Edward.
42 seconds.
I tipped my head at Alice, acknowledging her thoughts. I shifted my glance to Bella, who stood stiffly beside me. Her face was bright, almost excited looking, but I knew her well enough to see right through the facade. Moving my eyes further downward, I noticed her fingers were curled into tight fists, clenching and unclenching as the seconds ticked by. Her left foot was tapping impatiently against the cement of the porch, and she'd switch her weight every few seconds and tap with the other one. I sighed, and turned to look at Jasper.
She's anxious, but mostly nervous. And a little bit afraid.
I frowned, and leaned closer to Bella, opening my mouth to whisper comforting words into her ear. Alice interrupted me, jumping from her seat on the porch railing. She extended her arm, lifting a finger to point at the silver Ferrari that was zooming around the curve of the road, slowing as it approached the house. If at all possible, Bella grew even more tense.
I positioned myself closer to her, trying to re-assure her that she was acting ridiculous. I knew that her main focus was on Tanya. She was convinced that they were engaged in some sort of competition for my affection, and despite the countless times I had promised Bella that there wasn't even a contest to begin with, she kept the crazy notion in her head.
She lifted her head to look up at me for a second, before a soft smile crept across her luscious lips. I grinned back, and she leaned against my figure. I lowered my head, and placed a soft kiss against the top of her head, enjoying the astonishing scent of Bella. She turned her attention back to the extravagant vehicle that was now pulling into the driveway, stopping just before the porch. I narrowed my eyes, noticing the familiar blonde that was sat in front of the steering wheel. She was grinning as she raised her hand and waved in my direction. Bella hissed.
They exited the car in synchronization, the doors closing shut in harmony. I counted as they approached the sidewalk leading to the entrance, and frowned. I wonder where Irina is, Rosalie's thoughts mimicked my own. Well, this shortens our defense.
"Ah, Cullen's, it is lovely to see you again," Carmen greeted warmly, glancing over us all. Her eyes stopped on Bella, and noticing the body language between Bella and I, she grinned widely. I've never seen him look so alive.
"Likewise. You all look well, but if you don't mind me being so blunt, why isn't Irina joining us?" Esme inquired, clasping her hands together by her sides. Carmen threw a worried glance at Elezar, her gaze questioning. He grimaced, but nodded. He looked over at me, acknowledging that I could hear him. We will discuss this later. I nodded, and Carmen smiled gratefully at me.
"Now, who is this gorgeous creature beside Edward? I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting," Elezar grinned, stepping forward. Bella softened in my embrace. I lowered my hand, wrapping it around her lower back and nudging her forward. She growled lowly at me, but I ignored it. Elezar reached for her hand, and she took it without hesitation, shaking it cautiously.
"I'm Bella. It's very nice to meet you," she greeted politely. The gasps from Kate and Tanya were not discreet. Wasn't Bella the crazy human that he fled Forks over? I glared at Tanya, and she smiled sheepishly. She turned her gaze back to Bella, and moved to Elezar's side. I heard the intake of Bella's sharp breath as Tanya stood in front of her.
"Hello, Bella. I've certainly heard a lot about you. You've caused quite an uproar in the family, haven't you?" Tanya asked, laughing loudly. My eyes narrowed, my spiteful smile shifting into a glare. Bella giggled nervously, but threw me a frantic look. Tanya noticed. "Oh, I apologize! I'm Tanya, it's wonderful to finally meet you!"
Bella's lips curled into a smile, a gesture that I knew was forced, but I felt immense relief for the effort that she was giving. I watched carefully as Bella shook hands with Carmen and Kate, greeting them with hospitality. I can't really describe how she feels right now. But she's very .. defeated. I think Tanya is intimidating to her. I sighed, and decided to put her out of her misery.
Moving forward, I grasped Bella's hand and yanked her backwards. Her back collided with my chest, and I didn't waste any time in constricting my arms around her waist. I could feel the panic tingling on her body, but I didn't release her. I lowered my head, and opened my mouth once I reached her earlobe. She shuddered at the feel of my breath against her ear.
"Stop worrying, please? Tanya isn't formulating plots of destruction in her head. Her mind is very pleasant actually. Like I said, your fears are ludicrous."
