Rosalie sat cross-legged near the edge of the cliff, and Bella sat in front of her.

"So. You're my soulmate?"

"That's one way of looking at it," Rosalie replied. "Some vampires see their mates in a platonic sense, and then there are those who see their mates in a romantic sense."

"Which one am I to you?"

"You know the answer to that."

"I want to hear you say it."

Rosalie scoffed and folded her arms.

"No, you want me to embarrass myself."

"Rosalie, from the moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that you were meant to be in my life for years to come. I imagined introducing you to my sister, which, let me tell you, is the scariest thing I will ever have to do. My mother is easy to get around, but Kieran? She's the human equivalent of a hurricane, and if she doesn't like you, she'll turn you to ice and shatter you into a million pieces. But I like you. I think you're gorgeous, funny, and the type of woman who can bring me to my knees. You're my biggest weakness personified. I would be honored if you stepped on me or wrapped your hand around my throat-"

"Isabella," Rosalie interrupted.

"Sorry, but I mean, that's the gist of how I feel. Guess that doesn't matter if you don't feel the same. Am I even attractive to you? I know I'm a bit masculine, but I promise I'm a girl."

Rosalie looked at Bella in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?"

"There was this maid at the castle who used to tell me I would never attract a man with my boyish features. But I like women, so it never bothered me until I got here. Women here thought I was something called a 'Dom.' I had to look up what that meant, and I didn't like it. I don't see why I have to wear dresses all the time. I like wearing suits and pants because they're comfortable, you know? And I climb a lot of trees and play with animals. It feels silly to wear skirts and dresses to do that, but I'm a woman. I want to be taken care of and romanced. I want to be told I'm pretty." Bella scrunched her face. "I am pretty, right?" she asked.

Rosalie had emotional whiplash from the conversation, but her inner self bristled that Bella felt like she wasn't anything but perfect. Rosalie clicked her teeth and reached forward, pulling Bella onto her lap. Bella turned red, a far cry from the girl in the kitchen not even twenty-four hours ago, and Rosalie tucked some of Bella's hair away from her face.

"I do like you," Rosalie confessed. "When I walked into the house last night, I saw my future flash before my eyes. You were in it every step of the way as my mate, my partner, and my forever. I find you captivating in every sense of the word. Being with you puts me on solid ground, and as scary as it is, I would not ask for anything else. But to answer your question, yes. I think you're pretty."

Bella's smile dazed Rosalie, and she didn't even realize what was happening around her until something brushed against her thigh. Rosalie glanced down, and her breath caught in her throat at the array of flowers around them. Bella huffed and turned around.

"You guys are embarrassing me," she hissed.

Rosalie watched in amusement as even more flowers popped up around them, and Bella threw her hands in the air.

"Guys! I got it," she exclaimed. "I know how to talk to a girl."

Some of the flowers wilted in response, and Bella pouted.

"That was mean," she said.

Rosalie leaned back on her hands, careful of the flowers, and watched Bella with undisguised affection. She glanced at the flowers and said, "I think your friends are trying to tell me something."

Bella's head snapped to hers, and Rosalie pointed to the flowers.

"Yellow Acacia, Gillyflower, Blue Salvia, Azalea, and White Gardenias all have similar meanings."

"I've only known you for two days, and I already want to marry you."

Bella clamped a hand over her mouth, and Rosalie was shocked to find that the idea of marriage didn't disgust her as it usually did. But only if Bella was the one at the end of the aisle. Rosalie pried Bella's hand away from her mouth and kissed the back of it, never breaking eye contact.

"I wouldn't be against it," she said.

Rosalie grinned at the sound of Bella's heart rapidly beating in her chest.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" she teased.

"Yes, but hold that thought, please," Bella said shyly. Shortly after, a bird landed on Bella's shoulder and began to "talk" to her. Rosalie wanted to comment on how Bella looked like Snow White, but she felt the joke would be in poor taste considering everything that she knew. Bella scratched her nose with her free hand, reminding Rosalie that she held the other hand in a tight grip. Rosalie kissed Bella's wrist, and Bella put a hand against Rosalie's chest and gripped her shirt, half-distracted by the bird.

