– Bella's POV –
"You've got to be fucking with me, right?" I asked, jumping off Jasper's lap.
I needed to move.
To be away.
This was so not happening!
"What the hell do you mean, you're not my parents?" I demanded, rounding on Renee who looked a little startled by my outburst. "If you aren't my parents, where the hell are they?" I asked, without giving her time to answer. "Better question, who the hell are they?"
"Darlin', let Renee speak," Jasper said gently.
I spun around to face my mate, ready to lay into him, too.
"Ya ain't gonna get answers if ya don't hear her out," he said, looking all kinds of sexy.
Damn man and his sexiness.
He hadn't moved when I got up. He was sat in the armchair, his legs stretched out in front of him, chest bare. One arm rested on the back of the armchair. I could see how aroused he was still. One of his lovely blonde curls fell into his eyes.
Damn him.
"That is not fair. Stop it."
He smirked. "Stop what, Darlin'."
"Stop being sexy."
His grin widened, showing off those sexy dimples. "You think I'm sexy, baby?"
I turned my back on him, trying to catch my breath. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I huffed.
Warm arms suddenly wound around my waist and I was pulled into a hard, bare chest. "I think we need to hear Renee out, Darlin'," he said softly, his lips brushing against my throat with each word he spoke.
I sighed, tilting my head as he kissed, licked, and nipped at my throat. "Why?"
Okay. I was pouting. And being stubborn. And maybe a little childish. Okay, a lot childish. But, can you blame me? I just found out my parents—who've been my parents for the last eighteen years—aren't my parents! My mother—who's not my mother—is a succubus and my father—who's also not my father—is an incubus!
I'm not sure how to handle that.
On top of everything else, I still have no idea what the hell I am! Or where I come from. Or who my biological parents are and why they felt it necessary to leave me with Renee and Charlie.
"Ya ain't gonna get yer answers unless ya hear her out," he said, being all logical about it. "Ya ain't human. Look at all the changes you've already been through in the last six months. Physically alone, yer an entirely different woman from the young girl who first came to Forks."
That was true. Physically, I've changed a lot in the last six months. I'm taller. My hair and eyes are darker. My lashes are longer and thicker. My skin is silky smooth and flawless. And I think we're all well aware of how much my breasts have changed.
"Then there's yer diet," Jasper went on. "As far as I know, humans don't suddenly develop an allergy to meat and animal products."
That was true, too. The sudden intolerance to meat came out of nowhere.
"Yer more confident. Sexy. And the power I can sense comin' from ya ain't like anythin' I've ever felt. No human could handle what I can feel from ya, Darlin'. And, matin' or not, humans don't develop a Mind Link like you and I now share."
That was true.
Both he and Peter had been shocked when our Mind Link suddenly developed. But I wasn't. It felt natural to me. Like it was always meant to be there. It allowed me to feel closer to my mate, connected to him on a whole other level. And, deep down, I knew it wasn't something I'd ever share with anyone else.
"Then there are ya breasts," he went on. "It ain't natural fer a teenage girl to start lactatin'. Or fer her breasts to grow three sizes overnight. And now Pete tells us this golden liquid yer producing is called Nectar. What the hell is that and why are ya producin' it?"
He sighed and pressed his lips to my throat. "I want answers, baby. Don't you?" He asked. "I think the only way we're gonna get them, is if we hear Renee out."
I sighed.
He was right. Of course, he was.
"The truth is," Renee said softly, "I'm not sure I can answer all of your questions," she admitted. "Actually, I don't think there's anyone who can . . ."
I frowned. "What do you mean?" I asked as Jasper lead me back over to the armchair and we sat down once again. "Surely my parents . . ." I shook my head, ". . . my biological parents would have the answers . . ."
She smiled kindly, "Bella, honey, you didn't come from a union between two people. You came from The Earth."
. . .
. . .
. . .
Yeah. I think I'm gonna need another minute . . .
Jasper, on the other hand, didn't need any time to process this information.
