A/N Somehow or other this story won a Hidden Star Award for best one-shot! I didn't know I was nominated but thank you to whoever voted for me! It was quite a shock, seeing as this is over 20 chapters now, but it was initially a one-shot and I love winning so I'm gonna take it! You all are the best! Thank you!
IMF seems to be our run away winner for inner voice, so there you have it! Thanks for the voting!
I suppose you're all anxious to find out about mystery vamp. More babble below!
Taste of Innocence Chapter 19
What in the ever living fuck was my woman doing entertaining some strange vampire in our home when I was gone? How the fuck did she manage to find a vampire in fucking Jersey of all places? I could count on two hands the number of vamps I'd encountered in over a century, yet Bella fucking manages to meet two of us in a matter of weeks. Was she a fucking magnet for our kind? Would they all want her like I did? I would have to do a shitload of fucking killing if that was the case, not that I wasn't more than up for that. Whoever he was, he was a dead man if he laid a hand on her. She was mine.
Bella shot me a gleaming smile and a bit of my ire melted under the beauty of her face. She was the most stunning creature I'd ever encountered; that I ever would encounter. She reached over and put a hand on the strange vampire's arm and I felt a white hot bolt of anger fire through me. Unbidden, a growl sounded deep in my throat and the other vampire laughed. He fucking laughed. At me. Nobody fucking laughed at me.
"I think your mate doesn't like you touching me, dear heart," he told her, amusement lacing his tone. He had a slight accent…Greek maybe. His voice was smooth and he didn't seem to give a damn that I was about to take his fucking head off. Dear heart? What the fuck kind of thing was that to call her? She was my woman.
Bella looked between the two of us, confusion on her gorgeous face. "Mate? What do you mean by that?"
Surely she knows that they're mated…is she playing me? I hoped she'd be playing with me but it's pretty clear that that's not going to be the case now. Damn right it isn't, motherfucker.
He placed his hand on top of hers and I was pretty fucking close to going and ripping his arm off and throwing it against the wall, but then he just patted her hand and removed it from his arm. Wise fucking choice, bastard. Maybe I won't torture you before I kill you.
"How new are you?" he asked her, though his eyes remained on me. What the fuck was going on here?
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house, with my mate?" I demanded, my teeth clenched and my hands balled into fists to keep from tearing him apart before I had an answer or two.
He tossed his head and shot me a glittering smile. This one wants to kill me. I hope he's not stupid enough to attack a member of the Volturi. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Good thing Felix and Alec are in the city, should I need them. What the fuck was one of the Volturi doing coming after me? After Bella? Surely they weren't pissed at me for creating one vampire in my entire existence. What could it be? It was probably a damn good thing I hadn't ended him when I wanted to.
"My name is Demetri. I am of the Volturi. I've come to speak with you, Edward Cullen. You know who we are?"
"Yes." I walked over and sat next to Bella, sliding my arm casually around her. She was looking between the two of us with rapt attention, much like when she watched her ridiculous fucking vampire shows. Well, I guess she was getting one live and in person now. It was like being on Broadway for her, probably. God, she was fucking adorably crazy.
Demetri smirked as he looked at my hand lingering on her waist. Pity. I should have made a move on her sooner. Waiting for him was a mistake. Still, maybe when she hears my news, she'll leave him and come to Italy with me. I could give her much more than this silly little farm in the middle of nowhere. She was meant to see and be seen. He probably hides her away so he can have her all to himself.
It took every fucking ounce of strength I had to keep from reacting to his thoughts. I didn't want any member of the Volturi to know that I could read minds. I wasn't going to join their pansy club and hang out in Italy with ancient vampires bored out of my skull day in and day out. Not my fucking style.
"You, apparently, know who I am." How the fuck the Volturi knew about me was a mystery I wanted to solve right now.
