Chapter Six:

Bella sat in Biology class trying to focus on the movie that her teacher warned would follow with a pop quiz. She normally would be content but today she couldn't seem to get Jacob out of her mind. Especially that world-shattering kiss they shared. She traced her fingers over her lips as she closed her eyes and replayed the scene of that very special moment. Her heart fluttered, her stomach knotted up and a small moan slipped between her lips.

The sound of a cough broke her daydream. Opening her eyes she watched as the students began to pull out their notebooks and pens. She realized the quiz was about to commence. Exhaling long and hard she pulled her mind out of the gutter and tried like hell to focus on the task ahead.

Twenty minutes later she was walking out of the room when she felt a cold hand touch her shoulder. A coldness unlike anything she had ever known ran up and down her spine.

"Hey. Sorry." Edward pulled his hand back as he recognized his touch had caused her discomfort.

"It's okay. What's up?" Bella walks toward her locker with Edward by her side.

"Are you feeling okay today?" Edward asked curiously.

Bella stopped in front of her locker and opened it before turning to look directly at him.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Bella frowned at him.

"It just seems you were not feeling well earlier during the movie. You had your eyes closed and it sounded like you were ...well...about to get sick." Edward replied, his eyes darting up and down the hallway.

"I...I was ...my stomach...cramps." Bella muttered nervously. Her pale face turned bright red.

"OHHH. Sorry." Edward apologized.

"It's fine." Bella quickly grabbed her things and shut her locker door. She turned to walk away and Edward continued to walk with her as they walked out of the school.

"So I wanted to apologize for standing you up this weekend. My parents had made some unexpected plans for the family." Edward felt bad for not following through with their plans.

Normally Edward didn't care to make friends and it was frown upon in his family but not strictly forbidden. However, he learned a long time ago that it was easier not to have friends when it came time to leave. It was too painful.

Yet here he was trying to make a weak attempt at befriending a girl who didn't seem to care that he even existed. Perhaps that was just another reason she intrigued him. She wasn't enthralled by him unlike the other girls in school.

"It's okay. I understand." Bella smiled with understanding.

"How did you do on the test?" Edward asked. He was attempting to make small talk to keep her attention and to be in her presence. He savored the silence he felt with her. Sure they talked but her mind was a completely blank slate to him. He never knew what she was thinking or what she was about to say. It made their conversation fun and interesting.

"I think I managed to pass. You were right his tests are brutal." Bella chuckled.

"I warned you." Edward chuckled and was surprised at the sound of his own laughter. He didn't laugh nor did he smile but when he was around her he was entirely different. He still wasn't sure if this was going to be a good or bad thing.

"So where did you guys go?" Bella asks as they walk up on her pickup truck.

"I..we...we went to Seattle. My parents wanted to get out of town for the weekend." Edward answered. He realized he wasn't entirely lying to her. They had been in Seattle after all but it wasn't like it was a fun family outing.

"Sounds nice. I was curious about your family dynamic."

"Why?" Edward tensed up. Did she suspect the truth about them?

"I mean...none of you look alike." Bella pointed out the physical differences between him and his siblings.

"Yeah, that's because we are adopted." Edward felt tremendous relief.

"Wow, all five of you! You guys are like the same age, right?" Bella was surprised by the news. No one had ever mentioned that the Cullens adopted all of their children.

"Carlisle didn't adopt us all at once. We came along at different ages but yeah we are mostly the same age."

"What happened to your parents? I mean, if you want to tell me. You don't have to...it's really none of my business." Bella fumbled as she realized that it was probably rude to ask such a personal question when they barely knew one another.

"It's okay. They died. Obviously." Edward ran his hand through his thick wavy hair as he chuckled nervously while trying to figure out how to answer her as honestly as he could.

"Um….my mother died first. She died shortly after I was born from an illness and then a few years later my father passed away in a car accident." Edward felt that was the most accurate way to explain it in the present time. He couldn't exactly tell her that his mother died after giving birth to him due to an infection because health care was despicable back then or how his father died at sea while traveling back from China from a business trip.

"I'm so sorry." Bella reached out and patted his arm soothingly. She felt awful. She was impressed at how well he seemed to adapt to his new life and found it incredible how close his siblings appeared to be. They were always together if they weren't in class. She now understood their secret bond. They all knew what it was like to lose their parents and being fortunate enough to find parents who loved and wanted them.

"It's truly okay. I'm more fortunate than most orphans." Edward stated.

"Yes. I guess you are. Well, I need to go. I have a ton of Spanish homework to do." Bella reached for the door but Edward was faster.

