A/N: Sorry for the posting delay... Sarita and technology are not friends this week. :-/ Thank you all so much for your support. I love you all—lurkers included. The lovely Maxandmo wrote a review for RK, and it was the New Fic of the Week on IndieFicPimp this past week. Many thanks for the pimping! Mwah!

Thanks to my awesome prereaders, Key, Sandy, and Aleea, for all the valuable feedback and encouragement. It means more to me than I can say.

Edward licks to my awesomesauce betas, wmr1601 and Katmom, for keeping my stuff readable.

Chapter 6

~The Ties that Bind~

Put it on me
But maybe not this much
It happened with just one touch
The devil in you I trust

Excerpt: Loaded SEAL

"M-mate?" she whispers.

"Yes."

"I thought vampires mated with other vampires." Her brow creases, a little V forming, and I smooth it away with my finger, a wry smile tugging at my lips.

"Yes, usually. But then again, I've never been a conformist." Irony laces my tone, and I shake my head.

Isabella's head returns to rest against my shoulder.

Now that I've said the words aloud, the truth of them blooms inside me like a rare and precious flower. This explains my protectiveness over Isabella, the growing pull to take care of her, the inexplicable feelings. I never really understood what it meant to be mated—actually scoffing at the thought we could love another almost on sight—but it makes perfect sense to me in this moment. I would do anything for her, laying down my life if necessary, and the thought of her no longer existing sends a jolt of pain shooting through the space where my heart used to beat.

Even though I try to stem the sensation, a soft grunt of pain slips past my lips anyway.

"Edward? What is it?" Isabella's head rises, her beautiful brown eyes frightened.

"Nothing," I whisper.

Her hand comes to rest over the site of the pain, and she looks down at her fingers for a moment before her gaze returns to mine, her eyes widening.

"Not nothing. You hurt here." She presses her hand harder against my chest, and the pain dampens under the warmth. "Why?"

I cover her hand with my own, trapping it against my dead heart, and I suddenly wish I was human even if only for a moment. My eyes, dry for over a century, ache to shed tears. I want to look away from her, to lie to her so she doesn't have to share in my pain, but I can't. There are invisible cords binding us together, more every moment that she breathes, that we touch, that I gaze into her eyes.

"There's an ache in my chest."

"But vampires can't feel pain. Do you think it's a side effect from my blood?" There's a panicked edge to her voice.

"Shh... no," I assure her, rubbing soothing patterns on her back.

"But—"

"It's the mating connection. The thought of you dying..." I swallow around the lump in my throat. "Mated ones can apparently feel pain. It aches where my heart used to beat... where you now live inside me."

"Don't say that," she whispers, looking away.

"Why not? It's true. It's okay if you don't feel the same about me. I've never heard of a vampire mating with a human; perhaps it won't affect you the same way."

"It does, Edward. I've never felt like this before—I wasn't even aware the human body could hold so much emotion. And it feels raw, like a scab ripped away from a tender wound." She hesitates, then laughs humorlessly. "Maybe I understand how your chest feels after all."

My arms tighten, cradling her, and I plant a kiss on the top of her head. "Perhaps you do, sweet one. It wouldn't be wise for either of us to underestimate the other."

"What now, Edward?"

"I'm taking you to my family. They'll be able to help us. I haven't been home in a very long time, but they'll welcome us with open arms, and I suspect they already know we're coming."

"How long has it been, Edward?"

"Twenty years."

"They'll know we're coming because Alice is... psychic?"

"That's right. And Alice will be the key to finding Hannah."

Isabella draws in a sharp breath, her body stiffening against me, and a whimper escapes.

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to reunite you with Hannah, and so will my family."

"B-but they don't even know me."

"You're my mate. That makes you family."

The rest of that day and the next, we make travel preparations—or rather I make preparations while Isabella packs her things and rests. She's so pale, and I'm concerned over her health. As I'm sitting in the alcove beneath the stairs doing research on the computer, I receive a text from Alice:

I saw you wouldn't answer, so I decided to text you instead. As you've probably surmised, we're expecting you and your mate. Everyone is anxious to see you both.

I snort, knowing she's full of shit, before I continue reading.

Okay... well, most of us can't wait to see you. Carlisle says we'll help however we can. I love you, Edward. I've missed you ~Ali

So, my family is already well prepared for the prodigal son and brother's return. I sure hope they don't expect me to drink that weak, fetid, watered-down slop they do. While my days of seduction are over now that I'm mated, I most certainly will not drink from the animal kingdom.

