Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight; i don't even want to! i do own some cookie mix and almonds...that'll be yummy, later.

CHAPTER FOUR

"Wait a minute I don't want you to know
It's the only way that I might grow
A secret's safe behind a pretty smile"

~Christina Perri

"He was here."

I hastily dry my eyes and look up at the Princess – Rosalie, as she insisted I call her. Her lips are pursed together, arms crossed over her chest, standing just inside my doorway. When did she get here?

"How did he get in?"

I shrug and stand. "He was in here before I came in." I clear my throat and sniff, unused to the after-effects of crying. "I don't know how to take away his authorization."

"I do." And Rosalie easily adjusts whatever settings are on the pad beside my door.

"How did you know he was here?"

"Hmm? Oh, Leumin sense of smell."

I file away that information, falling into my normal, more comfortable closed off headspace – where I can happily burry emotions and tap into my abilities. Rosalie moves around my room, avoiding the places Edward had been, and seats herself on a fluffy, low chair. I sit across from her, feeling an indescribable need to be near her – she was, despite her cool head, comforting.

"How else are Leumian's different from humans?"

Rosalie thinks for a moment. "We are more similar than you think. We are not much faster than you are, our eyesight is not drastically better, though we can see better in the dark. You see that males are much taller and that Leumian bodies are thin." She pauses, tapping her nails against her knee before she thrusts her hand forward, letting me watch in awed horror as three-inch claws jump out from her nail beds. "Retractable claws. And fangs."

"Fangs?"

Rosalie nods, flashing me a very pointy smile. "For mating."

I feel my brows furrow. "I don't understand."

"How can I explain it? Many things happen during mating, besides the obvious. Blood exchanges that tie you to your mate. Mind sharing. It's all very intimate."

I frown, thinking that those might be reasons why Edward didn't want-

"But that's not Edward's issues," Rosalie hurriedly says, smiling sheepishly at me. "He wants to mate for love."

And then my stomach drops and I feel sick.

So many things explained to me.

Why the King granted Edward time. Edward's reluctance. Just, everything.

He wanted to be in love.

"I didn't know…"

Rosalie pats my hand, her nails now short and trimmed just like before. "He didn't say anything. And then he was willing to let you die."

"He apologized," I say weakly.

Rosalie snorts, sits up straight and tosses her hair over her shoulders. "As rare as that might be, let him work for it. You're attracted to him, right?"

I feel my face heat as I consider her question. I am attracted to him physically. And he had recently shown a decent side of his personality. "I suppose," I concede.

"Then let him earn his rights to mate with you. You might be arranged for him because of politics, but that does not mean you have to be unhappy. I can…feel your emotions for my brother, Bella. And as confusing as they might be, they are pure."

I let her words sink in, sooth my battered mind from my last encounter with Edward.

I wasn't close to forgiving him, yet, but I could acknowledge that Rosalie was right. In the back of my mind, I let my little plan marinate, saving it as a contingency.

"Besides," Rosalie continues, twisting her hair in a pattern similar to a braid, but much more complicated. "I'm tied to you now. I cannot stand by and watch you be unhappy. It's my responsibility to keep you safe and content until someone else can. Our connection will fade over time, after all."

"How does that work? The…tie?"

"It's my blood in your body. An enzyme that infiltrates your cells and literally ties you to me from a cellular level. You even smell a bit like me, now." She pauses, pondering something for a moment. "It probably isn't pleasing to Edward to smell someone else in you," she says gleefully.

"Why?"

"Leumian males are very possessive."

I feel myself frown. That didn't sound healthy but they weren't human – it is in their culture to cultivate those kinds of behaviors.

"Like my own mate, Emmett," Rosalie says dreamily. "Oh, he hates it when Father makes me socialize at solstice balls, but since I am not yet seventeen, he cannot officially claim me. We cannot even exchange blood yet!"

"Is he okay that you gave me your blood?" I ask quietly, wanting her to be as happy as possible for some elusive reason. Probably the tie.

Rosalie snorts. "He doesn't have a choice. Emmett may be the male, but he knows that he should listen to me. Besides, he wouldn't have wanted you to die, either. My brother wasn't volunteering, the Healer was too old and Alice's blood wouldn't have been strong enough. I don't regret saving you, Bella."

