A/N: Here is part two of Chapter 6. I'm going to be a bit busy and probably won't get a chance to post part three for a couple of days. I have a bunch of school stuff going on with essays and midterms, I'm in the middle of reading The Host(which is excellent, btw) and I'm finishing up this story. I wrote what began as an extended ending to what is now the official ending and kind of like the 'second book' if you will, to Hybrid. So as you can see, there's a whole lot going on for me this week and I won't be posting part 3 of this chapter until most likely Wednesday. So hang in there, it's coming :) Enjoy!
6. Edward Cullen: Part 2
"Elina! Stop!" Edward yelled, trees swaying behind him as he sped over to me, scooping me up into his arms and back into the woods. It was so fast, he was like a blur. I yelped as he yanked me away from what I was about to make my dinner. I struggled as he held on to me, still running. I gave up and let him carry me to wherever it is he wanted to take me. I rested my head against his cold, hard chest and closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. As much as I wanted to kill Jason for what he tried to do to me – twice – I could never live with myself if I killed a human being, even a selfish, womanizing one like Jason. I could feel Edward come to a stop and opened my eyes. We were in the middle of the woods, surrounded by trees. He set me down and took a step back. I turned to see his face, to make sure it was really him. This felt like some kind of dream. Maybe I just made that whole scenario up while I was alone on the terrace. I reached out my hand and pressed it against his cheek. Yep, he's real. I smiled.
"How...how did you? I don't even know what to say right now. But, thank you?" I said, confused.
"I heard what you were thinking and I could not let it happen. And, you're welcome." He smiled.
"You can hear me that far away?"
"Well, I suppose I could, but I wasn't far away." He confessed, looking away from me.
"You were there! I thought I saw you in the trees. Why are you here, Edward?"
"Yes, that was me. I followed you to make sure you got home safely. When you came outside I ran into the woods so that you wouldn't see me. You know, I almost took care of that scum myself if I wasn't preoccupied with stopping you."
"You followed me?" I said, shaking my head and smiling. "I'm glad you stopped me. I don't know what came over me. I just thought about the last time he was here and his grip on me was so tight. I just lost it." I explained, holding on to my wrist. Edward took my hand and examined the red finger imprints that circled around my wrist. He gently placed his cold hand where Jason had left his mark on me. It was soothing.
"What was he thinking?" I asked, curiously.
"It's too repulsive to repeat." Edward said angrily. I placed my hand on his cheek and a shock jolted through me. I was hearing him, but he wasn't speaking. I was inside Edward Cullen's head. I could hear him hearing Jason's thoughts. I could hear him responding to my touch and his shock when he realized I was listening to his thoughts. I felt his cold hand pull my hand from his face. I opened my eyes and was completely amazed.
"How did you just?" Edward looked at my in disbelief.
"I don't know." I shook my head, just as surprised as he was.
"Impossible" He whispered, looking at me in disbelief.
"I guess I just...put myself in your head? That's kind of how it works; I put myself somewhere and have a vision." I tried to make sense of what just happened.
"No one has ever read my thoughts before. It was an odd feeling."
"Well, now you know what it's like." I laughed.
Edward stood there silently, smiling and staring at me. I laughed, uncomfortable at the attention he was giving me.
"What?" I giggled.
"You look beautiful tonight." He said in his all too perfect voice.
"Thank you" I whispered. Edward took a step forward, his hands out in search of mine. I placed my hands into his and he positioned my left hand on his shoulder, keeping hold of my right one.
"May I have this dance?" he whispered into my ear, the coolness of his breath sent a shiver down my spine.
"Yes you may."
I rested my hand on his chest as he led me and took in his exquisite scent. Who knew dancing in the middle of the woods could be so romantic. The only downside was that my heels kept getting stuck in the mud. I stopped Edward for a moment, holding on to him for balance as I unbuckled my shoes and took them off. Edward looked at me peculiarly.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"This would be much easier without heels." I explained, holding on to the bottom of my dress.
"I should get you back. Your father is looking for you." Edward said, turning his head in the direction of my house.
"Seriously? Ugh...I suppose we should get back then."
"Oh no, I can't stay."
"Sure you can!"
"I'm not dressed for the occasion."
"I'll get you a suit. You can manage to get upstairs right? I'll take care of the rest." I said before I sprinted off in the direction of my house.
I tiptoed across the terrace into the kitchen and up the hidden staircase to my parents' bedroom. I rummaged through their enormous closet and found a suit for Edward, then hurried across the hall to my room. Edward was there, sitting on the edge of my bed.
"Here put this on." I threw the suit at him. Edward laughed and obliged.