"Edward?" Isabella's voice is shaky, and I look up to see her leaning against the wall of the alcove watching me.

Pushing the computer chair back, I open my arms, inviting her over. She doesn't hesitate to crawl onto my lap, resting her head against me with a soft sigh. Soft lips kiss my neck, leaving a trail of heat on my skin. She's so small, so fragile.

"What is it? Are you all right?" I ask, holding her to me.

"I'm worried about you. Your jaw was so tight, your posture so stiff. Did something upset you?"

"Oh, that. My sister Alice texted me. They are indeed expecting us, and she wanted to let me know we'll be welcomed with open arms." There's something acerbic in my tone, and Isabella glances up at me.

"You're not happy to be going home."

"That's not my home. I live in a high-rise in Port Angeles. They live in the backwoods of the Olympic Peninsula, attempting to live peaceably amongst dogs." My words are scathing, and she blanches. Soothing her with my touch, I kiss her temple. "Don't allow my moodiness to upset you. Please. It would greatly disturb me to pile any more on your plate."

"But... it's my fault. You wouldn't be going to them on your own. We don't have to go, Edward. Maybe there's some other way."

"No, there's not. My family is gifted and has many resources we need. I'll deal with them."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I would walk through fire for you. I'll do anything to bring you and Hannah back together, and as for that husband of yours..." A growl rumbles in my chest.

We cuddle for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

Early the next morning, Isabella watches with amusement as I move at vampire speed, cleaning the thick blanket of frozen-over snow from the SUV in the backyard. It takes me no time at all to shovel the path out to the road, which is still fairly treacherous—at least it would be for humans.

We pack the back of the car with all of Isabella's belongings, and I do a sweep of the entire house to be sure there are no clues left behind. There's no reason for Angela Weber or her uncle to get in trouble for helping Bella. I mangle the wires I cut when I arrived to make it appear as if the damage was done by an animal rather than a stealthy bounty hunter.

Making sure the car is well-heated for her comfort, I place her Neupogen, which is in a small cooler packed with ice, in the trunk where it will remain cold longer.

The trip from Pennsylvania to Forks is a long one. It doesn't matter one way or the other to me, but Isabella's health would suffer if we tried to drive cross-country. I finally break down and call Carlisle to ask for his help. Despite my petulant behavior over the past two decades, he's gracious and offers me the use of the Cullen jet. In order to alleviate any suspicion, we drive for two days straight, the plane meeting us at a secondary airstrip in Georgia.

Isabella spends much of her time sleeping. She usually prefers to be curled in a ball by my side, but at times, she transfers to the back seat where she can stretch her limbs. I drive straight through, stopping only for gas and food. I'm careful to keep my speed within legal limits. Although I can usually avoid speed traps, I'm not willing to risk being caught with a fugitive in the car. While I could simply say I'm bringing her in, there's no way I'll let anyone put their hands on my mate.

Much of the ride is spent in a comfortable silence, holding hands, but there's also time for talk when Isabella is awake and alert.

Something's been niggling at the back of my mind for a while.

"Isabella, you said James was after immortality. How could running experiments on you possibly aid him?"

Isabella laughed bitterly. "James has the same affliction I do. You don't want to know how many vampires have died trying to change him. He lures them in with the promise of riches."

"He has the same blood anomaly? How in the world did the two of you end up together?"

"James must have been searching for a solution. I don't know for sure, but I believe he came across my blood because of my leukemia. I've received blood transfusions. Perhaps he had a contact in a lab. The one thing I do know is he discovered an extra chromosome is responsible, and I have the same one."

"So he ran experiments on you to what? Try to find a cure?"

"Yeah." She looks out her window, and her face is tight, her knuckles white as she grips my hand.

"How did he get you to agree?"

"Agree?" She snorts derisively. "James wooed me. I was working in a bookstore part time during college, and he showed up frequently, asking questions and ordering rare books he wasn't even interested in. Eventually, flowers were delivered every few days, and he finally arrived to ask me on a date.

"My boss told me to either say yes to the guy or find a new job, so I let James take me out. He took me to the opera, the movies, out to dinner... for long walks in the park. He was the perfect gentleman, never doing more than kissing me until we had dated for six months. It was a whirlwind romance, and fool that I was, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker." She stops talking, chewing at her bottom lip.

