IMPORTANT NOTES at the end.

.

TWENTY-FIVE

I obeyed.

Then I stared, wide-eyed, at what he had balanced on his hand before I glanced up at his reflection in the mirror. There was a tiny twitch to the corner of my lips when I gaped at him. When I finally recovered my ability of speech, I quipped, "You obviously weren't kidding, were you?"

"No, cara mia," he murmured, "I was not. I was entirely sincere when I said that you are, in all sense of the term, my most cherished and beloved pet."

I glanced back down at the platinum band sitting on his palm. The collar was a little under a half inch in width and was made up of delicate strands that were bound together with two vertical bands spaced several inches away from where an appropriately-sized pendant dangled at the center. It took a moment or two for me to realize that the pendant was actually the Cullen crest – a small and modest ornament that was far more appropriate for me than the bold, statement piece that Rosalie wore.

"Carlisle…" I whispered, gazing at the simplistic yet elegant band held before me. "It's beautiful. Are you sure that—"

"Incredibly sure, m'amore," he cooed lovingly to me before nuzzling his nose against my temple. "While you are forever part of this family, m'Isabella, for all of eternity you belong to me and me alone. Is this acceptable?" When I acquiesced, he pressed a kiss behind the shell of my ear, purring his pleasure. "Good girl, mia passerotta."

It fit comfortably against my skin, resting at the base of my throat, and looked very similar to any other choker. I, however, knew the truth. While this was far less controversial than the purple mark on my neck, it was still a relatively obvious display of possession. The platinum band stated that I was taken, the crest clearly identified by whom, and God help anyone foolish enough to ignore it.

For a split moment, I considered arguing that this particular choice to display the Cullen crest might not be the best one and that perhaps a necklace similar to Rosalie's might have been more appropriate. But the more I thought about, the more I realized that, due to the mouth and fingers of one Jessica Stanley, the entire town almost certainly already knew of our 'scandalous' relationship. We would be under everyone's intense scrutiny no matter what, so we might as well enjoy ourselves and have fun with it!

I also briefly wondered about what would happen to his position at the hospital but realized that my mate probably had made several healthy donations to the hospital over the years he had been in Forks. When sheer curiosity drove me to voice my question and thoughts, I received only a smug smirk in return, which assured me that my assumptions had been correct. Of course, the hospital would not fire him, not when his generosity would keep the facility up to date for years to come.

It occurred to me that beneath his oh-so-sweet and innocent-looking exterior there was a devious creature of power and cunning, and it made me question whether or not there were there any human beings on this Earth that Carlisle Cullen would not get to jump through hoops!

Suddenly, a question that Jessica had asked me popped into my head. I never gave her an exact amount because I did not know nor had I ever had the desire to know. Indeed, this particular aspect of my mate's life had no bearing on my feelings for him whatsoever. But the strange urge to inquire it flooded me, and for some unknown reason that felt important, I knew that I had to ask.

Carlisle seemed surprised at my sudden question, but I think what shocked him most was the odd expression on my face. "Why do you ask, mia passerotta?" When I reminded him of Jessica's question and informed him that I was as equally perplexed as he was at my abrupt desire to know, he cocked his head. "Premonition perhaps?"

I shrugged. "I've been known to dream a future event once or twice, but I think that has more to do with the repetitiveness of my life. Well, the repetitiveness of my life before I met your family anyway."

He hummed softly while he traced his fingers along the delicate collar then leaned forward, whispering the answer in my ear and chuckling when I gasped in astonishment. It was only after I spluttered in shock for a few moments, quite sure that I had misunderstood what he had said, that he confirmed that he was, indeed, using the correct letter of the alphabet and that, yes, he was well aware of the vast gap between both the letters and the amounts.

He quickly directed my dazed form to the bathroom so I could shower and prepare for school and informed me that he would meet me downstairs. It was halfway through my shower that it fully sank in that this would be my first day being alone in the presence of other people without the majority of the family since physically mating with Carlisle. It was the first day that I would have to face an entire school of teenagers desperate to sink their teeth into the scandal that was my and my mate's relationship.

