Chapter 20:

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"I'm shredding it," Kate smirked. She moved her fingers across the fret board and hit the strum key. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail to "help keep the hair from her eyes" to make it easier for her to rock.

"You're on Casual."

"I'm shredding it, though."

I shook my head from the corner of the sectional as Kate played Guitar Hero Live. She had just bought the game and since she didn't understand it, she was on the level the game put you on—Casual…basically easy.

I was currently seated in the corner of the sectional; my knees leaned against the plush cushions with Tanya leaning against them. Her hands played with my fingers as she watched Kate "shred it" on Guitar Hero. "I don't know if you're doing 'shredding it', Kate, as much as proving to all of us that you are not as awesome as you think."

Kate huffed, glancing back at her. "Oh, please," she said. "I am an awesome person and this is my game."

"Just like all the other games we beat you at?" Irina asked from the armchair, a book rested in her hands with her feet tucked neatly into the chair behind her.

"Watch it."

Carmen chuckled from where she and Eleazer were playing chess, again, on the loveseat. "She does have a point, Kate," the Hispanic woman pointed out. "We have all beaten you at several of your games."

"Including me," I piped up.

Kate scowled, pausing her game to glare at us. "This is pure mutiny," she huffed. "Mutiny I tell you."

Tanya chuckled against my legs. "Not mutiny as much as fact, Kate," she corrected. She jerked her head. "When you master Expert on that game I'll consider you to be 'shredding it.'"

The blonde huffed, but didn't say anything when she turned back around now set on getting to the level Expert to rub it in her coven leader's face. The sibling competition between the three Denali sisters was always rather amusing to me whenever I saw it. It reminded me of another version of the wolves; in a less testosterone driven way.

Tanya smiled victoriously and released my hand to set her hands on my legs. She pushed my knees apart, allowing her to slide between them and rest her back against my front, making me instinctively wrap my arms around her waist and hold her against me as I stretched out my legs.

The blonde purred lowly as she nestled herself comfortably into my body, moving her head and tilting it to the side to kiss my hair affectionately. I smiled at the action and rested my head on her shoulder, looking at the TV as her head bent to rest against mine.

I smiled in content, loving the position. Ever since Tanya and I had begun seeing each other, I enjoyed every little thing—even when we just held each other like this. It was a part of a relationship that I had never seen before. With Edward, he only went as far to put his arm around my waist and that was it with a few chaste kisses.

With Tanya, though, she didn't care to hold me flush against her. She wasn't afraid to touch me, kiss me and hold me. She wasn't afraid to show me the affection that she felt for me, and she very clearly expressed it no matter where we were.

Except…maybe in front of Charlie or else she'd be shot.

Irina rolled her eyes. "You two are like hormonal teenagers in their first real relationship," she said.

Tanya chuckled. "Well," she said, "while I may not be a teenager and Bella is barely done being one, I'm pretty sure we can both agree this is definitely like our first real relationship."

I couldn't agree more.

Irina rolled her eyes at Tanya and went back to her book as I continued to watch Kate play Guitar Hero. Strangely, watching her pretend to play like she was the best in the world was quite amusing; especially when she fell to the ground and started to "shred it," as she said.

I could not stop laughing.

Sadly, however, it was during one of her shredding moments that I realized the time. While Charlie didn't mind me being out late, being out late with my girlfriend was different with him—he wasn't going to go easy on her just because she was a woman.

I rolled my eyes and gave Tanya a nudge. "I better go home."

She looked at me over her shoulder as I jerked my head to the clock. She glanced up at the time and her shoulders fell slightly in disappointment, but she nodded in agreement. "Of course," she agreed. "The last thing I need is to have Charlie on my ass about that."

I chuckled when Kate turned to look at me just as she finished a song. "Bella," she whined, "you were supposed to help me shred."

I smiled as Tanya climbed off the couch, grabbing my hand to pull me to my feet. "I think you were doing fine, uh, 'shredding' on your own, Kate," I said with a slight grin.

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Irina got up and wrapped her arms around me. "I know I'll probably be seeing you in, like, ten hours, but I'll still hug you goodbye," she said with a small squeeze.

I returned the embrace smiling. I loved how Irina treated me. It was like I was her younger sister already, but…not at the same time. It was a nice difference compared to the horde of wolves I had at home waiting for me. I nodded. "I'll hug you 'bye' too," I agreed.

She chuckled and pulled away to kiss my head—surprising me—before she fully released me. "Make sure my sister isn't murdered by your dad, okay?"

I nodded, saluting. "Will do."

