Left alone in the cabin, Bella relieved herself before undressing and climbing into the full steaming tub. The water nearly reached her chin, and she giggled in delight. Bars of soap, bubbling oils, lotions, and salves waited on a small shelf next to the cloth-lined wooden tub. Bella chose a lucky combination that created a heavenly, relaxing aroma. The scent seemed to fill the cabin, blending beautifully with the roses as she soaked away her tension and sore muscles. When her fingers pruned, she washed up quickly and climbed out of the deep tub.
Bella dried off carefully and began dressing as a flash of pink caught her eye. She covered herself in the towel and pushed a curtain aside. She sighed in relief as she realized it was a large, narrow mirror rather than a window.
While slowly lowering the towel, Bella appraised her naked form. Her long hair complimented her likewise long, slender neck. Her naturally spiraling tresses had been a source of envy for her mother. Renee had openly wished her husband's natural curls would jump from his head to hers as Charlie cut his hair short and had no use for the soft, becoming ringlets. Instead, Emmett and Bella had been born with a head full of curly, Auburn hair.
Emmett's lightened to a dark blonde as he increasingly spent time in the sun but kept it cropped short. Bella's locks had darkened into a rich mahogany that shone red in the sun, complimenting her pale skin and the large brown eyes she inherited from Charles.
Bella's shoulders were square like Charles's, and her breasts were not as bountiful as Alice's or Renee's. She had always felt very masculine, never soft and sophisticated like the other vain, preening young women she knew.
As her body matured, her waist and hips entirely defied their upper torso's intentions - one shrinking inward as the other widened. Perhaps Renee's insistence on corsets had helped, but Bella avoided them and the discomfort of too-tight lacings whenever possible.
She scowled as she thought of returning to suffering the tightly pulled laces and sharp pieces of cut whalebone caging her waist. She had avoided them entirely since Renee's abandonment. Bella was fond of breathing and eating. The restrictive corsets severely hindered both, leaving her faint after a few hours.
Will my husband insist I wear them? Will he find me attractive at all? Bella supposed it did not truly matter as long as she could be a helpmate and carry his heir. There was no guarantee he would love or even like her. She ran her hands over her flat stomach and sighed, wondering how she would appear with her belly rounded with a child someday.
Bella looked down past the short mound of curls covering her apex at her long, shapely legs. She turned to scope the swell of the high, tight buttocks in her reflection. The more intimate thoughts that came to mind left her cheeks scarlet as she pushed them away. Bella hurried into her shift as her stomach growled and then sat at the table to eat.
The meal left for her contained a hearty stew, wine, cheese, fruit, and soft yeast rolls better than any she had seen in months. Despite her love of cooking, baking bread was not her forte. She hoped their cook could teach her.
Delicious but rich, she barely made it through a few bites of the stew before the heavy meal made her eyelids droop. Bella thought of Wolfe, wondering if he had eaten or if he would spend the night guarding her in the cold instead. She worried he would not sleep, slowly chewing dried meats and fruit as Emmett was wont to do on his hunting trips.
Unable to drive the worry of his well-being from her thoughts, she put on the heavy cloak over her shift and opened the cabin door.
The surrounding forest was an entirely different world in the deep purple haze of twilight. Snow continued to fall, some spilling onto her bare toes. The wind had died down, leaving the trees utterly still, the branches heavy with thick, wet snow.
Beams of moonlight poked through the canopy, littering the forest floor with patches of shining, glassy, bright snow. Snowflakes glittered with green and blue through the moonbeams. It was as if tiny colored lights were falling to the earth rather than frozen water crystals. She could almost swear she heard them shatter, chiming as each hit the ground and returned to white. Bella had never seen a place more enchanting. She had the urge to run barefoot into the snow to dance in the moonlight, hopping the glittering snow patterns like puddles. Never the fanciful sort, Bella laughed at the thought.
"Get back inside." The rough command startled her as she spun to face Wolfe's towering form.
When had he arrived? Entranced as she was, Bella hadn't even noticed. Heat rose from the crown of his head and any bared flesh in the cold air, nearly as discernable as her breath. Stupefied by his mystical appearance, she whimpered at the sharp pain of her frozen feet and looked down. Bella had not even realized she had walked out of the cabin. She stood a few paces from the front door with snow up to her ankles. She would have tumbled down the steps had she gone much farther.
When she didn't follow his command immediately, Wolfe walked over, scooped her into his arms, and carried her protesting form back inside.
"Sir," she complained as he dumped her onto the sofa for a second time.
"It's not safe out there right now. Especially not barefoot in your shift, Isabella."
Immediately embarrassed about needing to be chastized for her carelessness, she bit her bottom lip as her cheeks turned pink. She had not had the forethought to put on her dressing gown, and as she thought of it, her feet felt like ice.
