~ Forks, Washington ‐ February 19, 2005 ~
"God, Edward!" Bella panted above me. "You're going to make me..." her words died away as she shook and rode out her release. A few final upward thrusts later I followed her with my own, chanting her name repeatedly.
Bella collapsed on top of me and kissed my chest right where my heart would have been feverishly beating when I was human.
In the past six weeks or so since Christmas Eve, except for the week she was away with Charlie in Canada - which tested my self control to not chase after her - Bella and I have been intimate every chance we have had. Whether it was at my cottage, my family's house, my car, her SUV, or even the supply closet at school, our need to connect with one another has been insatiable. The only place Bella and I have not been intimate has been at her house. The potential damage would be hard to explain away. On Christmas Eve, I broke my bed. Actually, broke is not accurate. I destroyed it. The piano up at the family house required significant repairs. At school, I crushed a supply closet storage unit containing paper supplies. And my poor car! Rose has had to source multiple Jaguar parts to hide our amorous activities. Even though the collateral damage has been costly, I have never once come close to hurting Bella. She may have received a few bruises from our activities, like the finger prints I could just see forming on her left breast, but instinctively I have always focused my strength away from the person I hold most dear. I was still diligent and mindful of her fragility, but I was not consumed with fear that I would hurt Bella.
"It's keeps getting better and better," Bella said with a sigh as she traced a symbol of a heart on my chest.
"That it does, love," I replied before kissing the top of head. "Just wait until you are like me. We won't have to stop for days, even a week or more."
"A week?" Bella asked with wide, incredulous eyes.
I just simply nodded. "It's something I am greatly looking forward to, my Isabella."
On Christmas Eve, I found out that Bella, loved it when I used her full first name while we were being intimate. Needless to say, I have be using it a lot lately.
"The family record is seven days," I continued. "I am sure we can best it."
Bella propped herself up on my torso sporting an impish smile. "Let me guess, Rose and Emmett?"
"Strangely no. It was Carlisle and Esme. It was just after her change, and, let me just say that after a few centuries of pent up vampire sexual energy, Carlisle took full advantage of Esme's newborn appetite."
I now could smile at the memory of those weeks, but given my gift, it was quite difficult to be around while it happened.
"Actually, Rose and Emmett believe they hold the record, which for them stands at six days. It has been an implied agreement between Esme, Carlisle, and myself to let them believe they own the title. However, I will not honor any such agreement when we take the crown!"
As I parked the car at my family house, Bella checked her appearance in the mirror before pulling her shirt away from her body to inspect the now human visible finger marks on her breast.
"I love that you marked me again. The ones from Valentine's Day have faded." Bella said as she released her shirt and smiled at me. "They're going to smell you all over me, aren't they?"
I could not stop my possessive and smug smile at that thought. "Yes, love. And everyone will smell you on me."
"Good! Tanya needs to know whom you belong to!"
Last week when Carlisle told me the news that our Denali cousins where coming for a visit, I knew I had to tell Bella my history with Tanya. I was honest and open about Tanya's long quest to have me. Bella's reaction caught me completely off guard, and figuratively blew my mind, as she proceeded to blow a much different part of my anatomy. It was during that conversation that the piano up at the family house was damaged.
I grabbed Bella's hand and kissed her palm. She did smell like me and I liked it. "You know, there is nothing to worry about, Bella. You are my mate. I will only ever have eyes for you."
"Oh, I know," Bella replied as she returned the gesture and kissed my palm. "I can't mark you the same way you do me, so I am just glad she will know that not only are you mine, but that I also just had you." With that comment still hanging in the air, Bella exited the car and greeted Rose and Emmett who both came out of the house clapping and grinning at Bella's bravado.
We were on the back patio enjoying the warmth of the lit fire pit when I picked up the thoughts of Denali's approaching through the woods. Ever since Bella and I had arrived back at home, I had been trying to get Alice to divulge any visions she has had about the Denali visit. Instead of information, all I could get from her thoughts were a constant retelling of The Great Gatsby in Hindu. As we all stood, I could feel Bella tense up beside me for a moment before she slipped her hand into mine. Our connection seemed to help both our nerves, which was good because seconds later six other vampires were greeting us with hugs and hand shakes.
"Everyone," I announced to the assembled group, "I would you all to meet Isabella Swan, my mate."
