Another chapter!
I am so tired. I should be sleeping but meh, I can't.
Reviewers:
Kat Smith: Thank you for liking the chapter! Loads of kisses for Bullet and Silver! Ok Ok, I won't laugh...all that much!
The wind shook the wooden cabinet and I jumped again as Stephen frowned gloomily out the window. "Is this even stable?" he asked for the nth time.
"I don't know, Stephen, try asking Edward." I said as steadily as I could even though we all probably knew by now that I was being affected. Once we'd gotten into the cabin, Edward had started the fire immediately to make the freezing cabin warmer for the humans and we'd soon run out of firewood. So while Edward left to get more, Jacob stood out to keep guard. I hadn't wanted to appear selfish so I'd let Stephen take the chair near the fire, settling to just wrapping myself in all the warm jackets I could get my hands on.
That hadn't seemed to work well because soon I was shaking with the house. The supernatural beings could probably hear it and now Stephen could physically see it.
Stephen rolled his eyes, glancing at me. "Why don't you just come and sit here?" he asked, watching me with pained amusement.
"You'll be cold." I mumbled, fighting off a violet shiver.
"I've been warming my back for hours now, get up and come here." He said.
"Jeez, don't be so snappy." I got up and went to his side, huddling into the barely existing space between his body and the arm chair. "See, loads better," he said.
"Yeah, thanks for being human," I rolled my eyes this time as he guffawed.
The door opened and soon Edward and a human Jacob walked in, looking at us in surprise. "What's going on?" Jacob asked. "Stephen feels like the house isn't good enough." Edward muttered, not seeming bothered as he settled the wood near the fireplace, adding more pieces before looking at me, holding out his hand.
I took it quietly, letting him pull me out of Stephen's chair and settle me on his lap as he wrapped his slightly less warm arms around me tightly, rubbing my back.
"What's the plan now?" I asked.
"Well, Jacob and I will be leaving in the morning as soon as the sun hits the mountain. You and Stephen will stay here until we come to fetch you." Edward said.
"Like corn dogs," I mumbled.
Edward sighed immediately. "Tulika,"
"What now?" Jacob asked.
"Tulika feels like she can be proficient enough in killing a vampire in a battle if we teach her how to." Edward said.
Jacob laughed and I whipped my head about to glare at her. "You're supposed to be on my team!" I screeched.
"Not in this matter, nope," he said lightly.
"Need I remind you, I managed to fight off James…?" I trailed off, catching the looks on the faces of the three men around me. Stephen looked sick, Jacob looked uncomfortable and Edward had paled considerably, his grip on me tightening.
"Fine," I sighed, giving up. I knew no one in that particular crowd was going to back me up. Not even Stephen would…
My mind floated in darkness as I dreamt of night skies and warm couches…
Edward had insisted the humans go to bed quickly and Stephen had taken the small bed near the fireplace while Edward had me wrapped in his arms and a heavy blanket on the couch, my head cradled under his chin as he hummed the song he'd made for me, his fingers stroking my hair, lulling me to sleep.
I had dozed off soon but not completely. Maybe I was too wound up to properly lose my state of awareness because I could hear Stephen's light snores, Edward's now silent breaths and Jacob's shuffling.
"Is she asleep?" Jacob asked suddenly.
I felt Edward tighten his grip on me lightly before gently letting go and nodding. "Hmm, so, did she tell you about the Sorenson thing? I mean, I'm not trying to start anything here, but I thought you should know." He said.
There was silence. "She told me during graduation."
"Man, she has a hell of a sense of timing."
"That she does; at least she deigned to tell me. I probably should thank my sister for that." Edward murmured.
"Yeah, I get it, she's smart and all but she's still…easy to hurt."
"She called you,"
"Yeah but, only cause she didn't want you to freak…apparently you do that a lot." Jacob chuckled.
"I 'freak' because I love her Jacob. Imagine how you feel about her well-being, and then magnify that a hundred or even a thousand fold."
"I can imagine." Jacob said.
There was silence again.
