SHE CAME TO WITH EDWARD HOVERING OVER HER, his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath brushing over her skin. "Oh, Bella, oh, thank God." Cold, honey-sweet kisses being pressed all over her face, her neck and throat, her chest, though he carefully avoided her breasts, kissed her heart over and over and over again.
What happened . . . it all rushed back to her then, graduation, Charlie, Renee, Phil, Billy, and the dog, the fact that they wanted her to go to La Push, that that dog wanted to be alone with her. Face whitening, she ran her fingers over the soft, heavy, cool silk of Edward's hair, who was yet kissing her heart over and over through her clothes. "My love, Husband, the dog—"
Fingers stroking over her hair, tender, so tender, kisses being peppered all over her face, throat, and neck. "Hush, it is all right, you are all right, safe, at home, with me."
She looked around, realized she was in her and Edwards bedroom in their own, little cottage, the softness that she felt under her back the mattress. "What—" she sat up on the edge of the bed, Edward shifting off her, handing her a steaming mug of what must be lavender and chamomile tea, "happened, what did you do after I passed out, how did you get me home?"
He took her left gloved hand in one of his, slid off her glove, but didn't put her betrothal ring back on, likely because they would have afternoon tea soon, played with her fingers, kissed her wrist and palm instead. "I told Charlie, Renee, and Phil you passed out due to all the excitement, the adrenaline rush, that it was just too overwhelming for you."
The warmth that had been blooming in her stomach, both from the tea and from being in Edward's arms, the knowledge that she was, for now, safe, dissipated, a horrible thought occurring to her. She didn't want to go to La Push, somewhere where Edward couldn't protect her, be in the same vicinity as possible werewolves, for Jacob, he couldn't be the only possible werewolf in his tribe, no matter that Billy was Charlie's best friend, that Charlie was oblivious to the supernatural world around him, the fact that he was unintentionally placing her in danger. Her heartbeat and breathing sped up, her vision becoming blurry, and she knew she was on the verge of passing out again. "La Push, my love, I do not—"
He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her, took the steaming mug from her, placed it momentarily on the nightstand, then brought her onto his lap, shifting her so they were completely facing each other, her legs on either side of his hips so she was effectively straddling him, the skirts of the layers of clothing she wore not sliding up despite the intimate position, keeping her cupboard and modest. He didn't say anything, simply reached out, traced the tiny, so small they were in perceptible to human eyes, pale blue veins on her face, following the path of her blood.
Then he kissed her, and his kiss . . . it was sweet, so sweet, deep as he was willing to make it without fear of hurting her, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, stroking into her mouth when she opened it in a gasp. "I," he pulled away slightly, just enough so he could speak even as his lips continued to move against her own, "will not permit anyone to take you to La Push, fret not over that, mon précieux trésor." A pause in his kiss, a sudden ridgidness to his body. "Though, unfortunately, we do have to go to the Cullen household, as Charlie, Renee, and Phil believe we are yet living over there, with Carlisle, Esme, and the rest of the Cullens, and they wish to congratulate you, as they believe it was spoiled by you passing out, and I also wish to pick up my Aston Martin before Rosalie has a chance to touch it, damage it.
He reached over, grabbed her tea, handed it to her. "Drink your tea first, though, before we take our leave, as we have time yet, for Charlie, Renee, and Phil will not be at the Cullen household for about forty minutes, as they are grabbing a ride with Carlisle and Esme, Carlisle having gone to fetch his car not long after I took off with you, as they had arrived with the dog and his father, both of whom left shortly after we did." A soft, musical, male laugh pouring over her, akin to warm, oozing honey. "Of course, Carlisle, he will have to drive way, way slower than he usually does, abide traffic laws, as Charlie, the chief of police, will be in the car with him, and Carlisle has not the ability to read minds as I do, nor the ability to see the future, akin to Alice—a very good thing for us, as it will give you more time to relax, give me more time to comfort you and make certain all of your needs are met."
