I know! It's been a while. I'm sorry. RL isn't kind sometimes.
BIG thanks to everyone who reads and reviews and HUGE thanks to Fran, Mr G and Me, and Monica03 for all of their help. Any mistakes you see are my own.
By the way, are you reading Footprints in the Sand by Mr G and Me? You should. It's amazing.
SM owns everything Twilight.
Inside the back room of the house, Edward hands me a towel to wipe the ice and snow from my feet. It's then I realize, during that whole excursion, I wasn't even wearing shoes or socks—something that completely baffles me for some odd reason.
I don't know why I'm so shocked; I had held snow in my hands, and it didn't melt.
Now, though, I'm completely amazed once more by the snow remaining frozen on my body.
Edward chuckles, watching me play around with the frozen slush.
I fling it in his direction, smirking when he bats it away, but a piece manages to land in his hair anyway.
"How cold are we? Like core temperature?"
"Depends on the environment we're in," he answers. "Outside, we'll probably match what the temperature is. Indoors, with heat, we'll be a little warmer, but not much. We have no internal core warming us like humans have, so our body temperature reacts to the temperature around us."
I nod in acknowledgment, watching as Edward places his shoes on a rubber mat near the door, dropping his pants around his ankles. The breath I had taken leaves me in an audible gasp, my eyes watching his movements closely.
He reaches for a stack of folded clothes laying on top of the washer in two neat piles but stops with a smirk.
"Like what you see?" he murmurs, reaching for me. His fingers play with the hem of my shirt, lifting it slightly and allowing it to drop, only to repeat the process once more.
Heat ignites within me, but it's not the anger from before.
No, it's a need. A deep-rooted and all-encompassing need that wants to be fulfilled.
Without a second thought, I start to raise my shirt, but the distinct sound of fabric ripping makes me pause as the shirt rips down the middle of the back, falling in two separate halves at my sides. Edward's eyes darken, and his hands grip my hips tightly.
I stare at the tattered remains for a moment before shrugging, reaching for Edward, and pulling him to me, his lips immediately finding home on the underside of my jaw.
His hands span my back, roaming and gripping my flesh while my own hands tear at his shirt, letting it fall to the floor with mine. He moans at the feeling, backing us into the wall while the front of him presses against mine, letting me feel every hard plane of his body.
Hiking a leg up, I open myself up to him, and he responds easily, one of his hands sliding underneath my knee, effectively bringing us closer.
Our lips move toward one another, exchanging panting breaths and moans.
Too bad it doesn't last that long.
"Knock it off before I get Kate in here!" Emmett bellows from behind us. "Nothing is more of a mood killer than her electric touch, according to Tanya. And Garrett. Which is weird," he rambles. "Why would she shock him? It doesn't make sense."
"Because he pisses me off sometimes!" I hear a woman shout from somewhere in the house.
"Babe, you just like seeing me on my knees," a man replies, his tone full of innuendo.
We both jump apart, and Edward spins in front of me, keeping me shielded from his brother's eyes. "Emmett, get the hell out!"
Emmett shakes his head. "So you can continue going at it while your family sits in the other room? Nah. I'm not into that."
"As I recall, I caught you and Rose going at it too," I say, peering over Edward's shoulder.
I imagine if Emmett could blush, he'd be doing so right now.
His eyes fall to the floor, and he rubs the back of his neck, a strange sucking noise coming from his teeth.
"Yeah, well … we were alone in the house," he replies. "You two are something else. I'm proud of my brother, but at the same time, disgusted. Get dressed and come out; you'll have more time for that later."
He disappears just as quickly as he came, shutting the door with a resounding thud.
Edward's head falls forward as he mutters curses toward his brother under his breath.
"I'm gonna kill him. I swear, I'm gonna kill him and dance with his head on a stick."
I burst out in a fit of laughter. "Really? You're going to dance with his head? Morbid much?"
"We can't die until the pieces are burned," he tells me. "You're still aware of your surroundings and what's going on, even dismembered."
Gaping, my mouth opens and closes like a fish, stuck between being completely fascinated and utterly shocked at this bit of news.
"Really? So if someone takes your head off, you could still talk and shit?"
