I cannot wait for the next chapter! It's from a completely new perspective! Please enjoy this one for now!


Chapter Twenty-Eight

I slapped the back of his neck as hard as I could, resulting in a nice, popping sound. He growled, looking up at me. I had to ignore the fact that his face was glistening.

"Put me down right now!" I hissed at him.

He stared at me for a moment before blinking a few times. It seemed as though he finally came into his right mind because a moment later, he looked completely horrified and let me drop onto my knees.

"I am so sorry Bella." He gasped.

"I did not give you permission to do that!" I snapped as I grabbed my skirt and covered myself with it. I felt very hot and embarrassed. "That was not okay."

"I am sorry," He said, looking down at his hands bashfully. "I… I do not know what came over me. I…I am so sorry."

Once my initial anger cooled down, I suddenly felt very guilty for snapping at him. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you," I said in a sigh. "It scared me. I've never had someone do that to me."

He placed his hands over his face, as if he were covering it in embarrassment. His pintel was still standing very hard as he pulled his knees to his chest.

"I do not know what came over me. I am so sorry," He apologized again, shaking his head. "It was very stupid and inappropriate and wrong."

I scooted closer to him and placed my hand on his knee. "Hey, it's okay. It was an accident."

"It is not okay. I am not better than those men from the other side."

"That is not true," I said as I grabbed his wrists and forced his hands away from his face. "It was not your fault. I just realized why you did that, and it was not your fault."

"How could it not be my fault?" He asked as he tried to look away from me, but my hands on his cheeks prevented him from doing so.

"I am your mate, and you've never smelled your mate's s-slick before," I blushed at my words that I remember from Esme. "It was a primal reaction, and it wasn't your fault."

"I frightened you!" He nearly cried. "I felt your fear! You were afraid I was going to force you to mate with me. And I could not stop myself from acting in such a way!"

I sighed and pulled his head, so it was against my chest. I rubbed his back the same way he did to soothe me.

"Please, it was just a moment of fear. But I know you would never ever force me to mate with you. You are a very good man. Good men would never do that."

He sighed heavily. "I am so sorry Bella."

"Shhh," I whispered as I placed my lips on the top of his head. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry."

"I will not touch you again," He said as he pulled away from me. "I never want you to fear me like that."

"Edward—," I sighed.

"No," He said firmly as he moved away from me. "I did a very bad thing. I must tell my father what I've done, I need to be punished for this."

"Edward please stop—," I started to say but then was suddenly overcome with extreme tiredness. I was confused for a moment before I fell backwards into a deep sleep.

Edward's POV

It was wrong what I had done, and it was wrong that I had forced Bella to go to sleep, but I needed to be punished for my first crime and I knew she would not allow me to take any sort of punishment.

I felt guilty when I lifted her sleeping form into my arms. I did not deserve to touch her, but I could not leave her here unprotected.

I carried her all the way to the goddess river where I knew my mother was in the hut where she worked. I snuck through the trees so the people in the water would not be curious.

As I predicted, my mother was in the hut, but what surprised me was that my father was in the hut as well. He was on his knees in front of my mother as she stood over him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and his arms were wrapped around her legs.

I was surprised he was here, I thought he would need more time.

"Edward," My mother said in surprise as she pulled away from my father. "What has happened? Is Bella alright?"

I gently laid Bella on the leafy bedding, so she was comfortable.

"Mother, father, I did something horrible," I said as I got onto my knees in front of them.

"What have you done, Edward?" My father asked.

"I almost hurt Bella…" I could not look at them. I was too ashamed. "We were touching one another, and I lost control. She was afraid of me."

"How did you lose control from touching one another?" My mother asked as she walked over to me and kneeled down beside me.

"I am not sure, but somehow Bella created her slick," I placed my face into my hands. "It turned me into a monster. She was afraid of me. Afraid that I would force her to mate."

"You would never do that to her my son," My father said, his hand on my back. "You… did stop, right?"

"Yes," I nodded. "But I only stopped because she slapped me and yelled at me. If she had not, then I do not know if I would have stopped myself."

"The important thing is that you did stop," My mother said as she placed her lips against my head. "You did stop, and Bella is alright."

"Why is Bella sleeping now?" My father asked.

"I had to put her to sleep, she was going to forgive me before I had my punishment."

My mother sighed. "I do not think a punishment is required."

"I need it. I almost broke one of our sacred laws. Punishment is required." I looked at my father.

"No, Carlisle," My mother said, placing her hands on her hips. "Edward did not break the rule. He does not require punishment."

My father sighed. "I am sorry Esme, but Edward is right. Even if he was not in his right mind, the thought was still there and that requires punishment."

As my father stood, he pulled me up as well. My mother sighed heavily and kneeled down beside Bella.

"Come back when you are done so that I may heal you." She said as she placed her hand on Bella's knee.

Bella's POV

I felt a slight headache when I woke up. As soon as I felt the leafy bed beneath me, I knew I was in the hut of healing, as I called it. I could hear someone humming and moving things around.

I sat up and looked around.

