SHE Blushed, heat and blood coloring her cheeks, lifted her hand to her mouth, went to wipe at the blood. He captured her hand in his before she could, turned it over, pressed a kiss to her palm, then her wrist, over her pulse. "No, my Bella , not like that, else, you might stain your beautiful frock with blood. Besides," he lifted her hand to his lips, pressed a kiss to her ring, somehow not staining it with blood, "we have a little time yet. Did you drink enough of my blood?"

A shake of her head, her eyes dancing, she was so happy, ecstatic, really, because not only did Edward not have to leave her anymore, even to hunt, but she also could drink blood from him though she wasn't a vampire yet, be intimate with him thus. "I want more. I think not that I will ever have enough of your blood, though, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, depending on how you like to look at it, it is not because of the thirst, which is firmly under control now, but because of the intimacy, the pleasure." It was strange, so very strange, the way she was speaking, so old-fashioned, as if some invisible force was compelling her, but she didn't mind, actually quite liked it, for, in a way, it made her and Edward equals.

He laughed, loud and cathartic and joyous, emerald green eyes, akin to that of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, dancing. "It is the same for me, Love, but, alas, have to wait until later to feed from each other again, we will, when we are back home, alone. I will go fetch a damp towel to clean your mouth with, will be back before you even have time to miss me."

He was gone, came back in less than a second. Just as he finished wiping the blood away, there was a bright flash of light, Elizabeth already corporeal. "Hello, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my son."

Edward turned into his mother's embrace, bent down so she could press a kiss to his forehead, stroke her fingers through his hair, the touch that of a mother to her child. "Hello, Mama."

Elizabeth put her arms round him, cradled him to her as a mother did her child, her hands continuing to run over his hair. Bella, she wasn't jealous, didn't feel left out, out of place, this bond only one a mother could have with her son. "I see you are both dressed already, however, before we leave, we must discuss what to tell Charlie, your future father-in-law, along with Carlisle and Esme. I can see so many questions burning in your eyes, my beloved son, and I will answer them to the best of my ability, as I cannot tell you everything, some things you must discover on your own. As we do that, though, there is something I wish for the three of us to do as a family." She turned without warning, took Bella into her arms, pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And my son's bride, his heart, how are you? I trust you slept well?"

A nod, Bella pressing a kiss to Elizabeth's cheek. "Yes, very well, thank you."

Elizabeth's emerald green eyes slid back to Edward, her beloved son, one hand reaching up to touch his cold cheek, even as her other grabbed Bella's. "Did you feed your beautiful bride luncheon yet, my beautiful boy?"

A shake of his head, a quick kiss pressed to Bella's temple. "No, I woke her quite recently, as I kept her up late last night, had time to feed her not."

Elizabeth's smile was incandescent, filled with joy and deep, motherly love. "Good. I made one of your favorite suppers which we used to have at the lavish parties we used to throw, and we cannot have it properly in front of Charlie, for it requires 'underage drinking' and he is a cop, the chief of police, no less. I prepared smaller portions of everything, every course, separately so we might have some properly, how it is meant to be eaten, now, brought a bottle of what used to be your favorite wine, too."

Edward's face, it was beyond happy, the emotions going through him too powerful for a simple smile. He hugged and kissed his mother on both cheeks, even as he kept an arm round Bella. "Oh, I thank you, Mama, I will go prepare the drawing room so we might eat what you have prepared separately for us while we discuss things."

Bella bit nervously at her lip, glanced at Edward out of the corner of her eye, through her eyelashes, decided she might as well ask Elizabeth what she wanted, her hair was probably a mess anyway. Of course, if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't doing this to look "presentable" in front of Carlisle and Esme, Charlie, they didn't care, whether or not her hair was in a fancy updo, being used to seeing her in jeans and t-shirts, her hair simply down or up in a ponytail, depending on her mood. No, she was doing this, asking his beloved mother, Elizabeth, to help her with her hair to get under Edward's skin, make him lose his grip on his self-control a bit more. "In the meantime, can you help me with my hair, please? I know we probably have time not to curl it as we did for tea, but perhaps there is something else we can do?"

Elizabeth had tucked Bella's hand under the crook of her arm even as she spoke. "Of course, beautiful, darling girl, I know just what to do, and we will require a curling iron or flat iron not." A wince from Elizabeth. "Other than us not having any time today to use those implements, they can be quite damaging if you use them often. If you would like, though, I can teach you methods of old to achieve the same kind of curls as the ones in your hairdo for tea without using those implements, methods I used to use?"

Bella went to respond, but before she could, there was a low, quiet laugh coming from Edward, and, when she and Elizabeth turned to him, they found him shaking his head. "You, my Bella, are becoming one confident siren. This, the way you are dressed, coupled with what is no doubt to be a beautiful hairdo, will make Alice throw a fit. That is not to say you should fret, though, as my beloved mother, Elizabeth, and I, will not let her question you or push you around. I do not wish to let you go even for a second, but, alas, I am also torn, wanting to see what beautiful hairdo, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, will put your hair up in. I can see it in her mind not, as she is currently blocking me from being able to do that, thinking of other things, but I am certain it is one of the hairdos she used to put her hair up in for those lavish parties we used to throw."

A quick, chased kiss, a gentle bite of her lower lip without breaking skin, drawing blood, then he was gone.

Taking Bella into her arms, Elizabeth took her to the washroom, set her down in front of the sink so she was facing the mirror. Elizabeth plaited some of Bella's hair, turning it into a coronet round her head, leaving two strands of it out on either side to frame her face, gathered the rest of it into a chignon that rested low at her nape, pinning it in place using beautiful, old-fashioned, gold hair pins, weaving fresh lavender flowers she probably got from the meadow into it.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the way Elizabeth had done her hair, it made Bella realize something. Sure, Alice might have a fashion degree, multiple, actually, but Bella liked the way Elizabeth did things, natural, less in the face than the things Alice did. And, in addition, they were more in line with what Edward had been exposed to as a youngling. She knew she promised Alice and Esme they could help with her hair and makeup, but . . . "Thank you, Elizabeth, the way you put up my hair, it is really beautiful, a work of art in and out of itself. Can you help me with my hair and makeup for the wedding, too, be the one to do it?"