For some odd reason, I picture a wall of vampire heads in a dark dungeon-like room, carrying on conversations with each other. Then, when people walk through the room of severed heads—as one does—they'd make sarcastic remarks just to piss that person off.
"No. You're awake, but you're in shock."
"Oh." I frown, my shock finally winning on that new information I learned. "Yeah, that's weird … and speaking of, how do you know what it's like?"
"Garrett told me," He easily replies with a jerk of his shoulders.
"Worst experience ever!" I hear from the living room.
I snicker and push at Edward's shoulders, silently telling him to move back. He moves half a step but doesn't remove his hands from my skin. In fact, he tightens his grip on me, his fingers gently massaging my hips.
"We can slip out the back," he murmurs. "Have more time to ourselves."
In response, I shake my head once. "And have my mother and your family chase us everywhere? No. Is there an extra shirt for me over there?"
He sighs, handing me a dark purple shirt while he shrugs on a navy blue button-up. "I'd rather you stay the way you are."
"Not with your family in the next room."
He sighs once more but pulls on dry pair of pants before handing me a pair of leggings.
I make a show of dropping my pants, tossing them on top of Edward's clothes, pretending to be oblivious to his heated stare, watching my every movement diligently.
Slowly, I pull the pants up my legs, bending at the waist slightly and before rising, biting the inside of my lip at his low groan.
Turning, I shoot him a bright smile, snapping the waistband of the leggings onto my waist. They tear a little bit, but I ignore that for now.
"Let's go. We've kept them waiting long enough."
As I walk by, Edward slides his hands around my hips, pulling my back solidly against his front. He presses against me tighter, and my breath leaves in a gust at the feel of the impressive hardness I'm feeling, but I quickly control myself.
There's no need to fuel his ego and tell them I think he's a little more gifted than some—if not all—of the guys I've dated.
I'm not experienced by any means, but I've never had sex with them; it just didn't feel right.
That's not to be said that we played checkers out on our dates either. I've fooled around, but it never went past that.
With Edward, I can see myself taking that step … soon.
But not with family in the next room.
"Yes?" I say, clearing my throat after it comes out more breathless than I'd like. "Was there something you wanted to say?"
"It's not nice to tease me, Bella." His lips are at my ear, his voice low and raspy. "Do you feel what you're doing to me with that little show? Now, we have to go out there and face my family."
Suppressing a smirk, I look at him over my shoulder. Seeing raw desire and lust on his face ignites that flame within me again; there's nothing that I'd like more than to take him, but the reminder of everyone being close by deters me.
That, and the fact that I can't give in to him so easily.
"I do feel it," I tell him, my voice low and sultry sounding, even to my ears.
It's a sound I'd never thought I could make; it must be due to my new vampire makeover.
He groans in response, holding me tighter and resting his forehead against my temple. Swallowing thickly, I clear my throat to cover my groan, wanting to escape at our closeness.
"What I don't understand is, what show?" I ask with fake innocence. "I was just putting on my clothes, Edward. I mean, I know guys can get aroused easily, but putting on my clothes? That's …" I trail off with a shrug. "If that's what does it for you, I guess. I would have thought it'd be the opposite. But, hey, what do I know?"
Sharply, he pulls back, with only the tips of his fingers remaining on my hips. His eyebrows come together in confusion as his mouth opens and closes twice before snapping shut.
He tilts his head to the side, bewilderment clear in his eyes. "Huh?"
Reaching out, I pat his hand once, biting the side of my tongue and schooling my expression to keep my amusement to myself. From the other room, I can hear snickering and whispered conversations, poking fun at our exchange.
It's a blatant reminder that vampires have excellent hearing and nothing is really a secret when we're in the same house like this.
"It's … okay, I guess. Maybe you just don't find my body attractive," I tell him with fake sadness, adding a soft sigh for good measure. I try to ignore the chuckles coming from our audience, but it's incredibly distracting. I don't know how Edward does it. "We'll … discuss it later or something. Let's go talk with everyone."
Without looking, I march forward through the house, bypassing the amazing sparkling kitchen and into the living room, where everyone is sitting in random spots throughout the space, seemingly lost in their own conversations.
