A/N: I hope everyone is having a fangtastic new year. :)
Greetings new readers! Welcome aboard The Alpha Next Door.
Here's the next installment.
Rated M for adult themes and language.
Bella wheeled her suitcase through the arrivals hall and immediately spotted Renee's trademark cinnamon mane.
She was wearing one of her organic, fair-trade gypsy skirts paired with a white shirt and flat sandals.
'Apricot! Over here!' She waved a bangle-clad wrist in the air, blue eyes twinkling with excitement.
Bella returned her mother's exuberant smile and received a big affectionate hug in return.
"Hey mom. Long time no see." She chuckled into Renee's shoulder.
'Right back at you, apple pie!'
"Speaking of fruits and veggies." Bella curiously sniffed the older woman's cotton shirt. "You smell like a tropical island filled with coconut trees." She observed.
'That is because I baked you a special welcome home cake.' Renee chirped.
"Yay!"
Bella's stomach grumbled at the mentioned of food.
She was definitely looking forward to her mother's famous coconut banana cake.
It was the best thing since sliced bread.
'Aaand…' Renee drawled in a sugary sweet voice. 'Phil is in Miami so we have the house all to ourselves!'
"Double yay!" The younger brunette pumped a fist in the air. "Not that I don't miss Coach PD…"
'He misses you too, but his team is on a winning streak so he's over the moon right now.'
"Go Phil!" Bella grinned. "Good for him."
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The long ride home was an opportunity for both women to chat about what's new in their lives.
Bella longed to tell her mother about her life post-werewolves and bloodsuckers, but she settled for the usual.
"My internship was a blast and Marina sends you a big hug. She's dying to meet the vegan woman who brought her BFF into this world."
Yes. Renee Dwyer had embraced the vegan lifestyle after months of preparation.
She also dabbled in pottery and ceramics and grew her own organic fruits and vegetables.
'Is she the one who likes to wear those colorful retro dresses?'
"Yep." Bella nodded. "She was text-dumped by her boyfriend so her mood is far from colorful these days."
'He dumped her via sms?' Renee's eyes widened in shock. 'No wonder she's heartbroken.'
"M's a tough cookie. She'll get over him."
'Speaking of boys. How's the dreamboat next door?' Vegan momma glanced briefly at Bella, French manicured nails tapping on the Ford's steering wheel. 'He looked so grown up in that Twitter photo you posted!'
Bella fidgeted in the passenger seat, an instant blush coating her cheeks.
'You know, he reminds me of a young Billy Black. Tall, muscular and oozing charm.' Renee remarked.
"Mom. Please tell me you didn't have a thing for Billy." She gaped at her mother in sheer horror.
'Why do you sound so horrified?' Renee chuckled in amusement. 'He was quite the stud back in high school. Sue Clearwater can attest to that. If you know what I mean.' She hinted with a wink.
"Eeeew." Bella wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I just threw up in my mouth a little."
'I was once a teenager you know.' Mrs. Dwyer said wistfully. 'Your dad used to drive us to this secluded cliff overlooking the ocean…'
"You mean Moon Cliff?"
'We used to call it make-out cliff.' Renee smirked.
"Ugh. Charlie used to take you there?"
'Every Sunday night.' She nodded. 'I used to sneak out the back door while your grandpa, may he rest in peace, was watching the news.'
"I wish Charlie was as clueless as grandpa, but no…nothing gets past his spidey senses." Bella pouted.
Renee chuckled, driving past a block of neatly trimmed lawns and palm trees.
The weather was hot, reminding Bella of a certain sizzling Alpha.
'And where do you plan on sneaking off if say, Charlie was otherwise preoccupied?'
"Oh. I wasn't talking about sneaking off per se." She toyed with the tote bag on her lap.
This was followed by a long stretch of silence where Renee carefully studied her daughter's face.
'You have a crush on Jacob Black, don't you?'
"Actually." Bella took a deep breath and said. "It's more than just a crush."
'Aaaaaw…my baby's in love with Black junior.' Mrs. Dwyer cooed. 'I knew it was bound to happen.'
"Duh, mom. I've always loved Jake."
'Yes, but now you're in love with him. There's a big difference.' She pointed out.
"Did you steal that sentence from a romcom movie? Cause it sounds awfully familiar."
Renee kept her eyes on the road, her curls shining in the warm afternoon light. 'Charlie is being an overprotective papa bear, isn't he?' She concluded.
"You have no idea." Bella nodded vehemently. "He's probably going to arrest Jake in my absence, or shoot him!" She sighed. "They butt heads. A lot."
'Can you blame him, BeeBee? You're his only offspring after all.' Mrs. Dwyer reached out and patted her daughter's knee.
"BeeBee? Really?" The brunette chuckled at her mother's nickname collection. "What are you going to call me next? Dumpling?"