"That's not- okay, okay." Bella knocked her head against the bird gently. "Also, can you please move out of the vents? Charlie's allergic to feathers, and they're getting in the house."

Rosalie could've sworn the bird rolled its eyes before flying away. She wondered how she ended up with a mate that spoke to trees and animals. Bella tugged on Rosalie's shirt to get her attention, and Rosalie looked at her.

"Marty said that you're beautiful and that you should stop eating his friends."

Rosalie blinked and asked, "You named the bird Marty?"

"Of course not, Rosalie. That's his name."

"Birds have names?"

"You thought animals just called each other 'lion one' and 'lion two?'"

"Honestly? Yes."

Bella snorted and said, "You skipped over the eating his friends part."

"I try not to hunt animals."

"So you eat humans?"

Rosalie grimaced and nodded. Bella shrugged and pushed at Rosalie's shoulder until she lay flat on the ground. Bella threw her leg over Rosalie's waist and hid her face in the crook of Rosalie's neck, nipping at her jaw.

"You taste like honey," Bella murmured.

"Wait, you're not upset?"

"Am I supposed to be?"

"Hard to believe you've been single this entire time."

"I never said I was single," Bella scoffed. "I had all types of relations in London."

"The fact that you said relations tells me everything I need to know."

"You're not wrong," Bella muttered. "I did lose my virginity in a club to a woman named Mojo."

Rosalie twitched and said, "Please don't say things like that."

"Why?"

"I'm not a fan of thinking about you with anyone but me."

"Aw, Rose. You're going to be the best and the last."

"That didn't sound nearly as romantic as you thought it did."

"I want you to erase all the others from my mind."

"Much better."

"You have a complex."

"I'm territorial."

"Possessive?"

"A little."

"Hey, so if I asked you to step on me-

"I am not going to step on you," Rosalie said, exasperated.

Bella sighed dramatically and pouted.

"I've always wanted a beautiful woman to put a stiletto into my chest and bring me to my knees."

"Honey, I am concerned by the things that go through your mind."

"This is the least embarrassing thing that's happened to me since I followed you out here."

"You did have a one-sided conversation with a bird named Marty five minutes ago."

"He was concerned when I didn't come home. My birds are nosy creatures."

"Birds?" Rosalie asked dryly. "As in more than one?"

"Yeah! So, there's Marty, who is a white-tailed Kite. There's Benny, the American Kestrel. Casey, the common raven, but I don't see him that often anymore. I should check on him tomorrow. Anyway, there are also the wonder twins, Lisa and Lenny, who are mourning doves. And those are just the birds that I see more than twice a week. There's a mountain lion named Elizabeth, who just had cubs, and I'm supposed to bring her food on Friday. I tend to avoid deer. It's hard to talk to an animal that can't stick to one subject. Um, let's see. Oh! There's a family of elk that live West of here. I avoid them during hunting season because they get skittish and violent."

Rosalie held no doubt in her mind her mate was an odd creature.

"I had no idea you talked this much."

"Only when I'm comfortable. My family's used to it. But did I scare you away?" Bella asked.

"No, but I did underestimate Emmett when he said you were a zoolinguist."

"Is that what it's called? I called it 'Dolittling.'"

"What?"

"Like Dr. Dolittle?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You've never seen Dr. Dolittle?"

"I get the impression we're not talking about an actual doctor here."

Bella gasped and sat up straight.

"We have to have a movie night!"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

"Are you going to say yes?"

"I would love nothing more than to go on a date with you."

"Oh, good because I would've never heard the end of it from the trees if you said no."

Rosalie laughed and shook her head, cupping Bella's cheek.

"I adore you."

"You're so far out of my league it isn't even funny," Bella whispered.

