A/N Hey everyone, I know... First I have to apologise many of you guys have left mentions about not receiving your chapter last week and I simply have to say I'm sorry. I've been horribly sick the last week and still am, unfortunately with being sick still having to work I've not been as free as I usually would have been and so I missed out on getting a chapter to you all last week. There is also the added shift in scheduling that has occurred because now I have a Beta also, I have to hope you all can just bear with me as I sort everything out guys. I'll do my best to get up an update once a week but as we all know life happens. Also I'm hoping now you can see how much cleaner and better looking the writing of these chapters are thanks to the wonderful RDoster2012 you might cut me a little slack with being a little late now and then lol. Anyway I won't keep bothering you guys with my author's note you've all been waiting patiently for this chapter. For those demanding the blood, its coming guys, oh dear lord is it coming muhahaha... ;)
As Always massive thank you to my Beta, RDoster2012.
BETA READER: RDoster2012
Enjoy :)
RED DAWN
SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack was dangerous. They are hostile, volatile, and aggressive by nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's vampire instinct, by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all. Bella never truly understood the supernatural world; she didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. WARNING: Violence and Character Death.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Edward lay beneath twisted sheets, tangled around his waist dangerously low as it revealed the prominent v shape that hung lowly on his waist and over his hip. It was one of those rare sunny days in Forks and the light that shone through the large wall window brought a sparkle, even though somewhat dimmed across his face and chest. It seemed oddly calming that the sun would shine on him in that moment, still very much conflicted with so many of his actions and choices. Especially those that had led to the loss of his beloved immortal parents, he would forever miss Carlisle and Esme.
The world would be a forever-darkened place without their blindingly good souls gracing the world. Edward couldn't help but hope that somewhere in a place beyond that of the world he existed in, they were together, happily reunited and that it was they who decided to shine down upon him this morning. This both heart breaking and glorious morning where he lay naked as the day he was born beside his future wife, who was barely covered by the same sheets that tangled around them. The lone glinting from her ring finger as her arm lay beneath her resting peaceful face, Edward still lay beside her completely content to watch her forever. It was the early afternoon by now of course, Bella had eventually been claimed by sleep after their fourth time making love.
Edward couldn't say he'd been sure it was the right choice to push her beyond the first time, but the new awakened feelings and sensations had demanded more of both of them. Bella had sworn she was okay, that while there had been an ache and tenderness it had not been something she would allow to prevent her from experiencing more. And oh how they had experienced more, Edward still now laying comfortably relaxed beside his mate could still smell their joined scents in the air, and the heavy aroma of sex and sweat from Bella's body. How even now, hours after satisfying his lust repeatedly he was still completely hard and more than willing and prepared to take her and feast upon her again. It had Edward looking forward to that moment when both of them were equal in body, when the time finally came that she would no longer need rest and that he'd be able to continuously quench his thirst for her with never ending stamina. There were still decades of time to make up for in Edward's mind, still a wide plethora of carnal acts he most definitely expected to experience with his mate. They had burst open the doors of his sexual awakening, and now he believed just as he felt ready to keep making leaps and bounds forward he hoped Bella wished for that too.
Edward reached forward, his fingers slowly trailing down the curve of Bella's spine as she lay on her stomach, the sheet low enough to just cover her delectable bottom, a sight he had to deny himself, in hopes of letting Bella get her rest. He had her from behind hours ago and the sight of her bottom slapping against his hips as he took claim of those hips and drove himself into her was still one of the most incredible sights he'd ever been granted. Thankfully it was burned into his immortal memory and that image would remain firmly stored there forever, he knew he'd enjoy it over and over again. The sound of her mewling, and moaning as she had gripped the bedding beneath her, as he'd been kneeling behind her pulling her along him as the sound of slapping had echoed in his enhanced hearing. The hitching in her breaths with every time he completely filled her with himself, and then her begging that would accompany his deep thrusting, yes, Edward had truly opened his own eyes to the intoxicating wonders of sex. And had no desire to ever stop again; he would continue to want her with a fiery hunger as he always had.
The only difference now was there was no need to hold back. Edward's fingers danced around the dimples on Bella's lower back, her breathing increasing and heart rate picking up, she was awake, even if she'd made no sign to let him know. Not that he needed it; he was hyperaware of Bella now in a way he'd never been before. He moved then, straddling the back of her thighs, his chest leaning over her back as he swept her untamed locks aside, and peppered kisses along the length of her neck. His arousal already digging possessively into her perky backside Bella began humming with her eyes closed as she raised her hips up, to ease that ache for her man.
"Morning." Bella whispered, the smile on her covered face blinding and she knew it. Evidence of just how good last night had been. Still aching along her thighs and deep inside of her, also the large reminder firmly pressed against her bottom. She certainly didn't protest Edward's eagerness; his desire for her only made her feel even sexier, and even more his, that he simply did as he wished now with her.
"Well I'd say afternoon. But I could understand you being confused, I certainly took a lot of energy out of you this morning." Edward teased his deeper gravelly tone against her ear as he rocked his hips forward grinding himself along Bella, and making her feel a tightness deep inside her that she could feel in her stomach, with her building arousal.
"Again...Already?" Bella whispered, turning slightly at an angle as Edward pulled her bottom lip between his own, sucking on it, always mindful of his teeth. She couldn't believe this had been his first time just as it had been hers, he was so confident. He moved them with so much ease and knowing. He worked her like he could read her mind even though she knew he couldn't, it was both thrilling and beautiful how well in tune they seemed now.