Elizabeth finished weaving the last of the lavender flowers into her hair, turned Bella to face her, both of her hands in hers, her face, a face her one and only son, Edward, had inherited, but for the bones, facial structure, serious and loving at the same time. "Of course, Bella, beautiful, darling girl. You need not fret about Alice, about her throwing a fit, as neither Edward, my beloved son, nor I will permit that to happen." A pause, Elizabeth reaching up to touch Bella's cheek. "I know the makeup, beauty industry has changed a lot, and, from what I can gather, you do not like wearing makeup much, but have you tried homemade makeup, made with all natural ingredients, no chemicals or harmful substances?"

A shake of her head, Bella's eyes glowing with interest.

Elizabeth's eyes went somewhere far away, about a century back, as she spoke, her voice holding the echo of days long since past. "Sometimes my husband, Edward's father, would go to the market, ask me if I wanted any cosmetics for my skin or face, but I always denied him, told him I would take care of my cosmetics on my own. You see, beautiful, darling girl, in those days your social class, the way you dressed and behaved, played an integral role in a person's everyday life, and, as a wife of a well respected and known lawyer I always had to look presentable, but I liked it not, wearing industrial makeup, as it often contained harmful substances, much rathered make it on my own, with whatever old recipes I could find that were good for the skin, healthy."

A thoughtful look, this beautiful woman, a strong butterfly, one who was born in a different century, so very perceptive, having somehow kept up with the growing technology and changes in the world. "The beauty standards of those days, days long since past, are much different than the ones there are now, less in the face, more natural, but we can use a mixture of the two beauty standards, put different blue eyeshadows on your beautiful eyes, to make them pop, bigger. Done it in a long time, I have not, however, I can create your own, personal cosmetics, as well as my own, which, use for your and my beloved son's wedding, we will. It should be a lot easier now, especially since things are readily available, but I will still make certain each and every ingredient is naturally sourced, organic."

Elizabeth brightened. "As it happens, I happen to have a natural lip balm I made myself using red roses, honey, and natural essential oils, among other things, which can also be used for rouge. You, beautiful, darling girl, my son's bride, his heart, need much not, what with the flawless, beautiful skin that you have, however just a little can go a long way toward enhancing your natural beauty." She pulled out an old-fashioned, ornate, white gold lip balm container decorated with a pattern of white roses and diamonds, unscrewed the lid, rubbed some onto her finger, applied it to the apples of Bella's cheeks, seamlessly blending it in, then her lips. "There, all done you are. Of course, I will apply some more of this on your lips before we leave, as it will rub off when we eat shortly, and we will take it with us in a small purse, too, as it is quite moisturizing, healthy for your skin."

With that settled, Elizabeth took Bella into her arms, and they were in the drawing room, where, no doubt, Edward was already waiting for them, as fast as they would have been if he carried her.

He was in the center of the room, her beautiful fiance and future husband, wearing not what he previously had, a white button-up shirt and khaki pants, dressed casually—but a suit complete with a white bow tie, the dark ebony of his jacket and pants bringing out the vivid emerald green of his eyes. He walked slowly, like a human, towards the two of them, kissed his beloved mother, Elizabeth, on the cheek, bent down so she could ruffle his hair affectionately. "I thank you for helping my Bella with her hair, Mama." A nod from Elizabeth, then she relinquished Bella to him without a word, and Edward immediately put his arms round her, taking most of her weight, cradling her close to his chest, his heart that hadn't beaten a long time, almost, but not quite, a century. "You look so beautiful, my Bella, mon coeur, akin to a slowly blossoming flower."

She wrapped her arms about his neck, stretched up, and Edward, understanding what she wanted, bent down so they could kiss, soft and sweet, keeping it polite for company, her lip balm surprisingly not rubbing off on his lips. "And you, my beautiful fiance and future husband, look very handsome in your suit. What," she traced his lips, cold, hard, but soft, familiar against her skin, with her forefinger, "made you decide to change?"

"I cannot be dressed casually, not with you and my beloved mother, Elizabeth, dressed thus, akin to how you would have been when I was a youngling. Of course, wearing gloves, you are not, nor will you be, my beautiful, scandalous bride-to-be," he was teasing her now, his beautiful emerald green eyes, akin to that of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, but so much more beautiful, alight— "but I care not. This, the way we are dressed, however, does mean Carlisle and Esme, along with whoever else is in the house when we get there, will have to change, but that will be a problem not, as they do not have to do it at human speed, though none of the Cullens, my adoptive family, are as fast as I am."

Edward tugged her to the setee where his beloved mother, Elizabeth, was already sitting, sat down, pulling her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms, knowing, without her having to tell him, that was exactly where she wanted to be. Elizabeth handed them a plate of what looked to be goat cheese salad, the ingredients, baby gem lettuce, pomegranate, goat cheese, dates, nuts, and . . . oh, wow, Bella'd always thought they'd gone extinct, not seeing them in the store, but apparently not, purple carrots. Edward grabbed the fork, made sure to gather a little bit of everything in it, then fed the first mouthful to Bella. It was delicious, the salad, sweet with a hint of savoriness from the goat cheese, the vinaigrette, dressing, so perfectly composed, even Bella, who'd been cooking for a very long time, what with her parents not being able to cook even if their lives depended on it, couldn't discern all of the ingredients.

She watched Edward take a bite, eat a mouthful, close his eyes, his beautiful, perfect, angel's face serene, clearly having missed his beloved mother's food. "Mmm."

Soft, quiet, female laughter, that of an English Rose, a mother delighting in her son's joy. "You have missed my cooking so, have you, my Edward, my beautiful boy, my son?"

