AN: And we're back! I had a good laugh at the reactions to the last chapter. Let's just say that some of you have spot on instincts. This chapter will mainly be fluff because I'm in a good, lovey mood. It's also a quick update but fairly short. As always, read, review, and enjoy.
The dancer stopped and turned toward Jane, their eyes never breaking. Gravity disappeared and reformed, tying them together in an instant.
"Shit," Jane cursed. Alec tracked her line of sight toward the figure standing in the dancing light of the campfire. He whistled and smiled at his sister and the figure who stood frozen in time and place.
It was on three that Jane found her mate. Three moments in the span of seconds. After over 1200 years of waiting for this moment, Jane felt her dead heart slam against her chest.
They moved towards one another slowly, subconsciously, unaware that their bodies were even closing the distance. Soon they stood mere inches away from one another, bated breath hanging in the air. The noises around them seemed to fade away as ruby gazed into caramel. Neither spoke, afraid that the spell between them would break at any moment. It was Alec that eventually spoke up, having approached the pair once he realized that words were failing them both.
"Hello, my name is Alec Volturi. This is Jane." Alec smiled. "It seems you two have a lot to talk about."
Jane was the first to move once Alec left, an uncharacteristically vulnerable look on her face. "Hi," she breathed.
"Hi," the figure laughed. "I'm Leah, Leah Clearwater."
"I, um, I don't even know where to begin," Jane responded.
"How about I grab you another one of those," Leah gestured to the empty wine glass in Jane's hand, "and we can go from there." Leah smiled at the blonde before her and Jane gave her a hesitant grin in return.
From across the yard, a pair of violet eyes twinkled as they watched the awkward interaction take place. Rosalie smirked at her mate and followed her eyes to Jane and Leah who were currently pouring another glass of wine and grabbing a beer.
"You have no idea how amazing it is to see that," Isabella spoke.
Rosalie simply nodded and gently reached out, her fingers brushing against and subsequently intertwining with those of her mate. She knew how incredible it was for Jane to have found her mate in the world, especially in the form of someone newly allied with her coven. Though Isabella had gotten to know the Jane underneath the carefully crafted mask of cold indifference and sadistic pleasure, that Jane was the only one that the outside world had ever gotten to see. In Rosalie's vampire lifetime, she had seen and heard much of the witch twins, but seeing Jane as she was now… it gave Rosalie hope. Isabella had already brought out more humanity in the blonde in a year than had ever been seen in the many decades that Rosalie had existed. Who knows what Leah could do.
"So…" Leah let her voice trail off as she looked at the vampire sitting in front of her.
Jane looked absolutely lost, overwhelmed by the emotions that she was feeling for the first time. She had learned to be guarded, emotionless, even cruel in her line of work. The centuries of longing for an emotional connection for the emotional connection were finally culminating in this moment, with the tall brunette with the caramel colored eyes.
"I don't know how to do this" Jane mumbled. "I don't know how to open up to someone else. I don't know how to love. I might not even be capable of it anymore. I-"
Leah cut off the rambling blonde by placing a gentle hand on Jane's hand. The cold surprised her, but not as much as the fact that it was soothing not unpleasant to feel against her own burning skin. They could not be more different, tan warmth against pale cold, yet it was comforting to them both. Jane stared as the warmth from Leah's hand radiated into her own. There was something familiar about the way it felt, yet it was entirely new and invigorating at the same time.
"I just want to get to know you Jane. We will take things slowly."
Jane's red eyes searched those of the woman before her and she seemed to find what she was looking for because she smiled, a warm smile that sent Leah's heart pounding in her chest. Jane cocked her head to the side and looked at Leah in surprise. Hesitantly Jane moved her hand until it was resting just over Leah's heart, feeling every steady beat as it pumped blood throughout Leah's body.
"Your heart…" Jane whispered, "it's beating like that, so fast, but not because you're scared of me." There was a sense of awe in Jane's voice as she looked back up into Leah's surprised eyes.
"Of course I'm not scared of you Jane; I know you won't hurt me."
