Sorry about the wait everyone, RL is hard! This is a smaller chapter than I'd usually post but it came to a natural end for once.

Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed there have been a couple of reviews especially that have really made my days! I love hearing from you all! And to everyone that has favourited or is following this fic, hi! So happy to see some new people joining us.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

I own nothing.

Chapter 22

Building Tensions

Bella P.O.V.

I arrived on my bike at the Boarding house just before five, Damon had said five thirty, but I just couldn't bring myself to stay away any longer, which bugged me. Damon wasn't going to stick around forever and sooner rather than later I would have to learn to live without him again. This meant that rushing round to see him early had to stop. I just wasn't quite sure how to stop it. Or, if I was being honest, if I wanted to stop it. Was it fair to give Damon only some of the affection and attention I was capable of just because one day he wouldn't be there? Wouldn't it just be better to enjoy the time that I had left with him? Of course, when put like that there wasn't any other answer, I knew I would see and care for Damon as much as I could before he left my life.

I knocked before walking in, 'feeling' with my freaky new superpower that Damon was in his amazing kitchen. I headed that way, calling out as I did.

"In the kitchen" Damon called back confirming what I'd already known.

I could smell something heavenly just before I entered the large space. I was eternally grateful that Damon could eat and drink as well as cook. I used to feel like a circus sideshow eating and drinking around the Cullen's. Damon though could not only partake with me, but he also enjoyed it.

"It smells delicious in here!" I complimented as I walked into the kitchen to be greeted by the sight of Damon chopping herbs faster than my poor eyes could follow.

"It should do, it's been marinating for twelve hours now." Damon popped the finely chopped herbs into a pot and blurred over to me. He flashed me a quick grin before leaning down into me slowly, I reached up in response, the anticipation sending sparks through me. His lips touched mine gently, once, twice and a third slowly building into something more heated. Damon was the one who pulled away first, his eyes beaming while his mouth settled into his usual smirk. "You're early Wildcat, couldn't keep away any longer?"

"I was bored. It was either you or homework." I teased reaching up for another kiss.

"Well I'm flattered." Damon said sarcastically but kissed me back anyway. I could lose myself in his kisses and touches.

The meal was amazing as expected and the conversation flowed as normal, however under everything I couldn't shake Elena's words. I was desperately trying, after all I had told myself and fully believed that I should enjoy the time that I did have with Damon. But old habits died hard and all that jazz.

After the meal Damon and I made our way to one of Damon's amazingly comfortable couches to carry on our debate about literature. He liked a little of every genre like me but couldn't stand Emily Bronte. I was defending one of my favourite authors while disagreeing with his stance that Vonnegut was a wordsmith. As far as I was concerned Slaughter House five was a mismatch of written words that did nothing to get across a convoluted story about war, life and death.

Somehow our debate ended up turning into the hottest make out session ever.

I was straddling Damon, one hand clutching his shoulder the other tangled in his silky raven locks. His hands were on my ass, kneading and grabbing in time with our frantic kisses, both of us trying to dominate the other with our mouths. Damon's hands moved to my hips, his thumbs just brushing the top of my waistband. Skin on skin as he bit down gently on my lip. I couldn't help the guttural moan that left me then.

"Fuck you're hot Wildcat." Damon groaned his mouth leaving mine so that we could breath before peppering open mouthed kisses down my jaw bone and onto my neck. His lips had reached my collar bone which was making the fire inside me burn harder and hotter when he stopped.

"Fucking stupid, cock blocking, sparkling, squirrel munching pricks!" He hissed as his forehead rested against mine.

"Huh?" I asked confused, frustrated and desperately wanting to go back to what we'd just been doing.

Damon chuckled at that before kissing the tip of my nose sweetly. Who would have thought that Damon Salvatore could actually be that cute? "Focus Wildcat."

I did focus, realising almost instantly what he meant. "It's Carlisle, Esme and Emmett at the door, I think." I supplied for Damon while wrinkling my forehead. I wondered how I knew? It was a completely subconscious thought that I couldn't control but was just there, much in the same way that Edward just hadn't been able to read my mind. It just was, with no effort on my behalf.

"Lets just ignore them." Damon whispered into my ear before lightly tugging on it with his teeth.

"Ummm… I could roll with that Toothless." I gasped out before placing my own kisses along Damon's chiselled door, tasting his skin as I did.

Damon nipped at my neck before claiming my lips in a bruising kiss, his hands drifting up my top as mine drifted down his, feeling the flat plains of his taught, toned stomach under my hands through his t-shirt. His hands stopped on my ribs his thumbs tracing arcs just under my breaths. I wasn't able to keep in my gasp at that and my hips unconsciously tried to find friction against his jean covered thighs.

"Shit." Damon hissed, his fingers tightening around my ribs, his thumbs reaching higher –

"Hello?" A smooth voice echoed from the entrance way, the door was obviously unlocked as normal. After all who'd be stupid enough to try to get into a vampire's home?

Other vampires apparently.

"Stay here. I'll deal with this." Damon said through gritted teeth, before I could say anything he was gone.

Hell no, I wasn't going to sit back and let the grown-ups talk while I stayed here like a good girl. Not happening. I'd played this game before and Damon knew I wasn't going to play it again.

I took off after Damon at a quick walk, rather than trying to run and injuring myself.

When I got there Damon was facing Esme, Carlisle and Emmett with his arms crossed over this muscled chest that I had been getting well acquainted with.

"I thought I told you that I'd deal with this Klutz." Damon said as I stepped into the huge hallway filled with antiques that I knew Damon didn't really care for.