"Never ending stamina, love. Yes, again and again." Edward punctuated each word with a firm stroke of his hips, Bella could feel his tip leaking from anticipation now and she no longer felt the need to be playful, she wanted him. As often as her human body would allow, and then even more, until her body needed a respite.
"Let's not forget, there was a certain desire for your lips wrapped aro..." Edward didn't finish that sentence, suddenly finding himself beneath Bella and now being the one completely dominated as she took control of him. Edward was more than happy to witness the beauty that was Bella, and her confident sexual vixen side that seemed to burst forward from his mate in these intimate moments.
"Oh god!" Bella panted roughly, flopping back down into Edward's arms as she felt her entire body flushed and overheated, his cooler temperature was welcomed even if it was slightly warmer than usual. The recent activities and close proximity to Bella's warm body heating Edward much like it had the night they'd shared in her bed at her own home under the covers. Edward chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her body, cuddling her naked body into his arms, satisfied and beyond any measure of happiness he'd ever felt before in his existence. He still couldn't understand how so much joy could be created in this moment when so much had gone horribly wrong. When so many horrific things had happened to him and his family, he knew he would have to stop questioning it and accept it for what it was. The mating bond held all power over everything else in its supernatural way, no bond matched it and when they were together the colour of the world around them bled away until it was only them in the world.
"Not god love. Just us. Just you and I." Edward smiled down at Bella as she looked up into his face from leaning into his chest, her hand rested on his stomach as they were entangled together.
"I hope you won't be angry by this, but while I have allowed myself to let go of some of my ways. I have to ensure you are okay. Using terms that my siblings would, I rode you pretty hard there and I wouldn't wish to make you uncomfortable." Edward said with a piqued smirk to his handsome face as Bella giggled, shaking her head and lightly slapping her hand down onto his sculpted stomach while shaking her head.
"I think I rode you that time around big guy." Bella said back quickly, and then Edward watched the realisation dawn on her face at what she'd said without a chance to filter. He watched as a beautiful tinged blush that most certainly did travel down her neck, and her mouth watering chest, almost igniting that inferno inside him all over again.
"Don't say anything." Bella warned, more than a little humiliated at the slip of her tongue, though still somewhat proud of herself too. She was in many respects, completely out of her depths and yet she felt so comfortable being open to Edward. Even in her mind when she'd considered them finally making love her imagination had never conjured what had been her reality. It had been beautiful, desperate and needy in a way that had made it even more raw emotionally anyway, in their uniting, there had been so much desperation to cling to the other. They loved one another, they feared for one another and they would be brave for one another.
"I'm okay. More than okay. I feel amazing. My thighs ache a little but... Edward for everything they say in magazines, movies, TV shows...hell even the girls I've known. That. What we shared, it was beyond. Everything." Bella said, completely open and vulnerable to her fiancée, the sheet slipping a little as Edward reached down to tighten it around them both as he leaned down to brush his lips over his mate's pouted swollen lips from so much kissing, and from other activities that were still burned to the back of his eyelids when he closed his eyes.
"I understand Bella. For nearly a century, I've been surrounded by couples. I've witnessed it countless times knowing what the mating bond added to love making. Even though I hated seeing those things, I always knew the deeper meaning behind it then what I have seen human's share casually. I couldn't have prepared myself even knowing what I did for how truly amazing that was. Knowing that it never has to end. Knowing that one day it'll even heighten more once I change you." Edward whispered deeply, his fingers moving to cup along Bella's jaw and stroking along the length of her cheek before weaving into her hair.
"You've mentioned changing me a lot. During... well you remember." Bella blushed brightly and Edward did remember, he knew how carried away he'd gotten that second time they'd made love. The things he'd whispered into her ear as he'd held her above him, as they'd clung to each other moving as one.
"I would sink my teeth into you right now. I would change you right now as you cum Isabella. I would have you forever. I wouldn't stop, I would keep taking you, I would taste your blood and smell my venom inside you as we reach euphoria together love." Edward had growled out against her ear as he'd kneaded her hips, which now he could see that they were slightly bruised under his grip as he'd bounced her over his length, he'd been ready to do it right then. Caught up in the throes of passion, of how aroused Bella seemed to grow with each comment he made about wanting to make her as he was. He barely had the restraint not to bite her, logic had won out though over his desire to change her. It hadn't stopped there either, he'd mentioned it more than once, it had been on his mind repeatedly as he'd taken his mate, that now was the time. That to bite her now, was the perfect time, to pleasure her and change her. To bring her into his immortal world with his bite, while on the highest of highs in her own world.
"I do wish to change you. I hope that's been clear." Edward said, seeing that Bella nodded as she rested her warm cheek into his hard chest, getting comfortable in their embrace again as she listened to the sound of his voice vibrate in his silent chest. The calming influence his strange breathing created for her, it was so calm, far too calm for any human to copy and do so without harm coming to them.
"I think that we should tell Charlie we're leaving. That this evening you should inform him that we've decided to travel, it'll be spur of the moment but we could perhaps convince him it was an engagement gift from my... from Carlisle and Esme. Of course we would then take you away from here where I could change you, we'd eventually have to create an accident. One that would kill both of our identities, I know it's a sacrifice. I had hoped to have both Renee and Charlie present for the wedding. I just don't believe it'll be something we could do. And I can't help but feel we're tempting fate by leaving you human, I'm ready to give you this life. Only you can make the choice to hold off love, which I would understand if you decided to. So much has changed in such a short time" Edward tried his best to explain and be sympathetic of what he knew would be a life altering and hard decision by Bella. Essentially she would be saying goodbye now, sooner than either of them had hoped, completely removing the chance for her parents to see her marry him. He didn't wish to risk her any longer though, he would deal with the pack this evening, he would survive for her then he would take her away and change her. Victoria and her army would need to be dealt with, he knew that and he hoped once the family removed themselves from the Forks population they could hunt down the threat without fear of exposure and the need to do so subtly.
