DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to us, although we would love to have Edward. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.
Author's Note:Thank you all for your supportive feedback! We know some of you have been taken aback by some of the events and changes with the characters but remember we are enhancing a few details about our beloved Cullen clan. We are enjoying the journey this story is taking us on and are thrilled that you all are with us for the ride! Enjoy! VBR & My Bella
I led Alice up the stairs and out onto the back deck. She ran her hands over the railing, putting her fingers in the indentations I had made last night.
"Esme's going to be upset when she sees this," Alice sighed.
"I don't believe Esme cares about a railing at the moment. She is much more concerned with the well-being of our family," I told her.
"There's no point. What's done is done," Alice muttered, sitting down and crossing her legs beneath her.
I sat and mimicked her position. "What do you mean by that?"
"You saw what I saw, Edward. Victoria is coming and she's bringing those demons from Italy with her."
"And we will be ready for them when they arrive. The future is not set in stone, Alice."
"I recall you saying that about Bella becoming one of us, Edward. You swore it would never come to pass, and yet she is."
"That's different and you know it."
"I know that it was a vision that came true," she said sadly.
"So you're just going to shrink into yourself and let that vision of Jasper come true? Let your fear incapacitate you and leave you watching as his throat gets ripped out and his blood seeps into the ground?" I asked, barely holding on to my temper. I wasn't about to let my sister just give up and allow her vision to come true.
"SHUT UP!" she screamed, loud enough to shatter one of the windows on the deck door.
I yelled right back. "It wasn't my decision that gave you that vision, Alice. It wasn't Jasper's or yours, either. So why are you going to let that vision dictate your life?"
"Because I've never had one so strong, so clear," she whispered, staring down at her tiny hands.
"And you've rarely had one come true exactly as you saw it either. True that you saw Bella becoming one of us, but the time and circumstance of her change was never the same. As much as she wanted it, I didn't and therefore, it was constantly changing. Well, I don't want to see Bella dead at my feet so I'm going to do everything I can to change that vision of yours. What are you going to do?"
She didn't answer me and as much as I didn't want to, I knew I had to be cruel with her to snap her out of this.
"Have you tired of Jasper so quickly, Alice? Or maybe you're tired of the family thing? Do you want to go back to it just being you, wandering around by yourself and having no one to console you when you get visions that scare you? No one around when you get one that brings you joy? Or is it just that you don't mind seeing Jasper's bloody body on the ground before you?" I asked, keeping my voice stern. All I really wanted to do was to pull her into my arms and protect her, but I couldn't. I needed her to fight with me. I needed her focused and willing to do everything to protect our family.
A viscous snarl ripped through Alice's little chest as her eyes turned pitch black and she bared her venom-coated teeth at me. "No one touches my Jasper," she spat. "I will rip off Victoria's arms and legs then pull out every single red hair on her head. That bitch will pay for even thinking about hurting my family."
I smiled proudly at my sister cupping her face. "That's my Ally. Now that you're back my little fairy, I have a job for you..."
I explained my idea of going out as a family and having it double as Bella's first test around humans. Alice readily agreed as she calmed herself, different outfit combinations for Bella already flying through her mind.
"That leather skirt would definitely make the night interesting," I teased, smiling at her.
"What a perfectly Emmett thing to say," Alice chuckled.
"What would I say?" Emmett asked, standing in the doorway holding a shard of broken glass in his big paw.
"Nothing," Alice and I replied together.
"Well, if the pixie is done breaking windows around here, I've convinced Rosie a night out is a good idea," Emmett said.
"Emmett, out of the way," Jasper barked from somewhere behind him, wanting to get to Alice.
"Make me move, soldier boy," Emmett chuckled, turning just a little so that his body completely filled up the threshold.
Jasper's growl rumbled through the doorway and I laughed as I picked up on his plan. Jasper shoved Emmett right in the middle of his back, making him stumble forward so suddenly that Emmett flipped right over the railing and fell to the ground below, landing with a loud thud.
"Jasper, you're dead!" Emmett roared, his words barely audible over the loud laughter coming form Alice and me.
"I told you to get out of the way," Jasper chuckled, pulling Alice up and into his arms. "I've missed your smile."
Alice smiled even wider. "Jazz, I love you," she said, kissing the tip of his chin.
Jasper looked over her head and nodded his head toward me. "Thank you."