While I cringed at the bad choice of words that my brain picked, I knew that the general idea was still true. I was once again going to be the main focus of everyone's attention today and in a far more uncomfortable way than when I first moved to Forks. If anyone other than my brother and sister and Angela talked to me, I knew that the exchanged words were going to be less than pleasant.

I quickly came to the conclusion that I should have just killed Jessica in the emergency room that day. Surely, Carlisle could have found a way to dispose of the corpse without anyone noticing! Well, it was too late now. Maybe I could ask my mate if I could borrow his Mercedes, then accidentally lose control of the vehicle in her vicinity. That wouldn't be obvious, right?

No. I couldn't do that. Even though he had enough money to buy an entire fleet of them, Carlisle loved his car very much. It would be very wrong of me to wreck it. Oh yeah. And he probably wouldn't be too thrilled if I landed myself in prison.

As I stepped into the closet, picking a pair of stonewashed jeans, I decided to do something a little bit different than my normal sweater style. I called up Alice for some help, pleased when she came straight to my closet with a few items with Rosalie on her heels – I had a feeling this was to keep the pixie from going overboard and allowing me to make my own selection. Of course, the moment I saw the top the dark-haired girl held in her hands, I knew that it was absolutely perfect. There was no doubt in my mind that the image I would soon present to Carlisle would keep his entertained all-day long.

It was the darkest shade of teal-green that I had ever laid eyes on and had a plunging v-neckline – I would definitely have to pair it with a black tank top underneath – with tight ruching all the way from beneath the breast-line to the hem. The small capped sleeves had the slightest ruffle to them and add just a hint of cuteness to the overall sensuality of the top. After I had pulled on both tops, I motioned frantically beneath my breasts and mouthed 'belt', smiling in delight when Alice blurred away and came back with a with a shiny, black belt about three and a half inches wide with a perfectly sculpted bow in front. Both vampires were shocked when I indicated that I wanted the pair of black kitten heels back, but I just smiled happily. After spending an entire weekend with my mate and my perfect pirouette on a rough baseball field, I felt confident enough to spend one day walking in heels. And even if I did fall, the worst that could happen was me ending up in the emergency room with Carlisle, which really would not be a bad thing for either one of us.

In all truth, fall or no fall, my outfit and heels were the best choice for everyone: I felt good, Alice and Rose could be proud of my display of fashion, and my mate… well, he got to imagine undressing me. And then he would get to do just that later in the evening when we were back at home. It was win-win for everyone!

My sisters blurred downstairs before me to allow me my own entrance to the kitchen, and I was more than pleased with my mate's response when he finally turned around to observe me. The moment he saw me, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open with an exclamation of 'Cazzo!'

I smirked proudly because I was fairly certain that it was almost impossible to astound the seemingly proper Carlisle Cullen into publicly exclaiming 'Fuck me!'

.

After an incredibly delicious breakfast, I donned Carlisle's gorgeous leather jacket and complained that he should go into work with jeans and my favorite piece of his wardrobe instead of his typical dark and light blue ensemble. I was rewarded with a mildly chiding look that was completely ruined by a mischievous smirk as he led me to the garage.

I was thrilled at the fact that he wanted to take the Harley, but when we pulled into the parking lot, I felt that delicious sensation freeze like rain in our coldest winters. Clearly, we should have rethought this decision because it was obvious that I would not be spared from the gawking looks as he pulled the bike into a spot beside Alice's Porsche, even though it was a good distance from the entrance.

Oh… this was the wrong choice for today.

The moment Carlisle and I slid our helmets off, it seemed the eyes of every single person locked onto the recently 'divorced' doctor and the Chief's eighteen-year-old daughter. With just a quick scan of the area, I saw Jessica standing with Lauren Mallory and Mike Newton – one was looking at Carlisle with jealousy, one was looking at me with jealousy, and the third glared at me with sheer, burning hatred.

