So we meet again. Sorry for the delay, but RL hasn't been the kindest as of late. Where we last left off:
Edward? I reached out and grabbed his hand. His head whipped towards my direction, his wide, surprised eyes meeting mine. Relief washed over me as I realized he could hear me. I could say what needed to be said, without having to actually speak the words.
I love you, I mentally whispered, just as Carlisle slipped the necklace back around my neck.
I´ve got you under my skin.
I´ve got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you´re really a part of me.
I´ve got you under my skin.
I tried so not to give in. I said to myself:
"This affair never will go so well."
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know more than well,
I´ve got you under my skin.
Edward continued to stare at me, long after Carlisle had placed the necklace back securely around my neck. I was both relieved and terrified that Edward had indeed been able to hear my thoughts without the necklace. The implications of which swirled violently around my brain. I had hoped he would hear me, at least in the short term, but long term…I valued my privacy, the ability to escape into my thoughts and process and sort. Having Edward able to invade that privacy didn't sit well with me.
A small smile curved up the side of Edward's mouth and the sight of him so happy, so content, temporarily caused me to forget the value of privacy. Instead, I was overwhelmed with love at the thought that three simple words, though I was still unable to speak them aloud, could give him so much happiness.
Carlisle unnecessarily cleared his throat, commanding both mine and Edward's attention. Our eyes slowly slipped away from one another and refocused on the man in front of us.
"I take it you could hear her, Edward?" Carlisle asked, rounding his desk and lowering himself gracefully into the chair behind it.
"Yes, I did." He turned slowly to look back at me. "Bella…" he trailed off.
"Later," I answered, knowing full well what he was about to disclose. I may have temporarily forgotten my value on privacy earlier, but it came crashing back to me tenfold. There were too many ears, too many witnesses. He nodded slightly in understanding and turned once again to focus on Carlisle.
"It was faint, very faint, and at first I was sure I was imagining it. That her voice was just a byproduct of wishful thinking…but I didn't imagine it, did I?" he asked, turning to look at me. I shook my head, confirming it wasn't imagined. He smiled again, this time it consumed it whole face, like a small child whose parents had just told him he could have a puppy.
"But it wasn't as clear as usual?" Carlisle pressed.
"No, nowhere near the same intensity. Just a soft, fading whisper," Edward answered, squeezing my hand which was still clasped with his across our chairs.
"Hmmm," Carlisle responded, pursing his lips. He remained quiet for a few moments, which caused me to fidget uncomfortably in my chair, before he looked over my shoulder and spoke again. "Alice?"
"I saw her, sort of. She was blurry and the image was distorted, but it was still clearer than any vision I've had of her before. In the past, I could only see the outcomes of decisions she made, not herself directly. But this time I could see her in direct relation to the decision," Alice answered, looking at me and smiling nervously. I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what would make her suddenly so nervous.
She understood my silent question and shook her head, letting me know that this wasn't the time or place. I accepted her answer, letting the issue drop, having given the exact same one to Edward a few moments earlier.
"So…while both your gifts work when the necklace is removed, the clarity is severely lacking?" Carlisle asked. Both Alice and Edward answered simultaneously with a "yes", causing Carlisle to once again purse his lips and go silent.
The silence stretched on for what seemed like an unbearable amount of time and I found myself fidgeting in my chair again. "So, what does it mean?" I finally asked, unable to endure the silence a second longer.
"I'm not sure, Bella. It's interesting to say the least, but as far as answers go…I don't have any. Not right now anyway," Carlisle answered, smiling softly at me.
I glanced at the clock on the bookcase behind him, noticing that it was nearing early evening. Charlie was most likely expecting me to be home soon, and I feared the state the kitchen might be in when I returned. It was nearly dinnertime and I was sure he had done nothing but order out all weekend.
"I should get going," I said softly, turning to look at Edward.
"I'll walk you out," Edward answered, rising from his chair and pulling me up towards him by our joined hand.
"Thank you for allowing me to spend the weekend, Carlisle. Please tell Esme thank you as well," I said, turning to him. He rose from his seat as well and nodded, opening his arms in invitation. I smiled as I let go of Edward's hand and walked behind the desk, wrapping my arms tightly around him and resting my cheek against his chest. He gently kissed the top of my head and pulled back to look me in the eyes.
"Our home is your home now, Bella. No matter what you will always be welcomed, and always be safe here. And furthermore, it is I who should be thanking you." I raised my eyebrow in question and in return he chuckled. "I haven't seen Edward this happy in, well, never actually. I have no doubts that you are good for him. My son has a tendency to brood and I am sure you will keep him in line," he explained.
I laughed as I released my hold on him and stepped back.
"Thank you, Carlisle," Edward replied sarcastically as he ran his hand through his hair, causing me to laugh even harder. I moved around the front of the desk and stopped in front of Alice, wrapping my arms around her tiny shoulders.
"I had fun this weekend, Al. Thank you," I whispered in her ear.