"And then?" I prompt her when she hasn't spoken for a good five minutes.

"One night he took me out for a fancy dinner and bent down on one knee, pulling a velvet box out of his suit pocket that held the perfect ring. Even though he could afford the world, it was elegant and understated because he knew I hated flash. He asked me to do him the honor of becoming his wife. At the time my leukemia was manageable, but I still offered him an out. He said it didn't matter, and I believed him.

"It was a private ceremony on his estate. Our honeymoon was in Hawaii. He was a tender lover, and he couldn't seem to get enough of me—until I gave birth to Hannah. That's when my nightmare began. At first he said he wanted to have genetic testing done to see if Hannah would have leukemia as well. It was soon apparent that something was really wrong. He stopped touching me, and he had no interest in Hannah." Tears wet her face, and I squeeze her hand.

"I'm sorry, Isabella. Do you want to stop for now? You don't have to go through this all at once." An ugly picture was beginning to form in my mind, and I had a feeling I knew where this was headed. James Hunter was a despicable excuse for a human being.

"No, I'd rather get it out. James showed me the state of the art laboratory he had in the basement of the estate when Hannah was almost one. He explained about the blood anomaly and said he was looking for a cure. At first he didn't tell me what our blood did, but I became suspicious and snooped around. One night I watched a vampire d-die on the floor down there. It was awful—the screams, the writhing, and then the dried out, desiccated body. I tried to slip away, but I started vomiting uncontrollably, and James caught me. He had blood all over his neck, and I realized he'd been bitten.

"After that, he dropped all pretenses. He forced me to sit down and listen to the sordid story of how he sought me out to marry on purpose, paid for my education, and impregnated me in the hopes of having genetic testing done on our child... and he expected me to help him now that I'd snooped in his business. Gone was the kind, gentle man I knew, and in his place was a crafty, evil asshole. I wanted to refuse, but he made a remark about Hannah being useless to him because she didn't have the extra chromosome."

"So he doesn't know Hannah's blood is a cure?"

"No. When I fled from there, I took both bags of her blood with me."

It's been hours since Isabella ate, so I suggest a break for food. She can't afford to be seen anywhere, so I order her food from a diner. She suggested a drive-thru, but I'm determined to do what I can to bolster her health.

Parking in front of the diner, I tell her to remain in the back seat and keep her head down. At this late hour, the restaurant is quiet, and the woman behind the counter looks me over with interest.

I'd like to ride him. What a hottie.

A few weeks ago, I would have obliged her, but now it's just an annoyance. I order the food and sit on a stool at the counter with my phone out, pretending to be engrossed in texting, when I'm really ruminating on Isabella.

I haven't even broached the subject of turning her, but I'm beginning to realize it might not be possible. The thought sends a fresh shock of pain through my chest, and the need to be with Isabella is almost impossible to ignore. I nearly run out the door without the food, but I know she needs the sustenance, and my mate takes precedence over all needs, including my own.

"Here you go." The waitress places two bags on the counter, and I leave her a nice tip on my way out. "Have a great night!" Big tipper. I hope he comes back often.

It's a fight to return to the car at a human speed. By the time I reach the SUV, I'm gasping under the need to touch her. Opening the door, I slide in, my hand reaching between the front seats to grasp hers.

Pulling back onto the highway, I stop at the nearest scenic overlook. Without speaking, I get out and open the back door, sliding onto the seat beside her.

"Edward?" she questions, realizing something isn't right.

"I just need to touch you," I rasp.

Setting aside the sandwich, she allows me to place her on my lap, and I sigh with relief once my arms are around her. I place gentle kisses up the side of her neck, and I taste her delicate skin with the tip of my tongue.

Isabella shifts around until she's straddling me, and her warm hands hold my face tenderly. "You're so beautiful, Edward." Her soulful brown eyes take me in as her fingers slowly explore my features.

"I was just thinking the same thing about you." I smile crookedly, knowing I'm putty in her hands and not caring. Even my inner monologue fails to berate me for it.

Leaning in close, Isabella brushes her lips across mine. Soft, sweet little kisses that lead to parted lips, tangled tongues, groans, and grinding. She rotates her hips over the obvious bulge in my pants, allowing her head to fall back, and I lick my way up the exposed expanse of creamy skin, nibbling along her jaw.

