"In the past, the rules and regulations of the pack were very different. They weren't as lenient as they are now. There was no flexibility. If you did something wrong, there were two choices. Death or banishment." Sam began, his eyes darted to each of our faces. "You mother, Lucy was a proud member of the La Push pack. Strong willed, but free-spirited with the most gentle soul."
Alice swallowed hard, tears lingered in her eyes. She didn't respond.
"She was patrolling our borders, when she ran into a blood-sucker, a nomad, we never did learn his name. But she imprinted on him." Sam paused, letting this information sink in.
I have never heard of something like that happening. A wolf and a vampire, mated for life. It just didn't sound natural. I peeked over to Alice again, but her expression didn't give any hints to what she was thinking. Her silence continued.
"The elders at the time didn't fully understand how imprints worked. They didn't respect this unbreakable connection. They sent Lucy out to murder her imprint. If she couldn't, she would be banished."
My body reacted, flinching under the harshness of Sam's words. Edward looked down at me with concern, his hand went out to mine, bringing it up to plant a kiss on my wrist. He gave me a weak smile.
"That's sick," Alice muttered quietly, letting her head fall to her hands. "Did she… actually kill him?"
"Something like that would be impossible." Edward spoke up quietly, he lightly curled a few pieces of my hair around his fingers.
"He's right. Lucy wasn't able to carry out the request, so she had no choice but to lie to the elders. She brought back the head of a different leech. The elders were pleased and let the issue drop. But Lucy continued to secretly meet up with her imprint."
Alice sighed, pulling her legs up to her chest. "And I'm guessing they eventually found out about it…"
Sam nodded. "Actually, they realized she had been lying, when you were born. They saw that you had qualities of vampires. The pale skin, the slight shimmering of your skin in the sunlight. But when they caught Lucy feeding you blood mixed in with your formula, they knew for sure."
"I'm… partially a… filthy, disgusting, blood-drinking… monster." Alice sobbed quietly. Her tiny frame was shaking as she cried.
My heart shattered to pieces. I shifted slightly, about to get up and go to her side. But she snapped her head up to meet my gaze. "No, don't come over here, stay back."
I didn't listen to her. I removed myself from Edward's arms to sit down next to her and pull her into a tight hug. Her body went limp as she wrapped me up in her arms. She weeped into my shoulder for a while. I knew words wouldn't mean anything to her right now. Her world was falling out from under her. All I could do was let her know that if she fell, I would fall with her. She was more than a friend. Alice might as well be my sister. My opinion of her would never change. She would always be precious to me. If she was part vampire or not, it didn't change a thing.
Sam waited patiently, allowing Alice to express her sorrow. When she had calmed down, he continued, in a voice that was much softer. "The elders planned on killing them both, but the blood moon pack stepped in. They offered to take Lucy into their pack. On one condition. The baby would have to be destroyed."
Alice and I turned to Edward now. He hung his head shamefully. "If I would have been the alpha at the time, I would never have allowed that to happen."
"I know Edward," Alice sighed, looking away from him.
"Well that clearly didn't happen, so what happened next?" I said with a slight frown.
"Since the blood moon pack and the eclipse pack were in the middle of a strained relationship, they offered to take in Lucy and the baby. But vowed to kill the father." Sam said quietly.
"So, my birth father…"
"He disappeared without a trace, for years. No one knew if he was alive or dead. Not until recently. He has joined the new group of blood-suckers that we are all meeting with tomorrow to form the treaty."
"I don't understand, if that's all true, why am I here in La Push and not at Forks with my birth mother?" Alice said, her lips trembled as she hugged herself a little tighter to me.
"The eclipse pack may have agreed to take her in, but they didn't go into great detail on how she would be treated. She has spent the remainder of her days locked behind bars, labeled an untrustworthy criminal. Lucy fought for you to be free. She believed that you deserved better than being raised in a jail. She wanted you to have a chance to have a normal life, where everyone around you didn't hate you and thought you were a monster." He said, now lowering his gaze to the floor.
"The La Push elders heard her out, and granted her the request. But it came with conditions. They would only welcome you on our land, as part of our pack, until you turned eighteen. Then you would be released back into her custody. After that, the both of you would be put to death. Along with the birth father."
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. "No, no way I'm going to let that happen."