She didn't question him after that, question how it was that he'd gotten her home so quickly, had ran with her in his arms, fast like only he could, without anyone noticing, knowing he'd found a way as he always did, her beautiful fiance and future husband, who almost always thought of everything, simply leaned against his shoulder, drank her tea, cold, gentle fingers stroking up and down her back, over her hair, careful not to ruin her hairdo.
Then, when she was done, he put her kid-skin glove back on, took her into his arms, ran with her, fast like only he could, the wind thrusting covetous fingers through their hair, though her hairdo held steadfast.
He didn't go to the Cullen household right away, no, instead he took her for an accelerating ride through wildflowers and trees, jumping across water streams, lakes, and rivers, the water a beautiful blue even as it was crystalline, transparent, the vegetation green and lush, such vibrant colors she didn't know could exist in the United States—and it wasn't until they reached the Canadian border that he turned back, begun to head in the direction of the Cullen household. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt, her heart feeling light and happy, her soul contented, took an exhilarating kiss, letting her warm tongue flick out to take in the taste of his skin, trace the curve of his lower lip, knowing they wouldn't crash, his instincts perfect and inhuman, running through the forest second nature to him. "I thank you, my beautiful fiance and future husband, my love."
He beamed, a small amount of direct sunlight reaching out to come in contact with his skin, causing it to glow and sparkle, his eyes, beautiful and immortal, alight, Bella, too, glowing and sparkling wherever their skin touched. "You are most welcome, Bella, mon doux, précieux trésor, but you need not thank me for this. My job as a husband is to make certain you are happy and safe, that your needs are met, and that is exactly what I am doing right now. "
They got to the Cullen household just in time, as Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, Renee, and Phil had just arrived, were coming out of the garage, Edward not bothering to set Bella down, as there was no point, they both loved when she was in his arms, meeting them halfway, as if they, too, had just arrived.
Edward's approaching footsteps were light and soft, graceful in a way no human's would ever be, Charlie, Renee, and Phil looking up, blinking several times when they saw her and Edward, the way Edward was holding her. She didn't have to have Edward's mind reading ability to know what Charlie was thinking, what he saw, Edward cradling her close, loving and protective, a light blush coloring the apples of her cheeks from their run through the forest, though Charlie had no idea where it came from, probably thought it was due to what happened at school, the embarrassment of fainting in front of everyone. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Bella, are you okay? You gave us quite the scare back there."
She attempted to make her voice sound soft, faint, as if the after effects of passing out were still passing through her system, but it was hard, exhilaration and happiness from the run yet coursing through her veins. "Yeah, Dad, I'm fine, I just need to rest, lay down, be somewhere quiet and peaceful for a while."
A nod from Charlie, then her mother's voice, excited and filled with pride. "That's totally understandable, but you will come out to the party at some point, right? Alice, she told us the guests would arrive in an hour and a half shortly after you and Edward left, Edward taking you to his car."
Alice, who had just come into the garage, smiled, smug, probably thinking that she and Edward couldn't get out of the party entirely now, and Bella's mind started working double time, horrible images of having to mingle, pretend, filling her head.
Turned out, though, she was fretting over nothing, as Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth, came to stand beside them, as if they'd arrived together, handed Edward the keys to his Volvo, said, "Actually, Bella and my beautiful boy, they are coming to my small home here in Forks to celebrate, we are having some afternoon tea, a private gathering. Of course, you, Charlie, and Phil are welcome to join us, too, as Carlisle and Esme need to stay here due to the party, keep it, the party, under parental supervision—but we'll be packing soon as we're done with tea, as we'll be heading to England tomorrow."
Alice, who had let her mouth fall open at the words "we'll be heading to England tomorrow", now closed it, let out an incredulous huff. "Esme and I, we'll go with you."