"Yes." He sat back and steepled his fingers, his eyes moving between Bella and me. "You're Edward Cullen, born in 1901, reborn in 1923, CEO of Cullen Industries, a multi-billion dollar corporation that deals in oil, technology, investments and many other avenues. You're thought to be an eccentric hermit and every couple generations another Edward Cullen is born to be the figurehead. What number are you supposed to be now?"
"Five," I replied, trying to sound bored but I really was fucking irritated that he knew as much as he did. "How do you know all this? How did you know I was a vampire?"
He chuckled and I thought about throwing Bella's copy of Catcher in the Rye at his head. Would the Volturi sentence me to death for throwing a book at one of their members?
"We make it a point to keep an eye on all giant, successful corporations, particularly those with mysterious CEOs that are never seen. Our kind tend to amass nice fortunes over their lifetime and it pays to know who might be an asset down the line." He sat back and picked fussily at his white silk shirt, apparently finding some invisible speck of lint. Fucking pansy. He grinned at Bella and she smiled back at him and I thought about blinding him with the fire poker by the hearth. It would only take a second.
"How did you find me?" I demanded, irritated at the idea that these fuckers had been aware of me for years. I'd done everything I could to stay off the fucking radar but apparently that wasn't good enough. Who knew you could be too fucking unobtrusive?
"I went to your headquarters in Chicago. I figured surely someone there was in touch with you. It didn't take long to find Jay Jenks. Talkative, delightful fellow." Jenks was going to fucking die. He'd defied me for the last fucking time. I'd enjoy ending him slowly. "He wouldn't tell me where you were, but I broke in after hours and found a file that looked interesting. It had your New York address and this place." He made a sour face. Fuck you, Demetri; you know shit about living in a real home. It seemed Jenks had done nothing that would allow me to justify killing him. I was almost happy about that.
"Naturally I went to New York first, but I found nothing there but some belongings and a hole in the wall." Bella flinched and I tightened my arm around her and kissed her cheek. That was our hole and I loved it. She leaned more into me and I smirked at the fucking interloper. "I picked up two different scents but didn't realize you had a companion, until I arrived here and met the lovely Isabella." He gave her a feral smile and I pictured ripping out his teeth one by one and driving them into his skull. It was a pleasant image.
"I'd only been here for a few minutes when we heard you arrive. It seems my timing was just off." Wherever you were, you should have stayed there for longer. I would have liked to learn more from your girl. I wondered what in the fuck he and Bella had been talking about prior to my arrival.
"Well, now I know how you came to be here, but I don't know why. What the fuck do you want with me? Surely I haven't done anything to draw the ire of the Volturi."
His smile faded at my words and his eyes narrowed. "Of course not, Mr. Cullen. You've been beyond reproach, living your life in major cities where missing people and unexplained violent deaths would be par for the course. We appreciate vampires such as yourself that take care in your kills." Bella made a little noise next to me and I hoped to God that she wasn't going to say shit, not now.
Demetri's ruby eyes focused on her. "Do you disagree, Isabella? Surely you don't think you'll be able to stay here indefinitely? This is a small community and missing people will be noticed and not forgotten."
I tightened my grip on her, silently begging her not to fucking say anything but this was Bella I was fucking talking about, of course she was going to say something. "I don't eat people. I get my blood from animals." And there it fucking was. I shook my head as Demetri stared at her like she'd grown a second head or something. His thoughts were a jumbled mass of incoherency and disbelief. Welcome to the club, buddy.
"You don't eat people? Why ever not?" His accent was a bit thicker now, definitely Greek, and he was regarding Bella like she'd offended him. He better not insult her crazy ass life choices or I would kill him and deal with the fucking consequences later.
"Because I don't want to," she told him simply, shrugging her shoulders. "They never harmed me, so why harm them? I can live off of animal blood. Edward," she broke off and turned to me, touching my cheek with her left hand, "was kind enough to buy this place so that I could have someplace to hunt." She smiled triumphantly. "I killed a bear a week ago, my first real kill." Then she frowned. "Well, unless you count Jacob but that wasn't really my fault, Edward had him in the room when I woke up and I didn't know what I was doing."
