Theres new things some readers might not understand its relevance to the story. But please, keep in mind that it will all later connect.
WARNING SEXUAL CONTENT- I have alerted the start and end of the sexual scenes, for the readers who do not want to read it.
[SEXUAL CONTENT STARTS]
EMMETT'S POV
"This is going to be hard," I muttered to myself as I removed the rest of my clothes. Somehow Bella heard me.
"I sure hope so," Bella giggled. She looked down to remove her jeans and panties. Her eyes slid to me and her eyes widened at my size. I had to laugh at the expression on her face.
"No, I didn't mean me. I meant this, what we're about to do. I've never done it with a human. And I've told you before, Rosalie and I have broken houses."
Bella's face fell.
"What?" I asked, alarmed. I probably should have kept my mouth shut.
"So you don't want to do this." Her eyes welled up with tears.
Was she crazy? Couldn't she see how hard I was?
"Whoa, hold on," I said. "I never said that, Bells. I'm just scared I might…break you or something."
She hurriedly wiped away a tear. "I wish everyone would stop worrying about that. I'll tell you if something's bothering me, I promise," she said, trying to smile again. She looked directly into my eyes. "Besides, I trust you."
Those three words sent a shiver down my spine. I felt a sense of power and resposibility over her, but those same words terrified me. Could I do it?
I breathed in deeply, nodded, and placed myself. Warmth radiated from her body, and I found myself wanting to be in her already; I didn't want to wait.
I slowly pushed myself in, and we moaned simultaneously as I went in deeper.
"Ow," I heard her say very quietly.
I knew I wasn't harming her as a result of my vampiric strength. The size of me inside her was painful; I was bigger than what she was used to.
I knew she'd become used to it soon.
"Ah fuck," I moaned.
I dug my fingers into a grassy area the blanket didn't cover. I could feel the clod of grass I gripped in my hand separating from the earth, the dirt gathering under my fingernails. I closed my eyes and started breathing hard though my nose.
I couldn't explain how incredible she felt, the last time I'd felt such body heat was as a human. That had been decades ago.
I pulled out of her and went back in, and she moaned again.
"Bella, I can't-" I said squeezing my eyes shut. It was all I could get out.
Something in me was rising, building, like an incredible thirst, but I didn't have the desire to drink. The desire was for something else.
Having to restrain myself was driving me crazy. I wanted nothing more than to continue, but I had to do it without getting rough.
This was going to be more of a challenge than that day I forced myself away from killing her.
"No! No, please…please don't say that. Keep going," she said, squirming under me, and I couldn't resist.
I pulled out of her again and went back in. This time I didn't stop.
It was a slow pace, at least slow compared to what I was used to. Bella seemed to be enjoying it.
But slow wasn't necessarily bad. I couldn't complain. Being inside Bella, her warmth surrounding me, well, it was as good (if not better) than fucking the hell out of Rosalie.
As long as you can keep your hands off of her, everything will be fine, I thought to myself, as I dug my hand deeper into the grass.
But it wasn't the same. Before I could think, I grabbed her arms and waited for her to stop me. She didn't, and it was my cue.
I moved my hands all over her body, finally bringing them back to her breasts.
BELLA'S POV
"Don't stop, Em." My hands were wrapped around his arms. His hand roamed all over my body, from my arms and neck trailing down to my stomach. His hand ran down to my hip, and he squeezed it to give himself better leverage. He moved his hand away and I felt a dull, throbbing (but bearable) pain.
I knew I was going to wind up with bruises.
I didn't care. Right now, the only thing I could process was how hard my nipples became when his cold hand made contact with my skin.
He was perceptive. He brought his hand to my breast and began playing with them. The coldness of his fingers hurt a bit, but I didn't want him to stop.
When Emmett had first pushed inside me, it had hurt, just as it had with Edward. Unlike sex with Edward, though, the pain had subsided and something warm, delicious, wonderful had taken its place.
I didn't feel obligated to fake it with Emmett. Even better, I didn't have to.
I was sincerely enjoying every minute of it, and my confidence was building. I wanted to try something different, something I couldn't have attempted with Edward.
"Can I be on top?" I asked.
He nodded and I felt him start to pull out, but he was too far gone.
Instead of switching positions, Emmett pushed into me harder than ever.
The sensation was incredible, and I hardly felt his legs digging into mine.