Satisfied, Irina sat down in her chair again and began to read her book as Carmen walked forward to give me a hug. She hummed. "I'll see you later, Bella," she said.

I nodded against her shoulder as I hugged her back. "I'll see you later," I promised.

Carmen pulled back and kissed my head just as Irina had and allowed Eleazer to embrace me. His arms were kind of like Edward's in how they were toned, but not overly done like Emmett. He gave me a gentle squeeze. "Have a good night, Bella."

"You too, Eleazer."

He released me and, of course, Kate lunged forward to lift me off the ground. I yelped when the woman was suddenly supporting my whole body weight. She swung me gently with a happy hum. "See ya later, my awesome, human and weird little friend."

I tapped her shoulder, unsure how to respond as she put me down with a dopey grin. I gave her a thumbs-up, holding my ribs a little. "Later, Kate," I said.

She grinned even wider and jerked her head. "Now get out of here before Charlie decides to take back his decision on allowing you over here," she said, practically shoving me towards the door.

Tanya followed me, rolling her eyes at her sister as she opened the door for me. "I doubt he'd ban you from here, but she does have a good point," she grumbled.

I chuckled as the door closed behind us and began to walk to the car. Tanya—who practically made it a law that forbade me from opening doors myself—blurred forward to hold it open for me, making me smile at her with a nod. I slid inside, soon followed by both car doors shutting and the engine starting as I buckled up.

I glanced at the time. "So, do you think you can beat your fastest time of sixteen minutes this time or not?"

"And it's…fifteen minutes and fifty seconds," I reported. I stopped the stopwatch on my phone as soon as we came to a stop in front of my house.

Tanya smirked as she parked her car in front of the house. "I told you I could beat my record this time," she said. "I happened to be properly motivated with a promised kiss."

I raised my brow at her and I wordlessly stuffed the phone into my bag, zipping it back up. I hummed. "Hmm…I don't really remember anything about a kiss," I said.

She leaned forward, her smirk growing just a little as she played a long. "You don't?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Her elbow rested on the console between us, allowing her to lean forward almost fully to give her better access to my personal space.

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

Tanya hummed as she reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Well," she drawled, "if I beat my time, you were supposed to reward me with a kiss. If I lost, I was to give you a thirty minute backrub at least if not for longer."

I cocked my head in thought. "I still don't remember it."

She smirked. "Well," she repeated as her fingers cupped my jaw, "it was supposed to go something like this…" Her lips seamlessly pressed against mine and they joined in the dance that had become familiar, but never lost its spark. Instinctively, my hand reached up to hold her in for a longer kiss, deepening it as I leaned into her touch.

Tanya hummed in approval and leaned closer for more. The push and pull of the kiss was easy and passionate all at once. It sent chills up my spine that I never even knew existed before I moved to Alaska and met Tanya. We seemed to be in sync in this strange type of dance that only the two of us could hear the music to.

I leaned forward, raising my hand to twine my fingers in her hair when the porch light came on. We both pulled back, turning to find Charlie giving his "fatherly glare" out of the window. Tanya pulled away, getting the message with a slight chuckle as I rolled my eyes at him.

He was a little over the top at times.

Tanya smiled. "I suppose that is my cue to leave, Bella," she said, her eyes glanced over my shoulder to Charlie who I'm sure stood proud and tall.

I sighed. "I suppose so," I agreed. I looked at her. "I wish it wasn't, though," I admitted, lowering my head slightly as I did.

Tanya smiled sadly and took my hand as she gave it a small squeeze. "I know the feeling, love."

I smiled at her sadly before I looked at our joined hands. I bit my lip as I thought of all the times Edward used to sneak in through my window at night. We used to talk in my room, lying on the bed together as we held each other. Now that I thought about it, those conversations didn't seem as great as they would have been with my permission of entering.

Tanya had yet to invade my personal space, and it was something I was growing increasingly grateful for. Then, the thought slipped into my mind and I looked up. "Come back tonight."

The blonde raised her brow quizzically. "How can I come back?" she asked. "I'm afraid that Charlie will expect both of us to be asleep. I'm pushing the limits right now with you still staying in my car as we speak."

I glanced behind me to Charlie who was staring at the car impatiently and had to force down a giggle. I turned back to her. "My window will be unlocked," I said. "Just come in later when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you."

Before she could reply, I leant forward and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, Tanya," I said lowly, hiding the nerves that were threatening to come out as I pulled away and slid out of the car, closing the door behind me.

It was almost eleven as I sat on my piano bench, quietly playing one of my own. The song was slow and fluid-like, seeping from the piano speakers in the liquid form of sound. My brow was furrowed in slight concentration as my fingers moved across the keys, hitting each one with calculated strokes.

