Chapter 3

"LET'S GO LOVER BOY!" Emmett's voice boomed, a flock of birds fleeing the trees as he created an unnatural disturbance.

Running after him, I could only want to be back with Bella.

I sighed, letting out a deep breath, seeing Emmett's frame coming into my view as I'd caught up with he and Jasper quickly.

"Damn bro, didn't think I'd have to threaten to rip apart a house for you to come outside."

I rolled my eyes, pursing my lip as I followed.

"Where is Jasper?!"

I wanted to be kind as I allowed Emmett to tell me himself, not reading his mind right now, at least trying not to.

Emmett raised an eyebrow at me, gesturing his head ahead of us.

Looking even further, I could see Jasper building a campfire, three large logs around it.

This was actually nice. would be relaxing.

Along the way, I caught the alluring scent of mountain lion. What a lucky night it was indeed for me!

Smirking, I chuckled to myself.

"I'll be back, five minutes." I said, Emmett sniffing the air.

"Go get that mean ol putty tat." Emmett said, attempting his best at sounding like Tweety Bird.

Going off course, I continued to smell the air, feeling my mind and body shift to its instincts, letting ago of any attempted humanity.

My sight, my moves, all now belonged to the beast.

Crouching down, I slinked forward, as low to the ground as I could be.

It didn't take me long to find the male.

There was a female with him, but she was with cubs. I couldn't.

That was one thing, I couldn't if there were cubs or pups.

Almost immediately I thought back to Bella, the idea of kids, but the monster within me pushed that away. Right now, it was thirst first!

Snapping out of it, I moved out, to lure the male away, letting a snarl rip through my body.

I could see the immediate reaction from the male, moving towards me in curiosity.

If Emmett were here, he would be one to play with the lion, aggravating it, where as me, I liked to be swift and quick.

I kept my eyes in the lion, his mind intent with finding me, the one disturbing its peace.

Quickly hopping up into the tree, I moved to lay against the branch, my sight zooming in, directly at its jugular, where it's blood was rushing through its veins.

Awaiting for it to move under my perch, I pounced, landing on his back, hearing the fatal snap of its spine before drinking.

The hot liquid rushed down my throat, the burn of thirst leaving me slowly.

Slurping, I closed my eyes, the monster within me finding its solace as it fell into the back of my mind.

The cat's weak struggle ended with a final muted growl, the breath leaving its body.

Moving back, I gasped, taking in the air I didn't need, but wanted.

The fresh air acted almost like water, washing away the essence of the life, even animal, that I had just taken. Though, better an animal than a human, I suppose.

Using my thumb, I moved the little dribble of blood on my chip to my mouth.

Looking down, surveying my clothing and body, finding that I luckily had not gotten any blood on me, though moist dirt had caked onto the knees of my pants, but it mattered not. A problem that was easy to fix.

Taking one last deep breath, I left the lion there, making a run towards the campsite, seeing Emmett and Jasper sitting, waiting for me patiently.

Finally! Was thinking it was a trick to back to Bella!

Jasper smiled at me, acknowledging my presence.

"Finally Edward, Emmett here was about to go searching for you."

Emmett gestured for me to take a seat on the log.

Confusion fueled my mind. Was this an intervention?

Sitting down, I looked into the fire, it's life hot and the wood under turning to weak embers.

I still wanted to avoid reading minds, if I could help it.

"No need to be on guard Eddie boy." Emmett claimed, his arms raised in a defensive position.

I crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Then... what's going on?"

Jasper sighed, chewing on her bottom lip, as if deciding whether to speak or not.

"I know something's up."

Jasper nodded.

"Well... we just wanted to offer any support we can to you. Usually you're pretty well guarded and safe, when it comes to being close to humans."

"Hmmm..." I hummed, still unsure of where this was going. Did I still want to block out their thoughts?

"I know that I have a hard time being serious, but this time... it needs to be done."

"He's right... we know that this is something personal between you and our new sister, but you two haven't slept together yet, right?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I know this isn't something you really want to talk about, but it's important."

I shook my head.

"No, we haven't. Bella's wants to, stating that she wants me in an intimate way... before she was changed into a newborn and be angry with thirst."

Jasper's eyes widened, fear in his face.

So Dangerous!

Jaspers words hissed in my mind.

Nodding, I moved my hands together, intertwining my fingers into a fist.

"I know. I told her I wasn't sure. That I didn't want to risk her life for it. But you know how Bella is, she... is hard to refuse. So we came up with a compromise."

