Dark Temptation

I want to apologise for the delay on this chapter. I'm going overseas next week (btw updates may continue to be slow), so I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get work and school and laundry and etc done before I leave. Also, the surprise to my tuna (I'm trying this out, maybe not) Leelan Oleander who usually works her beta-magic and fixes my commas and ellipses had a fire in her apartment building last week. So her life is all kinds of crazy since she can't go in because of smoke damage. So, I had to find a temporary beta to help me out while she is re-organising her life. Big round of applause for Dandiegoose for stepping up for me and fixing my grammar and laughing at my (terrible) jokes. You should check out her story Try It, You'll Like It, because you will like it. It's an awesome tale of awkward Bella and Chefward.

This story is rated M for language, adult themes, and some smexin' in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I wanted to say something witty about how I don't own twilight… but then I realised, who reads this shit anyway?

Dark Temptation

Chapter 7

BPOV

"Please ensure that all of your personal luggage is securely stowed in the overhead compartment, and your seats and tray tables are locked in their upright position."

I hate takeoff. I understand that flying is safe, but I just hate takeoff and landing. The loud rumbling of the engines, the jolt of speed, the pressure, the slight popping of my ear drums. I hate takeoff. I hate landing too. Peter always laughs that it's not the hurtling through the air at impossible speeds that scares me, but the part where we're going slower and are closer to ground. Less distance to fall, but it's not the falling that scares me, it's hitting the ground.

It's not so bad when I'm flying with Peter or Char, because I know that if something actually were to happen, they could protect me. I know the likelihood of being in a plane crash is about on par with being struck by lightning, but you've clearly never flown Qantas. I loved visiting Australia, but their national airline scared me silly; a blown out tire on the landing gear and an 'oops we overshot the runway' will instil that kind of reaction.

As we reached our cruising altitude, the seatbelt light flashed off and the co-pilot started going on about flight times and the weather at our destination. I tuned him out, it's Seattle; the forecast is rain. I put in my earbuds and flicked through my iPod until I found some Mumford and Sons to help pass the time.

Weep for yourself, my man,
You'll never be what is in your heart
Weep little lion man,
You're not as brave as you were at the start

I began wondering if there were tribes of shifters out there other than the Quileutes that shift into lions instead of wolves. Oh god, I can just picture Jacob with a little lion's mane, meowing like a kitten. Jesus, there has got to be something wrong in my head.

I'm excited to see Jacob though, and Quil, Embry, Sam and Emily. I miss Seth; he's the greatest little brother in the world. Hell, I miss Leah too, even though she is a raging bitch. She's got good reason. I remember being shocked when Leah called me out of the blue screaming that Charlie was violating her mother. I hadn't kept in very good touch with the Pack once I moved away, and aside from infrequent calls to check in with Jacob, I had no idea what was going on back home. Charlie had, apparently, neglected to mention in our weekly father-daughter phone calls that he was shacking up with the recently widowed Sue Clearwater. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement, disgusted actually since Leah's careless words conjured up mental image that no daughter ever wants to have about her father. After I got over the ick-factor though, I realised I was really happy for my dad. Leah and I realised that Sue and Charlie were lonely and deserved happiness. It was an added bonus that I got Seth as a little brother; he's the coolest kid in the world.

About a week after that horrendous phone call with Leah, Charlie called to ask me if I would be upset if he proposed to Sue. I was ecstatic for him, and I told him so. Charlie was a great man, and he deserved all the happiness in the world. A few months later, they had a simple wedding on the Res and I flew up to be one of Sue's bridesmaids. They decided that Charlie would move onto the Res to live with them, so that Seth and Leah didn't have to transfer schools. I think it worked out well for Charlie. Even though he was a pale-face, the elders of the tribe welcomed him into their world with open arms. In addition to his long-standing friendship with Billy Black, he gained quite a few new fishing buddies. Also, it helped that he had friends there who could help him deal with his step-children disappearing at all hours and destroying their clothes. He didn't understand, but the elders explained it was a tribal thing and not to worry.