What in the hell is going on with this woman? Who is Jacob? She killed a bear? A bear? Why in the hell would anyone want to drink from a bear when humans were so very delightful? Maybe I should take her to Aro; he'd want to study this strange little vampire. I didn't know who the fuck Aro was but if Demetri tried to take Bella anywhere it would be the last fucking thing he did, that much I knew.
"What made you think of drinking an animal? I don't understand?" He looked at me for clarification, as if I had the fucking answer that particular mystery. Like I hadn't been asking that very question a billion times since Bella had refused human blood. I hoped to God that she wouldn't…
"Well, first I tried to drink donated blood, like Angel did, but it tasted awful. So then I remembered that Stefan drank animal blood and Edward agreed that I could try it when I promised that if it didn't work, I'd kill humans then."
Angel? Stefan? Other vampires? Are there strange vampires across the land trying blood alternatives? Why? I couldn't stop the laugh that welled up at his thoughts and the expression of complete bafflement on his face. Been there, asked that. It was fucking fun to be on the other side of it for once, though, to see that I wasn't the only one who found Bella to be fucking batshit crazy.
"You know other vampires that have tried this animal blood?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled.
"Do no vampires watch TV?" Bella demanded, looking first to me and then to him. "Seriously, you guys are awake 24/7 and you never sit down and watch TV shows? I would think you'd want to know what the outside world thought vampires might be like so you could avoid exposure!" She threw up her arms in outrage and she was so fucking adorable that I kissed her neck. She glared at me but didn't push me away while he stared as us like we were a science experiment gone awry.
I started stroking Bella's hair while I answered Demetri. "Bella is a bit of vampire TV connoisseur. She had a small vampire obsession before I came into her life." I grinned at her as she huffed out an irritated breath of air. "After she killed my gift for her, she was a little bit pissed at me." That was the understatement of the century. "And she told me she wouldn't be drinking human blood again. Then she made me watch these fucking vampire TV shows, which are racist by the way, and she asked to try their methods of survival. I got her donated blood and she hated that so we moved here and she's trying animals. So far, it seems to be working for her, even though it's not very appetizing."
"You liked the bear blood!" Bella interjected, frowning at me. I leaned forward and bit her lip and she pushed me away.
"I liked licking the bear blood off you and the flavor wasn't entirely revolting. The packaging, however, was exquisite." Bella gasped and Demetri coughed. Fucker. I would totally be fucking her right now if he wasn't here in the way.
I turned back to him. "Bear blood isn't that bad, it's tangier than we're used to but edible. Deer blood is disgusting; it's like eating grass or some fucking thing."
He blinked at me. "You tried deer as well?"
I smirked at that memory. "Let's just say that I had a good incentive for doing so." Bella smacked my arm and Demetri muttered something that sounded like "lucky bastard." Damn right I was.
"But you still drink humans?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
I glanced at Bella and nodded. She didn't say a thing, just like she fucking promised. I was glad she wasn't ranting at me in front of him. I probably looked pussy whipped enough without that shit.
"So you will have both?" he asked. Like I fucking knew the answer to that question? That was something I'd yet to work out. I wanted just to do what I always fucking did but I didn't want Bella's disapproval every time I went to grab a bite either. Who the fuck knew? I just shrugged, since I had no answer.
"How old are you?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
Bella blinked. "I'm 22."
"You've been drinking animal blood for 22 years?" he asked, incredulously.
"No, she's 22 in human years. She's 3 weeks old, a newborn."
He gaped at both of us. "And she's only killed one human, when she first woke up?" I really have to call Aro, he'd want to know about this. Who the fuck was Aro and why would he give a damn? I wasn't letting anyone study Bella like some rat in a fucking maze. She was my girl and she was going to be as free and happy as she could fucking be.
"Yes. Now, if you're quite through asking a bunch of questions that have nothing to do with anything, can you tell me why the fuck you're here?" I didn't mean to be quite that fucking rude but he was irritating me and I wanted him gone so I could tell Bella that I loved her and she could say it back and we could get on with our fucking lives. Was that too much to fucking ask?