Wolf glanced toward her feet worriedly. "You could have harmed yourself. There are sharp rocks, thorns, and thistles all over these woods. Please refrain from attempting that again."
His concern rather than offense by her state of undress was a relief. At least the cloak rested on her shoulders, concealing most of her from view.
Softening his tone, Wolfe asked, "Did you need something? I told you to howl."
"Uh. Well, yes. You." A smirk revealed a small dimple on his left cheek as his eyebrow lifted. Bella floundered for a moment under his unwavering gaze and stammered, "I mean, I was hoping you were nearby."
"Why?" A flirtatious grin revealed his straight, white teeth. She was transfixed by them and his full, smiling lips. Bella suddenly remembered why she had sought him in the first place. "Th-the food," she stammered nervously.
"Is something wrong with it?"
As Wolfe walked over to inspect her supper, she said, "No. It's wonderful, but there is too much for me. I thought perhaps you might share."
He stood up straight and frowned. "Thank you, Mrs. Black, but I have eaten. I believe you should try to as well."
"I have ," she insisted, rising from the sofa. She stared at Wolfe's muscular form, noting his long black hair now hung freely over his open shirt. The laces of his boots untied and tucked into the sides as if he had slipped them on in a hurry.
As with the snow outside the cabin, her feet seemed to move of their own accord. Wolfe watched her slowly sway toward him, and a lascivious smile split the perfection of his face. Somehow, it only made him more appealing.
His words dripped with arrogance, if not a little mischief, as he asked, "Why did you truly invite me in here, Mrs. Black ?" And then he winked at her.
The question sobered her instantly. She took a step back in surprise. "I just wanted to be kind."
But that's not the only reason, is it? Bella felt drawn to him, more curious about this stranger than she had been about anyone. She suddenly felt ridiculous and pathetic for giving in to her impulses, as her eyes filled with tears. She was unsure of how to feel without the support of her siblings nearby. The place and the events of her day seemed to have scrambled her senses. She felt utterly alone in a way she did not recognize and confused beyond reason.
Wolfe sucked in a sharp breath, frowning as he met her gaze. His large hand, rough yet gentle, cupped her chin. He moved closer, tilting her head back as he looked over her tired face. He raised his other hand and wiped tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. Bella had not even felt them fall.
It was utterly inappropriate for him to be alone with her, touching her face with such intimacy. Jacob Black had entrusted Wolfe with her safety. That had to count for something.
You will marry someone else. Possibly tomorrow. Bella had to admit to herself that she was terrified.
What if he is terrible and wicked? Father says the Blacks are not cruel, but people rarely unmask themselves for company. What if he is harsh or indifferent? What if he despises me or is violent?
"He is many things you may not like, Mrs. Black, but your husband will treat you gently. You have my word."
Bella blushed as she realized she had spoken her fears aloud. A smug grin returned to his face, and despite herself, she smiled back.
"Better." He slowly stepped back, releasing her. She gasped as the cold air brushed her skin and shivered with the loss of his warmth.
Bella blushed deeper as she realized the cloak had slipped from her shoulders and now lay pooled at her feet. She stood before him barefoot and poorly concealed in the thin, white shift.
Embarrassed yet again, she froze where she stood, unsure what to do. If she bent over, Wolfe would view far too much flesh. It was not as if her pink nipples were not perfectly distinguishable against the fabric already.
His eyes never left her face as he carefully kneeled in front of her. For the second time since meeting, her heart raced as the world ceased spinning. Ever so slowly, Wolfe slid his hands over her ankles and rubbed her calves, warming them. He guided her to lift one foot and massaged it until she could feel her toes again. Without a word, he moved to the next and repeated the process.
Finally, Wolfe reached blindly for the cloak, stood, and wrapped it around her. The soft red fur tingled against her flesh as he fastened the clasp at her throat. The back of his thumbs brushed across her nipples as he ran his hands along the front seams.
Bella gasped at the contact, simultaneously telling herself that his eyes had not just changed from obsidian to golden honey and back again. An unfamiliar need filled her belly, sending heat rushing between her legs as she unconsciously licked her lips.
Wolfe took a deep breath and released a low, rumbling growl. Gooseflesh covered her skin as another shiver gently washed over her, filling her entire being with heat. Time stopped standing still, removing her from her wanton stupor as he said, "Jacob Black is a lucky man."
Wolfe briskly walked around her and toward the door. She jumped as it banged shut inside the winter weather-swollen frame. Once again, she felt the loss of his heat. It was as if she became colder with every step he took away from her.
Exhausted and trembling, she dazedly stumbled to the bed and lay on the thick fur blanket. Between it and the cloak, she waited to feel warm again. Bella closed her eyes and swiftly fell asleep.