I sat down to clean the dirt off of my feet and to put my shoes back on. I was fiddling with the buckle on my left shoe when Edward appeared in front of me looking as handsome as ever.
"Wow, you look...amazing." I whispered.
"Do you need help with that?" He said as he knelt down on one knee, lifting my foot onto his knee. He lifted my gown, brushing his cold finger against my ankle, and buckled my shoe for me.
"Thank you" I breathed.
"Shall we" He held out his hand and I placed mine in his.
"Don't be nervous. I'm here." He said, patting my hand that hung off his arm. It was almost as if he knew how much I hated doing this.
"Did you hear me when I did this earlier?" I asked.
"Yes. It pained me to know that you hated this so much. I wished I could be here with you to alleviate the pressure."
"Well, you're here now." I looked up at him and smiled. His eyes were the most beautiful topaz color. We reached the top of the staircase and took the first step together. All eyes were on us at the sound of my heel clacking against the marble. This time I didn't mind. I had the most incredible man standing next to me. I was enjoying being the center of attention with Edward standing by me.
I noticed Marie and Ronald talking to Jason's parents. Jason was standing next to his mother, disinterested in the conversation. Marie turned and the expression of shock on her face when she saw me with Edward was hardly subtle. She tapped Ronald on the shoulder and he practically choked on a piece of ice from his drink when he noticed my arm linked with Edward's. I noticed Jason was still looking elsewhere, unaware that I was there.
"Elina" Marie croaked. "and...Edward" She cleared her throat. "We weren't expecting you." Marie said. I noticed Jason turn when he heard my name. He stood there, surprised as everyone else to see the gorgeous man I was standing with.
"I apologize for arriving unexpectedly." Edward responded to Marie politely as per usual.
"That's alright dear" Marie said as she looked Edward up and down.
"No it is not" Ronald chimed in. "This is invitation only." He raised his chin, trying to claim some sort of authority. Edward towered over Ronald. I could see Jason smile at Ronald's reaction from the corner of my eye.
"I invited him, dad." I said defensively. Ronald turned away. I looked at Jason, who happened to be looking at me. I smirked and then offered Edward something to drink, completely forgetting that what I could offer isn't what he drinks. I laughed at myself and Edward laughed too. It was an inside joke no one else there would understand. I liked that. Harold stepped in front of his wife to join in on the conversation.
"Well, who do we have here?" He asked pompously.
"This is..." Shoot, what do I call him?
"I'm Edward Cullen," He looked to me and smiled "Elina's boyfriend"
"Boyfriend, eh? Tell me, what does your father do?" He asked.
"He's a doctor, sir." Ronald's ears perked up at the sound of 'doctor'.
"A doctor! Well, why didn't you say so before? What a prestigious occupation!" Ronald exclaimed, patting Edward on the shoulder. Edward laughed. Jason stepped forward and stood next to his father.
"Hello Jason" I said, looking at him directly in the eyes.
"Hello" He said. Jealousy was apparent in the expression on his face, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He gulped. "Can I, uh, talk to you?" He asked, pulling his collar from his neck.
"I don't know..."
"It's alright, Elina. He won't do anything" Edward whispered in my ear. I nodded and followed Jason to the kitchen.
For the first few minutes alone with Jason there was nothing but silence. He kept a distance from me, which was a change from how he usually acted around me. He opened his lips to speak, but nothing came out. I sighed and he noticed my restlessness.
"What happened on the terrace?" He finally spoke.
"What do you mean?"
"One minute you were there, the next you were gone. You just disappeared out of thin air."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to laugh in disbelief. How do I cover this up?
"Yes you do. I heard him. He yelled for you to stop and then you were gone. What the hell was that?"
"Jason, maybe you had a bit too much to drink. I told you I had to leave and went inside. You obviously don't remember."
"No." He said, angrily and stepping forward to me, getting in my face. "I recognized his voice" He whispered in my ear.
"You recognized nothing. You're drunk." I said, pushing him away from me.
"I saw...a blur. When you disappeared, I saw red going into the forest." He whispered, embarrassed to admit it.
"You saw red?" I laughed. "You really are drunk."
"He's not human. No human being can do that, just appear like that." He blurted out as I walked away.
"I told you, I left you on the terrace and went inside. I even kissed you goodnight."
"You did?"
"Yes." I stopped, turning my head slightly. Jason didn't respond. I continued to walk away, eager to find Edward.
I opened the kitchen door and was pulled into something hard and cold. I looked up and saw Edward's angelic face looking down at me. He had waited for me by the door while I was talking to Jason. I wrapped my arms around his waist and enjoyed the embrace while I could. Edward rested his chin on the top of my head.