His head lowered to my neck, and my breathing quickened, not only because of the pleasure, but also from the thought that this would be the moment.
He was going to bite me.
And he did start sucking my neck, but it was so light and gentle that I knew just how hard he was working not to hurt me.
He began to nibble on my neck, again with the utmost caution.
"Do you want to bite me?" I whispered into his ear.
"Yes," he moaned, still pushing into me.
"I'm ready for it." A part of me meant it, but another part of me couldn't keep away a piercing bolt of fear.
He grunted and pushed into me, harder this time. He let out a low hiss. I turned my face and saw his hands covered in dirt, but instead of being buried in grass, they were now clawing into the blanket. It ripped in several places with each fistful he grabbed.
And then I heard him sigh.
I smiled as I realized that he had become satisfied. He pulled out and collapsed on the blanket next to me.
[SEXUAL SCENE ENDS]
After he caught his breath, he rolled over to lay on his stomach, using his arms as a pillow with his face turned to me, a smile on his face.
"What did you do to your hands?" I asked, looking pointedly at the dirt on them.
He started laughing. "What did you do to yourself?"
I looked down and saw dirt all over my chest and arms.
Actually, there was dirt everywhere. The entire area around the blanket had been upturned. And then I noticed two deep holes in the grass, one on either side.
"Did you...?" I asked, pointing at the holes.
Emmett smiled smugly. I laughed and moved closer to him.
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I murmured, playing with his ear.
I was starting to get cold as the sweat on my body chilled in the cold air, not to mention his icy body.
Of course, Emmett didn't have a single bead of sweat on him.
"Easy for you to say," he chuckled.
I smiled and yawned without thinking.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Who wouldn't be?" I smiled.
"Did I hurt you?" He turned his body towards me and I snuggled up to him.
"No. Did you like it?"
His cold body gave me shivers, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to hold me.
He kissed the top of my head, reassuring me that he had..
"I know it wasn't what you're used to, and you couldn't be as rough as you are with Rosalie-" I began, but he cut in.
"I love you, Bella." He gently tipped my chin and kissed me, and I wasn't cold anymore.
My eyes began to drop, and I closed my eyes to rest...
EMMETT'S POV
I pulled the blanket up closer around Bella. She was beautiful in her sleep.
The birds chirped happily as they welcomed the sun to a new beginning. This had always been my favorite part of the day when I'd lived inIreland years ago. It was amazing to watch the sun shine on the open hills.
I didn't want Bella to miss this.
"Bella. Wake up," I whispered. She squinted, yawned, and stretched her arms.
"What happened?" she asked sleepily.
"Nothing. I just thought you'd enjoy this." She rubbed her eyes and winced.
"Morning," I said to her.
It took her another yawn and stretch to completely wake up. She looked at me and smiled.
"So it wasn't a dream." She hugged me. I smiled and brushed her cheek with my thumb, only to leave a faint trail of dirt. I laughed.
"Oh no. Look what I did," I said, trying to clean it off.
She sat up, glanced at the dirt on my hand, and laughed. "Look at us. People would think we were rolling in dirt."
"Well, technically," I chuckled, "we were." I stood up. "Come on."
I took her hand and pulled her up. As she stood I was able to get a full view of her body. I noticed a few bruises on her arms among the dirt. I hadn't noticed them while she'd been asleep because she'd been covered by the blanket.
I realized I'd done that to her, and I inhaled sharply.
She smiled faintly and looked away from my eyes, trying to gather the blanket around herself to keep the bruises from view. I got my jeans and put them on.
"Come on," I said softly.
She wrapped the thin blanket around herself more tightly, holding it around her chest with her right hand. She took a step and winced.
"Are you okay?" I asked, dread filling me.
"I feel a little sore." She opened the blanket slightly, just enough for her to see.
She closed it immediately.
As hard as I'd tried not to hurt her, I had failed. Miserably, by the looks of it. I closed my eyes as I realized I had done more harm to her than just her arms.
"Show me," I said slowly.
"No, Emmett. I'm fine." She began to walk away, but I grabbed her arm as softly as I could.
"Bella, show me."
She hesitated for a moment, but something in my voice compelled her to spread open the blanket.
I'd never seen so many bruises on one person. Small dark spots were scattered around her chest and breasts with long scratches, some extending down to her stomach. Her hips were also bruised and slightly swollen.