"I want to be changed." Bella accepted completely, even if part of her felt that she would be hurting both her parents greatly, but Bella also knew that there wasn't really much chance of avoiding that. She would have had to die in their eyes no matter when the time came to be changed, it was simple really, she couldn't risk them finding out the truth.
Especially now with knowing the Volturi and how truly serious those rules were held, had it not been for Alice's visions in Volterra they may have come to more harm. Though now understanding more about Aro and his desire to obtain not only Alice but also Edward and even potentially her with how she'd been able to block those gifted. Aro wouldn't risk the chance of adding to his guard, especially by harming the human mate of one of his most desired vampires. Bella knew now just how vulnerable in a way that made Edward, the most powerful coven in the world wanted him to be a member. They didn't even know about his developing gift yet either, hadn't seen the full effect of his influence, if what the family had even seen was all he could do, even Eleazer seemed stunned by it, Bella could only fear what such a revelation would mean to the likes of Aro.
"While I'm sure Charlie won't take the news well of an unplanned slightly spur of the moment travelling trip. He has taken to you well since this all happened. We're engaged; he accepts that, I'll do my best to convince him not to dig into it. Renee will be an easier sell. I just hate the thought of hurting them; I knew all along what my choice would mean for them. With Renee, she at least has Phil but Charlie... I'm worried he'll have no one Edward." Bella said, voicing the fear for her father, in many respects Charlie would forever be an innocent harmed by the secrets of Bella's life. His relationship issues with a woman who was in a sense at war with his daughter's fiancée, then the fact his best friend held some blame to Bella for his son's death. So many lies and Charlie had no clue, and would likely never be able to rekindle the friendships he'd once had amongst those who had been part of his life more so then even Bella had throughout the years.
"I can't hope to ease that worry. I can only tell you that Charlie has many friends, while Billy was his best friend and has been most his life, even before you moved here there had been a strain on that friendship due to other issues. Charlie has friends he works with, he won't be alone Bella, of course he'll be hurt by the loss of his daughter; he'll carry it with him for the rest of his life. We can't save him from that, but we can save him from learning the truth. From being placed in harm's way, for all I know of Charlie's mind I do know he'd never be able to accept our reality Bella. He lives in the world of humans and law, something that doesn't hold any true meaning to my kind. His laws do not hold over us, he would never see past what we are. Essentially we're criminals" Edward wanted to ease her worries, though he knew that he couldn't lie to Bella, the truth of the matter was Edward worried too. He worried greatly over Charlie even more so now since the change and shift in their own relationship, he didn't want to hurt Charlie. He was a good man, who deserved better. But Edward couldn't live without Bella; there was only really one option.
"And while it can't help them through the emotional pain they suffer or nearly be enough to replace you and what they've lost. We could leave them money, so they can take care of themselves. Someway in which we can at least be there for them, I can have Jasper draw up the documentation. A will that'll have a type of inheritance to leave both Renee and Charlie." Edward continued, he'd always planned on leaving both Bella's parents money behind with their plan to fake Bella's death. He'd always at least hoped to help them financially in some way before distancing themselves from their lives, while he knew money couldn't hope to help the pain they would suffer. It would at least help them in their lives, too much of human life was spent worrying over how to earn money and worry over taking care of money issues. At least he'd take those concerns away from Bella's parents; he'd always believed this would be one of the times she didn't argue about his money. When it came to caring for Renee and Charlie.
"I'll tell Charlie we're going to Europe. That we've been talking about studying there, he was concerned when nothing came about with our college plans. I know we had Alaska down but the time is coming for college starting and Charlie will ask questions. I never planned on being human come time for college. I just worry he'll want to speak with..." Bella struggled getting the words out, saying their names now. The thought that Charlie would want to talk to Carlisle and Esme, another lie she would need to keep from Charlie. Something else he couldn't know, even though it was such a large part of her life now, while not nearly part of Charlie's life as they were her own. She knew Charlie would have wanted to know.
"Carlisle handed in his notice that evening at the hospital. Esme had tied up her loose ends. It's nothing we can't handle on our part to tie away their side of things." Edward said flatly and while it could have been anything he was talking about, she knew that he simply didn't want to dwell on it, didn't wish to think on closing out his parents life's here in Forks knowing that it was permanent this time.
"We'll leave Forks and then the rest of our family will create the visual that the Cullen's have left. We'll need to appear as though we've left before dealing with Victoria. Our time in Forks is over, with what is happening tonight we can't hope to stay any longer. It was a mistake and misjudgement on my part to believe we could deal with both threats while still remaining in human notice as living in Forks. I'm hoping once the threat of the pack is handled that we can take our time away to change you. I know Jasper has plans of scouting and locating Victoria once free to spend more time in the Seattle area. Also we're hoping the distance and the wolves not being an issue that Alice will begin to see more. Her visions now would hopefully lead us right to Riley and Victoria. She didn't know of Riley before, wouldn't have known to watch for him. He made a pivotal error revealing himself in that way." Edward explained to his best ability, he knew much of what was thought over in the minds of his family and friends. He'd tried to ignore the reality that Forks wasn't a viable option to stay in, simply because he had not wanted to rush Bella, time was up in Forks now though. Too much had already happened and would continue to happen, Edward could only hope with the final battle against the pack that they would not create even more suspicion around Forks. They could not afford to draw attention to themselves, especially when Aro had already made it clear his intentions to check up on Bella's progress of becoming one of them.