My hands slip under her top, caressing hot skin, and I find her bra-less. Tentatively, I ghost my fingers over her nipples, and they pucker and harden under my cool touch. We kiss for a long time, my tongue exploring her velvet-hot mouth. I'm distracted by her, so it catches me by surprise when her hands reach for my belt.

"Isabella, no." My hands release her breasts to grasp her wrists.

"No? I thought..."

"Not here. Not like this. I want to give you more than the back seat of a car for our first time." I ghost my lips across her cheek and kiss her earlobe, whispering, "I want it to be perfect for you."

"It will be, Edward. I know it." Snaking her arms around my neck, she presses her chest against mine, and I hold her to me for a long time, neither of us speaking.

Eventually her legs become stiff, and I realize we need to get back on the road. Lifting her from the car, I carry her bridal-style to the passenger side and place her on the front seat. She takes my hand as I drive and tells more of her story.

"James ran tests on me, and he also fed my blood to vampires. H-He made me watch them die. He said I needed to understand what was at stake, that we needed to find a cure. He offered to turn me, too, but I refused. He just shrugged and told me to die with the rest of the cattle if that's what I really wanted. So cruel... he was just so cruel. He never came close to a cure, and his anger grew.

"One night I overheard him talking to his bodyguard, Laurent. They've been friends since grammar school, and he trusts Laurent with all his secrets. James was drunk, which always loosened his lips, but they didn't realize I was awake. James was talking about how he h-had my p-parents killed so he could get to me. I—it's my fault they died..." She drifts off, a keening wail filling the car.

"Fuck. I knew something was suspicious about their deaths," I mutter. "It's not your fault, Isabella. Some people are just evil." Taking her hand in mine, I rub my thumb over her knuckles.

Isabella grabs some tissues from the glove compartment, blowing her nose and wiping the tears away.

"I'm sorry. I've been living with the guilt of this for the past year, and I've never spoken the words out loud. I know intellectually their deaths aren't my fault, but in here..." she rubs her hand over her heart "...I feel responsible. If I didn't have leukemia, if my blood didn't have this anomaly, if I didn't fall for James' smarmy bullshit... if I'd been healthier, smarter, more discerning... my parents would still be alive. My dad would have broken James' neck for treating me this way."

"That may still happen, Isabella. James Hunter will not get away with harming my mate. There's no way he's going to become immortal." I bare my teeth, and a snarl escapes before I can tamp it back, but Isabella doesn't appear scared of me; in fact, she smiles. "You're smiling?" My eyebrows shoot up.

"You're so protective, Edward. Finally, my knight in shining armor has come. I always thought it was James, and then... well, I thought they didn't exist." Her eyes hold a faraway look, and then she suddenly looks over at me. "So it's true then... vampires are immortal?"

"Yes."

"You'll live forever?"

"Yes." I don't tell her that may not be the case if she dies. Based on the level of pain I've been feeling when she's just a few short yards away... I don't think I'll survive her passing, nor will I want to.

"What will happen to you when I die?"

Naturally, she would bring that up. Another pain rocks my body when the image of Isabella being placed in the ground floats behind my eyes, and I grit my teeth, unable to speak for a moment.

"I—I don't know," I lie. There's no way I'm going to allow her to worry over it.

"You know." Her warm hand comes to rest over my chest, branding me right through my shirt.

"Isabella, please." It's all I say, all I can without sounding like a blubbering pansy, but she lets me off the hook and continues with her story.

"When I heard what James said about my parents, I couldn't control my emotions. I ran into the room and flew at him, beating him about his face and chest. Laurent lifted me off him and held me back. Laurent was very gentle; he seemed to have a soft spot for me, and his eyes were sympathetic. James, however, was pissed off. He slapped me across the face and banned me from any outside contact.

"The following week, Hannah was t-taken away. James said he knew I would cooperate if she was g-gone. He promised if I helped him become immortal, he would give her back. It was his way of ensuring I didn't run or tell anyone. He wouldn't let me talk to her on the phone, but he let me make recordings for her. S-Sometimes I would even get one back. He also had pictures taken to show me proof of life."

"So what finally made you go on the run?"

"I overheard James again. He's so fucking stupid when he's drunk; alcohol totally loosens his tongue. He was talking on the phone—I don't know to whom—and he said that I was a good little robot, that he was sure I would cooperate. He felt they were close to the cure, and then... then he would dispose of me and Hannah. He never intended to reunite us at all!

