A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for the well wishes and good vibes. It's been 3 weeks since I evacuated my home due to the Floods here in New South Wales, Australia and to be honest with you guys, life is kinda shitty. I lost my home and all my possessions, and I am currently trying to find a new place for me and my family to live. Anyway, here's the chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it, writing for you guys has given me something to do/look forward to.
I was a hundred-and-two year old vampire. A perfect killing machine. The seamless combination of supernatural beauty and terrifying strength, there was nothing – short of another vampire – that could ever hope to stand against me and survive. So how was it, that I was purposefully stalling the return to my family? Anxiety plucked at my rib-cage like a nervous violinist about to perform in front of a hostile crowd.
I drove a few miles below the legal speed limit along the familiar route home, but nothing save for an act of god, could prevent me from eventually returning to my family. As always, their thoughts came to me long before anything else. The strength of my gift had continued to grow and expand over the decades and eventually it began to reach beyond what I could sense with my enhanced hearing. When I had first awoken, eyes the colour of rust and my throat filled with the burning pain of thirst, all I could sense from Carlisle were the strangest flashes of intent. Images blurred with emotions and sensations, and it took me a while to figure out exactly what I was sensing from the stranger who had saved my life. Within a week, I could understand his mind better, images gave way to words and his inner musings became clear to me.
Now, as I continued my journey home, I could hear every thought of my family. Like most vampires, their thoughts were layered. Their current activities took up most of the space in the forefronts of their minds, but underneath that was an undercurrent of worry and concern. Seeing myself through their memories made me wince, I hadn't realised how bad I had looked. Images of myself, splattered with thick red blood, two large patches soaked into my knees, plagued the thoughts of my family. I felt a painful pang of guilt in my chest, I truly didn't mean to worry them as much as I had.
As the sound of my car became audible to my family's ears, their thoughts shifted. Their activities forgotten, they all began their silent migration towards the dining room. I could tell that each of them were trying to school their thoughts, collect themselves and not bombard me with their telepathic inquiries. It was kind of them to show such restraint and patience – especially Rosalie.
I parked my car in the garage and walked into the dining room. My family was waiting for me, and I could feel their eyes on me as I silently walked into the room and took my seat at the table. They were all looking at me expectantly, and I could tell from their thoughts they were waiting for me to speak.
I ran my hand through my hair nervously. "I'm not sure where to start."
"How about explaining why you came home covered in the Swan girl's blood?" Rosalie asked sternly, concern creased her brow. She wasn't entirely convinced I hadn't murdered Bella and hidden her body away in the woods.
"I would never hurt Bella." I growled at her, the deep animalistic noise rumbled out of my chest and filled the air of the dining room.
"Edward, please control yourself." Carlisle interrupted, his tone was strict and authoritative. "We are all very confused right now, and it seems you are the only one with the answers we need. So please, try and remain calm and do your best to satisfy our curiosity." We are a family, and our safety is at stake here, son. Carlisle added silently.
"No, no it's not." I replied to his thoughts, my voice soft as I gently shook my head.
Emmett groaned. "Please, no silent communication. That shit's annoying." He grumbled.
"Language." Esme chided automatically, but there was no real effort or emotion behind the admonishment.
I heaved out a tired sigh as I ran a hand over my face. It was times like this I wish I was able to fall asleep. I slumped back in my chair and thought over how best to go about explaining everything to my family. As I scanned over each member of my family, I decided to take a leaf out of Emmett's play book and just confront the issue head on. "Bella's a werewolf." I blurted out abruptly.
My family's thoughts whirled around, chaotic and disordered like a desert sand storm. None of them could figure out what to say next, and I didn't know how to continue my explanation. So I simply sat there and waited for one of them to say something.
"That… that doesn't make any sense." Rosalie was the first one able to speak her thoughts aloud. "I met those mutts on the reservation, I would never forget the stink of them. Bella smells… human – human enough anyway."
"No, the wolves we met aren't werewolves. Bella called them shape-shifters." I answered quickly. I was relieved that I had this information to share with them. "Bella is a werewolf, an honest-to-God-transforms-on-the-full-moon werewolf."
Carlisle blinked slowly, and I could see the gears behind his eyes turn as they lit up with unbridled interest. "Last night… it was a full moon." Carlisle said, the sentence was half statement, half question.
"Yes," I was quick to confirm. "Bella's transformation was rather…" I struggled to find the correct word for the spectacle I had witnessed. Beautiful. Shocking. Incredible. Stunning. "Violent."
Jasper inched forward in his chair. "Violent?" He echoed curiously. The others didn't say anything, but their thoughts mirrored Jasper's spoken words – an almost insatiable curiosity about this new unknown.
My frown deepened into an unhappy scowl. I was struggling to find the right words. How was I supposed to explain to them what I had seen? How could mere words begin to describe the horrifying beauty of Bella's transformation? I could tell Jasper was sending out a steady stream of calm patience, and for that I was grateful. Not only was it helping me get my thoughts in order, it helped the others to sit there and not inundate me with endless questions.