A nod, Edward feeding Bella some more of the salad. "Yes, Mama, I have missed everything we did together, having both private and lavish meals, tea, you bringing me lavender and chamomile tea, along with cucumber sandwiches and a slice of cold meat, wanting me to relax, mother me, especially since though I had all your recipes memorized I thought I would never get to eat them again, what with all human food tasting like dirt to me until very recently."

Elizabeth touched her knuckles to Edward's cold cheek, the look on her face one of love only a mother could have for her son. "Then perhaps we should make this a new Masen Evans family tradition, alternating between you cooking, doing what you saw me do as a youngling, and myself cooking, too. Of course, as I told you before, this, it will not satisfy you, as only blood can do that, for you are a vampire, my beautiful boy, but that does not mean you must stop eating human food all together as you have done for so long now, even when your beautiful bride is a vampire, too."

Edward, who had been chewing as his beloved mother, Elizabeth, spoke, now swallowed, fed Bella another mouthful of salad. "Speaking of blood, why is it, Mama, that my Bella is craving my blood though she is not yet a vampire? How can I have blood running in my veins when I clearly have no heartbeat, and, supposedly, human bodily fluids, either?"

Elizabeth blinked several times, clearly having been startled by Edwards question, pulled out a bottle of expensive port wine, poured herself, then Edward and Bella, a glass each. What she said next, it was much too low, soft, for Bella to hear, but Edward was a different story, his senses, that of a vampire, far, far superior to hers, and he raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth shook her head, her lips curved up. "I cannot tell you the answer to your question, not yet, however know that your and your Bella's bond is bound to become much, much stronger, the love between you more potent."

She shifted, taking Edward and Bella's plate, which, Bella was startled to see, was empty, she'd been so focused trying to discern what Elizabeth was saying in a low voice, placed it, along with her own, on the small table in front of them, took out there next course, some sort of meat with vegetables and small breads. "Perhaps it is best then, if your Bella is craving your blood, that you feed from each other one more time before we take our leave to the Cullen household."

Edward's eyes lit up, his excitement infectious. "Oh, Mama, you made venison, charred vegetables, and small, individual, saffron breads?" Elizabeth didn't say anything, respond, clearly knowing her beloved son was not done speaking yet, was proven right seconds later. "Let me guess, you made an apple tart for dessert, brought a bottle of sweet, sweet Bordeaux wine to accompany the apple tart, which you did not tell me about because you wanted to surprise me?"

A nod, Elizabeth taking a sip of her wine, her eyes alight, dancing just like that of her beloved son. "Yes, I did. The venison comes from one of our family estates in England, the vegetables and fruits, both the ones we will eat now and the ones in the salad, from the garden in the same estate, the apples from our orchard. Alas, this time, your father killed the venison not, as he is not here anymore, but it was still humanely slaughtered, and I picked all the fruits, vegetables, and apples myself."

Bella sat up, having been previously relaxed against Edward's chest, turned to him, her beautiful fiance and future husband. "So which wine is your favorite then, my love, port or Bordeaux?"

He stroked her hair, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his sweet, addictive, intoxicating, cold breath washing over her skin and hair. "Both, mon amour. My favorite wine to have with savory dishes and starters is port, while my favorite wine to have with dessert and fruit is Bordeaux."

The rest of the meal went by fast, everything was so delicious, which was not surprising, considering the person who had cooked everything was the person who Edward'd had learned to cook from, that he had to "relearn" everything, it didn't matter, the lessons his mother had instilled in him so deep, his food delicious and perfectly balanced, too. Bella and surprisingly, or, perhaps, unsurprisingly, Edward, wanted more, but they had to save room, after all, they'd have to eat more soon enough. She sat back, let Edward and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, discuss everything at length, not exactly a hardship, considering she was exactly where she wanted to be, with who she wanted to be.

They decided to tell Carlisle and Esme to stick to the story that Elizabeth only had gone missing from Edward's life for a brief period of time, because after the death of her husband, she had to set some things, mainly their family estates and finances, in order. Not exactly an outrageous lie, considering how many Estates Edward had inherited from his parents. Then again, Charlie, along with the Cullens, for that matter, didn't know that, else, Alice would have probably insisted on going to each and everyone of Edward's estates, remodeling them, and she'd probably have taken the biggest rooms, changed them so utterly. Bella was horrified just imagining it, such beauty and sentimental value being lost under the avalanche, the wrecking force that was Alice. They also decided Edward would speak with an English accent to avoid too many questions from Charlie, not a hardship for Bella, considering how much she loved it.

As Edward and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, spoke, it became more and more apparent, how little the Cullens really knew him, only his mother and now Bella, truly knowing all of him.

At one point they discussed what to tell Carlisle and Esme, though Carlisle in particular, what with his inquisitive nature, mind—about all the physical changes, changes they were unable to hide, as evidenced by the still emerald green of Edward's eyes, Edward and Bella were going through, Elizabeth telling him to go where the tide took him, that she'd help him where need be.

It was as they were eating dessert, sipping sweet, sweet Bordeaux wine, Edward not having kept track of how many glasses of wine Bella drank to make sure she stayed sober, not after his beloved mother, Elizabeth, had told him all the alcohol would vanish from Bella's bloodstream when she fed from him, that Edwards phone rang. Pressing a sweet kiss to Bella's lips, their lips yet moist from the wine, he took it out from one of the pockets of his suit, picked up. "Hello, Alice."

A pause, Edward and probably Elizabeth, too, listening to Alice on the other side of the phone. As the seconds, then minutes grew, Edward became more and more tense, and Bella knew he was straining not to break the phone. Edward's reply, when it came, was spoken through gritted teeth, his voice strained, tightly controlled. "I thank you for letting me know, Alice, we will see you all in a couple of minutes."

With that, he hung up, and before Bella could speak, ask him what was going on, what had happened, Elizabeth, his beloved mother, spoke, having clearly heard what Alice had said. "If she has such a foul mouth, is so envious of you and your beautiful bride, I cannot imagine what her thoughts are like. How will you handle them, my beautiful boy, keep them at bay? Are they not very loud?"