I smiled at his thought and entered the house, giving the two of them some privacy.
I picked up that freesia smell I loved and followed it into our room. Bella was standing in front of the window wall, looking down into the backyard. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder. She was watching Emmett and Rose in the backyard. Rose was dusting off the back of Emmett's shirt as he told her all about how Jasper had been mean to him. Emmett couldn't see the wicked grin on Rose's face or hear in her thoughts her amusement over him falling from the deck, but I could and Bella heard them through me.
"Do you really think it's wise for my first experience with humans to come from a crowded night club?" Bella asked, her voice betraying the calm look on her face.
"You have shown a great amount of control already, Bella. I doubt this will be any different," I assured her. I turned my head and started a trail of kisses along her neck.
"Why is that, Edward?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
I knew she was asking me something important, but I was distracted by her skin and her sweet smell. "What?" I asked focusing again.
"Why do I have that control? Newborns are supposed to be wild and unpredictable."
"You are still quite unpredictable, love," I murmured as my lips brushed against her earlobe.
"Edward, I'm serious," she fussed, pulling away and turning to face me.
"I apologize, Bella," I said as I put my arms around her once again. "It's difficult to find the right words to explain what your abilities as a tracker can really mean."
"Stop worrying about protecting me and just tell me, Edward."
"Silly Bella," I sighed, brushing her hair away from her pale face. "I will never stop trying to protect you. You are my life," I said as she grew sullen. "Bella, remember we discussed that if you train properly you will be more advanced than any one of us can imagine? You could find anyone or anything you wished once you picked up its scent. You and I together can be even more amazing because you gain the advantage of picking up actual thoughts from those around us through me. But even without that, you would still be able to anticipate your prey. You will sense what they will do, where they will go. Like any other gift, it can be used for good or for evil. Your abilities will make you part of the most lethal breed amongst the vampires," I finished, caressing her face.
"Like James?" she whispered, her eyes widening with both fear and realization.
"No, Bella. You are nothing like James. You would never hunt someone down just for fun."
"But I could. Edward, what about Charlie? If I decided I wanted to…to feed from him, he wouldn't be able to get away. I would always find him!" She started to shake her head from side to side. "No, I can't go home. I just can't risk his life that way."
"Bella, calm down," I demanded, gripping her shoulders tight enough to grab her attention, but not hurt.
She took a deep, steadying breath and put her hands over my wrists. "Edward, I won't risk his life that way."
"Bella, let's just see what happens tonight and then we'll decide about Charlie. Let's take this one step at a time."
"Oh, sure! Let's not worry about the lives of a club full of innocent humans! We can risk them. What's it matter if I slaughter them all just so we can find out if Charlie will live or be killed by his own daughter?"
"Isabella," I said sternly.
Her eyes snapped over and locked with mine. "I'm sorry, Edward. I know you would never arbitrarily put human lives at risk. This is just hard to deal with all at once. I don't think I want the ability to be a tracker. Everything bad that's happened to us has come from James being in that field."
I cupped her face in my hands. "Isabella, you are not James. You have a heart, a soul, a conscience. And besides that, not every tracker out there acts as James did."
"I don't want to put my father in danger, Edward. And even if he's fine around me, that won't last for long with Victoria coming."
"What do you suggest then?" I asked staring deeply into her eyes.
"I…I don't know," she sighed, dropping hers to the floor.
"Let's go out and enjoy a night of normalcy with our family, okay? When we get home, we can discuss it with everyone. Having their opinions might help us to decide the best path to follow."
She nodded her head, still staring at the floor.
I lifted her chin up with my finger and forced her eyes to meet with mine.
"Do you have any concept at all of how much I love you?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"I would no more allow you to harm someone than I would allow harm to come to you. This is not the ideal way for our life together to start out, but we will make the most of it, together."
"Okay, but do we really have to go back to school?" she asked, a sly grin breaking out across her face. "I mean, I am eternal now, so what's it matter if I wait a few years before graduating for the first of many times?"
"Bella," Alice chirped as she danced into the room interrupting my response. "Time to get dressed."
"Are you sure I can even get into this place?" Bella asked, looking at Alice.
"Bella Swan probably can't," Alice chuckled.
"But Bella Cullen certainly can," Jasper added smiling widely, holding a newly forged driver's license in his hand.
Bella crossed the room in seconds, took the card from Jasper, and returned to my arms before any of us had even fully registered her movements.
