The next morning neither Jacob nor Charlie came up in conversation. I didn't push the issue and hoped that she came to her senses.
She was sitting on the bed. I was still folding clothes from the dresser. Out of the blue Bella looked up at me and said, "Let's go someplace new to hunt this weekend, see some sights. What do you think?" hope in her voice.
I thought for a moment. "It would be nice to get out of the house since we have another week until we leave. Did you have any place in particular in mind?" I asked, walking over to the bed, taking her hands in mine, kissing her palms.
"Umm, what about that place you told me about a while back, the one with the bears?"
"Goat Rocks? You really want to go there, it is pretty far out? We would have to bring a tent." I asked, a little surprised, she seemed to be rather fond of our king-sized bed. I was rather fond of what we had been doing in it, thinking with a smirk.
"Yes, I think it will be fun. Plus I would like to try my hand at something other than deer. Just to see." She replied offhandedly.
"Okay, do you want to see if anyone else would like to join us?" Not really wanting to share her, but acknowledging that we would be leaving our family shortly.
Before she could answer, there was a light knock at the door. "Can I come in?" Asked Alice as she slowly peeked her head in.
"Hi Alice," Bella said with a smile.
"Jasper and I would love to join you this weekend, we could really use some time away after all of the activities." Bella looked at me a little confused, still not entirely use to Alice's ability, I knew full well that the instant the Bella decided in her mind to invite them, Alice would see it.
A light bulb of realization clicked on in Bella's thoughts, "Oh, great.' She said with excitement. "No offense Alice, and I know you have been doing this for a very long time, but I really can't picture you hunting".
"You just wait sister, I may not be like the boys here with their bears and mountain lions," she then gave me a quick wink, "but I can hold my own." She grinned and turning to walk out of the room to find Jasper and tell him of their plans.
"I'm hoping you can show me a thing or two!' Bella said enthusiastically out the door.
Although my wife had only been in her new form for a week and a half, she has adjusted amazingly well to our peculiar diet. I can't say that I have become all that accustom to seeing her in the act; after all she is still my sweet, innocent Bella, vampire or not. But, I am relieved that the transition seems to be going fairly smoothly.
"I'm going to go get our gear together. Will you be ready to leave in an hour?" I asked, gazing down at her, gently stroking her lovely cheek.
She looked up at me, and before I knew it, she had pulled me on top of her on the bed. "Well, I do say Mrs. Cullen, how very unladylike of you!" I tried to act appalled.
"Well, I just thought if I was going to share you this weekend, we could take a few minutes to ourselves," she replied with a wicked glint in her eye and she drew her lips to mine.
We packed up our things and met Jasper and Alice at the jeep a little over an hour later.
"How's the weather look tonight Alice?" Jasper asked casually.
Alice closed her eyes for a moment and then replied, "It looks pretty clear, there may be a small storm north of us, but we should be fine."
Jasper and Alice sat in the front, Bella and I cuddled up in the back. The weather was getting cooler, more fall-like and the leaves were starting their annual procession to the ground. Although the wind didn't bother our already cold skin, I held Bella close to me and buried my nose in her hair, taking in every last drop of her glorious scent, secretly thankful I no longer had to hold back the urge to harm her.
"So, what other kinds of animals are up here other than bear?" Bella asked casually.
"There are of course deer, mountain lion, some mountain goats," Jasper said while making an offensive face, "and bob cats," the then winked at his wife. They were her favorites.
We parked the Jeep at the foot of a small trail and fastened our backpacks. If it had just been the guys, we wouldn't have bothered with the tents, but we wanted to keep our ladies' happy. Once we were out of sight of the main road, I grabbed Bella's hand and we took off, running through the trees, faster than the wind. I loved sharing this with her. Looking over at her and seeing her by my side, the wind whipping through her beautiful hair, a pristine smile on her face, excitement in her eyes. Once we were several miles into the woods, at the base of an outcrop of rocks, we sent up the tents.
Alice and Jasper took off, hand in hand.
I turned to Bella, "You ready?"
"Sure, where too?" she replied lightly.
"Well, let's just hike a little and see what kind of scent we pick up."
"Okay, sounds good to me."
We started to walk up a winding path through the rocks, when all of the sudden I was halted in my tracks.
How could she marry him… if I go back and she's changed, it'll start everything. I don't know if I can handle that. I don't want to start the war… I just want to be with her… Maybe I just need to destroy myself. There is no point in going on anyways when she is with that filthy bloodsucker now!
I didn't need to hear the last part of his volatile thoughts, I recognized his deep husky voice and knew exactly whose head I was in. Jacob Black. Bella was trying to pull me up the path, not realizing there was an intruder in my happy thoughts.
"Edward, what is it?" she asked concerned, seeing the look on my face.
I attempted to shake it off. She couldn't know he was near. He couldn't see her. We were so close to leaving Folks in peace, we couldn't start a war now.