"Compromise?"

"How did you two compromise?" Emmett queried.

I flashed back to that moment, when I had to hold Bella back.

I smirked, remembering how that night was full of nothing but romance, for more reasons than one.

Sweeping her out of the truck, I could feel her heat radiating through me, enflaming my entire body.

Her lips were so soft and warm, all too willing to kiss me hard as I did to her, using my foot to close the trucks door.

The events that night were all fueled with romance.

I could remember just the fact that this was indeed the first night that I had her completely to myself. No family here, especially Emmett to listen in on what we could talk about.

There was also no Charlie, who often woke up to check on Bella.

She had dressed both warmly that night, but also in clothing that hugged her body closely.

My mind immediately went to when Bella requested something that feared me, to my core.

I had hurt Bella, by making her think that I didn't want her, in both physical and intimate ways.

The way she kissed me then was something that was engraved in my mind. She way her arms, legs, and body wrapped me in abandon, her breath hot.

My last statement being that I wanted to marry her first.

"Eddie?" Emmett asked, his voice on the side of concern.

"Oh..." I cleared my throat, nothing was there, but I wanted to clear my mind. "Well... it came down to my fear of something happening to her. You both already know what could happen."

Pausing one more time, I looked up at my brothers.

"I told her that I wanted to marry her first. And that our honeymoon could be the first time."

Jasper cocked his head to the side.

"Why that specific date?"

"Well, in usual tradition, that's what happens, isn't it? Also... with her and I being away, if something were to happen, I could then change her, somewhere away from any civilization."

I swallowed back the venom in my voice.

"I have every hope to hold back, to make sure that she will be okay, but there was always the just in case... the fear of something going wrong."

It is truly a decent idea, but would this mess with Bella? If she were away from humans?

"How do you mean Jasper?"

Emmett looked between us, confused.

"I wonder if being fully away from humans will be alright." Jasper stated, giving Emmett context. "I say this because with me, I had the guard of you all, but I believe it also helped. To be around humans, be used the to scents, to avoid it."

Pursing my lips for a moment, I nodded.

"This is of course something I'd prefer... but I don't really want to spend her and I's honeymoon here. I want to take her away to somewhere warm, so then she won't have to be so protected from my body temperature. It made sense to me."

Emmett got up, sitting next to me, patting my shoulder hard.

"You're acting very calm and collected, but I can tell something is scaring you."

I nodded again.

"I worry... what if I don't have the control over myself that I thought I had? I... I love her. I don't want to by some awful accident kill her. That would break my cold heart."

I looked deeper into the fire, almost wishing the flames would give me some kind of comfort.

"Look, Edward, if there is one piece of advice we can give you... physical intimacy, even for humans offers great pleasure, but it does the same for us. But with our sensations that much more intense. It is the greatest pleasure we can experience, only second to the frenzy of human blood."

My eyes widened, it was that intense? How could I risk Bella?!

"But... you have the most control out of any of us. You back then... even though you had you phase of drinking human blood, what did you use it for?" Jasper asked, his tone gentle.

I shook my head.

"It's not the same.." I murmured, feeling worry pulling at all of my mind.

"Eddie! You only drank the blood of those who were vile! That's what he is trying to say. Even then, you had incredible self control. So, for Bella things should be alright. We believe in you."

"But you shouldn't."

"Listen Eddie, things will be okay. We all believe in you. Carlisle, Esme, Alice; which I don't know why you'd ever try to bet against her. But most importantly, Bella believes in you. She always has."

It was almost as if his words had cleared my conscience.

Everything seemed clear now. Bella and I would be okay! This would work! Bella and I would have our honeymoon together and be in total bliss, and then when we returned, if Bella wanted to be turned immediately, it would all work out.

I nodded, a kind smile upon my lips.

"Thank you Emmett, Jasper. Things are so clear now."

I looked at each of them, I could see looks of honest happiness on their faces.

"I look forward to Bella becoming our sister." mused Jasper.

"I look forward to her newborn stage! Full of insanity, will be fun!"

Rolling my eyes, I sniffed the air again, the strong scent of bear in the air.

"Well, Alice won't allow us to return until 3pm, ready for some bear?" I asked Emmett, taking off before they could catch me.

With the wind blowing through my hair, my mind and heart felt exhilarated.

I would be married soon and everything would be okay!

Everything.

To Be Continued...