Suddenly Edward's behavior, the way he'd become rigid, made sense, and Bella got really nervous, her heartbeat picking up speed, beating a million miles per minute, Edward no doubt able to hear it. " Rosalie and Emmett will be there, along with the entire Cullen family?"

No Doubt able to hear her distress, Edward turned her to face him, ran his hands, strong, cold, gentle, familiar, up and down her arms, over her back, trying to soothe her, gentle her. "Yes, Carlisle and Esme thought it best this way, as we know not how long this will take and they wish not to arouse suspicion."

Bella looked down at her hands, fidgeting nervously with her bracelet and ring. He took those hands, kissed each and everyone of her fingers, then both of her palms and wrists. "Hey, hey, everything will be all right, permit Rosalie or Emmett to ruin our day, so perfect thus far, I will not, no matter what."

Elizabeth took one of Bella's hands in hers. "Nor will I, beautiful, darling girl. Perhaps, afterwards, when everything is said and done, if you and my beautiful boy wish for privacy not yet, come back here, we can, have another glass of Bordeaux, along with a cup of lavender and chamomile tea."

Bella looked up, her eyes bright, starting to relax. "Really?"

Elizabeth took Bella's face in her hands, pressed a kiss to her forehead as a mother did her child. "Yes, of course." A glance out of one of the many, many windows, her next words directed to Edward. "It is getting quite late, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my son, you and your beautiful bride feed from each other before we take our leave to the Cullen household, I, meanwhile, will wait for you outside, apply some more lip balm to Bella's lips when you have finished." With that, Elizabeth was gone, was likely outside, a couple of miles away, giving them some privacy.

He turned her head gently to face him, stroked a hand, carefully so as not to ruin her hairdo, over her hair, looked deep into her eyes, the depth of his emerald green ones, so beautiful, no other creature would ever possess them, endless. "I love you, Isabella Marie Swan, cannot wait to marry you in four weeks time, perhaps even a bit sooner, make you Isabella Marie Masen." He kissed her before she could respond, his kiss hard, but soft, holding a desperate edge, bit gently at her lower lip, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, those very sharp teeth cutting through her skin like butter, drawing blood, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lick at her blood with tender flicks, causing Bella to moan and writhe in his arms.

She kissed him back, threaded her fingers through his hair, bit at his lip, her teeth cutting through his hard, smooth, cold skin, his sweet, sweet blood that was an aphrodisiac hitting her tongue, her body reacting to it, heat pooling low, to the hot, aching place between her thighs. She loved the fact that they could now kiss thus, without Edward holding back . . . not as much as he used to, because she was still human, no matter that her body now craved his blood. When they first started dating, or, as he would call it, courting each other, and he'd been careful, so careful, not trusting himself too much around her, lest he accidentally hurt her, she'd have thought this an impossibility, but now . . .

Edward pulled away, broke the kiss, Bella reaching out, going as if to pull him back to her, not needing to breathe, not yet, but Edward cupped her face between his hands, angled her head to the side, exposing her throat, the map of her blue veins beneath her skin.

He kissed her like a man possessed, his kisses cold, gentle, loving, and sweet—intoxicating, bit at the flesh of her throat, over her pulsing artery, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth—really, really began to feed, the flicks of his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, languorous and loving, making Bella moan loudly, writhe in his arms, something hot, so hot, unfurling in her stomach. She didn't know what it was, though it wasn't an orgasm, was something else, but she wanted more, wanted to feed from him, his sweet, sweet blood. Taking one of his hands, she bit at his wrist, his sweet, sweet blood hitting her tongue, deepening the intimacy, the pleasure.

She didn't know how much time passed in this way, with the two of them feeding from each other, it could have been minutes or hours, though it was probably minutes, as they had to leave, go to the Cullen household soon, but eventually Edward pulled away with what was a mix between a laugh and a groan. "Much as I wish to stop not, wish to stay here, cooped up with you thus, it is best that we stop now, I reckon, as we have to get to the Cullen household at least half an hour before Charlie does so that we might answer the questions that will no doubt arise."

Bella groaned, went to thud her head lightly against his chest, then remembered his heart's-blood was staining her mouth, buried her face against the cold, hard, smooth, soft skin of his neck instead. "No, I wish to leave not, deal with the Cullens, particularly Rosalie and Emmett, Charlie, yet."

A soft, comforting kiss pressed to her lips. "Come now, my Bella, it will not be as bad as you are reckoning, not with my beloved mother, Elizabeth, there. I promise not to let you go, relinquish you, for the entire evening, even should Alice and Esme beg me to. And," his voice was low, a loving, private whisper between a husband and wife-to-be, "we can continue this later, all night, into the wee hours of the morning, when we practice for our wedding night and honeymoon, mon coeur."

Bella's eyes lit up, her heartbeat and breathing picking up speed, excited. "Really?

A nod, another kiss pressed to her lips, even as he moved, fast like only he could, went to the washroom, wiped first the blood staining his mouth, then Bella's. "Yes." He closed his eyes, a small smile lighting his lips, and, when he opened them again, his emerald green irises, so much like that of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, but a thousand times more beautiful, they were glowing, filled with love and desire, a desire so deep, pure, it went far beyond a simple desire for sex. "Actually, mon amour, you look so beautiful, alluring, my fingers are itching to take down your beautiful hair, undress you slowly, even slower than a human. Alas, do that last, I cannot, for you are not my wife yet, but I will console myself with the fact that you will be soon, in about a month's time, that I get to take down your beautiful hair when we are back here, at home, alone."

Bella's blood was burning, boiling hot, her heart beating a rapid, staccato tattoo beneath her skin. She wanted to grab a hold of him, kiss him, soft and sweet and deep, but if she did that, gave into her desires, they'd take longer to leave, which meant they'd take longer to come back, as the Cullens would probably try to keep them after Charlie left so they could get their questions answered. "Let us get this gathering over with so we can come back home, have another glass of sweet, sweet Bordeaux wine with your mother, Elizabeth, along with a cup of chamomile and lavender tea, then be alone."