"Edward!" Bella gasped and punched me in my left arm. That fucking hurt and I rubbed the spot she'd hit. "Demetri is a guest in our home and you should be more polite." Oh Jesus, she sounded like some kind of schoolmarm or a librarian scolding a loud patron. It was hot as fucking hell and I wanted to attack her. The only thing holding me back was the raven-haired vampire regarding us with such interest.
"Ow, Jesus, Bella, are we back to the hitting thing?" I turned to him. "See, she's a normal newborn in some fucking ways." She hit me again and I winced but didn't give her the satisfaction of reacting to it. "I apologize for being rude, but could you please tell me what brings you here? Have I done something to upset the Volturi? If so, I fucking apologize and won't do it again." That was probably a lie, but he didn't need to know that.
"Fucking this and fucking that," Bella muttered, glaring at me.
"I didn't hear you complain about it when I was fucking you," I informed her, which earned me another smack while Demetri began laughing from his spot in our green recliner. Fucking bastard, I was glad he was enjoying the show.
"It's rude to use that word in every fucking sentence, especially when we have fucking company!" she shouted, trying unsuccessfully to smack me again but I was off the couch and dodging her blows as best I could despite the fact that I was laughing my ass off. God she was a fucking delight when she was pissed off.
She's glorious, like an avenging angel. That sobered me up, coupled with the adoration I heard in his tone. Oh no, fucker, she's mine and I'm the only one she'll be abusing. Bella took advantage of my distraction and managed to punch me in the gut before I came to my senses and scooped her up. She struggled in my arms but I plopped back down on the couch and grinned at Demetri as if I didn't have a hundred pounds of spitting angry woman in my arms.
"As you can see, my Bella is a passionate woman. I apologize for being rude and will try to limit my use of the word fucking while you are here. Happy now?" I asked Bella, who stopped squirming and sighed. She started to push off my lap but I held tight and she stayed, resting her head on my shoulder. Suck on that, you Greek douche, she's mine.
"Now, what brings you to our humble abode, Demetri?" I didn't take the sarcasm out of my tone, because she hadn't requested that. It wasn't overly rude and fuck it, he knew I didn't want him here. Why hide behind pleasantries?
He shook his head and smiled. "You two are fascinating. I really must tell my leader, Aro, about you. I think he'll want to visit you and see for himself someday." And I'd love for him to get a read on these two. All he'd have to do is touch them and he'd know everything we could ever want to know about them. I want this spitfire and knowing more about him could only speed up the process of extracting her from his side. Like fuck he would. I'd make damn sure this Aro never touched me or Bella and Demetri would be lucky if he lived to see the New Year. I may not be able to kill him today, but I'd kill him soon. Nobody would take my Bella from me, nobody.
"The Volturi is like our government now, right? Edward told me that I couldn't go out in public, because I would attack people and possibly bring your attention on us. Do you kill bad vampires?" Bella asked, looking him with wide eyes. I couldn't resist kissing her nose because she looked like a little kid that was afraid of getting her hand slapped.
Demetri chuckled and gave her a bright smile. "Not necessarily, Isabella. We educate vampires, teach them to survive and live undetected. There are some vampires that resist, that have to be eradicated, but generally we're just there to help and guide our kind." What a load of fucking bullshit that was. I snorted but didn't say anything. Insolent bastard, she's far too good for you. Well, that was fucking true enough but she was far too good for him as well. And I found her and I loved her. He just wanted her as another conquest. Fuck that.
He looked at me, his eyes boring into mine. "It's because of that situation, that I am here." What, he fucking wanted to eradicate me? Good fucking luck.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice rough as my arms tightened around Bella protectively.
"There have been some attacks, lately, that have caught our attention." What? The random fuckers I killed in the city? There was nothing that linked them. I hunted in different locations, across color lines and gender lines and socioeconomic lines. What the fuck could I have done?
