*A/N: Thanks to my lovely beta and awbffe NessiesMomma for beta reading.*
*Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or its characters, SM does. I do however want Edward Cullen to spend eternity in my bedroom ;]*
Carlisle took Nahuel up into his study to get as much information about being a hybrid as he could. Meanwhile, the rest of us were left to deal with my newfound power. It was quiet for a long while as I sat on the chair in the living room with my face in my hands. There were so many questions I wanted answered and I needed to sift through the rapid thoughts going through my head.
I felt a hand rub soothing circles on my back, and I knew it was Edward. He was fighting the urge ask what I was thinking, I knew it. When I felt I had relaxed well enough, I sat up and looked into the six pairs of eyes staring at me.
"Okay, first questions first." I drew in a breath. "Does the onset of this gift have anything to do with me draining the contents of an elk earlier this evening?"
"I don't think so." Edward answered. "Your mind has always been closed off to me."
Jasper stepped forward from his place besides Alice. "I think it had more to do with your need to protect Edward. Granted, he wasn't in physical pain but I think you saw Nahuel's obsession with you and that might have caused your shield to move outwards."
"That makes sense. I felt like the elastic on my brain was stretching out towards him."
They all nodded along. "Do you think you could project it to more than one person?"
I shrugged. How did I know? I only found out less than ten minutes ago that I even had a gift. As if my life was complicated enough, let's test the boundaries of a gift I don't understand. I was now an engaged shield hybrid. Was I even Bella anymore?
"Why don't we try it?" Jasper asked.
I stood up and Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Sure. I can try, but no promises."
"Just relax." Edward breathed.
I closed my eyes and focused hard on the elastic band around my brain. I felt it release its pressure and I pushed it out and around Edward. His warmth enveloped me and I peeked out my eye at Alice who was standing nearby. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it out towards her and attempted molding it to her body. I felt a bubbly presence and smiled.
"Ah! It feels all warm and fuzzy." Alice mused.
I lost the control and felt the band snap back over my brain. The strength caused my knees to buckle slightly and Edward caught me in his arms. When I regained my equilibrium I lifted my hand to my forehead and rubbed gently.
"Are you okay, love? Do you need to sit down?" Edward's hands were on shoulders gesturing for me to sit.
"No, no. I'm okay. Just took a lot out of me." I dropped my hand. "So Alice said it was warm and fuzzy?"
"Yes!" she squealed. "I felt nothing, then, all of sudden this warmth took over me."
I looked over my shoulder at Edward who was still standing behind me. "Did you feel that?"
"Yes. It was an odd feeling. When you first did it with Nahuel," He spat the name. "I thought I was imagining things."
We didn't attempt my gift again, being as it took so much energy to work it. I wondered if my gift could work the opposite direction and allow me to remove the band from my own mind and let Edward hear everything I was thinking. The Cullen's began to discuss their adventures in South America in search of the hybrids. They really had searched all over. When Emmett and Rosalie were in Romania they stumbled across a vampire who told them of a male vampire who was impregnating humans in search of the perfect race. That's what led them all to go to South America.
They came across a small village that told of the legends of the Cold One. It matched the story they heard in Romania so they decided to stay until they came across the children. It was weeks until they found Nahuel and his seven sisters.
"Seven!" I screeched.
"Makes sense why he was staring at you now doesn't it." Jasper called to me while staring at Edward. "You're the first female of his kind he's met."
I nestled into the Edward. "I think the last thing we need is more men in love with me."
"Doubtful that'll happen." Edward groaned. "I'll be spending the rest of forever fighting guys off you."
I pouted. "And I'll be spending the rest of forever fighting girls off you. So were even."
"She's got you there, little bro!" Emmett boomed.
The room erupted into laughter as the conversation turned to one of the Cullen's many ways of turning down the opposite sex. Needless to say, Esme left the room saying she was going to join Carlisle. Esme's departure meant this was certainly going to get interesting.
"Edward remember when we were in Denali and Tanya snuck into your bedroom wearing all that slutty lingerie?" I looked over at Edward and I swear if he could blush he would have at that moment. "Edward walks in, takes one look at her, and bolts like a choir boy who just walked in on his parents."
I was doubled over with laughter.
"Yeah, Edward's more of the 'bolt before things get worse' kind of guy." Alice laughed. "Jasper on the other hand tries to defuse the situation and ends up making it worse."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Jasper drawled not bothering to look at us.