Again, Bella panicked, her heartbeat increasing in tempo, for if Alice and Esme came with them, her and Edward's plans could be ruined, but again, it was all for naught. Elizabeth smiled politely, her words, softly spoken, with manners that were lacking in this day and age, the outcome of what would inevitably happen if Esme and Alice did come with them to England, even as they kept a secret hidden. "Sure, you and Esme can come if you want, Alice, but you might feel awkward, out of place, as Bella, my beautiful boy, and I, we'll be visiting family friends, friends who wish to see me, my beautiful boy, and Bella, his beautiful bride-to-be."
Alice opened her mouth, about to speak again, but Esme, whose eyes held an unreadable emotion, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let Edward, Bella, and Elizabeth go to England on their own, Alice, it's clear that if we go there we'll probably feel as if we are Intruders. Besides," a slight curve of Esme's lips, "we have a lot of work to do here in Forks, you and I."
Something in Esme and Alice's thoughts made Edward flinch, cradle Bella closer to him, mouth, "It is never going to happen," and the words, they should have been too low for Bella to hear, but somehow they weren't and it was perfect. No one else, save, of course, for his beloved mother, noticed or heard, and it was a very good thing.
Alice let it go, her eyes brightening, a curl to her lips that was very similar to Esme's, oblivious to the tension of Edward's body, the way he was cradling Bella so very close, the anger simmering through his body that sliced sharp as a sword.
Bella wanted to ask what Esme, Alice, and the rest of the Cullens, because there was no way they didn't know, there were no secrets or privacy in this household, were up to, then came her mother's voice, and when Bella looked up she saw Renee looked torn, as if she really wanted to join them for afternoon tea, but, thank God, something was holding her back from accepting Elizabeth's invitation. Bella watched her mother chew on her lower lip, and she really hoped she didn't do it hard enough to draw blood, not with Jasper in the vicinity. Renee looked between her, Edward, and Elizabeth, smiled slightly. "Thank you for the invitation, Elizabeth, really, but, unfortunately, Phil, Charlie, and I will not be able to join you, as Sue Clearwater cooked a lot of food, no doubt, and we can't let it go to waste, depreciate her efforts."
She looked at Bella, her eyes assessing, as if she was realizing something for the very first time. "I'm sorry, Bella, your father, Phil, and I, we should have called and asked if you had any plans post graduation." A shake of her head, her mother clicking her tongue against her lips. "Of course you made plans with Edward and Elizabeth ahead of time, it's clear the three of you love each other very much, and you never did like going to La Push, being around Billy and Jacob, even as a child, always told me they gave you the creeps, that you didn't feel safe, begged me every summer not to send you back here, to Forks, the reason why I was so surprised when you told me you would move in with your father so I could travel with Phil."
She felt Edward tense even more, wrap himself about her, cocooning her, as if he would keep out the rest of the world, heard him let out a hiss and a growl, though the sound was much too low for her parents and Phil to hear.
A shake of her head, her mother's smiled that of a teenager. "Forgive us, we should have taken what you wanted into account."
Bella tried to keep the relief and happiness out of her voice. "Of course, Mom, don't worry about it. Besides, she added" trying to comfort her mother, Charlie, and Phil, who were all feeling pretty guilty, it was written all over there faces, "you know me, if I didn't have Edward or Elizabeth to celebrate with, was still living in Phoenix with you, I would have asked you to take me straight home after graduation so I could shut myself in my room, read one of the classics, probably Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice."
Even as she spoke, she saw Alice glare at Edward, whose frame was shaking with quiet laughter, out of the corner of her eye. She wondered what that was about, was sure he'd tell her and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, later, once they were back home.
Charlie cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, a slow blush coloring his cheeks, and Bella hoped Jasper wasn't close by. "Okay, Bella, Edward, there's something I want to ask you before we go . . . " He hesitated, muttered something much too low for her to hear, then spoke louder. "I know you said you want to travel the world, though not right away, but are you guys checking out any colleges while you're in England?"
At this, Edward's lips twitched, and Bella could feel him fighting really hard not to burst out laughing, why, she didn't know, as she didn't know what his answer would be, but she didn't have to wait long to find out. Keeping his voice as normal and nonchalant as possible, he said, "Cambridge and Oxford University."