"What attacks?" Bella asked, her little body tight with nerves. I stroked her hair and waited for his answer. We might have to fucking run. I could snap his neck and Bella could start a fire and we could take him apart and take off, head up to Canada maybe and from there go deep underground. I'd get whatever money I could and cut off all communication with Jenks. We could survive, as long as we were together.
"Clergy." What? I'd never attacked a fucking priest, at least not since…oh fucking no, it couldn't be. I shook my head and Demetri saw my denial and nodded. "Yes, I see you've already put it together."
"Put what together? Edward, what's going on?" Bella sounded panicked and I stroked her cheek. Fuck…of all the shit in my past that could come back to bite me in the ass in front of her, why this?
"Nothing baby, it's alright. I just know the vampire he's referring to."
"You know someone who kills priests?" She started to struggle again and I let her move off my lap and sit next to me. I hoped she didn't fucking hate me when she heard the rest of it.
"I did, baby, a long, long time ago. Victoria," I glanced at Demetri and saw that he knew the name already, "was the vampire that created me. She had a thing for killing priests and nuns and religious people. I don't know exactly why, but I believe she was abused by one as a child. She claimed that once, anyway, but she was insane so I don't know what was true and what wasn't."
"Victoria," she said softly, drawing out each syllable of the name as if committing it to memory bit by bit. I wondered what the fuck that was about. "She was the one you ran away from."
I took her right hand and she didn't resist, gripping mine tightly. "Yes, love, as soon as I was able to control my bloodlust, I got away while she was out on a hunt. I haven't seen her since." I turned to Demetri who was still regarding us closely. "Why are you here? I haven't seen her or heard from her in decades."
"I know," he responded, crossing his legs at the ankles. "But she's been making her way across the country. Her latest kills were in Pennsylvania, five days ago. It is our belief that she's heading here, well, to New York anyway. To you."
I felt a chill move through me and Bella's hand clenched on mine even tighter. "Baby, that's a little hard." She loosened her grip infinitesimally but it was enough and I flexed my fingers a bit. "Why do you think she's looking for me? She has no reason to."
"Well, that's not necessarily true. According to a source, she's never gotten over you. She's been known to call her lovers by your name." And Bella's hand was tightening on mine again. Fuck. Fuck it all, this shit could not be happening, not now.
"How do you know this?" I asked, my mind whirling, unable to really focus as memories assaulted me. Blood and sex and pain and fucking crazy, usually all four combined. Victoria was nuts and if she was coming for me, I had to get Bella the fuck out of here.
"I know because her latest companion, James Hunter, was captured after their most recent massacre. She managed to escape, barely, but he was not so fortunate. We convinced him to talk. It didn't take much persuasion." He smiled that feral smile again and I felt Bella shudder next to me. I used my right hand to break her death grip on my left and then pulled her close to me. She didn't resist.
"James was more than happy to tell us all about her obsession with you. It seems that Cullen Industries recently gave a major endowment to a museum in New York?" I nodded at his raised eyebrow. "She heard about it or read about it and decided that meant you were there. That's why they headed this way. She hasn't been to your place yet, but she'll get there eventually. James said she still knew your scent, even after all this time." I wasn't surprised. She'd always sworn she'd be able to find me, even if a million people were crowded into one building.
"My fault," Bella whispered.
I turned to her and tilted her face toward me. "What, baby?"
"She found you because of me," she told me, her eyes impossibly sad. I wanted to rip Victoria's head off for putting that look on my girl's face. "You gave that money to the museum to take out Angela, because I made you. This is my fault."
"No, love, that's not true. She would have found me, eventually. She could have gone to Chicago just like Demetri did and found out that way. All that the money did was speed up the process. Maybe it's better that we get it over with." I didn't really fucking believe that it was better, but I wanted Bella to. She didn't need guilt over this. Victoria was my fucking problem, not hers.
