The Moon And The Sun

by Rivca

After everything that happened with James, Alice goes to see Bella in the hospital, tells her that Edward is just looking for an excuse, for something "bad" to happen to convince himself that she's better off without him, safer. She also warns Bella of the dire consequences if Edward does leave. When Bella sees Edward next, she confronts him about it, convinces him to stay.

24. 24 A TASTE OF A NEW LIFE

SHE WAS TIRED, so tired, Edward having kept his promise, kept her up all night as he kissed and held her, feeding from her even as she fed from him. Still, she wanted to be wide awake when they got to England, able to take in the beautiful building, and, no doubt, opulent, luscious, surrounding gardens that would act as their home for the next centuries or even millennia. Gut feeling blooming in her stomach, one she didn't know how to explain, but she knew was correct, she lowered her lashes, made her voice feather-soft, irresistible to Edward. "Can I feed from you before we take our leave, Husband, my love?"

Soft, musical, male laughter, silk stroking over her skin, warm, melting honey pouring over her body. He was so beautiful, her fiance and future husband, the sunlight reaching out with gilded fingers to stroke over his skin, causing it to sparkle and glow, the sky painted in shades of pink, purple, blue, and gold as the sun rose over the horizon—that it made thinking difficult. "You, mon doux ange," he traced her lips with his thumb, causing a small fire to erupt there despite the cold temperature of his skin, "are as addicted to my blood as I am to yours, though you are not yet a vampire." He rolled up the right sleeve of his white button‐up shirt, exposing his wrist, then brought her into his lap, the two of them having been sitting side by side on the setee as she finished drinking her tea, having just finished breakfast. "Very well, feed from me even as I, too, feed from you, Amour."

She didn't hesitate, bit into his wrist, her teeth, though human, easily breaking through his skin, blood, hot and sweet and tailor-made for her, warm, so warm, though it should have been an impossibility, for his blood to be warm, for he had no heartbeat, his skin cold as ice—gushing into her mouth. Pleasure, better than the softest of silks, the finest champagne, rich and sumptuous, with thousands of layers of depth—no simple thing, this pleasure, filled her body at the first taste of his blood, the merest of droplets. The pleasure and intimacy only increased when Edward bit at her own wrist, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lovingly lick at her blood, heat pooling low in her stomach, to the hot, aching place between her thighs. She could do this, she thought, kiss and feed from him even as he, too, fed from her, be in his arms, the pleasure so deep, so in human, forever, hours and hours on end . . . but they had to get to the airport, had to catch a plane.

Pulling away with a reluctant sigh only after making certain her skin was healed, Edward chuckled quietly. "Ah, Bella, ma belle sirène, much as I wish to continue with this, we must get to the airport."

She was reluctant to stop, too, as she always was, even as delight and excitement bubbled through her bloodstream. "How long, my love, how long will it take us to get to England, be home?"

He eased her off of his lap, moved fast like only he could, came back with a damp, warm tea towel in less than a second, wiped away his heart's-blood that was yet rimming her mouth, the color ruby red, rich and dark, his own lips, soft, lush, yet hard, already clean. "Normally, it takes about ten to thirteen hours to get to England from Forks, as there is no airport in this tiny town, no international flights, but as we will not be taking traditional means of transportation to England, I would say it will take us about six hours, give or take. Add to that the fact that it will take us about half an hour to get to our final destination from the airport with my fast driving, the fact that I do not adhere to traffic laws, and I say we should be home in about six and a half hours—seven maximum." An assessing look, a slight curve to his beautiful lips. "You, ma belle mariée, are not tired anymore, are you?"

A curve to her own lips, eyes glowing and dancing. "No, my love, your blood, sweet, so sweet and delicious, tailor-made for me, it woke me up, gave me the energy I needed, as I had a feeling it would, part of the reason why I asked if I could feed from you, the other being that I just wanted to feel pleasure, be intimate with you thus."

"Interesting." His tone coupled with the kiss he took from her, wild and open and filled with love yet tinged with restraint, made it clear he was very pleased. "Perhaps, mon précieux trésor, the side effects of my blood, other than the pleasure, pleasure akin to that which husband and wife feel when tangling in the sheets together—shift according to what you need. This, I reckon, will minimize your jet lag, or, perhaps, make you not have jet lag at all, though I reckon you do still need to sleep, for you are still human, after all." A kiss pressed to her forehead, the crown of her head, her lips. "Call Charlie, Renee, and Phil, mon coeur, tell them we will be very busy in England, that you will not have time to call them every day, I will go fetch our bags in the meantime, place them in the car."