"Can you hear them? The others, Jasper said he'd keep them within your range of hearing?" Bella asked; she knew her part in this all now. Bella couldn't fight beside Edward, she couldn't hope to take her own justice for what the pack had done to Carlisle and Esme. While this had all started because she'd been harmed; that had never truly bothered Bella, of course she'd been upset, and conflicted by everything that had happened. Seeing how the family had been so deeply wounded and torn with the loss of their parental leading figures, knowing Kate, Eleazar and Carmen as she did, she wanted justice for them. Justice or even revenge she could admit for the lives that had been taken from her family, even though she recognised that the pack had lost people in this fight as well. Bella had pushed away her need to believe not all of her former friends had to die for what had started because of her and Jake. She knew that was no longer an option now.
"I can if I focus, they've situated themselves in a little area just west of here. Not far at all, Jasper is attempting to explain what he knows of the pack's fighting technique. While he's only ever briefly witnessed it, he's rather intuitive when it comes to fighting styles. Emmet is trying to convince Rosalie to participate, Kate shocked her and she's been angry ever since." Edward said with a hint of amusement at Kate's actions, while he only briefly could see what had happened by Emmet's and Rose's thoughts. It appeared that while no one else had commented on what Rose had done to Edward when he'd arrived home early this morning, Kate had decided to give Rose a little bitter taste of her own medicine and had charged up her gift while sparring. It had been nothing more than just a firm warning; one Edward respected and appreciated.
"You've made an impression on Kate. She wasn't pleased by the idea that Rose may have ruined our chance to embrace our mating bond before tonight." Edward explained that Kate had more so done it for Bella, which was true. Kate knew well enough of Edward's former ways, how he'd have over thought and doubted himself when Rose had questioned him in the past. Kate knew that it would have likely in the past instantly changed Edward's mind on what he and Bella had shared with each other, Kate didn't like that. In many ways she was simply looking out for Bella and what she would want, Bella had truly made a loyal friend in Kate in the short time they'd shared together.
"That's all I need right now Rosalie angry with me" Bella said, slightly concerned that things would return to how they had been before, that Rose would reluctantly accept her but make no show of welcoming her. Bella had felt in the last few weeks that there had been a building of a somewhat friendship between them.
"Rosalie isn't angry with you love. She's angry, enraged with what happened. If I'm to be completely honest her intention was solely to target me. I'm the easiest target for her anger, I always have been." Edward said almost an almost acceptance that he would forever be Rose's punching bag, not that he planned on allowing her spewed insults and anger as he had once done in the past. The confrontation in the living room hours earlier had proved that, even if Edward hadn't really meant to tap into his power. It had made it clear, should he desire it he could very likely force it to be done with this new gift that he was still learning to tread with. It was a vast power, one he wasn't sure would continue to spring forward only in the most heightened of emotional moments. He'd used it for commanding but then he'd also helped Esme with his gift, given her peace in her final moments.
"When she targets you, she targets me!" Bella said fiercely, her hand spreading over Edward's firm chest as she took a possessive claim over her fiancée looking up into his eyes. It sent a live wire of energy down Edward's very spine at the look and sound of Bella before him, not even realising what her words meant to him. Her complete acceptance of what they were, he'd often believed that she'd not feel their shared link as completely as he would, simply because she was still human. It had been much of the reason why there had been so many unspoken problems in the past. Edward's foolish belief that Bella didn't see and feel in the ways in which he did, he'd come to the reality now that even in spite of their species difference when it came to each other they were no less any other mated pair. Not even biology and supernatural ties could really hinder what they had together.
"We need to shower." Bella said, taking Edward's mind away from where it was quickly descending, back to the moments of shared pleasure and bliss tied together in the most intimate of ways. Then the second image filtered his brain and memories of her body beneath the shower, watching the water run over her naked body and he was quickly falling back to his lust filled desires.
"Not for that, even if I want to. We should join the others Edward, if tonight is when you plan to confront the pack. We should be with everyone else not isolating ourselves. You should be preparing too. I don't want you to get hurt." Bella said as she shifted, pulling the sheet around her body, keeping her body covered from Edward's eyes for now. Though he hoped soon to be allowed to pull the sheet from her or at least see her drop it, he was quickly becoming used to having her on display and wasn't pleased by the thought of that ending so soon.
"They'll understand. I told them not till nightfall, love. We still have so much of the day to enjoy ourselves. I plan on enjoying every second. I'm not nearly finished." Edward said, turning onto his side as he leant on his elbow smirking crookedly at Bella as she looked at him so openly visible before her and she had to fight with all her will power not to concede. It was what she wanted more than anything but there were things that needed to be said and done. She couldn't fight by his side, couldn't hope to end this threat and avenge her fallen parents and loved ones. She could however make sure the man she loved beyond all understanding was completely prepared so he could and would come back to her.
"I'm not asking you to be finished. But Edward, you haven't spoken with Eleazar about the gift. About how it's just happening when you are feeling overly emotional on some level." Bella tried to explain without saying outright that it seemed most effective when he was losing himself to the rage, she feared that his rage would get the best of him facing the pack. That he potentially may activate his gift and place not only himself in harm's way but also his family, she couldn't tolerate the thought of losing anyone else after what had already been taken from them.
"I told you I would speak with them. It wasn't the right time." Edward said reluctantly as Bella crawled off their shared bed, it had certainly seen better days. Large finger gouged out areas were present in locations over the mattress, pillows were torn in two and some of the sheets were ripped from his excess of strength.
