Ch. 63 Predator

At the sight of Edward, returned to me in one piece—I'd have to find out where the hell he was all this time, and he'd better have a good explanation—I felt light flow from me originating somewhere near my abdomen. It felt like something outside of me and inside of me at the same time...wait, something inside of me. Not something...someone. I was—

I stood frozen in fear, consumed with paralyzing thoughts of doom and panic at my revelation as I watched Edward fight off Sam. Edward obviously had the upper hand in strength and speed—he was only just a blur to my human eyes—but what Sam lacked in stark power, he made up for in resilience and motive. He was on a mission to kill for his Emily the way that I would kill for Edward. I recalled the way I felt when I thought Edward was lost to me forever back in Volterra. I would have done anything to anyone without remorse. All is fair in love and war, and this was war.

"Stop!" I shrieked at them both as I tried to fight to hold onto the feeling of light leaking from my center. I doubted that my yelling would have the desired effect, but surprisingly they stopped to look at me, Edward holding the growling wolf on the ground in a chokehold as Sam snapped fruitlessly at Edward. "I can get Emily back, Sam. I can save her!"

The black wolf stopped snapping and stared at me. Despite him appearing to be a vicious beast, I could see the depth of pain in his eyes, all his human form had lost. He held my gaze that way, probably questioning my sanity but clearly desperate for it to be true.

"I can travel through time. It sounds crazy, but it's true. Somehow I messed up the timeline. I don't know when, but I do know that it was me. I know how things were meant to play out, and this isn't it. I've seen happier times. I've seen everyone's happily ever after, and I can get back to that."

"No, Iris..." Edward's face was alarmed. He must have thought I meant that I was sacrificing myself again. Never. I had come too fucking far for this bullshit. Edward, pay attention to my thoughts, not just my words. I love you. We only run together...

"No. Don't worry. I'm not leaving you, not ever. You're coming with me. I just know that this isn't how things were meant to be. Our family is lost, Bella is dead, Charlie is broken, and Sam is..." I gestured toward him unable to verbalize the level of torment clearly displayed in his every move. Shit. "We were so close to being happy, and we can get it back, finish this correctly. Sam, phase back. Edward let him go, and please stand behind me. He doesn't trust your vampirism..." Please, my love.

"Love..." Edward began to protest feebly, but he took half a step toward me. Then he focused on my thoughts of why we came here from Bali—why I was able to bring him along—and suddenly he froze.

Sam growled at me in defiance, catching Edward's attention once more, but I only quirked a brow at the wolf. "Do you want your imprint back or not?" His eyes turned back desperate, and his body quivered and shrank in on itself until he laid on the ground, naked and human. Edward tossed his flannel on top of the man, leaving himself bare from the waist up...mmm—no time, Iris—and moved to stand behind me. The significance of this small action was not lost to me. Edward loved me so much that he put all his trust in me, going against all his protective instincts, leaving me in front of a werewolf as I requested. Thank you, my love.

"I won't hesitate to stop him if anything changes." He answered my thoughts firmly. Understood, boss. I smiled to myself, and I felt him place his hand on my elbow, ready to yank me backward as necessary. Nice compromising, hubby. I approve.

I waited until Sam rolled over, positioning the flannel strategically to cover himself for my benefit. He didn't seem like he cared about much anymore, utterly defeated. "Sam, when did you lose Emily? I know this is hard, but I need to know. I want to fix this for you, and if I'm successful, you will never know this pain that you're in now."

He flinched at her name, but he answered me nonetheless. "It was a year and half ago. She was on her way to the hospital to see sue. She had a procedure done, nothing big but enough to need monitoring overnight. I was out patrolling. I had told her to stay put, but she never did listen to me..."

"Ok. I will take care of this. Take care, Sam. I hope we never meet again in your current reality. Next time I hope we are strangers and you are with Emily."

He looked at me oddly. I wasn't really sure how much of this he was following, but it wasn't important. I could feel that I was losing grip on the light. I had to go now with Edward. He turned me into his chest and nodded. He gripped me as tight as he dared and leaned over to kiss me deeply. I focused all my mind on him, us. Please let this work...

A flash of blinding, white light surrounded us, and then it was pitch black again.

•PTaT•

"Love, you did it."

I gasped in a breath as I was conscious once more. I looked around me to see that we were standing back in the bungalow, exactly where I had aimed...Well, there was a first time for everything. Or maybe I had nothing to do with it at all.

"No...we did it." I looked down to my abdomen and rubbed it gently, motherly.

Edward's lips parted to form the most dazzling of all his smiles, his eyes venomous. "So it's true? You're pregnant?" The hope in his voice was nearly tangible, so sweet that my own eyes teared up.

"I think so. It's the only thing that makes sense. I've never been able to take you with me before. Apparently our little nugget is gifted even from conception..." Which, honestly, kind of freaks me out, but what's done is done...We are going to be in trouble when he or she gets here...I smiled warmly as thoughts of our child filled my mind. I still pictured the baby girl with the whispy copper locks.

Edward scooped me into his arms, spinning me around and peppering me with kisses as he laughed. It sounded like music to my ears, and I couldn't help but laugh along.

"Wait are you sure we're back to the right time...?" I looked around skeptically.

"Yes, love. I have a photographic memory, so unless someone perfectly preserved our things and saved our...mess—" Edward's eyes twinkled in amusement. "—then we are definitely back to our honeymoon. I also called Carlisle just before I woke you. Crisis averted. I'm so proud of both of you." He leaned over and placed a reverent kiss on my still flat belly. My own body hadn't even registered our blessed invader yet.

Edward chuckled at my thoughts. "A blessed invader? Couldn't you think of some other phrase to capture the miracle that is our baby?"

