Morning finds us sitting back in the middle of the meadow. In the distance, I could hear birds singing, celebrating the sunrise, though it was hidden by cloud cover. "I found this meadow a few weeks ago, when I was human," I murmur, knowing Edward could easily hear me. "But it wasn't anything like I remembered- the grass was all dead, and there were no flowers. I remember wondering if it looked so beautiful because you were there. Now, the grass is green again, and wildflowers are about to bloom, and you're here."
"It started turning about four days ago," Edward says. "Except for that burnt spot there. That's… her, isn't it. This is where it happened."
I nod, my eyes drawn to the dark, burnt part at the far edge of the meadow. "I was tracking her." Edward's admission made me whip my head around to look at him, wide eyed. "After what happened with James, I knew she would come back, and I feared she would come after you. I chased her all over the continent- Florida up to Canada and Alaska, then to Kansas- for the life of me I couldn't figure out what she was doing, she was all over the place. I was following a dead end in Brazil when Alice called to tell me she got a vision of you hunting a black bear. I'm sorry I did such a poor job trying to pin her down. Did she… how did she do it?"
My mouth opens and closes, I debated whether or not to tell him. "You're sure?" At his nod, I grab a hold of one of his hands, drawing it into my lap so I could run my fingers over his skin. And I told him, about trying and failing to find the meadow, and finally finding it, only to realize that Victoria had found me. I tell him what she said, what she had done, how she had died, and what was waiting for me when I woke up. I would pause every time he would tense, squeezing his hand until he would relax again.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," Edward said. "I'm… I'm so sorry."
I don't respond right away, trying to imagine what would have happened had he been there when I completed my change. "Somehow, I think my reaction would have been worse than what it was when I caught you in my cave. And… I forgive you. I know you were scared and thought you were doing what you thought was best, but it was a decision that should have involved both of us."
"I know, I'm sorry."
I turn to look at him, the way he hung his head, his hand pulling lightly at the grass at our feet. "This won't work unless we're honest with each other. Promise me you won't do something like this again. The next time something big happens, or you are scared or have doubts, promise me you'll come talk to me."
His head snaps up, his mouth agape in his bewilderment. "I promise, Bella. I don't expect you to trust me, but I promise I'll talk to you."
I nod. "And I promise I'll be honest with you too, I'll come to you if I ever have worries or doubts." I study his chestnut colored eyes, the shadows that still rest below them. "We should continue hunting, you're still thirsty."
He tries to shrug it off, but I persist, and soon we are running north, hand in hand. He lets me lead, though I soon run to the edge of what I had loosely deemed my territory. "Where would you like to go?"
I shrug. "Wherever you want. I'm getting kind of tired of eating deer, and I think that bear was a lucky find because I haven't found another since."
Edward's brows scrunch together in thought before he turns to me with a small smile, his eyes curious. "Would you like to try mountain lion?" I laugh, and he takes off running, nearly dragging me behind him for a few steps until I correct my pace.
"I thought you said you were fast," there's a light, teasing note to my voice.
A full-fledged smile splits his beautiful face. He elongates his stride and I adjust to match his speed, then gain on him a little. He speeds up a little more, and again, I match him easily, and I know I am nowhere near my limit. Edward sees my victorious smile as I take the lead again… and suddenly, his grip on my hand tightens as he shoots in front of me, and I am dragging behind him for a few paces until I manage to correct my stride. I find myself pushing myself to keep up with him. By the look of concentration on his face, I knew he was pushing himself as well. With my newborn strength, I could run just as fast as him, though I knew that would fade in a few more months.
Edward surprises me by sprinting even faster, too fast for me to keep up. I step on a loose rock- something I normally wouldn't have done, but I was moving faster than my body was capable of, and I was a fraction of a second too late to correct the way my feet hit the ground. Edward, sensing my misstep, tries to help, but I crash into him, sending us both tumbling to the ground. My name is a gasp on his lips as his arms form a protective cage around me. He spins at the last second, so he takes the brunt of the fall, with me laying on his chest. We lie in a deep groove in the dirt.
"Bella?" His voice is frantic. "Bella, are you alright?" His hands move from my back to my face, down my arms and to my sides.
My laughter dies in my throat when I see the worry- the fear in his eyes. I wiggle one of my arms free, laying my palm on his cheek. "I'm fine, Edward. Vampire, remember?"
He sighs, his head falling back against the leaves and dirt, his arms following suit, and I missed the feel of them holding me. "Of course," he murmurs. "My apologies." His gaze remains skyward, his jaw tensing and relaxing, his breathing shallow. Suddenly his eyes snap shut.
"Edward," I say, "did I hurt you?"
He lets out a small chuckle. "No, you didn't lo- Bella. I'm just… trying to control myself."
"Control yourself?" I try to figure out what he means. Before, when I was human, it was something he would say to tell me he was struggling with his blood lust. "What do you mean?"
