A/N: Sorry to say it, but I am not always the most consistent writer out there. This story also seems to keep kicking my ass and fighting me at every turn. I can't count the number of times I had to rewrite this chapter. I hope that you all enjoy it and that my suffering was worth it! I will try to get the next chapter out sooner.
I noticed that Bella seemed uncomfortable during my recitation of the family's latest exploits. She kept her eyes glued to her lap where her fingers were twisted together. I resolved to end the current topic of conversation as quickly as possible, so once I finished relating Esme's most recent embarrassing episode with unwanted attention, I turned to the beautiful woman sitting next to me.
"I apologize for talking so long. I just remembered that I promised you a tour of Alaska once we arrived. I'm sure our cousins wouldn't mind if we went for a short hunt. If you would like to, that is," I offered awkwardly.
Bella's eyes lifted to mine, shining with enough excitement that I barely noticed Tanya sitting up straighter out of the corner of my eye, a shadow of a frown ghosting her face before she controlled herself. Edward, darling, you know that one of my sisters would show the new girl around, if you really think that's necessary, she thought at me. Underlying the more deliberation communication was her desire to get me alone so that she could try yet again to seduce me. This by-play was a mere annoyance, not enough to stop me from momentarily drowning in the lovely golden eyes I preferred to gaze into.
"That sounds wonderful," Bella murmured, a smile adding to the glow of her eyes. "I had to cut my hunt the other day short, you know," she teased me.
I turned to our cousins, ignoring the glare that Tanya gave us, and gave them an ingratiating smile as I rose and pulled Bella to her feet with me. We stood side by side, and it felt right in a way it never had with anyone before, not even members of my family. I brushed off our cousins' startled thoughts and told them, "We'll be back later." Then I led Bella outside before Tanya could voice the protests building in her mind.
The cold mountain air felt refreshing, the freezing temperature not at all a hindrance to us as we made our way down the steps and ran out into the trees. I felt Bella's glance down at our linked hands, but neither of us commented as we continued to run. The silence was complete once we were a few miles away from the cabin, not a vampire or human mind within my range except for Bella's shielded one. Suddenly loathe to waste a single moment alone, I slowed down to a human walking pace, and she obliged me by slowing as well.
"We were a bit rude back there, weren't we?" Her question was hesitant, and I realized that she might still be feeling insecure about the family dynamics.
I shrugged. "Well, not entirely. They're used to me going off on my own fairly quickly and for days at a time. Usually the rest of the family is there to deflect attention away from me, and most of them hardly notice. They know their minds are less familiar to me and that I am more comfortable after some adjustment time. Don't worry," I tried to reassure her.
"Hmmm," was her only response as she took in the snow-covered pine trees surrounding us. But her hand remained in mine, so I had to think that she wasn't overly concerned.
"I don't really want to talk about family now, anyway. I'd rather know what you're thinking right this moment," I confessed.
She shot me a bemused look. "You're really not used to it, are you?"
I didn't have to read her mind to know what she meant. "Not at all. It's disconcerting."
She let out a little laugh that warmed me with the delight it conveyed. "There you go with the old-fashioned words. How in the world do you fool the kids in high school?"
I snorted. "I don't talk to them, so they don't notice much. I keep my answers to the teachers simple when they call on me, but I don't volunteer a lot of information otherwise. It's easier that way." I raised an eyebrow at her. "And you, Miss Swan, are avoiding the question."
She ducked her head and looked away. "You're too good at doing that, Mr. Cullen," was her only reply, a small smile playing on her lips my only hint that she was teasing me.
"I've found I have to be fairly persistent when it comes to you," I informed her with more honesty than perhaps I should have.
Her smile widened. "Good," was all she said before she pulled her fingers from mine and took off at a run, glancing over her shoulder to see if I would follow.
Not wanting to let the opportunity slip by, I gave chase. We ran up and down the mountains like children, sticking to the slopes by silent but mutual consent so that we had trees to hide behind. Occasionally she would disappear from my sight and I would run past where I knew she hid, only to have her rush up behind me and give a playful nudge with her shoulder before running off again. A few times I doubled back before she had a chance to catch up so that I could surprise her from behind with my hands over her eyes. Our laughter echoed in the dark as the moon rose high above. We forgot hunting in our pursuit of other prey, a dance as old as time that finally, finally I felt utterly compelled to take part in.
