A/N - This update owes Mount Mckinley size thanks to Gasaway Alley for pushing me along. Your encouragement and beta skills are such a gift. Thank you so much. There is a cheeky new contest called Spank the Monkey and my other lovely beta TwiliteAddict and Rosabella75 have an entry entitled "Feel for You", set in the 1950's. Please make sure to check out their entry and vote for your favorites!
Upon stepping out of the room we were in felt as though entering a completely different home. There was no silk damask to be found on the walls and no ornate renaissance furniture, or heavy sumptuous draperies. Instead was the rich amber glow of cedar log walls. I had never seen a log home constructed with trunks as large as these were. This was definitely no quaint "Little House in the Big Woods" cabin; the space was immense and open, rambling out a couple thousand square feet. Several portals branched off to hallways going beyond to rooms unimagined. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed a view beholding breathtaking promises as the creeping crepuscular light revealed the purple and grey mysticism of a spectacular Alaskan mountain range. I imagined in the pristine light of day, it was nothing short of Divine.
The centerpiece of the room was a towering, twenty foot tall totem of a red cedar tree. The bark had been removed to reveal the gorgeous gold tone of the wood beneath, while the timber gleam echoed the stark beauty of the hand-hewn log walls. The tree's root system reached across the slate tile floor like sturdy wooden tentacles. I hazarded a guess at the circumference of the tree being at least eight feet. Despite its petrified state, there still seemed a glow of life and purpose.
"Amazing isn't it? I chose this beauty myself." A slight, strawberry blond appeared from behind the massive trunk like a wood nymph. Running her fingers down the tree affectionately and looking about the place with barely concealed pride, the sprightly creature smiled at me with so much warmth and welcome, I couldn't help but be charmed. I dragged my eyes away from her long enough to notice a cozy sitting area of leather furniture behind her. A fieldstone fireplace rose thirty feet into the rafters of the house, while the inner hearth, tall enough for a person to stand in, cradled a large fire blazing and snapping happily within the ash pit. Two more stunning vampires stood off to the right with tentative smiles on their faces in greeting.
"Welcome to Legacy Lodge, Bella. I am Tanya Denali." She approached me with a bit of caution, I couldn't tell whether from fear, or respect - perhaps a mingling of both. Her eyes darted to Edward, who gave her the slightest of nods. Tanya's pace quickened and before I knew it, the tiny woman wrapped me in a strong, tight hug, dashing two kisses to my cheeks in European fashion before stepping back to study me with an appraising eye. Nodding to herself as if confirming something satisfied her, she turned to Edward.
" You know I love you, but even I wonder if you truly deserve such a magnificent female. Welcome to the family Isabella. Please," she reached for my hand, "come and meet my sisters, Irina and Kate. We've been anxious for your Awakening."
She ushered me past the dead imperial cedar while I numbly followed. It was all I could do to keep moving forward rather than stand gaping at the naked glory of the tree. The impressive height of the canopy branches pushed up to the second level of the Lodge. The balcony railing above was black wrought-iron twisting and curving into an intricate lace pattern. Chandeliers fashioned from the same matte-black iron hung from the rafters like exotic, filigreed blooms. I'm sure I looked as slack jawed as I felt, and I didn't care. I wondered if my newly-minted vampire senses were adding to the intensity of this experience, but decided against it. Wood, stone and iron came together in perfect harmony to make this place. Any being would have this reaction. Edward's bemused grin confirmed my suspicions; I was appropriately awed.
Leaning toward me, he whispered, "Tanya built the shell of the house in British Columbia then had it shipped up here to Denali." I couldn't think of anything to say but a mumbled 'Holy Cow'. My verbal skills were beyond the pale as I scarcely could believe such a diminutive creature could build such a mammoth structure.
Wait a minute. Yes I could, actually. Is there anything vampires can't do?
Noticing my silent worship of the ornate railings and lighting fixtures, he added,
"Kate did all of the ironwork, and Irina is the artist of the many wooden wild-life sculptures you will encounter throughout the Lodge."
My eyes followed Edward's to the rafters above us where a sculpture of a majestic eagle, wings spread in a ten foot wide expanse, pushed off one of the large beams. The detail was incredible - each feather painstakingly carved to shocking narration. Even unpainted, the massive piece of art required nothing more than the naked flesh of the golden wood it was fashioned from. In the predator's massive talons was a large struggling salmon, its mouth wide and gaping, while its scaled body arched violently. I put my hand over my still heart in fleeting pity for it.