I swallowed heavily, which all three of my companions heard and responded to in their own way – Alice gave me a small reassuring smile while Jasper sent wave after wave of calm to me. My mate reached out and pulled me to him, settling me against his side and turning his face to rest his forehead against mine. He purred softly for me, and I felt a peace that even Jasper could not provide wash over me. I sighed in contentment and whispered to my mate, "Promise me that you will never go back to restraining your nature, because it's moments like this when I'm aware, all over again, of how much I cannot live without this. I can't live without this sound, this feeling…" I brushed my fingers through his blond hair. "I can handle anything this town can do as long as I have this."

His purr grew louder for a few moments but was interrupted Jasper cleared his throat, letting us know that Angela was getting within hearing range. To my surprise, my normally shy friend waltzed right up to the four of us and settled against whoever's car was on the opposite side of Carlisle's bike from Alice's.

I turned in my mate's embrace as she grinned wickedly at me. "You do realize you two were seen wrapped around each other near the reservation, right? I didn't believe it was true that you'd be on a bike, but apparently, I was wrong. And look at you! You look hot!"

Carlisle cooed in my ear. "She is quite right, mia passerotta. You are exceptionally delectable, so it is a shame that I must take my leave… because you do look good enough to eat." He buried his lips in my chocolate waves, murmuring, "La mia, I am afraid I must go, but I promise I will text you throughout the day." He turned me and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "T'amo tanto. A dopo, m'Isabella."

I took a step back toward Angela, blushing furiously when she nudged me in the ribs as my mate sped off. I knew that she wanted to ask me a million questions but was afraid to do so in front of Alice and Jasper. It was only when the blond vampire, having sensed Angela's curiosity, assured her it was okay to ask whatever she wanted that my friend's queries burst forth.

"Well," I sighed thoughtfully to the first one, "there were a few problems when Carlisle first met me. For one, I was only seventeen, and even though he was in the process of getting a divorce, he was stilled married. Plus, Edward really liked me and I liked Edward, so he wasn't going to do anything to mess with that. But I think we both realized that we were just… drawn toward each other. It was like we each only had half of a soul, and despite the obstacles, both halves kept reaching for the other. He had to watch Edward treat me like a child and generally act like a jerk for the past year, and when I had my accident at my birthday party, he was pretty much telling me that the feelings he had for his soulmate were completely different from how Edward was… behaving toward me."

By now we had made it across the parking lot and had entered the building, and thankfully no one had said a word. And to my quiet delight, I was still walking easily in my heels. "When I asked Carlisle about Esme being his soulmate, he told me they weren't and that they were finalizing their divorce. I asked him who he thought his soulmate was and he… he just stared at me."

I shivered as I thought back to the look in his eyes, the intense look of love and respect and devotion that had gleamed in the bright topaz while he towered over me, his body so close to mine as he watched for my reaction. I smiled. "It took a moment for it to sink in that he meant me, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Edward… Edward is just fascinated by me. I'm his first love and… he doesn't quite understand me. He's very charming and can use that to get what he wants. He knew from the beginning that I was meant to be with Carlisle, but he acted like a spoiled child and made sure than he got his way. When I got hurt at the party, I don't think Carlisle was too happy with the way Edward was acting and… he let me know in his own quiet way how he felt. And… it felt right." I shrugged. "And I'm happier with Carlisle."

At this point, Jasper and Alice abandoned us to go to their classes, but Angela – bless her saintly heart – stuck right by my side the entire time. Her arm was linked in my as we strutted down the hallway together, chatting quietly but comfortably about my 'developing romance' with the town's chief surgeon. Of course, I did not go into the more graphic details of our relationship, but she was rather impressed by my descriptions of Carlisle's attentiveness and adoration and how he had handled the Charlie situation.

Having made it to the back of the classroom, I was proud of myself for having not fallen flat on my face and was rather pleased that no one had said anything to me. But I should have known to think before feeling because Murphy's Law was a bitch, and for me, pride and pleasure cometh before a fall. Or a verbal attack by an obnoxious slut.