As we neared a small, familiar clearing, I tricked Bella once more. She shot ahead of where I lay in wait, and this time when I caught up to her I allowed my arms to wrap around her waist. She stilled at the same time I did and turned in my hold, golden eyes locked on mine. Her hands landed on my shoulders, but she didn't push me away. Our laughter faded as we stared at one another. We stood in the middle of the clearing, neither daring to breathe lest the spell be broken.
Finally, I couldn't take the silence any longer. "Please tell me you feel it, too," I begged her. I wasn't sure if I referred to the electricity that coursed through me whenever we touched or the way my still heart was now so full it might burst at any moment.
She lifted one hand and traced her fingers over my cheek. I reveled in the smooth glide of her skin against mine. Her touch shifted as she wrapped her hand along the back of my neck. "I feel it," she whispered.
It was enough. I leaned down as she lifted her lips to mine. Our first kiss was merely a whisper of touch, but it deepened quickly. Her scent wrapped around me, embracing me in a cloud of freesia and moonlight, even as her fingers tangled in my hair. I let my hands glide up the contour of her back, pulling her closer. The feel of her soft, warm mouth on mine was indescribable.
Finally I pulled back slightly. Her golden eyes lifted back to mine, delight and passion lighting them. I was sure that mine reflected the same, but I knew that I couldn't let us go too far. Not yet. But how could I tell her?
Thankfully, Bella herself saved me the trouble. As the passion between us cooled slightly, her lips turned down in a small frown. "Edward," she started, her gaze now fixed on my chest. "I've never actually…I mean, whatever this is feels so good, but I…"
Of course I suspected as much, even in this day and age when sixteen wouldn't have been too young to experiment with the opposite sex, but hearing that we were equal in our inexperience was a relief nonetheless. After all, she had then spent a year with the Volturi and a year on her own as a nomad, and vampires weren't exactly known for their sexual restraint. I was an anomaly in that regard, as she apparently was as well. I quieted her with a gentle finger on her lips. "I understand, sweet Bella. I've never felt this way before, either," I admitted.
Her eyes flew up to mine as comprehension dawned. "You mean…?"
"You are the first and only woman I have ever felt this way about. The only one I have ever desired or sought more than friendship from."
A smile replaced the frown. "So you do want to be more than friends, too?"
My still heart soared into the heavens at her words. "More than words can express." We stood there staring at one another for long minutes. In a strange way, that silence was liberating. I knew that she wouldn't push me for more than that right then, and she obviously felt the same understanding from me.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy, wet heartbeats drew our attention. "Do you still need to hunt?" I broke the silence in a hushed voice although the animals were at least a mile away.
She wrinkled her nose up in the most adorable manner. "Unfortunately. The fox I had a few days ago just isn't cutting it."
"Have you ever had moose?"
Her eyes widened. "I never ventured that far north in my travels." I could tell she was intrigued. It would be as interesting watching petite Bella take down the large animals as it was with Alice or Esme—or probably more. The very thought of watching the girl in my arms hunt sent a flush of heat through my body, although I fought it down since I still held her.
Reluctantly I withdrew my arms and held out my hand once more. "Come on, then. You'll like this."
I was correct. Watching Bella hunt was magnificent. She stalked the two moose with an efficiency rivaled only by my brother Jasper, and then she was a blur of speed as she chased her chosen buck. The play of muscles along her legs as she ran and leapt, the way she looked up at me with hunger-black eyes through her eyelashes as she drank down every drop of blood, was almost my undoing. Could I possibly hold to the principles I was raised with while faced with this goddess? Could I honor the wishes of us both?
Once she was finished she buried the carcass with ease and then turned back to me. She stalked forward, eyes gleaming. "Edward," she purred.
"Bella." Her name was a prayer and a moan.
She stepped up to me, and the last thing I wanted to do was back away. Not only would it likely hurt us both, but even more I needed to be close to her. There had to be a way to balance our desires and morals, but for the life of me I was having the most difficult time remembering why we would want to.