Jane's eyes filled with unshed tears as she looked back down at her hand which still resided on Leah's chest. Though her heart had begun to calm down, the tingling sensation that Jane's cold touch evoked and the warmth that burrowed deep within her stomach upon seeing Jane's white smile were still very much alive. A blush colored Leah's cheeks as she reached up to rub her thumb along Jane's cheek as if the tears were actually falling.
"I-I'm, I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before. Not without fearing me first."
"You're my imprint, I could never fear you. I could never hate you."
"What does it mean for you to imprint on someone? I know little more than what it means to find your mate as a vampire."
Leah looked at Jane and smiled, taking in the way that the dwindling campfire across the yard seemed to add another depth of light to Jane's eyes. There was something entrancing about the way that shadows danced across her pale skin, the way that her eyes seemed to be smoldering in reflection of the fire. She noted the beauty of the young woman before her, the wisdom evident in her features, and the youth in her face.
"Well," Leah began, "imprinting for us is when we first make eye contact with the person that we are meant to be with, our soulmate so to speak. However, it doesn't have to be romantic or sexual if our imprint doesn't want it to be. We simply want – no need – our imprints to be happy. It is hard for us to be apart from our imprint for long periods of time, and especially at first. Newly developed imprint bonds make us fairly pathetic actually, we will do anything for our imprint, and we have to be close to them at all times."
There was a small silence that formed between them as Jane let Leah's words wash over her. With every passing second Leah began to look more and more uncertain, until finally Jane reached out and placed her hand on Leah's knee in reassurance.
"Vampires are much the same, except we don't take it well if our mate rejects us. Between supernatural beings, like a vampire to vampire connection, there is normally no problem since the bond is instant and happens to both simultaneously. However, a vampire to a human for instance, there is a slow burning bond that is created that is only cemented as a true mate bond when the human becomes a vampire. I think our species do that in order to secure our happiness since a human mate would eventually die in a relatively short amount of time compared to our immortal life." Jane paused to gauge Leah's reaction before continuing. "Vampire mate bonds are meant to give us a partner in life, not a friend. For us, there is immediate attraction, even… well even love. We simply grow into the bond at our own pace and love our mate with all that we are. It's unmistakable and irreplaceable. I've been waiting for over 1200 years to find mine."
Jane could feel the insecurity coursing through her body at her admission. She was tracking Leah's every movement with her eyes, analyzing every breath and beat of her heart as she waited for her response.
"You know that I have just become alpha of the pack. I can't leave them."
"I wouldn't ask you to" Jane replied. "I have been part of the Volturi for hundreds of years, it's all I know. I can't be without you and you can't leave your pack. I swore my allegiance to my brother first, the Volturi second, Isabella third, and now you. Isabella will not leave her mate here either and we both know that she isn't going to come to the Volturi. Everyone that I genuinely care for is here and here to stay. So, we will deal with the storm that comes once Aro finds out that his best are gone, but until then we will take it one step at a time. We still need to find and eliminate the newborn army that is being created nearby though."
"You don't want to go back to the Volturi?" Leah asked curiously.
"No, I do, but not if it means losing my mate and my best friend. Isabella is soon to become a Volturi princess, which means that she will take the throne should Aro fall. If she wishes to return and take that title, then I will go with her to make sure that it goes smoothly. After that, I'm sure that we will be able to convince Aro to allow us to set up a branch of the Volturi here in America. I don't want to abandon my life I just want to add you to it. If I need to stay here to do that then I will." Jane nodded decisively along with her conclusion.
Leah smiled and reached out her hand to the vampire before her, pulling her up into a tight hug. The pair stood, bodies pressed together in a secure embrace, getting used to the way that it felt to be back in someone else's arms after so long.
Meanwhile, Isabella breathed in Rosalie's intoxicating scent as she rested her chin on the tall woman's shoulder. It felt natural to be like this and the vampire within her was constantly fighting to let instinct dictate their relationship. It wanted to do more than talk, hug, and be close to one another. Isabella had been keeping it under control but the urge to make Rosalie hers was becoming overwhelming. She knew little about what it meant to mate as a vampire and she was terrified to give in to her instincts, terrified to move too fast. They had agreed to take it slow, to work on getting to know one another and develop a true sense of love that moved beyond the mate bond.