I don't think I even want to know who Angela is and what that's all about. No, Demetri, you really fucking don't.
"So, you came to me to warn me? Or you want me to do something for you?"
"Both, really. It's pretty clear that she wants to find you and she's in the vicinity. We wanted to warn you to be vigilant, and to ask you to contact us if and when she does come to see you. We have no reason to believe she means you any harm, although she doesn't know that you have a mate, either. That may change her attitude toward you." He watched Bella closely.
"Oh, she means me harm, alright. She may not want to kill me, but Victoria's idea of romance is filled with harm. Are you going to stay nearby and wait her out?"
"That's the plan. We're going to keep an eye on your place in the city, as I'm fairly certain that's where she'll head first. This place being out in the middle of nowhere may actually work in your favor. I'm going to leave you my cell number, so you can call me if you see her or hear from her in some manner. Are you willing to cooperate?"
Of course I fucking was. I didn't want that bitch within a mile of me, let alone near my Bella. "Yes. What about Bella?"
She's delectable. Fuck you, Demetri. I still wanted to kill him but Bella was all that mattered now. "What about her?"
"I don't know. Is there any place you could take her so she'd be safe? If Victoria does find me, I don't want Bella to be anywhere near here. She'd kill her without a thought." It terrified me, more than anything, what she would do to my girl. I could deal with her fucking with me, but I wouldn't let her lay a hand on Bella.
He eyed me contemplatively. "We do have a compound down in DC, a smaller version of Volterra, if you will. She could stay there, although I don't know what could be done to accommodate her diet. I suppose they could go to the pound and…"
"I'm not eating dogs or cats!" Bella screeched, pushing away from me and storming around the living room. Fuck, there she went again. "And I'm not going anywhere without you, you jackass! What makes you think you can decide where I do and don't go? If you're staying here and waiting for that crazy, priest-killing bitch, then so am I!" She was pointing and shouting and gesturing and she was positively gorgeous.
I caught Demetri licking his lips and growled at him and he shrugged. "Sorry, but she's beautiful when she's mad."
"You don't have to fucking tell me that," I hissed.
"I don't know why everybody thinks that I can't handle one stupid fucking vampire. I can kick your ass, can't I?" she demanded, staring at me with her red eyes blazing. Fuck, she was hot.
"Yes, baby, you can clearly kick my ass but she's…"
"Crazy, yes I fucking get that. Well, so am I and if she thinks she's going to take my, what did you call it?" she demanded, looking at Demetri. "Mate? Yes, my mate away, then she's got another think coming. I'm not leaving you and I'm not leaving my home and I'm not leaving Willow. She can just come here and get her ass kicked and then be exterminated or whatever the fuck it is that the Volturi's do." She nodded decisively.
"Willow?" Demetri asked?
"My pet cow," she informed him. He laughed incredulously and I shook my head but it was already too late.
"And what the fuck is so fucking funny about me having a pet cow? People have farms and have cows and keep them, why the hell can't a vampire? What's so damn weird about that? Willow loves me and I love her. Stop making fun of me or I'll kick your ass too!" She was in full fury and she marched right up to Demetri and jabbed him in the chest. "Do you have a problem with my cow?"
He looked shocked and intrigued and aroused all at the same time. I wanted to wipe that look off his face but I knew for a fact my own expression probably mirrored his. I was just grateful it wasn't me she was jabbing at the moment. Of course, the instant he left, she'd probably lay into me even worse. "No, I have no problem with your pet cow. I'd like to meet her."
Bella looked slightly mollified and she took her finger out of his chest. "Maybe you can meet her when you come to take the crazy bitch away, if she ever gets this far. That is, if there's anything left of her after I get done with her." Okay, now that was fucking hot; my woman wanting a piece of my ex. I could construct about a billion fantasies over that one.
Demetri licked his lips again and I let out a warning growl. Damn. He sighed and got to his feet. "Alright, I better get going, she could be in New York by now, for all we know. She's elusive, I'll give her that." This was not fucking news to me. "My number is 283-555-1283. Please call if you even feel remotely threatened. I may return in a day or two, just to see if I can get a sense of her. I nearly had her in Philadelphia."