If I felt such great compassion for a wooden fish, how the Hecate was hunting going to go? I felt a strange pull in my stomach and before I knew it, I was fixated on Edward's neck, looking desperately for remnants of my teeth marks; feeling strangely disappointed when I found none.
"Bella?"
The note of concern in Edward's voice snapped me out of my thrall. I traced my fingers idly over yet another statue, responding inanely to make him think I was simply enchanted with the house and not the memory of the sweet taste of his venom on my ...
Focus Bella!
"It's like they brought the beauty and magic of nature into their home."
Edward's face relaxed then he chuckled quietly to himself, his eyes seemed far away, as if recalling a fond memory. Though I was glad he couldn't read my thoughts, I felt a slight twinge of regret not being able to read his mind anymore. I began to understand how frustrating it had to be for Edward being unable to hear my thoughts after having access to everyone else's. I nudged Edward's shoulder with mine in a 'penny for your thoughts' prompt.
"The Denali sisters spent some time with us in BC during the late 60's and Tanya fell in love with the trees. We couldn't get her out of them. She would spend days, sometimes weeks scaling along the canopy, hunting to her heart's content. Em finally coaxed her down long enough to introduce her to an architect he knew who made incredible homes from her treasured trees. Tanya has a very intense approach to things she is passionate about . She designed this home as a labor of love for her giant BC Redwoods."
"It is breathtaking." I looked back to the room we emerged from and asked shyly, "So, why was the room we just came out of so different from the rest of this place?"
Tanya flashed a perfectly gamine smile back at us, "Oh that's Carlisle's room - an exact replica of his study from one of our old haunts in Austria. He always had such a fondness for stodgy old mithraic design and leather bound books. It's our way of keeping a bit of him with us always."
I looked back at Carlisle, who had a modest smirk twitching the corners of his mouth. Esme smiled in conspirational contentment as she twined her hand into his.
"Yes, nowadays it seems we don't get a visit unless you are on the lam from defeating the most powerful vampire dictatorship in over a millennia!" Playful sarcasm radiated from a tall Germanic blonde who stood by the fireplace. She strode over and shook my hand in a strong grip.
"Welcome Bella, I am Irina. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Irina! You know you are more than welcome to visit any time you wish." Carlisle volleyed back Irina's tease with a mock chiding tone.
"I would if it didn't take weeks to get the stench of wet, mossy mutt out of my nose after I came back." Irina's disgust looked too real and Carlisle's cringe confirmed the truth of her tone. Jake and Leah growled low in warning from behind me. I shot raised eyebrows at them in a silent plea to cool it. My fingers splayed at my side, arms rigid with the need to command power should a fight break out.
The third sister, a tall brunette, grabbed Irina's elbow and gave it a slight jerk as a reminder to stand down.
"Irina! The La Push Shifters are here as our guests, and you will continue to treat them as such."
"Kate..." Irina gritted through clenched teeth.
"You promised." Kate returned softly. Irina relaxed a bit but kept her arms folded across her chest. Closed off.
I offered Kate a shy smile of thanks, alternately shooting Leah and Jake one more desperate plea to take it on the chin and contain themselves. Dark looks from both confirmed that they were pushing their own comfort zones and it was solely for my benefit.
Jake took Leah by the hand and graciously gave me the out I needed,
"Bells, if it's all right with you, Leah and I are going to head back to the cabin and let the Elders know back home that you came through the ...change." Jake wiggled his fingers in air quotes with a roll of his eyes, "We've had the tour." I gave him my best scowl and he dropped his hands to his sides, only to bring them up in a shrug of sad defeat, his voice low with a hint of awkwardness "And I really think accompanying you during your hunt would ..."
"Probably not be a good idea." I finished for him quietly. Leah gave me a watery smile and Edward patted Jake on the shoulder, whispering his sincerest thanks to him, which with a curt nod, Jake accepted stoically. The couple left the room quickly, not sparing a glance at any of the vampires on the way out.