She made a soft noise that resembled a hmph. I rolled my eyes, and pulled her closer to my body. He looks so happy. I moved my eyes in Tanya's direction, and smiled once at her, nodding my head. Her gaze diverted the ground for a second, before she caught mine again, and grinned. I took a breath. This was good.
Tanya and I didn't have enough of a relationship for her to consider Bella a threat. I wanted to laugh at the concept. Though there was once a time that Tanya's feelings for me weren't family related, and her thoughts about me definitely weren't family related, I knew that was in the past. It would be completely ridiculous and immature for Tanya to feel threatened, because there was never a chance for her. Bella had my heart, my soul, my everything. Bella was my everything.
Everybody moved into the living room. Esme had purchased a new couch for the occasion. It sat in one corner of the room, and formed an L shape as it curved onto a different side of the wall. It was big enough for the Denali clan to occupy, and as my own family gathered around the recliners and other couches, that's where they sat. Bella took a step towards the loveseat, expecting me to follow, but I plopped down onto one of the recliners. She turned around, and I watched as her face fell. I immediately felt guilty, and tilted my head back, signaling for her to come over. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto my lap. She looked surprised for a moment, but a smile broke across her face.
Bella.
My eyes kept moving to look at Tanya. I couldn't help it. How was it possible for one person to be so inhumanely gorgeous? I mean, geesh, I knew that she was a vampire, but I felt like a dirty sock just sitting in the same room as her. Don't get me wrong, I still considered Rosalie to be the most beautiful woman in existence, but I think it was the fact that Tanya pined for Edward that got me in such a frenzy. It was either her or me, and it was certainly very obvious who was the beautiful one between the two of us.
I couldn't hear the conversations that were floating around me. Well, I could, but I didn't have the attention span to listen. I was vaguely aware that Esme and Carmen were chatting animatedly about home furnishing, and Emmett was arguing with Jasper about something that had been on television, but I stayed silent. I could feel eyes burning into the top of my head, and I looked up.
Tanya was staring at me. Her wide, golden eyes were narrowing as she looked at me curiously. I felt my insides deflate. She blinked once, and I groaned soundlessly. How could she even make blinking look graceful?
I crossed my arms over my chest, and lowered my head once more. My eyes were tracing the patterns of the wooden floor beneath us, when I felt Edward's breath at the base of my neck. I jumped at the feeling, and closed my eyes to stop them from rolling back in pleasure. He chuckled from under me, his body vibrating softly. He pressed his lips to my exposed collarbone, letting them linger as he moved upwards. I was shuddering with every kiss he left, my skin burning desperately from the contact. I let one of my hands tangle into his hair as he continue to kiss my neck, where my pulse once was.
I wanted to yell at him, scold him for behaving in such a crude manner in front of our guests, but I couldn't bring myself to stop him. It was so sickening how pleasurable his lips could be, and in this moment, I didn't care who was watching. I opened one eye, glancing shyly at Tanya. She was watching us, her face blank and void of any emotion. I wanted to smile at this. Though she was clearly the gorgeous one, Edward wasn't kissing her neck. He was with me. Suddenly, all of my fears and ideas seemed incredibly immature and childish.
Edward moved his lips to my chin, just below my lips. I grinned, and bit back the giggle that I was tempted to release. I opened my other eye, moving to look at Jasper. He was staring at us with an amused face. Once Edward moved back down to my neck, I mouthed the word 'sorry' to him, and he broke out into a wide grin, shaking his head relentlessly.
Edward's lips suddenly stopped, and I frowned from the loss of contact. Emmett began laughing, obviously noticing my crestfallen face, and I growled sharply at him. His laughter increased, but Carlisle quickly scolded him and requested that he be quiet.
"I've discussed this with you over the telephone, but I must re-address the matter. Victoria is building an army of newborn vampires. Right now, Alice can see at least fifteen of them. She sees more in the future as well. You've already accepted our favor to fight with us, but I will understand if you wish to withdrawal," Carlisle announced, glancing nervously at the family of four that sat on the new couch. Carmen smiled.
"You are all family. Of course we will fight. That is final."
I smiled. The woman reminded me so much of Esme, but she had her own warmness to her. It was comforting, like a mother, just as Esme's. But she had a certain aura of happiness that was so contagious, that I found myself smiling with her for no reasons at all sometimes.
