The Jaguar Versus the Wolf

Chapter 18 - Freedom on the Horizon

Orbiting Satellites Book Two, Chapter 18 - Talks with Bella and Jacob companion


"Hey, there's a car dealership a couple of towns over that's unveiling the new corvette models. I was thinking we could go. It starts at four. What do you say?" Renesmee asked me out of the blue.

While she loved all things automobile related, the only part of them I enjoyed was the ability of getting from place to place, and only because the Cullens didn't want me running around their territory and possibly exposing myself, and them in the process, to the humans. Also I had something else in mind that would be much more entertaining.

"Instead of that, how about something a little more physical?" I said right before I pounced off of my perch on the couch, as agile as my namesake would have done, only with a much softer landing, onto my soon to be mate. Once I had met my goal I plastered her in kisses. They were small and chaste, covering her face and neck. She was giggling, bolstering my confidence so every once in a while I would deepen the kiss. Perhaps today would be the day we would go further.

No dice. Lately, she had been putting the brakes on my attempts, and did it again now. Stopping me when my hands started moving to spots she didn't approve of. That was as far as things went tonight.

A few weeks later Renesmee and I were having another one of our dates, lounging on Carlisle and Esme's couch, in front of the television, watching some old movie. I wasn't sure when it was made, but the fact that it was all in grayscale apparently meant that it had been made over fifty years ago, at least. Esme said it was a Film Noir when she'd suggested it. She said it was one of her and Carlisle's favorites. "Very romantic," she had put it.

Wow was she wrong. Watching this was painful. But the couch was comfortable. Maybe it could get put to better use.

Renesmee and I were already snuggled up to each other so all I had to do was turn my head a little to the left and our lips met.

Much better.

Moving her long, silky hair out of the way my mouth traveled from hers, down her neck, and back up again. While this was better than a stupid movie, after twenty minutes (and months and months of nothing but making out) I was ready to take things further. I had promised Edward I wouldn't push her into anything she didn't want to do, but we were running out of time; she had to be ready for more by now. My hands started traveling over her body and to my delight she didn't stop me for once.

This was great! I should have kept pushing and tried more with her last time. She was clearly into it. Her body was amazing; soft where it was supposed to be, and tight where it needed to be. My hand slipped under the hem of her skirt next. She moaned, in enjoyment, but as my hand traveled further up her leg Renesmee broke the kiss and backed away a few inches.

"We should stop," she gulped, "Jacob will be here soon." Her excuse was pathetic. She had already told me that he would be coming over after the movie, but that wouldn't be for another twenty-three minutes. All the things we could do in that time started stacking up in my head. But it also annoyed me. Those two were too close. How was she going to handle life without him once she finally became my mate and it was made clear that he was no longer welcome?

But that was a problem for another day. Right now we were running out of time to procreate and our physical progress was going excruciatingly slow. It was June; she would turn six in a few months. Maybe if I made my feelings more clear to her… "You know there are no other female hybrids," at least not ones that I'm not related to. "You're it for me; and me for you. We're destined to be together."

"Is that supposed to convince me to sleep with you?" The scowl she threw me was not what I was hoping for.

"No, I'm just trying to tell you how I feel. You're my one and only," I shrugged. I don't think I convinced her. She didn't leave, but we didn't start kissing again. Instead she turned her head back to the television and we sat in silence until the movie was over.


"You're going to another antique car show?" I asked Renesmee in disbelief.

"It's only a two hour drive. We're going to leave here around six, stop for breakfast, then go look at all the cars. We should be back before dark."

"We?"

"Jake and I. And you too if I can convince you to come." She looked so optimistic, but the idea of looking at old cars for hours on end was as unappealing to me as the unveiling of some new car model she had dragged me to the week before.

There was no use in denying it - I was not in love with Renesmee Cullen. Sure I thought she was intelligent, thoughtful, caring… all that stuff. But I assumed that by now I would have felt more. If something happened and if the two of us did not end up as mates, even after all these years of courting and months of dating her then I knew I would be fine, able to move on to someone else; if another hybrid came along… years… decades… or centuries from now, that is. I would NOT end up lost to some eternal gloom like my sister Serena, or that pathetic Volturi ruler, Marcus. Yet I still held out hope. Perhaps it would happen once we mated, or she bore my child, or...

"Well," she asked. Oh right, she was still waiting for my answer.

"Cars really aren't that interesting to me, that's you. I'm more of a jungle guy, you know that. Running, climbing trees, swinging from vines. Instead of your car thing let's do something we both like."

"Like what?"

Good question. We hadn't found too many things we both enjoyed doing together. Sure we did things, just the two of us, all the time… we watched movies and television shows, played music together, and chess, and other board games, ate meals (sort of), and went for runs, among other things. But our viewing choices varied, I've yet to beat her at chess or even checkers, she barely tolerated human food, and when we ran I could always see her itching to go after a deer or mountain lion she'd smell.

There was one thing we both enjoyed … music. But it was out fallback date idea, and I didn't think it was possible, but we had played for and to each other so much at this point that both of us were starting to get sick of it.