That is when I decide that my loyalty to Rosalie isn't because of the tie her blood caused; she is genuinely a good person. Someone who had admitted to looking out for me. Who wanted to help me – and had, by clearing up the questions that being in her brother's presence had caused.

X*x*X

The metal is too heavy for my mind to grasp.

Panting, I let it lower to the bright green grass of the clearing I had found in the valley. It looked like a rock – it probably was – but the metal content of it was off the charts. I'd never come across anything so heavy – I could barely raise it a foot.

I rub my temples, closing my eyes and centering myself away from the throbbing in my head. I probably shouldn't have tried to mess with the rock, but I couldn't resist; I'd always found solace in pushing my mind when I otherwise felt empty.

And I did feel empty.

Everything that had transpired while I was on Leumin made my entire being ache - it seemed like the more I am surrounded by people who care about me, the more lonely I feel.

I didn't know what I wanted.

To be left alone? That, I was used to.

To be on Earth, locked up in a mental facility? That might be preferable to what I was feeling now.

Some part of my mind was aware that, had these feelings been voiced on Earth, Yvette would have sent me to a psychoanalyst who would have diagnosed me with the depression that our ancestors were so fond of. Doctors in our age had cured everything from the common cold to cancer to autism.

Where did all of this put me?

On an alien planet, tied to a female with a mate, betrothed to a male who would rather see my death and crushingly isolated.

Abnormal on Earth and even more abnormal on Leumin.

I ponder this, laying back against the too soft grass and looking up at the sky. Sunset here is achingly beautiful, the colors bright and the stars visible through the sky, twin moons battling for attention.

I had never quite fit in anywhere – not even the Psychic Training and Testing facility where abnormal was normal. I appeared too thin to Earthlings and too Leumian for an Earthling on Leumin.

And why was that?

I remembered my mother, who was tall and thin much like the Leumian's, with pale skin and indigo eyes and long, dark hair. My mother, who had a lilted accent, not quite like anything I'd ever heard on Earth.

My mother who died of a disease that no doctor could neither diagnose or treat.

A beat passes, the pounding in my brain relatively calm, before I sit up, feeling unbearably sick. I heave onto the grass beside me, gasping while the acid in my stomach forces itself up. Tears swim in my eyes when I begin to dry-heave.

My heart pounds in my ears, distracting me as I try to slow my breathing.

I do not hear the sharp snap of a twig or the racing footsteps coming towards me.

Suddenly, rough hands are grasping me, pulling me away from where I was leaning over the grass and up into the air – and farther away, the unmistakable sound of Edward's voice demanding my release.

I begin to struggle as I am toted away, towards the palace hidden in the mountains with Edward's angry voice following behind. One of the hands slaps me across the face, silencing my own screams.

I can protect myself, I think fiercely, digging deep into my mind and relishing in the rush of electricity flowing over the surface of my skin. I do not hold back, instead ramming the humming energy on my skin up to a jarring shock.

The hands drop me with pained groans – two Leumian men, clutching their heads on the ground, cringing away from me as my skin continues to crackle.

As heavy as the metal is and as tired as my mind feels, I force several large rocks to hover over the air of the Leumian males. I am panting, straining with my hands held in front of my body, struggling to maintain focus – I had never used both of my abilities at such high levels and it was draining me quickly.

"Bella! Put those down!"

I ignore Edward – he couldn't be trusted, not really. Not even thirty seconds ago was he demanding that the Leumian males release me and now he was ordering me to stave off from attacking them?

I shake my head even as my entire body trembles. Blood runs down my nose. I cough. Stars dance in front of my eyes.

And the King's voice fills the open air of the valley.

"So not only did that conniving weasel of a President send me a hybrid, he traded off a bio-enhanced psychic?"

The large rocks drop along with my body, just barely missing the Leumian males who were still recovering from my shock.

Hybrid?

Not realizing that my eyes had closed, I force them open, looking up at the King as he stands over me. I can see Edward over his shoulder – his expression confused. Innocent.

Maybe he was trying to help me after all.

The King crouches down, his pupils constricting into slits. "What else can you do?"

I cough, struggling to keep the world around me from spinning. Worry races across Edward's face and the King remains unmoved. But my mind is still stuck.

"Hybrid? Bio-enhanced?"

"Oh, don't play naïve, child."