I straightened my posture. I pulled myself up out of the tired slouch as I prepared myself to continue my explanation. "I went over to Bella's home to check on her. She was behaving strangely at school… agitated, restless." I paused to take a deep, calming breath before I continued. "Just before sunset, Bella started to walk into the woods…" a hot sense of embarrassment flooded my body, and I swear I could feel my face become warmer with the emotion, even though I knew I no longer had any blood to pump to fill the capillaries in my face.
"She was in her underwear." I mumbled bashfully. I heard Emmett's snorting chuckle and I shot him a dangerous glare, he simply smirked at me. The rest of my family were equally amused by my discomfort, but were polite enough to keep it to themselves. "Bella knew I was there, she called out for me. Once I revealed myself, she begged for me to leave." I hung my head and shook it shamefully, "I didn't listen." I mumbled, and immediately caught the chastising thoughts of my mother and sisters for ignoring a woman's demands.
They didn't say anything, and the thoughts weren't purposefully directed at me, and yet I couldn't help but defend myself. "I thought she was in danger, I thought I could help her." I continued hastily, desperate for them to understand that my intentions were pure.
Even without the aid of any additional abilities Carlisle could sense my distress, "It's alright, son. No one is upset with you." He soothed me fondly.
I huffed out a sigh. "I should have listened to her though," I lamented sadly. "When the moon rose…" I shook my head, agitated by my inability to explain what I had seen. "Her bones began to break, it was like there was some unseen force attacking her." I heard Esme's startled gasp, and Carlisle placed a comforting hand on her thigh. My siblings were disturbed, but still curious, so I continued. "It was… unlike anything I have ever seen before." I breathed with a disbelieving shake of my head. "I could see Bella's bones moving underneath her skin, all her teeth fell out of her mouth as they were replaced with massive, canine fangs." Everyone around me had stopped breathing, partly because they had momentarily forgotten to maintain their human facades, and partly because they were enraptured by my retelling. "Bella's skin began to… it was almost like…" I snapped my mouth shut and pinched the bridge of my nose with an exasperated huff of air as I shook my head.
Rosalie's thoughts broke through as she thought the harsh words in my direction. Get on with it already! Whatever it was can't have been that bad!
"Her skin began to tear apart!" I snapped, my eyes narrowing at Rosalie. "Bella began to claw at herself as her skin broke away from her body, and she was bleeding, a lot." That made Rosalie shrink back, it was almost imperceptible but I would have been able to see the silent apology in her body language even if I hadn't been able to hear it in her thoughts. "Eventually, her bones stopped shifting and breaking and there was no skin left, just deep dark fur. Where Bella was, was this large brown wolf."
"So that is how you got Bella's blood on you?" Carlisle asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes," I nodded. "And then when I knelt beside her to comfort her, I didn't realise I was kneeling in a pool of blood before it was too late."
"What do you mean, comfort her? What happened?" Esme fretted, her delicate brows creased in worry as she nervously gnawed on her plump lower lip.
"Bella was… startled by my presence. She didn't recognise who I was at first, she only saw me as a vampire, a potential threat."
"Did she attack you?" Carlisle interrupted sharply.
"No!" I instantly replied, the word came flying out of my mouth much louder than I had meant it to. "No," I repeated more calmly. "Bella growled at me, bared her teeth. I just spoke to her, reminded her of who I was and then… she began to cry."
"Cry?" Jasper repeated disbelievingly.
"Well, as much as a wolf can cry, yes." I confirmed. "I could see she was upset so I approached her and tried to comfort her. Bella took off after that."
"Is that when you came home?" Esme asked kindly.
"Not quite. I was confused, I had questions, and I was still worried about Bella. So I followed her through the woods. Eventually, she found a spot to settle down to sleep." I purposefully left out the part about my – our – meadow, I didn't want to share that with them. "As she rested I could see her slowly reverting back to human form. That's when I came home to retrieve some clothes for her."
"You said that Bella was sleeping." Carlisle mused. Carlisle didn't say anything, and I could tell he was trying to control his thoughts in an attempt to spare my feelings, but I could tell that a part of him didn't truly believe I had left Bella unharmed. In fact each of my family members had harboured reservations about what had truly occurred the night before.
I clenched my teeth. "Do you all think so little of me?" I muttered bitterly.
"To be fair, it wouldn't be the first time you've come home after murdering a human." Emmett mumbled meekly.
My sense of righteousness deflated somewhat. Emmett had a point. "I don't think I am capable of harming Bella," I murmured softly.
"So, what do we do now?" Jasper asked, already thinking about the next steps, the next stage in the plan.
"I don't think there is anything to do." I replied. "Bella already knew what we are. The only reason she didn't say anything was because of her fear of the Volturi."
Carlisle frowned. "What would she have to fear from the Volturi? I read about werewolves during my time with them, and while the information was vague at best I didn't sense any animosity between the species."
"Bella didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel like it was the time to press the issue."
Our discussion was interrupted by the shrill sound of the house landline. It took us all a moment to realise what the sound was, since no one had ever called it before. Esme rose from the table silently, and disappeared down the hall to answer the phone.