Sam and I locked eyes. Tension was thick between us. "All I can promise is that Alice's life could be spared. That's the only thing within my power to do."
Alice was trembling, she kept her head lowered for a moment, but suddenly she sprang to her feet. She raced out of the room, heading straight for the bathroom. We could hear her vomit noisily into the toilet. I waited for her, knowing from past experiences that Alice doesn't want anyone around her when she pukes. She finds any attention in that moment, more of a nuisance.
"We could have a further discussion about it at the meeting. Since we are all seeking a peaceful existence with each other," Edward said, opening his arms as I returned to him.
His arms wrapped around me, filling me with warmth. I relaxed against him.
"What kind of man is Jacob? Do you think he would hear us out?"
Sam snorted, taking a few more sips from his coffee. "If you would be the one to ask him, I'm sure he would listen to reason. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a chance. He is irrational at times."
Edward narrowed his eyes, his hold on me getting a bit tighter. "I'm not thrilled at the idea of you even being in the same room as him."
"But it may be the only way to save Alice." I muttered quietly. "It's worth a try. I can't lose her Edward, I just can't lose her. She is my best friend."
"You feel this way, even after hearing what she is?" Sam said incredulously.
"Of course, she is no different than anyone else on the reservation. She may be half vampires, but her heart is one hundred percent La Push wolf. That's all she ever wanted to be. She would fight and bleed for this pack. To turn our back on her, just because she is different than the rest of us would be idiotic." I said with a glare in Sam's direction.
"Besides, she shouldn't be held accountable for her parent's actions. It isn't her fault. And for as long as I've known her, she is nothing but loyal and honest. There is no reason for her to be executed." Edward said calmly.
I was relieved that Edward was supporting my thoughts and opinions on this topic. He may not know Alice the way I did, but he knew how much she means to me. I'd turn my back against the rest of this pack, if I had to. Alice stayed, or I didn't/
When Alice returned, she shakily plopped back down in her seat, glancing around at each of us. "I think that's all I really needed to hear. Thanks for being open and telling me."
Sam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This all will be brought up at the meeting. I'm sure we will be able to come to an understanding with the eclipse pack. I'm not about to let one of my own get killed."
The choice of words that Sam used, caused a surprised look across Alice's face. She dabbed at her tears with a tiny smile. "I appreciate that,"
"Well, I think I've covered it all. But if you have any further questions for me, just stop by. I should prepare myself for the meeting tomorrow." His eyes flickered to Edward and I. "I'll see the two of you around noon. At the west boundary line."
Edward and I nodded briefly. Sam made a speedy escape. He practically ran out the door and sprinted away from my house. There was a real sense of urgency in his steps. I don't know if he realized how late it was going, or he wanted to spring at the first chance he could get to get away from this uncomfortable conversation.
Alice remained, teary eyed. She was quiet, her eyes casted down to her hands. I could see that she was deeply lost in her thoughts. I wished that I could hear what she was thinking. Did she think she was a monster? Was she worried that, in a year's time - if we couldn't find a way to save her, she would die at the hands of the eclipse pack. Alongside her birth parents? She probably had so many questions and worries. I figured the best thing for her would be to get some rest.
"Do you want to get some rest?" I asked gently.
She nodded her head glumly. "Y-yeah, I think I'll call it a night."
"Go ahead and take Rene's bed, I don't think she has ever used it, since we moved into this house." I muttered quietly.
Alice didn't argue. "I'm going to shower and borrow some pajamas, okay?" She pulled herself up to her feet, shakily.
"Yeah, that's no problem."
This all was probably a lot for Alice to deal with. She was much stronger than me. I'm not sure if I could handle it all. The whole Mike situation, the possible pregnancy, finding out her parents actually adopted her and probably the most stressful, the fact that there were plans on her being killed. I don't know how she wasn't broken. I would have to keep my eyes on her, as much as possible.
Once she left the room, I turned to Edward, resting my head on his shoulder. "Thanks for being here,"
He smiled weakly. "Where else would I be? Even when we are apart, my heart is always here with you." His lips planted delicate kisses down the side of my neck.
I leaned in close, letting out a breathless sigh. It felt wonderful. I clung to this brief moment of bliss that we found ourselves in. I wish that it could have lasted forever.