Edward held the door open for a moment as his expression turned quite serious.

"Bella I ...I really like you. I hope that maybe you and I can be friends. I know I have said it before but I sincerely mean it."

Bella wasn't sure how she felt about his honesty. On one hand, she was flattered that such a unique and mature person wanted to be her friend but on the other hand, there was something off in the way he looked at her. She didn't want to mislead him into thinking she would accept anything more than friendship with him. Her heart was already taken by Jacob. She felt zilch in the passion category for Edward despite how strikingly gorgeous he was or how sexy he sounded when he spoke to her. He definitely had charm but there was something beneath the perfect exterior that didn't feel quite right. Everyone had secrets and her gut warned her that Edward had them as well.

"I think that is great but….friendship is all I would want." Bella decided to be upfront with him and if he continued to converse with her then she would know his intentions were pure but if he suddenly went back to ignoring her then she would know his motive was just an attempt to seduce her.

"Me as well." Edward agreed earnestly.

"Good. See you tomorrow." Bella closed her door and drove away without looking back.

Edward walked to his parked car and couldn't stop himself from smiling. She was so refreshing. She didn't play the normal coy games girls her age were infamous for. He truly did like her. If he was human he would have fallen head over heels for her but alas he wasn't human so it was best that the only relationship they shared was strictly friendship. Yet as he climbs into his car he found himself missing the joys of being a human. He had long ago made peace with it and moved on with the new existence as a monster but knowing Bella in these last few weeks he was suddenly reminded that being human wasn't always such a bad thing. Continuing to smile he drove home and smiled for the rest of the evening to the dismay and worry of his family.

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Sam and Jacob sat down at the large kitchen table that sat in the middle of Sam's and Emily's house.

Emily brought them both a drink and left them to share a private conversation.

"Jacob I think you and I need to have a serious talk. I'm not mad at you for going to see Bella. I remember what it was like to be smitten with a girl at your age." Sam clenched his jaw as he pushed back the guilt he felt about his past love with Leah Clearwater. She had been the perfect girl for him back when he was just a normal guy. If he had not changed into a wolf he was positive that the two of them would have been married by now but that was no longer possible and his love with Emily, her cousin was just as pure and ran much deeper. He had been fortunate enough to find his imprint shortly after his transformation. The elders felt that Emily's love and the connection were what helped him accept what happened to him and with the unwanted changes in his life better than the others had when they first made the change.

"Smitten? I'm not smitten by her. I am...I love her." Jacob said the words out loud and felt his whole body ache for her and his heart long to say them directly to her. He had grown up so much in such a short time but the one thing that had been constant during this incredible ordeal was his feelings for Bella.

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked curiously. Jacob was unlike the other guys his age. He didn't look at the girls who threw themselves at the guys whenever they went into the village. Paul picked a different girl every night to share his bed when he wasn't on patrol and hell even Quil was being stalked by several girls his age. Only Jacob didn't give the girls a chance to offer anything other than a conversation with him. Maybe his feelings were pure for Bella, much like Sam's had been for Leah, but he knew there was a possibility that a day could come that Jacob would imprint and when it happened any relationship he had with Bella would be over.

Nothing came between the imprint's love and the wolf. Sam sincerely tried to resist Emily but it was futile. He always found his way back to her despite how his heart broke from the pain he unintentionally caused his Leah.

"I can't explain it. Even before the change, I am happiest when I am near her. I feel so alive with her. I can't think or see any other girl but her when I think of my future." Jacob confessed in earnest. His face flushed at the awkwardness of the subject. Talking to one's Alpha about your personal feelings for a girl made him feel weak and uncomfortable.

"Paul told me that Bella came to you. What transpired between you two?" Sam knew this entire conversation was causing Jacob discomfort but he was intrigued the more they spoke of Jacob's feelings and reactions toward Bella.

"She was upset that my father told her that I was out and about with the guys but that I was still unable to see her. It killed me to lie to her but I did it because I knew I needed to protect her from the truth and from...well...me." Jacob grabbed his drink and took a long drink.

Sam's interest was even more piqued by Jacob's word choices.

"Did anything physical happen between you? I mean...how did your wolf react to her?"

"My wolf was fine. It felt like it was as happy as I was to be near her. We both felt….never mind." Jacob wasn't ready to share the intimate moment he shared with Bella. It was private. It was none of Sam's business as far as he was concerned. The pack shared everything but his kiss was only for him.

"No. I need to know. I might be able to help you." Sam pushed him to continue sharing his true feelings for Bella.

