Bella watched Edward as he slept. It was odd. She knew him to be a dominant, ruthless, sometimes cruel vampire, and yet, when he slept, he looked so much like the boy he had been before he was changed. His hundreds of years of life were so clearly written in his eyes, and when they were closed, he almost looked human. Almost. He was still too beautiful to be just human.
Bella hadn't moved since Edward had fallen asleep. She didn't want to wake him and was unsure what amount of movement or noise would do so.
She wanted to be angry at him. She wanted to hate him. She should hate him. But she didn't. Was there something wrong with her?
Eventually, Bella carefully scooted out of the bed, being as quiet as possible. She spotted her dress draped over the back of a chair, and went to fetch it. She shivered a little and glanced at the fire, which was just barely burning.
Suddenly she felt hands on her naked hips and she jumped in surprise, not having heard Edward get up.
"I thought you were sleeping?" she said almost accusatorially as she spun around in his grasp.
"I was." He was grinning down at her like the cat who ate the canary. It made her blood boil.
Bella pushed herself out of his arms and tried to reach for her dress again, but Edward wouldn't let her. He grabbed her around the waist, his fingers pressing firmly into the supple flesh at her hips. Bella gasped as he spun her around, pushing her down onto the bed.
Bella lay prostrate on the bed, the naked and dominating vampire standing proudly above her. Then he was on top of her.
"Let me up," she growled, trying to once again push past him. Edward only grinned at her and licked her collarbone.
"Edward," she growled out, but to him she sounded like an irate kitten, utterly adorable.
"I love when you say my name," he said back, half because it was true and half to irritate her all the more.
As he held her wrists easily in one hand, he trailed his other down her stomach toward her cunt.
Bella felt a tingle run up her spine at his gently exploring touch, but her pussy was tender and sore, and her stomach was cramping.
"Please," Bella said quietly, watching his hand, "It hurts too much today."
She wasn't exactly sure what she thought he would do with that information about her time of the month. She half expected him to shush her and take her anyway, but his hand stopped its descent.
He kissed her nose and smiled at her. "I yield to your quaintly human discomforts, my kitten."
Bella narrowed her eyes at him. Edward let go of her and rolled off the bed to add another log to the fire.
Bella sat up and watched him warily. "The sun should be up by now." She wasn't quite sure why she said that.
"Yes."
Edward came back to the bed and lay down on his back. "I'm growing quite tired. Come, pet, lay down by me." He held his arm out.
Bella thought about refusing based on the principle of the thing, but she found that she was also quite tired as well, and didn't really have the energy. She laid down in the crook of Edward's arm, pressed up close to his body. Edward pulled the covers over them and tucked them in close around her shoulders.
Despite his words about being tired, Bella could feel his hard dick poking her backside. She wriggled her butt against it and felt a deep satisfaction when he groaned. Bella turned over to stared at him for a moment. She carefully sat up and watched him, then drew the covers back from his body.
Bella took stared at his naked and perfect form. She splayed her hand against his hard and pale chest, running her fingertips back and forth over his muscles.
Edward stared at her with a little confusion but with utter fascination, refusing to move or even breath. She ran her fingertips down his stomach and grasped his dick, making him moan.
Bella swallowed loudly as her eyes flickered to his face. "Don't move."
Edward was used to being the one to make the commands, but to her, he would willingly concede to her desires. He didn't move, even when her next motion took him by such utter surprise he might have jerked to stop her.
Bella lowered mouth to his dick and took it in her mouth. Thoughts raced through Edward's head. Where did she learn to do this? Why was she doing this? Most importantly, why did she want to do this?
But then as her tongue flicked the tip of his cock in her mouth, all thoughts left his head and he moaned his approval.
Her initial determination seemed to waver slightly as he she continued to explore his dick with her mouth. She shoved as much into her mouth as she could, and flicked her tongue around his girth, but grew hesitant after a while. Her motions less sure.
Her hesitancy only made her that much more enticing to Edward, and increased his desire at release from the sexual torture. Edward wanted to grab her head and fuck her mouth until he reached his pleasure, but he was acquiescing to her request not to move.
Finally, Bella pulled her mouth away, an enticing blush staining her cheeks. "Do you like this?" Bella asked.