"I'll keep thinking on it. What do we do now? Should we go back to Scotland?" I couldn't help the disappointment that seeped into my voice. I wasn't ready to share this with anyone. I was still adjusting to it myself.

"That depends...How are you feeling, mother of my child?" Edward moved to cup my cheek in his hand, and I leaned into it.

"Tired again...And hungry...And my bladder is about to burst."

"Pregnancy?" He lifted his brows as if to say 'already?' And I giggled.

"No, there just wasn't a good time to use the restroom or eat between having the police chief take me in and a wolf nearly attacking me...busy morning." I walked in the direction of the restroom.

When I finished my business, I brushed my teeth and stripped off the too small clothes from Bella's room. I looked at myself totally exposed in the mirror in wonder. I didn't feel like I looked any different, but something was off. Yeah, there was definitely something different about my skin.

"You're glowing." Edward surprised me in the doorway. I covered as much of myself with my hands as I could out of habit, and Edward frowned, biting his lower lip. Oh yeah... "You needn't ever cover yourself again around me. If I had it my way, you would remain unclothed all the time..." His eyes were smoldering in that irresistible way that I was becoming so familiar with. Yummy.

My skin tingled as he spoke. I was really starting to like this bathroom. It seemed to be the catalyst to all my favorite activities as of late...Edward chuckled seductively, his eyes hungry.

"Aren't you hungry?" His voice was deep, rough with desire.

"Yes, but not for food at the moment..." He took a step closer to me, and I backed away coyly.

"Oh, so you would like for me to fill the role of predator this time?" He purred, punctuating the word 'predator.' Ooh a married, unrestrained, happily de-virgined Edward is my favorite type yet.

"Catch me if you can!" I said in a playful whisper and darted around him, knowing it was a pointless game but loving the adrenaline rush that came with pretending that I had a chance.

I heard a dark growl come from behind me, and I giggled as I slid open the back door which, now in the daylight, I could see opened directly on to a beach covered in black sand. Rich vegetation appeared in patches which grew sparser in the sand the closer I came to the ocean's edge.

I didn't stop running until my feet hit the water, and I stood there, derrière fully out. I knew Edward had made sure that we were secluded when planning this, so I didn't stop to worry about any other people seeing me this way.

The waves gently splashed over my feet and receded back into the ocean. I glanced over my shoulder to see a glittered Edward stalking slowly toward me. "You can run, my dear, but you cannot hide. You'll never escape me." His voice had a nearly tangible texture to it like velvet sandpaper if that were a thing...Man, he was playing this role well...I hopped a few feet deeper into the water and dove under, relishing the feel of the warm, salty liquid on my skin. It had been ages since I had been near a warm ocean this way. It reminded me of the few times I traveled to the gulf beaches when I was younger.

I swam under the clear waves as far as my lungs would allow before I pushed off the ocean floor and my head broke through the water's surface.

Edward was nowhere to be seen. Not too smart to play cat and mouse with the ultimate predator, Iris.

I smiled to myself in anticipation. "Oh boy, it's such a lovely day for a swim. Whatever could go wrong on a beautiful, sunny day like today?" I called out a little too loudly on purpose, biting back my giggles as I treaded water. "I really hope there aren't any sharks out here..."

Something cold brushed my leg and I screeched. Then it snatched at my ankle, locking my leg in its grip and tugging me downward. I held my breath as I braced myself to be submerged. Edward encaged me gently in his arms as he and I tumbled underwater. He pulled me back to the surface, and I fell limp in his arms, eyes closed. I'm unconscious...revive me, kind sir.

Edward laughed ruefully at my antics. "Life will never be boring with you, will it?"

I scowled when he didn't play along with my newest role play, but I couldn't hide my grin as I answered. "Not if I can help it. Though, I do want to avoid scenes like today. I swear they just keep coming to me. I don't even try!"

"I know, love. Today was my fault...well, partially." He said with a hint of guilt in his voice.

"Yeah, where were you? I was freaking out! I thought you were dead!" I smacked his bare chest, and he drew me into him, placing a kiss on my forehead as he ran his finger along my cheekbone. His icy trail left a burning heat in its wake.

"The three nomads were close to the house. I was worried that they might scent you and we might relive what happened to you before, except this time we wouldn't have the family with us to help. I ran to intercept them as soon as I heard their minds. They smelled you on me, and I had to tell them atrocious lies...things I did to you—things which I would rather not ever have to repeat—in order for them to believe me. I was with them for over three hours making sure that they travelled farther north. By the time I could get away, I found your note about the...wolf. I ran straight to you, treaty be damned."

"Well, I suppose I won't make you sleep on the couch tonight then..." I said playfully with an eye roll.

"It was you who spent all day in the doghouse, love. I'm sorry." He said in a half amused, half sincere way.

"You should be! I'm pregnant with your child. You're really going to have to be more careful with me." I chastised, my voice thick with sarcasm, and Edward smiled his freakishly wide, yet dazzlingly white, grin.

"You're pregnant." He whispered in a faraway voice, his eyes grew warm even as they sparkled in the sunlight like every other piece of his exterior.

"We've established this already." My eyes narrowed in confusion. No way did he forget...

"I know, but...you're pregnant." He repeated and shook his head in disbelief. His eyes travelled downward, pausing once they landed on my abdomen with an awed expression. He slowly, purposefully moved his hand to carefully place his palm there, cradling the natural curve of my lower belly. Now he was the one who was glowing. He really must not have allowed the news to fully sink in until this very moment.

I reach my arms out to encircle his neck, pulling his forehead to meet mine. "Congratulations, Daddy." I whispered, and I kissed him with all the love I felt in my being as I dreamed about the miracle we had created together.

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