Sorry for the late update! Hopefully you still enjoy my chapter!
Chapter Thirteen
When I got to my pod, I was completely shocked by the sight before me. Jasper, who was standing protectively in front of Alice, was taking hit and bite from a relentless Bella.
"Bella," I called out, walking to her.
Bella turned and snarled, her eyes bright red as she dove at me. Her teeth latched onto my arm, sinking deep passed the thick flesh. I gasped, both in shock and pain.
Jasper jumped, grabbing her by the arms. The sudden movement caused Bella to pull a chunk of my skin off with her surprisingly sharp teeth.
"Bella!" I gasped out as she started thrashing to try to hurt Jasper. "Bella calm down."
Bella turned to me, her eyes, till the shocking bright red with a yellow substance dripping from her teeth. I looked down at my arm to see burn marks around the edges of the wound. I placed my hand on the wound.
"What happened?" I demanded.
"I don't know!" Alice said. "She just freaked out!"
"Okay, get out of here," I said, "You to Jasper."
"Are you sure? She's vicious." He said.
"Yes, let her go." I said. "Just go please."
Jasper let Bella go before skillfully grabbing Alice and running out of the room. Bella now eyed me, her eyes seething with nothing but pure rage.
"Bella," I said calmly, crouching down to a low position. "Bella it's me, Edward."
Bella hissed in response, crouching down in a defensive position.
"Bella there's not need to be so upset," I said. "Are you hungry? Tired? Tell me what you need."
As anticipated, Bella sprung at me. I carefully avoided her sharp teeth and grabbed her in a modified restraint, so she was sitting in my lap, and I was hugging her arms to her chest. Bella howled with rage, trying to throw her head back.
I whispered gentle words to her, hoping to calm her down. She continued to cry and try to lash out at me. Nothing I said seemed to calm her. I wish I knew what she was thinking or what she was so angry about.
Seemingly several moments passed and she was still just as angry. My door buzzed, and before I could yell at whoever was coming in, the door opened. I quickly swallowed my yell.
"Mother, please, this is not a good time." I told her as she walked into the room.
"I heard you were fighting a ferocious wild human," She chuckled as she got down on her knees in front of us. She stared at Bella, and in her eyes, I could still see how glassed over they were from being in hibernation for so long. There was a chance she herself wasn't thinking rationally but I wouldn't dare say that out loud.
"Mother please she will hurt you!" I gasped.
"I raised the commander, I am not afraid of this little creature," She smiled softly, "Hello little one."
Bella hissed at her in response.
"Oh my goodness you are very angry," Her gentle smile didn't falter. "I understand you're angry little one, but now it is time to calm down. You cannot hurt people because you're angry."
My mother reached forward and placed her hand on Bella's cheek. To my utter surprise, Bella immediately stopped thrashing in my arms. She stared at my mother with her red eyes in almost confusion.
"Well, hello," Mother said. "Are you thinking more clearly now?"
"Edward, Alice mother." Bella responded.
"I am," she said. "And you're Bella."
"Bella," Bella said, her tone softening. "Edward, Alice mother. Mother."
"Yes I am," My mother said gently. "Edward let her go."
"Mom I don't want her to—."
"She's fine. Let her go." My mother said, continuing to smile.
Against my better judgement, I loosened my arms. Bella shimmied away from me. Moving close to my mother. It was hard for me not to tense. I wanted to protect my mother because Bella could be dangerous, but I also didn't want to hurt Bella by accident.
"Hello little one," my mother cooed softly. My mother placed her hand on Bella's head and gently guided it to her lap. Bella allowed her head to be placed in my mother's lap. Bella rolled onto her side, looking up at my mother with confused, yet adoring eyes. My mother started stroking her hair gently, causing Bella's eyes to roll slightly.
"Poor sweet girl," My mother cooed again. "Things must be so confusing for you. It must be so hard to be going through all of this alone. Now, tell me what's wrong, sweet girl."
Bella stared up at her, her eyes blinking very slowly. "Bella sad. Bella pain."
"You're in pain!" I gasped, looking her over. She didn't have any visible injuries.
"Hush Edward," My mother snapped quietly at me. "I know you're sad and you're in pain. I can feel your pain," My mother's hand drifted downward towards Bella's lower stomach. "There it is, isn't it sweet child?"
"Bella pain." Bella said.
My mother nodded and resumed stroking Bella's hair. "I know. I'll make sure you're not in any more pain." My mom looked up at me. "Go get your father and your sister please. Bring them here."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because the three of you are in trouble," She said. "Them more so than you. But you're still in just as much trouble."
I sighed heavily before getting up and going to retrieve my father and Alice. They had both been in the middle of helping the women wake up from their long slumbers. They were a little perturbed, more so my father than my sister because he had asked my mother to rest.
"Esme, you are supposed to be sleeping," My father scolded gently.
"You hush," My mother scolded in a harsher tone. "You are in trouble. How dare you and Alice give this poor child blockers. Did you really think that was such a wise idea? Surely you Alice should've known better."