If I hadn't heard them laughing, I would think they didn't hear anything that had gone on between us.
On the loveseat near the window, Irina sits on one side, her phone in her hand as she types away, stopping every now and then to take a picture. It's odd to see, and it makes me snicker, wondering what she's doing.
Tanya and Arthur sit snuggled together on the other end, their hands intertwined and their lips only inches apart.
When we step into the room, Tanya looks up at me and winks, nodding her head in approval, while Arthur stares at me with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I wish I knew how much he remembered about me; that way, I could fill in the blanks, but for some odd reason, it doesn't feel right, like it's not my place.
Tanya strokes his cheek, and he looks away, smiling softly at her as they resume their quiet conversation.
On the sofa nearest to me, Kate is draped across Garrett's lap, her legs thrown over his legs, and his arms are wrapped lazily around her waist, his fingers making gentle swooping motions across her upper thigh. Their heads are close together, whispering to one another, their voices almost making no sounds as they converse.
Something Garrett says makes Kate laugh, her voice ringing out like bells as she throws her head back, her golden eyes shining with happiness.
On the opposite side of the couch sits Emmett and Alice, their phones in their hands. For a moment, I think they're talking with my cousins, and I take a step forward to ask if I can talk to my family but pause when I see them battling each other in some kind of fighting game.
Alice wins the round with a cheer, sticking her tongue out at him. "You suck; I win!"
"Rematch!" Emmett demands with a hard edge.
"Why? So you can see how much you suck for a second time?"
"Alice," Esme warns from her spot near the fireplace.
She's sitting in a loose circle with my mother and Carmen, the former staring at me with a relieved smile and tender expression.
"Be nice," Esme continues, not looking away from Carmen as she resumes her conversation.
"Yeah, brat," Emmett complains, his fingers flying over the screen of his phone. "Be nice and don't cheat."
"I didn't cheat! If this is going to be your reaction every time you lose at this game, we may as well quit now, and you can go over and sit with your Mommy and—"
"Enough, Alice. Play nice or not at all," Esme warns again, this time, her sharp eyes focusing on her daughter.
Alice nods with a look of apology, but as soon as Esme looks at me with the same motherly smile my own mother gives me, Alice's entire expression changes.
She sneers at her brother, going into a new round of the game, muttering insults under her breath.
Everyone looks so normal and in their element; it's surprising to think that they have super-hearing and undoubtedly heard everything that occurred between Edward and me.
I'm not ashamed of it, to be honest.
I love messing with him … and seeing him still confused over our exchange is definitely worth it.
He's still lost in thought, shaking his head every so often and muttering under his breath. Every few seconds, his expression will light up before dimming once more with a shake of his head.
At one point, he meets my eyes and tilts his head to the side, his lips pressed together firmly as he thinks. I smile innocently at him, which makes his eyes narrow and his nostrils flare.
He's not buying my innocent act, and I'm glad he's that smart, at least.
Rolling my eyes, I take another step into the room, only to stop when I see two figures sitting in the far corner of the room, near the staircase.
Carlisle and Eleazar in a small, comfortable nook, with bookcases built into the walls, brimming with books. A small table with four wingback light blue chairs surrounding it sit—two of which are occupied.
"Bella," Carlisle greets with a soft smile. He waves toward the chairs in an invitation, his body leaning forward in anticipation. "Would you mind joining us for a moment?"
Eleazar looks just as eager as Carlisle, resting his elbows on his knees and watching me with unblinking eyes.
It's a little startling that he hasn't blinked once, and it's just another reminder of our true nature.
I'm sure Carlisle has told Eleazar everything, and they're both itching to talk about it; I, for one, don't really want to. I have no desire to talk about it, let alone making it happen again.
Sure, having a power like that is pretty cool, but what if I go psycho mass killer again?
Edward had assured me that it wouldn't happen—that my reaction was just because I'm a newborn and was in bloodlust, but what if he's wrong?
What if that part of me only comes out when my power does?
It's a risk I'm not willing to take, no matter how cool the effects are.
Slowly, I sit in the chair opposite of Carlisle, ignoring Eleazar's penetrating stare. Edward takes the seat next to me fluidly, clearing his throat in annoyance when Eleazar makes no move in taking his eyes off me.