"What the hell do you mean, my mate 'comes from The Earth'?" He demanded, shifting beneath me. His arms wrapped tighter around my waist as if he thought I'd suddenly disappear back into the earth.
I wasn't sure I could form words right now.
What do you say when your mother, who isn't your mother, tells you, you came from the earth?
What the hell does that even mean?
How the hell is it possible?
Did the earth give birth to me?
Did I sprout up from beneath the soil like a flower?
"Let me start from the beginning," Renee suggested. "I met Charlie in two thousand and three. I knew what he was. We always know. We can sense each other. I should've run the moment we locked eyes but," she sighed, "I was intrigued and . . . aroused . . . and hungry."
Her eyes shifted to me. "Succubi and incubi don't tend to mingle," she explained. "Males of our species are rare. And . . . well, not to mince words, they're evil bastards."
"Like Charlie." I nodded.
After all, it would take a very evil man to offer up his only daughter to a pack of shapeshifters, who plan to imprison her, rape her, and breed her to death.
Then again, Charlie isn't my father, so maybe it wasn't that difficult for him.
When she looked back at me, Renee looked so sad. "You truly have no idea, sweetheart." She shook her head. "Once a male has locked onto a female, he'll relentlessly pursue her and then enthrall her."
"Enthrall her? What's that?"
"Males of our species don't have the powers we females do. Or the limitations. But they do have one thing; their kiss is toxic," she explained. "Now, I can choose to kill with my kiss. Or I can choose not to. Most of the time, there's no need for me to take a life," she admitted. "I can also seduce anyone I choose into my bed, but they must consent. I cannot take someone unwilling. Or, in the case of supernatural's, Truly Mated."
Ah. "That's why you won't show Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte your true appearance. Jasper and I haven't fully mated yet and, you could seduce him away from me."
"Exactly." She smiled. "I would never wish to hurt you, Bella. But," she sighed softly, "I am what I am." She shrugged. "The Major is a powerful, very sexy man. Given the chance, if I lost control, I would not hesitate to tempt him . . ."
"But you said you can't seduce an unwillin' male . . ." Jasper frowned, "I ain't willin'."
She shook her head. "No. No. I can't have sex with an unwilling male or one who's Truly Mated and committed to his partner. I can, however, seduce an unwilling male. I can tempt him. I can lure him to me. If he has even a slight interest or if his commitment wavers even a fraction, I can exploit that and lure him with my thrall. However," She went on, "when a male is Truly Mated and the bond has been completed and solidified, tempting him away from his mate is impossible."
I nodded in understanding. "But Jasper and I haven't completed our bond yet . . ."
"So, tempting him, though harder, would still be possible," she told me. "And, in time, he would come to me," she assured us. "I may be young and enslaved, but I am still powerful. Seducing and luring a man like The Major would be very tempting indeed! A feast that would be almost impossible to deny. Especially considering his gift and species."
"His species?"
"Vampires have an endless supply of energy. They don't sleep. They can go and go without needing to stop or rest. And they rarely lose their erection once we've begun." She smiled. "Feeding from a vampire is an exquisite experience. Almost as delicious as your Nectar." She smiled. "Well, as long as they keep their teeth to themselves," she added quickly.
Ah. I understood now. She was holding her illusion to keep my vampires safe from her allure. If she revealed herself and her true power, it would be easy for her to tempt them away from me!
"Unlike a succubus, an incubus doesn't need consent," she told us. "In fact, he'd rather take an unwilling victim. They say, the harder the female fights, the sweeter they taste."
"So, Charlie's a rapist."
"Charlie is one of the worst incubi in our world." Renee trembled. "He's also one of the oldest. Nobody knows exactly how old he is but many say he's ancient. Older than even your Volturi kings. And he's developed powers that I've never seen in an incubus. With one look in his cold, dead eyes I was trapped. By that point, he hadn't even kissed me! That came later. After he raped me."
Well, that just confirmed Charlie's fate.
There's no room for rapists in my utopia.
Charlie will die.
Soon.
Either by my hand or Renee's.
No woman deserves to go through such a despicable, heinous act.