My body felt disconnected from the world, letting my body release its stress and fill the air with the music—even if it was limited.

Charlie had gone to bed a while ago, letting me just play the piano before I went to bed. I was at complete peace with myself now after almost an hour of playing, and I couldn't help to wonder in the depths of my mind if I would ever feel such peace in my life when I wasn't playing.

My fingers landed on the notes as one, creating the last chord of the song. It rang through the air in a volume that was almost too low for me to hear, but I still could from both knowing and imagining the song so well. My body remained relaxed in the haven, keeping in tuned with myself for a moment before I came back to full consciousness.

I opened my eyes and I became aware of my surroundings again and took in a deep breath. My awareness heightened as I sensed the small chill that passed through the room. I shivered, turning my head to look at the window and blinked when I realized it was open.

I furrowed my brow, confused until I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders and lips press against the back of my head. I lifted my hands to touch the two familiar cold arms as Tanya hummed, resting her cheek on the back of my head. "That was beautiful, Bella. I don't think I've ever heard anything like it."

I smiled as I leaned into her. "It's…one of my own."

She nuzzled my hair. "That explains why I didn't recognize it," she breathed. Her lips pressed against the back of my head again. "It truly was beautiful, Bella."

I turned my head. "Not as beautiful as you," I murmured. Part of me wished desperately I hadn't said the comment out loud as my cheeks gained a slight pink color in embarrassment.

Tanya, however, beamed at the compliment. She cupped my cheek and leaned forward to kiss me. It was a short two kisses in one, but still passionate as she pulled away to rest her forehead against mine. "I believe the same could be said for you."

My cheeks went red even more, but I wrapped my arms around her nonetheless as I turned the rest of the way around. She came to rest between my legs as I said, "I wasn't fully sure you were going to come."

Tanya chuckled without humor, "I believe that would be physically impossible for me to do, Bella. Having any time with you is something I will take whenever I can."

I smiled and placed my hands on her hips instead, giving a small push to move her back to allow me room to stand. Tanya's eyes focused on me as she pushed a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear affectionately.

"So," she said after a pause, "what kinds of things are we supposed to do during these late night secret visits? Possibly some late night…activities?" She wiggled her brows at me suggestively, letting her fingers trail down my jaw seductively.

I rolled my eyes at her, giving her a small push. "Tanya, you have no idea how much like Kate you sounded just now," I said.

"Well, it was so tempting it was hard to resist asking."

"That's not a legitimate excuse."

Tanya shrugged, giving me an impish smile as she took my hand. "It may not be legitimate, but my question is," she claimed.

I shook my head at her and pulled her towards the bed. "Well, for your question, we will mostly just spend time together as I do want that," I said. I released her hand to jump onto my bed covers, crossing my legs as I folded my hands in my lap.

Tanya smiled and sat on the bed with me, moving to be directly in front of me as she took one of my hands in hers and began to play with my fingers once again. "That's something I'd rather like to become accustomed to—time alone with you—I mean."

"That's the idea."

She hummed. "Then how many times would these visits be?" she asked. "I don't want to disrupt your privacy, and I do not wish to enter without your permission."

I shrugged. "I don't know, really," I admitted. "When Edward and I were together, he mostly just came and went as he pleased. The Cullens weren't as bad as he was, but at the time I didn't really care I suppose." I snorted. "Love is blind, as they say now that I look back on it."

Tanya frowned. "They just entered without permission?" she asked. Her voice almost held disgust at their actions. "That seems a little invasive. You could have been changing or experiencing something you didn't want them to see."

I shrugged. "I didn't care at the time," I pointed out. "I was too in love with the idea of being in love and being loved by someone. Now that I look back on it the concept was too…naïve, I suppose. I can promise you that if you did that or your family did that, I would tell you to at least call me before you came over to give me some heads-up unless it was an emergency."

She nodded, squeezing my hand. "I can promise you we would notify you beforehand—especially if it would mean coming into your room. Otherwise I'd kick everyone's ass and then have them kick my ass for being an idiot."

I chuckled and leaned forward to peck her lips. "Thank you for giving yourself and your family an ass kicking from me, then."

She smiled. "Of course, Bella, if there is any ass kicking you need done you just ask myself or Kate and we can arrange it," she promised.

"I'll keep that in mind."

I adjusted our position to have my head lying in her lap, allowing her fingers to gently trace across my scalp. I stared up at her while my other hand twined its fingers with hers effortlessly. The position was surprisingly natural to be in.