"Thank you. We appreciate it. Now, we've all been merely curious. Is there something wrong with Irina?"
Kate sighed, scowling as she shared a look with Tanya, before glaring down at the floor.
"She hasn't been very well lately, since the death of her mate, Laurent. I'm sure Bella remembers him," Kate explained, throwing an odd look at me. I stiffened, and tried to read her expression. "She wouldn't be much help in a fight. And I am actually quite glad she decided not to join us. I don't think she would've reacted to your new family addition quite as well as we did."
Edward tensed, and I could feel the anger radiating off of him.
"Are you hinting that Bella is to blame for Laurent's death?" he spat angrily. Kate's eyes widened in realization. I was about to ask Edward to calm down, but I figured that her thoughts about me weren't very nice. Oh, well. She was bringing it upon herself. The wrath of Edward Cullen was not something pretty.
"If you think about it, in a way, it is," Tanya replied coolly. I stared at her with disbelieving eyes. Edward jumped up, and I almost slid off of the chair, but he caught me, grabbing my elbow and pulling me up. "Not that he didn't deserve it, because he most definitely did. I was just making a point," she concluded. Her face remained calm as she gazed at Edward. Was it not a big deal to her that they were blaming me for her sister's depression?
"Maybe your sister should've found somebody with a little more self-control," I muttered, re-calling the hungry look in Laurent's eyes as he neared me in the meadow. I shuddered at the memory.
Suddenly, I was thrown backwards. Edward was crouching protectively in front of me, snarling at the blonde vampire that was towering angrily in front of him. She was hissing at me, trying to push through Edward to get to me. I sat, wide-eyed on the ground, staring at her in awe. Alice quickly moved to my side, helping me up and moving me away from the livid vampire.
"Kate, please, calm yourself!" Tanya was shouting, grabbing her sister around the shoulders to pull her back. Kate pointed a finger in my direction, still struggling against Carmen and Tanya's hold.
"You shut your mouth about my sister. You don't know anything about her!"
I was so confused, so shocked, so afraid and so embarrassed. I knew I had a big mouth, and I knew I could be sarcastic sometimes, but I didn't think my comment had been so spiteful that she would want to attack me. I gulped, a string of word vomit creeping up my throat. There were so many things I wanted to apologize for.
"Kate, Tanya, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean-" I began, struggling to find the voice. Kate's angry snarl cut me off, and I backed up into Alice's embrace in shock. Her black eyes narrowed.
"I refuse to fight for her. If it were for the benefit of any other Cullen, I would do it in a heartbeat. But not her. She's not family," she snapped, before her eyes moved to the heart-shaped crest that lay around my neck. The words hurt me probably a lot more than they should've. I didn't know her enough to call her a friend. She was merely a stranger at this point, but the words cut me in half. Even if I didn't know her, I knew that she was special to my family, which opened up a space in my heart for her. Even a space for Tanya, but apparently, it wasn't wanted.
"Kate, please be reasonable. It is for the benefit of us. There's a chance we'll be harmed if .." Esme's pleas were drowned by my sudden anxiety. I was aware that Alice was whispering something into my ear, but I couldn't hear.
"I tried to apologize .." I moaned miserably, but it probably sounded like a sob. Alice's hand was moving down my forearm, rubbing it in a comforting gesture. She placed a hand on my shoulder, and pushed me backwards until I was in the kitchen. Suddenly, I was in Edward's arms.
"Edward, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to be so horrible! It was so wrong of me and-"
"Bella, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. She doesn't deserve your apology. In her mind, she was blaming you. She was blaming you for her sister's loss!" he yelled, the outrage evident in his voice. I winced, knowing that Kate would be able to hear him from the living room. He didn't seem to mind. I shook my head.
"But she's your family, and she's right. If it weren't for me-"
"No. No, no, no!" he bellowed. I stared up at him with wide eyes, not able to speak. "He was going to kill you, Bella. He was going to take you away from me. I'm so grateful that the wolves interceded when they did. I will never be able to explain the immense gratitude I hold to them, for saving your life. And if he escaped, even after leaving you unharmed, I would've hunted him down and killed him anyway, for even considering taking your life."
