Disclaimer: These are not Stephanie's vampires.

Chapter Sixteen

Isabella Swan

Edward doesn't seem perturbed by my question in the slightest. Actually, a rather pleased expression crosses his face. "Yes," he answers swiftly. "I smell no other on you and your blood tastes pure. It's magnificent."

I didn't think my face could get any more pink but it is and I'm quickly working my way from embarrassment to anger. I try to tell myself this is Edward; a vampire who is some odd mix of shy, sexy, arrogant, clueless and scary – but right now, talking to a vampire oblivious to my embarrassment is making me mad. He doesn't even seem to notice that I'm shifting uncomfortably as he tells me that my blood tastes pure and that he really likes that.

His fangs even click down when he inhales the bend of my wrist deeply.

I purse my lips, my eyes narrowing at him and I feel some part of myself come back – the rash, irrational part that is really just a whopping bitch with an independence complex.

I snatch my wrist away.

Edward blinks up at me, his fangs retracting and his mint eyes coming back – he looks like a confused little boy, even though his aristocratic face shows nothing of young adulthood or childhood. In fact, I'm almost surprised he passed as a college student. Thinking on it, the only difference between the first time I saw Edward and now was the fact that his dark hair was pushed off his forehead; the hair in his face gave him a youthfulness he simply didn't have. He looked older than a senior but not old enough to be a professor and I wondered exactly how old he was.

I shake my head, both to rid myself of my wandering thoughts and to clue Edward in on my rising anger. "You only like me because I'm a virgin? Uncharted territory?" I demand, standing up and pacing.

I'm very aware of how ridiculous I sound – and how insecure.

Edward had been very upfront with how attractive he found my virginity but he'd also been very honest about recognizing me as his mate and the bonding and the past life I remember dying in.

He seems to be startled and very confounded by what I've said.

He should be.

It doesn't make any sense.

I need to talk to Victoria about this boy stuff. Things were moving too fast.

Boundaries.

I needed boundaries.

"Bella, of course not," Edward finally says, standing. His intimidating height takes up a lot of space in my small dorm room – how had I not noticed that before?

Right. His hands had a way of getting into my pants.

I stop pacing. I turn and point at him. "We're not having sex!"

His eyes are wide but he still manages to look crestfallen. Slowly, he nods. "Little mate, I would never force you to make love with me," Edward assures me.

My heart is racing and I feel like I'm on the verge of crying. Oh, God. I'm premenstrual. I have to be. Otherwise, when did I become completely crazy?

Cautiously, Edward takes me into his strong arms and pulling me against his large chest. He slowly caresses my hair, down my spine, repeating the circuit while I try to calm myself.

Then his touches change – subtly become more and more arousing, his hand dipping to cup my bottom or slide against the side of my breast. When his thumb brushes against my nipple, I push away. "Are you seducing me?"

He looks guilty, quickly pulling his hands away. "Of course not."

My hands settle on my hips, a stance I remember my mother taking when either Dad or I had done something that needed chastisement. I would think this qualifies. I narrow my eyes at Edward. "You were trying to use sex to distract me!" I claim wildly, hearing how stern my voice is, leaving no room for argument.

And I think I'm right, because Edward blinks slowly at me, schooling his expression. "Of course not, princess," he repeats slowly.

"You…you!" I say loudly, unable to come up with a word that describes him.

For his part, Edward looks appropriately scared and contrite; I don't think he knows how to deal with my sudden mood swing or my different attitude towards him. I think he understands that I'm not exactly angry enough to send him away again, but I'm certainly edging my way into that territory.

Part of my mind is trying to calm down, bring back some rationality. But I'm aware of my personality; aware that I'm not mature with my emotions; aware that I'm rash; aware that I'm impatient with a short fuse. And it's this second part of my mind that is making wild accusations while Edward takes slow, measured steps backwards, his eyes clearly warring with the decision to run or stay.

"That's all I am to you! A fuck buddy!" I shout, going back to my original charge. "You just want my blood and my body and when you're done, I'll just be left behind. You go on and on about how I'm going to leave you but you're not really afraid! You just want me to think that so I'll feel bad for you or something. All this mate business is just bullshit-"

"Bella!"

"And once you've fucked me, I won't need to be your mate anymore! I bet you planted those memories about my previous life somehow! How did you fuck with my head, Edward?"

"Bella, please. Princess-"

"And are you even really a prince? Are Jasper and Alice just actors or something? Oh, God. And the way you touched me!"