'Why, what does Jacob call you?' Renee teased.
"He calls me munchkin." Bella replied, blushing to her roots.
'As in those small, greasy donuts they sell at Dunkin Donuts?'
"Please do not insult them Munchkins." She jokingly warned, searching her bag for her iPhone.
Three text messages were waiting for her once she switched it on. One from Charlie and two from Jacob.
The first text from the Alpha made her miss his annoyingly persistent self.
Hey, babe. I'm still outside the airport in case U change ur mind. ;)
The second text made her blush like a school girl.
In a land far away, lived an Alpha with the biggest cock in all the land….TBC ;)
'Let me see what he sent you.' Renee tried to sneak a peek at Bella's iPhone but she quickly covered the screen with her palm.
"No! It's umm…private!" She stuffed said phone inside her tote and tried to remain as cool as a cucumber.
'You mean of the sexting variety.'
Bella ignored her mother's prodding and glanced out the window.
The familiar Mediterranean house was a sight for sore eyes with its stucco walls and red terra cotta tiles.
'Here we are.' Renee drove past the bronze iron gates and into the cobblestone driveway. 'Home sweet home.'
"Whoa. Did you Extreme Makeover the Dwyer residence?"
'Indeed I did.' She chirped, parking the ruby red Ford Fiesta in front of the arched entrance.
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Bella followed her mom past the pastel beige foyer and craned her neck to stare at the beautiful violet wallpaper in the living room. The lack of walls provided plenty of space and light to filter through the French windows.
'This is called Chinoiserie wallpaper. Hand painted and elegant. It cost us a fortune though.'
"It's amazing." Bella gushed, examining the delicate tree branches painted along the silky fabric.
'You ain't seen nothing yet.' Renee grinned, dragging her daughter past the emerald green dining room.
She pushed past a pair of saloon swinging doors and introduced Bella to the renovated kitchen.
It was all white cabinets and chairs with dark blue mosaic walls and a pair of sliding doors that led to the spacious backyard. There was also a bookshelf in the corner stacked with vegan cook books and Go Vegan flyers.
'You like?' Renee did an elegant twirl in her orange skirt and led Bella to the pastel-pink family room where she handed her a gift basket filled with vegan chocolate.
"I love!" She gushed, examining the contents of the basket. "Oooh. chocolatey spread. Jake hearts this stuff."
'The Chocoholic basket is everybody's favorite. I'll get you another one so you can both try it.'
"Awesome. Thanks mom."
Renee smiled warmly in response. 'Anytime, sweetheart. Come on. Let me show you the rest of our casa.'
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There were three guest bedrooms in total, each with a different country theme.
The effort put into each room made Bella's head spin.
No wonder it took her mother nine months to finish the interior of the house.
The Parisian bedroom was Bella's favorite so she decided to make it her own during her three week stay.
It had rose colored walls, a cozy window-seat, lace curtains and an antique iron bed.
Renee pointed out the French poodle waste basket in the corner and of course, the shimmering chandelier she bought with Bella in mind.
'I knew you were going to choose this room. It's so you, chérie.'
"Merci, maman." Bella thanked Renee in her limited knowledge of French language. "Paris is my dream destination. You're so lucky you went there on your honeymoon."
'Ah. The city of love.' The older woman sighed dreamily. 'Your time will come, my darling.'
The young Swan studied the smiling wrinkles around her mother's expressive eyes.
She looked happy even though Phil was miles away.
"Mom. Can I ask you a question?"
'Does it concern your dreamboat Jacob?'
"No." Bella tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just…" She hesitated. "How did you know that Charlie was the one? I mean, before you fell out of love with each other and filed for divorce?"
Renee sat on the bed and patted the empty spot beside her.
'I knew he was the one because I felt it deep in my bones.' She explained. 'He was a constant presence in my heart even when we were apart.'
"Okay. Now you totally sound like an NSYNC song." Bella chuckled.
'Isabella. Don't make fun.'
'Sorry.' She sheepishly apologized. 'You were saying?'
Renee toyed with the golden bangles on her wrist as she spoke. 'What I loved about your father was that he knew when to let go. He gave me space when I needed it and respected my need to create…to reinvent myself.'
"Yeah. He's always encouraging me to think outside the box and stuff." Bella chimed in.
'He was the best, really…but we were too young and headed in opposite directions. I wanted out of Forks and he wanted to become Chief of Police.'
"So he set you free…"
'So he set me free.' Mrs. Dwyer nodded. 'But I didn't want to uproot you from home, especially since you were attached to Leah and Jacob at the hip so…'
"You let me stay with Charlie." Bella interjected. "Who, by the way, is a big fan of Phil's baseball team."
'So I've been told.' Renee smiled. 'We're happily divorced, your father and I, just like Fran Drescher and her gay ex-husband.'
