Fated

Chapter 12

Otooles is in its usual weekend state with lots of college people getting drunk, football players playing pool and drinking games, and dancing in the back room. Patty, Jacob and I are at a middle table in the front bar area. We only arrived an hour ago and Patty already has shots lined up at our table. I'm trying to explain to her that I'm at my two drink limit and don't want any more alcohol, but she has a way of wording things that makes you want to keep drinking, plus she has so much fun when she's drunk it makes you want to join her.

I'm trying my best to keep my promise to Edward, but those shots are looking better as the night goes on. I'm also still annoyed at him for not allowing me to go with them to Athens. I could have helped them with finding this coven. The more I think about him not allowing me to go and his authoritative, bossy tendency, the more I feel like drinking. Maybe it's my passive way of fighting against not allowing anyone to control me. I've always had a bit of a problem with authority. It figures my first boyfriend and true love would be a cop.

Jacob is pounding the drinks back like I've never seen him do before. I wait until Patty goes up to the bar to get another drink before asking him what's up with that.

"How are you able to handle so many drinks and you don't even seem drunk yet," I ask Jacob.

"I think being a vampire has sped up my metabolism so much that I can't get drunk," he says.

"You're not drunk, at all? Not even a little bit?" I ask.

Jacob shakes his head. "Nope. Not one bit. Now I can keep doing shots with Patty and not have to argue with her about my not drinking so I can drive everyone home. Looks like I'm the permanent designated driver."

"What do you do if you get hungry?" I ask, not really wanting to know.

Jacob smiles. "I fed before I came here so I'm good for the night."

Patty makes her way back to our table with three more drinks from the bar. She sets another Singapore Sling down in front of me, a White Russian for herself, and a Snakebite for Jacob. I frown at her. " I said I don't want any more drinks."

"Oh, one more won't hurt you. You've even eaten a full meal."

"That's true. Last time I think I got so drunk because I didn't eat enough. Tonight I've eaten a lot." I'm reasoning with myself trying to convince myself it's okay to keep drinking. Besides, Edward isn't around tonight. If I have a few more drinks it won't hurt anything. He saw me on my worse drunken night, that's why he worries. I won't get near that bad.

"Ready?" Jacob asks Patty and me as he holds his shot in the air. Patty picks hers up and they both look at me.

"Fine." I hold my shot up in the air. We all tap our shots together and chug them. I use my Singapore Sling as a chaser.

As the night wears on, we migrate to the back room with the dance floor because a college girl has talked Jacob into dancing with her. I've already lost track of how many shots I've had. Patty and I are sitting at a table in the room, watching Jacob dance and socialize with several girls.

"What's happening to Jacob? It looks like he's turning into a social butterfly," Patty says as we watch him chatting with a group of girls. All the girls are surrounding him, listening intently to what he's saying, batting their eyelashes at him.

"It looks like he's becoming more outgoing. Good for him!" I say.

"He certainly is. He isn't sitting by your side hitting on you all night as usual. It's really odd how fast he has changed." Patty says.

"I think now that I have a boyfriend, Jacob has realized it's no use hitting on me and is finally giving attention to the many girls who have always tried to turn his head. I think it's great."

"Here's to Jacob," Patty says as she hands me another shot and holds her shot up in the air. I tap my shot against hers and chug it down.

"I don't know, Bella. Jacob seems different and looks a bit different also. His eyes are so much more intense and sexy. Watching him get so much attention from all these girls is making me look at him in a new light. Maybe it's time I tried out old Jacob boy and give him a night he won't soon forget."

I choke on my drink, coughing into a napkin. "Oh, Patty. I think that's a horrible idea! Nothing can ruin a friendship faster. I would hate to see something like that come between us three."

Patty is still watching Jacob. "I guess you're right. I would hate to mess up what we have. Besides, there are lots of guys here to choose from. Let's dance, Bella. I can check out the guys while we are dancing. You can be my wingman."