"Yes, kitten. I like it very much."
"I saw a picture in a book and I wasn't sure. I thought maybe, but. . . I don't really know what to do. . ." Her blush grew darker.
"Take my balls in you hand, sweetheart."
Bella grasped his balls in her soft hands. "Put your mouth back on my dick. That's it. Now squeeze my balls. Rub them around in your hands. Grab my dick with your other hand and squeeze it. Good girl. Don't take your mouth off me."
Bella took his dick back into her mouth. Edward lifted his hips off the bed in a slow rhythm, fucking her mouth. "Move your mouth on me. That's it baby. Your hand to. Fuck me with your mouth. Squeeze harder. That's it." Edward groaned and lifted his hips off the bed with increasing speed.
He could feel he was getting close. "Bella stop." He was about to come, so he pulled her forcefully off his dick. Bella watched in fascination as red liquid came out of his dick. She stared at Edward's face. She had always been so overcome with her own orgasm that she never really noticed Edward. It was fascinating to watch the pleasure wash over his face.
Edward seemed to recover himself relatively quickly. He quickly stood up and grabbed a rag to wipe the blood off his stomach.
"Thank you, baby," Edward told her, getting back into bed and pulled her into his arms.
Bella blushed. "You're welcome," she mumbled under her breath, making Edward chuckle to himself.
He pulled her up to his mouth so he could kiss her, gently but passionately.
"You never cease to surprise me," Edward told her when he broke their kiss. "I can't wait to see what else you've learned from this book." Edward suspected she found some of the erotic texts he had in is library.
"I, well..um," Bella stuttered but ultimately gave up and didn't respond.
Edward closed his eyes, loving the feeling of the warm and soft Bella breathing against him, the feel of her heart beating against his chest.
"I never knew what came out before," Bella said quietly after a moment.
"Hmm?" Edward asked.
She spoke hesitantly. "Before, when we made love. I could feel something come out inside of me. But I never really thought about what it was."
Bella had her head pressed beneath his chin, and therefore he couldn't see her face.
"The blood doesn't disturb you, sweet?" He squeezed the fleshy part of her side.
"No, I guess that it doesn't."
"As a vampire, we no longer carry the liquids that humans keep inside them. It is only blood that animates us, that nourishes us and gives us life."
Bella seemed to take a moment to think this over. "Do you mean that it isn't always blood that comes out? From humans I mean?"
Edward started in surprise. "Is that what you think?"
Bella shrugged, making Edward chuckle. "No, my innocent little creature. It is not blood. Its a white liquid that holds seeds for new life."
For the first time, stupidly Bella realized, the thought of pregnancy entered her mind. With a sudden panic she wondered, Could she be pregnant? They had certainly been mating.
"Does your blood carry seeds as well?"
"No," he answered quickly, "I lost that ability when I died. The blood I put inside you is lifeless."
Bella had never really thought about having children before, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the realization that she never would. But then again, Edward was a vampire. Edward didn't age. She would never have a human life with Edward anyway.
She squeezed him tighter and buried her face in his neck, trying to block the thousand questions about the future that were suddenly racing around in her mind.
.
Bella woke up once during the day. She was still tired and comfortable and felt no inclination to get up, but her sleeping patterns were so off-kilter these days, that she often woke up at strange times.
Edward was still asleep beside her. In her sleep, she had thrown her knee over his legs and was now pressed even more scandalously close to him.
Bella raised her head up a little to get a better look at his face.
She was curious to see how easily he would wake up. "Edward?" she whispered, but he lay like the dead. She squeezed his muscled arm lightly. "Edward?"
Bella thought for a moment about getting out of bed just to see if it would wake Edward up, somewhere in the back of her head thinking that this could be useful information for future reference, but no sooner had the idea begun to formulate did her body reject it, too tired. She laid her head back down her on her vampire-pillow.
"I love you, dear one, but sleep now."
Bella started and lifted her head again, feeling instantly more awake. "Edward? I thought you were sleeping."
His eyes remained closed, though, and his face impassive.
"Did you just say you loved me?" Bella asked, but he didn't respond.
She wasn't sure if he was faking being asleep, or if he had spoken without waking up. Was he dreaming, or talking to her?