"Hello, Cullen residence."
There was an awkward pause from whoever it was on the other side of the phone. "Uh, yeah. Hi. Uhm, is Edward there?" I heard Bella's familiar voice nervously trip over her words.
I was up and out of my seat as Esme replied, "Let me see, may I ask who is calling?"
I moved faster than necessary as I heard Bella answer, "Yeah, it's Bella. Bella Swan?"
Esme placed her hand over the mouthpiece and turned to smirk knowingly at me. I held out my hand for the phone, "Please hand me the phone." I tried my best to remain polite, but the request came out somewhat grumpily.
"You have to see if she will come over for a visit." Esme ordered as she handed the phone over to me.
"I'm not sure about that." I answered quickly as I took the phone and pressed it against my chest.
"Edward, you are dating this young woman, and I have yet to meet her. It's unacceptable." Esme lectured warmly.
"Please, mom, not now." I begged as I began my retreat up the stairs and into my bedroom. I closed the door, slamming it a little bit louder than necessary in order to make my point, and flicked the ineffectual lock to drive that point home – I wanted as much privacy as I could get in a house filled with vampires. I brought the phone up to my ear. "Hello, Bella?"
"Hi," Bella sighed.
Just the sound of Bella's voice calmed my nerves. "Is something wrong? Or are you just missing me already?" I teased as I slowly sat down on my day bed. I tried to ignore the mocking thoughts from Emmett and Jasper, even as they purposefully thought them in my direction. The main repeating insult was about how 'lame' I was being.
"Wow, arrogant much?" Bella teased back and I could hear the smile in her voice. "I was calling to see if we were still on for tomorrow night? You know our… date?" Bella's voice dropped to a nervous mumble as she spoke.
I drew my legs up off the floor and crossed them, getting myself comfortable. "Of course we are, do you think I would have forgotten?"
"Well no, not exactly. I just wasn't sure if you would still want to see me after… well ya know." The uncertainty in Bella's voice made my heart ache. Did she really think that I would leave her, just because I now knew the truth of what she was? "I didn't wanna push it, in case you needed time to yourself or whatever." Bella continued in a subdued mumble.
"Of course I want to see you." I immediately reassured her. "I have been looking forward to it… Unless you need time?"
"No!" Bella blurted out, and then cleared her throat. "No, I'm good." She mumbled.
"Fantastic." I beamed happily. "I will pick you up at five. Dress nicely, I'm taking you out to dinner." I continued confidently.
"Okay." Bella squeaked out, "See you tomorrow. Bye." Before I could respond I was met with a click and the mono-tone signal telling me that Bella had hung up.
XxXx
I ignored Alice's sulking form as I left the house to pick Bella up for our date. I had refused to allow her to dress me – it was a date, not a red carpet event.
I broke several traffic laws in my excitement to reach Bella's house. I parked in the drive behind her truck and hurried to the front door. I knocked gently on the worn wood, and quickly heard Bella inside. "I'll get it!" Her voice sung out, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps on the wood floors.
Bella flung the door open with a flourish, as she greeted me with a beaming smile. I returned the smile with my own as I stepped through the threshold. Bella was wearing a gorgeous dress, it was a deep blue colour and clung to her slim frame beautifully. She had done something with her hair also. Instead of their usual waves, her hair was now slightly curled, some locks were in tight ringlets while others were looser, half formed curls. Bella looked stunning.
"Hello, Bella." I greeted warmly as I moved to enclose her in a loving hug. Bella moved to return the gesture before her face scrunched up adorably and she pulled away dramatically.
I quirked an eyebrow at her in question and she held up her hands, palm forward, to show me that they were covered in dark greasy smudges. "Sorry," Bella smiled bashfully as she lowered her hands. "I was helping my dad. Follow me." Bella motions with her head and led me towards the kitchen. As I entered the small room I was hit with the devastating scent of Bella's father. Chief Swan sitting at the small dining table, an assortment of guns spread out on cleaning rags in various stages of disassembly littered the table top.
I hadn't been fully prepared with another interaction with the Chief. I had considered that it would be incredibly likely, but I had naively hoped that a run in with Bella's intimidating and imposing father could have been avoided. Charlie Swan's predatory scent was made all that much worse now that I knew what he was, and what he was capable of. This man had destroyed a vampire single-handedly, and from what Bella had told me, had suffered no wounds because of it. There was no doubt in my mind that if Chief Swan deemed me a threat to himself or his only child, that he would have no qualms about tearing me limb from limb. Now that I was in a small, enclosed space with the man – the werewolf – I couldn't help but take in deep lungfuls of his scent with every breath I took. Part of me wanted to stop breathing completely, to stop myself from forcing that dangerous scent into my body, but another rebelled against the idea. I could not afford to lose one of my senses while in the presence of a predator. Being so close to him, I could pick up on the more subtle notes of his scent. There was still the overwhelming scent of ash and fire, of heat and spice and danger, but now I could also pick up an earthy smell of leather and sandstone.