Bella's arms twined around my neck, her soft curves pressed against my chest. I groaned and lowered my lips to hers once more. The taste of blood in her mouth was a catalyst that threatened to drive away all sane thought. I ran my tongue along her lips, demanding entrance, and she allowed that most intimate touch with an eagerness that matched my own. Her hands roamed over my shoulders and arms, leaving trails of fire behind. I didn't want to give this up, but she deserved so much more than a blood-fueled tryst in the forest.
I slowed the kiss as much as possible, eventually pulling my lips from hers to drop small kisses along her cheeks and neck. I couldn't get enough of the taste of her skin, but I knew we had to stop soon, even if she didn't. She had me backed against a tree, which I honestly didn't remember happening, and it creaked above us as she leaned into me.
"Bella," I said her name again in an attempt to ground us both as I lifted my head and tried to catch her eye. I watched the passion fade slightly and confusion begin to cloud her eyes. I had to act swiftly. "Is it possible to fall in love in less than a week?" I asked her, leaning my forehead against hers.
It was a risk. I knew it was. In any sane world, it was much too soon to be declaring love. We'd only just established that friendship wasn't enough for either of us. But we were vampires, and once love took hold for us, that was it. Better that she know now how I felt. I hoped beyond all hope that she felt it, too, and that what was between us was more than lust for us both.
Bella's eyes widened. She stared at me for long minutes that felt like an eternity. "Is that what this feeling is?" The wonder in her voice and her growing smile decimated my growing panic.
I smiled back. "I believe so. I've heard the thoughts of others as they fell in love many times in my life, but it is difficult to know how it truly feels. I don't have Jasper's gift, and often people aren't aware of what they're feeling so that it will translate to thought. But yes, I'm in love with you, Isabella Swan. Of that, I am completely certain. I can only hope that you return the feeling in the same measure."
She placed her hand along my cheek once more. "If wanting to spend every moment for the rest of my existence with you, if the way my heart feels like it will start beating again, and if needing to be close to you even if we aren't talking is love, then I think I do. I've never felt this way before," she admitted, her lashes dropping to her cheeks in an obvious show of shyness.
I pushed a strand of wavy, dark hair behind her ear. "I think that describes it perfectly. I have never felt this way, either."
She peeked back up at me. "Is it okay to be happy about that? I mean, otherwise you'd already have a mate, and I—" I swear, if a vampire could blush, Bella would have been just then. She tried to move away, but I held her to me.
"I would never want anyone else as a mate," I murmured to her, my lips against the silk of her hair.
She melted into me, her dark head resting on my shoulder. "You're sure?"
"Positive. I have waited almost a century for you, Bella. I'll never let you go unless you want me to," I assured her.
She was silent for almost an hour, and I didn't push her. It was enough to hold her, to revel in the thought that finally—FINALLY—I had found the woman meant for me. And she couldn't be more perfect if I had expressly asked for every aspect, from the silence of her mind to her striking intelligence, her humor, and the beauty of her face and form. She was even a vampire who had willingly switched to animal blood long before meeting me, showing a depth of concern for human life equal to my father's. Meeting and falling in love with Bella was enough to make me reconsider my disdain of destiny, for surely my fate had always been to be with her.
Finally she stirred against me. "What next?" I barely caught her whispered question.
"Next, we take things one day at a time. I'm willing to go as fast or as slow as you need me to, love," I told her. It was true. I could be content spending the next century courting her, if that is what she needed, or I would marry her as soon as Carlisle arrived. He performed the ceremony once every few years for Rosalie and Emmett, and he'd done the same once for Alice and Jasper. I did hope that Bella would want that sort of tie as well, but I was aware that these were different times, and I would have to approach the idea carefully. From what I knew of her history, Bella was the child of divorced parents, so she might see marriage in a different light than I did.
"One day at a time? I guess I can do that," she replied, meeting my gaze again. That put her lips tantalizingly close, and I moved her away slightly before temptation could take hold.
"Meanwhile, why don't I really show you around? I know of some beautiful spots around here that no human has ever been able to view."
Her eyes glowed. "That sounds wonderful."
I offered my arm the way I would have as a young human, and she slipped her hand into the crook of my elbow with a raised brow. Then we strolled off into the trees, and I could pretend we followed a cobblestone path to our next destination, a mountaintop where I knew we could watch the sun rise in a few hours. Shorter than Mt McKinley, it was usually overlooked by human visitors looking for the challenge of a good climb.