Bella laid her head back down, and soon fell asleep once more.
.
.
.
That night, Bella sat close to Edward, while Jasper and Alice sat at a marked distance on the couch opposite. A roaring fire was blazing, keeping the humans warm during the cool nights. Jasper was drinking a night cap and Bella was having a cup of tea. The conversation was practically nonexistent, but still, Bella felt contented. She leaned in next to Edward.
In the absence of conversation, Bella found herself contemplating her life that had led her up to being here now. She thought about her father, an experience that had been nothing but painful in the past. While she was still sad to think about her father's death, she somehow found it easier now, more willing to accept and move on. She could think about the happiness she had when her parents were alive.
The reason why this was came to Bella with slow recognition, as she leaned into Edward's side. For a long time, she believed truly that her father would be the last person who would ever love her, the only family she would ever have again. But with Edward's words last night, even if he hadn't meant to speak them, and even if they hadn't really been meant for her, made her feel like she was truly cared for. Sitting here with this rag tag group of people and vampire, she felt like she had a family.
Suddenly Edward shot to his feet, knocking Bella out of her comfortable position leaning against him. Everyone's faces shot towards him as he scowled.
"What's it?" Jasper asked. His face was dark with a frown.
Edward spoke to him. "Take the girls upstairs to their bedrooms and don't come out until daylight."
With Edward's words, Jasper rose quickly to his feet. He nodded once seriously.
"What's going on?" Bella asked, clutching Edward's arm and trying to look him in the eye. He looked down at her, consciously keeping the expression on his face gentle.
"Everything's alright, sweet. Go with Jasper now," he nodded toward Jasper and shoved her in his direction.
Bella hesitated, wanting to push the issue further, but she had seen a certain sort of anxiety in Edward's face that made her do as he said. She had never seen him look like that before.
Bella and Alice obediently followed Jasper's quick pace upstairs. "What's going on Jasper?" Alice asked him when they had reached the hallway that housed the family bedrooms.
Jasper didn't answer right away. They stopped at Bella's bedroom first. "I'm not sure," he said, but both girls could tell he was holding something back.
Bella opened her door but didn't go in. "What do you think?" she asked.
Jasper sighed. "I think Edward just sensed that some of his old acquaintances have shown up for a visit. I just hope I'm wrong."
With those ominous words, Jasper all but shoved Bella into her room, leaving no broach for argument and hurriedly ushered Alice to her own room.
"Don't worry," he said to Alice, "Edward will take care of it."
Alice looked up at him with her big, dark eyes. "If you could see the expression on your face, you would realize how ridiculous it is for you to ask me not to worry."
Jasper instantly tried to relax his frown and drawn brow, and closed Alice's door behind her. He didn't really want to leave her, but feeling too nervous and uncertain to open her door and take her with him either.
.
.
Edward unsmiling and cold, opened the front door before his visitors had a chance to knock.
"Edward," the small girl of about fifteen or so walked confidently uninvited into the main hall. Her long blonde hair was free behind her. She could only be described as beautiful and her youthful features made her look innocent except for her black eyes, and even with those, she held a charm about her. Edward, of course though, knew better.
A tall, lanky boy followed with snakelike grace behind her, his hands folded behind his back.
"Jane. Alec." Edward said calmly in acknowledgement, though no one would mistake it for a welcome. This didn't seem to bother either of the vampires. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Jane's laugh rang out like a bell. "Edward, do we need a reason to come visit such a dear friend?"
Edward didn't answer. "So sorry we haven't kept in touch." Jane walked leisurely around the great hall like she owned the place, and was drawn to the sitting room where the fire was still going.
She smiled to herself. "Where are your pets this evening? I would so like to see them."
Edward's expression remained unchanged. "So sorry. They've already been put in for the night. Perhaps tomorrow."
Jane took a deep breath. "I see you still have your boy. And I smell a virgin. You've always had a sweet tooth. I really will never understand how you can stand to keep humans around for so long. Filthy creatures. But you've always enjoyed playing with your food." Jane smiled suggestively at him. "I, on the other hand, prefer entertainment of a more evolved nature."
Edward didn't respond, but Jane wasn't deterred. "Come now, Edward. Be a good host and offer us a snack. We've come a long way."
