A little more F POV in this one…
Chapter 6
B POV
The next morning, I woke to muttered curse words coming from downstairs and sat up in bed. Jane come flouncing into my room and sat at the foot of my queen bed, checking her nails as if they could ever have any imperfections. "Can you get up please?" she asked, sounding somehow equally bored and desperate, "Demi is trying to cook, and it smells almost as bad as those dogs." I winced, wondering what the hell he could have done in my kitchen to make such a smell.
Pulling on some leggings and a long sleeve brown shirt, I walked downstairs, stopping partway once the smell hit my nose.
"For the love of all that's good and holy, please get rid of whatever died in there and open the windows! Demetri Volturi, what the hell did you do to my kitchen!?"
I heard a low chuckle and whipped around to see my late-night visitor watching the scene unfold, throwing his hands up in surrender when he was caught in my glare.
"You know what?" I started in a tone that definitely sounded like an up-to-no-good statement was headed their way, "I think after all the intense threats of last night that it's time for a little girls' day, what do you say Jane?" I asked turning towards a pair of wide red eyes.
"Bells I—" for the first time Jane seemed to be at a loss, "l don't shop."
"Me neither, I was thinking maybe we could go catch an afternoon screening of Friday the Thirteenth at the old town theatre, and you could breathe on the other people in the theatre to freak them out."
"Hey wait, that sounds more like an us thing, doesn't it Felix?" Demi said with a hopeful expression.
"No. No, Dem. An usthing would be doing a wide perimeter up to Seattle and seeing if we can get anything on the crazy bitch trying to kill off Bella." Felix raised a brow in challenge and I knew he'd won when Demi's shoulders dropped.
"Don't forget" I piped up, "a Demi thing is also most definitely cleaning up and airing out my kitchen!" I sang the last part as I pranced back up the stairs to grab my wallet and jacket.
I left a note for Charlie, telling him I'd be back in time to make supper. I knew he hadn't gotten much sleep, I woke up briefly around five when he came home. A small part of me had a sneaking suspicion my dad was spending a little extra time in the mornings at the diner visiting a certain waitress.
When we pulled into the parking lot, Jane slipped in some blue contacts, and hopped out of the truck in a pair of dark jeans and a puffy coat. I got some snacks while she bought the tickets, flashing a dazzling smile at the poor sales clerk who probably couldn't tell if she was even old enough to fluster a boy his age.
We sat near the back and every time a jump scare was coming I'd point to someone with an empty seat behind them, and Jane would go spook them. It was definitely the weirdest thing to do when a killer vampire was after you, but also the most fun I'd had in a while.
On the car ride back I decided to ask Jane about something that had stuck in my mind from last night. "Hey Jane?" she looked over at me, red eyes now having disintegrated the contacts from earlier. "Can you tell me what grintosa means?"
She pursed her lips and then said "hmm it depends on how you use it, because on it's own it just means scrappy, but I know it can mean other things as well."
I tried again, "what about gattino grintosa?"
She scrunched her nose at me "uhh yeah, feisty kitten I think, why? Did the dogs say something to you?"
"No, no" I replied hastily, "I just read it somewhere is all." Jane was still looking at me strangely but decided it probably fell into the 'don't want to know' category and dropped it.
I already knew il mio meant my, so…what? What did he mean by that?
We pulled into the grocery store on the way home so I could pick up a few things for Charlie and I for the week. Apparently Demetri roasted all the eggs alongside some fresh fish. I still shuddered thinking about the smell, and the combination. Jane stayed in the car, stating she could sense any danger from there, and that the human food smelled 'worse than when people used to throw their shit in the streets'. Also gross.
I grabbed a cart and crossed the automatic doors, glancing down at the list I'd typed on my phone. As I walked over to the produce section, my phone chirped. Felix.
Making a pit stop Swan?
I rolled my eyes at the message. I understood the whole worrying about Victoria thing but come on I was with Jane. I decided to push him a little.
The feisty kitten needed to stock up on food for the week.
I gnawed on my lip nervously after pressing the send button. That felt kind of like flirting Bella, but maybe he'll bite...in a good way.
I walked along the produce section tossing random colourful fruits and veggies into my cart, barely paying attention as the butterflies in my stomach whizzed around. Another chirp. Leaning on the push bar of my cart I opened the message.
Jane.
Another one came in.
Leave that poor lip alone.
My head snapped up and I looked out the window, "either you're psychic or stalking" I muttered low enough that certain ears could pick it up if they were nearby.
