Chapter 7

AN: Lemon Alert! I didn't think that this story would have any, but I felt the situation called for it.

EPOV

After racing Lana back to my house and beating her hands down yet again, she bid me a momentary farewell before blasting off into the sky with a loud laugh. I still had a large smile on my face as I approached the house, but the conversation that I picked up that Bella and Jasper engrossed in, wiped it from my face. Their tones were serious and although I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop, I couldn't stop myself remaining where I was to hear more.

"I don't know, Jasper, I can't understand how they've became so close so quickly. I know they helped each other and that they are grateful to one another, but I've never seen him so attached to anyone like this before."

"Bella, you're worrying over nothing. There will never be another for Edward. From what I can sense and see with my own two eyes, they really are just friends. I can tell you for certain that there aren't any romantic feelings involved between them whatsoever," Jasper said reassuringly.

So the truth finally rears its ugly head. Bella really was intimidated by my friendship with Lana. I had hoped to have been proven wrong about the situation, but it seems that my instincts were spot on.

Why Bella felt this way considering her friendship with Jacob was beyond my comprehension. There was no doubt that Jacob's feelings went beyond mere friendship. The fact that he still tries to sway her makes that clear, so she had to see the extreme differences in this situation.

Now was the time to clear the air. I started walking slowly towards the house as their conversation continued.

"I know that he loves me Jasper and I don't doubt him, but…." She trailed off. I knew then that she must have smelled me. I wasted no time entering the house at that moment with a knowing expression on my face. Jasper took one look at me and rose from the couch.

"I'll give you two some privacy," he said quietly as he walked out of the room. I stood at the edge of the living room awkwardly. I didn't know where to begin.

"So….How much did you hear?" Bella was looking down at her lap in shame.

"Enough I'm afraid," I said gravely. "Come and take a walk with me," I said while walking over to the couch. Bella gave me an odd look filled with pain and I realized that what I had just said to her was hauntingly familiar.

"I'm so sorry love. I just want to go for a walk so that we can be alone. You have to know by now that I will never leave you again. It's not physically possible for me to exist without you," I said as I reached out to her. Bella took my hand and we walked out of the house and into the forest. We didn't use our speed or rush, we simply walked together holding hands.

It took quite some time, but we finally arrived at our destination. Although the beauty of our meadow could hardly be matched, where we now stood was remarkable in its own way. I found this little hideaway while hunting when we first moved here.

There was a small waterfall that ran down into a large pond surrounded by plush grass. Green moss covered the stones that were scattered throughout and the trees that bordered the area almost complete concealed the sky giving the area a cave-like atmosphere. It was a private, comfortable, and peaceful place to be alone with your thoughts.

I led Bella to one of the stones near the lake and sat down on the ground with my back against it, before pulling her onto my lap. I caressed her cheek, marveling at the perfection of her skin and the feeling of her body against mine. We sat in silence for a short time, listening to the sounds of the forest around us before Bella spoke.

"I'm sorry. I've wanted to talk to you about this, but…I wasn't sure how to do that and not sound like a complete psychopath," she said as leaned further into my touch.

"Lana seems to be good natured and kind, but I can't help but feel slightly intimidated by your connection with her. I guess it's hard for me to share you with anyone. Just hearing the words out loud, makes it sound so much worse. I'm so selfish!" Bella immediately buried her face in her hands. I removed them and gently took her face into my hands so that I could look deeply into her eyes.

"First of all love, you are not selfish. Even with your best effort put forth, you would still fail at it miserably."

"That's not true, Edward. I'm very selfish, especially when it comes to you."

"As I am with you, but that is to be expected. You have to know that you are the most selfless, caring, and generous woman I've ever known, and I love you more than words can express. You have never, nor will you ever have to share me with anyone else because my heart is yours and yours alone."

"I know that Edward and I don't doubt your love for me, it's just…" Bella trailed off.

"What is it, love?" I encouraged.

"There's this side of me now that I didn't feel before, that feels so insanely possessive of you that I can barely take it sometimes. It's almost to the point of violence. Lana has done nothing wrong, but I honestly want to…to kill her sometimes and it scares me," Bella said despondently.