"Forgive me," he says with a short laugh. "I'm just so intrigued by young Bella here." Then, he leans forward even more, his eyes alight with excitement. "Tell me, what happened out there?"
I shrug, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. My skin ripples, and when I peek over my shoulder, I see everyone staring over at us curiously.
When they meet my eyes, they all rapidly turn away, jumping into the previous activities like they were caught cheating on a test.
Edward flicks the back of my hand before tugging on the ends of my hair, and I scowl, pulling away from him.
"What are you? Five?"
He smirks, reaching forward and sliding his hand over my wrist. "How else do I tell you I like you?"
I snort. "Are you going to push me down next?"
His eyes darken, and I know his mind has gone somewhere dirty. I point at him brushing his hand off my arm, but I don't put up a fight when it's back there moments later.
"You're disgusting. Your family is all around us," I tease, knowing he wouldn't do anything with an audience around.
I hope not, at least.
Voyeurism is not my thing.
"Trust me; I've heard and seen worse."
I see Carlisle shift in my periphery, and his eyes avert from mine as he clears his throat, sending his son a glare.
"Let's not bring that up, son."
Edward rolls his eyes, and moments later, he groans, squeezing his eyes closed and rubbing his knuckles into his eyes. Emmett laughs gleefully from the couch, holding his side. His laughter increases as Edward tosses a pillow at him with a curse, all the while looking thoroughly disgusted and repulsed.
I'm extremely curious as to what Emmett shared with him, and my mind starts going through a million possibilities, wondering what could repulse Edward so much.
After all, I'd think there's been a lot.
Emmett bats the pillow away like a bug, and it heads for Irina, but luckily she manages to catch it before it makes contact with her face.
"Mature," she drawls, tucking the pillow against her stomach as she resumes her attention on her phone.
Emmett ignores her, still laughing. "I bet that image cooled your libido, huh?"
"You're an ass," Edward hisses.
His brother merely laughs again, clearly pleased with his distraction methods.
Eleazar clears his throat once more, regaining our attention. Before we can get into specifics, however, there's something I have to know.
Leaning toward him, I press my knuckles into his upper arm. He hisses and pulls away, rubbing the area.
"Sorry," I murmur.
"It's fine; you'll learn your strength."
"Hope so. What did he show you?"
Edward grimaces, shaking his head once and turning to Eleazar, who has been waiting patiently.
"Sorry," I repeat, feeling terrible that my attention is everywhere. "My brain is everywhere."
Eleazar nods in understanding, and I know he does. I'm sure he remembers his first days as a vampire, not to mention, I don't see how it can get better. I have a feeling once you're aware of every little thing around you, it stays that way.
Joy.
"What do you want to know?"
"What happened out there?"
I shrug, wondering why I have to rehash this when it's clear he already knows what happened. "I don't know. I was … hunting. I didn't like them being so close to me and wanted them to stay back. And they did."
"This happened just by you thinking it?"
"Not … exactly. I could see an opaque mist-thing around them, holding them down and listening to my thoughts."
His back straightens, as does Carlisle and Edward's.
And even though I can't see them, I know everyone else is watching me closely as well; I can feel their eyes on the back of my head.
My skin tingles in response, slowly rippling across my bones and vibrating with energy. I shift slightly, not liking the sensation. Absently, I shift and scratch at random places on my body, resisting the urge to turn and tell them to stop staring.
Slowly, the familiar sensation of tingling starts at the top of my head, and I freeze, swallowing thickly, my eyes wide. Eleazar watches me with a studious eye with a hint of wariness and concern swimming in his golden irises.
From the corner of my eye, I see Edward move, and seconds later, I feel his hand rest heavily on my wrist. He squeezes once, his thumb quickly sweeping over where my pulse once thrummed before turning.
"Guys, knock it off."
The feeling gradually recedes before leaving me completely. I breathe a sigh of relief, my shoulders slumping slightly, and the muscles in my legs relax.
I hadn't realized how tense I had become.
"This mist," Eleazar continues with a tap to his chin. His face is pensive, his expression far away, lost in thought. "It was free-roaming, yes?"