"We kissed. Okay. It was...wonderful. It felt almost….." Jacob took another long drink.

"What? How did it feel?" Sam continued to push.

"This whole conversation feels like two girls talking about their boyfriends." Jacob laughed, trying his best to change the conversation.

"Look I need to know how Bella reacted to you after the kiss." Sam ignored the humor of the situation and continued with a serious face.

"She was into it. I mean, she even said she felt the magic between us. It's hard for her to be away from me. It felt great to finally know that she felt the same way I did." Jacob caved and told him the whole truth.

"How did you feel when Paul showed up?" Sam recalled Paul saying how Jacob acted as if he was about to attack him.

"Royally pissed. He was all tense and threatening. Bella got scared and my wolf didn't like it. But I didn't lose control. I won't lose control when I am with her. I promise you I will never intentionally cause harm to her. She is the purest thing I have in my life." Jacob vowed.

"No one intends to hurt the one they love. I should know." Sam drank his beer swiftly.

Jacob felt awful. He recalled that Sam's anger had accidentally set off his wolf and Leah was nearby when he transformed and it had scarred her.

"I'm sorry. I just...I can't explain it but when I'm near her I don't feel so damn awful. I want to help our people I do. But at the same time, all the dreams I once had are no longer available to me. I didn't get a choice to be this." Jacob's fist hits the table but Sam saw it was more due to frustration than anger.

"I truly understand. I do. I wonder if you and Bella have the same connection that Emily and I share." Sam revealed.

"What do you mean?" Jacob frowned at him just as Emily entered the room with two more beers.

Placing a quick gentle kiss on Sam's forehead she flashes Jacob a gentle smile before returning back to the kitchen, continuing to give them some privacy.

"My love for Emily isn't the same love I shared with Leah. I know all of you think I was such an ass for just suddenly breaking up with her and taking up with Emily. It wasn't planned for either of us. It just happened because of my transformation. I don't regret loving Emily but I do feel bad for Leah. I can't even tell her the truth." Sam began to explain what an Imprint was and how it worked for him and the wolf.

Jacob sat there stunned. He had drunk four more beers by the time Sam stopped talking and just stared across the table at Jacob awaiting a reaction from him.

"How do we figure out if Bella and I have truly imprinted or if my feelings for her are just that of normal human love?" Jacob chewed on his lower lip as a sudden surge of hope mixed with fear flowed in his veins.

He realized if he had not imprinted on Bella then someday he would with someone else and have no choice but to leave Bella. The thought of her no longer being in his life made him so sad that he was close to crying right in front of his Alpha.

"I'm not sure. Maybe if we transform into our wolves and you share that moment between you then I can tell you if it was close or exactly how I felt the moment that I saw Emily." Sam offered.

"What if it isn't?" Jacob found himself fearing the worst.

If Bella was not his imprint then Sam would no longer allow his disobedience for bending the rules to see her. It would also mean that his only wish to be with Bella would no longer have a chance of coming true. Could he accept that? He now understood the term that sometimes ignorance is bliss.

"Then Jacob it means you have to let her go. It would be cruel to let her believe you two have a shot at a future. Look at what happened to Leah when I broke up with her. Her parents had to send her away. It nearly killed her. Do you want to hurt Bella like that down the road because you are selfish at this time?"

Jacob knew what Sam was saying was true. He knew he wasn't saying this to try and keep Jacob away from Bella. He was only trying to protect both of them. This wasn't just about keeping the wolves a secret to an outsider. This ran much deeper. Sam was being more than a pushy Alpha. He was being a true friend.

"Why didn't you tell us about imprinting before?" Jacob sighed and stood up and began to pace back and forth.

"The elders said it doesn't always happen. I just figured I would explain it once I saw it happening to you guys. Plus we have had bigger things to worry about with these vampires than discussing the dos and don'ts if you fall in love." Sam chuckled roughly and finished his beer.

"True. I just...damn it." Jacob shouted and continued to chew nervously on his lower lip as he made a mental pro/con list for allowing Sam to see his memory and to share how it felt to kiss Bella. Intertwining his fingers he placed them behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling and allowed his mind to go crazy with many thoughts. His wolf was twisting and turning deep within as if he was encouraging Jacob to just do it or that he simply didn't like Jacob's restless emotions. Or was it perhaps possible that his wolf knew the truth already and he wanted Jacob to know too?

Jacob knew he had no choice but to allow Sam to see his thoughts and learn the truth once and for all.

"Let's do it." Jacob growled in defeat.