"I don't understand!" I yell, gasping as several sharp pains poke through my head. "My father is human! My mother was-"

Not human, my mind supplies in a small whisper. No, she wasn't human at all. Hadn't I just been thinking about her abnormalities before all of this had happened?

"You're mother was Leumian."

Of course she was. Everything that I could remember about her screamed Leumian.

Did Father know? Does he know I'm half Leumian – a hybrid like the King suggests?

"I had suspected," the King begins, standing, circling me. "Your scent, for one. It's too naturally sweet to be human. Your body – surely others have commented on that, as well. Then Alice mentioned your eyes when you were unconscious – human pupil, Leumian coloring. And, from what my daughter has told her mother, the easy way that you drank her blood, the fast healing because of that. Leumian blood heals Leumian's – it was a gamble since we thought you were human. But the Healer just confirmed it through a blood test. You are not completely human."

"Father-"

"Quiet, Edward. You've done enough this moon cycle. Take the girl to her room. She doesn't look very healthy."

Soft, gentle hands lift me from the ground and carry me away. My eyes refuse to open as my mind begins to process rapidly.

I am a hybrid Leumian.

What did that mean to the King? He didn't seem to be the manipulative type – but then, he also sent those males to capture me.

And what did bio-enhanced mean? Were there other secrets about my life – my own mind and body – that were hidden from me?

I groan when Edward settles me on my bed though he is so surprisingly gentle. I feel a cool cloth wiping at the dried blood under my nose and a soothing song being hummed, lulling me into unconsciousness.

When I wake, Rosalie is in the room, stroking my short hair away from my face. "Half-Leumian, huh? And what's this about some cool psychic tricks you can do? I sit and answer all of those questions yesterday and you're keeping secrets! That's not fair, Bella!" She jokes.

And from her jovial demeanor, I am calmed. Surely, if she is as happy as she is now, I would be able to remain on Leumin.

I sit up, surprised at how sore my body is; my arms ache more than my head does.

I am also surprised to see a sleeping Edward on my alcove couch.

"He refused to leave when I got here," Rosalie whispers, sitting beside me. "I came as soon as I could. Bella, I am so sorry Father-"

"No, no. You have nothing to apologize for," I assure her, patting her hand lightly and forcing my eyes from Edward's sleeping form. He looks so peaceful – angelic, even, his lips parted and his eyes lightly fluttering.

"I'll go call for the Healer. He wanted to speak to you when you woke up."

"What about the King?"

Rosalie's eyes widen comically. "He's in trouble with the Queen. She does not approve of what he did, even if he thought he was protecting his people from a threat – from you. The Healer hadn't explained anything properly and Father over reacted…and now, Father is groveling." She grins, waving her fingers and sauntering out of my room.

"You look better."

I jump, my eyes connecting with Edward's – vibrant teal meeting icy blue. I can't look away from him. I'm not even sure I want to.

"I was wrong," he says, sitting up slowly, careful to keep our eyes locked. "I was stubborn. I-I didn't think you would be so…"

"So what?" I murmur absently.

"Amazing," he whispers, standing, coming closer. Not close enough. Too slowly.

"Why do I want you so much?"

"Your blood sings to me," he answers, reaching out a gentle hand, stroking the side of my face.

I tremble.

"It recognizes me," Edward continues. "The Leumian part of you."

I am silent as his fingers trace over my face and neck, lightly over my lips that part under the slight pressure.

"Forgive me," he begs brokenly.

I shake my head, snapping out of my daze, forcing my eyes away from him through they immediately want to connect again. Whole. He made me feel whole.

But I couldn't forgive him. Couldn't trust him. Not yet.

"I'll do anything," Edward promises. "I'll be anything for you. I was so wrong, Bella. I can't believe I stood there and refused…I'll earn your trust. Just, don't send me away, please."

If only he knew that, I couldn't even imagine sending him away.

No, I needed him close. As tied as I am to Rosalie, I was more tied to Edward, even without the blood.

Strom refuses to move when the Healer enters the room, even though he sister glares steadily at him; I realize that she wants to stand closer to be because of our tie but I can't let Edward move an inch. It's a shattering realization to know that I need him so much in such a short amount of time, even after everything.

It is then that I realize my forgiveness – forgiveness that will be hidden by my tender heart.

"How long have you displayed psychic abilities?"

"For as long as I can remember. Before my mother died."

"And when was that?"