"Kind of," I reply, remembering with vivid clarity how this mist moved. I'm awed by my own recollection of memory; it's as if it's playing out right now, as opposed to it happening hours ago. Luckily, I manage to remember I'm in the middle of a conversation and stop myself from traveling down memory lane. "It looked like steam from a hot shower. Except, moved where I thought it should, over certain people and holding them immobile."
Edward nods in agreement. "It was like an oppressive force holding us down, almost paralyzing. We couldn't move. Our heads would turn maybe an inch, but no farther. I was using all my strength, and Emmett was too. As I'm sure, all of us were doing. It felt like a vice grip."
Carlisle murmurs his own agreement. "It was truly fascinating."
"Somewhat like Alec's ability?" Eleazar questions with a slow rise of his eyebrow toward his friend.
"Similar. With Alec, you can see his ability. With Bella's, we saw nothing."
I wonder who the hell this Alec person is and where he is. Maybe if we do have the same abilities, I can learn to control it better, so I don't go bat-shit crazy and try to kill those I care about without thinking about it.
"Who is Alec?"
Eleazar and Carlisle's attention snaps to me, apologies clear on their faces.
"Forgive me, I forget, you don't know the same we all do," Eleazar says with a wave of his hand. "Alec is a member of the Volturi—the leaders of our kind. They govern the vampire world and make sure our existence remains a secret."
Before he's finished speaking, I nod because I vaguely recall Edward mentioning them.
"I remember you told me about them," I murmur to Edward. "They … they won't come after our family, right? You said it's okay if a vampire's mate is human, as long as they intend to be changed, right?"
Edward blinks in surprise. "You remember all that?"
Once more, I feel like I've done something that I'm not supposed to do. When I reply, my tone is defense and short.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Nothing. Eleazar, continue, please."
I huff, shooting him a glare at the obvious avoidance of my question.
Eleazar shifts and clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden tension. It's such a human-like gesture, and it makes me smile because he looks just like Carlisle at that moment.
"Yes," he starts, his eyes darting between Edward and me warily before landing on Carlisle, who merely rolls his eyes and shakes his head, bowing his head in an invitation to continue. "Well, Alec is gifted. He can take away a person's senses—feeling, taste, and smell, even though in some cases—leaving them a breathing shell. It makes them completely disoriented and confused; and easy prey for killing. However, with his ability, you can see it as it creeps toward you; it's dark and foreboding, entering your body and taking everything away as long as he's doing it."
"Wow," I mutter, wondering how often Carlisle and Eleazar have seen this talent used in their lifetime.
Many, from the troubled expressions on their faces.
It also makes me wonder if he's used it just because he can and just for the fun of it. I'd like to believethat these rulers of our kind wouldn't let that happen, but there are sick and depraved people everywhere—why shouldn't they be amongst vampires?
"Yes. It's a great talent, but also terrifying." He pauses once more, tapping his chin pensively. "I have a few theories on your gift, but I don't know for sure."
My eyebrows raise high on my forehead at his statement. From what I remember Alice telling me when she had theories on why I blocked her visions, she was sure he knew exactly what gift I had possessed. So, why is he unsure now?
Is it not as great as what he thought? Or something else?
"Why? I mean, Alice seemed confident you thought I was a shield."
This time, it's his eyebrows that raise high on his forehead, and a look of awe starts to creep across his features before he schools his expression.
"Oh, I'm sure you're a shield, but there's something else there. I just have to study it more before I can come to a conclusion."
His words unsettle me because I know he doesn't mean studying my gift in a book or on the internet somewhere.
"You mean, study me."
His smile is apologetic. "Unfortunately, yes. That's the only way to know for sure."
Heavily, I sigh, resting my head back. "Wonderful."
"I truly am sorry, but if you want to control it, then I must learn it."
"How will I learn to control or use it if you don't know what it is?"
"For lack of a better term, like any science experiment," Carlisle inputs.
Edward hisses at the term, and I roll my eyes, hitting his knee with the back of my hand. "Calm down. Your father isn't going to go mad scientist on me. And if he does, I think I can get out of it."