"Where is Edward?" I asked.

Esme jumped when she heard my voice. "I did not think you would awaken so soon."

I looked down at my naked waist. "Where is my skirt?"

"I cleaned you while you were sleeping. I did not want Edward to lose control again and do something worse."

"Where is he?" I asked as my chest tightened slightly.

"Edward is taking his punishment now," Esme said as she kneeled down beside me. "I am surprised that you are able to produce your slick now. Edward told us that it triggered him."

"He doesn't need a punishment; he didn't do anything wrong!"

"I know dear, and I told him the same thing, but our laws regarding forced mating are very strict. If Carlisle did not punish him, then he would not be a good protector. It is part of his job."

"I have to go see him," I said as I got to my feet. "I won't let him be punished for this. He didn't do anything. He won't ever do anything, it nearly killed him that he almost did!"

"Bella just relax—,"

"Where are they?" I asked firmly.

Esme sighed softly. "Edward is taking his punishment in the village. It is custom to take such a punishment in the presence of the family."

I growled and ran quickly out of the hut. I had to stop Edward from receiving a punishment. He didn't deserve one. It was my fault. If anything, I should be the one punished, I triggered him.

I could see the family crowded together watching what I had to assume was Edward's punishment.

"Move!" I said harshly as I knocked people aside. I knew it was rude, but I had stop Carlisle from punishing Edward.

Once I broke free from the crowd, I realized I was much too late. I gasped as I spotted Edward's bloody back.

"Edward!" I cried.

He looked over, his eyebrows scrunched as if he was confused. "Bella?"

I ran to his side and got onto my knees as I looked at his back.

"Why did you do this!" I demanded.

"Bella, I had too—,"

"No, you didn't!" I yelled at him before looking at Carlisle. "What did you do to him?"

"Bella, please it is our custom—,"

"Screw your stupid customs!" I hissed. "Look at your back!"

"I am alright Bella." Edward forced himself to smile as he grabbed my hand. "I have served my punishment. You no longer need to fear that I will force you to mate with me."

"I didn't have that fear before!" I hissed again. "You didn't think this would scare me? That this wouldn't hurt me? I don't want you to be punished!"

His eyes widened. "You are hurt by my punishment!"

"Yes because you didn't deserve it! It hurts me that you thought you were as bad as the men from the other side. You are nothing like them."

"I-I am sorry…" He said.

I pushed him down onto the ground to look at his back. It was covered in large, bloody whiplashes. Besides the blood oozing from the wounds, there was also something yellow seeping out. I touched one of the wounds and hissed as it burned my fingertips.

"Bella do not touch the wounds," Carlisle said as he kneeled beside me. "The ralix will burn you."

My eyes widened and gasped. "Why would you do this?"

"I had no choice Bella."

"You did have a choice. You could've listened to me," I snapped. "I have to heal this. He can't stay in pain like this."

"I am fine Bella," Edward said in a near snap. "I am a man, I can handle—,"

"I don't care what you can handle," I said to him. "Just because you can handle pain doesn't mean you deserve it!"

Edward sighed and laid his head on his crossed arms. I placed my hands on his back again as the ringing in my ears started.

"I need to heal you," I said to myself, blinking slowly as the ringing intensified.

"Bella I will be alright." Edward said softly. "Please, do not worry yourself anymore."

I heard what Edward had said but it sounded like it was miles away because of the ringing. My vision became very blurry as I placed my hands over Edward's back. The ralix burned, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to keep my hands on his back.

As I pressed my hands against his back, I felt my own back burning painfully. I winced but kept my hands on him. I gasped as I felt the lashes of the whip against my back. I knew it wasn't Carlisle whipping me, but instead it was from the whipping Edward had received. I was feeling what he felt.

After a few moments, I fell over, shivering and breathing heavily. I saw Edward sit up through the tears in my eyes.

"Bella!" He cried as he lifted me into his arms. "What did you do… You—how did you—."

I saw Esme push her way through the crowd and kneel down beside me. She looked over me in horror before yelling at an older woman standing beside her to grab something from her hut.

I knew they were worried, and for a moment, I was too. But as the moments passed, the pain was beginning to subside.

"I am fine," I managed to croak out. I gasped a few times as the pain subsided. It did take a few moments for me to actually sit up. Edward had his arm around my shoulders to help me sit up.

"Bella, how did you do that?" Esme asked she stared at me with very wide eyes.

I leaned my head against Edward's chest and yawned. "Not sure."

"Bella you should not have done that," Edward chastised.

"Sorry," I mumbled softly as my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.


I know so many of you are probably going to be pissed with Carlisle, but you have to remember, many years ago his people lost their women because of their violence. Carlisle has to uphold the laws because it is his job and while there's not many laws, they take them very seriously. Edward stopped himself before he did something horrible, but even having the thought of forcing a mating is considered breaking a law. And of course, Edward will kill himself with guilt if he didn't take a punishment. I also wanted to show the complexity of the culture and the customs. This island is not just rainbows and butterflies and everyone singing in harmony. I wanted to show depth.