"Anytime, Bells," she answered, giving me a gentle squeeze and letting go.
"And do give that gorgeous boy toy of yours a hug for me also, will ya?" I said as I smiled and walked backwards towards Edward.
Alice's tinkling laughter filled the room as I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him out behind me.
As we reached the front door, Edward used our joined hands to spin me into his chest and pin me against the foyer wall, bringing both my hands above my head. His hard chest was flush with mine and his lips hovered inches away from my own. I waited impatiently for their descent, but before I was granted the satisfaction, Edward spoke. "Gorgeous boy toy, Bella?" he asked, his tone thick and raw. My eyes snapped from his lips to his eyes, detecting the hint of jealousy in his voice.
Stunned by this realization, I began to laugh. "Tsk, tsk, Edward. Green is so not a good color for you," I replied mockingly.
The laughter died in my throat as Edward ground his hips into my leg in response, bringing his lips to my ear. "Mine's the only toy you will be playing with, Miss Swan," he purred. My breathing hitched as his tongue gently traced the shell of my ear, sending shivers down my body at the suggestion. I felt the familiar coil of need tighten in my stomach, begging for release. I whimpered as my hips bucked in automatic response, desperately seeking the friction I so desired.
Edward's body pushed tighter against mine, preventing my hips from any more movement, while his lips moved their way down from my ear to the crook of my neck, placing soft, fluttering kisses along their path. As he worked his way across my collar bone towards the other side of my neck, he paused briefly and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. His eyes snapped open and met mine. Another involuntary shiver ran through me as I saw the raw lust reflected in his black eyes, his pupils having expanded to cover the entire iris. I felt his erection twitch against my thigh. I knew he could smell my arousal, and that fact only seemed to turn me on more.
"Edward…," I whispered.
"Bella…," he answered, his voice rough and ragged.
"Kiss me," I said, begging him with my eyes to comply. I needed him in that moment. I needed to feel his cold, hard lips against my soft, pliable ones. I needed to taste his sweet tongue as it danced with my own. More than that, I needed him to feel those three little words I could not yet say. I knew I had mentally told him, but in this moment, I needed him to understand it, to know the utter truth and depth of it.
"As you wish," he answered, removing his right hand from my wrists, which were still pinned above my head by his left, and gently sliding it down my arm, down my side and settling on the skin exposed between my jeans and where my shirt had ridden up.
The trail his hand had taken left tiny goose bumps in its wake, eliciting yet another involuntary whimper from my throat. "Now, Edward," I begged.
Suddenly his lips crashed down upon my own, and I moaned at finally being granted my request. His tongue found its way into my mouth and collectively our tongues resumed its dance from the day before. I poured all of my love, my commitment, and my determination into our kiss, praying he would recognize and understand it. His hand slid around my hip to the small of my back and pulled impossibly closer to him, yet still, it wasn't close enough.
The minutes ticked on as we gave everything of ourselves in that kiss. It was as if I could tangibly feel our souls intertwining, so completely that we would never again be able to untangle them, never again be as individual souls.
Finally Edward's lips broke contact, leaving me gasping for air. He kissed me gently one last time and released my wrists from their iron shackles. My arms fell limply to my sides and I pressed my palms against the wall behind me.
"Do you understand?" I asked quietly, both terrified and anxious of his answer.
"Yes. I understood perfectly well, Bella," he answered, raising one hand to caress my cheek. I smiled and reached up, encircling my fingers with his, this time letting him lead me out the door.
I spent the majority of the ride home processing the events, and the possible ramifications, of the preceding three days. First and foremost, the Cullens were vampires. This fact I could accept, I had accepted, but the next thought, the one of I am in love with a vampire, sent my thoughts spiraling down the slippery slope that would be my future. How was I to handle aging, while Edward remained forever a teenager? What would we tell people? What would we tell Charlie? What would happen when I died, either of old age, disease, or some horrible accident? Most importantly though, how was I to navigate the thin, slippery tightrope between the human world and the vampire world? Was it even possible that I could, without falling to one side or the other?
Secondly, would I be forced to chose? Vampire or human? What if I didn't want to change? Sure being a vampire came with perks, but I wasn't naïve enough not to realize it came with its share of challenges and upsets as well. Would Edward still love me, still stay with me, if I decided to stay human? I liked being human. I liked having things to look forward to, to having my body change as time wore on. Laugh lines, and speckled gray hair, letting the world know that I had lived. But at what cost could I keep my humanity? My mortality? What would I have to sacrifice to live on either side of that invisible line?
Thirdly, someone was out to kill me, or simply kidnap, but either way it wasn't good. I was almost positive Carlisle had downplayed the threat, probably hoping like a good human I would let it go. But I didn't let things go…ever. I pursued them to the bitter end, and that was exactly what I intended to do with this situation. I wouldn't stop until I found out why there was a "bounty", or the mystery surrounding my mother's necklace. Even if it killed me in the end, I would die knowing the truth. It was just the way it had to be.