Checking the time and seeing it was too early, only a quarter past six, she decided to text Charlie and her mother, instinctively knowing none of them would be awake, having stayed late, so late in La Push, in Billy's house, Edward's breath, cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating, brushing over her nape as he stood behind her, cold, strong, gentle hands on her shoulders even before she was finished sending text messages, he was so very fast, her beautiful fiance and future husband. Putting away her phone in the same handbag she always used lately when she was done, then turning, she took a honey‐sweet kiss. "I love how fast you are, the fact that you are a predator, beautiful and though not to me, never to me, dangerous, it means no one can ever take you from me."

Now it was his turn to take a kiss. "I," he murmured, tracing the white gold thread in the cobalt blue lace of her frock with one cold finger, lips yet against her own, moving softly, delicately, over hers, theirs a perfect dance, "love this beautiful frock of yours, love you so, ma belle mariée, mon coeur, mon âme. Are you ready to take our leave?"

A nod, tears of happiness and love in her eyes.

Edward carried her to the car, his Aston Martin, fast like only he could, drove fast, so fast, her left hand in his, and soon they were parking at the airport, Edward getting their bags out of the trunk. Taking her hand, helping her out of the car, he didn't guide her to where she expected, to check‐in their bags, then go through security. Instead, they went through security quick and fast, not having to stand in line, unlike the last time they'd traveled, then went to what proof to be a private terminal, at the end of which was a small, sleek, fast, and expensive-looking white plane.

Beside the plane stood a man who seemed to be in his late teens, early twenties, his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapping in patiently at the ground. He was tall, this man who was yet a stranger, had considerable muscles, though Bella much preferred Edward's body structure, perfect, beautiful, strong, lethal, and flawless—was dressed in a white button up shirt and dark, the color almost black, but not quite, navy blue jeans. His hair was black, dark as the heart of the night, rich and Inky, and when Bella looked at his eyes, she saw they were gold, akin to melting honey, indicating he was a vampire, fed on animal blood.

The man, whose lips curved when he caught sight of Edward, his smile that of a friend, waited for her and Edward to get closer, before he pulled Edward into a hug, theirs clearly a greeting of friends. "Edward, Mate," said the man, his accent very much not American but English, "it is good to see you again. Gideon, he is so envious, wanted to come, too, meet your bride, but Amelia insisted they had to stay in England, for someone had to get your car to the airport—we all know what a bad mood you get in when you have to drive slow and it is unnecessary." He released Edward from the hug without warning, turned to look at Bella, his gaze polite but curious, before his eyes slid back to Edward. "Is this she, your bride?"

Bella felt Edward slide his arm about her waist, pull her close to his side, press a kiss to her hair, her temple, pride and love exuding from him. "It is good to see you, too, Liam, I thank you for coming to pick us up with such short notice. Yes, this is my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be."

He momentarily turned away from Liam, to face Bella, took her hands in his, finished making the introduction. "Bella, Amour, this is Liam, Gideon's younger brother of about a year, part of the reason he was always late to events, as they were always getting into trouble, those two, Gideon as culpable as Liam. He and Gideon got turned by the same vampire, Arthur, who was passing by, took pity on them when he saw them struggling to survive, for they, too, had caught the Spanish influenza, but refused to go to the hospital, get treatment, believing they would be fine—taught them everything they needed to know, how to hunt animals rather than humans, control their thirst and urges, before he left, as he was traveling through the European continent at the time. They got changed around the same time Carlisle changed me, though we reconnected not until 1921, when I left for England for the first time after my beloved mother, Elizabeth, past."

A snort, then a loud laugh from Liam. "It is I who should be thanking you, Edward, not the other way around. I thank you for letting me pilot this beauty, you know I love how fast it is, though probably not as much as you, for you can run fast, so fast, Gideon and I, we cannot keep up with you—the fact that we need not use petrol, as it runs on water or air, depending on which of the two is more available."

Bella's mouth dropped open as she realized something, something huge. "You," she fisted Edward's shirt in her hand, pulled him down for a soft, quick, chased kiss though she wanted to kiss him until she couldn't breathe, mindful that they were not alone, "you own this?" Her voice was incredulous.

A nod, his eyes, such beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue, dancing. "Yes, mon coeur, I do, built it from scratch, too." He cupped her cheek, caressed her face, uncaring of Liam watching, the fact that he loved her nothing to hide. "What you have seen thus far, what I have here in the United States, it is nothing, mon doux ange, most of my assets and now yours, too, are in England."