Everyone's mouths, save for Elizabeth and Bella's, dropped open, and there was a rapid mental exchange between Edward and Alice, then between Edward and Carlisle, but he shook his head, her beautiful fiance and future husband, for, Bella knew, he wasn't telling them anything, no matter how hard they tried. Of course, they probably believed it an elaborate lie, part of her and Edward's public story, just didn't know why he'd chosen such prestigious schools when he could have chosen anything else. The truth, however, was vastly different then what they believed, as she and Edward would be going to both Cambridge and Oxford University during their trip to England, just not in the capacity Edward had led Phil and her parents to believe, to possibly become students.
There was another round of hugs and kisses, Edward not letting her go even for a second, and soon Charlie, Renee, and Phil were leaving, taking a taxi to La Push.
They stood in front of the great of the drawing room of their home, Bella and her beautiful fiance and future husband, the sound of the crackling fire warm and soothing, his arms about her body, holding her close, pressed up against him. They had just concluded having afternoon tea, celebrating, Edwards beloved mother, Elizabeth, telling them she'd give them the rest of their graduation gifts once they were in England, that she had decided to speak to Carlisle and Esme after the three of them returned, as she didn't wish to feel pressured, like they had to quickly wrap up things, run the risk of anyone overhearing them—before she pressed a kiss to their foreheads, caressed their hair, left. Of course, she helped Bella pack before they had afternoon tea, it was the first thing they did when they got home, Edward regretfully leaving her and his beloved mother, pressing a kiss to Bella's lips, then kissing his mother on the cheek, telling Bella he had a couple of errands to run before their trip, would return soon as possible.
As she watched the crackling flames, their color gold with just a hint of blue at the bottom, from within the circle of Edward's arms, she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck, her throat, silently asking him to kiss it. That he did so without much hesitation at all . . . it made her heart and blood sing, her soul soar. Taking a deep breath as his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath washed over her, his lips yet moving over her skin, up and down her throat, repeating this over and over, she finally asked him what she had wanted to know for hours, but hadn't had the chance to bring up earlier. "What are Alice, Esme, and the rest of the Cullens up to, what is it that made you so mad, what are they thinking?" A pause, Bella's head tilting up even as Edward bent his so she could steal a sweet kiss. "What is the 'a lot of work' Esme was referring to?"
He turned her to face him, set her left hand, which now bore the mark of his possession and their betrothal, her engagement ring, over his still heart, took a blood kiss that was so deep, so sweet, so openly possessive and filled with love, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lovingly lick at her blood, drink it, it made Bella arch into him, her toes curl, nails digging into his shirt. Pulling away only after he was certain her skin was healed, soft and smooth once more, he licked his lips, wiping her heart's-blood from his mouth, pressed his forehead to hers. "They are designing and building two new houses, one for us, the other for the rest of the family, Carlisle having purchased some new land in Anchorage, Alaska."
A pause, another blood kiss, this one slightly more tamed, emphasis on slightly. "They plan on staying here in Forks for two more years, one so Alice has a chance to finish High School, the other so they can be at leisure, giving you plenty of time to," he made a pair of quotation marks in the air, his face full of love, pride, and satisfaction, "get your thirst under control, as the only blood you will truly crave will be mine, just as the only blood I truly crave is yours, mon coeur—before moving again. The fact they are building a house for us, one, and this is according to the thoughts of all the Cullens, to which we can 'temporarily escape to when we wish for privacy', it is not what bothers me, makes me so angry, as they know not of our plans to live separately from them from now on, move to Chicago, then, after you give birth to our first future child, be it Edward or Elizabeth Catherine—to England, nor will they, not until the last possible second, after our wedding and honeymoon, when we are already living in Chicago."