It doesn't matter that she isn't my biological mother. She is still my mum. She did her best to raise me and love me, despite her species and her instincts. She kept me safe. She wasn't always the best mother, she made a lot of mistakes, but she's the only one I have and I will always protect her.
Renee cleared her throat. She was editing, leaving bits of her story out. That was fine. If she didn't want to share her story with me, or us, I wasn't going to push her.
"So," I said gently, "Charlie is the Master you spoke of earlier?"
"Yes." She nodded. "I have more freedom than most who are enslaved but that can be taken away at any moment and, if he calls to me, I have no choice but to go to him."
A low, dangerous growl began to rumble in Jasper's chest. "If he asks you about Bella . . ."
"I'll tell him," she answered. "I won't have a choice! I can't deny him anything. He's my Master. I serve his every pleasure."
Jasper nodded, tightening his arms around me a little more.
"Well, we obviously can't let that happen. So, how do we free you?" I asked.
It seemed logical to me. We can't let her be lured away by Charlie. Nor can we let him continue abusing and raping her! Ergo, we needed to free her!
Her eyes widened slightly. "Uh, you . . ." she sighed, "I don't think you can, sweetheart. You're human."
"Barely." I smiled. "We just have to keep you away from Charlie long enough for me to finish whatever transformation I'm about to go through. Then I'll claim you as mine and you'll be free of him."
Sounded simple enough.
"Uh, sweetheart," Renee blushed. Huh. That was odd. A succubus blushing. "To claim me and free me from Charlie you would have to . . ." she cleared her throat, "mark me as yours. You see these marks on my body?"
My eyes were drawn to the beautiful golden swirl tattoo-like design across her arms, shoulders, collarbone, and chest. The glowing marks dipped beneath the collar of her dress and I assumed covered her whole body.
"These were done by Charlie," she told me. "Every few years, to ensure my enslavement, he adds to the design."
"And to remove them?"
"To enslave a succubus, you must mark her," Renee answered. "But the mark must be personal to whoever is giving it. Once marked, a sexual act must be performed."
Ah. That was going to be a problem . . .
"So, I'd have to mark you as mine and then we'd have sex?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Climax and feeding off one another is essential."
Oh boy.
Sex with my mother . . .
Eww.
You know, there's a long list of fun, kinky things I'd like to try. In time. With experience. But incest is not one of them! Even if she's not biologically my mother. She raised me. For eighteen years I've thought of her as my mum. Thinking about anything sexual with Renee—gorgeous succubus or not—is icky!
"Relax, Sweet Pea." Peter chuckled. "The Fates ain't gonna let that happen. All Renee needs is more of yer Nectar. Ya can choose to share yer Nectar with her directly from ya breast, or out of a bottle. But she will need a lot more to break the bond with Charlie. Once she's had her fill of yer Nectar, and yer bond is complete, Char has . . . volunteered," he smirked, "to take care of the rest while you and yer mate spend a little time alone to prepare fer your upcomin' change."
Jasper frowned. "What do I need to do? You said she wasn't gonna become a vampire, but Renee said I needed to mark her as a vampire marks his mate . . . If I bite her to claim her, won't she become a vampire?"
Peter shrugged. "Not a clue. Just follow yer instincts, Major. They'll never lead ya wrong."
He nodded.
I just needed to be sure. "So, just so we're clear, I don't have to have sex with my mother?" I cringed.
"Not unless ya want to, Buttercup." Peter wagged his eyebrows at me.
Phew! That was a relief.
I have no interest in having sex with the woman who's spent the last eighteen years raising me and acting as my mother. She may not be my biological mother, but essentially, in all the ways that matter, she is still my mother. I don't mind sharing my Nectar with her—especially if it's going to free her from Charlie's enslavement—but she will never drink directly from me. Though she didn't seem at all bothered by it, in fact she looked ready to pounce. Her bright golden eyes kept shifting to my breasts.
Hell, even my breasts were eager for it!
I swear, they have a mind of their own!