"We need to prepare you Edward. I... we know what happens now. We've seen the devastating result of losing one of us. I can't have you harmed. I can't have you hurt Edward. I'd do no different than Esme if I were to lose you just as I know you'd do the same if I were lost. We can't stay up here all day, even if that's all I want to do. I want to be selfish and just keep going but we need to prepare and your family needs you to be there. Jasper is willing to take the helm now but he shouldn't have to do it alone. You were who we all decided to follow, we just have to get through today and then tomorrow...Tomorrow we never have to stop. Ever again." Bella swore, seeing how her words were hitting the desired spot, she knew just like she wanted to be able to stay in their room and completely quench the desire of each other's body. Even now it seemed almost maddening that she'd wanted this so long and she was stopping them from having more.
There were more important things though now, Edward would be in a fight to the death this evening. He would be facing an enemy that had already harmed him more emotionally then she believed any other had in his entire existence. She needed Edward to survive, needed her family to survive this. She couldn't protect him, but she could make sure he was able to protect himself. One day she'd be at his side, she could only hope that once they were finally equal, there would be no reason for fighting. She much rather preferred the thought of isolation and each other's bodies locked together for all of eternity, it certainly had a large appeal to it, now she knew just how incredible it felt.
"You're right love. I should be with them, helping them instead of being selfish. Though I still believe there was nothing wrong in wanting to simply remain alone until later. I won't let anything happen Bella, I'll always come back to you. I swear that, we have an eternity to spend together. Now I know that we shall have it I won't risk losing it, nothing the pack have will prevent me from being back at your side." Edward leaned forward cupping her cheek softly, as Bella's face leaned more into his touch as she turned to press her lips to the palm of his hand.
"I just need to know that you'll be prepared. We need to explain to the others about your gift. About how it worked in the diner, they've experienced it first hand now, though not nearly like what had happened." Bella said, while she didn't like the idea of pushing Edward to do something he didn't want to do, this was simply her only option. She knew he'd not been too accepting of his growing gift, especially when faced with what it could truly mean. For all the gifts Bella had heard of and seen from the vampire kind she'd never believed she'd ever come across something like Edward's, even with Alice and her visions, and his mind reading already, then seeing Rochelle who could blend into things she touched. Kate and her electrical shock like touch, even that of Jane who could create the illusion in the mind of intense pain, Bella had never thought that such a power as actual mind control would ever exist.
Though she wasn't sure if it was really mind control.
She had to believe that it was true in its most basic description of what Edward did, or at least forced will. It made him even more powerful, not only in the world of supernatural but the entire world over, his gift to know minds around him and now being able to force his will made Edward more powerful then she believed he'd allowed himself to think about. She knew where others would have been corrupted by such a power; Bella knew that her Edward would always hold some level of resentment for this developing power. While she could understand his need to not abuse it she didn't want Edward to resent what in a sense was a gift created from what he'd been as a human. She'd heard often how those gifted amongst vampires came about from enhanced traits already present as a human. Bella couldn't help but wonder how exactly Edward's gift or gifts would translate from whom he'd been as a human teenager.
"Okay. I know you're right. Let's join our family. Are you sure you're ready for this though Bella? While you've seen us play fight, you've never truly seen..." Edward paused, knowing that his Bella hadn't seen them at their most removed from any part of their humanity during a fight, for all she'd survived through, she'd never witnessed first hand the brutality and viciousness of two vampires fighting.
Even though it would only be training amongst his family, he hoped she was prepared for that, it wasn't unheard of for tensions to get to high during sparring and for things to escalate quickly, and need the involvement of others to help break it up. It brought Edward up hard as he thought of his father; he'd often been the first to intercede any fight that was growing too aggressive, seeing that it would cause each other harm if allowed to progress. For all Edward's words against his father, for the deep strain that had become of the relationship they shared, it still hurt him very deeply that moments in his life like that would no longer have him present. Edward couldn't help but wonder who would be the voice to calm those in that moment from now on; he did his best to push the surfacing pain down savagely, not wanting to let Bella see that. Wanting to store and use that deep agony and rage for later, he would unleash his wrath upon those who had taken his father from him. The actions that had lead to Edward having to commit such an act of his own to free his mother from this world at her direction.
"I have to be ready too Edward. Our family needs us, and while I can't stand with you I'll at least be there now. To support you all, to offer any hint of what you need to keep you strong so you can care for them and make sure they are ready for this." Bella reached forward and pressed her hand over the scarred skin on Edward's neck, she'd kissed and tried to wash so much away during the shower they had shared. She'd done for him something he'd never even considered wanting, but Bella had seemed to understand on some level even Edward himself didn't know what he'd needed then. She had been confident and strong while he'd been unsure; she'd helped him bring back his shaky emotions and then given him a place to release his own feelings without fear of judgement. She always seemed to make him feel freer then he'd ever felt before in his entire existence.
"Then we shouldn't leave them much longer." Edward whispered softly, leaning forward and pressing a soft chaste kiss against the corner of Bella's still swollen lips.
"Go, before I can't bare but to take you again." Edward urged her, as she stood, wrapped in only the sheet they had shared, the flush of her skin and widening of her eyes did him no favours with his control. But Edward knew much of control and restraint, his mate was right. While he had always believed himself a selfish creature at the core of his being, he couldn't abandon his family to enjoy the newness of what the pleasure of the skin gave to him. He would prepare, he would channel that which made his very venom boil with an inferno of rage, and he didn't believe he could leave anything standing in its wake. Edward knew that he must fight and survive and that his Bella, his mate and future wife would be there for him. That after tonight they would put into action the plans for their shared forever, eternity could not come soon enough for Edward.