Then again, a lot about our relationship had been surprisingly natural to me. The way our hands would seek the other, or how our arms would find the other's waist, for example. Sometimes even just the instinct to press our lips together, or give affectionate gestures such as sliding a piece of hair back, or stroking the others cheek.

Everything was natural, familiar and intimate all at once without being overwhelming. With Edward, everything was awkward and not as smooth as I once thought it was. Now, with Tanya, I realized just what it was like to have smoothness in a relationship like ours. It was familiarity and compatibility that linked it; something Edward and I had greatly lacked in our relationship, but Tanya and I did not.

As if sensing my thoughts, Tanya bent down to kiss my forehead, causing me to hum. "What are you thinking about?" she asked against my skin, slightly muffling her words.

I shrugged. "I'm contrasting."

"Contrasting what?"

"My only two relationships I've had in my life."

She hummed again, pulling away just enough to look into my eyes as she raised a brow. "Am I in the lead so far?" she inquired.

I chuckled and nodded, turning upwards slightly to connect our mouths. "Yes, Tanya, you are definitely in the lead," I said.

In a strange way, the same could be said for the Cullens and Denalis. The Cullens had been more…reserved in the way they acted around me. They didn't let themselves go free like the Denalis and include me in things I never would have thought. It was almost as if they thought I was too…fragile or something to be a part of it.

The Denalis made it obvious what they saw me as; a member of the coven. The Cullens weren't as clear. As I looked back on it, there were times that could question if they saw me as part of the coven as the Denalis did, or as just a girlfriend they were still getting to know. If so, the Denalis were winning by a mile.

Tanya smiled. "Good. I would hate to be losing."

I chuckled a little before the thought came to my mind again. As I thought of the Denalis and their actions, my mind flashed back to when I told them of my past—how they reacted to the truth of how I knew. I had yet to have the question answered, and being alone with Tanya might be the best time to ask her.

It wouldn't hurt, surely.

Haltingly, I glanced up at her. "Tanya?"

"Yes, Bella?" she asked, kissing my brow affectionately as her fingers continued their lazy dance through my hair and skin.

"I noticed some things at your house when I mentioned the Cullens were the ones who left me," I started. "I was curious if you could tell me what exactly it was all about?"

The blonde halted for a moment, seeming taken off guard at the question. She took in a breath. "What exactly are you referring to, Bella?" she asked. "There are several things I can think of that you would be curious about."

I pursed my lips. "I'm just…I want to know why you acted so strangely when you realized the Cullens had told you another story. I mean, I understand that having them lie to you about a serious situation would piss you off, but the reaction all of you took…it was like you wanted to hunt them down and murder them. I thought it was a little over the top for a reaction."

Tanya slowly nodded. "Ah, that," she murmured. For a second, I briefly thought she was relieved I hadn't inquired about another issue she was thinking of, but I quickly brushed the thought aside.

I tilted my head up as she sighed. Her fingers resumed their action. "Well, as you know, Bella, vampires have different instincts in them that humans don't. In that sense, our emotions are stronger and far more vulnerable at times to extreme things."

I cocked my head as I looked up at her to see her face. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

She pursed her lips. "For example, we are very possessive creatures from what we call our beast. It is what vampires like to refer to as their deeper and more primal instincts—the things that we sometimes have trouble fighting back if we are extremely angry or sometimes grieved."

I nodded, showing her I was following along.

"And, as you also know, you are a part of our coven," she said. "And, along with that—as you do not know—our beasts have all laid claim on you as such."

I raised a brow here. "Laid claim on me?"

She nodded. "Yes. While my claim is different than the others', we have all staked a claim. Vampires are very protective and possessive of the things we think are ours—including people. The thought of someone hurting you in anyway enrages us and our beasts will scream at us to protect and defend you—avenge you if deemed fit."

Suddenly, her eyes darkened a shade as she scowled. "And the thought of another family—a vampire family at that—having you drives us to lengths that would be hard to comprehend even for us. Having competition to be in your life would drive each of us on high instinct. It would be quite possible we would never let you be alone with said competition without at least one of us there to help show that you were still ours and ours alone."

I blinked, stunned. I had known that vampires were complex with their instincts—it wasn't so different from the Pack in a way—but I had never expected that to be the case. Both having and seeing Tanya's reaction as she spoke was enough to how just how accurate her lesson was.

It also stunned me to think that the Denali family even claimed me in such a way; were that possessive of me. Tanya I could understand as my girlfriend and relationship, but I had not expected any familial possessiveness from the rest of them.