"When I was seven," I tell the Healer, who is taking copious notes, ignoring the protective Leumian's hovering by my side.

"And did you know of your heritage at that time?"

I frown, knowing that that is a question from the King. "No. I realized that after coming to Leumin."

"Did you know that there are bio-enhancement chips in your brain?"

My brows furrow. "I don't understand what that means. The bio-enhancement."

The Healer looks up from his papers. "Bio-enhancement covers surgeries that are meant to enhance mental attributes before development. They can make muscles hold more mass or make you grow taller. Yours, in particular, are located at the fulcrum of your psychic abilities."

"Oh."

"Did you know about the bio-enhancement?"

"No."

"Do you recall any surgeries from when you were younger?"

I shake my head.

"Are there any scars on your scalp that you know of?"

My fingers automatically reach for the thin line that reached from the top of my head to the base of my neck. "Yes. I was told that I had fallen as a child."

It was true – that was what Father had told me when I asked him about it. I remember his evasive answer, his nervous expression.

"Can you show me where the scar is?" As the Healer's fingers probe the top of my scalp, he makes a low humming sound. "On Leumin, the scar would have been invisible."

"Why is that?"

"Our technological advances are more…streamlined than the human advances. Our civilization is older," Edward answers quietly, seemingly struggling to keep his hands held to his side. He is glaring at the Healer, evidently angry that the Healer is touching me.

"Yes, we have several millennia of development over Earth," the Healer agrees absently. "Would you like the scar treated? It can become invisible."

I shake my head. No, I wanted to keep it – as a reminder of the lies my father had told me, secrets he kept from me for all of these unknown reasons.

Was the reason he volunteered his own daughter because I was half Leumian? Was my heritage something he was aware of or was it just a coincidence?

"Very well. Now, could you please detail…"

The Healer asks several overlapping questions about my abilities, about my monthly cycle – which is embarrassing, as Edward listens intently to every word I speak – and about my memories of my mother. It seems that hours pass while the Healer writes down every detail of my childhood up until now. He reveals nothing in his expression.

When he does leave, I do not miss the relaxed posture of Edward, or the way his hands twitch towards mine.

Rosalie kicks him out soon after, her excuse being that Alice was coming soon and that we all had to get ready together. It struck me as a hugely human thing to do as I thought that Leumian's were independent to each other.

Edward is reluctant to leave and only departs with the promise that he will see me soon at the evening meal in the throne room.

Alice brings a coral-colored dress for Rosalie and a sea green, corset-type dress for me that was longer than others she had made – the hem of the dress reached mid-calf on me. The color of the dress, which leaves only my shoulders bare, makes my mother's pendant appear blue, matching the color of my eyes. Alice eagerly suggests I leave my hair to dry in natural waves and I do, feeling tired from the events in the last few days.

The short walk to the throne room seems to take ages, my feet and legs aching, my mind completely exhausted. Upon entering, the Queen stands, shooting a glare at the King who refuses to make eye contact, his posture completely shamed. Edward also stands, though he watches from a few feet away as his mother embraces me tightly and apologizes on behalf of her husband.

"So, what do you remember about your mother?" Esme asks as the servers place full plates of food in front of all who are seated at the table.

And again, I tell what I remember to everyone within earshot.

But the Queen and King are frozen with their utensils halfway to their mouths, their eyes wide in shock.

"Pale skin, you say?" Esme clarifies quietly, exchanging a nervous glance with her husband.

I nod, confused to their reaction. "Yes, it looked like her skin had never seen the sun. Is that odd for a Leumian?"

The Queen clears her throat. "Not odd, per say. Dear, would you mind if the Healer takes another sample of your blood so we might be able to find out if you have any Leumian relatives living?"

It hadn't even occurred to me that I might have family on Leumin.

Immediately, I nod, eager to learn more about this new side of myself.

And after the meal, the Healer comes to my room again to take a sample of my hair and blood, using a tiny pricking needle and only requiring a small amount of blood.

X*x*X

Emmett is a huge Leumian. Not only in that he is devastatingly tall, he is also burly with thick muscles – unlike every Leumian I had ever seen before. His skin is faintly blue, his hair the purest ebony I'd ever seen and his eyes a shocking shade of violet blue. He wears metal over his body's vulnerable zones – his chest, arms, back and upper legs.

Nobility turned military Leumian.