"Quite unexpectedly," was Edward's only response.
"Don't be like that," Jane chastised. "Show us some hospitality. You've always been too possessive. I've always said that."
Edward hesitated. Jane and Alec were a dangerous enemy. Though they appeared young, they were quite old and quite strong. Edward would probably have been able to take one of them, but with both as a team, he was pragmatic enough to admit that they could subdue him. He had to handle this delicately. They could both be cruel and unpredictable.
"A small drink, Jane," Edward conceded. If he conceded to them a bit, they usually left in a day or two. He just wanted to be rid of them.
Edward ran upstairs at vampire speed to Jasper's room. Jasper was sitting on his bed, waiting for him. Edward sighed as he looked at him.
"It's alright," Jasper said, standing up and following Edward back down the stairs without needing an explanation. He remembered the first time he had encountered Jane as a young child. Though he was better at hiding it now, he didn't really think his fear for the vampire had diminished.
"The boy has grown," Jane said as she looked over Jasper's tall frame, taller and physically older than Edward now. To an outsider, the comment would seem quite ridiculous, a young teenage girl speaking thus to a twenty-five year old man.
Jane stalked upon him and pulled him down quite easily with her deceptively strong arms. She bared her fangs without preamble and sunk her teeth into his neck. Jasper gasped and felt the painful pressure at his neck as she drank his blood. Jane was careful not to drink to much, though, and soon she pushed Jasper away onto his knees.
"You should have a taste, Alec," Jane told her twin brother.
Alec spoke for the first time that night. "Hmmm, I think I might prefer a taste of the virgin Edward is keeping for himself."
Edward cursed the usually silent Alec for starting something.
"Yes Edward," Jane clasped her hands and turned to Edward, "Let's."
Jasper felt his heart sputter. He didn't want these monsters anywhere near Alice and was tempted to jump up in her defense, but he knew better. He was powerless against the vampires. He waited to see what Edward would say.
Edward laughed, a laugh that sounded carefree enough but Jasper, who knew Edward well, could tell it was forced. "What? You want to take all my treats from me as soon as you enter my house? Like you said, I'm quite possessive." Edward shrugged.
Jane turned to Alec. "Have some of Jasper, dear."
Alec didn't even acknowledge her, but he grinned evilly, looking Edward straight in the eye. "But I so desire to taste that sweet scent."
Jane chuckled. "I don't think he's going to be dissuaded, darling. Surely just a taste wouldn't be so bad?"
Jasper could tell Edward was going to agree. After all, they weren't asking for Bella, and they did just want a taste. Jasper remembered how Edward barely batted an eye when they drank a dangerous amount from the the virgin Edward had here on their last visit.
"Jasper, get Alice."
Jasper's heart sank. "Edward," his voice held a plea, but Edward didn't say anything, didn't even look at him. There was nothing he could do.
Jasper walked heavily up the stairs to Alice's room. Her door was locked, and Jasper knocked, calling out her name. "Jasper! What happened?" she asked. He could see a certain relief in her eyes, clearly thinking that whatever had happened was now over since he was coming to get her.
Jasper instantly pulled her small body into his chest, hugging her tightly. And then he kissed her urgently but chastely on the mouth. "You're going to be alright," he whispered in her ear, "But you have to be brave like I know you can be. Follow my lead and trust Edward."
He pulled away and stared down at her wide-eyed face for only a second before he forced himself to pull away and lead her back downstairs.
He led her into the entrance hall. Alice was only in her nightgown and robe, and she looked so sweet and vulnerable compared to the expensive dress and predatory eyes of Alec and Jane.
Jasper stood as close to Alice as he dared.
Jane smiled eagerly at Alice, but Alec was surreptitiously watching Jasper and Edward. The truth was, Alec and Jane could have any type of blood from anyone they wanted, and Alec didn't really care about the taste. What he enjoyed was the discomfort and cruelty of hurting someone that others loved.
He wanted to hurt Edward. Edward and Jasper knew this, and his best defense was pretending that he didn't care, and perhaps they would get bored and leave.