Carlisle smothers a laugh against his fingers. "Yes, I'm positive you could. But no experiments will be performed on you, not in the way you're thinking. We'll put you through a series of tests and take notes on the outcomes."
Stiffly, I smile. "Great. How and when does this start?"
"Not any time soon," Eleazar offers with a kind smile. "It's important that you get used to your new abilities and senses first. As for the how, I'm unsure of that as of yet, but I know Kate will be of use in this area."
Over my shoulder, I meet Kate's eyes and smile in encouragement, waving a glowing hand in my direction.
"You can shock people?"
My question is unnecessary, considering I had seen her ability tried out on Tanya, but I never like to assume.
"I can. It'll help you learn to shield yourself, as well as others."
I frown, knowing if I don't learn this crap quickly, myself and whatever willing Guinea pig will be in a world of hurt if Tanya's reaction is anything to go by.
"Great."
Carlisle's expression softens, and he leans forward, placing a fatherly hand on my shoulder. "I know this all daunting and overwhelming, but with a gift such as yours, it really is best if you know how to control it. The faster you learn, the faster you'll be able to be around people again. To be around your family again."
All tension regarding the upcoming watch and training fest for my 'gift' gets tossed to the side at the mention of my family.
"Are they okay? When can I talk to them?"
I hear the low creak of metal moments before my mother is by my side, placing a hand on my shoulder. Reflexively, I stiffen but relax once I remind myself that I'm okay and my mother isn't a threat.
"I won't lie, they're worried about you, but whenever you're ready, we can talk to them, okay?"
"Now is good with me."
Lightly, she laughs, fishing her cell phone out of her pocket. Inclining her head to the side, she motions toward the stairs.
"Well, let's go."
I'm up before she's even finished speaking, waiting for her at the bottom of the steps, my right foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
Mom merely chuckles, tapping my nose once before ascending the stairs at a slow, human-like pace. I follow her, looking back to see Edward still sitting with his father and Eleazar.
He gives me a small smile and a slight wave. "Have fun. I'll be here."
I nod back, a feeling of gratitude at him giving me space, but at the same time, it feels weird without him by my side.
I'm not sure I like this feeling, considering I've never been one of those co-dependent people. I should be able to do something without my boyfriend by my side.
Is this because Edward is my first serious boyfriend? Or is it a vampire thing?
"Are you okay, honey?"
I snap out of my head, jerking away as if someone had pinched me. "Huh? Yeah."
Mom smiles in understanding. "It'll get better. I promise."
The question about Edward is on the tip of my tongue, wondering if she feels this way about Dad, but I refrain.
There's no need to voice that with a house full of vampire ears.
And one ego-filled Edward.
No, I'll wait until Mom, and I are alone.
Upstairs, Mom leads me to a bedroom on the second floor, the same room I had woken in mere hours ago.
"Here," she says, directing me to a comfortable-looking chair in front of the sliding doors overlooking the trees in the back. "Let me get a video call pulled up, okay?"
A wave of annoyance flows through me. "I think I can handle—" I stop as the chair underneath me loudly creaks as I throw myself down into it. I wince, shifting slightly and hoping I didn't break it.
It makes no other sound, and I sigh in relief, shooting my amused-looking mother an apologetic grin. "Yeah, maybe you should call."
"Mm-hmm."
Seconds later, I hear the musical tone of the video call ringing, and within an instant, Dad's face pops up on the screen.
"Renee? How is she? Is she okay? You haven't given me an update in a long time. Are you trying to kill me here?"
In the background, I hear shuffling and Rose and Jasper's voices asking their own frantic questions.
"Hi, sweetheart. Why don't you ask her for yourself?"
She hands the phone over, and Dad gasps, his eyes becoming glassy as he slaps a hand over his mouth.
I wave a hand awkwardly, shooting a look toward my mother, who merely smiles, taking the seat across from me and turning her attention to the window.
A silent way of telling me that she's giving me privacy but also support.
Right now, I'd appreciate her input on this—or anyone's for that matter—because I have no idea what's going to happen next.
I suppose the only way to find out is to just jump into it.
"Hey, Dad."
I'll try not to keep you waiting so long next time!
Stay safe!