Rosalie leaned up on her elbows. She waited for the warning bells, the alarms that told her she needed to slow down, but they never came. Rosalie had no idea what the next day would bring or even the next hour, but she knew what she wanted in the present. Rosalie brushed her lips against Bella's, and the rest of the world faded into nothingness. Bella was pure heat, setting Rosalie's entire being on fire. Everything burned, and if that was how Rosalie died, she accepted her fate. Rosalie breathed in the smoke pouring from Bella's mouth and let it fill her senses. An ember she forgot existed sparked to life, and she flipped their position so that she was on top. Bella whimpered into the kiss and went limp, submitting to Rosalie. The action triggered Rosalie's possessive side. She dug her hands into the dirt, forcing herself to break the kiss. Rosalie turned her head and exhaled actual smoke. Her fangs pushed their way out of her gums, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"Hey, you okay?" Bella panted.

Rosalie whined and scraped her teeth against Bella's neck. Bella arched upward and grabbed her waist, tilting her head to the side. Rosalie rocked her hips into Bella's core, and she panicked when Bella moaned her name. Rosalie ran to the other side of the cliff and held up her hand to keep Bella from following. Bella propped herself on her elbows as she caught her breath.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Rosalie shook her head. Bella was about to ask another question when she turned and squinted at the trees. She seemed to be listening to something, and finally, she looked back at Rosalie.

"You wouldn't have hurt me."

"I don't want to risk it yet," Rosalie said, covering her mouth.

"Let me see."

"Bella-

"Please?"

Rosalie huffed and dropped her hand. Bella crawled across the grass, and Rosalie's brain filled in the blanks, imagining Bella on her knees… wearing nothing but-

"Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Fangs?"

Rosalie opened her mouth, and Bella's tongue poked out as she leaned in. Rosalie held her breath and concentrated on not ripping through her shirt sleeves. She knew if she even touched Bella, the little control she had left would vanish. She wanted to take Bella on a date, spoil her, and make her feel special before she…

"Are you listening to me?"

"No," Rosalie admitted.

Bella laughed and said, "I asked can I feel them."

"My teeth?"

"Is that weird?"

"A little, but it's okay. Just be careful," Rosalie warned. "I don't want you to cut yourself."

Bella scooted closer and grabbed Rosalie's face.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie muttered.

"I never said with my fingers," she whispered.

Rosalie groaned and accepted the kiss without much fight. Bella's tongue was so warm, and when it brushed against her fangs the first time, Rosalie ripped off her sleeves. But she didn't pull away. When Bella did it the second time, there was no mistaking the feeling in her gut. Rosalie pushed Bella back and kept her in place.

"Can't," Rosalie said, her voice hoarse.

"Okay."

Rosalie helped Bella off the ground, her legs less sturdy than she anticipated, and set her on her feet.

"Are you going to be okay getting home?" she asked, clearing her throat. "I need to hunt."

"Didn't you just hunt?"

"Yes, but," she paused, "you have no idea what you do to me," she said.

"Noted. And no, I'm fine. Norman's giving me a ride."

"Who is -

"He's right behind you."

Rosalie turned and closed her mouth when she a massive black bear emerging from the trees.

"Norman is a bear," Rosalie said flatly.

"Yep. He's pretty fast when there's food involved."

"Do you feed every dangerous creature that you encounter?"

"I was about to feed you before you lost control."

Some kind of strangled sound left Rosalie's throat, and Bella snorted out a laugh before running to Norman. If Rosalie had a beating heart, it would've stopped when Bella threw her arms around its neck. She jumped on its back and scratched behind its ears.

"You're my good boy, aren't you? Aren't you, Norman?" Bella cooed.

"Please tell Emmett I'll be back before the morning."

"Will do. Let's head home, buddy." Bella patted Norman on the neck, and the bear turned toward the trees. "Bye, Rose!" she said.

Rosalie waved with a tight smile and waited until Bella was gone before scoffing and saying, "Unbelievable. I'm mated to Jane fucking Goodall."

Emmett and Charlie were the only ones unsurprised when Bella entered the backyard on the back of a bear. Charlie sighed and went into the house. He returned with a bag of meat and threw it on the ground. Bella slid down to the dirt and picked up the bag, putting it between the bear's jaws.

"You okay to get home? Not too tired, are you?" Bella asked the bear.

The bear bobbed its head and walked back. Emmett smiled at the looks on Alice and Jasper's faces.

"I told you she could talk to animals," he said.

"But seeing it and hearing it is something entirely different!" Alice hissed.