If either of the werewolves in the room noticed me hovering on the edge of the room, teetering on the brink of primal panic, but forcing myself to remain calm and relaxed, neither gave any indication. Bella continued her way into the kitchen. "Hey, dad. Edward's here, so I'm gonna head out now."
"Uh-uh," Chief Swan chastised. "You finish what you started first." The Chief's voice was deep and authoritative, offering no room for argument. I watched as Bella's face flushed crimson, with anger or embarrassment I couldn't tell. Bella's nose scrunched up adorably as she sighed dramatically and sulked over to the kitchen table.
Bella stood at the table, a completely dismantled rifle was scattered in bits and pieces on the table in front of her. I watched with fascination as Bella began to pick up the pieces of the rifle, clicking them together with nimble fingers, as if she had done this task a hundred times before. Once the weapon was once again in one piece, she pulled back the bolt and eyed down the barrel before clicking in shut and placing it on the table with a muted thud. Bella raised a single, smug eyebrow at her father and he returned her look with a single nod. Bella turned around and headed towards the sink and began to wash her hands.
I stood there awkwardly for a moment before I cleared my throat and took a step forward. "Good evening, Chief Swan. I'd like to formally introduce myself. I'm Edward Cullen." I tried to sound confident, but I'm sure that the words came out rather meekly.
With a harsh scowl on his face, Chief Swan rose up out of his chair. Chief Swan was only a few inches taller than me, and most of that height seemed to be from the man's wild hair, and yet as he stood there and coldly appraised me it felt as if he were towering over me.
Chief Swan held out his hand. "It's good to meet you." He greeted me pleasantly enough, but I could hear a definite warning hidden in his tone.
I forced myself to look the Chief directly in the eye, not as a challenge, but as a sign of respect. I slowly reached out to shake his hand, and as his calloused and surprisingly warm hand closed around mine I fought the urge to yank my hand out of his. The moment our skin touched I felt a queer jolt of electricity crackle it's way up my arm. It wasn't the pleasurable, warm tingling sensation, like when Bella and I touched. No. No, this was so much worse. Painful. A sharp shock of numbing, yet somehow still sharp pain, pulsed through my hand and up my arm. The sensation was made all that much worse by the fact that the Chief gripped my hand tightly, like a vise. For all my acting abilities, I could not hide the slight grimace of pain on my face. And I didn't miss the way that that made the Chief smile, just the smallest amount.
I slowly withdrew my now aching hand, forcing myself not to shake it out to rid the limb from any residual soreness.
Bella clapped once, the loud noise breaking the tense silence. "Okay! This has been perfectly awkward, but we have to go now." Bella exclaimed sarcastically. She hurried over and grabbed her bag before she kissed her father lightly on the cheek. Before I could react, Bella grabbed my hand and began to pull me out of the room and away from her terrifying werewolf father. "Don't wait up!" Bella called out over her shoulder.
A small jolt of panic coursed through me at Bella's words. I didn't want the Chief thinking I would be keeping his daughter out all night. "I'll have her back before 10, Chief Swan!" I called out.
Bella continued to pull me out of the house and towards my car. I quickly opened the passenger side door for her and she slid in without a word. Once I was seated in the driver's seat, and pulled out of the driveway, Bella released an exasperated sigh. "Sorry about him."
"Nothing to apologise for." I assured her. "Although for a moment there I was worried he was going to break my hand." I added with a sheepish smile. I glanced over to see Bella smiling also. "You look lovely by the way, I like what you have done with your hair." As I spoke I couldn't help myself as I reached over and gently caressed one of the curly locks of hair near her ear.
"Yes, well it's much better than the 'child of the wilds' look I was sporting last time you saw me." Bella muttered bashfully.
I smirked at her. "Oh I don't know, that did have a certain charm to it." I chuckled lightly, which earned me a playful shove to my shoulder. A calm silence fell over the small enclosed space of my car, and I was perfectly content to just sit with Bella for the remainder of the trip. Bella, however, seemed nervous and from the corner of my eye I could see her shift anxiously in her seat.
"You look…very handsome." Bella mumbled meekly, as if she were unsure of herself and her words. So far removed from the calmly confident Bella I had come to know.
"Thank you." I replied politely. I wasn't sure what to make of Bella's mood, and decided to just put it down to first date nerves. I could empathise with that. I was also nervous. Even though we had been officially courting for just over a week now, this was our first official date. It felt as if our entire relationship was riding on this one evening going well.
"Where are we going?" Bella queried once I turned onto the main highway.
"I told you, I'm taking you to dinner. We have reservations at a nice restaurant in Port Angeles." I answered easily.
Bella's eyes narrowed accusingly. "You don't eat."
"Yes, but you do." I fired back quickly. Bella rolled her eyes at me, but didn't try and argue the point. As silence returns, my mind turns back to the scene I witnessed at the Swan house. "So, do you like guns?" The words came out of my mouth and I momentarily winced at their bluntness.
Luckily, Bella didn't seem to notice. "Huh?" Bella cocked her head in confusion at my abrupt change in topic.