"Ummmm… oh!" Finally an idea occurred to me. She seemed to like the gifts my Aunt and I had made for her when she was younger. "Have you ever tried weaving?"

"Like a tapestry?" She looked confused instead of the excitement I was hoping for.

"Nothing so big, but I'm sure the process could be scaled up. I was thinking more like a bracelet. I could teach you how to do it; then we would just need to carve some beads… that's harder to learn, but…"

"Jake already taught me how to carve," she said pointing to a statue lying on the table next to us.

"You made this?" It was amazing. I'd seen it before, many times and assumed Esme or Alice had bought it from a master sculptor at some point in the last hundred years.

"Jake helped," she admitted. "He taught me when I was…"

"I can teach you things too," I didn't want to hear about him. Her guard dog was just too close to her for my liking.

"Alright," she finally said, to my delight. Looks like I wouldn't have to go to a stupid car show. "But we can make jewelry anytime." I didn't like where this was headed. "The car show is a one day only event. How about we all go to the car show together tomorrow and then on Tuesday you can show me how to make a bracelet." Bosta!

"Renesmee, cars…" I winced at the idea, knowing I was stuck. And it was just dawning on me that I would have to spend hours cooped up in a car driving there and back with her dog. I needed to get out of this somehow. I know, "You and Jacob go without me. It's going to take me at least a day to prepare the supplies to weave anyway. I'll have everything ready when you get back, that way we can start on your bracelet the next morning."

"You don't want to come with me?"

"Renesmee, I've told you before, we're destined to be together. Even if I'm not physically with you every minute you'll always be in my heart, and mind, no matter what."

She looked disappointed, sort of, but agreed. She was probably excited to learn something new. And I liked the idea that I could actually teach little miss know-it-all something.


"Nahuel, I need to have a word with you."

I nodded and Edward came into my room, sitting down in the only chair while I remained in bed. Glancing at the clock on my nightstand I saw that it was barely six-thirty in the morning. Clearly whatever he wanted to talk about was important.

"I'm sorry about the early hour; Nessie just left for the automobile expo, and I didn't want her to overhear this conversation."

I had a feeling she was going to be this morning's topic. I'd been waiting for this. I heard that he and Bella were planning on leaving for a trip, needing a little alone time on Esme's private island. Naturally he would be concerned about his daughter's safety while he was gone.

"I promise, Renesmee with come to no harm while you are away." I mean really, she had me to watch out for her, not to mention six other Full-Vampires (and then there was her guard dog; he barely left her side, no matter how much I wanted him to). She would be fine.

"I'm glad you said that, because it is you that I am worried about. I am aware of what has been going on during your dates." Oh! I thought I had guarded my thoughts pretty closely, not thinking about my attempts to progress my physical relationship with Renesmee in his presence. I guess she hadn't. "The only thing that's saved you is that you stopped when she told you to," he growled. "I thought that I had made myself clear that you were not to push her."

"Maybe she needs a little pushing!" I growled back. "You've sheltered Renesmee her entire life, she doesn't even know what she's missing out on."

"She's not as sheltered as you seem to think, and she knows everything she needs to. You on the other hand could use a few lessons on manners and respect."

Bosta! "Is this your way of letting me know I should start packing? Are the others waiting behind the door, ready to drag me to the airport again?"

"As much as I would like that, your disappearance this time would upset my daughter. So instead I am going to give you a choice:

"One – you can tell her that it is not going to work out between the two of you and leave of your own accord, and never return.

"Two – call off any future attempts to progress your relationship and revert to just friends.

"Three – continue your current relationship, with one exception. Return to our previous agreement and wait for her to make the first move. Immediately stop trying to push her into taking things further than she is ready for."

"But her reproductive deadline…" Edward leapt up, knocking over my chair in the process, and started growling. Oops. "I know, I know. She's more than just a womb," I said, throwing up my hands in defeat. She's just so wonderful; she deserves to have a child.

While I hadn't said that last part out loud I know he heard me because he stopped growling. It seemed I wasn't about to die. I had convinced him.

"You're not in love with her. You can't fool me." Or not.

"We're still getting to know each other. Not everyone falls instantly in love with someone. Do you think the millions of couples who had arranged marriages over the centuries, that none of them ever grew to love the other person? Sometimes love takes time, but does that make it any less true?" I knew I had him with that one.

"And if you mate, and produce a child, what will you do if you still haven't fallen in love with her?"

I gulped, but answered honestly, "We'll love the child."

He growled. I shrugged.

"Rosalie, and the others, will be watching you while Bella and I are away." he snarled, "so I suggest you remember not to take things further, until Nessie is ready."

"Fine," I agreed. I could see there was no way I was going to win this argument.


Edward and Bella left on their trip a few days later. I waited three entire hours, assuring myself that the mind reader's plane was in the air, before I started making plans that were in direct opposition to Edward's wishes regarding his daughter. There was just sixteen months left until Renesmee stopped aging, stopped growing, stopped being able to carry and give birth to my child. I couldn't wait like Edward wanted. I had to act soon.