"Is your other sister this…" Jasper trailed off and gestured aimlessly.

Emmett laughed and said, "Kieran was worse. I'm not sure if she grew into her personality or not."

"Doubt it," Bella snorted.

Bella jogged to Emmett and threw herself into his arms. He caught her around the waist and moved her to his back. She slumped forward over his shoulder and closed her eyes. Emmett frowned, sniffing at her hair, and he asked, "What did you and Rosalie get into?"

"We made out under the moonlight in a field of flowers."

Charlie barked out a laugh and sat down in his rocking chair with a beer.

"Were you respectful?" Emmett asked.

"I'm nothing but respectful."

"Where is Rosalie, by the way?" Alice asked.

"She said she had to hunt and that she'll be back in the morning."

"Didn't she just hunt?" Jasper asked.

Emmett chuckled and adjusted his hold on Bella.

"She probably needs to work off some steam."

"I do have that effect on women," Bella said somberly.

"Andrea said you puked the first time you saw a naked woman," Charlie said.

"That is not true."

"So, you didn't puke?"

"No, I puked, but it was because I ate bad sushi. The events were unrelated."

"It's like I know she's normal," Alice murmured. "But she's also peculiar."

Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Charlie!" Bella exclaimed. "I saw Marty and told him to move out."

"Thanks. I have no problem with him staying, but not somewhere his feathers get into the vents."

"Bella, is Marty a bird?" Emmett asked.

"Yes."

"How many animals have you made friends with?"

"You mean here? Or in general? Because there were some jungle cats that I met at the zoo in London that were hilarious. I learned some great jokes from them that I'm almost positive they heard from someone else."

"The cats told you jokes," Jasper repeated.

"Yep! Want to hear some?"

"Sure."

"What do you call 2 octopuses that look exactly the same?"

"No clue."

"Itenticle."

"Jesus," Charlie muttered.

"Oh! Why are giraffes so slow to apologize?"

"Why?" Emmett asked, a big grin on his face.

"It takes them a long time to swallow their pride."

Charlie face-palmed at the punchline. Emmett kissed Bella on the side of the head as he laughed.

"I love you," he said.

Bella grinned and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I love you too, brother."

"Yeah, you are perfect for Rosalie," Alice said.

"I am?" Bella asked.

"Absolutely. No one on this planet will love you more."

"Thank you?"

"She meant that as a compliment," Jasper hurried to explain.

Rosalie's phone rang while she was on the roof, and she answered it when she saw Emmett's name.

"Hello?"

"Why couldn't the leopard play hide and seek?"

Rosalie grinned at the sound of Bella's voice, and she said, "You should be asleep."

"Ask me why," Bella whined.

"Why?"

"Because he was always spotted."

Rosalie snorted and covered her nose. She heard Emmett snickering in the background.

"Want another one?" Bella asked.

"I would love another one," Rosalie said.

Rosalie turned from the guy she was stalking. She jumped off the roof and walked to the tree line.

"Okay, so a physicist, a biologist, and a chemist went to the ocean for the first time. The physicist saw the ocean and was fascinated by the waves. He said he wanted to research the fluid dynamics of the waves and walked into the ocean. He drowned and never returned. The biologist said he wanted to research flora and fauna and walked inside the ocean. He, too, never returned. So, the chemist waited for a long time. And afterward, he wrote down the observation, "The physicist and the biologist are soluble in ocean water."

"Wow. That was so lame," Rosalie said.

"I don't hear you saying any jokes."

"Because she's got a sick sense of humor!" Emmett said in the background. "We went to an orphanage, and Rosalie asked a kid how his favorite sport was baseball if he didn't know where home was."

It went silent for all of ten seconds before Bella collapsed in a fit of giggles. Rosalie had never heard anything more beautiful, and she picked up her speed to get back to Forks. Emmett took the phone from Bella, and the sound of her laughter faded as Emmett left the room.

"I'll leave the window open."

"Thanks, Em."

"Always. Even though it's crazy that you're mated to my sister."

"She's a breath of fresh air."

"Yeah, I don't want to hear that. Get back here before she goes to sleep."

Rosalie hung up and ran as fast as possible to Charlie's house.