"Would you continue with your story?" I asked, wanting to get through this so I could digest it all before whatever change was coming and get the feeding over with.
Renee nodded. "I'd been trapped in Forks with Charlie for about a year when," a soft smile lit her face, "it happened." Her eyes lifted to me. "I was out walking through the forest one afternoon, as I liked to do back then. Charlie was off with the shifters doing Lucifer knows what and I was left alone."
"I must've walked for miles that night. I stopped when I came upon a beautiful meadow, surrounded by wildflowers and dozens of animals. I wasn't sure what they were doing until I saw her. In the center of the meadow was a beautiful woman. She was naked, covered in sweat, and heavily pregnant."
"I watched as she gave birth. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Instead of screaming in agony, she felt only pleasure. With each contraction, the woman orgasmed. I found myself becoming more and more aroused by her. I watched as she masturbated. And then, when she called me over, I joined her. She brought me into her arms and as she kissed me, the world melted away. Desire and lust, stronger than I'd ever experienced, overcame me and I gave into it. As we fucked, her labor continued until everything came to a standstill and the forest began to shift."
"It was like the world knew something was coming. Her legs parted and she began moaning as the skies darkened. A powerful storm rolled through. But, as the rain poured around us and lightning lit the sky, we remained perfectly dry, surrounded by a massive bubble, protecting us from the outside elements. Within the bubble, beautiful flowers and fauna covered the earth beneath us. With one final, push and another orgasm—as the earth violently shook beneath me—" she smiled, "there you were."
"As soon as you appeared, the world stood still as if in awe of you. And I could see why; I'd never seen a more beautiful child. You lay in the grass, swaddled in bright, golden light. In that moment, as I stared down at you, there was nothing in the world that mattered more to me but you. You were everything. Light. Warmth. Happiness. Joy. Peace. Safety . . . home."
"As I gazed upon you, the bubble disappeared and the sun shone in the sky. The woman looked at me and smiled. She said The Earth had provided its savior. To care for her and love her. For there would only be one and if she were lost, The Earth would surely perish."
"I looked down at you, shocked, and when I looked back, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, laid back into the grass, and . . ." she frowned, "her body sank into The Earth. From where she lay grew an enormous yew tree."
. . .
. . .
. . .
Huh.
So, I literally came from The Earth . . .
How weird is that?
"Umm . . ." I frowned, trying to find the words but I wasn't sure what to say.
What do you say when your mother—who isn't your mother—tells you the woman who gave you life, who brought you into the world, then transformed into a yew tree?
Am I part tree?
Has the tree or its species got anything to do with what I am?
From what I recall, the yew tree is the tree of both life and death in Celtic culture. Does that have anything to do with what I am or what I can do?
"Does that mean, there isn't anyone who can answer Bella's questions . . ." Charlotte said softly.
"I don't think so," Renee shook her head sadly. "All I can suggest is you follow your instincts and trust in The Fates to guide you." Her eyes shifted to Peter who winked at me. "Luckily, you have a direct connection with them through Peter. And, if all else fails, remember, The Earth will provide. After all," she smiled, "it brought you to us."
"But how? And why?" I asked, feeling exasperated again.
Did we know anything more than what little we'd known an hour ago?
Oh, except for the fact that I come from a friggin' tree!
Renee shrugged. "According to the tree woman who gave you to me, you're to be The Earth's savior."
The Earth's savior?
Well, isn't that great? I suppose it would've been too difficult to elaborate and tell us what the fuck I'm saving it from!
And how the hell am I supposed to save The Earth? I'm just one person! Fuck. I'm an eighteen-year-old girl with lactating tits!
What the fuck am I supposed to do, offer up my breasts to the whole world and . . .
Oh. My. God!
That's it, isn't it?
My Nectar.
My Nectar forms a submissive, subservient bond between me and anyone who drinks from me. Therefore, anyone who drinks from me will become mine and do whatever I want them to do.
Just look at Edward!
His personality has done a complete one-eighty! He's a totally different boy.