Bella shook her head, her mind reeling. "How? Why?"

Though her words were a jumbled mess, Edward didn't have to read her mind to understand, know what she was asking, said a single name. "Alice."

Of course, she thought, it made sense. If Alice got so much as an Inkling of all of Edward's assets, everything that he owned, such beautiful homes, homes that held a deep sentimental value, she'd probably come in, the wrecking force that she is, change everything, take possession of Edward's greatest and most expensive assets, such as this plane or the biggest rooms in each of their homes. Then something else occurred to her, and her lips, they curved into a huge smile, open and filled with love. "This," she splayed her palm over his heart that hadn't beat in a long time, almost, but not quite, a century "this is how we will get to our honeymoon, husband of mine?"

A nod, followed by a quick kiss, eyes yet dancing. "Yes, but I am not telling you anything else, you will have to wait until after our wedding nuptials and reception have concluded to find out where I am taking you."

"Right, lovebirds," said without any ill intent, Liam's words playful, "as I assume your beloved mother, Elizabeth, will meet up with us in England and we are not waiting for anybody else, let us get out of here, shall we?"

Edward didn't say anything, though his lips curved, simply took their luggage inside, moving fast like only he could, as there was no need to pretend, there was no one here, in this private terminal, then lifted Bella into his arms, like how a groom carried his new bride, carrying her into the plane.

Despite initial appearances, the plane was large and spacious, the floor neither carpet nor wood, but something akin to marble but light. The seats, they weren't like those of a traditional plane, all stuck together in rows of three or two, only arm rests separating each seat. Instead they were large, wide, individual chairs, each with its own back and arm rests, though Bella spotted something that looked suspiciously like a loveseat, too, the shimmering white leather looking very soft and comfortable, as if each of the seats was padded from within. There were three seats in total, plus the one that looked a lot like a loveseat, big enough for two people to sit together.

Not stopping, letting her take in every single detail of this beautiful, no doubt very expensive, luxurious cabin, he carried her all the way to the back, to a door whose color was akin to coffees swirled with cream. She expected a loo or a storage unit beyond the door, not a fully functional bedroom, the walls painted a light cream with hints of gold. She looked at the large, comfortable bed in the middle of the room, its sheets fine white silk, couldn't stop herself from imagining herself and Edward on their wedding night. As if he'd read her mind, though such a thing was an impossibility, her mind impenetrable to him as it was, he carried her over to the bed, laid her down, body coming over hers. His words, when they came, were a private murmur, one between a groom and his bride, his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath brushing over the shell of her ear. ""We will spend part of our wedding night at thirty thousand feet."

She blushed, hid her burning face against his neck. "Edward, Liam—"

"Hush, my Bella, Liam is not here right now. Despite his teasing, he went to call Gideon, Amelia, and Emily, who are all really excited to see us, meet you, stepped a short distance away, not so far that it will take him long to return, even at human speed, but far enough away that he cannot hear us anymore, though I can still hear his thoughts—else, I would not do this." He shrugged off his shirt, one of those fast, easy, graceful movements only he was capable of, and that was when she realized she was hot, so hot, as if she was standing under the hot, baking sun or in a sauna, indicating this modern, spacious, beautiful aircraft had a heating system.

He turned her head to the side, exposing her throat and neck, traced one of the pale blue veins there with his forefinger, bent his head, bit gently at the soft flesh, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth. Oh, the pleasure! She arched her back, undulating against him in time with the flicks and licks of his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom—as he licked and sucked at her blood. She wanted . . . needed to feed from him, needed it akin to how she needed water, food, or air to live.

Cold, hard, yet soft skin pressed against her lips. She didn't hesitate, bit into his skin, blood, hot and sweet and tailor-made for her, oozing into her mouth, even as he continued to feed from her, the flicks and licks of his tongue so utterly possessive and loving, it made her bones ache, increasing the intimacy, the pleasure, this pleasure that was akin to that which husband and wife felt when tangling together in the sheets, causing her eyes to roll to the back of her head. Her mind went limp, blank with pleasure, but neither of them orgasmed, and still, it wasn't enough, would never be enough, though it would certainly increase when Edward took her to the sheets, stripped her to the skin, was together with her as only a husband should be together with his wife, even as they fed off of one another, their blood hot, sweet, tailor-made for the other.