That last thought sent my mind in another direction. Truth. Something tugged on my subconscious. Reminding me of another so-called truth. If the legend of the cold one's were true, were the legends of the werewolf true? Did Jake know? Or was he still convinced his father was insane? I decided now was as good a time as any to find out. To see what other supernatural myths I could squash. If I was going to do it, I might as well do it big, get it all over and done within one weekend.
I pulled over to the side of the road and dug my cell phone from my purse. Dialing Charlie's number, I waited impatiently for him to pick up, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel as I waited.
"Hello?" Charlie answered.
"Dad, its Bella,"
"Hey, kid. You on your way home?" I heard the sound of an empty can being thrown into the recycling, clunking against what sounded like a serious pile of already empty ones.
"Actually, I was, but I think I'm going to head down to Jake's. I haven't seen or spoken to him in weeks and I want to check on him. Is that alright?" I asked, already putting my blinker on and watching the cars pass in the side view mirror.
"Sure, Bells. Have fun," he answered as the distinct pop of another can being opened sounded through the phone.
"Thanks, Dad. I'll try not to be home too late, ok?" I said, pulling off the side of the one-o-one and making a u-turn, heading north towards La Push.
"Ok. Oh, how was your weekend with Alice?"
A small smile formed on my lips as I thought about mine and Edwards departing kiss.
"It was good, Dad. Really good. I gotta go, I'm driving. Don't want me to be a distracted teen driver now, do you?" I asked, laughing as I heard him grunt.
"Bye, Bella," he said.
"Bye, Dad," I sang as I heard him end the call. I tossed the phone on the passenger seat and made the left onto La Push Rd. Suddenly my nerves were on edge. I wasn't sure if my mental state could handle another supernatural truth. But it was the truth that I needed to find out. It was the truth that had me turning around, just minutes from my home, and driving down here in the first place. I needed that truth like I needed air to breathe.
I slowed down as I pulled into Jake's driveway and cut the engine. I sat in the car a moment, steeling myself for a conversation I wasn't sure I wanted to have. Jake was my oldest and closest friend. Even despite the years and physical distance between us. We always had that easy friendship; the one where we could go weeks, months, years without talking and pick up again where we left off, never noticing the time lapse.
The thought of him turning into some supernatural equivalent of a dog bothered me. But the thought of him turning into an oversized dog and me not knowing about it bothered me even more. Suddenly I felt my stomach drop as pieces of a prior conversation clicked into place.
"Damn dogs," Emmett had said. Edward had brushed his brother off, sending aggravated glances in his direction. But suddenly I knew what he had been referring to.
Dogs. Werewolves. Jake.
"Shit," I whispered as the thought formed. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands, suddenly finding myself overly tired and mentally worn out. I grabbed my pack of cigarettes from my purse and lit one, inhaling deeply as I pulled myself together.
I would give Jake the chance to explain. There was a reason he had kept this a secret. We had never had secrets before, so it must be a pretty damn good reason, but a reason nonetheless. I would accept him the same way I had accepted the Cullens. He was, after all, my friend, my Jake. Looking back it all made perfect sense; his altered appearance, his cryptic replies to my questions, his absolute horror at my befriending a Cullen.
A painful memory unlocked in my brain, a memory I had since long forgotten. The story of werewolves and the cold ones. The war that raged and the hatred that ensued. The fact that the werewolves had come into existence with the purpose of destroying the cold ones. And most importantly the treaty made with the "strange yellow-eyed cold ones".
"Well fuck my life," I said as I stubbed the cigarette out and opened the door. If it really was true, if Jake really was a werewolf, then it meant that the man I loved and the man who was my best friend were mortal enemies, destined to kill each other.
I walked slowly, purposefully towards Jake's front door. Just as I had reached the bottom step to the porch, the front door flew open.
"Bells!" Jake stood just inside the doorway, his forehead leaning against the frame.
"Hey, Jake," I answered, smiling weakly.
"Uh oh. I know that look. And it's never good," he answered, ducking his head to avoid hitting the door frame and stepping onto the porch. He was dressed in only a pair of cut-off sweats, exposing his dark, muscular chest.
I let out an exaggerated sigh and looked up at my best friend. "Yeah, well, I need to talk to you. Let's take a walk," I said, pointing my thumb in the direction of adjoining forest behind me.
"Uh, ok. Sure," he answered. He reached out and clasped my hand in his as he led me across the yard. We walked a few feet down a winding trail and stopped. Jake cupped my face and bent his head, looking me straight in the eye. "What's the matter Bells?"
"First of all, where the fuck have you been, Jacob?" I demanded. "I have called, emailed, and yet nothing."
He exhaled slowly, standing straight up. "That's a bit complicated. How about we start with the easy questions? Hmm?"
"Fine. You want easy, here's easy." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them I looked him straight in the eyes. "Are the legends about your tribe true, Jake? Are you a…werewolf?"
Chapter title and lyrics by Seether "I've Got You Under My Skin"
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