"Oh, speaking of The Nanny. She stars in this TV show based on her own life..."
'Happily Divorced?'
"Yes!" Bella exclaimed.
'I love that show! It's too funny.'
Both women exchanged a heartwarming glance followed by a sweet mother-daughter hug.
'I'm so glad you're finally here, BeeBee.'
Bella squeezed her arms around her mother's waist and inhaled her coconut scent.
Renee was about to cry judging by the sniffling noised she was making.
"Mom. If you cry, I swear I'll tell Charlie that you spilled the beans about your Moon Cliff adventures."
The older woman started laughing in response, much to Bella's relief.
'He is going to blush like a virgin if you do! And it will be priceless.' She cackled.
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One hour later…
'What are you munching on, munchkin?'
"Mmm…" Bella swallowed her delicious slice of cake before answering. "Coconut banana cake." She said in a low, seductive voice.
'Damn.' Jacob groaned. 'You make it sound so dirty.'
"You're the one with the overactive gutter brain."
'Only for you, babe.' He drawled. 'Did you get my naughty text?'
"Yep." Bella replied, licking the creamy icing from her fork.
'Would you like to listen to the rest of my epic fairytale, or should I say…cocktale?' He snickered.
"Jake! We're not having phone sex in my mother's house, ok?"
'Who said anything about sex, silly?'
"Well, you did mention your umm…cork." She whispered the last word, even though it was already censored and her bedroom door was closed.
'Cork? Really, Bells. What are you going to call it next? The glitter-maker?'
"Oh. That would be an awesome codeword for your peen."
A deep, throaty chuckle escaped Jacob's lips.
'I was kidding, honey, but hey…you can call it anything you want. Meat popsicle, power drill, anaconda…'
"How about magic wand?" Bella suggested with a giggle.
'And here comes the Harry Potter references.' The Alpha teased.
"What? It's totally applicable."
'Yeah. If you were a book nerd.' He snorted.
"I am a book nerd. Sort of."
'Fine.' Jacob huffed. 'I'll let you -Harry Potter- my penis.'
"Yay!"
'But only while you're in Phoenix.' He added.
"Okay." Bella giggled.
She suddenly heard a cacophony of voices in the background, followed by the unmistakable sound of Quil's laughter.
'You gonna let Bella play dress-up with your wiener, Jake?! Hahahaha.'
'Shut up, Ateara.'
'Swan.' The cheeky wolf hijacked the BlackBerry from his best friend. 'I know this fuckawesome sex shop that sells penis costumes. You can buy Jakey boy here a tiny pair of glasses and a Gryffindor scarf. Call him the Cock Who Lived. Hahahaha.'
'Ateara! Give me the damn phone!'
Bella doubled over with laughter, tears running down her face.
She held the iPhone to her ear and listened to them scuffle and curse each other until Jake finally snatched his BlackBerry from Quil.
'Fucker.' He muttered.
"Oh God. I think I peed a little." Bella guffawed, clutching her achy stomach.
'How come you find his perverted-ness amusing? Huh?' Jacob growled in irritation.
"Aaaaw. Is the big, bad Alpha jealous?" She cooed.
'Jealous? Nah. Horny? Hell yeah.'
"Still reading Fifty Shades of Grey?"
'Yep.' He replied. 'You forgot your glittery bookmark inside the book, by the way.'
"Which one?"
'Uh…'
She heard him flip through the pages until he found it.
'The one with the ugly-ass fairy.'
"Do NOT insult my fairies." She jokingly chided him.
'You have the weirdest taste in bookmarks.' He remarked. 'And music.'
"Shut it, Black. You're one to talk." Bella scoffed.
'I listen to mainstream music...'
"And I like to listen to indie artists who happen to be my cup of tea, unlike your precious David Guetta."
'Bells? You do realize that we're halfway through foreplay right now.' He pointed out. 'All this banter is turning me on.'
"Well played, Alpha." She checked her watch and realized that they've been chatting for almost thirty minutes. "But I'm afraid our time is up."
'So's my magic wand.' He quipped.
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Bella spent the rest of the afternoon with Renee, watering the avocado and citrus trees in the garden and tending to the greenhouse plants.
She also volunteered to make a salad for dinner so she grabbed a basket from the shed and went about collecting the ingredients she needed.
It was almost half past six when she finally emerged from the greenhouse with a basket full of organic vegetables.
Renee was already in the kitchen preparing the main course; tasty tofu tostadas.
'Guess who's been asking for you?' She spoke in a sing-song voice.
"Who?"
'Keira from next door. She wants you to stop by after dinner, so I told her you would. Is that okay?'
"Umm...yeah. Sure." Bella replied, setting the basket on the empty counter next to the door.
Keira was the neighbor's daughter; an only child who befriended Bella three summers ago.