Edward's eyes are wide; now he is reaching forwards again, his large hands coming towards me, his mint eyes beseeching. "My princess-"

I wave my hands in the air, feeling my breath stuttering. "How many have you been with, Edward? Hundreds? God, you've had hundreds of years! I bet there have been thousands. I'm just a number to you-"

His lips close on mine, harsh enough to cut me off without hurting me. He has me pulled tightly to his body, grasping one my hands and bringing it up to his chest, pressing my palm over his heart. He pulls back just enough for me to see the blatant truth in the clear mint color. "Do you feel that beating? It's for you. Everything I am is for you. You are not a number. You will never be just a number. I am yours. You own me, Bella. My princess."

Tears spill over at the intensity in his voice, the way he dips into little growls. And he's so earnest that I genuinely feel crazy.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Edward," I cry, burying my face in his chest as he holds me gently, quieting me softly.

"My princess, you've been through a lot lately. This lapse is understandable."

I nod against him, even though I'm silently berating myself – there was no excuse for acting like a banshee. And the things I said…he should hate me now. Tears gather furiously in my eyes and my body feels weightless as he holds me, humming a little melody.

"Shh, shhh," he hushes me, laying us down slowly on the bed. The cheap curtains of my window are shut tightly but I know it's not any time near bedtime or night. It looks like Edward is taking us down for a nap. I don't blame him and honestly, I could probably use a nap.

I don't know what got into me.

I count the days in my head, acknowledging the approaching date of my cycle, and sigh. "Edward…"

"Yes, princess?"

I press my face closer to his chest, inhaling his unique musky, sweet scent. "What are you going to do when I, uh, start my period?"

My face feels hot. God, today must be the day for embarrassing topics. First my virginity and the scenting and now this.

Edward shrugs, jostling my body ever so much, and rolls onto his back, pulling me to rest my weight on his chest, my head over his heart. "Is that happening today?" he asks cautiously.

I shake my head and he sighs, relieved.

Can't blame the guy.

"But soon?" he clarifies.

"Yeah," I nod. "A few days. Will you have to leave?"

"I don't see why I would," he tells me thoughtfully. "Your blood calls very strongly to me now but I understand that it is not the right time for you to welcome my seed into your womb. There would be no child from a mating right now," Edward says bluntly. "I suspect that after your monthly bleed that the draw to your blood will be much stronger. I should be able to tell when your body is prepared to take my seed. That is when we will mate."

I blanch.

I don't think I'm ready for kids.

Even Edward's.

Knowing that he intends to impregnate me the first time we have sex is a bit of pressure – and he doesn't seem to think anything of it. It's like he's telling me it's going to rain next week and there's nothing I can do about it but wear a rain coat.

"Edward, I don't think I'm ready for that," I say, hoping he'll catch on without me needing to elaborate.

"Next month, then," he says, squeezing me gently. "I'm confident you will carry our child well when the time comes. I understand your need for time alone."

I close my eyes. "Edward, I don't think I'm ready for children."

He is silent. I chance a glance at him and he is looking at me thoughtfully. His nose flares as he inhales suddenly and he closes his eyes. "Your blood is healthy and your body is pure, the perfect vessel for our child, my princess. How long do you wish for me to wait?"

I rest my chin on his chest, studying the sharp angle of his jaw. "For children? I don't know. I'm only nineteen, Edward."

He frowns and looks at me, mint eyes penetrating. "We will have to wait a long time to mate?"

I raise a brow. "Don't vampires practice birth control?"

"Not with mates," he says firmly.

"But you have," I whisper.

Instantly, Edward looks ashamed. "I'm sorry, my little mate. It was many years before I ever met you," he says, looking away. "I'm a prince. It was…expected behavior."

I grasp one of his hands, briefly marveling at the difference in sizes; he makes me look like a little doll and suddenly, my minimal curves seem very feminine. Edward turns his eyes to me, looking pained.

"Can I be forgiven?" he asks. His eyes are bright, his brows furrowed. "There has been nobody after you," Edward promises. "I couldn't even think of it. If you did not come back to me, I would have remained celibate for eternity. Knowing that I'd had a mate…I couldn't even become aroused. I would have waited for the rest of my life for you to return."

I feel very bad for my earlier behavior.

He is completely devoted to me, even before this version of me existed. I frown, reaching up to smooth out the furrow of his dark brow. I quietly mourn my previous accusations; there's no way he could ever see me as a number.

I had some serious making up to do and there is no time like the present.

"There is nothing to forgive," I tell him, pulling myself up enough so that my lips can reach his. I realize that this is the first time I have ever initiated intimate contact and though a pit of nerves opens up in my stomach, I forge through. "I am the one that needs to be forgiven, Edward. I was horrible to you earlier. Let me make it up to you."