"Mama, it was the right decision to help Bella. The only reason she is in such a rage right now is because she's due for another blocker. She was angry because Edward was angry, and she feeds heavily off his emotions."
"Not an excuse." My mother snapped. "Alice, you've studied the most on these ancient humans. I'm appalled you didn't know any better."
"Mother, we did all of the studies on her. She was not doing what you think she's doing. She didn't have any of the signals that indicated she had normal bodily functions of that time. I mean, several thousand years have passed, surely there have been adaptations to her body."
"What are you two talking about?" I asked.
My mother shook her head, ignoring me. "You are a very smart girl and before you made any major decisions pertaining to this poor human. I recognized the signs immediately upon seeing her. She's no different than you or I. Well, perhaps she is a little different."
Alice got down on her knees beside them. "We've been preoccupied with other things mama. Her menstrual cycle wasn't important at the time."
My mother sighed softly and lifted Bella's tunic. Alice leaned over, blocking my view of anything. Alice gasped lightly before mother lowered Bella's tunic once more.
"I did not know," Alice said.
"Clearly." My mother shook her head again. "So, now we need to—,"
"Hold on," I said, moving closer to them, "What are we talking about?"
My father placed his arm on mine. "Do you remember when you and I discussed the fertility of our females?"
I got that awkward feeling in my stomach once again when he and I spoke about it the first time.
"Yes, but what does this have to do with Bella?" I asked.
Alice scoffed in disgust. "Are you really so daft Edward? Bella is releasing one of her egg."
My eyebrows furrowed. "Oh… she has decided to release her eggs now? I thought the blockers would make her… not want to fertilize her eggs."
"Edward you simply know nothing about Bella's biology," Alice said.
My mother was far gentler with her explanation. "Edward, Bella has no control over the release of her eggs. I may not know as much as Alice, but I certainly know the fertility of women. Bella doesn't have a choice in the release of her eggs and being given the blockers have blocked her natural cycles and with you all being so late on giving her the next blocker, her body is taking charge."
"Oh," I nodded. "Alright, well, how do we stop her egg release?"
"We don't stop it," My mother said. "She needs to get through this, and we need to get her off the blockers. I understand she feeds off of your emotions, so you are going to have to be less emotional Edward. No more blockers."
"But mother she is—,"
"No more blockers." My mother said very slowly. "Alice, we will need under clothing that is more comfortable for Bella and something cotton to catch the bleeding. And we will need a heating pad. And I'll need to make a poultice for her, something to help the bloating, the pain, and the mood swings. Alice, you will help me with that."
"What do you need me to do mother?" I asked.
"I need you to control yourself. Bella has more important things to worry about. Understand?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"Good," She said. "Now, you and your father go about your normal duties. Alice and I will take care of sweet Bella."
"Esme you really should be resting." My father sighed.
"I am fine." She said firmly. "You go tend to the other women. This one needs my help the most."
"Of course Esme," My father sighed softly.
I followed my father, I figured I'd be better help in the hibernation chambers. When I walked in there, all of the women were awake now. Some were throwing up, others had spinning headaches, and a select few could barely stand. Hibernation was extremely hard on the women, which was why I had such a hard time awakening them.
"Commander," An older man said, he didn't stand, but I didn't take offense to it considering his mate's head was in his lap. "Thank you. I know waking them was not what you wanted but thank you. A thousand times thank you."
I nodded once. "Of course."
I walked around some more and found a distant cousin of mine. We hadn't had much time to talk since we landed.
"Garrett," I smiled as I sat down across from him and his mate. "How are you my friend? Still angry with me?"
"Not anymore," He smiled, as he held back Kate's hair.
"Mm, this was one of the things I was worried about when waking the mates," I sighed. "She will be sick for a couple days, unfortunately."
"She will be fine. They will all be fine. They're tough." He said, patting her back.
I nodded. "Just please, don't let this get in the way of your duties. You have a very important job and while I am sympathetic, there is work that needs to be done in a timely manner."
"Of course commander."
I stood once again and resumed walking around the room, checking on the females.
Three Earth Hours Later
I returned to my bunk to find that Bella was already in our nest. It looked as though my mother and sister had completely set her up. She had a heating pad on, extra blankets, extra pillows, and jars of substances that looked like food, but I assumed wasn't food.
"Well, look at you," I chuckled as I crawled in. "You look quite comfortable."
"Stomach," She said as she lifted a jar. "Mama give Bella. Stomach for pain."
I smiled. "How are you feeling now? Sweet Bella?"
"Bella happy," She nodded as she arranged her jars carefully. "Sorry. Bella was mean. Hurt Edward."
She looked at my arm where she bit it. "Bella very sorry for Edward. Mean to Edward. Hurt Edward. Bad Bella."
"No, not bad," I said. "You were in pain, and you were scared. But I accept your apology."
I nuzzled her nose. She smiled and purred softly.
"Bella, Edward sleep now."
I laid down against the pillows. Bella laid her head on my chest, throwing one of her legs over mine. I stroked her hair and stared up at the ceiling. While she drifted off to sleep, I wondered how I'd be able to control my emotions.