Esme's POV
I didn't touch that thing for the rest of the day after I set it in on my desk. Whatever weird shit had just happened; I was afraid of it happening again if I touched it.
What had happened?
I was fully aware, nothing seemed hazy. I remembered it all. I concluded that I couldn't have fainted. Maybe it was the hunger? A delusion? The burn in my throat had been growing and I was eagerly anticipating the hunt with my family.
I was unsure though. Did I wave off whatever had happened, and write it off as me being crazy for a moment? My mind just had a moment. Did I tell my family what I saw? What had happened out on the deck…
I didn't realise I had been staring at it for so long, because it was the sound of tires coming up the driveway that pulled me from my staring trance. I stood up from my chair and looked over at the clock. It was 1 pm already? How had I managed to let myself zone out that long?
I peered through the window of the third-floor shared office, and down below, saw my husband stepping casually from his vehicle. I smiled lightly to myself, turning, my eyes automatically falling to the necklace as it sat in its little pile at the corner of my desk. My smile fell. I shook my head. Not now.
I met my husband at the door, as he was hanging his coat.
"Hello beautiful," he smiled, placing a kiss softly on my lips. I rested my hands on his chest, my head tilted up to meet his eyes, "What did you do all day?" he asked. I froze. I had never lied to my husband before and gotten away with it. "That look in your eyes, it gives it away," he would always tell me with a lighthearted chuckled. I pulled on the best happy face and cheerful eyes I could muster up, smiling up at him.
"Oh, the usual; worked on my blueprints, watered the flowers, sat and read on the swing," I told him, and he smiled back at me. He seemed to believe it. Miraculously.
"The kids should be home in… an hour," he paused to look at his watch and double check, and then smiled at me.
"Well I'd like my present to last longer than that," I pouted teasingly, which made him laugh.
"Of course darling, but that's later, I assure you," he chuckled, brushing my hair away from my face and behind my ear with one finger. His finger tenderly caressed my cheek, as it ran over my skin. I smiled up at him, gazing into his eyes, "How about you and I take a few minutes to just…relax?" he suggested, a finger dancing over my slightly visible bra strap. I laughed lightly.
"I think we should get changed for our hunt. You know the kids won't waste time changing," I told him, pulling away from his embrace gently. I headed towards the stairs, and glanced back after a few steps, noticing he wasn't following. My eyes met his as I climbed the first step, only making him chuckle to himself, shake his head lightly, and follow after me, up to our room.
I unbuckled the belt around the waist of my dress as I stepped into our bedroom closet. Carlisle hung his tie in its place and proceeded to unbutton his dress shirt. I giggled to myself. The sight of my husband undressing had always been one that was hard to tear my eyes from. But I managed to resist as my fingers flitted over the hung clothing until I found the shirt and pants I wanted. Black as always. Bloodstains were so much easier to hide on black clothes, and unlike Alice, I didn't have a tendency to wear outfits just once.
"You look sexy in black," I heard my husband say behind me as I slid my leather jacket over the t-shirt I had put on. I turned around with a half smirk half smile on my face.
"You say that about every colour," I chided back at him with an eye roll and then a smile. He chuckled, sticking his hands in his pockets, giving me his signature flirty grin.
"Well the best thing I like on you is nothing," he said and chuckled to himself, reaching for his own jacket and slipping it on, zipping it halfway. I rolled my eyes at him again and smiled half-heartedly.
"Later," I said with a laugh to myself, as I patted the center of his chest as I passed him, leaving the closet. Arms wrapped around me as I picked up my hairbrush from my vanity. Carlisle kissed my cheek.
"Can I braid your hair for you?" he asked softly in my ear. I smiled and nodded, seating myself on the little stool in front of the mirror, handing my brush to my husband, who began gently combing through my brown waves. Carlisle found an intriguing interest in my hair. He loved to play with it when we were together. Cuddling, laying in bed, kissing. His fingers always took the chances to play with my strands.
He fishtailed my hair into a single braid at the back, and when he tied it off, he gently set it over one shoulder.
"Thank you love," I said, touching the tail end of the braid gently, and our eyes met in the mirror, making us both smile.
"You look beautiful," he said kindly. I pursed my lips.
"I thought I was sexy?" I asked, attempting to contain a cheeky grin. Carlisle leaned down as I twisted my head, allowing him to kiss my lips.
"You are that and every other exclamation of beauty in this world," he said. I exhaled as he pulled away. He certainly had a way with words. I stood up and he swept me into his arms, my back resting against his chest.
"I love you," I smiled softly, pressing my lips to his for a moment, enjoying our simple moment. His lips trialed to the exposed flesh of my neck that my leather jacket wasn't covering; just below my earlobe. I couldn't help but let my eyes slip closed and my head fall back against him, "I hope the kids give us the evening alone," I mumbled softly as his lips left my skin, and his hands gently squeezed my shoulders.
"We can always run up to Canada for a few days," he suggested. I smiled at him.