Our lips met as passion grew between us. Edward leaned back, lying down on the couch and pulling me tightly over top of him. His dazzling smile sent my heart racing. Passion was quickly turning into hunger. His hands ran down my hips, to clutch my backside. My tongue slipped inside his mouth. This seemed to push him over the edge. His shoulders trembled, a low growl rumbled through his chest. We pulled apart briefly to catch our breath.
"Will you stay the night?" I asked, watching down at him.
"Nothing would make me happier," He responded, letting his hand slide up and gently stroke my face. "But if we don't slow down, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself much longer." He warned.
There was a tight knot forming in my stomach. A rush of hormones sprang uncomfortably within my body. I moved on pure instincts. Leaning down to give him a deep kiss. My hips shifted, rubbing myself against his crotch. Rational thoughts were gone, I acted on animalistic lust. There was a fiercely strong pull for me to make love. It didn't feel like I could control the need either. I've never felt something so strong. I wondered if our imprint had something to do with it.
Edward growled against my lips. his hips bucked a little under mine, a firm bulge was pressing up between my legs. "Bella, if this keeps going, there will be no turning back. I won't be able to hold myself back." He looked up at me with tormented eyes.
"Who said that I would want you to?" I muttered, pulling away to lift my shirt up over my head, revealing my exposed chest. His eyes instantly fell to them, analyzing them closely, before his hand hesitantly came forward. I leaned down a little, allowing his hand to lightly cup my breast.
"You are beautiful," He said quietly, his thumb light flicked over my nipple, causing an immediate shudder to roll down my spine. The pleasure that came with just that little motion, nearly sent me into a frenzy. Our lips reunited with blinding passion. We couldn't get close enough. Our bodies mashed together. Edward had me up in his arms, keeping my legs wrapped around his waist. He carried me up the stairs and straight into my room.
I felt my back hit my soft mattress and watched as Edward disrobed as well. My heart was about to beat out of my chest. All I could think about was how much I wanted this. No, I absolutely had to have it. I had thought, the first time I made love, it would be a timid, slow event, that would be awkward, or embarrassing. But that's not how this was going.
There was an insatiable need growing between us. Our bodies moved quickly, but with carefulness and respect. A lot of sounds were made, grunting, hard breathing, hushed moans of pleasure. Edward beast-like groans, only added to my arousal. My headboard was beating against the wall, my mattress was creaking against the force. I wanted to scream out in the pure ecstasy of our moment. But I knew Alice was just down the hall. I prayed that we at least were quiet enough not to disturb her.
As Edward thrusted inside of me, I clutched tightly to his back, biting into his shoulder slightly to hold back my moans. He gasped as he pounded into me faster. Our hips slammed together loudly. The sheer force and pleasure was too much for me to handle. I felt myself fall over the edge. My toes curled as I rode the waves of my climax. Edward watched down at me with a mixture of relief and lust. His hold on me changed slightly, before he went even faster. I couldn't keep up, he grinded into me with all strength, before suddenly I felt his release blowing with some force inside me. His body seemed to completely relax. Lightly he laid down overtop of me, leaving a trail of kisses down over my chest.
For a moment, the only sounds were the two of us breathing heavily.
"Wow, that was amazing," I breathed, as Edward rolled onto his side.
"That's putting it lightly," He responded with a crooked arms pulled me up against his naked chest. We both were a bit sweaty, but there was a slight ache in my legs and back. I wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
The room was dark, but the light of the moon slid through the curtains. It brought just light into the room that I could see Edward's gorgeous face. He watched me with a content smile, his fingers tracing shapes against the skin of my back.
"I love you," He said softly, leaning down to leave a sweet kiss on my lips.
My heart skipped a beat as blush covered my cheeks. This was the first time he ever said something like that. I couldn't contain the happiness I felt as I pecked him back on the lips.
"I love you too,"
We laid quietly together, just listening to each other breathe. Edward drifted off to sleep first. I took that moment to stare at him. A light snore rumbled past his lips. He was stunning, even when he slept. I curled closer to him and let my eyes shut. Even being surrounded with so much uncertainty and darkness, I wasn't afraid. As long as I was with Edward, I felt like everything would turn out okay.
A/N: Thanks to all who took the time to review the last chapter. It means a lot to me. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far!