Alice was trying to be brave, but her body was shaking from fear. Alec pulled her forcefully to him, smile complete with fangs, and she gasped when he bit her neck. At the same time, Jane grabbed the girl's wrist and sunk her teeth into the sensitive flesh there.
Jasper could barely bare to watch the two vampires violated Alice's body, take her life-force. But he also knew that Jane especially had a bizarre set of courtesies and rules. They wouldn't kill Alice because the girl belonged to Edward, and they wouldn't kill Edward's property, though they would force him to share.
Alec stopped and pulled back first, followed soon by Jane. "Fear is such an arousing scent," Alec mumbled as he sniffed the Alice's neck. Alice let out an involuntary whimper that made Jasper's heart skip a beat, but he resisted his instinct to step toward her.
Alec stepped back and looked her over. "How attached are you to her virginity, Edward?"
"I'm still enjoying it," was Edward's bland answer, keeping the anger out of his voice with careful control.
"Too bad," Alec said suggestively.
Edward could sense Jasper bristling beside him but wisely keeping a tight control. Alec and Jane were in a particularly sadistic mood. Usually they would respect Edward's control in his own home a bit more than they were. It made him worry and he hoped Bella would stay in her room the whole night.
"Oh Edward, come on," Jane sidled up next to him. "I'll find you a new virgin tomorrow. With Alec occupied, maybe we can get to know each other better?"
Edward had never slept with Jane. In fact, he had only met her after he became celibate, but that hadn't stopped her from constantly trying to bed him.
"I'm rather tired, so I will have to pass."
Jane let out an animalistic growl, all of her carefully cultured manners at once gone. She grabbed Edward by the arms and pushed him on his back onto the floor, straddling his hips.
"What are you doing?" Edward shouted, pushing her off him. She had taken him by utter surprise. He had never seen her like this.
She sent a well aimed punch into his gut, making Edward groan and fall back as she muscled her way back on him.
"I want you Edward and I've waited long enough. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I always get what I want," she practically purred into his ear.
Jane grabbed his dick through his pants but was disappointed to find that he wasn't hard. "You can get it up for your meat pies, but you can't get it up for a real woman," Jane said venomously. "Does that disgusting human turn you on?"
Edward didn't know what to do. He had always been able to handle Jane and Alec in the past, even if they did annoy him to death. But this was new. As Jane's words brought his attention to Alice, he saw Alec tearing the nightgown off her body. He realized with growing worry what it had come to. He would have to fight, and it would be two against one.
Alice couldn't seem to help it any longer and she let out a blood-curdling scream as Alec easily suppressed her struggles to lick and bite cruelly at her shoulder as he ran his hands freely over her body.
Edward felt disgusted at what this other man was doing and how he left Alice with no control of her own body. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he had behaved the same way toward Bella, the woman he loved...and he did love her.
As though summoned by his thoughts, though in reality it was probably because of Alice's scream, Bella was at the top of the staircase and Edward's heart rolled over in his chest. Edward cursed her silently in his head. He met her wide-eyed stare and couldn't take his eyes away. She was only making things worse by coming out of her room. He simultaneously wanted to hold her close and strangle her.
"Edward!" Jasper's voice rang out, causing Edward to come out of his stupor. He pushed Jane off him. Jane grabbed him around the throat and forced him against the floor so hard that the stone cracked. Edward managed grab Jane's wrists and hold on, as he dug his fingernails into her neck.
Before he could get enough of a grip on her to tear her head off, though, Alec pulled his shoulders forcibly off her. The freshly consumed blood, (Alice's blood, Jasper's blood), flowed out of her neck.
Edward turned to Alec and punched him in the gut. Jane was on his back. As both vampires descended on him, Edward was vaguely aware that at least they weren't able to focus on Bella, or Jasper or Alice.
Edward held his own, as they fought with vampire speed, vampire strength, but he knew he wouldn't be able to defeat them. He could feel his body shutting down, though his will held on with a tenacity that he didn't even know he had.
He just prayed to a God that he didn't believe in that Jasper had the foresight to take Alice and Bella on the horse and ride as far and fast as they could. Hopefully, he could hold Alec and Jane off. If they acted quickly, they would get far enough that Jane and Alec would be forced to find shelter from the daylight, and then they would have a full day to get away. Jasper could take them to Zafrina. They could leave England, disappear. Bella would be safe.