Alice smirked. "Oh, really? You don't remember when we were at that historical event in Cambridge and that girl was groping you while I was sitting right next to you?"
"You're kidding!" I gasped. "Alice what did you do?"
"Nothing. It was fun watching him squirm. Here she's fawning all over him and he's trying his best to put her down all gentlemanly but she's just falling more and more in love with his accent."
Jasper rolled his eyes. "Finally after the lecture is over and I've missed the whole thing, my lovely wife decides to take my hand and say, 'let's go shopping, dear.'"
"Just kept going on and on, I thought it was never going to end."
"That's what she said!" Emmett yelled.
All the Cullen's rolled their eyes just as Rosalie slapped him on the back of the head. Emmett groaned and gripped his head while still chuckling at his joke. He sent me a wink when I couldn't stop laughing.
"Hey, Rose?" Edward asked while trying to hold back laughter. "Remember that one time at the car show?"
She groaned. "How could I forget? I'm looking at the Big Block in some--"
"The what?" I asked confused.
"It's an engine. Anyways, I'm looking at this guys Chevy and all of sudden he comes up behind me touching down my back and lands his hand on my ass while I'm bent over his hood. Then he has the nerve to say, 'since you're looking under my hood, its only right you let me look under yours.'"
"And tell them what you did, baby!" Emmett smirked.
"I spun around, grabbed the hand he had on my ass and bent it backwards till he was on his knees before me. Then I kicked him in the balls and asked him if he wanted to run that by me again since I don't play with Hot Wheels when I got a Hummer a home."
Emmett was beaming beside Rose as she told the story and right when he finished he planted a huge kiss on her mouth. "That's my Rosie!"
"Emmett," Jasper began, "remember that one time--"
"—at band camp." Emmett finished with laughter.
Rose once again slapped Emmett on the back of the head and motioned for Jasper to continue. "As I was saying, remember that time when Rose stopped that girl from hitting on you?"
"When doesn't she do that? Always ruining my fun."
Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Which time Jasper?"
"When we were at the street fair, Emmett just won that sledgehammer game."
"Oh! When that girl was hitting on Emmett and I went right in her face."
Emmett began shaking with laughter beside her. "Let me tell it, babe! So, I'm standing over there showing this girl my muscles, working my charm, and this girl is eating it all up. She practically wants to bake cookies on my abs. Well, Rose comes over and gets right in her face telling her to back the fuck up and that when she gets home and has my cock in her mouth, giving me the best blow job I've ever had and that her… what was it again, Rosie?.. Her 'cheap, slutty, Gucci wannabe ass' will be that last thing on my mind."
I was clutching my stomach because I was laughing so hard. When I finally got my breath back I noticed Emmett whispering in Rosalie's ear and her giggling before they excused themselves and went upstairs.
Edward leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Let us not ever react like them."
"What? You don't want to get laid constantly?" I arched my eyebrow in challenge.
"Well we can have the after effects just not the idiocrasy."
I giggled. "It's a deal."
Alice and Jasper grasped hands and excused themselves, leaving Edward and I alone in the living room awaiting Carlisle and Nahuel's return. I already knew what Emmett and Rosalie were doing, it was written all over the lust-filled faces, but Alice and Jasper were quiet about there love and I wondered if they were doing the same.
"Edward, who do you think were most like?"
We had moved to the couch and I was lying on his chest while his fingers threaded through my hair. It was a soothing motion that was allowing me to rest after the stress I put on myself attempting my gift.
He hummed. "What do you mean, love?"
"Like whose relationship do we most remind you of?" I propped myself up on his chest so I was no staring into his beautiful face.
"Of that in our family?"
I nodded and smiled. He said our family. Little butterflies were floating around in my stomach, threatening to make me swoon. I was going to have to get use to the fact that Edward was handing me his whole life, and his unbeating heart and I had to do the same with my fluttering heart.
"Emmett and Rosalie are very… public… about their love, whereas Alice and Jasper share a deep underlying connection that they don't share with the world. It's not that Rosalie and Emmett's love isn't strong, but they just choose to express it in a different way." He paused and seemed to be wording his answer. "I'd have to say we resemble Carlisle and Esme the most."
"And why would you say that?"
He smirked. "As you know, Esme and Carlisle first met when Esme was sixteen. Their love endured her maturing, a loveless marriage, a lost child, and a near suicide. They share a deep connection that conquers all others and every time they're together it's the first time all over again."