Even with the limited sunlight filtering through the windows, I was still able to see the bruises on her. I closed my eyes and bit my bottom lip.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't even know I was doing it," I said.
I opened my eyes as I felt her take my face into her hands.
"Emmett, I'm fine. I told you that if you were hurting me I'd say something, didn't I? You have no idea how happy I am just being around you." She took my hands in hers. "They're just bruises, they'll go away. And a girl's hips usually hurt after they have sex their first times anyway. "
Her words were comforting but still, I couldn't look into her eyes. I shook my head.
"Come on, Em. I promise, everything's fine. Show me what you wanted me to see," she said, tugging on my hand.
Finally, I looked at her; she was sincere. Her skin was glowing from sunlight. It was almost time for sunrise. I wanted to show her how beautiful the landscape of Ireland could be.
"Okay, let's go." I took her hand, and took her the mountains edge, where our cabin was.
Bella looked down and her eyes widened.
"Whoa," she said and took a few steps back, bumping right into me. I wrapped my arms around her.
"Don't be scared." I said, and pointed to a cluster of hills in the distance. "Look."
As the sun gradually began to move across the sky, the world was coming alive. Bright rays traveled across the valley, and grass was suddenly a vibrant green. Flowers stood out like jewels and the brilliant blue sky was the perfect backdrop for it all.
Then the light reached a small lake, and Bella gasped.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
BELLA'S POV
All I could see around me were hills, each a different shade of green splotched with rocky edges and patches of dried grass. The sun seemed to touch every corner of the landscape in stark contrast to Forks, which was always gloomy and wet.
Water trickled down the length of one of the smaller hills into a large pond at the base. There was a crisp freshness to the air, a clean, natural smell that must have come from the water.
A herd of cattle grazed near the pond. It struck me as funny that they seemed to stand at an angle as they ate. Not too far from them was a stone house with smoke curling out of a small pipe on the roof.
The chimney, I thought. I looked around and - yes, there he was. A farmer in the midst of a cluster of sheep. I heard him whistle sharply, and suddenly a small black dot began circling the sheep, a dog apparently rounding up the flock. It was like a movie scene.
Further in the distance I could make out a pile of rocks, but they seemed to be organized.
"Hey, Emmett, what's that?" I pointed to the hill.
"There used to be a castle there years ago," he answered.
The pile of rocks took shape. Some of the walls were beginning to crumble, but they still stood strong and tall; there was no way anyone could climb over it. The wooden door was chained heavily, and there was a sign that read "No trespassing" nailed to it.
Before I knew it, my imagination had turned the ruin of an Irish castle into a majestic structure at the peak of its glory.
"Can't you just picture it? Years ago, during the time of monarchies, that castle was ruled by a king and queen who'd overseen peasants and knights, knights and men who'd protected those walls. Who'd devoted their lives to the king and queen," said Emmett, like he'd read my mind.
There was something in his voice...I looked up at him, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Something told me he'd been familiar with that castle.
"Do you really think they were that loyal?" I asked.
"I know they were for a fact." He tore his eyes away from the castle and looked at me. "I used to live behind those walls when I was a human."
So that explained it. "Were you...a king?"
He laughed. "No. I was a well-to-do knight appointed captain of my own men."
"So…you lived here? In Ireland?" I asked, confused. It was difficult for me to make the connection between an Irish Emmett who'd served royalty and Emmett Cullen, vampire. How had he gotten mauled by a bear in Tennessee? And where was his Irish accent?
"I - I'm pretty sure I did." I looked at him even more confused. How could he not remember? "After living for so long, a vampire's memories start to run together a little, especially the ones from humanity. It's mainly those life-changing events that stay because you already hold them deep within you."
"But how did you wind up in Tennessee?" I asked. He swallowed.
"It's a long story." I nodded to tell him I would listen and he took a deep breath.
"I told you before that I was a knight, and at that time knights were not allowed to bear children, especially not those of the highest rank. We were sworn to serve the royal family, and any outside commitments were thought to interfere.
"As captain, I assigned groups of men to different fields and members of the family, kind of like bodyguards. My superior assigned me to look after one of the king's daughters, Hannah." He paused and seemed to gather his thoughts.
"You mean…she was the princess?" I asked.
Emmett nodded. "She was one of three. I was only four years older than the oldest daughter, so Hannah and I were pretty much the same age." Again he stopped, and a soft smile crept onto his face.