He vaguely wondered if Bella wouldn't want to leave him, or if she would be happy to get away. He knew Jasper would be reluctant to leave, but Jasper would know there was nothing they could do for him.
Jane smiled cruelly as he lost his grip on her and Alec slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He was vaguely aware of teeth digging into his shoulder, and his arm being ripped off his body. His head would be next.
His whole body was in pain, and he vaguely thought that his leg was being torn off as well, but he wasn't sure. In his last moments, he thought of Bella. He so desperately wanted to see her face one last time, but at the same time hoped with everything that was in him that Jasper had taken her far away from here.
Then Edward thought no more.
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..
..
..
..
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Edward groggily opened his eyes, confused as to where he was, what had happened, but he did notice that his skin was burning. Edward had been in the sunlight before, and knew the excruciating feeling. He looked down at his arm, to gauge the blackness of his skin, to see how long he had been in the sun, only to find that it wasn't here.
Turning his head, he felt a relief to see that at least his right arm was still attached, though it was blistered and dark. His fingers looked like they would fall off if he even attempted to bend them.
Edward's right leg was still attached as well, but his left like was gone. He became vaguely aware that he was in his entry hall. The windows diluted the sunlight, but not by much.
Bella.
He let out a roar of pain, and glanced around, but no one else was there. He did see his arm and leg lying flung off to the side. He had to get out of the sun. He was burning alive.
He quickly calculated the fastest way out. If he crawled over to the sitting room, he could pull down the heavy curtains on the windows there. That should be enough to block the killing light. It was closer than through the East wing hall to his den. The den would be safest, but he wasn't sure he could make it.
Edward began crawling with his right arm and leg, grasping the hard stone floor as best he could beneath his flat palm for leverage. The burning sensation was so strong that all Edward could think about was escaping the pain. But vaguely in the back of his mind, he was aware that if he left his limbs, they would burn up. He would have to go about as half a man for the rest of his life.
Despite the pain, he started inching his way along the floor on a detour to his arm and leg. They were laying in a more direct sunlight than he was upon awaking, and were therefore even more burnt and terrifying looking than he was sure he must have been.
He grabbed his leg and tucked it under his chin and grabbed his arm. He began crawling toward the sitting room once more, using his elbow and leg. He soon bit his leg to keep a better grip on it as he crawled with his cumbersome weight.
The sitting room door was left open, thank God. He hadn't thought of it being closed, and knew there was no way it would have been able to open it had it been. He crawled toward the drapes. They were open and the closer he got to the window, the worse the burning became.
His disembodied leg and arm lay under him as he reached with his good arm to pull down the fabric. It didn't come. He was too weak. He concentrated all his strength. If he could just do this one thing, the burning would end. If he could just get the strength to pull down the curtain, he could rest.
It came down, falling over his body. Though he was still in pain, the overwhelming burning sensation did cease. His calculations were right, and the fabric was heavy enough to block the sunlight. He still felt as though he were out on the hottest day of they year, but at least he was no longer on fire. Edward closed his eyes and let his body relax.
Edward didn't sleep at all, but a couple of hours later he had enough energy to at least think. He thought of Bella. Had they gotten away? Why had Alec and Jane left him alive?
Though he fought against the idea with everything he had, the truth nagged at him like a relentless dog. The only reason Alec and Jane would have for leaving him alive was to make him suffer. They had Bella.
He had to go to her. He had to find her.
His heart was beating. He knew logically that his heart never beat, but he would have sworn that now it was.
But it was still daylight. He would have to wait until nightfall. All he had to do at the moment was concentrate on gaining strength until he could go to her. He grabbed his arm and smashed the bitten flesh up next to his arm socket, licking around the wound as best he could reach.
His did the same to his black, cracked leg. He spit into his hand and rubbed it around the wound.
He knew he wouldn't be fully healed by nightfall, but hopefully his limbs would be attached enough to work. All he could do was sit and wait. Edward lay in his own personal hell, complete with sweltering heat, pain, and damnation. He had put Bella into this situation. He had hurt her, taken advantage of her, caused her pain. This was his punishment, and if it was the last thing he did, he would make it right.