"How is it…being with her?"
Edward paused considering.
"I want to say it's the easiest and the hardest thing in my entire existence."
"What do you mean?"
"Falling in love with her wasn't a cake slide, Jacob. I'm sure she's told you of the book story…? Well, that's not how it happened. We were both wary, suspicious of each other and well, there was the matter of her being from a different world…I knew I had to let her go, eventually, but when I lost her…that was…not something I would like to repeat but when I'm with her…everything is just natural. We're natural. She drives me crazy sometimes, drives me up the wall, but she also accepts me for who and what I am. She has never given me or let me give her more than we can handle. She doesn't let me cross boundaries; she would never wrong me for watching out for her when she knows she needs it. She's warm, kind, honest…sometimes, and I don't what I would do without her. I would never ever give her up for anything in the world."
I felt him press his lips against the crown of my head.
"You're mad about her." Jacob said drily and Edward laughed softly, a smooth low husky sound. "Yes, yes I am."
"I wonder why she's been talking of fighting." It was Edward's turn to ask.
"Hmm, I might know something about that." Jacob muttered.
Our positions had changed. Jacob had moved to sit on the bed, Stephen facing the wall while Edward was now stretched across the couch, my body still on his lap.
"What is it?" Edward asked cautiously.
"How much do you know of our tribe tales?" Jacob asked.
"Almost all of them,"
"Have you heard of the Third Wife?"
There was a pause and I knew Edward was mulling it over in his head before letting out a bitter, "Ah,"
"Yeah, I don't know why, but I think she got some wild idea of sacrifice from that." Jacob said, just as bitterly.
"Well, she should know she's not going to sacrifice anything." Edward said firmly and I knew he could tell I was beginning to wake. I snuggled in closer to him and blacked out again.
The next when I woke, it was to hear Stephen stretch his bones and yawn so loudly I was sure the vampires and wolves could hear it in the clearing.
Jacob started next to him and even Edward jumped.
"Stephen, she's asleep!" He admonished.
"Yeah, not anymore…" I groaned, sitting up and immediately feeling the kink in my neck.
Stephen grinned sheepishly at me while Jacob and I scowled at him as Edward sat up behind me. "How did you sleep?" he asked.
"I can say I'm hundred percent sure I prefer your bed." I mumbled, yawning too as I rolled my neck.
"Well, sun's up." Jacob said and we all turned to see the sun going up through the frosted glass. Edward nodded, his hand reaching out to curl around the back of my neck, massaging it gently.
I looked at him, my eyes wide with fear and he smiled softly.
"I can stay if you like," he murmured as Jacob went out. "Oh yeah sure, send the wolf alone!" he called sarcastically. I scoffed at him before turning to my boyfriend.
"You know I wouldn't do that. I can't ask that of you." I said.
Edward shook his head in disappointment. "I know, you're too good for that. Too selfless; sometimes I wish you were more selfish." He whispered. Stephen moved up quickly before moving further into the cabin. "I think we made him uncomfortable." I whispered.
Edward chuckled. "When this is over, I will follow through on the promise I made you." He said.
"What promise?" I mumbled and he quirked one eyebrow, making blood rush to my face as I remembered. "Oh, that promise," I said.
He grinned. "I'll be back for you, soon."
"I'll be waiting."
He pressed his lips to me tightly, his tongue brushing against my lower lip before pulling back.
"Damn, can I get a good luck kiss like that?" we turned to scowl at Jacob in the doorway.
"Sure you can, Jake, ask Stephen." Edward said smarmily and I glanced to see Stephen looking horrified as they both exchanged looks.
"Nah," they both said.
I laughed, before standing up.
"Come back to me, safely, all of you." I said.
"Yes ma'am," Edward and Jacob said together before looking at each other, irritated but I just smile, shooing them off. Jacob took off while Edward threw me one last look before following.
"They'll be fine." I felt Stephen come up behind me.
"I know." I said.
How was all of your Christmases? Did it go well? I hope it did! An advanced New Year's if I don't update again!