I talked quickly in an effort to explain myself. "You seemed very familiar with that rifle earlier, so I was just wondering if that was a hobby of yours?"
"Not a hobby really," Bella replied with a casual shrug. "Just something my dad taught me as a kid, something we did together during the summer." An image came to mind, of a much smaller Bella pulling apart and reassembling a rifle with military precision. It seemed like a strange hobby to share with your child, but I was a vampire who enjoyed composing classical music, so who was I to judge?
"That's nice, that you have that with your father." I parked in front of the small restaurant and hurried to open Bella's door for her. I offered Bella my hand to help her out of the car, and even though we both knew it was unnecessary, Bella took it anyway. I didn't want to let go of her warm little hand once she was standing, and I realised with a pleasant jolt that I didn't have to. I walked into the restaurant with Bella's hand comfortably encased in mine. I walked proudly up to the hostess stand. "Cullen, table for two."
I pointedly ignored the woman's lewd thoughts about me as she led us towards our table. Bella's hand began to grip mine more tightly as we moved through the small restaurant. I didn't want to let her go, but as we approached our intimate table I was forced to so we could be seated. We took our seats and the hostess silently handed over our menus, her eyes travelled down my body salaciously. Unfortunately, I was more than accustomed to such reactions from human women – men too come to think of it – but this was the first time I barely paid it any mind. All my attentions were on Bella, and ensuring that she had an enjoyable evening.
As the woman left, I heard a quiet rumbling emanating from Bella, she was… growling. It seemed that I wasn't the only one to notice the hostesses wandering eye. Bella's growl was quiet, a soft sort of noise that rumbled deep in her chest instead of coiling it's way up her throat and out of her mouth. I could tell she was trying to stifle her innate animalistic desire to defend me from the hostesses wandering gaze. Her feral possessiveness warmed my undead heart.
"I don't think it's wise to be growling at the humans, Bella." I chuckled teasingly as I silently rejoiced in this subtle display of Bella's growing affections for me. Being able to playfully remark about the 'humans' around us made me feel sort of warm and gooey inside. Because even though Bella and I were of different species, we still shared a deeper connection – a camaraderie as supernatural beings – that no one else in the restaurant, or the city in fact, could possibly understand.
Bella's alabaster skin flushed with her embarrassment. "I wouldn't have to if she wasn't looking at you like you're something to eat." Bella muttered bitterly as she began to busy herself with the menu. She held it in front of her and hunched down slightly, as if she were trying to hide herself away from me.
A fond smile curled my lips. "You're a little bit possessive, aren't you?" I teased lovingly.
Bella's eyes snapped up, looking at me from over the top of her menu. "Is that a problem?" She asked anxiously.
I slowly reached across the table and covered her hand with my own. "No, not at all. It's endearing." And it was, it was down-right adorable. There wasn't another person, alive, dead or undead that could possibly compare to my Bella, or tempt me away from her, but even though it's unnecessary her jealousy made me feel loved… wanted. I didn't move my hand, just left it covering Bella's lightly as she continued to look over the menu. I could just sit there and look at Bella for all eternity. As Bella read the menu my mind began to drift to the conversation we had had the day before, and I can't stop the little anxious thought worming its way to the forefront of my mind. Bella had said she was immortal, but not in the same way that I was immortal, the image of the ancient looking gun that had been scattered amongst much more modern looking weapons on the Swan's dining table only added to my curiosity. I was desperate to know what the hell Bella had meant when she had said she was 'kind of' immortal. I just didn't know how to go about asking her.
Bella put the menu down, seemingly having come to a decision about her dinner. I took the opportunity to ask my question. "How old is your father?" I blurted out with all of the charisma of a slug.
I grimaced to myself at my poorly timed, poorly executed question, but Bella just giggled at me. "Why do you ask?"
We were interrupted by the waitress arriving at the table. Before she even opened her mouth I knew that she was going to be insufferable. "Hello, my name is Tammy and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you something to drink to start?" The woman – Tammy – spoke directly at me, a broad smile plastered on her face as she rudely ignored Bella. I chose to simply ignore Tammy in turn, and looked to Bella for her answer.
"Iced tea, please." Bella replied coldly.
"Make it two." I quickly added, hoping that the prop drink would help me to blend in.
"Alrighty! And what can I get you to eat?" As Tammy continued to only direct her questions to me, I felt Bella's hand tighten around mine.
"I'll have the braised duck, please." Bella spat out between clenched teeth, she was clearly struggling to remain polite.
"Nothing for me, thanks."
"You sure?" She simpered, and I simply nodded curtly. "Alright then, let me know if you change your mind." Tammy moved to place a flirtatious hand against my shoulder, but as she did her eyes flickered over to Bella. Bella's usually warm brown eyes were narrowed in a vicious glare that would have frightened even the most hardened of vampires. I could hear the blind, wordless panic in Tammy's mind as she rapidly withdrew her hand and scurried away.
I couldn't help but laugh. "You put the fear of god into that girl," I chuckled.
"Good." Bella spat. "So, you were asking me about my dad?"