The gravel outside crunched under the tires of the kid's cars as they came up the driveway. Carlisle's eyes met mine as we smiled at one another before I pulled out of his embrace, taking his hand as we walked downstairs to greet our children home.
"Hi Mom," Alice said, her usual cheery demeanor, but she had that smile on her face that said she knew something. She disappeared up the stair s in a flash, Rosalie, Emmett and jasper following her at a human pace. Edward as always gave me a greeting kiss on my cheek as he passed, making my smile softly. Nessie threw her arms around me in a hug as she always did as well. Bella only gave me a smile and a wave as she passed by. I felt Carlisle slip his arms around my waist from behind.
"It's your birthday. Where would you like to hunt?" he asked me, pressing his lips to my hair. I smiled at the feeling, thinking about it.
"How about east into the mountain. Bears for Emmett and Jasper, bobcats and cougars for Edward and Bella. Elk and moose for us," I listed. Carlisle chuckled, nuzzling my cheek with his nose.
"That's my Esme, always thinking about others. Even on her birthday," he said happily, but emphasized "her".
"Just want everyone to enjoy our hunt," I said, turning my head and kissing his cheek with a light peck, but he raised a hand, touching my chin gently, holding it between his fingers and his lips captured mine. I let out a barely audible moan, kissing him harder.
"Get a room,"
Alice teased us as she reappeared on the stairs, Jasper behind her.
"I'm hoping we will," I teased back, my voice low. Alice just chuckled lightly and winked. I giggled to myself as the rest of the family pooled back downstairs.
"Everyone ready?" Carlisle asked, letting his hands fall away from our embrace, lacing our fingers together, holding my hand softly. The kids filed out the door, the two of us behind them.
Usually Jake came over when Ness got home from school, but we kindly asked him to stay away during hunting trips, as Ness was still young, new to hunting, and could accidently hurt Jake when her instincts took over.
"Ready to go?" I asked everyone again.
"Where we are heading?" Emmett asked, rubbing his hands together excitedly. I smiled.
"East, into the mountains, 15 miles" Carlisle said, pointing into the trees. Then pulled my hand as we dashed into forest, the kids running behind us. I glanced over at my husband as his hair whipped around in the wind. He smiled, running a bit fast, letting his hand fall from mine.
"Carlisle," I giggled, knowing he was teasing me with a race. Suddenly Edward zipped passed us, with Emmett on his tail, the two of them laughing. I glanced around at my family members, ducking around trees and leaping over rocks.
"Keep up guys!" Emmett laughed, as he followed Edward far ahead of us.
The rest of us caught up to them at our destination, in a valley between two peaks. There was a commotion coming from a cave nearby. Emmett was laughing as a bear snarled angrily. I shook my head, in an exasperated way. His favorite. The family dispersed, off to find their own meals. I met Carlisle's eyes for a moment before we headed off in our own direction, further down the valley.
We came across an elk herd that was grazing, the females were laying with their young, and the buck was standing at attention, watching for danger. He had yet to detect us. I scanned the heard, spotting a few doe's that didn't have young. I couldn't help but watch them as they peacefully went about their business. Carlisle and I snuck up around a ridge that overlooked the herd.
"Leave the buck. There's two doe over there, no young," I told him, as the two of us lowered into a predatorial crouch. Our eyes met momentarily, "Three…"
"Two…"
On "one" we both lunged towards the two deer, tackling them before they could even raise themselves to their feet. The herd scattered; the buck warning everyone to run, as we drained our meals clean and swiftly.
As my instincts and bloodlust subsided, I looked over at my husband, who was standing up, looming over the corpse of his own meal. Our attention was drawn to each other. I stood up as well, brushing the grass and dirt off myself. Carlisle ran a hand through his hair as a I walked over to him, brushing the grass from him too. He chuckled lightly, looking around.
"Full?" he asked, "Because I think that herd is long gone," he said. I nodded,
"I'm good. They were pretty big," I said, glancing back at my meal remnants, "Should we head back?" I asked. Carlisle nodded, and the two of us dragged our corpses into a bush. There was no need to bury them up here, as humans weren't allowed to hunt in the area; a national park. As well as any predator would consume the meat of the animals long before any human came across them.
"How long do think Emmett is going to mess with that bear?" He asked with a light laugh as we approached the area where the family had split off.
His question was answered when we reached the clearing, where Emmett was puling at the shreds of cloth that once was his jacket. He gave us both a cheeky smile. Rosalie appeared from the treeline, wiping the back of her hand across her lips, before slipping an arm around Emmett's upper arm.
"What did you find?" I asked her, rubbing my thumb lightly over the back of Carlisle's hand.
"Cougar den, about a mile north. The male put up a good fight for a few seconds," she said with a smirk. I gave her a simple smile.
Bella, Edward, and Ness appeared from the south. Bella and Edward had proud smiles on their faces, and Ness had one of excitement as she bounded over to me.
"I caught a deer and took it down myself!" she cheered with delight. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug to congratulate her.