Another pause, yet another sweet, sweet, blood kiss, and while she loved kissing him, loved when he had multiple lapses of self-control, this frightened Bella, not because she was afraid of Edward, she trusted him, knew he wouldn't take too much of her blood at once, but because the last time he'd gotten like this, in the bath, it was while they were having a very difficult, painful conversation. "It is their train of thought—"
This time, it was Bella who stretched up, took a kiss, deep as he would let her, hot, and sweet. "Is it sexual things, are they attempting to imagine what we would do in that house they are planning on building for us?" A shiver went through her at the thought, she expected such things from Emmett and Rosalie, but the rest of the Cullens . . .
Cold, gentle fingers under her chin, a shake of Edward's head. "No, mon doux, they were not doing that, else, I would have come up with an excuse quick as possible, gotten us out of there—but, in some ways, what they were thinking of, it is much, much worse. As I am certain you have deduced, Alice, she has been complaining of the way you are starting to dress yourself, that you will not let her help you, mentally to me. However, her complaints, they go deeper than the fact that you will not allow her to help you, as, according to her, the way you are dressing lately, the beautiful frocks and accessories you are choosing are too old-fashioned, elegant but not," again, he made a pair of quotation marks in the air, "sexy' enough, and you need to modernize a bit."
He ran his fingers over her hair, gentle and soothing, having taken it down right after his beloved mother, Elizabeth, left, given Bella a scalp massage. "She convinced everyone of this, that you needed to 'modernize' your way of dressing, by pointing out the fact that if you went to school dressed thus, everyone would stare at you, think that you had grown two heads, and that they,—the Cullens, knew you liked that not, so they all agreed to pitch in, get you a new wardrobe, except for Rosalie and Emmett, of course, one that is still elegant, but more modern, 'sexy'. What they understand not is that to me, seeing you dressed thus, wearing the frocks and accessories you have been lately, is a thousand times more appealing than seeing you in mini skirts, for example, for I was born in a different time, cling to those values and morals, the ones my beloved mother, Elizabeth, instilled in me."
There was a light burning in those eyes of emerald green, eyes unlike any other, eyes no other creature would ever possess—and something else, something that made Bella's womb clench, made her wish they were married already so he could take her to the sheets, make love to her. "Besides, I have no doubt that you are, indeed, going to wear revealing clothing every day, or, more accurately, night, in the form of lingerie, when we are in our bedroom, alone, our children taken care of, sleeping, for I have a feeling all of our children will need sleep, as, according to the legend, all of the children born of a union such as ours, between a human female and a male vampire, need sleep not."
Bella opened her mouth, went to interrupt him, but he wasn't done, pressed a finger to her lips. "I reckon this is because of the same reason why they mature faster than a human babe rather than much, much slower, in accordance with their immortality, for the father claims them not until they have reached maturity, and they have no one to protect them, need to be constantly on the move. It is true, mon doux ange, the legend only applies to our first child, be it Edward or Elizabeth Catherine, even that only slightly, but as I have told you before, Amour, our children will be different than any other vampire, for they will be born, not made, ma belle sirène."
A shiver of pleasure rippled over her, her hands stroking up, over his chest, arms rapping about his neck, drawing him down for a soft, sweet, deep, deep as he would allow her to make it without fear of hurting her, kiss. "Good, I like the thought of having you to myself for twelve hours, hours we can use to make love over and over and over again."
Soft, musical, male laughter, fine, delicate silk stroking over her skin in a slow, lazy, languorous caress. "You, ma belle mariée, are the most beautiful, sensual, seductive creature on the planet."
She bit her lip, decided to tell him what she'd been thinking of during graduation, as they were already speaking of their future children. "I know the Cullens have a pattern, move to a new place, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett going to High School or university, though if they choose to go to High School, pretend to be teenagers rather than University students or married they can stay in one place for longer, but I really do not wish to go to High School and University over and over again, have to pretend not to be married to you, even as I know that pretense can come right off when we are home, especially as we will be having children of our own."
To her surprise and delight, he lifted her up, like how a groom carried his new bride, carried her to the setee, then moved fast like only he could, too fast for her eyes to register, came back with a glass jar of body lotion. Going to stand behind her, his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath brushing over her skin, he shifted the fabric of her beautiful frock just enough to expose the skin of her shoulders and neck, kneading the taut, straining muscles with just the right amount of pressure to make her sigh and relax, lean further into his touch.