Bella didn't hesitate to take advantage of the shower once Edward sent her on her way alone; while she'd wished he'd joined her she had known it had been his way to resist. She even took a moment longer while brushing her teeth as she looked in the mirror and felt somewhat ridiculous for believing she looked more mature. She couldn't help it though; even then with the healing wounds from her injuries even though the mirror showed her the same, she knew the girl was gone. In her place a woman, there was pain in her eyes; visible clearly enough in the very scars that would be left behind once the healing was complete. Even though the scars were deep, the pain was only hinted there, and she could see a sparkle forming in her eyes, something she had long before thought lost, after the awful events of her eighteenth birthday.
She had lost more than she ever would have believed herself capable of surviving; she'd also gained things she'd never truly expected to happen. Bella quickly changed into the clothes that had been left in Edward's room, she was surprised that Edward had left the bed in the same state and she smiled thinking of her fiancée and how he too may have wanted to keep it exactly how it had been in the last moments they'd been in it together. It was only once Bella moved from outside of Edward's bedroom that Bella began to hear the sounds of music playing, it truly made her see how silent the home was without the rest of the family there.
There were only the lone sounds of a beautiful sad song that haunted throughout the hallways of the upstairs, drawing Bella slowly towards it. Pulling her towards the musician behind the music, she hadn't heard him play in what felt so long, music had always been something of an emotional tie to Edward for much of his life. He'd used music to help him show his emotions and also immerse himself in it when those emotions became too much. She knew this song, knew it but in a different way, this was Esme's song. A beautifully crafted gift that Edward had composed for her during their life together, she'd never learned of the story behind him creating a song for his mother but knew that Esme had always loved it. This wasn't the same song that Bella had once heard so long ago after she'd first heard his lullaby to her, it wasn't nearly as light or tender in feeling. There was a heart breaking longing in the way Edward mashed his chords with an echoing power that rung even in Bella's ears from the top of the stairway.
Still Bella continued moving closer, the music, the beautiful chords, it felt like they were seducing her, drawing her towards them. She wasn't sure if this was caused by the effect Edward had when he played for her, or if it was universal. Bella knew one thing though; that she needed to be with him, it was made all the more clear by the way in which he played Esme's song. Bella paused when she finally stepped down from the stairway, seeing Edward across the large expanse of space in the living room, Edward hunched forward over the piano. He sat there in dark washed jeans and heavy boots that pressed down upon the peddles beneath the piano. The shirt he wore was dangerously tight against his torso, with a deep neck that revealed just the beginnings of his wide sculpted chest. It was coal black and only made his skin look even more luminous as he played his beloved instrument, his handsome face twisted in pain with his eyes closed.
Bella felt her very breath catch in her throat at the sight of him, as if she could see he was searching for something but wasn't able to find it. The aching longing and hurt in the tone of the music only fuelled his beautifully heart breaking appearance. Bella didn't interrupt as he continued to play, running those long skilled fingers over the ebony and ivory keys searching for something in his music that Bella was beginning to understand was only a symbol for what he was doing. Eventually his playing stopped completely dead, the silence enveloping them both thickly as Edward leaned forward sighing audibly before rising from his piano defeated and turning to Bella. The smile he gave her didn't reach his eyes, not nearly in the way he'd smiled at her as they'd been tangled together embracing each other, deeply satisfied and in love.
"I'm sorry. I was just...playing. I thought it might make me feel better." Edward said weakly, as Bella moved forward taking his hands into her own as she stood before him.
"You don't need to apologise for that Edward. You always play beautifully; I understand why you wanted to play. That was Esme's song." Bella stated, knowing and yet wondering if he'd tell her why he'd shifted and changed the song in the way he had, she wasn't sure why he'd turned a song that had always been so filled with love and happiness to something longing and lonely. She feared Edward would forever taint his wonderful memories of his mother and father by the actions he'd made and choices he'd made resulting in so much pain. She knew he'd always carry their deaths, not only because of how truly important they had been but because of how both of them had been lost.
"I don't think it'll ever be Esme's song." Edward shook his head, clearly troubled by the way in which he'd performed his mothers favourite composition of his. The very gift he'd created for her during the years after he'd returned from his time away from her and Carlisle, his time as a human blood drinker.
"You're still mourning her Edward. You will for a long time, both of them. It will never feel better but you'll find ways to live with it. You have a lifetime, more than one lifetime of beautiful and happy times you spent with them. You just have to remember that they loved you. They were both so proud of you, you were their son." Bella said strongly, releasing one of his hands and tilting his chin downwards as she tip toed up to peck his lips sweetly.
"Come on, let's meet up with the others." Edward said pulling himself away from the emotional turmoil he'd allowed himself to fall into, he tried his best to push it away. He knew he'd need to face it all one day, but for now he needed to be assured of his family's safety and the only way to do that was for him to be completely ready for those who risked threatening his family.
Edward lifted Bella with care, swinging her petite body around and onto his back as she wrapped her arms securely around his neck, clinging to him as Edward burst forward. The distance between his home and that of his family chewed up quickly beneath his feet, Bella still wide eyed, struggled to see anything at the pure speed of him. It still amazed her just how fast he was, the fact he could see and register all that was around him and never crashed into anything as they ran. Even then while she struggled to keep her eyes open, eventually forcing them closed against the blurred disorienting vision before her.