"I'm too shy to be a wingman, but I'll dance with you," I say as I stand up.

"Once you get drunk, Bella, you're not shy anymore. You just don't remember."

"I'm not drunk," I say and then serve a bit trying to follow Patty to the dance floor. Maybe I am drunk.

Once we start dancing, the lights flashing against the dance-floor and the loud music is overwhelming me making me feel drunker than I actually am. For a few seconds, I think I see Craig leaning against the back wall staring at me. I do a spin and when I turn back around and look again, he's walking closer toward me. Patty gets up and starts dancing on a nearby table. Some guy has jumped in Patty's place and is dancing with me. I'm trying to figure out how to politely get away from him when I see his eyes widen as he takes a couple steps back. Suddenly a hand is grabbing my arm and swinging me around. When I stop, I am looking at a police uniform. I look up into Edward's face, his jaw tense and his eyes ablaze with anger.

"I cannot believe you got drunk again! You have placed yourself in danger, again! After you promised!" His voice is deep and dangerous. I'm in shock to see him here and feel guilty about not keeping my promise.

"I'm not drunk, Edward."

"Don't lie to me, Bella. I can tell by your breathing. You've had at least 4 shots and 3 drinks while I've been watching you. I'm taking you home!" He barks at me and grabs my hand and turns to lead me off the dance- floor.

"Wait! We have to tell Patty or Jacob I'm leaving."

Edward turns around to face me. "Wait here." He looks around the room and spots Patty on the table dancing and rolls his eyes. He walks up to Patty and she bends down to talk with him. I look back to where I last saw Craig and he's gone.

Edward walks back to me and grabs my hand and leads me toward the door. He's walking too fast and, in my drunken state, I wobble and almost fall trying to keep up. Edward turns around, picks me up, and throws me over his shoulder and carries me out of the bar. My face reddens as I imagine how many people must be staring at the spectacle we are making and I wonder what people are thinking seeing a cop carry a woman out of a bar over his shoulder.

We are in the parking lot. Edward is still carrying me over his shoulder as he walks toward his car. He is walking so fast it is jostling me around.

"Edward put me down! I can walk myself!"

"You're drunk. You could barely walk in there. You'll fall if you try to walk. I can't believe you got drunk again after I've shown you how dangerous this city is." Edward smacks my butt with the flat of his palm, hard. The sting lasts several seconds afterward.

"Ouch."

A few more steps and he sets me down on my feet next to the passenger's door of his car. He opens the door and I get in. He closes the door behind me and gets in the driver's side. I'm too embarrassed about him slapping my butt to talk or even look him in the eye. We spend the ride home in silence. I know he's upset with me.

When we get home I know I am too drunk to try to walk up all the steps to my house so I let Edward carry me again. When we reach the front door he sets me down.

"Hand me your keys," he says when we reach the front door. I fumble around inside my purse and pull out my keys and hand them to him.

"I can walk. Really I'm fine," I say.

"Okay if you say so." Edward puts me down and unlocks the door.

Edward steps aside and allows me to enter first. We walk over to my couch and sit down.

"I just don't understand why you would get drunk after you promised me you wouldn't."

"I know Edward, and I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on drinking more than two drinks, but somehow being in that bar and with Patty and Jacob chugging drinks, I got carried away."

"I'm glad my investigation ended early and I was there to protect you. I sensed a vampire in the bar tonight. You could have been in danger."

"But you said vampires are all over this city. I can't not go out because of it."

"Yes they are all over, but this one may have been an original. I was having trouble sensing them. If they are strong enough, vampires and originals can cloak themselves so others cannot detect them. I sensed something but I'm not sure what it was. Most likely it meant no harm. Most of the local vampires cause no problems because they know we have special units to handle problematic vampires in this town. Can you promise me you will go to bed tonight and not go out again?"

"Yes, Edward. I'm not going anywhere else. I promise."