"Yes, I saw the pistol on the table when I came into the kitchen. It seemed very old and it got me wondering about your father…" The sentence had begun so soundly, but as I continued to talk it trailed off lamely.
"That makes two of us." Bella barked out a harsh laugh. "My dad doesn't really like talking about his past a whole lot. From what I've managed to piece together over the years I'm pretty sure he is close to 700 years old, but sometimes I think older maybe? I don't know." I couldn't contain my surprise at this information, and complete shock quickly coloured my face. Charlie Swan was older than even Carlisle, older than almost every other being I had ever met. I wondered, what sort of things had he seen? Had done? I was burning with the desire to have a deep and stimulating conversation with the man – werewolf – to ask him about his long lived life, however as I considered that I remembered his dangerous scent, and the predatory glean in his eye – I wasn't sure I would ever be able to dig up the courage to hold an in depth conversation with him without ending up cowering in fear at the wolf's feet.
Bella's eyebrows furrowed for a second as she cocked her head to the side. "How old are you?"She queried.
The automatic answer of 'seventeen' formed on my tongue for a split second before I managed to rein it back in. "I was born in 1901." I answered slowly, carefully waiting for her reaction. When I got none I continued. "And Carlisle changed me when I was 17, dying of Spanish Influenza."
Bella's face scrunched up at that. "That must have sucked." My lips quirked into an amused smirk as Bella visibly winced at her own words. "No pun intended, I swear." She added quickly.
I threw my head back and laughed loudly, shaking it side to side as I ran a hand through my hair. "I honestly don't remember much from my human life, those memories have faded." I reassured her, making sure she knew that I wasn't offended by her choice of words.
"Huh," Bella nodded thoughtfully. "Is that a you thing, or a vampire thing?" She asked, curiosity clear in her bright eyes.
I opened my mouth to answer, but quickly closed it again as Tammy approached with our drinks. She eyed Bella warily as she carefully sat the two iced teas on the table and scurried away. "It's a vampire thing. You have to focus on remembering your past." I helpfully supplied. Bella's questions made me realise that even though she knew the truth of my existence, she was clearly ignorant of the finer details of vampirism. It made me feel a tiny bit better about the situation, about our relationship, as if our shared naivete levelled the playing field somewhat.
"And the mind reading?" Bella chirped, her eyes never left mine as she took a small sip of her drink. "I think Charlie would have mentioned that if it was a standard vampire thing." She droned playfully.
I briefly considered mentioning that while I had never met Aro of the Volturi, that he was a mind-reader also. I decided against saying that when I remembered how frightened Bella had been by the mere mention of the Volturi. "No, it's not usual. It's just me." I carefully watched Bella's reaction to my answer, much in the same way she had watched mine the day before. When she showed no obvious shock, surprise, or horror at the information I continued. "Some vampires have extra… talents. I can read minds." I shrugged lightly in an effort to downplay the strength and significance of my power.
"And the rest of your family? Are they super special also?" Bella asked eagerly, scooting forward on her seat a tiny bit.
I smirked at her before answering, Iquietly enjoyed how much she seemed to delight in asking questions about me and my family. "Alice can see the future, and Jasper is an empath, he can sense and manipulate the emotions of others." I answered easily.
"Hold the phone, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and keep on talking as if that was a normal thing to say!" Bella squawked, struggling to keep her voice down so we weren't overheard by the curious humans around us. A quick scan of their minds swiftly reassured me they hadn't heard anything. "You just told me your sister can see the future?" Bella hissed, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"That's what shocks you? Not the whole sensing what others are feeling?" I teased with a playful smile.
"What, that?" Bella waved her hand around as if shooing the idea away. "We all can do that. But seeing the future? That's cool." Bella sounded amazed and captivated by the idea.
"Well, she can see a potential and extremely subjective future. Wait, did you-" My explanation was cut short as Bella's words caught up to me. My mind was reeling, disbelief warred with a strange feeling of reverence for the powerful creature sitting across the table from me, calmly sipping her tea as if she didn't just upend my entire worldview – again. I levelled my gaze at Bella, making sure to keep careful eye contact as I sought out clarification. "Did you just say you can all sense emotions? As in all werewolves?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah?" Bella chirped with an adorably confused frown, before realisation bloomed across her features and she shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, I forget that you know nothing about me. About what I am." Bella mumbledabashedly.
Our conversation was again interrupted by Tammy coming with Bella's meal. I was beginning to regret choosing dinner as our first date, all these interruptions to our conversation were becoming tiresome. The waitress placed Bella's meal in front of her before turning to face me. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can get for you?"
As Tammy spoke I made sure to only give her the smallest amount of attention possible. "I'm fine." I answered bluntly. Esme would have admonished me for my rudeness, but sometimes that was the only thing humans understood. Tammy's thoughts turned from lusting and admiring to frustrated and aggravating as she huffed and stalked away.
Bella looked over her meal thoughtfully for a moment before looking over at me. "She didn't spit in my food, did she?" She asked mistrustfully.