The entire journey while so much faster then she'd felt herself ever go, felt utterly smooth, she'd never understood how he did it. How he managed to traverse the uneven forest, moving at the speed he did, moving amongst the trees and foliage and yet to her it barely jostled her. Only once he seemed to reach his full speed, did he slow quickly, and then stopped abruptly. Bella opened her eyes to her surroundings when she felt the slight jerk of Edward stopping so quickly. Bella couldn't help but feel her eyes widen as small clusters of her family and friends were blurring from her vision, it was as if they would pause briefly, in the action and she'd see some moment or lock that they found themselves frozen in before once again they would blur out of her sight. Tanya and Alice were two of those fighting; Eleazar was paying close attention to the two females as they collided. All Bella had seen was one moment Tanya had looked to be holding Alice with her arms restrained behind her back, the next moment the two had vanished from her sight and Alice was the one behind Tanya, sweeping her legs from under her. Bella managed to see all of this as Tanya crashed to the ground audibly, Alice standing over Tanya's now prone body with dark black eyes, teeth bared and the sound of a hiss vibrating past her tightly drawn lips.
"Very nicely done Alice!" Eleazar congratulated. Bella noticed then as he turned towards her and Edward that his prosthetic arm was gone and she could see what remained of his makeshift and manipulated limb. It was almost terrifying in its own way, seeing the way it was shaped, the peculiar way the forearm had been crafted to look like a blunt piercing spike. Even the colour of it looked very different to his naturally pale skin tone, the strange purplish tinge to the tip of it, it reminded Bella of the strange tone of colour that Edward's scars looked like when she really focussed on them.
"Tanya, though you should really be taking advantage of the fact Alice is somewhat blinded. You don't have the luxury of blaming such mistakes on her knowing what you will decide to do." Eleazar turned to look down at Tanya who looked irritated by what Eleazar said but instead of arguing or protesting, she simply nodded firmly before jumping to her feet fluidly.
"I didn't think we'd be seeing you until this evening." Jasper spoke aloud across from where the scene played out between his own mate and Tanya under the watchful eye of Eleazar. Most of the sparring had come to a pause under the arrival of Edward and Bella, most have suspected the same as Jasper and that the two would remain together and away from this. All of them could instantly see that the ties that had once looked strong even before seemed to make both of them shine now; Jasper was almost overwhelmed by the contented happiness and peace that lingered in both of them. He could feel the lingering hints of lust that still made both of them want to return to their room, but the determination to be there was winning out.
"Bella and I decided while we wished to enjoy our time alone that it be more prudent if we were here. I'm expecting you to fight and risk your lives tonight. I shouldn't be sitting back when my place is here, helping and preparing too." Edward said confidently, while turning to give Bella a sideways glance, his smile bright on his face and a far difference from how he'd been just moments before leaving the Cullen home.
"Bella opened my eyes a little as she's been known to do before." Edward grinned as Bella smiled back at him, her hand reaching to take his in her own then, as Jasper nodded. Happy that they had not been dissuaded of their plan to finally complete and consummate their bond, while he felt bad that his brother could not enjoy in it as most of them had. Jasper recognised that Edward was right, he was needed here and he too would need to be prepared. They knew little of the pack, they didn't know how many of them there were and if they were prepared for an attack on La Push. Much of what they knew was assumption and beliefs from how they'd come across the pack in the past, though Jasper recognised that the pack before the men shifted and the pack now was vastly different. Sam had come into his leadership, which Jasper knew, he'd planned his strike against the Denali's and while Jasper had not voiced it, he suspected that Sam had planned the meeting with Carlisle, the meeting where they had ambushed Carlisle and taken his life.
"Well I'm sure you can offer much help, I do believe I have the perfect sparring partner for you." Jasper grinned mischievously towards Edward as then Jasper turned to look over his shoulder towards Kate as he whistled to gain her attention away from her conversation with Xavier and Rochelle.
"Kate you ready for a show? Edward here needs a warm up fight." Jasper said and Edward could see from his mind that Jasper was placing them against each other for one very vital reason. Edward's mind reading wasn't something you could defend against, only Bella could block him and she would never want to fight him. All those around him were ultimately at a complete disadvantage; it was why more often than not that only Alice ever truly challenged him at anything. Now while Kate's mind would still be very much open to Edward and he would see her movements, each choice she made essentially. Should her touch even brush against a part of his skin or even his own grapples brush against her skin he'd suffer under her gift, the electrical shock that would rock him to his core. This was masterfully decided. Kate would have something to protect her from an all out assault, and yet be fighting someone who would know every time she tried to use her shock ability.
"Oh Jasper I'm so on it!" Kate smirked widely from her position and then moved quickly to his side, her eyes looking to Edward from head to toe, her mind already calling him out on finally being a man. She wouldn't be able to help herself, he knew from at least mentally commenting on the fact he'd finally made love to his mate. Edward believed the only reason she'd refrained from verbally commenting had been Kate's friendship with Bella and not wishing to embarrass her.
"Stay with Jasper, love." Edward turned to Bella who was looking between Kate and Edward surprised, for some reason she'd believed that the woman would fight the woman and men the men. It seemed ridiculous on Bella's part now that she'd even thought that it would be set that way when all of them had such vastly different styles and abilities, she was suddenly unsure on what this would mean and Edward could see that.
"Don't worry Bella I won't hurt him too much. I know you kinda like him." Kate said playfully, sending a wink to Bella, as she tried to reassure herself that she'd made him come here. She'd wanted Edward to be prepared for the fight against the wolves so that he wasn't harmed, she was also curious to see how Edward truly fought. It had been something she'd never witnessed before and a morbid part of her had always been curious to see him in action, much like she'd always secretly desired to see him when he was hunting. Allowing that more instinctual part of him free, Bella wasn't sure if that was normal of her to want but she didn't much care. She wasn't normal, her relationship with Edward was far from normal but she did believe it was perfect.