"Good cover up in there" he laughed.
"Thanks. I panicked."
"I noticed. I was about to come in but then you told him he was drunk and I knew you could handle it."
"You could have come in there, you know. It would have made it a lot easier on me."
"Yes, but then he would probably be suspicious. It's much more authentic coming from you."
"I suppose." I said. My throat suddenly felt dry and I swallowed to get rid of the scratchiness I felt.
"Thirsty?"
"Very..." I admitted. Edward took my hand and led me to the bar. He handed me a glass of water and I gulped it down. The dryness was persistent.
"Better?" He asked.
"Not really" I said, clearing my throat. It wasn't water that I thirsted for, it was something else. Suddenly, I could smell the scent of every person in the room. Everything smelt stronger. The dryness got worse.
"I need something else" I whispered to Edward. "Will you hunt with me?"
"Right now?"
"Yes. Please, Edward. I need something, before I sink my teeth into Jason."
"Okay, go get changed I'll meet you outside."
"No, I need to go now. I can't take this anymore. He smells so good, Edward. I could just..." I inched forward to a young boy with my nose in the air, taking in his scent. He couldn't be any older than fifteen. He had blonde, spiked hair and was fair-skinned. I could almost see the vein in his neck, it beckoned me.
Edward grabbed a hold of my arm and jerked me back.
"Let's go" He growled as he pulled me towards the door. I could hear Marie calling out to me, but I couldn't speak. If I opened my mouth, it would be over for that young man. As soon as we were outside we began to run. Edward led the way through the woods and up a mountain. I kept swallowing, hoping to relieve the uncomfortable dryness that settled in my throat. Nothing worked. I needed blood. Now.
And then I saw it, a mountain lion four times the size of me laying on a rock a few yards away. It smelled so sweet.
"It's the closest thing to human blood." Edward whispered. "It's too dangerous for you to take on right now. I'll get him for you, okay?"
"Hurry, Edward" I pleaded. I watched him as he crouched, sniffing the air and narrowing in on his prey. Edward was a natural with this. The lion barely had a chance to fight before Edward snapped its neck. He restrained himself from draining his kill and waved at me to come. The smell of the exposed blood was intoxicating. I was at the lion's throat in seconds, draining it of its sweet blood. This was much better than the elk. I licked my lips clean of any blood stains. The dryness was gone. I let out a sigh of relief. I stepped away from the dead mountain lion and examined my dress. There wasn't a stain in site, thankfully.
"How do you feel?" Edward asked.
"So much better, thank you." I reached for his hand and he met mine half way. A breeze picked up my dress and my curls, forcing them to dance in the cool breeze. I closed my eyes, the fresh air. I felt more alert now and able to focus. "I've never wanted blood like that before...ever."
"Well, you've only recently tasted blood. The vampire in you must be emerging. You've embraced that part of you fairly quickly over the past week; it seems natural that you would crave it now."
"I suppose...."
"Shall we go back?" Edward asked, taking a step forward. I grasped my other hand onto our linked hands to stop him.
"No, let's stay. I like it out here. It's quiet." I begged. Edward's crooked smile appeared and he stepped closer to me. I began to sway and could feel my gown flow with my movement. I wish I could fly away. I thought. Before I knew it, Edward's cold hands grasped my waist and I was in the air, above his head.
"Do you trust me?" He asked.
"Yes" I breathed. Edward turned slowly and then took off running with me still above his head. I put my arms out on either side, like an airplane.
"Edward! I'm flying!" I yelled in excitement. Edward laughed as he ran. I couldn't believe it. He made it happen. It was the most amazing feeling. My thoughts were empty as I soared through the air. I inhaled deeply as I sped through the air, the wind pulling back my hair. I felt my speed diminish slowly until I came to a stop, then Edward lowered me slowly. A huge smile spread across my face.
"Wow" I whispered. "I guess wishes do come true...when I'm with you"
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He said, gentlemanly.
I stared into his eyes. The topaz color glistened in the darkness. I found myself inching closer to him on impulse, my breath got heavier and my heart began to beat faster. Edward placed his hand on my cheek and I feared he would push me away. He inched closer, putting his nose against mine. I parted my lips. Edward smiled and moved up to kiss my forehead. He stayed there, lips pressed to my forehead, for what seemed like a while to me, but I didn't mind. As Edward slowly moved away, I heard a growl from behind us. I tensed, in fear it would be another mountain lion. Is Edward quick enough to kill it before it tries to kill us? I gulped, clinging to Edward. I turned slowly, still suctioned to Edward's chest. I did not expect what stood before us.