"Bella Cullen." she mused, running her finger over the plastic card.
"Would have preferred a different last name?" I asked, suddenly hurt to think she didn't want to take my name.
"Not preferred necessarily, but I have given some thought to using Masen," she replied, looking up at me shyly.
"So if I asked you to…" I didn't even finish the sentence, too afraid of her answer.
"I might be inclined to think about it," she said, giving nothing away with her face or thoughts. She walked right past me, took hold of Alice's arm, and disappeared from the room.
I looked at my brother, feeling completely baffled. "What just happened?"
"That, Edward, was you finding out what it's like to have your woman toy with you," Jasper chuckled, patting my shoulder. "Welcome to the club, old boy."
"Was she serious or not?" I asked.
"How should I know," he shrugged.
"Because you feel emotions," I said, glaring at him.
"Emotions, Edward, not intentions," Jasper replied, smirking as he left my room.
Even though I was slightly frustrated at not having the answers I wanted, I found myself smiling, glad that for at least a little while, things could be so normal for all us. My family deserved nothing but happiness, and I would see to it that no harm came to them. I looked down at the ring on my finger, Esme's grandfather's ring. I clenched my fist and stared at the intricate designs on the band. I would protect them all, no matter what I had to do.
I spent the next few hours listening to music in my room, waiting for dusk so that I could be with Bella again. As twilight descended upon the outside world, I changed into the clothes Alice had suggested for tonight's activities. I headed down the stairs and found my brothers playing a video game on Emmett's game console.
"Watch this move," Emmett declared, getting his character to rip off the head of Jasper's character. "That's what I'll be doing to that Volturi scum if they come here."
"Emmett, the more you talk about it, the more you'll get yourself worked up," Jasper warned. "Think of something else."
"Not that something else," I groaned as the image of Rosalie in a very provocative position filled Emmett's mind and seeped into mine.
Emmett chuckled, but otherwise ignored my comment. "Eddie's turn to get a butt-kicking," he said, choosing his new character for our fight.
"Go with that ninja character," Jasper instructed, holding out the controller to me. "Emmett has trouble getting past his roundhouse kick."
"How about you three turn that off and feast your eyes on something a lot more appealing?" Rose called from behind us.
We turned to see the girls coming down the stairs in single file. As each of them came down off the bottom step, they twirled to show off their outfits. I looked to my brothers, finding identical goofy grins on them, exactly like the one on my face.
Esme and Carlisle came down next, both of them looking young and in love. "Are we ready to leave?" Carlisle asked.
"Yes," Jasper replied, turning off the television and game console.
Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice left in Rose's convertible, while Carlisle and Esme took the Mercedes, and Bella and I followed behind in the Aston Martin. We arrived in Seattle quickly and made our way over to the club Alice had picked out. Thankfully, she had chosen one that would have music we would all enjoy.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I lowered the windows and allowed the smells around us to fill up the car, giving Bella her first smell of Seattle as a vampire. Her nostrils flared and her eyes darkened, but she didn't move a single inch and her posture remained relaxed.
I smiled proudly as I took her hand into mine and kissed the back of it. "Bella?"
She turned her head toward me and smiled sweetly, but I could still tell that she was concerned. "Is it going to get worse once we get inside?"
"Yes, love. We will be packed inside of that building with them and there will be the added smells of smoke, sweat, and alcohol. But that's only if you think you can handle it."
"Just give me a minute to get used to it. It's so different from the forest."
"Tell me about the difference." I asked.
"Well, the deer blood smelled sweet, while the lion was musty and thick. The rabbit was plain and much too thin."
"And the humans?"
"Thick like the lion and plain like the rabbit, too. I taste the venom in my mouth, but it doesn't bother me. I think the added smells of the cologne and perfume are affecting me, basically turning down the bloodlust."
"It could also be because you know in your heart that you don't want to harm them, love."
"But what if someone's blood in there 'sings' to me like mine did for you?" she asked, pulling my hand away from her cheek and into both of hers.
"Then we deal with that when we come to it, Bella. I'm sorry I don't have all the answers for you, but if you trust me and come inside, we can find out together."
"I'm not afraid of the answers, Edward. I'm only afraid of disappointing you."
"The only way I could ever be disappointed is if you stopped trying and gave up on controlling yourself."
"That won't happen," she said, her conviction strong in her voice.