I tilted my head to the side and made a show of listening in on Tammy's thoughts. I tuned in for a while, trying to find any evidence of foul play, but found none. "No, you're good." I smiled warmly at Bella. Bella doesn't hesitate to rip into her meal, piling a mixture of duck and vegetables onto her fork before shoving it into her mouth. Bella closed her eyes as she moaned sinfully around her food.
"That good huh?" I hoped that my words sounded teasing, but to my own ears they sounded depraved with desire.
Bella doesn't stop eating to reply, she simply continued to pull apart the braised duck with the same amount of enthusiasm and gusto that she used to pull apart the elk the night before. I briefly wondered what it would feel like to have those teeth pressed against my own skin."Mm-hmm." Bella mumbled around a mouthful of food as she nodded her head vigorously.
I simply sat there, and watched Bella eat her meal for a moment. It was an incredibly large portion of food, and Bella was devouring it quickly, half of her meal was gone by the time my curiosity won out over my desire to just observe Bella in quiet awe. "So… you've been able to sense my emotions this entire time, huh?"
"Uhm…" Bella mumbled around a mouthful of food, one side of her cheek bulging adorably like a chipmunk in spring, she swallowed hastily and her eyes met mine for the first time since her meal had arrived. "Not really, it doesn't work like that?" Bella's words came out in a question as she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, before she violently stabbed another piece of duck flesh and stuffed it in her mouth.
"Then how does it work?" I placed my elbows on the table and leaned in closer to Bella, I rested my chin on my interlocked fingers as my eyes flickered over Bella's face, studiously watching every minute quirk of an eyebrow, or curve of her lips. I didn't want to miss a single moment of this – our first date – and I knew how quickly Bella could conceal and hide her true thoughts and emotions, so I made sure I didn't overlook any part of Bella's expression or demeanour. Luckily for me, Bella seemed entirely at ease having dinner with a vampire, and as far as I could tell she was going to no great lengths to hide anything from me.
"Well for starters," Bella gestured with her fork, rolling her wrist loosely. "I'm not very good at it." Bella deadpanned, her lips formed a tight line, a clear indication of her discontent. I wasn't entirely sure what she was unhappy about, but I had the feeling she was simply disappointed in herself and her perceived lack of talent. Before I could say anything on the matter, Bella continued her explanation. "Since spending more time with you I've realised just how much I rely on peoples heartbeats to judge their emotional state. And well, you have the audacity to not have a heart beat so that complicates matters a bit." Bella narrowed her eyes at me accusingly – as if I were purposefully keeping my heart from beating just to vex her – but she was smiling playfully as she took another bite of her dinner, so I was certain she wasn't truly irritated with me.
I let an amused smile curl my lips. "I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience." I droned sarcastically, a mischievous glint in my eyes as they crinkled with the strength of my smile.
"As you should be." Bella pointed her fork in my direction with a serious nod. She turned back to her meal and continued to eat for a moment before she began speaking again. "Anyway, its-" Bella mumbled around her food excitedly, before she caught herself and a beautiful blush coloured her cheeks as she hurried to swallow the mouthful. "It's not like I can feel what others are feeling or anything like that."
"Then what's it like?" As I spoke Bella downed the rest of her tea and I silently pushed mine across the table towards her.
"When I woke up the morning after the full moon, that was the first time I was able to get a read on your emotions." Bella mused.
"Really?" I sat up straighter a little bit as I shifted forward in my seat. "Was it something I did? Being there while you changed?" I pressed.
"Maybe?" Bella offered with a shrug, and I frowned in disappointment. "All I know is that the scent of your worry, of your anxiety was thick and it got…" Bella bit her bottom lip and her eyes flickered up to the ceiling as she tried to find the right word. "like stuck in my sinuses? Like pollen during spring? Do you have allergies? Can vampires even get allergies?" Bella's excitement grew with each question, and as she talked she continued to bite off chunks of duck and vegetables, any semblance of resolve – or table manners – disappeared as she became entirely comfortable in my company.
I didn't bother to hold back the loud laughter that erupted out of me at Bella's questions. "No, vampires can not get allergies. But I think I understand what you are saying."
Bella nodded as she continued to eat, no longer bothering with any niceties as she continued to talk around mouthfuls of food. It warmed my heart that Bella was so relaxed and unguarded with me, I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, and when I told you about the vampire at the Grand Canyon, whoa boy-" Bella released an exaggerated breath of air. "The smell of your fury, your white hot rage? It burned in the back of my throat, I thought I was going to choke on it."
I let myself ponder Bella's words for a moment, finding a place for them amongst everything I knew about her. It all made a strange sort of sense. "Wolves can smell fear." I mused.
"Yeah, they do. That's a pretty good way of thinking about it." Bella agreed happily.
"Can you… get a read on my emotions now?" I asked timidly, almost afraid of the answer.
Bella put her cutlery down on her plate with a clatter and closed her eyes, a small frown of concentration on her face. Bella took a deep breath in, her nose twitched and flared as she scented the air in the restaurant. Bella's frown deepened as she opened her eyes. "There's too much going on in here right now, I can't separate it all out." She muttered bitterly.