"She was this amazing, beautiful person. Her parents, the king and queen, were crude, cold-hearted. They were tyrants, essentially. But not her. She liked to be around the people under her parents' rule. Hannah even fed the ones in need, all while having to do it behind her parents back." He looked at me and I nodded to let him know I was listening. He shook his head, the faint smile still there.
"She was really humble, caring, and it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her. Hannah would always tell me that she hated her position. How could she dress in fine, luxurious clothing when she knew people were wearing the same threadbare clothing everyday?"
"Well, how did she feel about you?"
He laughed. "Oh, she hated me at first. I was just another unwanted display of her wealth. She thought I was going to stop her from doing things outside of the castle, like taking food to the poor, and I did. Until I knew why she was sneaking out, and then I would just follow her."
"She never knew?" I asked.
He licked his glittering lips before continuing. "She eventually caught me. I had climbed one of the small shacks, hoping she wouldn't see me. She must have seen my shadow or something. Hannah threw one of the apples she was carrying at me." He chuckled. "She had great aim. We fell in love shortly after that."
His eyes sparkled, and I had to admit I felt a twinge of jealousy at the way he was talking about her.
"She came to me one night and told me she was expecting. I can't ever remember being happier as a human." His smile widened. "But we had to work something out. I wasn't supposed to bear children, remember? And then one day, Hannah's father summoned her. He told her she had to wed the prince of Northern Ireland." He shook his head.
"I did the only thing I could do. That night, I asked for her hand in marriage. It was risky, but we were in love. Hannah didn't exactly hide the fact that she didn't want to marry the prince, and it was starting to anger the king. We decided to run away, but he found out and sentenced us to death."
I gasped. "But she was pregnant! And his own daughter!"
He nodded. "Her father said she had betrayed the blood line." He hesitated and looked out to the castle.
"They killed her first. I tried to save them, my baby and fiancée, but they came for me next." He shook his head nostalgically.
"They left me for dead. I was on the brink of death when I was picked up by some of the peasants Hannah had helped. They were farmers transporting some crops to a nearby island, and they hid me among the crops on a ship.
"The sea became wild and we crashed. I hadn't healed completely, but I managed to get the farmers' two small daughters and myself on a raft. Their names were Alana and Gem. Days went by, and we were finally picked up by a boat. They brought us to South Carolina, and after I healed I took Alana and Gem to Tennessee. They were young, and I knew I would have to raise them… Hannah would have wanted it. I found a place for us to live and tried to help them as best I could. One day while I was hunting for food, I was attacked by a bear and, well, you know the rest."
"What happened to Alana and Gem?" I asked.
"Rosalie never let me see them again. You know how jealous she can be, and it didn't help that I always asked about them. I always wondered what happened to them."
We heard an eagle call out as it flew above us. I thought about what he'd said. This was only part of Emmett's story. How much more was there to him?
"I'm sorry you lost them that way. Hannah sounds like she was...perfect." He was silent, and I decided to change the subject to try and cheer him up. "So, why don't you have an Irish accent?"
He smiled, and then I heard it. "Oh, but I do, lassie."
My heart melted. I stood on my tip-toes and kissed him.
"You sound so cute!" I gushed excitedly. It was something I never thought I would do because it was an action I associated with airheads. "Why don't you speak with your accent now?"
"When a person gets transformed, he or she becomes a newborn again in every sense of the word. I had to learn everything again, pretty much. It's easy to pick up, but usually the vampire loses most traces of their human characteristics, like an accent. I still had a mild accent, but I had to learn to hide even that because Jasper and Edward used to give me hell for it." He shrugged. "Over time, I picked up an American accent. It just seems more natural to me now."
I scowled. Damn them.
EMMETT'S POV
Bella's scowl made me smile.
I picked her up in my arms. The blanket fell away from her, covering only her lower body. She winced a little.
I'd forgotten she was sore. "Sorry, sorry," I said.
"It's okay. I'm getting used to it. It doesn't feel as bad as it did earlier."
"Would a shower help?" I asked.
"That would be nice," she smiled.
We went back into the house and boiled some water. I carried the big pot out to the shed I'd built for her privacy. We both stripped down and started bathing
But of course, seeing her naked led me to thinking about how it felt to be in her. Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to become aroused.