"Then we have nothing to worry about," I assured her, giving her the crooked smile she loved.
We exited the car and joined our family, walking right into the club, much to the annoyance of the humans stuck standing in line. Alice led us over to one of the VIP areas and we all sat for a few minutes, allowing ourselves to become accustomed to the smells around us.
Bella's nostrils flared and her breathing quickened as a low growl started deep within her chest.
"Stop breathing," I ordered.
She ignored me, her growl growing louder.
"Isabella, stop breathing right now," I commanded.
She nodded and held her breath, sitting on the edge of her seat with her entire body tensed.
I pressed on her hips and got her to sit completely back on the sofa. "Bella, I want you to continue holding your breath until you feel relaxed. After that, you will take small, shallow breaths until you can handle the smells around you."
Her growling stopped, but she was still tense, her body vibrating slightly beneath my hands.
"Edward, do you want me to help?" Jasper asked concerned.
"No. Not yet. Let's see if she can calm herself first," I replied. I turned back to Bella, making sure she was looking right at me. "I know you can do this, Bella. You have the control; you just need to use it. Take a shallow breath and if it's too much, stop and wait before trying again."
Bella nodded her head, still holding her breath. I waited anxiously to see if she would find that conviction she'd had in the car. After a few very long minutes, Bella cautiously sniffed the air. She stopped breathing immediately, tensing up all over again.
"You're doing great, Bella. Just relax and try again when you're ready," I encouraged, letting go of her waist and holding her hands instead. I wanted her to know that I trusted her judgment, and for her to trust herself.
Much sooner than before, Bella started to breathe. They were slow and shallow, but they were also steady. Bella looked up at me and smiled tentatively.
"You are doing remarkably well," I told her, kissing her forehead. "How do you feel?"
"My throat hurts, but it's not unbearable," she replied, swallowing back her venom.
"We will go hunting as soon as we get home," Carlisle said. "Until things are resolved, we will hunt in groups of four, with either Edward or Alice in every group. It will be much harder for them to take us by surprise that way."
"Time to dance!" Alice announced, jumping up and grabbing hold of Jasper. They disappeared into the crowd below a little faster than they should have, but it wouldn't have done any good to admonish Alice. She was too focused on keeping that vision out of her head.
"Rosie?" Emmett questioned holding a hand out to her.
"Sure," she replied, taking it and letting him lead her down to where Alice and Jasper were.
"Edward, are we going to dance?" Bella asked, excitement in her eyes as she looked down at the others dancing below us.
I put a finger under her chin and turned her face toward me, checking her eyes. "Are you in control?"
"I think so," she said, nodding her head.
"If your throat gets worse, tell me right away," I demanded.
She nodded her head in agreement and put her hand in mine.
I stood and pulled her up with me before turning to face Carlisle and Esme. "Are you two joining us?"
"When the music is more to our liking," Carlisle said, smiling as he stared at Esme. They both wanted to just sit back and watch their "children" for a bit.
I eyed Bella closely as we made our way out onto the crowded dance floor, knowing it would be even harder for her here than it had been upstairs.
She stopped breathing once again, but her thoughts let me know there was nothing to worry about. "Don't breathe. It's not like you need to and the humans are too busy to notice you anyway. Maybe some shallow breaths later, but not now."
Bella had no idea just how strong and in control she truly was. Very few newborns would be able to rationalize like she was doing, and that's with them still sitting outside in my car, much less right in the middle of a crowd of closely packed humans.
After a few songs, Bella relaxed and started taking shallow breaths again. She smiled up at me, ecstatic that she was controlling herself so well. "Edward, does this mean Charlie's going to be okay around me?"
"Yes, love," I answered, happy that she wouldn't have to give up her father just yet. She'd already given up so much to be with me. And this way, she could focus on what was coming without being distracted by his loss.
"Edward, I don't mean to be, but I'm jealous," Jasper thought, knowing I would hear him.
I chuckled and pulled Bella closer, placing a kiss on top of her head.
"What's so funny?" she asked as she put her arms around my back.
"Jasper's jealous, love. He's amazed at how well you are handling the proximity of the humans at your young age."
"He should know I'm only making it look easy. This is much harder than I thought. Actually, I had sort of thought that whole aversion to blood thing would have come over with me."
"It seems like it only gave you a discerning palate, love," I chuckled.
"What do you mean?" she asked; her eyes full of curiosity as she looked up at me.