Despite her reservations and though he couldn't read her mind, he kissed her as he ran, momentarily pausing to grab the old-fashioned handbag she'd worn when going to tell Charlie about their engagement, no doubt having overheard the conversation she and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, had had earlier, set her down in front of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, so she could apply some more lip balm to her lips, place it in her handbag. "There, Bella, beautiful, darling girl, all done you are," said Elizabeth, when she finished applying the lip balm to Bella's lips, had placed the beautiful, ornate lip balm container in her handbag.

Her eyes slid to Edward, her beloved son, her hand reaching up to touch his cold cheek even as he bent down to make it easier for her. Her touch, it was that of a mother who loved her son, had missed him very much. "If Rosalie and Emmett's thoughts get too vile, wretched, focus on me, my beautiful boy."

Edward took his mother into his arms as he'd done earlier, even as he kept an arm round Bella, holding most of her weight—kissed her on both cheeks. "I thank you, Mama, and yes, I will do this, focus on your mind, on you and my Bella both, though I cannot read her mind, as it will give me some reprieve from Rosalie and Emmett's thoughts should they become too loud, wretched and vile."

Edward took Bella into his arms, like how a groom carried his new bride, again, Bella wrapping her arms about his neck, curving herself around him, the cold temperature of his skin soothing because of the shawl she wore, then they were running again, Elizabeth, a unique creature, for she was the only one of her kind, able to keep up with them though she wasn't a vampire.

All too soon, they were slowing down, their run turning into a light jog, Edward bounding lightly up the steps to the Cullen household, stopping not in the living room, as Bella had expected, but at the door to Carlisle's home office. He set her down, keeping an arm around her waist, taking most of her weight, took a soft, honey-sweet kiss without saying a word, then tapped lightly at the door before walking in, followed by his beloved mother, Elizabeth.

The only ones in Carlisle's office, thank God, were Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie nowhere to be seen, not yet, Jasper probably in his and Alice's room. The way Alice looked, it was priceless, made Bella want to burst out laughing, and, when she glanced at Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, then Elizabeth, her future, biological mother-in-law, she saw they, too, were trying not to laugh.

Alice had her eyes closed, her face scrunched up in concentration, trying to see what was going to happen, how the meeting with Charlie would go, which was, of course, an impossibility. Her foot was tapping lightly but rapidly, against the floor, her action akin to that of a child who was always used to getting what he wanted but not being able to acquire it this time. Not being able to see the future, what was going to happen, coupled with having someone in the house that knew more about Edward and Bella's future than she did, must really be annoying and frustrating her.

Good. Her frustration and annoyance would serve as payback for all of those times she'd annoyed Edward, kept pushing him and pushing him so he'd let her meet Bella when not even Edward himself had gotten to know her that well yet, their relationship, or, as he would call it, courtship, yet a fledgling. It would also, Bella thought, serve as payback for all of those times she'd dragged Bella away from Edward. That was when she noticed Alice was holding something in one of her hands, a small packet . . . colored contact lenses.

That's it, she couldn't hold it in anymore . . . she burst out laughing, loud and cathartic and joyous, wasn't the only one, as Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, burst out laughing, too, though whether it was for the same reason, Bella didn't know.

Their laughter, it caused the three Cullens in the room to look at them, Carlisle having had his head bent over a thick book, Esme over a sketch pad, her hand moving rapidly over the paper as she drew something—mouths dropping open. Alice was clearly fuming, muttering to herself, her words much too low, fast, for Bella to hear, understand, then she smiled triumphantly. "Edward, you'll need to change your contacts every couple of hours."

Edward shook his head, his grin huge and open and filled with joy and heart-stopping. "No, I will not."

Alice, Carlisle, and Esme open their mouths, went to say something, contradict him, but, at that moment, the color of Edward's irises shifted from an emerald green that was akin to that of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, but a thousand times more beautiful, to a blue that was akin to glaciers, but, again, a thousand times more beautiful—and back again, causing the three Cullens in the room to drop their mouths open again. Alice narrowed her eyes, set her hands on her hips, began tapping her foot again, her annoyance at not having seen this coming palpable. "Edward Anthony Cullen, explain yourself?"

Elizabeth must have been silently communicating with Edward, thinking of something, because Edward, he turned to her, his beloved mother, gave her hand a loving squeeze, kissed her on both cheeks. "No, they know this secret of ours not, for it is very near and dear to my heart, and I kept it from all beings throughout the years I have been a vampire, the only exception, of course, being my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be."

Alice looked back and forth between Edward, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, and Bella, muttering something too fast and low for Bella to understand, hear—fuming, her annoyance growing more and more with every passing second, clearly hating being kept out of the loop, not knowing what was going on. "Know what secret, Edward Anthony Cullen? What's going on?"

Elizabeth's lips curved, her eyes, eyes Edward, her beloved, only son, had inherited, shiny, filled with an emotion that was too powerful for words. She reached up with one hand, Edward bending down slightly to make it easier for her—stroked his hair affectionately, with so much love, Bella thought it was only a matter of time before Jasper came downstairs to see what was going on—even as she took Bella's hand in the other, and it was she who answered this time. "It is nothing, only a wonderful, beautiful, precious family thing, one between a mother, her beloved son, and his beautiful bride-to-be."

Alice, whose annoyance had to be growing to very dangerous levels, opened her mouth, went to speak again, but Carlisle and Esme placed a hand on her shoulder each, both spoke at the same time. "Don't argue, try to get the information, Alice, it's not very polite. It's clear this is a loving, private family matter between Edward, Bella, and his biological mother, Elizabeth, one which none of us have a right to, not unless they wish to share it with us."

Alice let out a deep breath, sighed, clearly still fuming, annoyed. "Fine, fine, but, Edward, you already know from my thoughts I don't like this at all, being blindsighted, not being able to see the future, what is going to happen."