Jasper says Peter's the same as he's always been. But then, he's always been unquestionably loyal to Jasper. But now that loyalty extends to me! Is that because Jasper and I are mated, or is it because he drank my Nectar?
Peter's also my link to The Fates. Which means, he's meant to be with me and Jasper. To guide us and possibly help us create our utopia. So then, he is, essentially, subservient. Not only to Jasper and me but also to The Fates.
Frowning, I peeked over at Peter, who was gazing back at me. Admittedly, I didn't mind the thought of him worshiping me. I could picture it; Peter knelt before me, naked, eager, and willing to please his Goddess in whatever form I desired. As if he knew exactly where my thoughts had taken me, he shifted in his seat, drawing my eyes to the bulge between his legs. He already wanted it, as much as Edward does, I imagine. Peter just wasn't as overtly submissive as Edward.
And then there's Renee. Peter said I could free her from Charlie's hold by feeding her my Nectar. Which, essentially meant I was taking away one enslavement bond and replacing it with my own.
Oh hell!
Did I want that?
Crap.
Yes. I think I did!
As far as I'm aware, Jasper hasn't changed. But then again, that could be our mating bond. He's told me how loyal mates are to one another. How possessive males can be. And how he now has an unrelenting desire to care for me and protect me. All I'd have to do is ask for something—anything—and he'd do it without question. If that's not subservient I don't know what is!
I didn't like the idea of my mate being as submissive to me as Edward, Peter, and the others. The Major is not a submissive man. I like that about him. He should never be on his knees in front of me. His place is at my side!
That's the only way our utopia will flourish.
And it would be easy to do. With The Major at my side, with his gift, and my Nectar, ruling the world would be a breeze.
Not that I'm considering this . . .
I mean . . . we're talking world domination here . . .
Overtaking the vampire government . . .
Forcing every vampire to bow to us . . .
To me!
It would require sharing my Nectar with every vampire in the world . . .
Taking control . . .
Ruling as the Volturi do . . .
Only better.
We'd have to make changes . . .
There are some serious problems in the vampire world . . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Oh fuck.
. . .
. . .
. . .
No.
No.
No.
I do not want that kind of power!
Although . . . The Volturi aren't doing a very good job, are they?
No.
No.
No.
World domination is not happening.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Lips brushed across my throat. We could, Kitten. The Major purred, through our mental bond. We could bring the supernatural world to its knees and ensure peace amongst the species fer the first time . . . well, ever!
Oh god.
I twisted in his arms and, unable to resist, pressed my lips to his in a heated, passionate, desperate kiss. Why was the thought of world domination such a turn-on?
For both of us, apparently! I could feel my mate's arousal pressed into me, feel the soft rumble of his purr through his bare chest.
My breasts ached. My nipples were hard, desperate to feed the two women behind me. To form a bond between us. To ensure their loyalty and submission to me and my mate.
Oh hell.
It's happening, isn't it?
I so don't want this!
Do I?
. . .
. . .
. . .
Damn. I think I might . . .
And here I thought finding out I come from a fuckin' tree would be the highlight of my day!
A/N: It's getting crazy here!
So, to recap: Renee is a good succubus. She tried to be a good mum to Bella but it's not in her nature to raise a child so she made some mistakes along the way.
Don't worry, there won't be any hanky-panky between Renee and Bella. They may not be related biologically but it's still weird.
Charlie is an ancient, powerful, evil incubus who entrapped Renee and made her into his slave. He's done horrible things to her and caused her a lot of pain and misery over the years.
Bella was literally born from the earth to be its savior. The question now is, what does Mama Earth need saving from?
And, what is Bella? We still really don't know. What will she become when Jasper bites her? A vampire? Or something more? Jasper says she has a lot of power, but what powers will she have and how will they help save Mama Earth and the supernatural world?
And our new lovebirds are considering world domination. Well, maybe just supernatural domination. But with Jasper's experience and power, and Bella's Nectar, I think it's a possibility!
So, what do you think? Are you confused? Are there any questions I haven't answered yet that you'd like clarification on? Do you have any thoughts on Bella's species or powers? Let me know!