EDWARD'S POV
I got off the bike without taking my helmet off because I didn't want to attract attention in the sunlight. I walked to the stand directly behind the sign that read: "Station 34."
A dark, middle-aged woman sat at the window, thick dreads falling over one shoulder. She was dressed in light orange clothing with tropical patterns. The woman's frame was average; her eyes were wide and her nose small. Her lips swelled out when she smiled at me.
I lifted a panel at the front of my helmet, allowing me to see the woman without letting her see my features.
"Do you have a map?" I asked.
"Just a second, dear," she said, reaching below her desk. I was able to pick up a Jamaican accent. "I know I have one around here."
A small, portable radio played music softly in the background.
"And now, we're gonna take it back to an oldie, a hit that we should all know and should have a little of in our lives," said the radio personality smoothly.
Music filled the small stand, and I was sure I'd heard the song before…the Beatles? Yes, it was them for sure.
I watched the woman shuffle through boxes and rifle through drawers. My attention shifted to the music when I realized it might take the woman a while to produce a map.
"Hey Jude, don't let her down…
… You have found her, now go and her."
I listened to the words and took in their meaning. They made me think about my own situation with Bella.
What was I doing? Bella was my life, my only love. It had taken me years to find her, and I was practically letting her go. She already accepted me as a vampire; it wasn't her fault I couldn't accept it.
The woman still hadn't found the map when I decided to go back. I was at my bike in seconds.
I adjusted the helmet and went in the direction I'd come from. My speed quickly reached 60 mph.
I smiled as memories with her flooded my mind: the first day at school, thinking, Great, another human whose thoughts I have to block, falling in love with her, realizing she'd become my drug.
Then there was having to protect her, watching her sleep, tasting her blood for the first time and thinking I wouldn't be able to stop. But I had because I loved her.
"EDWARD!"
It was a thought, and I could tell it was from someone I knew.
A glance into the right rearview mirror showed me a bike that was slowly but surely gaining speed. There were two people, and as soon as I saw how short and thin the passenger was, I knew the pair had to be Alice and Jasper.
Hello, brother, thought Jasper.
I raised my right hand and formed a zero, and then with my index finger showed the number one.
0 to 1.
I accelerated to 100 mph and leaned my body closer to the bike to go faster.
"You're on," I heard them think.
I smiled as the race began.
"Just one tap on my back and you win." I said, knowing they would hear me.
I saw them lower their heads and accelerate, the gap between us becoming smaller.
My speed read 120 mph.
I looked in the mirror again and saw Alice standing on the back seat of the bike. She threw off her her jacket, leaving her in a small black vest that exposed her torso and arms. She balanced herself, holding her hands to her sides.
Alice tapped Jasper's helmet with one hand and squatted. I watched as she pushed off the bike and jumped to the side, landing on the road effortlessly. As soon as she hit the ground, she passed Jasper on the bike.
I maintained my speed and looked at the mirror again. This time, it was Jasper who raised himself from the seat, hands still on the handles. With one swift motion, he pulled the bike up from under him and tossed it to the side of the road. He was soon at Alice's side.
My speed reached 130 mph, and Jasper and Alice were getting closer and closer.
Alice jumped on to Jasper's back, and when he was close enough she jumped into the air in my direction. I felt an added weight on the bike, and I knew it was over.
Alice took off her helmet and tossed it over her shoulder casually. At our speed, it crumbled into pieces on the road.
"Tap," she said, punching the side of my helmet hard.
A loud crack sounded and the force of the punch threw me off the bike. Because we'd been going so fast, the clothes almost melted off my skin as I skidded on the floor.
I looked up, my wounds already healing. Apparently Alice had managed to jump off the bike before the impact because there wasn't a scratch on her. Jasper stepped forward to give me a hand, laughing all the while. I joined him.
"Time to go home," I said, standing up. The only indication of the accident was my torn clothing.
Suddenly, Alice gasped. I turned to look at her, my body springing into a defensive stance automatically. I relaxed a little when I saw that glazed-over look.
"What's wrong? What do you see?" Jasper asked. She stared off into the desert.
"It's Bella and Emmett." I immediately stiffened at the sound of Bella's name.
"What's wrong with them?" I said. I looked up at Jasper, his eyes wide.
Alice looked at me slowly, her eyes refocusing. There was pain and sympathy in her face. She cupped my cheek into her hand.
"Oh, Edward…I'm so sorry."