"But we haven't had our… first time, yet." I argued.
"We don't need to. Every time I kiss you, Bella, it's the first time all over again. And going by that, I'd say we have nothing to worry about."
I brought my lips to his and kissed him chastely. "Very interesting. I swore you were going to say Emmett and Rosalie."
"Is that your assessment, Miss Swan?"
"After your behavior in the woods in this morning," I pulled on his bottom lip. "I'd say yes."
He groaned. "Alice and Esme better hurry up planning that wedding!"
"For once we agree, Mr. Cullen." I crawled up his chest, so our bodies were aligned, and ground my hips into his. He placed his hand on the back of my head and crushed his lips to mine. We laid there on the couch, wrapped up in each other, until a loud cough stopped our kissing.
I looked up from my spot on Edward, to the eyes of Carlisle, Esme and Nahuel. As I playfully slapped Edward, we both sat up and smoothed down our hair, or tried to. Edward pulled me to him by my waist, insistent on staking his claim. As if the diamond on my finger wasn't enough.
"Thank you for all your help, Nahuel." Edward stated with his hand out. "It means a lot to me."
Nahuel shook his hand. "No problem." He turned to Carlisle. "If you have anymore questions, you know where I am."
"Yes, thank you." Carlisle placed his hand on Nahuel's shoulder. "I'll show you out."
"It was nice meeting you, Nahuel. Hopefully in the future we can talk more." I assured.
He smiled and waved goodbye as I watched him go out the door. I turned towards Edward with a scowl on my face.
"You can't act like that towards every guy who makes a pass at me."
He sat back down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. "I know."
"Just like I can't behead every girl who flirts with you."
"Now that I would love to see." He smirked.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. "So, can I have my lovable fiancé back?"
"Yes." He nodded and picked me up bridal style and began walking to the stairs. "After your horny seventeen year old boyfriend has his fill."
The next few weeks went by in a rush. I spent my afternoons with Jasper, Emmett and Alice who were teaching me how to fight. And my nights and mornings with Edward curled up in our bed. Every few days we would hunt in the forest, and one of the Cullen's always came with us. The animal blood had lessened the amount of a sleep I needed and I mostly only slept when I felt weakened. That much we had learned from Nahuel.
Nahuel also showed us that while he was venomous, I was not. Only the male hybrid's carry venom in their system. He told Carlisle that as far as he knew his family and I were the only hybrids around. Nahuel's family had been approached by the Volturi when a member accidently stumbled upon him while hunting. After learning that they were not harmful to the vampire race and would not give away the secret they instead set their searches on Nahuel's father. He was later killed for attempting to overthrow them.
I felt a bond with Nahuel and I hated that his first impression had caused a rift in my relationship with him. My promise was to talk more with him and his family since they were the only ones who truly understood me. And I planned on making good on my promise.
One morning when Esme, Alice and I were in the kitchen looking over bridal magazines, Edward came in smiling triumphantly. He walked right over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing down the length of my neck.
"What brings on this mood?" I giggled.
"I just came back from a discussion with Carlisle and I have good news."
I turned in his arms to face him. "What is it?"
"I demanded he let us hunt alone, and after a long debate, he finally agreed."
He kissed me full on the mouth and I pulled back. "But what about Victoria? I though that was the whole reason why we were never allowed to go alone."
"I can hear if anyone comes near us before they get there, and if Victoria decides to come after us Alice will call if she sees anything bad happening. Right Alice?"
I turned to Alice who nodded with him. "I can watch out. But you better be careful Edward."
"Bella's safety comes first."
"If you're sure, Edward."
He grabbed my hand and began walking us towards the door. "I am. We'll be back."
We sprinted out the door and ran until we caught the scent of a herd of deer not to far off. The scent led us to a darkened meadow smaller than Edward's, and we quickly attacked the deer. Together we quickly drained six, quenching our thirst completely. Deer weren't as filling as some of the bigger animals I'd had. The bigger the animal the better it tasted.
As Edward and I were cleaning up our kill, I heard a loud drop. When I looked over I saw that Edward had dropped his deer and was staring off into the trees. He was crouched low and quickly ran to stand in front of me getting into a defensive position.
"Edward, what is it?" I whispered.
"She's here."
I swallowed the gulp in my throat. "Who?"
"Victoria."