"Perhaps it is I, who should be telling my mate that it is I who won't be hurting you too much." Edward turned to look over his shoulder at Kate. Jasper moving around Edward to Bella's side seeing in that split instant as Edward seemed to release some hold of himself that he had. He knew he would need to keep a close eye on the emotional setting of his brother's mind. That in much of the changes during a confrontation, Edward had been allowing much of his anger free. While it had been impressively destructive on a battlefield against real enemies they couldn't afford for his rage to overwhelm him and for him to actually hurt any of their members. Not when faced with what had been decided upon this evening, they couldn't risk losing more numbers when they all knew they would be at a disadvantage in numbers against the wolves.
"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you? I guess you're still high from the experience of finally popping your cherry. Guess it would make anyone feel invincible after waiting more than a century to get some action. I sure hope it lasted more than a few seconds, we all know how the first time can blow." Kate taunted Edward knowing that she was riling him up, in the past he'd have never agreed to such a thing.
Always set in his old-fashioned beliefs and he'd have never entertained the idea of fighting with a female member of the family. Though they had all known with enough taunting there was the chance of some of that anger springing out, Kate didn't realise that the taunting wasn't needed any longer. Edward was more comfortable now with his anger then he'd ever been, or at least more accepting of it. She wanted to fight and he would happily give her one, this wasn't about harming each other it was about pushing themselves, testing and preparing one another for what was to come.
"If you fought as well as you talked perhaps you wouldn't have lost your head the first time around." Edward said boldly, the hiss in the back of Kate's throat was a warning, she couldn't believe he would dare to say something like that. She had wanted to taunt him and push his anger; she needed to remember who she was facing. Edward had all the knowledge he needed from Kate's mind on things he could touch upon to use in a verbal spat; she would not win as she wanted. His commenting on her beheading had the desired affect though, as Kate charged her entire body and lunged for Edward, she was enraged and wishing to make a spectacle of him now.
Bella stood at Jasper's side; she saw that many of them had joined her and Jasper in the foreground to watch Edward and Kate come together in their fight. Kate lunged first, it seemed as if she was about to crash completely into Edward as he stood there, his face a mask of complete calm and arrogance. Bella had almost thought to shout out to Edward to move but just as Bella had expected to see Kate slam into Edward's unmoving body he'd simply span from his position. For so much of her time Bella had believed him graceful just walking, like he somehow glided across surfaces, which she'd always believed heightened by her lack of being able to walk across a flat surface herself.
Now though she saw just how predatory that grace was, how beneath his easy flowing movement were the signs of a dormant predator. Edward span swiftly out from Kate's lunge but his arm reached out with a blinding speed and slammed down onto the expanse of Kate's body that was airborne. Then she hit the ground roughly as if batted out of the sky, Bella struggled to keep her gaze focused then, as Kate blurred from the ground. Bella hadn't expected the fights to be like this, which had her feeling slightly foolish, she knew how strong and fast they all were. So of course that speed would translate into something that was clearly as instinctual to them as fighting, she could hear Jasper react to certain points of the confrontation but he remained silent. Observing closely of what was happening; of the things that Bella was completely positive she was missing something amongst the speed.
The sounds too were shocking, the animalistic growls and the loud clapping of what she could only describe similar to a soft clap of thunder. She could see one thing amongst the chaos of two immortals fighting though, as Edward twisted his body in such a way Bella believed should have been painful. Edward had the upper hand, she'd noticed the strange way in which he'd been holding himself. The way when those moments of clarity were apparent to her that she could see Edward using Kate's very sleeves to hold her arms, she could notice even in her human eyes how well he was doing of being mindful not to touch her skin. She knew that was because of her ability, she knew that just one fully charged zap from Kate and this fight could very much be over.
Bella had been distracted by a peel of laughter, that Jasper had tried hard to suppress, when she saw that the fight was over; she'd quickly turned to were his eyes were set. She'd almost laughed herself to find Kate face down on the ground, her arms behind her back, but it had been the way Edward had used her sleeves to pull over her hands and tied the material into a thick knot at the middle of her back. He'd created an almost straightjacket out of her own shirt, there was tightly twisted material wrapped around Kate's torso and arms and while Bella knew that Kate with her vampire strength could easily rip herself free, Kate didn't seem to be struggling against it. Her facial expression was irritated and angry as she tried to roll her body so her face wasn't pressed into the ground but Edward kept his boot pressed onto the small of her back, his dark eyes grinning wickedly.
"I swear to god Edward, if you don't let me up, I will kill you." Kate growled, frustrated, she'd not nearly fought as well against Edward as she'd suspected. Not being used to being man handled either, she wasn't taking being beaten by Edward well at all, she'd hoped to rile him up by mentioning his sex life and hoped his old fashioned views might have hindered him fighting her. What had annoyed her more than anything was that he'd somehow anticipated and avoided every strike she'd made to use her shock, and yet when she'd released her gift, focussing on the fight she'd felt as if he'd welcomed her strikes only to make her confident enough to charge it once again, then to find him ready. She hated his mind reading.
"Why didn't she just rip free from it?" Bella asked aloud, not really expecting an answer.
"He's tied her up in a way that should she rip free... well let's just say she'll be as naked as the day she was born." Jasper chuckled lightly, as Bella looked towards Kate again who was on the ground, she wasn't sure how Edward could have managed something like that. The desire to suddenly find out how he'd managed to do that to clothing however made her even more interested in ways she could help him out of his own. Bella had to remind herself to control herself as she saw Jasper looking at her even more amused then, her face heating, realising that he was completely aware of what she was feeling. Time for that came later though; she had to believe that they had all of eternity to satiate themselves on each other. Now her mate needed to prepare, then after this they could begin plans for forever.