She was seventeen and a fellow bookworm, so they hung out by the pool, listened to the radio and traded books every other weekend.
'Nora is worried about her, and with good reason.' Renee said while cutting a block of tofu. 'She's been dressing out of character lately and she looks frighteningly pale.'
Uh-Oh…Bella thought.
"Keira? Pale? That's close to impossible. She hearts the sun."
'Not anymore. I'm afraid.' Renee shook her head sadly.
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The avocado and basil salad turned out to be a success. Renee's tofu, however, was another story.
Bella pretended to enjoy her vegan dinner while secretly wishing for a nice, juicy beef burger.
Leah texted her while she was raiding the fridge for a snack before heading out to see Keira.
Hey, B. Just checkin in. Btw…Black looks like Eeyore now that Ur gone. LOL. He misses his tail. Haha.
"Haha." Bella rolled her eyes in response and texted her back saying: Biatch. No cookies 4 u when I get back. xx
She settled for an oatmeal bar and left the house with her fingers crossed.
"Please don't be a vampire. Please don't be a vampire." She chanted until she found herself standing in front of the neighbor's Victorian house.
She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell once, her heart hammering inside her chest.
Seconds later, a raven haired girl answered the door wearing a black Rocky Horror Picture Show t-shirt and a pair of crimson skinny jeans.
Her brown eyes were lined with heavy black liner and her white foundation gave her a very vamptastic appearance.
'Bella!' She smiled, revealing a set of metal braces. 'I missed you.'
"Me too."
Bella sighed in relief when she realized that Keira was warm and most importantly…human.
The tall, lanky teenager was her usual cheery self in contrast to her gothic ensemble.
She dragged Bella to the attic which also doubled as her bedroom, babbling along the way about True Blood and Damon Salvatore.
"So, what have you been up to lately?" Bella asked, trying to steer the conversation away from vampires.
'Reading, mostly.' Keira replied.
Her bedroom was dimly lit, painted in a deep shade of purple with a four poster bed in one corner.
'There's this book I want to show you. It's totally amazeballs.'
Her charcoal desk was cluttered with books and lined up with an array of Yankee candles.
Bella watched her unlock the first drawer and take out a thick book titled: Becoming Dracula.
"That's an interesting title for a novel."
'Actually. It's a memoir.' Keira remarked.
"Really." Bella raised an amused eyebrow. "Did Dracula write it himself?" She chuckled.
'A descendent of Dracula wrote it. He claims to be a real vampire! How cool is that?'
Not cool. Bella grumbled inwardly.
"This Dracula-wannabe, does he have a name?"
'His initials are written on the cover, but no one knows his real identity.'
Keira handed her the heavy book. It was five-hundred pages long with the initials GC printed in bold.
"Did you finish reading this hardback monster?"
'I wish.' Keira pouted in reply. 'My vamp club gang are throwing a party tomorrow night in honor of the elusive GC.' She added. 'You should come.'
Bella blinked, the words –vamp- and –club- slowly registering in her brain. "Whoa. What the hell is a vampire club?"
The pale girl perked up at her question and her face broke into a wide ruby smile.
'It's basically a fang-appreciation club.' She explained. 'We hang out, watch silent horror movies and discuss our latest reading assignments.'
"Fang. Appreciation. Club? Are you freakin kidding me?" Bella all but growled.
Keira simply shrugged and retrieved the memoir from her angry grasp.
'What happened to you, Bella? You used to get uberklempt about this stuff.' She pouted.
"If by uberklempt you mean excited, then yes. But that was the old me. The new me has officially renounced her True Blood vows."
A loud gasp of horror escaped Keira's lips.
'But…but you love Eric Northman!'
"Not anymore, Ki-Ki." Bella patted her friend's shoulder. "There's a new man in my life now."
'Who, pray tell?'
"Umm…his name is Jacob."
'Jacob…' Keira looked up, trying to remember if her friend had mentioned him before.
'OMG! Jacob?! As in your neighbor-slash-childhood pain in the butt- Jacob?'
"The one and only." She nodded.
'Is he the one with the anti-vampire attitude?'
"You have no idea." Bella chuckled.
'Then you should give him a copy of Becoming Dracula. It really sheds light on the hardships of being a vampire.'
Keira sounded deadly serious, which made it hard to keep a straight face.
"Umm…" Bella stifled a giggle. "I'll think about it."
'Does this mean you'll give my vamp club a chance?'
"No, but I'm curious enough to take you up on that party offer."
'Awesomesauce!' Keira grinned enthusiastically. 'But make sure you wear something less Bella-ish. And no crosses!' She instructed. 'You know. In case GC shows up.'
"Oh he'll show up. Trust me." Bella sighed. "They don't call me a vampire magnet for nothing." She muttered under her breath.