He didn't speak for several minutes, and when he did speak, his lips brushing delicately over her nape, his voice was soft, tender, of a husband to his wife, the words private. "I thought about that not, mon trésor, but I really should have. Yes, right you are, we cannot pretend to go to High School or university again and again, over and over, be teenagers, as I have done for a long time, as we will be having children and no one should get to raise and educate them but us."
He paused, grabbed a small amount of lotion, went back to giving her a massage, one that made her bones melt, wish they were married already so he could give her a full body massage, his fingers, cold and smooth and gentle, soft as satin or silk, gliding over her back, gentle hands turning her over, cupping and kneading her breasts . . .
A gentle, honey-sweet kiss pressed to her nape, the graze of very sharp teeth against her soft, fragile skin. "What is it that you are thinking about? I can hear your heart beating akin to that of a trapped bird's, smell your arousal, ma belle sirène."
A slow, slow blush colored her cheeks, heat warming her skin. "I," she turned her head slightly to look at him, "am wishing we were married already so you could give me a full body massage, picturing you doing it."
His smile was dazzling, the light burning behind his eyes, those beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue, coupled with his power, making her ache, crave him. "Soon, ma belle mariée, very soon." He got back to the topic at hand, went back to giving her a massage. "The reason why it works for the Cullens, why they—Alice, Jasper, Emmet, and Rosalie, can go back and forth, pretend to be married, then move to a new place, pretend not to be married, go to High School or university, Carlisle and Esme always the matriarch and patriarch respectively, repeating this cycle over and over again, is because they are stuck, never moving on to the next stage of life, partly because they are all immature in one way or another, and partly because they are incapable of having children of their own. You and I, however, we are vastly different than they, mature in a way they are not, capable of having children of our own."
He moved, fast like only he could, went somewhere, likely to the kitchen, for when he came back less than a second later, his hands were clean, free of lotion, readjusted her beautiful frock, then brought her into his lap, shifting her so they were completely facing each other. "Now, Amour, I have a question of my own to ask you, several, actually. If you were afraid of Billy and the dog even as a child, which, I reckon, has to do with the peace of my soul that has always been inside you, hated going to La Push—why did you agree to go to La Push with Mike, Jessica, Angela, and Lauren? What on earth possessed you to take a walk on the beach with that dog, flirt with him just to get more information about the Cullens, about me? Misunderstand me not, mon doux ange, I am really glad the dog gave you information about the Cullens, about me, I only wish to understand."
She blushed, hid her burning face against his neck, then realized she was fretting over nothing, Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he wouldn't call her crazy, they were part of the supernatural world, after all. "Your first question is the easiest to answer, I agreed to go to La Push because of peer pressure, though I was absolutely terrified, I did not want people to think me a recluse, you know how the gossip in this tiny town is. It is why I invited you, though I was not going to take my truck, I was terrified of going to La Push, but something told me I would be safer, better protected, if you came with me, and I wanted to spend every waking second with you that I could, as I still do."
A pause so she could take a deep breath, then steal a kiss. "Forgive me, Husband, I lied to you when you were driving me back from Port Angeles after rescuing me from that guy and his friends—taking me to supper. I told you I had not come up with the theory on my own, but, truth is, the dog, he only confirmed what I already knew. This is why I took a walk with him on the beach in the first place, though I was terrified, I wanted someone or something to confirm what I already knew, a second source, and something told me he would."
A raised eyebrow, a slight curve of his lips. "Oh?"
She didn't have to have Edward's mind reading ability to know what he was thinking, what he wanted to know. "The first day you did not come to school after I moved to Forks, that night, I had a dream of the two of us. We were lying in my bed, the two of us, Charlie out of the house, and you kissed your way down the length of my body, all the way to my navel."