"It's a constant battle and when you left I almost followed the two of you. Thankfully, Jasper stopped me from doing something that I would have later regretted. I've felt jealousy for Tanya before, but this is so much more intense. I don't know what's wrong with me." As I took in her words, I realized part of her issue.

"Bella, although you have been doing extraordinarily well with adjusting to this new lifestyle; the thirst and everything that's come with it for that matter, you have to remember that you are still a newborn vampire and maybe this situation triggered these dormant emotions," I said.

"How so?" Bella asked as she peeked up at me.

"I told you before that during the first several years, the wants and desires of our kind are considerably harder to control. Vampires feel everything exponentially more intensely than humans do. Be it love, hate, anger, any basic emotion, it doesn't matter; it's almost as though you are feeling it for the first time because in this new existence, you actually are." She didn't seem completely convinced and there was only one way to show her the truth of what I was saying. I just hoped that this wouldn't backfire.

"Bella, can I ask you to do something for me that you might think is a little strange?" I asked.

"Anything, just ask," Bella said. I gently removed her from my lap and stood from the ground, then pulled her up until she was standing in front of me.

"Alright…Close your eyes for me." Bella gave me a small smile and did as I asked.

"Now, love I want you to think about James." Bella's body stilled and I took a couple of cautious steps away from her.

"Think back to that horrible day in Phoenix when James had convinced you that he had taken your mother hostage. Think about his expression when you realized that it was all just a trap, and that you were just a pawn; a pawn that he would torture and kill on camera simply to get to me. Think about the anger and the helplessness you felt as-", I never had the opportunity to even finish that last statement before Bella reacted.

All I saw next was a blur of movement and several things happening all at once. The fierce roar erupting out of the woman that I loved pierced through the silence around us, sending every small animal within the general vicinity running for their lives. This was mingled hauntingly with the deafening crash of the large boulder that I was leaned against, as it slammed again the large expanse of the rocky wall near the waterfall.

The sheer force of the power Bella used to project the object reduced it to dust, but my Bella was by no means satisfied. She punched through solid rock and ripped a large tree out of the ground at the root and tore it to pieces before my very eyes.

I continued to watch Bella's rampage with a wide variety of emotions. Shock and awe were just two that I could name offhand, but I was slightly horrified with myself when I realized that the most prevalent feeling was lust.

Almost as if she sensed my feelings, Bella met my gaze with a look filled with anger, want, and possession. Before I could even blink her lips were on mine, pillaging and demanding surrender, but was I wrong to let this happen? Was it wrong with everything that happened today to be distracted from hashing this out and succumbing to our carnal desires? I gripped Bella's shoulders and pulled away from her slightly.

"Bella, love maybe we should…" I was cut off as Bella gripped the front my shirt in her fists and forced me backwards, before slamming my back full force against a tree, snapping it in two before she pulled my mouth back to hers. All cognitive thought disappeared, and all that was left was my desperate need for her.

I growled as I pushed Bella backwards until we met a solid surface. I pinned Bella's against it, then roughly pulled her hands above her head, holding them with one hand. My lips never left her as I tore her blouse open with my free hand and pulled it from her body.

The sounds of our growls and the tearing of clothing filled the air. If a human heard us at this moment, they would probably think that two animals were attempting to kill each other, but I could have cared less. I needed my Bella, and she needed me. That was all that mattered.

Using my speed, I pinned Bella to the ground and entered with one quick thrust. I threw my head back a roared in pleasure as the feeling engulfed me.

Being with her this way was like nothing I could have imagined. The intensity of the feeling was almost overwhelming. My thrusts were relentless; our cries for one another were endless. I would never in a million lifetimes get enough of her.

Bella flipped me on to my back and braced her hands onto my chest, as she began to move on top of me. Her hair fell around us like a curtain and all that existed was us. Her movements were frenzied as she called out in pleasure.