"Oh, nothing my love." I smiled back at her, conceal my alarm. "Why don't we head back down the path to the south of the tents?"
I turned around and pulled her down the path. We walked a few more paces and I unexpectedly caught the glorious scent of my favorite prey. I dropped her hand as I felt the strong thirst build in my throat and burn like fire down my esophagus. All thoughts of the young werewolf instantly dissipated. I knew there was only one thing that could extinguish this fire, only one thing I could see.
The large cat was about one hundred and fifty yards ahead of me, standing on top of a small pile of rocks, oblivious to its impending death. Faster than any eye could see, I was mid-flight, landing firmly on top of the animal's shoulders. We pummeled to the ground and rolled down the hill, as I tore into his thick neck muscles with my razor sharp teeth. The large cat's powerful claws thrashed up around my face, trying to incapacitate me. But it was too late, my venom had taken hold. The animal's magnificent blood was flowing down my throat, filling every ounce of me with the warmth I so missed, quenching the burn. It was all over in a matter of seconds.
I stood up and looked down at the carcass. I felt a small wave of sadness for the life I had stolen, but I was whole again. I turned around and called to Bella. I hadn't seen her move. Then I saw her out of the corner of my eye, crouched over a large doe.
I walked up to her, her eyes blazing with animalistic instincts, pupils wide. A little shutter went through me. I wonder if she felt the same when she saw me at my most primal?
"Hello, deer." I said with a smirk.
She looked up at me with a grin, no sign of wasted blood on her lips. She was honing her skills quite quickly.
We walked back to the campsite it was near dark now; Alice and Jasper were already there.
"Hi guys," Alice said brightly, her eyes a warm amber again. A sudden stillness came over her face, I reached into her thoughts as she saw an image of me standing over a disheveled, stooped man in a cave, his copper skin dirty with mud, his ebony hair in knots. She looked up me in confusion.
She said in her mind. Is Jacob here? Did you see him? You can't go talk to him; he might try to hurt you! He will freak out if he sees Bella.
I gave her an imperceptible nod that only the two of us could understand. I wasn't certain what I was going to do, though the thought of trying to talk to Jacob did cross my mind. I wouldn't let him get near her.
Bella wasn't looking at me, she was quietly talking with Jasper. Alice pulled me aside.
I cut her off before the words escaped her thoughts, "I know Alice, I don't know what I am going to do, he is still very upset and volatile. I know I can't let him see Bella. She finally seems to be moving on," pinching the bridge of my nose, trying to work my thoughts out faster.
Jasper felt the tension building between us. "What's going on, why all of the whispers?" He said lightly while walking over and putting his hand on his wife's shoulder to calm the situation. We immediately felt our tension release.
"Alice just offered to take Bella hunting later to show her a few of her tricks of the trade." I winked at Alice. She gave me a slightly shocked look back, realizing what I was planning to do once Bella was occupied.
She recomposed her face, knowing she wasn't going to talk me out of this, knowing how protective I was of Bella. She turned to Bella and said brightly, "Yeah, Bella…what do you think? Just the ladies!"
"Well it's a little different from our usual ladies' night," Bella grinned at Alice, happy that this didn't involve her toes getting painted or her eyebrows waxed. Jasper just crawled inside their tent for a moment of peace as the girl's discussed their upcoming hunt.
I wasn't sure where exactly where he was, but once I headed back up the path I would pick up his wrenched scent again. God, why can't this all end? Bella and I are finally starting our life together. I am truly sorry for his pain, I can't imagine what kind of state I would be in if Bella had chosen him, though she would still be alive, flushed cheeks, heart beating strong; but regardless she was immortal now and I intended to cherish and protect her for eternity.
We sat around our camp area for a few hours making small talk. Alice was asking about our thoughts on heading to Alaska for "school" and how much she would miss us. I reassured her that is was only temporary until Bella could be more mainstreamed with the human population, hopefully no more than a year.
Jasper was quiet, I believe sensing my anxiety and keeping my fears at bay as I sat there coming up with my plan for approaching Jacob. Alice kept shooting me warning glances with each internal decision I made.
Bella was starting to look thirsty again. I could see her eyes darting out into the darkness, no doubt picturing her next victim. Alice, realizing this said, "Ok, we're going to head out. You guys hold down the fort."
As Bella got up, I grabbed her and pulled her onto my lap, holding her tight, nuzzling my lips up to her neck. "I love you," I whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, we'll be back soon. Don't worry I'll be fine with Alice," she said, misunderstanding my clinginess.
Thankfully the girl's took off in the opposite of the direction of the path leading back up to the rock outcrop. Jasper looked at me, "What is going on, why are you so tense?"
I let out a huge sigh, "While Bella and I were hunting earlier today, I heard a familiar voice." Looking down at my hands, Jasper looked at me in anticipation, knowing there was more to the story. "It was Jacob Black."