"Newborns aren't usually capable of distinguishing the aroma and texture of blood. They're lust is so out of control that they don't care, as long as their thirst is slated. But you, my love, you have cared from the start. You immediately preferred deer over rabbit. And now that you've tasted mountain lion, I'm fairly certain deer won't satisfy you as it once did."
Her brow creased as she thought about my comments, turning them over in that exquisitely intricate brain of hers. "Is that part of the tracker thing as well?"
"It might be. But then again, we all have our preference. Emmett enjoys his bears, Rosalie is rather fond of moose, Alice loves gazelles, and I, of course, prefer mountain lion." I said raising my eyebrows playfully.
"What about Jasper?"
"He hasn't found one he enjoys more than others yet," I replied.
A particularly foul-smelling human noticed Bella and started making his way toward her. I quickly turned her around and started leading her back up to our private area. It was one thing to be surrounded by these humans, but another to have one right in your face, their fragile neck so close to your mouth.
"Edward, I wasn't done dancing," Bella pouted as we sat down next to Carlisle and Esme.
"I thought you despised dancing, love?" I teased, grinning at her.
"I'm not clumsy anymore," she said. She smiled wickedly as she finished speaking with her thoughts. "I think you saw for yourself today just how coordinated I can be. After all, I did manage to swim out to you while barely disturbing the water. The only thing I affected was you."
I laughed and pulled her against my side. "You are determined to test as many boundaries as possible, aren't you?"
"I'm not doing anything Edward. I was just sitting here thinking," she replied, feigning innocence.
Carlisle and Esme finally found a song they liked and they went down to join the rest of our family while Bella and I relaxed together on the sofa. The thoughts of the humans swirled through my head, but I did my best to ignore them, occasionally pinching the bridge of my nose, wanting relief. As old as I was, I still had trouble controlling my gift at times. I wished I could discover how to turn it off at times, especially during the times when my family members were getting "close" with their mates.
I was just about to ask Bella if she wanted to dance some more when she suddenly disappeared from my arms. I did my best not to panic, but she was a newborn using her new abilities in a crowded nightclub. I stood up scanning the room frantically.
"Edward, she won't be seen, but you need to get down to the far end of the bar, near the bathroom," Alice shouted to me with her thoughts.
I moved as quickly as I could while still keeping up the human charade. I had to get to Bella, but it wouldn't be wise to call attention to myself or her, especially if Alice was correct and no one had seen her yet.
I spotted a flash of her mahogany hair as I neared the bar. I made it through another tightly packed section of dancers and found Bella holding a napkin, wiping down the bottom of some woman's dress.
"I'm so sorry for knocking that over on you. I am such a klutz. I have been my whole life," Bella was saying.
"It's okay," the woman laughed. "I didn't even buy that drink. Some guy bought it for me."
"Not to tell you what to do or anything, but you really shouldn't accept drinks from men you don't know. Not all of them have the best of intentions," Bella cautioned.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, stepping closer to them.
Bella gave me a sheepish smile. "Yes, Edward. I just had a clumsy moment and spilled a drink on this very nice woman."
"Rita," the woman said, smiling at Bella. "My name is Rita."
Bella returned her smile. "I'm Bella, and this is my very wonderful boyfriend, Edward."
"You have quite the title, Edward," Rita laughed, holding out her hand.
I shook it quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice the cold of my skin. "I'm sorry that my clumsy girlfriend damaged your dress," I told her, winking at Bella. "I would be happy to pay for the dry-cleaning."
"Oh, no," Rita said, waving her hands. "It was a complete accident. Lord knows, I've done that a time or two, myself."
"Well, in that case, it was very nice to meet you, Rita, but I do need to steal my girlfriend away." I pulled Bella to me and wrapped my arm tightly around her waist. "She promised to dance with me and I really must make sure she honors that promise."
"Yes, I did promise, didn't I?" Bella replied, smiling up at me.
"It was a pleasure to meet you both. Have a wonderful night," Rita told us.
I nodded my head toward her and then turned, pulling Bella down the short hallway, out of the backdoor, and into the alley. "What was that, Isabella Marie Swan?" I demanded, spinning her around so that she was facing me.
"Edward, I can explain," Bella replied, pleading with her thoughts for me to listen to her and not be angry.
I nodded my head, letting her know she could continue.