A soft, feminine laugh. "Of course, you avoided my breasts even in the dream, you beautiful, old-fashioned man. Then you kissed your way back up my body, kissed my lips, tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck and throat, bit gently at my flesh, began to feed. When I woke up, rose from the bed, my legs trembled from pleasure and my body ached, for even in my dream your venom brought me so much pleasure, the reason why I was so disconcerted when you told me that vampiric venom caused an excruciating kind of pain, for it was not thus in my dream. This dream of mine, I instinctively knew it was not only a dream, was the absolute truth, for I kept having it over and over after that, until we discussed my theories in the car on our way back from Port Angeles. The reason why I did not confront you with the truth sooner, tell you that I knew what you were, a vampire—is because I wanted to get a secondary source, confirm what I already knew deep down."
A soft, choked laugh, fingers stroking her hair, a tender blood kiss, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lovingly lick at her blood. "Now, Amour, with this new information you shared with me, the dream that you had, coupled with the fact that we both now know a piece of my soul was always inside you, just as a piece of your soul was always inside me, I can better understand your reaction in the car when we were driving back from Port Angeles, why you told me it mattered not, that I was a vampire, for you knew deep down I would never, ever hurt you, no matter my self-doubt."
A nod, her eyes dancing. "Forgive me, Husband, for not telling you of this dream of mine, which, I reckon, was your soul's way of telling me you would never hurt me, even when you fed from me, sooner, but I knew if I told you at any point before you started feeding from me, you would think my dream a monstrosity, distance yourself from me. I could have told you right away after you did start feeding from me, but, to be honest, I had forgotten of this dream of mine until now, this conversation made me remember."
Bella suddenly thought of something, and that something, it was not a total change of subject, but it would bring the conversation back to the dog and his father. Fear, Insidious and dark, the taste of it acrid on her tongue, twisted through her, bloomed in her stomach. She knew her heart was beating rapidly, akin to that of a trapped bird's, knew, too, Edward could hear it, already knew it was because of fear, as it was written all over her face, so she forced herself to speak past the knot in her throat. "Edward, my love, we have to change the venue of our wedding, we cannot get married in Forks."
"Bella—"
She kissed him, cutting him off, but soon, what started as a kiss to silence him turned desperate, and she bit at his lip, hard enough to break skin, the taste of his blood, sweet, so sweet, tailor-made for her, making her moan.
She forced herself to pull away after a couple of minutes, knowing she was probably scaring him, say, "i know you said Billy and the dog would not come to our wedding, even should Charlie invite them, for it will take place in the territory of the Cullens, but what if they, Billy and the dog, along with the tribe elders, consider the fact that we are yet betrothed, mere weeks away from getting married, already a breach of the treaty, for they know it will lead to my eventual transformation? What if, because they know you will not be able to do anything, as it would draw too much attention, Billy, the dog, and Sue Clearwater decide to show up to our wedding when Charlie invites them? I do not wish to faint in my own wedding, for it to be ruined."
He clenched his teeth, then relaxed just as quickly, a slow, brilliant smile curving his lips, his beautiful, inhuman eyes glowing with power, excitement, and love, love so pure, it was an entity of its own. "How would you like to get married in Europe, mon doux, either England or France?"
Her mouth dropped open, then she, too, began to smile. She leaned in, kissed him, soft, hot, and honey-sweet. "It sounds wonderful, perfect, actually, Husband, my love."
His body trembled, the love and emotions he felt for her, so strong and pure, visible on every line of his body, his beautiful, perfect, angel's face. "I," he leaned in, took a kiss, and his kiss, it was sweet, so sweet, so utterly and completely possessive, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to taste the curve of her lower lip, stroking into her mouth when she opened it in a gasp, "do love it when you call me that, "husband', love it so much, it makes me want to take you to the sheets, strip you to the skin, claim you as mine, make love to you. Right, then, we will begin sorting everything out once we get to England, either tomorrow or the day after, depending on how tired you are, how much jet lag affects you, ma belle mariée, reine de mon coeur, mon âme, figure out a way to bring your parents and Phil to either England or France, depending on what we decide."