I couldn't speak. My throat suddenly felt dry, and all I could do was nod. His angry lips turned into a soft smile, and he leaned down.
"Don't you listen to a word she says, okay?" he asked, pressing his forehead against mine. I still couldn't speak, so I just nodded. "Good girl."
His lips were suddenly against mine. I marveled at the sensation that seemed to shake my bones. It was the first time that we had kissed since the day that we pushed our limits, taking it almost too far. It was amazing that I could withstand days without his kisses. I clutched the back of his neck, rising up on my tip-toes to return the passion. He chuckled against my lips, and wrapped an arm around my lower back, lifting me slightly. My feet were no longer touching the ground, dangling just a few inches above the floor.
His lips weren't hungry or eager, which was something that I appreciated. His tongue spoke words without talking as it entered my mouth. They were words of re-assurance, comfort and belonging. His free hand clutched the left side of my face, and I smiled when I felt his thumb trace fingers against my cheekbone. He felt the action, and smiled against my own lips, breaking apart for a moment.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to fight the urge to do that every moment of the day?" he whispered huskily. I laughed, my forehead against his again. I was back on my feet, but stretching to meet his lowered neck.
"Why fight it? I'm not protesting," I retorted, pressing my lips to the smooth skin on his cheek. He grinned, and enveloped me into his arms. Everything went out the window for the moment. All that mattered was Edward, and I loved that he could do this to me. That he could do this for me. I knew his anger was probably out of control, but he found it in himself to calm down and make me forget about everything.
I forgot about the fact that my father was in the hospital, that a crazy vampire was creating an army against my family, and that my mouth had just caused me to lose a potential friend. I forgot everything that didn't involve my love for Edward.
Edward.
Once I was positive that Tanya had escorted Kate out of the house, and into the forest to hunt, I led Bella back into the living room. I could tell by her body movements that she was still greatly upset and ashamed over what had happened, though she had absolutely no reason to. Carmen and Elezar wore concerned faces as they watched Bella enter the room. Esme was the first to rise, engulfing Bella in a hug.
"Don't you feel sorry, dear. You have nothing to feel sorry for, okay?" I heard her whisper gently into Bella's ear. She nodded, and returned to my side. She followed me back to the recliner, and we took our previous positions. Carlisle opened his mouth to start explaining more details about Victoria, but Bella took us all by surprise by speaking instead.
"I know you said that I don't have anything to apologize for, but I can't help but feel that my big mouth might've caused such a huge problem. I don't want to cause trouble in the family. I don't want to be a nuisance-"
"Bella, stop it. You are family," Rosalie scorned her, and I nodded furiously in agreement. She sighed, and diverted her gaze to her lap, where her hands lay. I reached around her waist, and grabbed them. She tilted her head back a bit, and I pressed my lips against her cheek. She leaned closer to me, her lips suddenly at the side of my head, reaching my ear. I bit my lip to stop from groaning.
"Edward," she whispered so softly that I would only hear. "I cost us the loss of another fighter. What are we going to do? Our numbers are too small compared to Victoria's," she questioned. The fear and dread in her voice was tearing at me, and I wished I could just eliminate every person that ever even thought of harming my Bella with just a snap of my finger. If only it could be that easy.
I closed my eyes, suddenly seeing flashes of brown fur, narrowed alignment of teeth and huge paws. I suppressed a heavy sigh, and ran a hand over my face. This was absurd, but it just might work.
"Don't worry about it. I have a plan," I whispered in a finalized tone.
Exactly what was I getting myself into?
Don't hate me! I know it's been forever since I've updated, but I've been incredibly busy! But since Holidays and my birthday have passed, my head is totally in the game now, haha. So, I absolutely had to create a rivalry between one of the Denali's and Bella, but I didn't say it would Tanya. ;] I love switching things up, though. Making Tanya and Bella fight would be way too used, you know? Anyway, I've added a picture on my homepage to who/what Tanya looks like (Until she appears in one of the movies) I've photoshopped the picture and everything, since she's normally ridiculously tanned, haha. You don't have to picture her like that, but that's what I see her as. Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter! Hopefully I didn't disappoint. I tried really hard with this one seeing as the last one was kind of a fail, haha. Thanks! :D