I still don't understand why Charlie hasn't figured out that there is something unusual going on with the Quileute kids, but I think he just doesn't want to know. I can't blame him; my life would have been much easier if I never found out about the supernatural world. Perhaps that makes me ungrateful, because Peter, Char and the Pack have done so much for me. I know, though, that if I met Peter under different circumstances, the three of us would still have ended up close friends. Of course, if they had lived their natural lives, they would either be very old or long dead, so I guess that theory doesn't entirely hold.

I started laughing hysterically at the mental image of an octogenarian Peter in a nursing home, chasing the orderlies down the hallways in his wheelchair and trying to incite riots in the other residents over sub-standard tapioca. Maybe the world is a better place without a perverted old-man version of Peter. The business man seated beside me looked over and gave me a look that clearly said 'Oh shit, I'm sitting next to the crazy lady'. I gave him cut-eye and then smiled sweetly and tapped my headphones. Let him assume I'm listening to a funny podcast. Lord knows I've made an ass of myself enough times doing that.

I snorted again and covered my mouth with my hand remembering the previous week when I had been listening to an amateur fan fiction podcast and had started laughing so hard I dropped a 10 lb weight on my foot. Some things never change, while I'm not as clumsy as I used to be back in high school, I still have my moments which are completely devoid of grace or class.

I was disrupted from my internal musings by the stewardess leaning over and tapping me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mrs. Parker, we're approaching Seattle now, could you please turn off your music for our final descent?" I nodded and put my iPod back into my pocket, leaning back in my seat and closing my eyes. I took a few deep breaths and tried to keep myself calm as the plane dropped, sending my stomach up into my throat.

After a nerve wracking and turbulent landing, I scurried out of my seat as soon as the seat-belt sign flickered off. I stood on the edge of my seat to grab my carry-on out of the overhead compartment and rushed off the plane. I love flying first class, it's an extravagance that I never used to be comfortable with, but I've resigned myself to the fact that being married to a vampire means never having to be crammed like a sardine in economy. Frankly, it was a relief not having to be squished in between two large and inevitably foul smelling men, which was always my luck. I think I'm getting spoiled.

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck, enjoying the feeling of terra firma, and made a beeline for the car rental desks. I pulled out my phone and checked my message from Char with all the details, and strolled up to the Hertz desk.

"Hi, I've got a booking under Dwyer?"

The pimply faced boy behind the counter smiled at me and fumbled around behind the desk, finally handing me a sheaf of paperwork and the keys for some generic midsize sedan. I wasn't paying much attention to him, instead I was wishing that I were back home, or that Peter or Char were here with me. The desk clerk, Carl, seemed to have finished whatever he was saying, so I scribbled my signature onto the form, and waited for him to separate all the paperwork and hand me my keys.

Half an hour later found me driving down the highway towards Forks with a large Starbucks dark roast and chatting with Char on the phone to let her know I had arrived.

"So how's Montreal treating you, sugar?" I just knew that Peter would have dragged her out to Club Super Sex, it was his favourite place in all of Canada. Personally, I didn't see that Canadian strippers were any better than US strippers, but apparently Pete had a thing for French Canadians. Who knows.

"Actually, he went without me, I'm heading out to Connecticut to go antique hunting instead. Peter seemed a little too excited about the trip so I figured it was best to steer clear." I laughed along with her, knowing that Peter being excited usually meant he had plans to stir shit up.

"Well, at least this way we'll be able to post bail for him when he gets arrested." I giggled, remembering the time I had to call Charlie to post bail for me because the three of us were arrested.

~o_o~

Char and I were arrested for public intoxication, but Peter got booked for lewd acts. We had been stumbling home from the bar in Memphis and Peter had seen his holy grail of cars. He had been whining for over a year that he wanted to get this one car, but both Char and I thought it was a waste of money and a waste of gas. Of course the asshole would want to get a car that basically got one mile per gallon. But oh, you couldn't talk sense into this fucker. So when he had seen a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps and all leather cow interior, he lost it.