Edward didn't say anything, chose to ignore Alice's implied request, and there was about a minute and a half of silence, then Carlisle spoke, his voice polite, yet inquisitive, for, Bella knew, he had a curious mind and nature, always jumped at the chance to learn new information. "Please, have a seat, the three of you, let us discuss what we're going to tell Charlie, as well as the physical changes, such as the subtle, but very distinct alterations to Edward and Bella's scents, the color of Edward's eyes—Edward and Bella are going through."

"Before you guys do that, " the words came from Emmett and Jasper, the two of them having walked into the room at some point, "Edward, there's something we want to discuss with you. The two of us, along with Carlisle, and maybe even Eliezer, too, are throwing you a bachelor, hunting party—"

"Absolutely not," Elizabeth cut them off mid sentence, her tone so loving, protective, and motherly, not only Jasper, who could feel everyone's emotions, stepped back as if physically slapped, but the rest of the Cullens in the room as well.

Edward's face as he looked at his beloved mother, Elizabeth, lit up, his beautiful, soft, but hard, familiar lips, curving into a heart-stopping grin, one none of the Cullens, his adoptive family, had ever seen before, as evidenced by the total shock on each and every one of their faces. Bella wondered what was going on, what Elizabeth was thinking, what kind of silent communication was going on between mother and son.

As it turned out, Bella didn't have to wonder for long, because Elizabeth spoke out loud, said what she'd already communicated to Edward, and it was probably only for Bella's sake, so that curiosity wouldn't drive her mad, distract her, that she did so right then and there.

As Bella was beginning to learn, Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, were very private people, didn't like everybody knowing their business. The way Elizabeth spoke, it made it seem like she, Edward, and Bella were back in Edward and Bella's little cottage, alone. "You cannot drink animal blood to satisfy your needs anymore, my beautiful boy, and even human blood, be it from a blood bag or straight from the vein, will not do, as your body will reject the blood, and not only will the blood taste horrible, but the process of your body rejecting it, it will be very, very painful. The only blood you can drink is that of your beloved bride-to-be, just as the only blood she can drink is yours."

There was an astonished moment of silence, then a sharp intake of breath by every single vampire in the room, save, of course, for Edward. "How is that even possible," Carlisle's voice, intrigued and confused, yet also polite, "Edward, he has no heartbeat, should have no blood running in his veins? When I turned him at your behest, all of his human body fluids dried up, then turned to venom, as happens with every vampiric transformation . . . and his eyes . . . if he's been feeding from Bella, they should be crimson, not an emerald green color similar to yours, for you are mother and son, that sometimes shifts to blue."

Elizabeth reached up to touch Edward's cold cheek, Edward again bending down to make it easier for her, held Bella's hand in the other, her smile incandescent, filled with deep, motherly love and pride. "The answer, Carlisle, is a complicated, intricate story, one which I will not get into here, for it is so very personal and some things my beautiful boy and his beautiful bride-to-be must discover on their own, only then can I tell them the answers they seek—but it can be summed up in one word, love so deep, pure, it is soul‐binding."

"Well," Emmett's voice now, filled with glee, "now I won't be the only one playing with my food, isn't that right, Edward?"

Edward gritted his teeth, the sound of it audible even to Bella's ears, and when he spoke, his voice was soft, velvet, all the more menacing for it. "Emmett, stop imagining such vile, perverted, sexual images of me and my wife, or I will kill you, I care not if it damages my relationship with Carlisle and Esme, the whole Cullen family, permanently."

Oh, God, Bella was mortified, just imagining what Edward was seeing in Emmett's head right then, his mind probably so dirty and disgusting, sexually perverted, shallow, as he had Rosalie as his life partner. Bella turned to Edward, buried her face against his chest, and he stroked his cold, strong, familiar hands up and down her back, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, trying to gentle her.

Emmett laughed. 'Are you sure you can kill me? I mean, you apparently have blood running in your veins, are starting to deliberately eat human food though it tastes like dirt, and, oh, yeah, look at the color of your eyes. I'm not even sure you're a vampire anymore, maybe what's happening is that you're becoming human again." he taunted. Of course Emmett, along with the rest of the Cullens, knew about Edward deliberately, out of his own, free will, eating human food, nothing ever stayed a secret in this household for too long, not when Alice knew about it, and Alice and Esme had both seen Bella and Edward having afternoon tea with Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth.

A wave of rage overcame Edward. He really wanted to kill Emmett, not only because of the vile, wretched, sexual images in his head, but also because he was making him break the promise he'd made to Bella. Ignoring him for the moment, he took Bella's face between his hands, gently, so gently, his cold fingers naught but velvet against her skin, kissed her, soft and sweet. Breaking the kiss and pulling away, he looked into her deep, chocolate brown eyes, knew she wanted him to feed from her, because though he couldn't read her mind, her beautiful face was an open book if you knew how to read it—but he wouldn't do so in front of his adoptive family, especially not with Jasper's tenuous self-control.

Making a split second decision and ignoring everyone, save, of course, for his beloved mother, Elizabeth, because she knew him, knew him only as a mother knew her son, would understand what he needed, Edward took Bella into his arms, like how a groom carried his new bride, ran so fast, he was naught but a blur, even to his adoptive family.

They were in their own, little cottage faster than even he thought possible, and, knowing the house was boiling hot thanks to the heaters he'd installed and how much she liked feeling his cold skin against her body, he set her down, stripped off the top half of his suit even as he kept an arm round her, holding most of her weight, lest she hurt her broken leg. His movements were fast, too fast for Bella's eyes to be able to register, and soon he was gently pulling her flesh against his body, both arms round her now, taking her lips in a slow, sweet, deep, deeper than ever before, kiss, his teeth biting gently at her lower lip, careful not to discharge any venom, drawing blood.

He darted out his tongue, cold as ice, making sure it was soaked with his venom, began licking at her blood.