I rolled my eyes but was more than a little pissed off. "And you stick around long enough for me to tell you no."

"Some-one's in trouble." Emmett sang out not quite under his breath.

I tried to shoot Emmett a glare, but I did kind of find it funny, so it had no heat behind it.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked the Cullen's stepping up to Damon so that I was by his side.

"We came to… We'd like Edwards ear back." Esme said clearly nervous.

"No." Was Damon's succinct answer.

"Please!" Esme gasped, tears in her eyes that would never shed. "He'll be in pain until it's reattached."

"Not my problem." Damon said firmly.

"Dude, he's being a giant baby about it. Give him his ear back then Esme and Carlisle will take him far away." Emmett stepped in.

"Dude?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, knock it off." I sniped at Damon with an eyeroll. "It's not here, it's on my desk at home." Did they think I'd carry a dismembered ear around with me?

"May we have permission to retrieve it?" Carlisle asked his face a mask not unlike Damon's or my own.

"No." Damon said for me before looking directly at me. "You should know better than to invite vampires into your home."

"Hey, I never invited a vampire into my home, you were all invited in before I got here don't blame me. Anyway, they can get in without invitation." I replied.

"Not if Bonnie had anything to do with it they can't." Damon smirked, my heart fluttered slightly at the sight, I'd never get sick of that, he'd never not seem perfectly handsome to me.

"I love that witch." I sighed with a smile. Ever since Edwards return I'd been worried about him braking in and stalking me like he used to do back in Forks. "I'll go get it."

"Thank you, Bella." Esme smiled weakly at me. I nodded in reply, a small part of me felt bad for her, for all of them, another part of me though was angry. How dare they? Leave without so much as a goodbye, then come back when my life is finally falling into place only to try and dictate my actions? I didn't think I could forgive this, no matter how much Esme tried, no matter how much disapproval Carlisle shot me.

"I'll follow after you." Damon promised with a brief squeeze of my hand after I'd grabbed my helmet and jacket.

3rd Person P.O.V.

Damon stayed in foyer watching as his Wildcat rode past. He couldn't help the small smile that played on his lips at her unrestrained enjoyment that the bike gave her.

"Jasper says that you love her too." The big sparkling vampire said from next to him, the other two having left before Rocky. "Are you going to change her?"

"I haven't discussed that with Isabella, I'm not discussing it with you." Damon snarled. Truth was though he quite liked this one and the other one, Jasper. They enjoyed their vampirism as he did. Plus, they weren't trying to take his Wildcat away.

Bella. A vampire. His Wildcat like him. He knew without the smallest reservation that he would change her. As soon as she asked for it, or before if she found herself mortally wounded, not unlikely with Wildcat he admitted to himself. He would not go through this eternal life without her.

"Fair." The big guy said a genial smile on his face as he also stood watching Bella ride down the long driveway. "You coming?"

Damon raised an eyebrow but grabbed his own leather jacket and keys.

The large vampire clambered into Damon's treasured car making him snarl. "Did I say you could ride with me?"

"You didn't say I couldn't." The big 'dude' smiled.

"I'm going to kill your brother." Damon laid his cards on the table. He knew without a doubt the douche bag would be a pain in his ass the rest of his unnatural life if he didn't. Plus, he'd signed his death warrant when he'd hurt Wildcat.

"I figured." The Cold One became abnormally serious. "They'll try and keep him away. Esme and Carlisle. They won't manage it though. He'll come for her and he'll either take her or he'll kill her."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm the enemy remember? Big, bad, evil, killing vampire. He's supposed to be your brother." Damon wasn't sure what was happening or if he was being played and it pissed him off. Was this a distraction? Damon didn't know but he didn't trust… Well anyone really. Maybe Wildcat. Maybe.

"Bella is my sister." The Cold One replied bluntly. What had Klutz said his name was? Emmett? "You're looking out for her, she's happy here, with you. I've never seen her so happy. That's all I want."

"I'm not the only reason she's happy." Damon replied speeding out of his driveway to catch up with Bella.

"You're a big part of it. Plus, you don't dictate her life. Eddy would never have let her ride a bike."

"I brought her the damn thing." Damon grumbled, it was… nice? To not be thought of as the bad guy. Nice(?) not to be warned off Isabella for once. At least this guy – Emmett- seemed to actually care about what Wildcat wanted. "And have you tried telling her what to do? May as well talk to a wall, you'd get the same results."

~0~

He watched with anger and betrayal muddying his mind. Emmett had obviously picked his side. Emmett had picked wrong.

Edward didn't understand it though. Emmett loved Bella, probably more than anyone. So why had he sided with this… feral vampire? He was a danger to Bella and Edward was going to remove all danger. Remove her from danger. Surely Emmett should be on his side?

Edward moved quickly through the forest following the car and the dreadful motorcycle that Bella had been foolishly allowed to ride. The hole where his ear should be was burning and still leaking venom.

Closer to town Edward caught the scent. Vampires. Cold Ones. A handful had been here a few hours ago. Perhaps three hours, maybe less. He could smell six of them.

A slow smile spread over Edwards face, he looked more vampire than man in that moment. He had a plan.

He WOULD get his Bella back again. And now he knew just how.

~0~

He couldn't do it.

Not anymore.

He needed help.

There were too many and they kept coming. They never stopped.

He'd killed five tonight, but they just kept coming.

He had to get her, had to take her away. Keep her safe.

Limping slowly, pain clawing through every fibre, breaths coming in pants despite his slow gait, he made his way.

I'll try and get the next chapter out as quickly as I am able. I really hoped you liked this chapter. I'd enjoy the feedback! Tametiger out x