"Maybe I'm a little bit of both" his voice rumbled from all around me as his hands closed around the bar outside of where mine were resting. I stretched my neck to look up and back into a pair of bright green eyes. Huh green.
"Green eyes?" I blurted out before I could reconnect my brain-to-mouth filter. His smirk turned into a grin as he nodded his head, looking over my head at my cart.
"Vegetarian?" he shot back, "you're not gearing yourself up for the Cullen diet are you?" He did sound genuinely concerned about that. I laid one hand down over his so he'd turn his eyes back to mine.
"No I was just starting with the healthy section, so far vegetarianism hasn't interested me as much as I'd thought it would. From what I've heard, the meals are mostly…bland, and not nearly as filling. I winked at him (omg who am I) before nudging the cart forwards and bringing him along with me to the next aisle over.
We settled into an odd yet comfortable silence as I got the rest of my supplies. I admit a couple times I definitely could've grabbed a couple top shelf items myself but couldn't seem to resist the way he'd indulge me when I'd shift my eyes back and forth from the giant to whatever I needed. His long ass arms also made it so he could continue to push the cart while I walked along in front of him. I didn't even notice a few times, I would just start walking while reading the ingredients on the back of a box or bag, and suddenly find myself in the next aisle, cart and vampire in tow. At one point Felix grabbed a stool from the home supplies section, ignoring my questioning look while he added it to the cart.
Everything was going fine, and we were just about done when I heard this awful, grating noise, also known as Lauren Mallory. "Well, if it isn't Bella Swan, been a while since I've seen you go literally anywhere that's not school or Newton's little shop. Finally decide to breakout into the world –" it seemed she'd finally noticed the enormous guy crowded in behind me. Honestly the fact that she didn't see him before me should surprise me, but this is Lauren we're talking about.
"Who's your friend Bella? Relative from out of town? Exchange student? Or maybe just a caretaker?" Okay that last one was a little low.
Felix snorted and I stomped on his foot. Instant regret.
A cold marble hand came down to rest on my hip, "Felix." He followed that up with…nothing else.
Lauren looked down at his hand, as if not fully convinced, so I took a shot, "This is Felix he's from out of town and also—"
"Bella's new boyfriend, isn't that right il mio gattino grintosa?" I could tell he was holding back a smirk, and not the hot kind. The hides pepper spray in your purse and stinks it up kind.
I grinned back at him, "that's right my little Italian noodle, wow your English is coming along so well! Too bad you barely know how to say anything else" I said, daring him to try me.
Smirk: gone. Lauren: weirded out but also gone.
"That's what you get for crashing girls' day" I muttered.
Checkout was a whirlwind, I know I didn't get to pay for the groceries, which led to me pouting and him chuckling as he pushed the cart ahead through the parking lot with long strides. The groceries and cart were already stowed away once I reached the truck, peering in.
"Hey where's Jane—"
Suddenly I was sitting on not only the tail of my truck, but on top of that damned stool as well, which put me just about eye to eye with him.
"What are you doing?" it came out a little breathier than I wanted but hey, big hot vampire in my face.
"I heard you the other night," he started to lean in until his lips were at my ear, "asking Jane about our gifts, about my gifts." Okay, think clearly Bella. Wait. He said gifts. As in plural for just him…
The Felix-fog cleared a little and I asked, "Gifts? As in more than one? Will you tell me what they are?"
His nose trailed down the side of my neck, inhaling as he went, "and why is it that you want to you know, Isabella?"
I suppressed a sigh and shakily rested my hands on his shoulders, urging him back. He let me, eyes now an orangey-brown colour as the red bled through the green. "I don't want to know, I need to know. It makes me feel better knowing you all have some sort of extra skill when you're off fighting and risking your lives for me. Something that gives you the upper hand. Please?"
His eyes softened for a moment before that smirk started re-emerging. "How about this? I'll tell you one, and you can try to guess the other." It didn't sound like he was going to budge on this which made me huff.
The smirk turned into a small smile, and I swear I could see a dimple peeking out on his left cheek.
"Fine. But you have to give me a clue and tell me if I guess right. It's only fair." His teeth flashed as his smile morphed into a full-blown grin. I never play fair. Stupid big vampire. I rolled my eyes, "well obviously it can't kill you to be a little fair just this once."
He stared for a minute, "do you want to know the first or not?" at my answering nod he sighed.
"Everyone knows anyways, I have enhanced vampire abilities. So imagine how much better a normal vampire's senses are compared to a human's? Well, mine are nearly that much greater than your usual immortal."