"So, Bella," Jessica chirped, her voice dripping with sickeningly false sweetness, "I hear that you weren't home this weekend. One can only imagine where you were. Although, I did see you by the side of the road on that bike." She grinned maliciously. "So, did you give up to Doctor McHottie all weekend?"

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair with what I hoped was a surprisingly serene look on my face. "Unlike you, Jessica, not all girls have to rely on the ability to spread our legs to keep our men interested." I felt my lips twitch as a few people in the room snickered at my obvious dig. Of course, I would never even hint that I and my mate were in heat and had several erotic encounters already. Frankly, that was our business and no one else's.

She stiffened and indignation painted her face. While I hoped that would be the end of it, it apparently was not. "You think that Daddy Cullen is interested in you? Men like him only want one thing, and from that necklace around your neck, he's obviously already getting it." She moved forward and her lips curled into what she obviously thought was a triumphant sneer. "So tell me, Bella… How much did Doctor Dilf pay you this weekend?"

I leaned forward calmly, propping my arm up on the table and resting my chin in my palm as I smiled sweetly and said in one rapid breath, "Thirty-three billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety dollars more than the ten bucks you got from your walk last night!"

I watched as her face went from pink to red to the most ungodly shade of purple that I had ever seen and I was fairly certain that the only thing that kept her from launching herself over the table at me was the fact that the teacher had come into the room. However, that did not stop her from hissing a threat at me before she took her seat. I just rolled my eyes at her, knowing there was absolutely nothing that she could do to actually hurt me. I could defend myself from any smartass comments she could possibly make, and even if she were to regress to such a childish manner and attempt to trip me in the hall or physically attack me, the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen was a broken bone and a trip to the hospital.

Let's be honest: It's not like I've never known the pain of a broken leg before.

Besides, I knew that my mate would make very certain that I was well taken care of and spoiled with his own special brand of attention. Hell, I kind of hoped that she did, because maybe then I could talk him into homeschooling me. I knew that I sure as heck would pay a lot more attention to him than my current teacher. A lot more attention.

A flashing light caught my attention, and I glanced down to my IPhone to see a message from Carlisle: Has la cagna caused you any issues yet?

I briefly wondered if he was psychic but simply typed back Oh, yes. But don't worry, because it's both amazing and beautiful what little confidence can do. I smiled as I sent the words he told me on the field back to him and almost immediately got his reply of Good girl. I could not help but blush at his written praise before letting him know that class was beginning and that I would text him later.

Even with the constant glares that Jessica kept shooting me whenever our teacher would turn his back, and despite the ache that I felt without being close to my mate, I was actually happy. Just as I was helping Carlisle accept his own vampiric existence, he was helping me grow into a graceful and confident woman, something that Edward had never would have considered.

While Edward and Carlisle both had shown the desire to protect me from everyone and everything, the difference was that Carlisle understood that sometimes I had to protect myself. It was just one of the many reasons we were just right for each other. I helped him see and hold onto the humanity within his animalistic nature. I was also a challenge to him, which I knew he secretly loved. With him, I was able to freely express myself. With him, I was beginning to mature and carry myself like a self-assured woman should. We truly were two halves of one soul, and there was nothing that a nasty bitch or the town's gossip could say and nothing that an obsessed werewolf or a spoiled teenage vampire could do that would keep us apart.

.

I should have known that when nothing dramatic occurred at lunch that I got off easy – lunch had been a rather peaceful experience, aside from the constant buzz of chatter and all the points and stares. I should have known that Jessica would not try to pull her same stunt from this morning in the cafeteria, where there would be more witnesses to watch her ass get ripped a new one. I should have known that leaving lunch would have been relatively easy as well since there were still too many witnesses. But most importantly, I should have known that she would never let me make it to the end of the day without retaliation and that she would make sure the whole school would witness it. And quite possibly Carlisle Cullen himself.