No one protested politely they should stay, yet the absence of the offer stained the air with slick tension. I let them leave with a pang of reluctance, but also relief. Pushing the issue for the sake of manners was definitely not going to happen. My role as referee did not have to be filled tonight of all nights. It was hard to deny the animosity that lingered between the Denali vampires and wolves. I felt very much like monkey in the middle.
But not tonight, Josephine. I mean, come on!
I'd just woken up from a visit with a deity who gave me a quest to kill a beast he couldn't the first time around. Furthermore, three days before that, I burned to death, got bitten by my vampire lover and awaited the pain of my physical change into...Goddess knows what , on a metaphysical plane bordering life and death.
So, I decided to give myself a break and told guilt to take a hike. It graciously left me almost as quickly as Leah and Jake left a room full of vampires.
Alice turned from watching the wolves leave the room and placed her hand on a cocked hip, looking me up and down in mock judgment. "Seriously Bella?"
"What?"
"You're wearing that for hunting? I don't think a green silk kimono is going to be very practical," she teased gently.
Alice's obsessive compulsive need to make sure I made all my wardrobe changes used to irritate me, but this time I saw the effort for what it was - A deliberate distraction to ease the tension from the room. Tanya then cursed in a language I didn't recognize and gave looks of apology to Edward and me.
"Of course, your room! I'm a terrible host!" Tanya's surprisingly self- deprecating personality surfaced as she rambled on, "Oh hi! Do you like my tree? You're gorgeous, come meet my sisters.." she mimicked the entire speech with a surprisingly good Valley Girl accent. I wondered where she spent the eighties. I couldn't help but stifle a snicker.
Edward leaned in to comfort her. "Don't be silly, Tanya. I assume Bella and I are in the East end of the Lodge?"
Her eyes sparkled with delight and a dash of devil. "Nope, you are going to be staying in the Eagle's Nest."
Em whistled his appreciation at our apparent fortune.
"That's the deeeluxe suite, Bells! Rosie and I love to do role playing in there, she was Little Ride Riding Hood and I was ..."
So many voices shouted his name simultaneously, that Em actually ducked, crouched and looked around with a confused pout before a shamed, 'What?' shrugged from his shoulders.
"Em, your stories about our sex life are getting to be a bit ..."
"Predictable?" Jasper responded dryly.
"Inappropriate." Esme and Carlisle chimed together.
"Borrrrrring." Sang Alice and Tanya together. To which they began giggling, only to break into rollicking, contagious laughter when Tanya let loose a rather indelicate snort.
I fell in love with Tanya Denali at that moment.
Blood may be thicker than water, but venom must be viscous as the Denalis and the Cullens were truly a family unit. And the way they all made room for me so easily, it was almost too good to be true. A large chunk of my nerves settled in the company of my new family members. I felt safe, accepted. I belonged. The Cullens brought me here for more than just the seclusion of the remote compound and the support of a sister coven. I was here to finally meet the other branch of their family tree to be welcomed, sheltered, and protected during a very vulnerable time for our family. These beings had soldiered centuries together and I would now join their ranks.
I considered the strength of the bonds I'd created with the Blacks and the Clearwaters during all those precious summer months, and then the last decade of my life. How finitely forged they became and how fiercely devoted I was to them.
A riptide of overwhelming emotion surged through me. I felt so much gratitude for these amazing creatures in my life. I watched them mingling, telling 'remember when' stories, laughing and teasing. My vision slipped to reveal their auras again. I stood in quiet amazement watching their streams of light dancing gloriously around them, reaching towards the equally brilliant colors of other family members, joining together in rainbow hued helixes.
Reunion.
It's like their energy knew each other. I guess when you really think on it, if our muscles and senses have memory, why wouldn't our energy? I know vampires or wolves (and now humans) by smell, I know my lover by touch - why wouldn't I know, deep down in the place where intuition resides, the silent hum of the soul of a loved one?
I felt my own energy reach out to theirs and noticed the electric blue and silver colors of my power weaving amongst the rainbow hues of everyone else. They all turned to me at once and smiled.
They must have felt something when I joined their ecto-plasmic flashdance, as all the hub-bub instantly ceased to an echoing hush. I was surprised and creeped out at the same time, causing my energy to suck back into my chest with a silent whump. The pregnant pause of the eerie quiet made me blurt embarrassingly,
"I'm so happy to be here with all of you right now."
Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder and crushed me into his side. I hid my face in his shoulder as I heard a few rumbled, 'Aww Bella's, and felt a collective need building for a group hug. Even without the habitual clues he used to navigate on, Edward sensed my deathly embarrassment and excused us. He eloquently begged off our need to get changed and have a "breather". This of course made me burst into a fit of inane giggles when I realized the irony of super beings who didn't need to breathe taking a "breather".
Yes. I definitely needed some downtime. I was giggling more than a giddy 12 year old at a Bieber concert. Everyone else was also a little too quick to offer their hearty agreement that we should do just that. Then again, laughing like a hyena over an irony that went over everyone else's head was certainly helping our hasty retreat.
Edward led me through the labyrinth of hallways, and as promised, we encountered many of Irina's life-like sculptures. There were lynx, caribou, even a few bears. Some were carved right into the mighty logs forming the walls. Edward indulged my need to stop and examine these amazing pieces whenever we came upon them. I felt I owed the artist, and even the subject the homage of my adulation as I lightly ran my fingers over the natural art.
Could I really hunt these beasts and feed upon them? Did I want to? Images of my teeth closing over Edward's neck flooded my brain, instantly recalling with perfect detail the rich drench of his life-force across my tongue. The look in his eyes when his family ripped him from me. Crazed. Glassy eyed. Was he even there? I had to at least try and see if animal blood would be an alternative. Worry wrapped cold hands around me, but I shook them off before I turned into a full blown mess of a panic attack. Sensing my building tension, Edward placed his hands on the small of my back. My body relaxed against his touch and he all but purred his approval.
I needed to redirect the nasty turn my thoughts had taken, and focused on being thankful. Thankful that so far, things seemed pretty normal, or instinctual at least. The infamous Newborn hunger was not ravaging my thought processes, and it was easy to distract myself, so far, by centering on the beauty of the Denali home. My powers also seemed to be under control. So far.
I studied my mate and wondered just what was going on inside his head. He was the picture of his usual cool self, though he didn't fool me. I could sense tension creeping a choke-hold across his body, his eyes dark, haunted by burden cast in sidelong glances. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my gut he was hiding more than casual concern. I may not be able to read his mind but my body knew his without a doubt.
I threw the cold water of reason on the glowing coals of my paranoia once I considered Edward had ample excuse to worry. Especially since he seemed to be my instinctual choice as food. However, I got the feeling he didn't mind my needs so much as he minded his own. I looked at him beneath my lashes as he walked alongside me. Catching me, I shyly smiled but took note of the sudden flash of heat building in his eyes. I shivered at the spark igniting deep within me in response and sighed. I was anxious for privacy too, but I also knew we had to discuss some of the issues skulking after us like a big bag of shadowy unsaid. For instance, he had to be curious about where I went when I visited the mysterious god. Yet, in typical, infuriating Edwardian fashion, he pressed his own limits and indulged our meandering pace so I could drink in the beauty of the home and feel comfortable in my surroundings.
It took us forever to get to the Eagle's Nest with all the touching and tingling and petting - not all of it on the sculptures. I savored the delightful surprise of butterflies in my stomach, beating about, building upon the buzzing energy from the anticipation of what our room would be like, and of course, what we would do inside it. I wondered at these distinctly human reactions and how they could be so strong considering my physiological make-up was completely different. I shrugged off diving into those particular rabbit holes of thought when Edward and I turned a corner and came to a sudden stop in front of two, very large, ornately carved doors. Celtic knots wove dizzy intricate patterns into the shimmering, carefully finished wood.
"Bella, this room is beyond anything you could imagine, so I'm just going to open the door and let you walk in first."
I did a silly little jig of excitement on the balls of my feet, to Edward's amused delight, as he swept the double doors wide.
He was right. Nothing could prepare me. I had never been in such a magical place in all my life and I have wandered countless miles among the green jeweled beauty of the Hoh forest. There was a time the green and the wet of the woods surrounding Forks unsettled me. As a displaced teen from the earth-toned state of Arizona, the fertile fecundancy of the forest seemed so alien. I came to know and love it very much after Edward left me as I spent much of my free time looking for him; knowing he was out there but never seeing him. I reached for Edward's hand, squeezing it so tight with the memory of the loss of him, he actually flinched.