I must've looked a bit like a fish, opening and closing my mouth in shock. He continued, "that means I can smell" he leaned back in and took a long inhale behind my ear, "I can hear" one of his hands came up to rest on my shoulder blade on the side where my heart was hammering away thank god he didn't go for the boob. He wasn't done. "I can taste" my eyes just about bugged out of my head when I felt his cool tongue along my jaw, "feel, and see better and more…intensely than other vampires."
He pulled back with a shrug, "I'm also unfairly stronger than them too" his hands slid down to my hips and he plonked my feet onto the ground and disappeared into the truck before I had the chance to finish processing what'd just happened.
I took a moment to get my bearings. Okay, calm down, pretend that wasn't the single hottest encounter of your life. Squaring my shoulders I walked around to the passenger door and opened it.
"Move over. It's guessing time and I don't want to drive and guess at the same time."
As soon as I'd buckled in, the truck pulled out of the lot and I turned to lean against the window to freely scrutinize the man beside me.
Without looking at me he said, "you get three questions today." I knew by his tone there was no room for discussion.
"Okaaaay" I started, "does it cause pain to others?" I asked, thinking about Jane's gift.
"Not necessarily, no" What?
"Does it stun people or something? Like Alec's power but just paralysis?"
"No. It definitely surprises them, but they're not paralyzed, per say. Last question."
"Would it work on me?" I pondered.
He turned his head and his now ruby eyes caught mine, trapping me. "Sometimes, I want it to," he started, then thought for a moment, "but not in a harmful way. I've found myself wanting to test it out, but not yet. Question time over."
I narrowed my gaze as his turned back to the road. "How very Cullen of you." The truck protested as he pulled over and threw it in park, turning towards me, eyes on fire.
"Why exactly would you say something like that?"
I could tell these may be dangerous waters to tread in, but I couldn't find it in me to care, "you haven't really told me anything, that was the most cryptic conversation I've had since Edward Cullen tried to deflect my questions about the car crushing incident."
He looked like he was going to say something, maybe even give me a worth while clue. Instead, he just barked out a laugh that sounded way too forced, pulled back onto the road and started driving again.
When we pulled up to Charlie's, there was still a lot of tension in the cab, "Your dad's home. Jane will be back later, and Dem is somewhere around here. If you need him for anything safety related, he'll hear." After a moment he added "and so will I." Then he was gone again.
I unloaded the groceries, deciding to leave the stool in the truck for now in case Charlie asked about it.
Speak of the devil, "So Bells, I heard from Billy you seemed to have a good time with the kids on the beach. Any other plans this weekend I should know about?" he sat down in one of the kitchen chairs while I mixed together the veggies for the stir fry I decided to whip up.
"Yeah dad, it was great seeing everyone and listening to Billy and Old Quil talk about the tribe's history. I just have to work a shift at Newton's tomorrow, the first one of my probationary period. I'm pretty sure I'm closing too but they close at seven on Sundays so I should be home around eight after doing stock and closing up." He nodded his head and leaned back a little bit, eyeing the food on the stove.
"Say Bells," he started, "think there'll be enough there for lunch tomorrow? One of my deputies is a little under the weather so I'll be working a few hours in the morning." I nodded and began dishing up dinner.
We ate in comfortable silence, and my mind drifted, until I heard Charlie clear his throat, "One more thing Bells. Now don't freak out, but I thought it would be best coming from your old man," he started and I nodded cautiously for him to continue, "I heard today that the Cullens are coming back to town. Something about not liking the big city the doc moved them to or something. Think you'll be okay? I don't want to see that boy effecting your life like before." He finished giving me a protective yet stern look.
I glanced over Charlie's head when movement outside caught my eye. I could see Demi in the window giving a quick thumbs up, like they already knew and were prepared, and had my back. I blew out the breath I was holding and said "yeah dad, don't worry. I'm done with that family, I don't want anything to do with them anymore." His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he nodded and let it go.
After dinner Charlie washed up while I did some laundry and tidied up the table. I crawled into bed, set an alarm, and tried to relax. But now that I was lying in dark, thoughts kept creeping into my mind. I tossed and turned, trying to fight off thoughts of Edward and even Alice coming for me, trying to manipulate me into being a puppet again. My phone screen lit up in the darkness.
You okay? Jane.
I responded, Yeah, just restless.
I sighed, flipping onto my back. I knew who I wanted to talk to, but I wasn't sure if they were my biggest fan right now.