"Edward, oh God, Edward!" Bella whimpered. All I could do was grunt and moan as she unleashed her lust upon me. We went on and on, unaware of time until we both reached a peak so high that I feared we would never come down. Bella collapsed on top of me and I finally took in my surroundings.

I wasn't sure how much time had gone by but the darkness that surrounded us, told me that we had been in the forest together for hours. I stroked the smooth skin of her back until she finally raised her head from its position at the crook of my shoulder.

"Well, that was unexpected," Bella mumbled as she looked into my eyes.

"Quite unexpected indeed, but completely necessary," I whispered as I pulled her mouth to mine for another searing kiss. Bella finally pulled back and stroked my face.

"That was just-", she broke off as if she couldn't find the right words, but I finished her thought.

"Amazing…"

"Yes, amazing, but so much more than that."

"I know."

"I'm sorry that I attacked you the way that I did."

"No need to apologize, love, you needed me and I needed you. It has been a long time since we've been together like this."

"You're right about that. I swear I could kill Emmett sometimes! Why do we even care what he thinks?" Bella asked as her fingers moved over my chest.

"I don't necessarily care what he thinks; it's just the harassment we suffer every time he knows we've been together. He does it just to get a rise out of us and we fall for it every time."

"Well, we'll just have to learn to ignore him because I don't think I can go this long without being with you this way again."

"I agree," I said as I kissed the top of her head. "Should we continue the conversation we were having before we got distracted?" I asked.

"I don't really want to, but I guess we should." Bella said. I turned us over until we were laying on our sides so that I could look at her.

"Considering your reaction earlier, can you understand now what I was trying to say?" I said as trailed my fingers down her cheek. "You may not have the same uncontrollable urges as most newborns, but your passion toward any situation is still heightened. It's perfectly natural."

"You loved me while you were human and to those eyes, there was nothing stronger, but now that you are a vampire, you can feel the difference, can you not?" I asked and she nodded. "Your human body could never harbor such strong emotions, it couldn't withstand it. I don't want you to feel badly for something that comes with the territory."

"It's amazing that this situation alone triggered it in you. I'll tell you and show you every minute of everyday how much I love you if that will help you Bella. Just please don't ever think that anyone could ever take me away from you. I care for Lana as if she were Alice or Esme or even Rosalie, but she's not you, she could never be you," I said.

Bella gazed at me with the most intense look of love in her eyes as she listened to me. I could feel her relaxing now that she understood what was happening. She quickly leaned forward and brushed her lips softly against mine.

"Thank you, Edward for understanding me better than I do myself, and loving me as much as I love you."

"There's nothing to thank me for, just talk to me next time. Unfortunately, I can't read your mind, you know that, but I know you. You are my life Bella and I need to know when something is upsetting you. Never feel like you can't talk to me about anything that's on your mind, no matter how absurd it might be," I teased. She laughed out loud and hit my shoulder before moving closer to me.

I was relieved that we were able to talk about this and get it out in the open. Maybe now that she understands my devotion to her, then maybe she might be willing to open up to Lana.

The two of them are so different yet so alike in many ways. They would be a great team if it ever came down to it. I began to imagine these two strong minded, immovable, forces standing up for what they believe in and I laughed to myself. I pitied anyone who dared to oppose them.

LPOV

I made it home in record time, feeling somewhat better about the evening ahead, but not totally at ease. I went upstairs to my bedroom to study a bit hoping that would take my mind off of things. As I read, my mind continued to wonder about the possibilities of what could go wrong tonight.

Since I couldn't concentrate, I gave up studying completely and decided to listen to music. I pulled out my IPod and selected a random playlist. Honestly, I didn't even register what I was listening to.

My eyes popped open with a start when I heard a car pull up in the driveway. I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep. I jumped up and headed out of my room, taking my time coming down the stairs as my parents came in the back door into the kitchen.

"Hey there honey, we didn't realize you were home," my mom said placing several grocery bags on the table.

"Mom, you do remember that we aren't cooking dinner for the Cullen's tonight right?" I asked looking at all of the bags.

"Yes dear, but we were running low on things in the freezer and in the cabinet, and since I was already at the store when you called, I decided to get some things."