Besides Carlisle's room, every wall in this house was left as it was originally assembled, with the stacked gigantic cedars exposed. Imagine my surprise to see not wood, but rock from floor to ceiling. It resembled the sedimentary rock of a cliff face. Even though I knew it was impossible, as a rock formation that size would weigh tonnes and the house could never support its weight, it all looked incredibly realistic. I rushed over to it and ran my hands along the wall's surface. I could sense the hollowness, and turned to Edward quizzingly, "What is this?" Edward smiled and knocked on the stone, emphasizing the amazing trickery the material was capable of.
"It's a mixture of everything from polymers to cement to volcanic dust. Most eagles build their nests in high areas like cliff faces - hence the wall treatment in this room."
I loved the large linked log walls throughout the house, but this was truly a magical compliment in keeping with the woodsy, naturistic theme of the home.
"It's also a great way to disguise the irrigation system for the plants." Edward added. Living plants and mosses were thriving, green and glossy, tucked within various areas of the rocky surface.
He pointed out various small waterfalls emptying into a wading pool type canal that widened to flow into a hot tub disguised as a natural spring pool outside on the balcony. The rock wall extended into an overhang so it had a grotto type look.
I gasped at the view of Mount Mckinley. There was no...window. No glass I could see - it was extremely difficult to discern where the stone ended and the glass began. I wondered if the only access to the balcony was walking through the canal to the hot tub outside. I guess it was built by vampires. The elemental discomforts humans felt when combining wet and cold were of no concern to them. Us.Edward seemed amused with my puzzlement. I narrowed my eyes at the glass I knew was there but couldn't see. Seamless. Amazing.
"Is there another entrance to lead to the balcony outside besides the grotto?" I had to ask, even though I knew he was dying for it. My pride could suffer, I couldn't help my curiosity.
He picked up a remote, clicked a button and the glass issued a a hissing pop as a vacuum seal broke, I looked towards the sound to see an open doorway of slim glass. I made a mental note to examine it closer later.
To the left end corner of the room, there was a smaller version of the Great Room's fieldstone fireplace. A striking black leather fainting couch with books piled strategically, yet casually, complimented its side. A fire crackled and snapped cheerfully in the hearth, answered by the rush of the min waterfalls. The conversation between the two elements in the background was as soothing as any prefabricated nature sounds CD. Though the floor was starkly elegant with its slate tile, lush carpets were placed about the grand room to add warmth and coziness.
Edward took both my hands in his and drew me towards the dais, upon which was staged a fairytale for a bed. I immediately thought of Tanya in her trees and knew there was a piece of her in its design.
Four, twelve-foot tall junipers stood as proud posts for the frame of a king-size bed. The trees were stripped of their bark, varnished to reveal their natural colors, and instead of the leaves which used to fill in the nudity of their branches, hundreds of white mini-lights twinkled beneath a rich emerald gossamer material. Within the charming woodland-esque copse, the bed was covered in gleaming white cotton.
I looked from the stead to Edward and froze. His look went from playful to intensely dangerous in a blink. I suddenly got it and saw what he had been holding back from me the entire journey to this room. Raw, uninhibited desire scorched across his skin, tension riding in his stance. Much more tension than he had earlier. He was restraining himself and losing. My reaction to this revelation crackled with a combination of fear and arousal. The predator in him, or me, simply awakened, roaring a deafening symphony of sexual need. It became combustive gasoline in our veins and the sulfur black of his eyes was about to snap into flame.
"Bella..." he growled, leaning into me. With the silk of my robe tangled in his hands, he spun me over to the bed. It wasn't a move for dominance so much as it was one for urgency. The backs of my calves hit the bed's edge and the only thing keeping me upright was his tight grip, and my own sudden desperate, consuming need to be skin to skin with him.
"Wait ..." I placed my hands on his chest.
He grimaced - and with a steadying hiss of exhalation, he placed his forehead against mine. "Yesssss?"
"What about everyone waiting for us to go hunting?"
A rueful smile quirked at the corners of his mouth when he pulled back to look at me, his eyes glittering smug satisfaction of having justification at the ready. "Isabella. The family will have no problem giving us a few hours to ourselves. I'm sure they are probably in need of respite as well , considering they've been in the dark and keeping watch over us for three days."