"I flipped out and tried to kill him. If I was smart, I would have poisoned the son of a bitch, but I grabbed for the gun he always kept in his desk drawer. I wasn't really sure how to use it except for what I've seen on TV, but I cocked the hammer and pointed it at him. My hands were shaking so bad, and I didn't expect the recoil, so the shot went wild. He was on me in a second flat, and he had me arrested for attempted murder. He didn't count on me being bailed out of jail by my friend, Angela. I begged her to help me, only telling her part of the story because I didn't want to endanger her. The cabin I was staying in belongs to her uncle."

"Yes, I know."

"You know? How?"

"I did some digging of my own. It's what I do, Isabella. I also need to tell you I tracked down your friend, and I... read her mind. That's how I found you."

"You can read minds?" Her eyes widen.

"Yes. Not yours, though. I'm not sure why. I don't think anyone else would have an easy time finding the cabin; I had the advantage because I read Angela's mind. She's a good friend to you—told me to go straight to hell." I smirk at the memory of Angela acting like a lioness protecting her friend.

Isabella laughs. "She's the best, Edward. My only true friend... until you."

I bring her hand up to my lips and place little kisses on it. "You'll always have me now."

"Until death do us part, huh?" she says humorlessly.

"Isabella... would you consider being turned?" I ask carefully, watching the road with her hand still wrapped in mine.

"Now, yes. I don't want to leave you. It's impossible, though."

"Maybe not."

"What do you mean?"

"My father—my sire—Carlisle really is a doctor. In fact, I have a medical degree myself, although mine is antiquated, and I've never been a practicing physician. Carlisle is really smart, and he may be able to find a way."

A soft 'Oh,' is Isabella's only response, and she stares off into the distance for a few moments before curling against me and falling asleep. I understand why she doesn't want to speak of it too much—I don't, either—because she doesn't want us to get our hopes up.

When we reach the airport, Isabella is still sound asleep. I carry her onto the plane and then go back for our things. Once we take off, I cradle her on my lap and pray.

There's a car waiting for us when we land in Port Angeles. I carry her to the car, her eyes opening sleepily, long enough to place a kiss on my cheek before she falls back asleep.

The quiet drive affords me time to think, but I choose not to. I never expected to be coming back here, and certainly not like this.

When we're still thirty minutes away, Isabella wakes up. She stretches her arms over her head and yawns.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. I had the best dream."

"What was it?"

"Hannah was back with me, and I lived in a beautiful house with her... and you."

"That is a beautiful dream, Isabella. There's nothing I'd love more." I wish I could give you that, but it's not likely. Even if we get her back, you're dying, and I'm a vampire.

"Edward, do you realize that your family lives right near Forks where I grew up?"

"Yes. Quite a coincidence. They live about fifteen minutes outside of town."

"My father's best friend and his family still live nearby. I wish I could visit them."

"Where do they live?"

"On the Quileute Reservation."

I stiffen involuntarily, my eyes meeting hers fiercely. "You will never step foot there again. Are we clear?"

"Wh-what?" Isabella leans away from me, taken aback by the vitriol in my voice.

"They are our enemies, Isabella. The Cullens have a treaty with the Quileutes—stay off of each other's land, and no humans in the area can be bitten or killed."

"What? They know what you are?"

"Yes. Do you know what they are?"

"You mean... they aren't human?" Her mouth gapes open.

"No. Some of them carry the shape-shifting gene. They can phase into giant wolves, and their sole purpose is to kill vampires."

"And if the Cullens can't bite humans, how do they survive?"

"Animal blood," I say with disdain, my lip curling in disgust.

"But you drink human blood?"

"Yes."

"Holy shit. There are many things in this world I thought were only fantasy."

"The Quileutes can't know that you're here, Isabella; you understand that, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"If they find out I'm here, the treaty could be in danger of becoming null and void."

"I understand."

We're quiet for a few minutes, but something nags at me.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I don't drink animal blood?"

"No."

I glance over at Isabella, and she's smirking. I don't have time to question her further because we've reached our destination. Swallowing hard, I turn onto the long, winding drive that leads to the place I once called home.

~*RK*~

A/N: So a bit of Isabella's past for you to digest... and there will be more twists and surprises coming as the mystery unfolds. Next chapter we get to meet some of the Cullens and get a peek at the family dynamic, so to speak. I'd love to hear what you think so far. Many of you have sent me some really awesome comments, and I appreciate each and every one more than I can say.

Thank you all for reading. See you next Tuesday!

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