I helped my parents put away the groceries and helped my mother with dinner. Before I knew it, early evening was upon us and I went upstairs to shower. When I emerged from my bathroom, I saw that I had a text from Edward.

"I can smell your fear from here. Please don't worry, everything will be fine tonight, you'll see. E"

I sighed while shaking my head. This guy knew me so well that it was almost unbelievable. A small smile lit my face while I replied.

"I've said this before and I'll say it again, Are you sure we only met a month ago? L"

After a minute I received his reply.

"Hahaha! It's not my fault that you are transparent as glass. We will see you soon! E"

I put my phone down and proceeded to dry my hair. I didn't have the energy to do anything special to it, so I left it wavy the way it was naturally. I went over to my closet and opened the doors. This was the part that always took the longest for me. Everything else was a breeze, but picking outfits was always painful.

In the end, I decided I wanted to be comfortable, yet sophisticated. So I pulled out a pair of back skinny jeans, a black button-down, long sleeved shirt, with knee high black boots. I didn't usually wear makeup because I felt that it made me look like a clown, so I decided to add just a little mascara and clear gloss to my lips. Once I was ready, I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection in my mirror.

"You can do this, stop worrying. Like Edward said, everything will be fine." However, something inside of me kept gnawing at me that something was going to go terribly wrong. I turned from the mirror and headed downstairs.

My parents were already in the living room apparently waiting for me. My father had on a pair of black slacks and a blue button down shirt, while my mother wore a black sweater dress. They turned to look at me once they heard me on the stairs.

"Hey sweetheart, you look very nice," my father said.

"Thanks Dad, you clean up real nice yourself." At that point reality of the situation hit me. My parents were about to officially meet the Cullen clan. My face must have shown my inner panic because my mother walked over to me and grasped both my hands in hers.

"You look like you're about to pass out. Breath Lana, everything will be fine. If it's your father that you're worried about, don't bother. I ripped him a new one earlier. Trust me on this he will be on his best behavior tonight. Isn't that right Jeremy?" My father gave my mother a sheepish look while nodding his head.

I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Leave it to my mother make me laugh at a moment like this.

"I'll go and bring the car around," my father said while going out of the back door.

My mother and I grabbed our coats and waited for him to return. I couldn't tell what kind of mood my mother was in. She showed no emotion except for the occasional smile she would give me when she caught me looking at her. She squeezed my hand in a manner to reassure me that everything would be okay.

My father returned and took his coat from my mother and we headed out of the house to the car. My father always opened the door for me and my mother and closed it for us like a gentleman. We headed out of the driveway and we were soon on our way to the Cullen's house. I kept repeating 'everything will be okay' over and over again. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I might actually start to believe it.

EPOV

Bella and I giggled like two naughty children as we ran through the forest. The main reason for our laughter was the fact that we were both stark naked while doing so. During our rendezvous, neither of us considered the fact that we were ripping the only clothes we had in the vicinity to shreds. Thank goodness for our speed, otherwise this would have been a truly mortifying experience.

Once we were on the outskirts of our property, we surveyed the house and thankfully, no one was outside or near any of the windows.

"This is it, love, it's now or never," I whispered as I looked over at her with a mischievous smile.

"I'm ready when you are," Bella whispered excitedly. I nodded my head and we took off full speed towards the house. We scaled the wall and climbed into the hallway window near our bedroom. Just as we made it to the door, we were frozen in place as Emmett's voice pierced the silence as he sang from downstairs."

"My mind's telling me no! But my body! My body's telling me yeeessss! Now I don't wanna hurt nobody, but there is something that I must confeeeeeeeesssssssss!" Emmett paused for a moment before continuing. "I don't see nothin wrong, with a little bump and griiiiind! I don't see nothin wrooooong! I don't nothing wrooooong baby!"

Bella and I stared each other in disbelief. If we were still human, I had no doubt that we would both be the color of strawberries due to the intense mortification that we were both experiencing at that moment. I could hear everyone downstairs erupt into laughter as Bella and I finally found the will to move and ran into the safe confines of our bedroom.