Rosalie for her part was impressed at how well Isabella was able to control her instincts as such a young vampire. Even with decades of experience, Rosalie was still finding it increasingly hard not to give in and take her mate. Vampires, when they find their mate, feel an immediate connection, a desire that becomes all-consuming the longer they waited to consummate their bond. Until their bodies joined as one for the first time, the bond would be considered incomplete and it would continue to wear at their self-restraint until they gave in. However, Rosalie understood that Isabella had spent over a year hating her family for abandoning her, training to block off her emotions and channel them into becoming a formidable fighter. She also understood that her icy façade and stoic resentment had created an initial rift between them that was now needing to be repaired.
Rosalie looked at Isabella and tugged on her hand, gently guiding Isabella away from the crowd and back toward the house. It had been a long time since Isabella had been through the Cullen house, having only been in the living room since arriving back in forks. Rosalie led her up the stairs into a room that Isabella recognized as being distinctly Rosalie's. Isabella's nostrils flared as she entered, her eyes darkening as she breathed in the heady mix of amber and vanilla that was purely her mate.
The room was bright and tastefully crafted, a mix of modern and regal beauty that could only belong to Rosalie. There was a large bed in the center of the room, shelves lining the walls on either side that were crammed full of music records and books, a large tv across from the bed, and a set of white French doors that led to a balcony. Isabella made her way over to the double doors and stepped outside to breathe in the fresh pine air. She felt Rosalie settle at her side and smiled, leaning into the beautiful woman beside her.
"It's beautiful Rose. I've never seen a room more perfectly embody a person."
Rosalie gave her a shy smile. "Yes well, Emmett and I haven't been anything more than friends for a long time. When you were last here we still shared a room, but when we moved back we agreed to officially drop the appearances we tried to keep. Esme and I designed and built this room together, it's my own little hide away. The room is entirely sound proofed but we can still hear what goes on outside of the room. It gives us a bit of privacy without taking away our ability to stay alert."
"So, you and Emmett…" Isabella trailed off, her violet eyes leaving the golden ones before her and traveling back toward the tree line that stretched beyond the balcony view.
"Emmett will forever be my best friend but nothing more. Being your mate, feeling this bond… I will never feel this with anyone else." Rosalie murmured, taking Isabella's hand in her own. The light feeling of electricity that coursed through their connected hands made her smile, a perfect example of the power of the bond that had begun to take them both over.
Isabella sighed contentedly and wrapped an arm around the waist of the woman beside her, pulling her close.
"Is it odd to feel such strong feelings all of a sudden? I, I do not wish to rush this, us. I know that the mate bond pulls us close and quickens the pace of everything." Isabella searched golden eyes for uncertainty, regret, whatever the blonde may be feeling.
"Perhaps if it were one sided" Rosalie mused in return. "I am not good at opening up, being vulnerable, being touched even."
Isabella pulled back just enough to see the faint shadows of fear and doubt flitting across Rosalie's face. She nodded and pulled Rose back in, hugging the blonde securely against her. There was a feeling of serene comfort between them, an odd show of mutual vulnerability for both women whose images depended largely on fear and reputation.
"Will you tell me about yourself?" Isabella asked suddenly, nonexistent blood rushing to color her cheeks if it were possible.
Rosalie looked at her in surprise and then smiled oh so softly before nodding.
"My name is Rosalie Hale and I was born in 1915 in New York. I love cars and mechanics, something people don't typically expect of me. I have dozens of degrees in various fields and I know at least 12 languages."
"Do you like technology tinkering as well as mechanics?" Isabella asked.
Rosalie smiled. "Yes, in fact I have a few patents of my own, under different aliases of course. I have degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, chemistry, and a few other relevant fields."
"Have you heard of the VISA?"
"I am quite familiar with a credit card Isabella" Rosalie laughed, golden eyes twinkling.
Isabella laughed in return and swatted Rosalie's arm playfully, shaking her head.
"No, VISA stands for the Volterra Institute of Science and Academia. It's a fairly new project for the vampire world but it was created to capitalize on the existence of immortal scientists, geniuses, and the like. Imagine if Einstein had become a vampire and continued his amazing work into physics? We took that general idea and created an institute based on ingenuity and discovery right in Volterra. During my time there, I loved going to visit and looking at the new technologies being created."