I inhaled to give him a "but" when he placed his fingers on my lips and shook his head gently. His voice was whisper quiet, control over his emotions slipping soundlessly in a rush of air, warming a warning against my cheek, "And during those three days, I have watched you smite an entire army and die horribly from fire. I have given you my venom, walked the planes of life and death with you, then watched you disappear for god knows how long only to reappear reborn as an ...uncommonly controlled vampire."
"About that ..." I squeaked.
"Later." His voice was rough, his grip on me tightening. I knew for certain he was not holding back physically. The pressure of his grip was intense and becoming painful. He flinched, catching my poor attempts at concealing my discomfort, and pulled me up straight, letting go once I was steady. He looked down at his hands, seeming surprised he had manhandled me. Quickly, he stepped back to give me, or himself, some room.
"Edward..."
"Bella, I'm so sorry." Ah, the old Edward.
Reaching for him silently, I let him know I was unharmed. I grasped his hand, turned it over to drop a kiss on his upturned palm, and laid it against my heart. I looked into his eyes, letting him know with certainty how unafraid I was. I recalled the desperation he felt to be with me, and the reasons he gave! A smile stretched across my face to which he remarked,
"What could you possibly be grinning about?"
"Not an hour ago, I was convincing myself to let go of the guilt I felt for Jake and Leah being in a place where they feel unwelcome, with the same reasons you gave for wanting to be with me."
"So you understand then, if I play that card and insist that we have some much needed...alone time."
He drew within inches of me, then slowly pressed his body against mine, leaning down to breathe in my ear,
"I need you Isabella. Now."
Dizzy with disorientation from the power his desire invoked, I dropped my head backwards, inviting him to nibble along my neck; in which he RSVP'd quicker than I could sigh. I was so unused to him being the same body climate as me, the barrier his cool temperature had subliminally placed, melted between us dissolving our differences; making us one. I felt like I was fusing into his very skin.
Picking me up, he brought me over to the bed, but I have no memory of getting there. The look on his face was one I had never seen before, the intensity of the passion and need was ...visceral. His eyes were onyx stones focused on mine, I couldn't fathom looking away. I felt his fingertips slip beneath the lapels of my robe, gliding up and over naked shoulders. Reaching for him, wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him against me with an undertow of desperation. His hands untied the sash of my robe in a flurry of movement. As it fell away, his dark eyes glittered with primitive want, his thumbs tracing loving, lazy circles over my stomach.
Every single part of my body responded to that look in his eyes, his touch on my skin, like firemen to a four-alarm fire. Perhaps when my mind wasn't so foggy with lust, and I had a moment of bravery, I would ask Carlisle how the physical responses of my body could be so, considering my heart did not beat. As for now, the rhythm of my answering carnal need for him was beating a sultry samba across my body. His head bent down, taking a nipple into his mouth. My senses exploded with the feel of his warm mouth around me, his tongue darting back and forth over the tip. I let go of his head, giving him freedom of movement. Arms falling back in surrender against the bed, I arched towards him. In a luxuriating zip, my hands streaked over the crisp cotton to grip his hair, letting him know without question;
Yes. Now.
I felt his delicious mouth curve into a wicked smile before he pulled away from me. Hoisting up on my elbows I watched him undress.
Yes. Join me.
I posed, purred, presented myself to him in an unbelievably lascivious manner, and somewhere buried deep down, I'm sure a part of me would be shocked at my behavior, but no one was listening to her at the moment.
Edward, however was certainly listening to what the rest of me had to say. His entire body was vibrating, straining, in anticipation of my bold offering. Crawling across the bed towards me like a savage satyr, with the backdrop of the naked branches of our bedposts, it was easy to imagine him as Pan. Eyes wildly triumphant and fierce with the need to mate, to claim me.
God to Goddess.
We gave ourselves over to the that most sublime grounding act - the devouring of flesh and the moves of the mating dance made eternal by every pair of lovers since the beginning of time.
And not once did I want to eat him.
Endnote: I was recently interviewed by the lovely Webmistress TaintedDarkInuShemeeku for her blog Amber and Emerald Eyes in their Author's Corner. If you are curious and want to check it out, the address is
http:/ amberandemeraldeyes DOT webs DOT com / authorscorner DOT htm
Have a great weekend!