"We were sitting upstairs and I was listening to all of the thoughts you were hearing. I think it's fascinating that you don't go mad from having your mind bombarded with all of those alien thoughts. I understand now why you enjoyed being around me so much as a human and the peace it must have brought you to be with me and hear only your mind." She paused for a moment, debating on how to explain.
"Bella, just tell me."
"Well, there was one thought that passed and you didn't seem to notice it, but I couldn't ignore it. A man had put a drug in that woman Rita's drink and he was planning to pull her into the bathroom and do awful things to her once the drug knocked her out. I couldn't let him do that. So, I ran down and knocked her drink over."
"How did you find her?" I asked, my curiosity pushing away every other emotion for the moment.
"That was the cool part," she replied, smiling at me. "I was sort of able to see everything at once and using the images you were picking up from him, I picked her out of the crowd. I know that has to be a tracker ability, Edward, and I was able to do something really good with it."
"Be that as it may, do you have any idea of how much danger you put all of us in, moving the way you did in a crowded bar?" I asked, being stern with her, but not harsh.
"Edward, he was going to hurt her."
"Bella, that will happen a lot, but we are not superheroes. We can't save them all."
"You saved me once upon a time. What if you had just ignored what you heard…"
"Bella, those were different circumstances."
"Why was it different, because you were in love with me? Well, Edward, someone loves Rita, even if it's just her parents or her cat."
"Don't misunderstand me, Bella. I am proud of you for wanting to use your abilities to help a human. That's an amazing thing for you to even be able to accomplish as a newborn. But you are my priority and anything that puts you at risk is unacceptable. If there ever is a next time, you are not to go off on your own. You will tell me and we will handle it together."
"Fine," she replied stiffly. "He treats me like a child some days," her thoughts added.
I sighed as I embraced her, resting my head on hers. "I'm not trying to treat you like a child, love. I'm only protecting you. If you had been seen, that would have greatly complicated things for us, more so than they already are. We are not sure of the Volturi's involvement at this point, but news of a vampire being brazen enough to show off in a nightclub full of humans will certainly get them involved."
"But I wasn't showing off." Bella protested.
"I know that, but they won't. Now, where did the man go that put the drug in Rita's drink?"
"Oh, him," Bella chuckled.
I looked down at her, surprised at the mischievous look on her face. "Bella, what did you do?" I asked sternly.
"Can I show him, Bells?" Emmett asked from behind us.
I turned with Bella to find our entire family standing in the alley with us. Emmett was grinning from ear to ear and Rose stood next to him with a smirk on her face.
Alice was vibrating in Jasper's arms smiling excitedly while Jasper was studying Bella closely. Carlisle and Esme were both proud and concerned as they regarded Bella. My family was being careful to guard their thoughts and not let me know what exactly was going on.
"Someone needs to show me, now." I ordered.
Emmett bounded over to one of the many trash containers along the wall. He lifted the top of one and looked down inside laughing. "He's going to smell like ass for days."
"But he'll be perfectly fine and not remember anything about what happened," Alice added.
I walked over to the container with Bella and peered inside. The man who had tried to drug Rita was lying there, unconscious and covered with filth. I looked down at Bella, waiting for an explanation.
"Well, I couldn't leave him to put a drug in anyone else's drink, so I just sort of knocked him out and tossed him in there. I did it from behind as he was going to the restroom to make sure he couldn't see me," Bella explained.
"I would say Bella's first experience with humans was a complete success," Carlisle chuckled. "And now we should all head home. We have to prepare for your return to Charlie tomorrow, Bella."
We piled into out cars and headed home. The drive was silent with Bella and I lost to our own thoughts. She was thinking of Charlie and whether or not he would really believe a make-over excuse. I was trying to wrap my mind around tonight's events. She had been struggling when we first arrived at the club, but by the time we had left, she had been in close contact with two humans, one of which she had been completely alone with and held in her arms.
"Does that worry you?" Bella asked suddenly.
I turned my head to look at her and took her hand into mine. "No. It gives me hope. If you can handle yourself with that much restraint around humans, then you should have very little trouble with training and learning to fight as a vampire."
"And I will also serve as a very useful secret weapon since none of the guard, nor Victoria herself, will expect me to fight like a seasoned vampire with tracker abilities."
"Yes, love, that too," I agreed, knowing she had picked that up from my thoughts. I prayed that my theory would prove true and that we really could find a way out of this, every single one of us.