"Only if you are positive." Sam warned him.

"I'm not but I need to know. I don't want to hurt Bella. Not now or ever." Jacob exhaled. His heart was ripping at the seams at the thought of inflicting pain on the only girl he had ever loved.

Sam was relieved that Jacob was taking this way better than he had expected. Jacob's anger wasn't as out of control as Paul's but he was a hell of a lot more determined than any other pack member. Sam needed Jacob to trust him. This was the only way he knew how to prove to Jacob once and for all he wasn't against him and Bella because he was trying to be a dictator. He had been trying to protect Bella as well this whole time.

The two men step outside underneath the star-filled sky and within seconds they both transform into large beautiful majestic wolves and within seconds Jacob let down his guard and showed his Alpha everything, even the most intimate moments he spent with the girl of his dreams.

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Victoria licks up the last droplets of blood from her victim's wrist. Looking up she watched her soul mate and lover of hundred years as he took great pleasure in ripping off the arm of the teenage boy who was steadily screaming while he witnessed his girlfriend dying in Victoria's arms.

"This was too easy." Victoria purred.

"But it was delicious." James smiled cunningly.

"What are we to do with these two?" Victoria stood up and watched as the life faded from the boys' dark green eyes.

"I say we dump them both into the lake. It will be years before they are found. People will suspect they ran away with one another in the meantime." James offered an easy solution to their dilemma.

"True."

With ease, James picked up both of their lifeless bodies and threw them into the middle of the deep lake. Diving in he took a quick bath to clean off the blood. Victoria joined him. The two of them laugh as they hold onto one another sharing passionate kisses.

Walking out of the water hand in hand they lied down on the grassy area and looked up at the sky.

"I love you." Victoria sighed happily.

"I know." James teased.

"I'm so glad we got rid of those other vampires. I was so afraid that they were actually going to catch us. I'm not ready to die just yet." Victoria stated with a hint of genuine sadness.

James gave her cold hand a gentle squeeze.

"I think you are a little late about the dying part. We are both dead dear." James laughed wholeheartedly.

"You know what I mean." Victoria rolled her eyes but giggled at his joke.

"Why do you think they were after us? I didn't think vampires hunted other vampires?" Victoria wondered out loud her concerns.

"I don't know. I can't imagine that Volturi sent them after us." James answered.

"The Volturi? I thought you said they were only legends." Victoria felt a tinge of fear course through her lifeless body.

Every vampire had heard terrific tales of how the Volturi would judge and sentence vampires in the old days. Not much had been told of them in the past two hundred years or so. Some rumors were circulated that one or all three of them had been killed.

"They aren't legends. They are truly real. I haven't come across them personally but I have met some very old vampires who have told me stories that make even my lifeless toes curl up. They are real. But I can't imagine we have done anything that could offend them. They are known to massacre people all the time." James scoffed.

"So they don't follow their own rules." Victoria snickered.

"Pretty much." James agreed.

"So why were those vampires intent on killing us?" Victoria continued to share her concerns.

"I don't know. I just want to focus on revenging Laurent's death. Laurent was like a father to me for many years and I owe it to him to kill the bastards that took his life."

"I told him not to stray from us but he was hell-bent on doing things his own way." Victoria reminded her lover that his creator brought his death on to himself for not listening to her wisdom.

"It doesn't matter. Humans couldn't have done it. They don't know we even exist." James replied with a wicked grin.

"Where are we going now?" Victoria knew the last time they saw Laurent he decided to take a detour to the small town of Forks.

Two days later James had woken up from a deep sleep and began weeping. He told Victoria he knew his maker and friend, Laurent was dead. He could no longer reach out and feel him in the world. Victoria hoped it was a mistake but when several more days passed and there was no word or trace of him Victoria began to agree with her lover. Although James loved her more than anyone else in the world his connection to his maker ran deep and was the closest thing one had to a parent/child relationship. She understood his drive to want to avenge his maker's death but she was frightened that their luck was about to run out. Of course, she couldn't tell James any of this because it would only make him think she saw him as a lesser man. Jame's ego was his weakest characteristic and although she found it charming she just hoped it wouldn't also be the cause of their downfall.

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A/N: Okay if you guys haven't noticed yet my Vampires act like normal vampires. They can eat, drink and even sleep and have pointy teeth when required. I can't write Stephanie Meyer's version of vampires. Sorry. That is why this story is partially titled "My Twilight." Hope you are enjoying the story and a great BIG thank you for the lovely reviews. It definitely brightens my dreary days. I hope you guys are all staying safe at home! Xoxo August