I smiled sadly and reached across the table to give Bella's hand a comforting squeeze. "No need to be so hard on yourself, Bella."
Bella offered a noncommittal shrug in response before turning her attention back to her meal. She quickly finished the remaining food, and gulped down the last of the tea. Before we could return to our pleasant conversation, Tammy was already there, billfold in hand and fake smile plastered on her painted face.
"Was everything okay?" She cooed, her voice grating on the very last nerve I had for the woman.
"It was great, just the bill thanks." I snapped coldly. The waitress quickly handed me the billfold and I slipped my card inside before snapping it shut and shoving it in her direction. She took it before hastily escaping to the till.
"You didn't even eat anything," Bella grumbled, and I noticed a couple of folded bills in her hand.
"It would be rude of me to let a lady pay." I replied smoothly.
Bella bit her lip and frowned at me, and when the waitress returned I quietly slipped my card back into my wallet and stood up. Bella followed my lead and I happily curled my arm around Bella's back, resting my hand on her hip as I nodded politely to the waitress. "Thank you very much."
I walked Bella out of the restaurant and back to where I had parked the car. Bella leaned against my side, a small sigh escaped her mouth as she pressed her warm body against mine. I didn't want to get back in the car and return to Forks, not yet. All I wanted was to keep Bella close, to hold her just a little bit longer, to keep talking with her until she fell asleep in my arms. I knew that that was an unreasonable fantasy, so I came up with an alternative. "We could go for a walk? The ocean isn't too far from here." I suggested lightly, like I didn't mind either way, when in reality I minded a whole lot.
Bella let out a surprised laugh. "Are you sure you can't read my mind?" She teased with a playful nudge against my side. "I was just thinking that I don't want to go home yet."
My heart swelled inside my chest, warmth spread through my chest and into my limbs that I was sure I must have been glowing with it. A broad grin broke out across my face – Bella didn't want the night to end. "I promise, your mind is a total mystery to me. It's just I didn't want the evening to end either." I assured her as I gently coaxed her towards the ocean.
A peculiar sense of surrealism surrounded me as we walked towards the boardwalk. How was it that I had ended up here, walking with the most beautiful and awe inspiring creature on the planet? I clearly didn't deserve it, there was no way that I could ever deserve someone as pure as Bella Swan. I was a monster, and a murderer, I was the villain of the story, and yet… as Bella walked with me, leaning against my side, I felt more like the hero. I wasn't sure if there was a God, but surely there must have been something – someone – up there looking out for me. It was the only explanation for my current situation.
Once we reached the ocean, Bella's face lit up with a childlike excitement. She quickly shed her shoes, pulling off her socks and stuffing them inside. I chuckled at her with a shake of my head but followed suit, and soon Bella was roughly tugging me along the still damp sand towards the water. I happily trotted along half a step behind, and when Bella suddenly halted and dropped like a dead weight into the sand I was pulled along and landed with a slightly muffled Uhmph.
Bella smiled toothily as she dug her toes into the sand wiggling them joyfully before she looked over at me. The gentle ocean breeze ruffled her hair lightly, Bella was staring at me. Her brown eyes were blown wide, and were a little bit glassy as she smiled dreamily at me. As another gust of wind caught in her hair I brought up my hand to smooth it down, running my fingers through her long locks before I rested my palm on the small of her back. "You are so beautiful." I whispered.
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Bella whispered back.
I pulled Bella closer towards me at the same time she began to lean forward. Bella's heated lips pressed against mine as her small hands quickly became tangled in my hair. A hot tongue swiped against my lips, andI felt Bella's body vibrate as a savage growl rumbled in her chest. I suddenly found myself helpless against her as Bella shoved me backwards with startling strength and clamoured over me to straddle my hips. I wasn't entirely sure where I should put my hands, entirely consumed by Bella's fire it felt like my brain had turned into ash and smoke. I settled my free hand on Bella's waist, and hoped that it was the correct choice. As I felt Bella's teeth catch on my bottom lip, biting it slightly, I resisted the urge to lower the hand on her back to cup her supple behind. I was saved from further temptation when Bella pulled back with a startled gasp and looked down at me, her plump lips were red from being kissed, her warm breath fanned over my face, more intoxicating than the most expensive perfume.
Bella smiled at me as she slowly untangled her limbs from mine, and returned to the sand. I sat up as well, curling an arm around her so I could pull her close. "You love me." Bella stated confidently, no question or room for argument. I opened my mouth to reply but Bella just continued to talk. "I know you do. I tasted it." Bella stressed, and twisted slightly so she could stare up at me, a silent challenge to argue with her.
I wasn't going to argue. Bella was right. I loved her. I had loved her for a while now. "I do." I confirmed, bending my head slightly so I could press my forehead against hers.
"I love you too." Bella whispered against my lips, before she pulled away and happily snuggled into my side. Bella pressed her face against my body and nuzzled against me and I returned the gesture by holding her close against me.
I knew that I did not deserve Bella's love, but I would continue to relish in it for as long as I could.