Eleazar and Carmine approached and greeted Bella first, but I could barely focus on their greeting. Since their arrival, I had been using my gift to listen for Tanya. Her thoughts were hazy and muddled as she worked to protect her privacy. Next came Garrett and Kate, followed by Irina. Finally, Tanya approached. I still could not get a good read on her thoughts. Instinctively I moved slightly in front of Bella which caused the entire group to go silent. For a long moment Tanya looked at Bella and I. Her gaze shifted between our faces to our joined hands. Finally she looked around at our families and started to laugh.
"Really!" Tanya exclaimed. "Did everyone think I was going to do what? Attack her? Please, give me more credit than that!". The collective group relaxed a bit at Tanya's admission. Tanya expression turned deadly serious before adding, "She's human right? So she has to sleep sometime. It will be much easier to get to her then."
In a flash, Esme and Rose flanked Bella, while I kept her behind me. As I started to snarl at Tanya, her thoughts came into focus and I instantly relaxed.
"I'm kidding!" She cried out. "Goodness, I thought everyone would think it was funny!" Everyone looked at Alice and me to gauge the situation. We both smiled and nodded that everything was fine.
Tanya took a tentative step forward. "Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am sure Edward has told you I've always been a little flirty with him."
"Flirty!" Emmett yelled out. "You practically jump him every time you see him!" Everyone stared at Emmett. "What? It's true!"
Tanya grimaced at Emmett's comment. "Emmett is correct. I have never been shy about showing Edward how attractive I found him. However, that is in the past."
Tanya paused and looked again at our joined hands. She kept her thoughts open to me and I could see she did not feel any malice towards Bella, only a bit of jealously.
"Bella, I am happy Edward has found you. From Kate and Carmen, I have often heard them talk of the power and beauty of mating. Maybe one day I will know it firsthand. Regardless, I know that any hope I once had that Edward and I could become more, will never be come to pass. I have accepted that for a while now. So please accept my congratulations. I wish you both an eternity of happiness."
I looked down at my Bella to find her looking up at me. I gave her slight nod to let her know that everything Tanya had said, she seemed to have meant.
"Thank you, Tanya. I hope that we will become good friends." Bella closed the distance between them and gave Tanya a hug, which, after a moment of surprise, she returned.
Before they pulled apart Tanya whispered into Bella's ear, "By the way, kudos on the sex smell. That is something I would have done. Nicely played. As payback, I hope you don't mind if I still ogle Edward's ass a bit."
Bella laughed as she released Tanya and slid in beside me. That is when I noticed that everyone was looking at me, specifically my posterior. Bella leaned back and stared at it as well, before looking up with a saucy grin.
"Well, it is a nice ass," Bella said before her and Tanya led everyone in round of laughter at my rear end's expense.
After the tense and humorous moments of my cousins arrival, we all settled into friendly groups of conversation. Carmen and Eleazar were talking with Carlisle and Esme about the house and surrounding potential hunting opportunities. Irina and Tanya were talking with Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper about a different type of hunting, specifically if Forks had any promising males they could get friendly with.
That left Garrett, Kate, Bella and I together discussing everything that has happened since I met Garrett and Kate up in Canada last year. Eventually, Garrett and Kate got called over by Carmen, which meant I got Bella all to myself, at least for a few moments.
"I think I'm going to get cleaned up before my Dad arrives," Bella said as soon as we were alone. "I think I've proven my point enough for one day."
"Ok, let me walk you down to the cottage," I replied as I quickly stood.
"I was hoping you would," Bella cooed as she batted her eyes at me.
Before I could let everyone know we were leaving, Alice called over to us. "Charlie should be here in fifty-seven minutes. It would be wise not to take too long getting cleaned up."
Bella blushed at the knowing look my family gave us both. However, I could care less. If we only had fifty-seven minutes, I wasn't going to waste a second more.
Author's Notes:
Only a short chapter this time...sorry. The new chapter I am working on that should be around chapter 51, has now become 2! After I get through those, I will be back posting on Mondays and Fridays again.
I wanted to make sure everyone was aware that, with regards to the main story timeline/flow, I am trying my best to stick to book/novel canon (although I know I have repurposed some of the movie dialog at times). Obviously lots has changed (that was the entire purpose of the story), but in mapping out the story and character arcs, I have tried to stay true to the books.
Thank you again for reading and reviewing!
-Chris