Rosalie is completely infatuated with him, his jovial sense of humor and a kind of inherent kindness that just seeps out of his face.

Emmett is also older than Edward – twenty-four in Leumian – and considered an adult.

This does not settle well for Edward, who alternates between glaring at Emmett and standing slightly in front of me, as if he could somehow stop Emmett from seeing me.

I find myself deeply amused with Edward's behavior, though Rosalie is obviously annoyed with it. She tries repeatedly to subtly convince Emmett to go for a walk and Emmett continually refuses, bowing to Edward's silent warning.

Emmett, it seemed, was smarter than he let on.

He keeps Rosalie's room entertained with tales of soldier antics from the latest scouting mission across the entire surface of Leumin. He quietly assures Rosalie that it was his last one as he did not intend to leave her side while she was so close to her own birthday. It was really quite sweet, that complete and utter devotion.

While my own room is decorated with muted whites and grays, Rosalie's room is very indicative of her personality. The rounded walls are painted deep red, the floor covered in warm purple and red rugs and her massive bed a giant purple cloud of comfort. The color scheme reminds me of ancient Middle-Eastern Indians extravagance.

It fits her perfectly.

Edward sits beside me, closer than he had ever been before. The close proximity makes my skin prickle with anticipation that I brutally beat down. It was frightening feeling such intensity towards a man who, not four days ago, was willing to watch me die but who had also sworn to gain my trust. The absolute last thing I needed was to feel even more attracted to him.

Rosalie shoots me an amused look as she feels my heart rate spike through our fading tie. I make a subtle face at her, tugging at the neckline of my sea green dress. I was aware there wasn't much to look at by human standards, but between the other two Leumian females in Rosalie's room, my chest felt huge.

Truthfully, I didn't want Edward to get any glimpses of skin he shouldn't be seeing.

I had a feeling, though, that he already had.

"Are you okay?"

With one last tug at the neckline, I let my eyes sly over Edward's concerned face, taking in the thinly veiled interest in his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"Whoa, no secret conversations you two!"

Rosalie giggles at Emmett's sudden exclamation and the suggestive glint in his eyes. Had he been human, I'm sure he would have wiggled his brows.

The night passes quickly, laughter and chocolate-like snacks being passed around the room. Through the windows in Rosalie's room – wider than mine, but shorter – we all observe the mesmerizing sunset, stars shining three times as bright through the darkening sky.

And though my eyes are firmly on the sky, I can feel Edward's heavy gaze on me.

He walks me back to my room after Emmett leaves for the night. Edward starts up a light conversation comparing the constellations in the Leumin sky verses what he knew of Earth's. I was surprised by his very extensive knowledge, even more surprised when he sheepishly admitted to astrology being his main interest of study.

I didn't even know he was considered a scholar among his people.

"I will show you my favorite constellation, some time," Edward promises sweetly, melting a tiny part of my heart where he had slowly begun to burrow himself, replacing all the hurt he had caused with miniscule amounts of adoration.

In front of my door, Edward stops abruptly, pushing his fingers through his hair roughly.

His nervous gesture makes me pause. I tilt my head slightly as I listen to his low, hurried mumblings.

Suddenly, his shoulders straighten and he turns to face me fully, looking deep into my eyes.

"Goodnight, Bella."

And then his lips press softly against my cheek, his breath cool against my skin. They sear into me, warming my bones and blood from the inside and causing a flare up of heat in my face.

Edward disappears quickly, leaving me to stumble into my room, my hand gently touching where his lips had connected with my skin.

I feel the warmth of his lips as I sleep.

A/N: so, some questions answered, some new ones that are making you want to slam your head against your keyboard. i know. i'm all about half-clues.

recently, someone asked me in a PM how to say Leumin and Leumian.

Leumin is like "ley-ooh-man"

Leumian is like "ley-ooh-me-an"

pretty simple. mostly because my creativity pretty much stops when i have to start making up names for species. i'm kind of lazy like that.

anyway, shout out to the first review of the last chapter, a dear reader called Midnight Angels Say GoodNight , who was eager to slap Edward. in fact, a lot of you wanted to harm him! - celia azul, twivampchick - and some of you wanted to give Bella hugs and advice - telaviv and YesMyRealNameIsBella. let me just tell all of you that you're reviews had me laughing and smiling for hours.

anways, as always, be brutally honest. i can take it!

~cupcakeriot