We took our time showering and dressing, neither one of us was in any hurry to experience the teasing we knew we were going to experience once we went downstairs. When we did make our way downstairs, surprisingly Emmett was nowhere to be found and we instantly relaxed.

Sometime went by and we were all engaging in our usual routines around the house while waiting for the Lankford's to arrive. Bella sat at my side while watching television. My love had no idea how badly I wanted to just throw her down and ravish her within an inch of her sanity just as I'd done in the forest. Bella never quite understood how much she affected me in this way. She always mistook my rigid control for lack of interest which I never truly understood.

We were about to embark on a rather stressful evening, and I was appalled that I could think about was the phenomenal sex that I just had with my wife. I needed to focus on the evening at hand. However, I would definitely take my ravishing my Bella idea up with her again later on this evening, but for now I had to be good.

Bella looked up at me at that moment and gave me a knowing smile. Well, we had some time, maybe we could go over a few scenarios before our guests arrive. It seems that my half a day with Bella unleashed my inner demon.

I was brought out of my haze by the sound of tires hitting the road that led up to our home. So much for that idea, but I would definitely broach the subject later.

Carlisle met Esme at that top of the stairs and joined us in the living room. Emmett came in from the back door and gave me sly smile.

"Emmett, I swear on all that is holy that I will rip you into tiny, unrecognizable, pieces if you embarrass us tonight!" I said firmly.

"Hey, it was just a joke, Eddie and I would never bring this up in front of Lana's parents. Now once they're gone, then you might have some problems. I'm just saying," Emmett said with a huge smile.

I rolled my eyes at him as the rest of the family took their places in the living room. Once the car was parked we heard their footsteps on the front steps and I approached the front door with Bella at my side.

Once the door bell rang, I opened it and I was immediately faced by Lana's parents. I heard Lana's mother gasp softly and her father's eyes widened slightly. Their reaction to Bella and I was comical to say the least.

'Oh, my goodness! They are absolutely gorgeous! Only my Lana could resist such a perfect face,' Lana's mother thought as she looked at me. Her father's thoughts were similar.

'I can see what Lana meant when she said his wife was beautiful. They do make a nice looking couple,' he thought while readjusting his face.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lankford. Please come in," I said while effectively hiding my smirk. I stepped aside as they entered my home and I smiled knowingly at Lana as she passed me.

"I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to introduce myself sooner. I'm Edward Cullen and this is my wife Isabella Cullen," I said while wrapping my arm around Bella's waist. I loved adding my last name to hers. It still filled me with so much pride that this extraordinary woman was mine.

'He's such a gentleman. His voice is just as attractive as his face. He can't be real,' Lana's mother thought and I almost laughed out loud.

"It's very nice to meet you Edward, Isabella. Please call me Mary and this is Jeremy," she said giving me a warm smile. Jeremy stepped closer to me and extended his hand for me to shake.

"It's nice to officially meet you both," Jeremy said. I reluctantly shook his hand and saw his eyes widen slightly at the temperature of my hand, but he pulled himself together quickly. He turned to Bella and gave her a warm smile, and clasped her hand in his. To his credit he didn't react to her temperature, however, when Bella smiled back at Jeremy, I could see his eyes glaze over slightly. It was laughable.

"Please, call me Bella."

'She an angel,' Jeremy thought.

"Mary, Jeremy, I'd like to introduce my parents Carlisle and Esme Cullen," I said turning towards them. Now at this, I couldn't contain my smile. Lana's parents took one look at Carlisle and Esme and they both were rendered speechless. Lana had to step forward and nudge them to snap them out of it. Esme stepped forward and spoke.

"It's so very nice to meet you. Lana has told us so much about you. She's such a lovely young woman," Esme said warmly.

"Yes, it's very nice to meet you. Welcome to our home. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable," Carlisle said and shot me a quick and knowing smile. Lana's nudge worked because her parents seemed to pull themselves together.

