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Chapter 33

Grizzly

Bella

The next morning, Emmett called the school and perfectly imitated Charlie's voice while telling the secretary I was sick.

I put on some dark jeans and a black, tight V-neck T-shirt. I packed myself another sandwich and then clung to his broad muscular back.

He jumped out the window and landed as softly as on a pillow.

Emmett ran toward the southeast.

The forest that was supposed to be very 'near' was Fremont National Park in Oregon, about a five hundred miles from Forks. Even with vampire super speed, it would take a while to get there.

I clung tightly to his body and put my head next to his neck.

We didn't talk much during the race, so I thought about Esmé, about children, and about my transformation.

At first, it occurred to me to ask Alice what she could see in this regard. But of course, she couldn't see anything definite until I made up my mind.

Every now and then Emmett would also take me in his arms so I could rest from clinging.

God, I was weak.

After four hours, Emmett slowed his steps and then stopped. He lowered me down and I stretched until my bones cracked a little.

He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Suddenly he turned his head in one direction, took me on his back again and ran in the same direction for five minutes. Then he stopped and put me down next to a tree. In front of us we went down a few meters to a clearing.

And calmly there ran a huge bear across the clearing.

I saw the grin on Emmett's face.

"Just stay here, okay? If I scare you, run away. I'll be able to find you again."

He gave me a kiss and I saw his deep black eyes and the anticipation flashing in them. Then he jumped down and landed silently a few feet behind the grizzly bear. He picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground and threw it at the bear.

Probably to provoke him a little.

'Otherwise it's no fun,' he would say with a shrug.

The bear turned his head in fright and saw Emmett in attack position. He turned to him and growled at him.

Of course, he was used to having no real enemies, so he wasn't afraid of Emmett, which he should be.

When Emmett threw even a branch at him, the grizzly got really angry and stood up on his hind legs, baring his teeth and growling loudly. He threw his head back, roared, and then dropped back onto all fours before lunging at Emmett. His paws slashed at him, and I held my breath.

I knew the bear couldn't hurt him, but I was still afraid for Emmett. But before the grizzly could touch a hair on his head, he flew through the air and hit a rock wall. But it picked itself up again and ran at Emmett, tore open its mouth and bit him in the torso. Any human would have been torn to pieces, but Emmett didn't bat an eyelash, took his head between his hands, and with one jerk broke the bear's neck. The latter instantly sank down and let go of his bite.

Although it should have been kind of scary, I was totally fascinated by Emmett's movements during the brief struggle. He lowered his head to the grizzly's neck and opened his mouth slightly, revealing his fangs to me. He lowered them into the bear's flesh and drank up its blood. It looked incredibly sensual.

For a brief moment, I thought about what it would be like if he bit me. There was something incredibly pleasurable about the scene.

I looked to Emmett.

His shirt was half torn by the bear's bite, but his skin underneath was undamaged. He was so hot!

When he finished drinking, he looked up at me and grinned sardonically.

Before I could blink, my back hit the floor. The impact took my breath away for a moment.

Emmett was over me, pressing my wrists to the ground and growling softly.

It should have scared me, but his eyes were no longer black, but golden, and he had a crooked smile on his lips.

"Well, are you scared?", he asked threateningly.

I shook my head.

"You don't scare me, Emmy," I said, still a little breathless from the hard impact.

He lowered his head to my neck, and I felt his teeth.

My heart was beating faster.

He was just kidding, right?

"And now?", he asked.

I shook my head again, but couldn't say anything. My pulse was racing.

Then he started laughing and sat up.

"When the grizzly attacked me, your breath stopped. But when a vampire attacks you, you're not afraid?", he said and laughed loudly and boisterously.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"You can mug me anytime you want. Especially after a bear has done that to your shirt," I said with a smile.

He looked down at himself and saw that half of his shirt was only rags.

"Alice is going to be pissed."

"She'll live," I said. "I think it looks much better that way."

At the same time I stroked his chest.

"Weren't you scared at all, earlier? Didn't you think it was kind of ... strange?", he asked, probably a bit unsettled about my reaction.

I laughed.

"No, not at all, Em." I faltered for a moment, not knowing whether to say what I really thought. "I thought you looked totally sexy doing it," I said a little meekly, and realized I was blushing.

He stared at me in disbelief for a moment, then laughed and kissed me.

I wanted to deepen the kiss, but my growling stomach interrupted us immediately. I looked at him apologetically.

He jumped off me and gave me a hand so he could pull me to my feet.

"Predator feeding," he said, tossing me my sandwich.

We sat down on a tree stump, and I ate my sandwich.

"Do you want to go home already or stay a little longer?", he asked when I was finished.

And the intention behind the 'stay a little longer' was unmistakable.

I swung my leg over him and sat on his lap.

I picked up where we left off before my sandwich and kissed him. His hands on my back pressed me against his chest.