"Felix...?" Unlike with Jane, after I breathed his name he didn't suddenly appear. I knew he could hear me, unless he'd gone up to Seattle or Port Angeles to hunt. I sighed sitting up and looking out the window, I couldn't see anything, but I swear I could feel him. My phone lit up again.
Is this in invitation?
Weird. "yes." I whispered, looking towards the window. Still nothing. I huffed then heard a low rumble and whipped around to see the outline of his frame, slightly illuminated by my phone, just able to make out his red eyes peering back at me.
"Shit." I whispered as my racing heart calmed down, then pointed towards the window questioningly. He smirked before walking over to the window and standing in front of it. Oh. Yeah that window is not Felix sized.
I gulped and then looked up at him, "Are they already back? All of them?" he sat at the foot of my bed and nodded. I looked down and fiddled with my duvet, the anxious thoughts from earlier resurfacing.
I felt cool fingers under my chin, raising my eyes to meet his. "They know where they stand. They know that to reach out or to harm you in any way is an attack against the Volturi and will be treated as such. Bella, they can't take you away from us. Don't forget, you've got the world's most skilled stalker right outside. Even though he can't track you, there's nowhere in this world a Cullen can hide where he won't find them."
I nodded, still fidgeting but finding a little comfort in his words and presence. It felt like he was this big immovable wall protecting me from all the bad guys.
I sighed again then looked up. "I was wrong earlier, yes you were being a cryptic pain, but you're nothing like Jerkward. He never let me make my own decisions or let me know what was going on when danger was near. I'm sorry for saying that." His eyes softened, and I realized then that I wanted him to stay, I wanted to fall asleep knowing that no matter what or who came near me, that this wall of a giant would be standing in their way.
"Felix?" I scooted down and tucked myself back into the duvet, "will you stay?"
His eyes flickered between mine, before he nodded and stood to go sit in the rocking chair.
"N-No. Not there. That's where he liked to sit. It's different with Jane, but I—could you sit here." I scooted to one side and patted the space by my head. He froze for a moment, looked at the rocking chair as if deciding whether to burn it now or later, then strode over to the bed and slowly shifted onto it, letting his legs stretch out as he sat propped up against the headboard.
I think he could still sense my nerves, even in the dark, and soon felt cool fingers moving through my hair.
"You know," he started softly, "I did agree to a clue earlier, questions aside" I hummed in agreement, eyes closed enjoying the way his cold fingers felt running along my scalp.
"My gift" he started, and I tried not to show too much anticipation lay still Bella, don't mess this up. "My gift is mental, but it effects people…physically. That's why I can't tell if it will work on you. Once you're changed I'm certain it won't but for now…" I felt him shrug as he trailed off. I could feel my eyes start to droop so I spoke up before sleep pulled me under.
"Well how about we test it out tomorrow?" I felt a rumble and frowned at his amusement I'm being serious here I swatted at him and hissed a little when I made contact with granite. Cool fingers wrapped around my hand and I swore I felt him press it to his lips.
"Stop doing that" he whispered, resuming the combing, "go to sleep, even feisty kittens need rest". Too tired to retaliate, sleep pulled me under before I could take another swing.
F POV
She fell asleep, and soon after started muttering lowly about vegetarians and swatting wolves with spoons. I let my head fall back against the wall and whispered down to Dem, "think they'll go back to school with her?"
"Yeah" I could hear him sigh, "I think our best option might be to send—"
"Are you kidding me!?" Jane hissed. "No way. Ew. Cullens and teenagers? Guys, no." I could picture her standing down there at the base of the tree, tapping her foot, trying to glare at me through the wall of the house.
"Jane. You blend in the best. Dem is too twitchy"
"Am not"
"Dem is too twitchy," I repeated, "and we all know there's no way in hell I could fit in in a high school. And besides, think about Bella, Jane. She'd be an easy target all day five days a week. Think about how much fun you could have psyching the Cullens out by staring at them all day. Not to mention there's some bratty teenaged girls who seem to have a vendetta against one of our own."
She huffed again, and I knew I had her, "fine. I will play nice with the humans and torment the idiots. But you both owe me. And Felix? Tell her about your damn gift already, she's going to find out sooner or later and it's not like you could hurt her with it."
"Yeah, we'll see Jane. Let me have my fun."
I looked down at the fragile human girl beside me, replaying the other night when Jane and Bella had their marathon girl talk.
Charlie was home, Dem and I were outside when my phone rang.
"Felix."
"Ah, Felix, how are things going with our newest and most breakable member? Keeping her safe?" Aro's voice filtered through the line sounding more mischievous than usual.