He cracks an eye open to study me, before he releases a breath, gazing back up at the canopy of leaves above us. "I'm trying really hard not to kiss you right now," he admits finally. "I'm thankful enough you're letting me anywhere near you, I didn't want to assume…"
Slowly, I run the tip of my nose along the length of his, smiling slightly at the shuttering breath he releases. After three passes, I press a kiss to the tip of his nose, dusting more light kisses over his cheeks. "You can assume," I whisper. His chest rises with his intake of breath, and he lifts his head to meet mine, his lips claiming mine in a searing kiss. My fingers slide into the silky hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to me. His hands leave the forest floor to run up my arms and down my back, before he locks his trembling arms tightly around my middle, holding me to him with surprising strength. His tongue runs along my bottom lip, using my resulting gasp as an opportunity to enter my mouth. My heart feels like it is rising into my throat, like it is about to start pounding once again in my chest.
My reaction emboldens him, and he rolls, my back pressing into the earth, and I relish in the weight of him on top of me. His mouth moves from my lips to my neck, where he bites, then soothes with his tongue. I arch my head back to give him better access, my fingernails raking through his hair. He hums in approval, moving back to my mouth. The gentle breeze weaves between us, carrying a scent I'd never smelt before, and we freeze.
It smelled delicious.
Venom pools in my mouth and I tense. "What is that?" I ask him. I wanted to take in the scent again, but a part of me worries his answer would be human, so I anxiously hold my breath.
Edward inhales deeply before responding, his eyes growing darker with his thirst. "Mountain lion."
I push off his chest, and soon we are both careening through the forest. Edward begins to slow, and I follow his lead. Together, we silently track through the trees to higher ground. I carefully watch every move Edward makes, copying the way he crouches, the way he tilts his head into the breeze and inhales. We stop at a rocky outcrop, below us is a small creek, and drinking from the creek, is a mountain lion. Edward nods towards the big cat, mouthing out silent instructions on how to take it down. Move a little closer, until you are clear of the brush, and then leap. Try to land on its back, near the neck. Use your arms and legs to wrap around the body to balance yourself, and bite into the spot below its ear, that is where the jugular is.
I do as he says, and I marvel at the graceful, silent way I move. I'd half expected, if I was ever made immortal, to be the world's first clumsy vampire. Once I get within jumping distance, I leap. The lion hears my feet leave the earth, but it is too late. By the time it was about to react, I was latched onto its back. The cat roars, rearing up onto its back legs, and falls over with my added weight. It turns in my grasp, the claws shredding through my clothes, but bounces painlessly off my marble skin. It growls, and I growl back, bearing my teeth, before lunging up and securing my mouth to the pulse point in its neck. Hot blood, rich and thick, and so, so different from what I've had before, floods my mouth, and I greedily swallow mouthful after mouthful, feeling the strength leave the beast until it falls limp on top of me. Soon, the blood runs dry. I sigh, wiggling out from under my meal. Once I'm standing, I look down and groan- my clothes are shredded and covered with dirt, leaves, and blood.
"Bella?" I whirl my head, my eyes catching the stone-still figure a few feet away, one hand still curled in his unruly auburn hair. "Are you- sorry, I know you're okay. What did you think?"
I allow a small smile. "I'm okay. It was good- really good," I respond before looking back down at what was left of my clothing. "My clothes didn't fare too well, though. This was my last pair of pants too."
He sighs, his hands finally releasing his hair. "Um, we could run back to the house, I'm sure Alice would be happy to give you some new clothes."
I feel my eyes pop open in mortification. "I can't have your family see me like this!" I hiss. "My shirt is practically nonexistent."
Edward goes absolutely still, his eyes frozen on my back. Quickly, he is standing behind me, his shirt held out by his hand. "Here," he swallows hard, "change into this, it'll look like a dress on you. I'll be over there." He shoots his thumb behind him before sprinting behind some trees. He stops where I can still see him, though his back is turned to me.
I walk to where the creek is a few feet away before double checking on Edward. I hesitate only a moment before I rip my shirt the rest of the way, letting the tattered cotton float to the ground at my feet, my shredded jeans follow. With vampire speed, I wash the remaining blood and dirt from my skin before shrugging Edward's shirt over my head. The fabric fell to a little under mid-thigh, much shorter than what I would like, but it covered more than my own clothes had a moment before. His scent floats up around me, and I breathe it in. As a human, I was drawn to his scent, but it was different as a vampire. His scent was almost intoxicating, it soothed and riled me up at the same time, it made me feel complete.
"It's a mate thing," Edward says softly from behind me.
Instantly, I've turned to face him, my palms slapping against my thighs to keep the shirt in place. "Did you read my mind?"
He laughs, bending down to collect my ruined pile of clothing. "No, lo- Bella, you were mumbling to yourself. Your scent does the same thing to me, it's the same between Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Alice." As if to prove his point, he lifts the messy scraps of cotton and denim and inhales, his eyes darkening while his shoulders relax, a small smile plays on the corner of his lips.
"Give me that," I laugh. "I got my mountain lion, your turn."
Edward didn't need much more encouragement, with a kiss, he grabbed my hand, and we took off north once again until Edward officially found his hunting grounds.
Watching Edward hunt was something I had always wanted to see, and it was a sight to behold, especially since he was without a shirt.