"How interesting" Rosalie breathed, mind already reeling with questions and images of the technology a vampire could and would want to create.
"I played a part in its beginning for which I am very grateful. I once asked Aro why the hell we hadn't come up with contacts that don't dissolve within an hour. I'm pretty sure I made some very snarky remarks about the collective brain power of the vampire world obviously being the size of a walnut if it hadn't been figured out yet. Aro thought I was onto something and we set about creating the institute. Now, the Volturi have created countless inventions useful for vampires including contacts, lotion to prevent sparkling in the sun, and my personal favorite, distilleries for blood." Isabella smiled cheekily at the woman beside her.
"Distilleries for blood? Like alcohol?"
"Ah yes the beauties of science. We now have ways to ferment blood quite like wine or other alcohols. We have created hundreds of variations and many of them can actually have the same effect as alcohol which can be quite hilarious in a room full of vampires." Isabella looked off into the distant forest and smiled to herself as memories washed over her.
Rosalie arched an eyebrow at her and Isabella smiled once again.
"Hilarious you say? Do tell."
"Well there was this one time that we were all together drinking and having fun and drunk Alec accidentally made out with a statue while professing his love to it."
Rosalie smiled and Isabella continued on.
"But the one that you're probably going to laugh at is the time I got drunk and ended up playing hide and go seek with the entire guard for hours because I couldn't figure out how to turn off my gift. I spent the entire night playing small pranks on fellow guard members, staff, and anyone who crossed my path in my attempt to find my own room. So essentially there was an invisible drunk menace wandering the halls for quite some time that night. I definitely stole multiple sets of clothing, tripped people, threw small objects like I was in an action movie, and ultimately caused a horrible ruckus."
Rosalie was laughing by the end of the story and Isabella looked sheepish, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. But my god the sound of Rosalie Hale's laugh made it all worth it. Isabella couldn't take her eyes off the blonde goddess at her side as she continued to laugh a sound that could make Aphrodite herself fall to her knees in adoration. The way that the newly emerged moonlight caused a slight shimmer to the air around Rosalie's skin, the way her white teeth shone and her eyes crinkled ever so slightly with her laughter, and the warmth radiating off of their connecting bodies was enough to break even the strongest resolve.
Rosalie noticed the deep violet eyes staring at her in lost wonder and met them with her own. Tension built in the air between them and raw energy crackled as the space between them grew shorter and shorter. Neither was sure who leaned in first, just that their faces were now so close to one another that cool breath could be felt ghosting over untouched lips.
It was Isabella that tentatively moved forward to meet Rosalie's lips with her own, a gentle, hesitant pressing that by itself caused a burst of electricity and comfort. They moved in sync, perfectly molded to the shape of one another.
When they finally pulled apart, lips slightly parted and both pairs of eyes far darker than before, there was a sense of inherent longing that took place. Isabella knew in that moment that she would never want to stop kissing the incredible woman before her, and Rosalie was thinking much the same as her eyes drifted back to Isabella's full lips.
As they met once again and their kiss deepened, Isabella let her fingers glide ever so gently underneath the hem of Rosalie's shirt, tracing the smooth skin that appeared from underneath. Rosalie's breath hitched as she felt Isabella draw small patterns on her waist and her eyes grew ever so darker. Upon hearing and feeling her response, Isabella leaned back and rested their foreheads together, drawing in an unnecessary ragged breath, violet eyes now so dark they appeared almost black.
"Stay with me" Rosalie blurted out.
Isabella met Rosalie's eyes and smiled, leaning in to give her a lingering kiss before nodding. The two women made their way back into Rosalie's room and secured the balcony door, listening to the people saying their goodbyes and goodnights from downstairs. Eventually closing doors were heard throughout the house and there was silence.
Isabella felt Jax enter her mind and mentally smiled, letting her happiness wash through their mental link like water in a stream. She could feel his returning smile and wished him a goodnight.
"Will you be okay tonight little one?" his voice rumbled.
"I'm more than okay Jax" Isabella responded, looking at the woman that she held in her arms.