"Thank you very much Carlisle, Esme. It's very nice to finally meet you as well," Mary said while following us into the living room where the rest of the family was waiting. It took everything in my power not to laugh out loud when Lana's parent took in the rest of the family. I knew that we had a strong affect on humans but their reactions were quite comical.

"Allow me to introduce you to the rest of my family. This is my son Emmett and his wife Rosalie and my daughter Alice and her husband Jasper," Carlisle said. At that moment Alice skipped forward and embraced both Jeremy and Mary tightly.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, please come in and join us," Alice said as she linked her arms with theirs and led them to the couch. They both had nervous smiles on their faces, but I could tell that they liked Alice's gesture and it relaxed them instantly.

Esme and Carlisle asked if they'd liked a glass of wine and when both agreed, they both went into the kitchen to retrieve it. As Lana walked into the living room, Emmett walked over and grabbed Lana in huge bear hug and spun her around.

"What's happening, little lady!" Emmett boomed making the Lankford's jump slightly.

"Emmett… can't….breath!" Emmett let her go laughing. I noticed that Lana's parents had shocked expressions on their faces, and I realized that they were surprised that Emmett could actually squeeze her hard enough to cut off her air supply. This wasn't good. I gave Emmett a look and I could tell he understood his error. We might need to reveal more about the family than I originally intended to.

Lana walked over and sat next to her parents on the couch, just as Esme and Carlisle returned with the wine and some finger foods.

"I'd like to thank you for having us here tonight. I realize that you met my husband last night under less than hospitable circumstances, and I'd like to apologize personally for that," Mary said looking at her husband with a slight frown. The look on his face was a mix of annoyance and embarrassment but he didn't dare dispute her.

"We understood his reaction. He was only acting out of concern for Lana," Carlisle said giving Jeremy a slight reprieve.

"How was I supposed to react Mary, our daughter was obviously keeping things from us. She said she was going to study and I find her here. What was I supposed to think?" Jeremy said in a hushed tone, or so he thought.

"Mom, Dad! Cut it out! We've been through this already. Can we just get through this evening as civilized as possible please?" Lana asked with a strained smile while running her hand through her hair in irritation.

"My apologies everyone, this is still a very touchy subject for us as you can see," Mary said rubbing her husband's hand affectionately.

"We do have a few questions for you Edward if you don't mind," Jeremy said turning his attention to me.

"Jeremy…" Mary said with a slight warning in her tone. I knew this was coming, but didn't expect it to happen so quickly. However, I saw pretty early on that Lana's father didn't like to beat around the bush. I could honestly respect that.

"It's perfectly fine Mrs. Lankford, I don't mind at all."

"Mary. Please call me Mary, Edward," she said with a warm smile.

"Mary it is then. Ask whatever you'd like, and I'll do my best to answer whatever I can sir."

"Lana tells me that you are different if you know what I mean. You have abilities similar to hers and I wondered how that came to be? Were you born this way?" Jeremy wasted no time starting with the difficult questions, but I was more than prepared to deal with this.

"Before I answer your question sir, I must say something to you both and I hope that you understand. There is an entirely different world out there filled with myths and fairytales of monsters and magic and most of the time, there are very little facts behind them which make the stories for entertainment purposes only. However, some are factual and for very good reasons they must remain a secret not only for the sake of the entity itself, but for the safety of the non-entity.

"It's for that reason alone, that I cannot tell you exactly what I am. There is a name for it, but I will not utter it to you for the safety of your family as well as my own," I said while taking Bella's hand in mine. "However, I can tell you that I was once human just like you and dying of the Spanish influenza when I was made."

"You were once human and later became, this?" Jeremy asked while gesturing towards me when he suddenly stopped speaking and I could see in his mind as some pieces fell into place for him. He is a very smart man.

"Wait a minute. Did you say you were dying of the Spanish influenza? That can't be right, that was way back in….." His eyes widened and I had to stop myself from answering the question I already saw in his mind.

"Exactly how old are you Edward?" I didn't want to answer his question, but I didn't want to insult his intelligence either. I was at a complete loss as to how to handle the situation as everyone in the room waited for my response.

End Note: I had to leave it there, or it would have been an extremely long chapter.