"Good, because I don't want to have to get tough with you to make you listen to me. If I have to, I will have you banned from every bar in the area, Miss 19-year-old Wild Ass." Edward gives me a stern look.

For how much I hate when he's in his bossy, cop persona, I have to admit to myself, he also is at his sexiest when he's like this. I do feel bad that I didn't keep my promise. I move closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder and begin to caress his leg with my hand. His eyes are still stern, his brow furrowed as he quietly stares at me. I need to take his mind off tonight and get him out of his mood.

I pivot myself in my seat so I am facing him, my legs crossed. My hand slowly moves up his thigh, still caressing, as I begin to kiss his shoulder and run my lips down his arm, kissing through his uniform. I feel him take a deep breath and begin to relax.

"You're just trying to get out of trouble, Miss Wild Ass," Edward teases.

"Uh huh," I whisper as I pull him toward me. He pivots so he is facing me, wrapping his arms around my waist, kissing me. I place my legs on either side of him and pull him closer to me as I lie back against the couch. As we kiss he keeps himself held up by his arms so as not to lean his entire weight against me. I turn on my side and pull him with me to do the same, lying facing each other. As I continue to kiss him, my hands wander down his shirt to his waist. I tug at his shirt and pull it out of his pants allowing it to hang free. My right-hand slips under his shirt, caressing his strong, muscular stomach. His abs feel like smooth rock. I slowly side my hand upward feeling his strong chest, the warmth between us growing.

His moist tongue is probing inside my mouth, his lips silky soft on mine. I begin to wrap my leg around his when his strong hand grabs my knee and stops my leg from moving.

"Bella, you are going too fast," Edward says softly but firmly. I widen my eyes and look at him, shocked. Perplexed.

"We have all the time we want. We don't need to rush this," Edward says.

"But why?"

"I don't want to rush you. I've exposed you to enough. I'm not going to rush you into sex too."

"But I want to. You're not rushing me. I think I'm rushing you," I say and Edward smiles. It looks like a patronizing smile but I don't know why.

"Then it's me. I'm not ready to...to deflower you so soon."

"Edward. I've had sex before plenty of times." I'm lying. I don't like lying to Edward but I'm worried if he knows I'm a virgin he won't want to have sex with me. Edward raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Bella, I know you're lying."

I lower my head and sigh. "How?"

"There are things about being a dragon that you can tell."

I raise my head and look Edward in the eyes. "Oh my God, are you saying...you can tell I'm a virgin?"

Edward nods.

"How?"

"I can smell it. It's a natural smelling ability of dragons. I can tell a lot about a person from how they smell. When dragons mate, it's strong and intense. Our mate has to be ready to handle that."

"Edward I'm sorry I lied to you about my virginity. I was afraid if you knew I was a virgin you wouldn't want to have sex. I've been trying to pretend like I know what I'm doing and you mean all this time you knew I was a virgin anyway?"

Edward snickers and nods his head. "Yes."

"Well, I'm ready. I couldn't be more ready, Edward!"

"Bella, I"m not. I'm sorry but I don't feel good about taking this from you. Not now. We need to wait."

Edward pulls away from me and sits back up on the couch. "I'm sorry. I have to go now to get ready for our investigation tomorrow. I hope you're not too angry or disappointed with me."

I sit up next to Edward. "I'm not angry but I'm disappointed that you are so stubborn."

"Try to get some sleep. We can talk more about this at a later time. I won't be seeing you for a few days but I will call you every day and if you need anything call me, and please stay out of the bars! Goodnight, Bella." Edward stands up and kisses my forehead and walks out the door, locking it behind him.

A/N: It's tax time for me and I have several to do so I won't be able to post another chapter for about 2 weeks. Hopefully I will get it up sooner but I'm guessing 2 weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying my story. We will find out in the next chapter how much trouble Bella gets into when Edward's gone!

Thanks to everyone reading my story and leaving me reviews and encouraging me. This has been an amazing experience! Love Chelsea