He turned to Bella and held out a hand to her gingerly. She smiled, calm for the moment, and placed her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed the back. "You are a fascinating woman, Isabella. It is my hope that you will one day visit Italy and allow me to teach you of our history and our culture."
She smiled and took her hand back. "Maybe we'll come, someday." How fucking awesome was it that she said we?
Demetri's smile slipped a little but he nodded ruefully. "I suspected as much. Edward, it was nice meeting you. I do hope you'll be in touch in soon. I'll inform you if we apprehend her in the city." He didn't offer me his hand, which was probably a wise fucking move. I may not want to kill him at the moment but it was still very much an option.
He raised his hand in a wave and took off at a full run. I wondered where the hell he'd parked and also what the hell he and Bella had talked about before I got here. I shut the door and turned to face her. She was staring out the window, into the forest. "Baby, what are you doing?"
She didn't look at me but answered over her shoulder. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm looking for the crazy bitch."
I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her to me. "I really don't think she's out there, love. We'll hear if she gets close, so long as she's thinking."
She relaxed into me. "I always forget you can read minds. What was Demetri thinking?"
I growled and she giggled. "Yeah, I suspected as much. He was hitting on me before you got home, telling me all about how much I'd love Italy." She shook her head.
"Is that all you talked about?"
"Pretty much. He told me he'd come to see you and that he was with the Volturi and asked who I was and what we were and…"
"What did you tell him we were?" I was insanely curious to hear that answer.
Bella tensed against me and I kissed her cheek. "I said you were my boyfriend. Was that wrong?"
Boyfriend was as good a description as anything, although love of her life was infinitely more preferable. "No, love, that's not wrong at all."
She pulled away from me and turned to look at me. "Then why the hell did you try to send me off with Demetri to some group of vampires that I don't know that would have scared the shit out of me?"
"I just don't want her anywhere near you. Protecting you, keeping you safe, is all that matters to me. Do you think that I want to send you away?" Was she mad?
"How the hell would I know? I guess you'd hate losing access to easy sex while I was gone but I'm sure Victoria would be more than happy to fill in." She drew out the name again, emphasizing the tor part of the name and making it sound like whore, which was really fucking funny. What was not fucking funny was the fact that she thought I could just replace her with another willing body.
"Do you really fucking think that? Do you honestly think that I could ever be with her again after being with you? What the fuck, Bella? Do you think so little of me?" Was she really that fucking clueless?
"Well why the hell haven't you told me about her before? You never talk about the girls in your past and she's obviously a pretty important one since she made you into a fucking vampire and you spent months with her. How do I know what you felt about her if you don't tell me?"
"I have told you!" I roared, incensed beyond belief that she could remotely think I regarded Victoria in the same light as I did her. I took a breath and tried to calm down. "I told you a little bit about her, that she was crazy and that I was happy to get away. That should tell you all you need to know right there. I don't want to get away from you, baby."
"You were more than willing to send me away a few minutes ago!" She glared at me and stomped back into the living room.
I went after her like the trained fucking dog I was. "I was not willing to send you away. I hated the thought of sending you away but I would do it in a heartbeat to keep you fucking safe, Bella."
"Why? Why can't I be here to help you when she gets here? Two vampires are better than one, aren't they? Are you ashamed of me? Is she more beautiful than I am? Sexier? Why don't you want her to know about me?" She was outraged and sexy as all hell, flinging her arms this way and that as she worked herself up into more of a frenzy.
I grabbed her by her shoulders and looked into that furious, gorgeous face and gave her the only answer I could. "Because I fucking love you."
A/N As Smugs would say, holy fuck, he said it! What do you think of them apples? Dying to know! Thought this was more fitting than some romantic setting. Not our boy's style! What do you think Bella will have to say about this revelation? IMF? We'll find out!