He muttered to himself, "All you need is big brown baby seal eyes for headlights", and then he dropped trou and started rubbing himself all over the car. Then looking inside, he realised that there was kangaroo skin for the seatback pouches, and he, honest to god, started fucking the back of the seat. It was just… it was a train wreck, and Charlotte and I couldn't take our eyes off of the spectacle in front of us.

"Is that his-?" I whispered to Char.

"Is he really-? She whispered at the same time.

We were so consumed in the train wreck in front of us that we didn't even hear anyone approach.

"My fucking car!"

Without missing a beat, Peter shouted over his shoulder at the man. "Technically, your car is the fuckee."

Turns out the owner of the car which was being violated, a cop, had chosen that EXACT moment to return. So yeah, we were arrested, and had to call my dad to bail us out, which was why it was a good thing that neither of us were in Montreal right now because I don't think Charlie would be so tolerant a second time.

~o_O~

Char and I chatted a bit longer, and then we said our goodbyes. Not much later I found myself driving through the familiar streets of the Quileute reservation and pulling up in front of Charlie and Sue's little red wooden house.

"Bella! How's my favourite sister?" Seth came bursting through the front door and yanked me out of the car, enveloping me in a bone crushing hug.

"Dude…can't breathe!" I laughed as Seth put me down and relinquished his death grip with a sheepish grin. Charlie and Sue soon followed Seth's lead in greeting me with warm hugs as Leah sauntered out and mockingly glared at Seth for his earlier comment.

"We all know I'm only the favourite sister because he doesn't have to put up with me often." I laughed as we made our way back into the house.

"So Bells, what brings you home?" Charlie asked me as we settled ourselves into the small living room. I smiled and nodded my head at Leah in thanks and told them all I had managed to schedule myself a few days off work and felt the desperate need for some freshly caught fish. We bullshitted around for a while, and Seth asked why Peter hadn't joined me. I shot him an exasperated look and explained that he hoping to spend a few days in Montreal with his brother.

After helping Sue prepare everyone a dinner of the aforementioned freshly caught fish, Seth, Leah and I wandered down to First Beach for a bonfire. Literally the moment we stepped out onto the beach, I was enveloped in Jacob's warm arms and the world started spinning around me.

"Damn it, what is it with you wolf guys and forgetting I need to breathe? I may run with vamps but I'm still human!" Jacob barked out a laugh and wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he led me down to the fire pit where the Pack and their imprints were sitting around drinking beers and making noise.

"I've really missed you around here Bells. I wish you could just move back home." Jacob sighed as we settled down on an old driftwood log.

"I know Jake, but I've got the bar, and as much as you don't like them, Peter and Char treat me good. I'm happy there." I smiled at him weakly. I knew that Jacob missed me, but this wasn't home anymore.

"It's not that I don't like them, Bells, I think that under different circumstances we could actually be friends. It's just, the circumstances. They're vampires, and they're human-drinkers. Even if I understand that they hunt off the scum of humanity, it just goes against the grain; even a pedophile has a family. While I can understand on the one hand that they're saving lives, I still can't just accept it, you know?" Jake huffed in frustration, and I could feel the eyes of the other members of the pack burning into me as we re-hashed a common conversation between the two of us.

~o_o~

The wolves had learned to respect Peter and Char, even if they couldn't bring themselves to like them. A few years back, Peter had got a 'feeling' and said that it might be a good time for me to head back to Forks. I knew that it wasn't worth fighting Peter's feelings, so I had gone back to visit with Charlie and hang out with the pack. While I was there, a nomad had passed through the territory and the pack had gone after him. I'm a bit sketchy on the details still, but the nomad had managed to get his teeth into Seth before being dismembered by the pack.

I recall vividly the shock of Jacob bursting into Charlie's house clad only in a pair of cut-offs. As soon as I met his eyes, I knew something was wrong. I took off in a dead sprint, following him into the trees until he phased back into his wolf form and slung me onto his back. We raced into the forest where I found Seth howling in agony, stuck somewhere between his human form and his wolf form, with a crescent shaped wound in his shoulder. I knew that unlike humans, who would change given exposure to the venom, for wolves it was a death sentence.