Oh, she was far more devious than I would have expected and caught me between fifth and sixth period. While I anticipated some crude remarks or puerile comments, I was totally unprepared for her level of idiocy.

She was leaning against the lockers and whispering frantically to Lauren when she saw me. "You know, Bella, I doubt that Edward will take you back once he finds out you've done Daddy Dearest." When I ignored her, she pressed further. "And you know that as soon as Eddie's back, Daddy will drop you like a dirty diaper and move onto another little girl." Even though my steps faltered for a moment, to my credit, I did not fall. However, she noticed and took her taunting a step more. "And you know that the next time, he'll be smart enough to pick someone who isn't quite so desperate."

I spun around and marched straight up to her, all but forcing her into the lockers with the brunt of my fury. "What is your problem? Last time that I asked, I was really being rhetorical, but now I truly want to know! Is there some major malfunction inside of your brain that just makes you a complete and utter bitch? Did your mother or father drop you on your head when you were born and you ended up with frontal lobe damage? I mean, are you really and truly incapable of sincere and pleasant emotions?"

"Bella," she cooed my name in a nauseatingly sweet tone, "I know that you're just lashing out because you're worried, nd I don't blame you. You know that Doctor Dilf isn't going to keep you around forever and will just move onto banging someone better." Her nasty smirk made me want to throttle her. "Someone like me."

Crunch.

I barely heard her scream over my loud obscenities. I used curse words I had never imagined using, not even during the wild shower sex that I and my mate had. Hell, I could not even imagine using those words if we were swinging upside down from a tree. But at the present time, they came flying out of me like old friends and seemed highly appropriate to the person and situation!

Before I could turn and see the damage I had done to the bitch's face, I felt Angela drag me through the halls while muttering about getting me to the emergency room before Jessica could get there. What she did not realize was that by getting me there first, it would save the little bitch's life, and I was not quite sure that I wanted it to be saved. She already owed me for the first time!

After signing us out and letting the secretary know that I had probably broken my hand, she sped toward the hospital, arriving in a time that was frighteningly similar to how long it would have taken one of the Cullens. And before I could even unbuckle my seat belt, she had gotten my door open for me and watched me sympathetically as I stumbled out, clutching my hand protectively to my chest.

Walking through the hospital was worse than walking through the halls of the school. Anyone who was not a staff member was a resident of the town, and every single look varied from curiosity to jealous to downright disgust. I easily anticipated this sort of behavior from a bunch of other teenagers, but from adults…? I wanted to throw up my good hand and shout 'are we in elementary school' but refrained from doing so.

As I approached the nurses' station, I knew that from the angry and jealous look that the receptionist gave me, I was probably going to have trouble. God forbid Jessica Stanley walk through the door right now! But apparently the God that I sometimes questioned was smiling upon me today because as I approached the desk, my own personal, blond god walked around the corner.

Despite the throbbing pain in my hand, I found myself growing wet and aching to be mounted right then and there, spectators and all, and I suddenly realized that this was probably what he meant when he said that our personalities would begin to merge. Being a male – the alpha male at that – his sex drive was already intensely high and this seemed to feed my own desire, which in turn inflamed him even more. It was like throwing a match on gasoline-soaked rags.

I watched as his eyes went from topaz to onyx in only a few seconds and prayed the Angela was not watching. I gave him a pained smile when he approached me, a questioning look on his face. "I promise I wasn't picking fights with Mike's locker. We came to an agreement this morning anyway."

His lips twitched in amusement as he gently took my hand. "Then would you care to inform me as to why you are once again in my emergency room, Miss Swan?"

I felt my body clench in response and knew he smelled my arousal from the way is nostrils flared and the barely noticeable shudder that made him tense. I was just about to answer when the doors were flung open. Even without the widening of my mate's eyes, I would have known who it was instantly from her ear-splitting screech.