It did, however, greatly explain the intense reactions the Denalis had. Frankly, with what I had seen earlier and what I had just seen with Tanya, I would be surprised that if they ever came across the Cullens again they would allow them one word before they attacked.

I reached my hand up to stroke Tanya's cheek, earning the female vampire's attention from her inner musings that had caused her eyes to darken again. Her eyes connected with mine, immediately causing them to brighten. I smiled reassuringly. "Well, I can promise you that no family would be taking me away even if they encased me in concrete and chained me to a locomotive."

Tanya relaxed and her eyes went back to their usual gold color I was used to. She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Bella, and I'm sure the others would be as well."

I nodded with a small smile as I leaned up slightly. I pressed my lips to hers again, raising my hand to keep our mouths connected for a longer amount of time in our Spiderman styled kiss.

The blonde happily complied, keeping our lips in a steady dance as her fingers hooked under the sides of my jaw to keep my head tilted. Her cold lips fit perfectly with mine even in our current position that could actually make a kiss awkward.

The kiss, however, was…very stimulating.

I barely pulled back for air when my hand slipped into her curls, wrapping the strands of locks around my fingers. After I took in two quick breaths, our lips were once again connected, this time with more passion than there was before as an instinct seemed to kick in.

Tanya moved her hands to be on the sides of my head, lifting it off her lap so she could remove her legs. She gently rested my head on the bed as she moved to be on all fours, not disconnecting our lips for more than a second at a time as she moved herself around to be straddling my legs. Her fingers locked in my hair as I sat up, wrapping my other hand around her waist to pull her flush against my body.

Tanya let out a small growl of pleasure, causing my body to shiver when I felt the small prod at my lips. I paused for hardly a moment, registering the request before I allowed, granting her entrance that she hastily took as she began to explore every inch of my mouth. Her search was fast and almost desperate at first as her hands pulled my head back for more.

I moaned from the pull, causing her to drive harder to claim the territory and she pressed further into my body. My arms around her tightened when a part of me I didn't know existed begged for her to be closer, hungry to have her as close as possible.

It was exhilarating.

Tanya began to slow in her desperate exploration until it was the gentle swipes around my mouth, almost lazy. Then, she began to stroke my tongue with her own, inviting it into a dance that I gladly joined, feeling the sensations rush through my body as a moan broke through my chest.

The primal growl that answered me almost made me shiver, but before I could, my back once again met the mattress. I almost moaned when I felt Tanya rotate her hips in the slightest fashion against my own. Her hands trailed down my sides to rest on my hips. She gripped them tightly as her tongue continued its dance in my mouth, making my mind overload on the pleasure that was coursing through my body.

My hands ran up her back to tangle themselves in her hair desperately. I pulled her closer. I felt as though I needed her like I needed air to survive. My body seemed as if it was no longer in my control. In a strange way, no matter how alien it was to me, I liked it.

Tanya growled when I pulled her closer, allowing her body to be pressed fully against my own. My breathing hitched—the best it could—and her hands slipped under my shirt to run along my skin. The fire that traveled through my body was immediate and consuming, drowning my senses in a primal need.

Tanya pulled her mouth from mine to disconnect our lips, allowing me to gasp for air that I desperately needed. Her mouth turned its attention instead to my jaw and neck. Her open mouthed kisses and nibbles caused my body to shiver and my head to turn to allow more access.

The purr that rumbled against my skin told me exactly how much she approved. Her hands slid under my body to wrap around my back, pulling my body up closer to hers as she licked at the nape of my neck, causing a moan to bubble out from between my lips. I closed my eyes, gasping for air as her teeth now joined in scraping along my neck.

"Tanya…"

As soon as her name left my lips, the woman froze. Her body went rigid and her arms tightened. I furrowed my brow, confused at her sudden switch before she loosed a growl and shot away from my neck. She placed her hands on either side of my head as she rose to be hovering over me on all fours.

I turned my head to face the blonde who was breathing deeply, her eyes shut tightly. I started to sit up when she shook her head. "Don't," she said lowly in her chest. "I need a moment to gather myself before I lose control completely."

I blinked as I took in deep breaths and my heart that had been pounding in my chest without my knowledge began to slow. I studied her expression, seeing the emotional struggle she was going through while she reined in her instincts. Steadily, I raised my hand to cup her cheek, causing her eyes to open.

They were solid black in lust.

I smiled in understanding and nodded. "It's okay, Tanya," I assured her.

Her body relaxed and her eyes brightened a shade almost immediately. A relieved sigh slipped past her lips as she lowered herself to be lying beside me. I curled my body into hers, resulting in her arms wrapping around me instantly as she kissed my head.