His eyes widened. "What do you mean, Jacob's here, out in the woods? What about the rest of his pack?"
"I don't think they are anywhere near here, or at least I haven't heard them. He ran away right before the wedding and still hasn't gone home. We are far from their turf and they don't know where he is and unless he transforms, they can't hear his thoughts." I continued, "Charlie called us the other night and asked Bella to come home before leaving for Alaska to try and help find him. His father is very worried and after hearing his thoughts, I don't blame him, the kid's a mess.
"We can't let him see that Bella is one of us now, he already said that would cause them to start a war with us. I don't want Bella to know he is nearby, so I am going to go try and talk with, see if I can talk some sense into him."
"You know how volatile that kids can be, do you really think that you will accomplish anything?" Jasper asked.
"I don't know, but I feel like I have to try. He has been a real pain, but I do feel for the guy, losing the love of his life, especially to his mortal enemy. I don't know how I would coupe with that." I replied sympathetically.
"I am coming with you." He said firmly, looking like he was ready for the fight.
"No, Jasper. I need to talk with him man to man. If he sees there are two of us, he is bound to get defensive or try and attack. The last thing I want to do is have to kill him." Jasper seemed to agree with that, knowing full well I could take care of myself.
I sat there for another moment and then decided it was now or never. I started back up the path we were on earlier. Within a few minutes of walking, I picked up his scent. I could tell he was in human form; his scent was a little weaker.
Why couldn't I have just imprinted on her, I know she is my soul mate? Then she wouldn't have had a choice, she would have to leave him and love me? She couldn't become one of them…
I could hear the anguish in his thoughts. Images of him and Bella, hand in hand on the beach at La Push, flickered through his mind like a reel-to-reel movie.
I attempted to stay calm, even after he was thinking of kissing her in the woods that day, the day she kissed him back. I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes tight, will the horrific vision out of my mind.
Jacob was so caught up in his thoughts of Bella he didn't see or hear me approach the mouth of the cave he was cowering in. I looked down at the sad figure; he was barely clothed, just a pair of torn sweatpants covered his enormous body, chest bare, hair all disheveled. He was curled up in a ball facing the back of the cave.
"Jacob" I said in as smooth a voice as I could muster.
His black eyes whipped around and stared at me with incomprehension. Then his body started to quiver, he clenched his teeth, calming his overwhelming anger. I got the feeling he didn't want to transform any more that I wanted him to, then his brother's would be able to hear his rampant thoughts and find him.
"What the hell are you doing here, you filthy leech?" He spat at me.
I took a deep breath in, "Jacob, I have been listening to you, I know you are in pain." I looked down, trying to not acknowledge that I was part of the cause, "Don't you think that your father and brothers will be able to help you through this?"
Jacob stared back at me, fury and hurt in his eyes from me inadvertently hearing his deepest thoughts and desires.
"If I could turn it off, I would, believe me. I would rather not know what is going on in there." I said rubbing my left hand over my eyes; try to stop the flicker of images invading my mind, his memories with Bella.
Jacob looked like he was going to calm down a little, and then his eyes went wide. He saw the wedding band on my finger, still glistening with its new status. A veil of anguish fell over his face, he covered his eyes and turned back to face the wall. I could see his shoulders shrugging as he wept. I didn't know what to say to him. I have been there. Remembering back to the months I spent coward in the attic of that disgusting building in Mexico. Oh how I wished for death when I thought that Bella no longer walked this earth. I stared at his massive, bare back, shaking with his tears.
"I'm sorry Jacob," as I turned and walked out of the cave, back down the path, not sure if I made things better or worse.
When I returned the night was fully upon us, the leaves rustled lightly with the breeze, the sky for once was clear enough to see the massive world above us, looking down. Jasper was lying on the cool earth, taking it all in. I decided to join him. Every time I looked out into the stars I felt so insignificant. For a moment I escaped the worries of my too long existence.
Without turning to me, Jasper calmly asked, "How did it go?"
"I'm not sure. He wasn't really in a state to talk. But he definitely doesn't know that Bella is changed. We need to keep it that way. He doesn't want to start a war with our kind, but I don't doubt he will."
We lay there for a few more minutes. I heard the soft voices of my love. Her footsteps light and springy along the fallen leaves and twigs. My sweet Bella, even though my heart no longer beats, if it could it would only for her, and hers for me. I regretted lying to her, but she couldn't know about the evening's events. We just had to make it through this week and then we could start over, start our new life as husband and wife.
She walked up to me quietly and lay down beside me. I pulled her close to me, she wiggled herself into the crook of my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest, I turned my lips to her hair and breathed her in deeply, not realizing the dull pain I had been feeling while she was gone. I was whole again.
"Welcome back." I murmured into her hair.
She tilted her head up and kissed me gently, not saying a word.