And then, before I can talk myself out of it, I let my hand cup him.

He swells under my hand, hard and large, his eyes wide and his fangs clicked down. "Bella?" he gasps, wiggling under the firm grip of my hand.

I kiss his chin, trying to decide how to proceed. The only contact I'd had with this part of his body had been when he pressed it against me. But I'd heard plenty of what Victoria has told me in the past couple of years, not to mention locker room talk from my days in high school and I remembered everything. I couldn't be too difficult.

My lips trail down his neck, pausing to nip at his Adam's apple, as my fingers nimbly unbutton and unzip his jeans. When I don't feel the fabric of underwear under my fingers, I look down – and my eyes widen.

He's pale and almost translucent, tiny purple veins pulsing just under his skin, the head of his erection a quiet, dusty rose color and bulbous, like a mushroom. He's also long and thick; it rests heavily on one side of his abdomen, under his belly button and the delicious dark trail of hair that leads down to his most intimate part.

It's kind of beautiful in a way.

With an almost out-of-body perspective, I watch as my hand moves around to grasp him, my fingers not closing completely around him. I feel Edward tense below me and I release him, looking up anxiously.

His face is feral – he almost looks angry with his furrowed brows and taut lips, his eyes intense and his fangs long. But there's no mistaking the desire as he looks at me.

I move off his chest, sitting on my knees next to his hips and move my hand over him again, this time letting my palm run from the very tip to the perfectly shaped sack below.

And then, I'm trying different things – letting my nails scratch against him or following the largest vein on the underside of him or squeezing just the head and spreading around the pearly stickiness that comes from him – and I listen and watch his reactions. As I gain speed and feel more sure of myself, I feel him tense up, his back arching just slightly, his hips making him thrust into my hands.

It's like he doesn't even have control of his body, much like I didn't have control of my mind earlier.

In a confident move that Victoria had insisted I know about, I squeeze him as tight as I can, twisting my wrist on the upstroke and leaning down to lick and tease at his sensitive tip, which had grown slightly darker in color. He seems to grow just a bit more – longer and thicker – and his hips thrust wildly, forcing the entire head into my mouth as he releases with a snarl. There is no warning but it's okay; his taste is bittersweet and intoxicating and the only regret I have is not being able to see his face as he lets go.

Edward's chest heaves with a heavy rhythm. He slowly pulls me back into his arms, kissing my cheek and the corner of my mouth sweetly, his fangs scraping against me slightly.

And I smile – because even though I was a complete nut-job earlier and Edward wasn't a virgin and he only wanted to impregnate me, I am happy in this moment.

And the blissful look on his face?

I'm responsible for it and it suddenly makes all of the craziness worth it.

A/N: PMS is a bitch, right? *sigh* Oh well, I think she made up for it. Probably there will be a chapter tomorrow to make up for the one I missed last week.

First ten reviews and guest reviews are…

Kindaboredrightnow – Your PM's are disabled SO… I think my Edward is kind of perfect, too lol

Guest – Glad you love it!

twilight-saga-lover95 – lol I'll be bringing up the nudity issue in future chapters. We'll see how Edward reacts ;)

Twilight Rocker 12 – LOL I don't know. Fauxhawkward and Vampward must tie in adorableness!

Danielleteambellaforever – Thank you for reading! So happy that you were hoping for an update!

she-rah – Emmett is just…Emmett lol I think Bella's getting her grip back! Sometimes new relationships change people, make them more or less dominant…Bella's getting her groove back!

Holidai – Lol yeah, compromise is a good thing. I wasn't ready for Emmett last chapter but he's…being persistent :p

Krystalwinds1990 – Probably not the wisest response for Edward to have! Lol

Lilypad10 – Bella's really headstrong. She doesn't want to be this weak person when it comes to Edward, you know? She wants to decide for herself, even if her body is pushing for one thing. She'll get there.

Nalia-R – LOL I would say she got some independence back this chapter, right? He can be all dom and stuff, but she really wears the pants!

Pumpkinmykitty – That would weed the skanks out! Sorry, Tanya! LOL

And super special shout out to the first review of the last chapter, vampyregirl86 – He's clearly from Mars, right? Lol Men!

As always, be brutally honest. I can take it.

~cupcakeriot

P.S – Augury by Passionate04 has updated! Things are heating up! Give it a read if you like the supernatural or prophecies or if you love me! :D

P.P.S – Happy Birthday to YesMyRealNameIsBella!