Sweet, so sweet, was her blood, brought him so much pleasure, not the kind a predator felt when capturing and killing its prey, but the kind of pleasure he suspected he'd feel when he tangled with her in the sheets once she was his wife and they were joined in matrimony. It had always called to him, her blood, was his own, personal sirène chanson, every note in the flavor of it, as well as the scent, so perfect, it was as if it had been tailor-made for him. At first he'd thought it was because of his vampiric nature, had actually attempted to run away from it, from her, gone to Alaska, Denali, where Tanya, of all people, had convinced him to go back to Forks. Later, when he realized he loved Bella, he was filled with self-loathing because of his craving for her blood, for if he loved her then how could he want to drink her heart's-blood?

Now, as he continued to drink, feed from her, giving her his venom without putting it directly into her bloodstream using his teeth so as not to turn her yet, bring her the maximum amount of pleasure, he realized he need not have hated himself, ever attempted to run away from her, because it wasn't his vampiric nature, which he'd thought of as monstrous for so long, that made him crave her blood so, his thirst so very potent—but his soul crying out from within, begging to be intimate with her thus, for Bella and only Bella to give him the sustenance he needed. It was as if their souls knew they loved each other, belonged together, before Edward and Bella knew it themselves.

That, it made very much sense now that he was thinking about it, using one of the two parts of his mind that weren't focused on feeding, giving her the pleasure and intimacy she craved—to ponder this, the other focusing on monitoring his strength, the way he touched and held her to him. The way they were drawn to each other like magnets from the very first moment they met, the way she didn't react to him the way normal humans did, the way he'd been torn, wanting her to stay away from him, go as far away from him as possible, the torment at the mere thought of her actually listening to his "silent warnings", leaving him alone, in the dark.

It was because they were always meant to be, inevitable.

Soft, feminine, warm hands pushing at his chest. Strange, considering Bella was never, ever the first to pull away, break their kisses. Perhaps she needed to breathe? Yes, of course, that was probably it, he'd just kissed her for way too long, and his beautiful bride-to-be needed to drag air into her lungs. Edward broke the blood kiss, her lower lip already healed, smooth and flawless, but his lips, they didn't leave her skin, simply moved on to her neck and throat, his hands angling her head so he could kiss and trace the blue map of her veins with his lips. "Edward, wait," her voice would have been unintelligible to a human, it was so thick with pleasure, love, and longing, 'just wait a second, my love."

He pulled back, his hand gently wrapping about her throat, stroking the map of her blue veins in time with her pulse. "Is something a matter, mon coeur?" Less than a second after the question left his mouth, he realized she might just want to feed from him even as he continued to feed from her, increasing the intimacy, the pleasure. He held up his wrist, brought it close to her mouth. "Here, my Bella, feed from me, mon amour."

She took his hand, pressed a sweet, warm kiss to his wrist, but didn't bite into his skin. "Your beloved mother, Elizabeth, she could—"

He shook his head, realizing the source of her fretting before she even finished speaking. "No, my Bella, you need not fret so, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, she knows me, knows me as only a mother knows her son, will come here not." Edward laughed then, low and dark, with satisfaction. "Of course, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, she is probably giving Emmett a very heavy berating right now. The perverted, sexual things I had to see in my adoptive family's heads, they are definitely not in line with what she taught me as first a young boy, then a young man. Though, as I told you before, Alice and Jasper, as well as Carlisle and Esme, had the decency to warn me if they wanted to have sex, be intimate, but that means not that I did not sometimes see or hear things I did not want to, after all, a vampiric mind has a lot of room, can process many things at once."

She wrapped her arms about his neck, Edward flexing his arm he still had round her waist, lifting her higher. "Then kiss me, Husband, give me another blood kiss, but this time, I would feed from you ,too."

Edward shuddered with pleasure, hearing her calling him "husband", it undid something in him, made him want to take her to the sheets, be with her as only a husband should be with his wife, claim her as his, while she, too, claimed him for her own. Alas, he need only wait about a month, perhaps a bit less, then he could do what he wanted, be with her as he wanted.

Just as he went to comply with her request, kiss her again, her phone rang. Reluctantly unwrapping one arm from round his neck, she took her phone out from her handbag, winced when she looked at the caller ID. "It is Charlie. I really, really hope he is not about to tell me he is about to get to the Cullen household, I really do not wish to go back there right now, mostly because of Emmett."

Her heart picking up speed, the scent of her blood becoming more potent, sweeter, Bella pressed the answer button, put the phone to her ear. Edward wasn't upset that she hadn't put it on speaker, she had no need to, he would hear what Charlie would say regardless of whether the phone was on speaker or not, his hearing that of a vampire. "Yeah, Dad?"

There was a pause on the other side of the phone, Charlie tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, and though the phone had picked up the sound, it was much too low for Bella's ears. "Listen, Bella, I know we agreed to meet around 5:30, 6:00, but something came up, is it okay if we meet around 7:30, 8:00, instead?"

Edward felt Bella relax, heard her heartbeat slow down, go back to normal. When she spoke, her voice sounded relieved, a little too happy, though she tried to make it sound indifferent. Thankfully, though, Charlie Swan was oblivious to his daughter's body language, speech patterns, and vital signs. "Sure, Dad, don't worry, it's totally fine, take your time."

Edward tried to fight the urge to kiss her, her enthusiasm, though Charlie would probably attribute the fact that she wasn't upset, was telling him to take his time, to nervousness, it was infectious—lost. Since he couldn't kiss her on her beautiful lips, as she was yet on the phone, Charlie taking his time to reply, Edward satisfied himself by placing sweet, sweet, loving, cold kisses all over her arms, following the map of her blue veins.

"Okay, see you then." Charlie hesitated, then added, "Please let Carlisle, Esme, and Elizabeth know, apologize for me. I hate to keep you guys waiting, especially since I know you and Edward are probably really busy planning your wedding, but I was not counting on this."

