." I said bitterly.
It wasn't that I didn't want to go. College wasn't a thing I could ever have the luxury of repeating like the Cullens. I wasn't sure the colleges would appreciate someone with as bad a track record as me. I'd better stick with the community lines.
"That's nonsense. You don't have a bad track record. Your rep is sparkling." He argued.
"Thanks, what do you think of that?" I asked, pointing at the newspaper article on my desk with the Seattle Headline.
He glanced at the newspaper before picking it up, examining it intently.
"Is the Volturi not going to show up?" I asked seriously. His eyes flickered up to me quickly. "You have no reason to be worried about the Volturi." He said.
"No…? From what I've read, Stephen and I are exactly the sort of treasure they'd want to lock up." I said boldly. "As if I would let them," he snorted, folding the paper neatly and placing it on the desk.
"Edward, don't change the subject, is it a vampire in Seattle or not?" I asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck, swelling his mouth before looking at me suddenly. "We've been looking at the patterns for a while now. Jasper was the one who drew it up for us. You told me the things you already knew of what's happening but there are some major discrepancies." He took a breath
"There aren't as many deaths as a thirsty new born in one city would cause. They are careful as well, it's being coined as a Spree Killer instead or a Serial Killer. There are at least weeks before another batch of victim goes missing."
"So, that means they're getting their food someplace else…or storing them?" I asked.
He frowned.
"I don't know if storage is what being done with these people. All the successive batches have been larger than the previous." He stated.
"Victoria did create an army," I whispered, falling into thought.
Victoria had created an army just for the purpose of eradicating Bella. That had been a stupid idea but I had always wondered why she had done it. Bella was stupid. She couldn't breathe to save her life. Why an army, then?
A shadow loomed over me as Edward sank to his knees in front of me, cupping my jaw.
"You have nothing to fear. I'm here, we're all here and…as much as I dislike admitting it…" his jaw clenched, "The pack is here too." He finished.
"You never had a problem with them before." I said, my statement coming out as a question.
"That was before they had mixed feelings for you." He gritted.
I laughed at that.
"Jacob isn't a threat. You know that."
"Just because in your books, he falls for," he noticeably shivered. "My daughter, but it's not possible in real life so excuse me being territorial." He said.
I giggled before his lips encased mine in a searing kiss.
His hands brushed past my face to tangle in my hair, my own clutching at his shirt collar as I tried to pull him in closer. It had been a very long time since he'd kissed me like this, all abandoned and possessive. His usual kisses now were more domestic, small pecks here and there or on my cheek and head so this was a nice change.
His tongue swiped over my lower lip, his own mouth parting as the kiss deepened, his body pushing mine back, hands holding up his weight as I scooted back to allow him space.
The kiss broke off and even as I tried to reach up for him again, he stopped me by putting a hand to my cheek.
"I mean it, don't be scared of anything."
"I'm not; it is fun actually. If you're going to reassure me like this; sign me up for even more trouble." I breathed out.
He laughed softly, brushing his lips on mine lightly. "You're impossible." He whispered against me.
I was about to say 'but you still love me' when he pressed his lips to mine again, erasing all thought from my mind; be it sarcasm, Victoria or the Volturi…
I wanted the first chapter to be light...you guys deserve it after the hell lot of angst I made you guys tolerate in the last book.
Angst is fun and all but even that gets overbearing sometimes.
How did you guys like it?
IMP: How did you guys like the makeout? ;)
Alright, Alright...
PLEASE REVIEW!