"You heinous bitch! You fucking little whore!" she spat to my back. "I swear to God, this isn't over, you fucking c—"

"Perhaps we should take you to a room, cara," Carlisle interrupted darkly, glaring over my head at Jessica as one hand came up to wipe at his mouth. "Miss Webber," he said calmly, though he had to pause to swallow back the venom, "I sincerely appreciate you bringing Isabella to me. If you would like to wait to see her, one of the nurses can show you to my office."

With a sharp nod to Angela and a final glare to the still-fuming Jessica, my mate practically dragged my down the hall to an empty room far away from the nurses' station. To my surprise, he was able to resist the urge to slam the door. I could actually see the restraint it took not to take the damn thing off its hinges and was quite impressed. He leaned against the door, shaking visibly, but I noticed that he was swallowing less now and that venom was no longer seeping from the corners of his mouth.

"If it makes you feel better," I said pleasantly, "I apparently have a great right hook. You could hear the crunch all through the halls. I just hope her parents can afford a good plastic surgeon."

He flashed in front of me, one hand sliding into my hair at the base of my neck AND the other cupping my cheek. "While I in no way can censure your behavior, I must ask you a favor, mia passerotta. Next time you give into the urge to shatter someone's nose, could you please inform me immediately instead of making quips about Mister Newton's locker? As you can see, being confronted with the irate schifosa, no matter how impressive your revenge was, leaves me… less than pleased. Losing control of my restraint in this setting would not be a good thing, pet."

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head before he gingerly lifted my hand in his. He gently flexed and tugged on my fingers, hissing and tensing with every gasp and wince I made. And as much as it hurt, I knew that the slow precision he took with my hand was probably more accurate than any x-ray. He would be able to both feel even the slightest differentiate, even through the layers of muscle and skin, and hear the barest grinding of bone against bone. "Make a fist," he commanded gently, gazing at me with pursed lips when I did not directly comply. "Bella."

I stared at him glumly. "This is my punishment for breaking her face, isn't it?"

He bowed his head to hide his silent chuckles then glanced back up at me, his dark eyes twinkling. "M'uzzola, you know that I would never do such a thing. However, if you do this for me, I will make it up to you in ways you can only dream of." When my mouth fell open, my face flushing brightly, he smirked and kissed my forehead. "Fist, pet."

I obeyed, grimacing the entire time, and bit back whimpers when his cold fingers delicately pushed on my hand. After he put pressure on a particularly painful spot, I shrieked softly but almost instantly felt relief when the bone he'd pressed popped back into place. "Ow," I complained drolly while I flexed my tender hand on my own. I squeezed and stretched my fingers to assure myself that they were still working.

"It will be sore for a day, but nothing is broken," he said softly, his fingers entwining with mine. "That is a lot more than I can say for Miss Stanley's nose. What exactly is it that she said to upset you to such a degree?"

I felt my face light up like the Fourth of July and mumbled, "If I say that I don't want to tell you, are you going to make me?" I felt him pull me into his embrace, his lips finding my temple. Apparently, I had sounded just pitiful enough for him to take mercy on me this time. "I love you, but it's embarrassing and I really don't want to say."

When I attempted to hop down off the examining table, however, he kept me pinned down, leaning over me to whisper in my ear, "Oh no, Miss Swan, you are not going anywhere. I am not at all through with you." He traced one cool finger down the side of my left breast. "I am well aware of the physical and emotional stress you have endured this week, and I would be remiss as your doctor if I did not give you a full exam."

.

TBC

A/N: Before I get any potential questions, let's address a few things:

1) PET: No! This is not a bdsm story. It has elements of bdsm, but I never go into a serious or regular/permanent hardcore type relationship.

2) SCHOOL ISSUES: I never went to public school. I've never set foot for even a single day inside a public school. I have no clue what happens inside a public school. So if school kids cannot or have never been able to check themselves out, then I apologize! I never had to deal with anything that practically everyone else on Earth dealt with in regards to school. Again… sorry.

3) DIRTY HOSPITAL SCENES: I have worked in a hospital and other medical establishments, and pretty much all of these scenes are beyond inappropriate… I just don't give a flying ship and am indulging my own personal medical fantasies. You're welcome!