"You know how things are going. What's the real reason for this call?" I'd learned centuries ago that if you played into Aro's mind games it could take ages for him to get to the point.
"Strange, one would think you'd be a little more tolerant all things considered…" he hedged. Damn it he knows he has me.
"What Aro? What things?"
"Are you alone?" he asked.
I glanced at Dem who shrugged. I shook my head, responding, "Demetri's here, I don't care if he knows. He's nosy enough to find out either way."
"Very well. After you left I spoke with Marcus. It seems one of our oldest and most trusted coven members has finally found their mate." Demetri did a fist pump, mouthing I knew it at my glare.
"Aro, are you absolutely sure?" I knew the answer, hell I'd pretty much figured it out myself already, but for Marcus to have seen it made it all the more real. I felt a tugging pain in my chest when she went to see dogs but just assumed it was stress. But when she hugged me in the living room, something inside me shifted, almost as if it all finally clicked; her smell, the need to constantly be around her and protect her, the way her touch instantly calmed me down.
"Duh" his indignant tone snapped down the line. "Very well, just thought I'd check in, I feel like I'm missing out on all the fun. Alec wants to know if you'd used your, Alec what was it? Sexual magnetism on the girl yet?"
"Alec" I said, in a deadly tone, "remember what happened last time you referred to my gift as that?"
"Ahh yes" Aro interjected, I do recall an Alec-shaped hole in the floor of our training room going down several floors. That took a long time to fix."
"Whaaaat" whined Alec in the background, "how come Dem gets away with calling it the force?" I could tell he was pouting. Idiot.
"Because the force might be nerdy, but it doesn't insinuate that my power affects people's sexual desires, come on man even Jane hates it" I sighed, "you know what? I'm going to hang up now. Aro, thank you for the insight. Alec, you are not under any circumstances allowed to come out to Forks. Or be anywhere near my mate for two hundred years. Bye."
"But—" I hung up before he could continue.
Dem shrugged sheepishly and I just ignored him, sitting down on a rock, and tuning back into the girls' conversation.
"...tell me what your gifts are? Like all three of you?" I stiffened, listening to Jane tell her about what she and Dem could do before muttering. "Keep a lid on it Jane." I'd tell her when I wanted.
Bella muttering about stupid giants with secrets brought my attention back to the present. I really had to be careful around her, she was more dangerous than she knew, and if she kept pushing me, she'd come to find out that I'd do anything, anything for her. For my mate.
Starting with that god awful chair in the corner. I'd get Jane a new one. Anything Cullen related was not allowed to exist within miles of my girl. If only I could keep them out of this town. It's hard enough having to share her with the dogs and protect her from a moronic vengeful vampiress. Adding the family who single-handedly nearly destroyed her to mix probably would've given me an aneurism if I were human.
I'd taken out an entire cliff face the other night when that rogue newborn had gotten into her room. Of course, had she been home, we would've been more careful. But the fact that he was in here, going through her things and I couldn't even cross the treaty line to see her safely myself had me fuming. Top that off with finally hearing the full story of everything that went down before her arrival in Volterra, if Dem hadn't told me to leave, I'm sure I would've destroyed Charlie's whole house in the blink of an eye.
I couldn't help visiting her last night, breathing in her scent and listening to her heartbeat up close calmed me more than anything.
Being up in Seattle today had me out of sorts again, constantly replaying the panic from the night before. Once we'd traced the newborn's sent back to a location with no indication of where their sire was hiding I came straight back to Bella. I've never been happier to send Jane on a hunt, finding myself completely at ease following my mate around the store as she shopped. Her comment about her diet threw me off a little but the idea of her accepting my way of life settled me completely.
Feeling a lot lighter as we left the store, I couldn't help but tease her a little. If I'm going to share my secrets with her I figured I may as well get something out of it.
I couldn't help myself, filling my lungs with her scent, then tasting her skin on my tongue, which was somehow even better than her scent. I had to catch myself afterwards, shrugging out of my Bella-haze and leaving her by the tailgate to cool off for a second. This was my mate, I wanted to take things at her pace, let her decide how much she was ready for. Sitting on her bed now, feeling her warmth, and hearing her heart beating, I'd never felt more relaxed.
"Felix" she mumbled, tossing a small pale arm over my thigh. I gazed down at her as she continued, "hmmm my noodle" I frowned. There's no way in hell that name's sticking. My gaze travelled back to the chair, that either.
A lot more about Felix's other gift here, probably not the way he would've described it but close enough…