I quickly sprinted to his body and started sucking on the wound, remembering that Edward had done this for me when I was bitten by James in Phoenix. Disgusted and confused, Sam had dragged me away from Seth's form while I spat out the blood. I tried desperately to get back to him, but I was no match for any of these boys, and finally I realised that they didn't understand. I explained in broken phrases, fragmented by my hysteria and worry for my little brother, how they had saved me from the change in Phoenix. I also realised that I wouldn't be able to know when to stop. I couldn't taste the difference in blood, all it tasted was metallic and foul to me. Jacob understood my dilemma and immediately called Peter who had been staying at the only motel in Forks.

Within minutes, he and Char appeared at my side, as I knelt beside Seth's form, alternately sucking on his wound and spitting his blood onto the dirt at my knees. I begged Peter with my eyes to help my brother. With a grimace he knelt down in the dirt beside me and sucked the venom out until Seth's blood ran clean. When he was finally finished, he looked at the puddle of blood where he had been spitting it out and grimaced in disgust.

"How the fuck do those pansy-assed piss-eyes drink animal blood if it tastes THAT bad, I mean even tequila smells better. You're damn lucky that I love you MJ because Char aside, there ain't no one in the world I would put myself through that for."

Peter had saved Seth's life that day, and saved the pack the pain of losing a brother. While they didn't have to like him, they granted him grudging respect and allowed him and Char permission to cross the reservation border with me, on the condition that they did not feed in the area. It was hard for the pack to digest being in the debt of human-drinking vampires, but they were honourable. Seth, of course, developed a sort of hero worship for my husband. I think he would have felt that way about any vamp that was friendly to him; he was like Carlisle in his limitless capacity to show compassion and understanding and strive for peace.

~o_O~

Bringing myself back to Jacob, I smiled and nudged him with my shoulder. "Hey, agree to disagree, right my other brother from another mother?"

We laughed together, joined by Seth and Leah. Jacob had gotten over his infatuation with me, and we had become like siblings, so I always called him my brother from another mother, and in return he called me his sister from another mister. When Charlie and Sue married and I gained Seth and Leah as siblings, he became my other brother from another mother.

A throat clearing from across the circle of logs caught my attention and I looked up at the wicked gleam in Emily's eyes. We had a grudging respect for each other, even though I held some bitterness towards her for being Sam's imprint and stealing Leah's happiness. In return, she held bitterness towards me, as without the Cullens returning to Forks, Sam would never have phased and this whole mess, including the horrific scars adorning her face and torso, would never have happened. So we compromised and wished the world were normal.

"So vamp girl, tell me, do your husband and his mate suck on your tampons?"

We all shared a laugh at our on-going mock rivalry between vamp girl and wolf girl.

"I dunno, wolf girl, does Sam piss on your leg to mark his territory?"

We all shared a laugh knowing that if Sam thought he could get away with it he absolutely would. He scowled mockingly at me, and the conversation broke off again into smaller groups.

The night passed quickly as I drank and chatted with my friends. I caught up with all the local gossip, finding out that a few more had imprinted, and that Jess Stanley and Mike Newton had been shamed into a shotgun wedding by, of all people, Mike's mother. I found that highly amusing, and was secretly happy for Jess that she had finally caught Mike's attention. I hoped that the two of them would stay happy together.

At some point in the night I remembered to pull Leah aside and thank her for calling. I asked her if she knew anything about what was going on, but she told me that she hadn't gotten much information other than that it was a good time for me to be on the res. I thanked her and then we stumbled back over to the fire and laughed as Embry tried to jump over the fire and started swearing when he kept burning himself.

I lost count of how many beers I had drank, it was different drinking around the wolves. I was used to sharing my drunkenness with Charlotte and Peter; we had figured that the effort it took me to expand it on to them sobered me up a bit. I hadn't quite figure out how to affect the wolves, and truly they didn't need it as they were starting to stumble around and howl at the moon. I remember giggling at Paul and Jacob as they mocking sparred on the beach, and then I remember warm arms carrying me to my bed, before the darkness enveloped me and I succumbed to sleep.