She hung up, turned to him, his beautiful bride-to-be, a huge grin on her face, her exquisite, deep, chocolate brown eyes shining. "It seems, my beautiful fiance and future husband," she reached up, traced the curve of his lips with her forefinger, her skin warm, so warm against his own, "we have more time than we thought, have to hurry back not."

He placed sweet, cold kisses on her neck, along the hollow of her throat, following her blood as it traveled through her veins. "Hmm, a very good thing." He bit gently at her throat, over her pulsing artery, not hard enough to break skin, draw blood, flicked out his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, to take in the taste of her skin. "I do not wish to do so, but, alas, I need to call Alice so she can let everyone else know."

Edward took out his phone, dialed Alice's number, which he had on speed dial. It rang three times before she picked up, strange, considering she always picked up on the first ring, especially when it was he who called, what with him being her favorite sibling.. She spoke before he could, and that, it annoyed him, as he wanted to get back to Bella, kiss and feed from her even as she, too, fed from him. his annoyance, however, it soon turned to laughter and humor. "Edward, your mother . . ." Alice took a deep breath. "I don't know what kind of images Emmett was imagining of you and Bella, but from the tone of your voice, your mother, who clearly knows you better than any of us do, must have inferred it was something really bad, because he's receiving one hell of a chastisement, so much so, even Carlisle and Esme had to step back, out of the room."

A pause on the other side of the phone, the phone picking up the sound of wind, which meant Alice was running somewhere. "And Jasper, I've never seen him this way, wanting to be close to someone, liking their emotions, but also far, far away. I had to convince him to come on a quick hunt with me before Charlie arrived, had to drag him out of the house, though he was, as we all were shortly after you left, steering clear of Carlisle's office, your mother's emotions too powerful."

Edward felt happiness and joy building inside him. He'd missed his mother so, missed her cuddling him, protecting him as only she could, teaching him things, literature and the arts, among others.

It was true, Carlisle and Esme, they had been acting as his parents for a very long time in the public eye, and that was the key word, acting— attempted to parent him, but they had never, ever replaced his beloved mother, Elizabeth, for the love between them, that of a mother and son, it was unbreakable. Each time Carlisle or Esme had hugged him, it had been a punch to the gut, a stabbing of the heart, a reminder that though he lived, he'd never again feel his mother's arms round him, feel her lips against his cheeks, forehead, or the top of his head as she kissed him affectionately, feel her ruffle his hair as she walked by while he was composing something on the piano, bringing him a cup of tea, along with cucumber sandwiches, and a slice of cold meat.

Now, should he wished to, he could call her, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, and she'd gladly hold him, stroke his hair as she did when he was a youngling. Not only that, but his beloved mother, she loved Bella, his beautiful bride-to-be and future wife, as if she was her own flesh and blood, and they could have afternoon tea together, lavish meals, akin to the ones he'd had when he was a youngling.

Warm skin, so very warm, against his own, Bella running her fingers up and down his arm, then replacing those fingers with her lips.

He shook his head to clear it, stole a quick, chased kiss just because he could. "Alice, I do not wish to talk right now—" because her reason for telling him what his mother was doing was undoubtedly so he could explain things, "I only called to inform you that Charlie called, said he would be late, arrive at about 7:30, 8:00, so you could let everyone know."

The phone picked up the sound of footsteps, then his beloved mother's voice. "Give me the phone, Alice, I know you are speaking with my beautiful boy, my beloved son."

Alice's voice again. "Edward, your mother wishes to speak to you. I will go back to the house with Jasper in the meantime, inform everyone of Charlie's delay."

There was several seconds of silence, his beloved mother likely waiting for Alice and Jasper to be far enough away so they wouldn't overhear. "Are you and your beautiful bride-to-be all right, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my son? I know not what Emmett was thinking, what he was imagining, as it is only you who can read minds, but from the tenor of your voice when you spoke to him, the way you reacted, I can infer it was pretty inappropriate and perverted."

"Yes, Mama, my Bella and I are both all right." His voice was choked with emotion, filled with so much love for Bella, his beautiful bride-to-be, and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, it threatened to overwhelm him, and he felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, the one he always felt when he wanted to cry but couldn't, his body incapable of producing tears anymore.

"Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas, mon amour? Soft words from his beloved mother, for she knew him, knew him as only a mother knew her son—spoken in a language he'd learned at her knee.

He was so overwhelmed with emotion, filled with love, he needed to do something to channel it. He buried his face against Bella's hair, was careful so as not to ruin her hairdo, inhaled deeply, the sweet, sweet scent of her blood making his throat burn. That burn, he knew now, it didn't come from his vampiric nature, the part of him that was a predator, but from his soul's desire to be intimate with her, for her and only her to give him the sustenance he needed. ""Ce n'est rien, maman, tu m'as tellement manqué, car personne ne t'a jamais remplacé dans mon cœur. Though Carlisle and Esme have acted as my parents in the public for a very long time now, it is you and you alone who carried me in your womb for nine months, you who instilled such pure, moral values in me, who are my one and only beloved mother."

Soft, female laughter, and when his beloved mother spoke again, he could hear tears of love in her voice. "Oh, my beautiful boy, I missed you, too, missed you so very much, and I promise you this, I will never leave you again, Edward William Masen Evans, will always protect you, for, in my eyes, you will always be the babe I carried in my womb, who I rocked in my arms, no matter that you are strong now, unkillable by any human means. We need to have a family discussion later, you, your Bella, and myself—for I will not allow such vile perversions to fill your head ever again, but right now get back to your beautiful bride-to-be. You need only come back here, to the Cullen household, ten minutes before Charlie, your future father-in-law, arrives. Fret not over what to tell him, as we can figure that out without you needing to be here, I, meanwhile, will have a word with Carlisle and Esme about Emmett's perversions"

Edward closed his eyes, said words he hadn't said in a very long time, that he'd thought he'd never get to say again. "I love you, Mama."

He could hear a smile, her voice filled with nothing but pure, motherly love, when she spoke. "As I love you, my beautiful boy."