"She's getting much better at her stealth," Edward said, as I let go of my granddaughter, and she hugged her aunt. Carlisle slipped an arm around my waist, pressing a kiss to my temple.
"Alice and Jasper?" I asked, directed toward Edward, wondering if he could hear them.
"Alice said they'll be here in a few minutes," he assured me, and I guessed they were around 5 miles away. Carlisle and I sunk down to the grass, him leaning against a rock, me leaning against him. Ness wandered off, climbing a tree a few feet up, Bella watching her out of the corner of her eye as she pulled at branches, picking pinecones. Rose also sank down to the grass. Emmett and Edward were chatting about something that I wasn't listening to.
"Plans for tonight?" Carlisle asked softly in my ear. I turned my head slightly, our eyes meeting. I didn't have to say anything. My eyes said it all. Love me. He kissed my jaw, nibbling once on my skin, before settling back against the rock, tightening his embrace slightly. I nuzzled into him.
"They're coming," Edward said, looking into the trees. Then looked over and beckoned Bella and Ness back to the group. Sure enough, a few second later, Alice and Jasper had joined us.
"Find anything good?" Emmett asked. Alice smiled lightly.
"Deer. Two doe and a buck," She said, and then looked down at Carlisle and I, and Rose.
"Plans?" Rosalie was the first to ask her. She beamed.
"We're heading to Canada for a few days," she smiled, looking around at everyone. Emmett and Rose seemed excited, Jasper content, Bella, Edward and Ness had no objection, "We're leaving tonight. We'll be back in three days," she told my husband and I.
"Are we going to see the Denali's?" Renesmee asked, looking at her aunt. Alice nodded,
"Carmen wants to see how you've grown, so I thought we'd meet up in halfway and have a visit," Alice said.
"We should probably head back home then," I suggested, trying my hardest to supress any eagerness, as I rose form my husbands embrace. Carlisle swiftly stood as well.
"It's not offensive mom," Edward chuckled lightly, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and turning with a smile, Bell took Nessie's hand and the three of them headed in the direction of home, probably to their cottage. Everyone else quickly took off at a run. Though once at the edge of the mountain line, Carlisle and I hung back, and resumed walking at a human pace through the trees, hands linked as I leaned towards him slightly. The birds chirping in the canopy of leaves above us.
"How far are we from home?" I asked, once we had walked in silence for a while. Carlisle looked around, scanning the forest. Likely looking for the marked trees that was Edwards mental hearing range limit if we were at the house.
"Far enough that we're still in private," he said, "Why?"
I bit my bottom lip, and turned, pushing him against the nearest tree, firmly enough that a majority of the bark could be heard cracking under his body. I didn't even give him time to process my actions before feverishly crashing my lips to his, my hands pulling at his coat, in a feeble attempt to open it, and get my hands closer to him. His palms cradled each side of my jaw and returned my kiss with an equal amount of fervor.
He let out a whimpered moan, succumbing to my dominance, and right at the moment he tried to slip his tongue past my lips, I pulled away from the kiss, but pressed my pelvis up against him, feeling his arousal straining against his pants, as I ran my hands up his t-shirt.
Then I teased him further by ending the moment of passion and backed away from him with a smirk on my face; a sultry look in my eyes.
"Esme," he moaned, reaching for my waist to pull me close but I stepped out of his reach, making him jut his bottom lip out in a little dramatic pout.
"You better hope those kids leave quickly," I said, mocking his pout, and turned, heading to house at full speed. I giggled to myself, knowing he was quickly on my tail. He would be restless from now until he had a chance to pin me to our bed.
I headed inside, after letting Carlisle catch up to me. I could hear the shuffling of my children as they packed small bags for their trip. Carlisle and I had taken long enough to walk back that Bella, Edward, and Ness had returned to the house from the cottage, bags already in Edwards car. Bella was waiting on the couch with Nessie. Alice and Jasper swiftly descended the stairs, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Emmet and Rose followed, Emmett also with a backpack, but Rose with her more civilized duffle bag in one hand. Edward appeared from down the hall, coming from the kitchen, a lunch bag of food for Ness for the long drive though Canada, even though they could stop and hunt anywhere along the way if she got hungry.
"Is Jake coming? Ness asked her parents. Edward touched her hair softly, as Bella smiled.
"I called him. He'll meet us at the road," she assured her daughter, who beamed.
"Alright, lets head out," Alice said, bounding toward the door happily, giving me a light hug as she passed. My children all hugged us, before piling into the two cars they were taking, waving as they pulled away.
The sun was beginning to get lower in the sky; casting shades of yellow, orange, and purple across the clouds. I smiled, taking in the image to paint at another time.
Two arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and I felt lips graze my earlobe. I closed my eyes for a moment, relishing in the feeling before I turned in his arms, sealing our lips together.
When we broke our kiss, I opened my eyes; our gold orbs meeting with a fire in them. I gave him that same look from before.
"Love me," I whispered to him, before he scooped me up bridal style and whisked me upstairs.