~O_~

I was jolted out of my slumber by shouting from downstairs. For a moment, I sincerely wished I was back home, where there really were no good reasons to wake me up before a decently human hour. Looking over at my alarm clock, I realised it was 8am and someone was going to have to die.

"Bella!" Seth bellowed from downstairs, "Wake up and make me pancakes!"

"Eat shit and die, Seth." I croaked out, burying my head under the pillows to block out the evil sunlight. Fuck, while I may not be hungover, nobody likes to be woken up to blinding bright sunlight. I heard Seth laughing downstairs, by this point he had become familiar with my abject hatred of waking up, especially in the mornings.

"Ok, ok. I'm getting up, do we have ingredients: eggs, flour, milk, sugar, bacon?" I shouted down the stairs as I peeled off the jeans and t-shirt I had been wearing last night. I gave myself a quick sniff check and figured I could do without a shower until after breakfast. Slinging on some fresh clothes, I listened as Seth banged around in the kitchen for a bit.

"Nope, we don't have bacon or eggs. Can we go to the store and pick some up? I really want pancakes!"

Trudging down the stairs I grunted at Seth and wrapped my hands around the travel mug of coffee he had prepared for me. Inhaling the rich aroma, I held my hands out for my car keys and shuffled over to the front door, grabbing a pair of Leah's flip flops and my purse on the way.

"C'mon slugger, I'm driving"

Seth bounded out the door behind me and squished into the passenger seat of my rental, and after a few sips of coffee, I was ready to hit the road.

"What the fuck are you doing up so early, fuckhead?" I grumbled as I turned onto the main highway through town. It was a well known fact that while my vocabulary may be colourful first thing in the morning, it lacked a certain variety.

Seth grinned at me and explained, "Well, after we put you to bed, princess, Embry and I were on patrol. So technically, I'm still awake and I wanted some grub before I crashed out for the day." I grumbled some more and gave Seth cut-eye for being so perky while I was clearly suffering. I often wonder if the wolves naturally needed less sleep, or if Seth was secretly on speed.

Minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of the lone grocery store in Forks and piled out of the car towards the sliding glass doors at the entrance. Grabbing a basket, I herded Seth towards the produce aisle and headed off to the meat department to pick up some bacon. Even seeing the displays of fresh fruit and veg had my legs trembling and my breath coming out in short pants. I wasn't prepared to explain to my little brother why I was moaning in front of the Roma tomatoes, so I decided to avoid the produce aisle all together.

While Seth picked out some bananas and fresh berries for us, I picked up some maple smoked bacon and was debating making a roast for dinner tonight when I was interrupted by the shrill voice of Lady Gaga talking about her disco stick. I never knew what my ring tone was going to be from day to day, but if it was embarrassing or awkward, I knew that Peter was calling me.

"Hey babe, miss me already?" I picked up the phone and smiled as I answered.

Instead of Peter's cocky response, I was greeted by a shocked gasp. "Bella?"

"Oh, shitballs." I dropped my phone.

I usually keep a doc open with "shit I googled for Chapter X", but unfortunately I haven't for this chapter. I can tell you that in my google searching for this chapter I stumbled across a giant Dr. Seuss snow sculpture of the Cat in the Hat. It was awesome.

Also for reference - Mumford & Sons is a pretty kickass group and I was listening to their album while writing this chapter. And the car, it's from the song Asshole by Denis Leary. The Kangaroo pouch that Peter is fucking, well that was my dear friend Alice's brilliant idea. You should check out her collab Princess Bride-Twilight crossover fic. It's called The twilight Bride and it's under the penname AQuad.

Other rec for this week would be Life Happens, So Just Roll With It by mama4dukes. She writes a kickass Bella/Jasper fic, and oh god. Don't drink anything while reading it unless you want to clean your monitor. It contains spermal expulsions in the crotchal region. Go.

Goddamn, this time next week I'mma be in Canada, and this time two weeks from now, Imma be lying on the beach drinking mai-tais and checking out the sexy rasta dudes in Jamaica. WOOO. And poor boyfriend will be sitting at home here in Australia trying to figure out how to microwave soup.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!