She didn't know how much time had passed in this way, with them feeding off of one another, the pleasure, layers of silk and satin, increasing with every passing second, but, eventually, Edward pulled away from her neck, though only after making certain her skin was healed, soft and smooth, licked his lips, wiping her heart's-blood from his mouth, slid down her body, pressed a kiss to her navel through her clothes, then slid back up, caressed her face. "Come, mon précieux trésor, Liam will be back soon, in about five minutes."

She licked her lips, wiping his heart's-blood, rich and dark, from her mouth, even as it sunk into her pores, the taste of it setting her blood alight. "How—" her voice was thick, husky, that of a woman who'd been well pleasured by her lover, "will we spend part of our wedding night at thirty thousand feet, in this bed, will Liam not be in the cabin with us, too, pilot the plane? If he will not, then it will be you, Husband, my love, who will need to pilot the plane, will it not?"

A shake of his head, his eyes, such beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue, glowing with power and love, so much love, it made Bella feel cuddled and protected, want to reach out, kiss and feed from him all over again. "No, this plane can pilot itself if need be, I need only put in the destination, I will show you the cockpit once we get to England." He pointed to a door a rich cream swirled with hints of caramel and gold off to the right she hadn't noticed before. "We have an ensuite washroom in case you need to use the loo, wish a shower or bath."

He shrugged his shirt back on, buttoning it, even as he looked at her lips, the heat and love in those eyes of emerald green shifting to a blue akin to glaciers but a thousand times more beautiful and back again, causing butterflies to form in her stomach, making her swallow, wiping away the taste of his sweet, sweet blood. He leaned down, kissed her, soft and honey-sweet. "Come, mon doux, seeing as your mouth is already clean of my heart's-blood and we need not go to the washroom, let us go back to the front of the plane, as we will be taking off soon."

Strong, cold, gentle arms sliding under her, he lifted her up, like how a groom carried his new bride, carried her to the front of the plane, fast like only he could, set her down on the plane seat that looked a lot like a loveseat, the white leather so soft and comfortable, it was as if she was sitting on a cloud.

Not saying a word, he helped her buckle her seatbelt, as she didn't know where it was, then went somewhere, came back in less than a second, two red wine glasses, a bottle of what must be Bordeaux, and a small white porcelain ramekin containing a mixture of nuts and dried fruit in his hands. He set everything down on a small table carved of white oak in front of her she hadn't noticed before, the woodwork so exquisite, polished to a high shine, she knew it had been handmade, the wood itself probably coming from one of their estates in England, sat down beside her, shifting his body so they were facing each other, then poured them each a glass of wine, the color rich and velvet, ruby red, akin to blood. Emerald green eyes so beautiful, they were in human, holding hers, he lifted his glass, handed her her own. "To a taste of our new life."

She agreed, clinked glasses with him, then they each took a sip of their wine, the taste sweet and velvet going down their throats. "I love you, Husband."

Edward's eyes danced, such heat and love in that beautiful, inhuman gaze of emerald green, she wanted to crawl into his lap, kiss him, inhale his scent, sweet, so sweet, it was intoxicating. "As I love you, beautiful wife of mine."

"Please act thus not in front of Emily, she already looks at me with such longing in her eyes every time Gideon and Amelia say something affectionate to each other, seeing and hearing the two of you, the way you interact and speak to each other, the love between you, it might just push her over the edge." The words, coming from a yet unfamiliar, though Bella was certain that would change over the days, months, and years to come, male voice—were playful, with no ill intent or true desire for her and Edward to change, be something they were not.

That was when Bella looked up, out of one of the many windows of the plane, saw they were already airborne, the take-off so smooth she hadn't even felt it. Edward, too, looked up, away from Bella, lips curving when his eyes landed on his friend—this Liam who was yet a stranger to Bella yet didn't feel like one. "Then perhaps it is time she becomes your betrothed. How long have you been courting each other?" He paused, pretended to think about it, tapping one cool finger against his lips, his other hand holding Bella's left one, fingers tracing abstract patterns on her skin. "Eighty-three years."

Bella realized she'd never seen him act this way. Yes, he and Alice played and teased each other sometimes, but that, it was mostly one-sided, fraught with tension, so much tension, because Edward, he couldn't . . . wasn't himself with the Cullens, kept so many secrets, both emotionally and of his physical wealth, but it was necessary. Not withstanding that her beautiful fiance and future husband was a very, very private person, akin to his beloved mother, Elizabeth—that wealth, if Alice got so much as an inkling of it, she'd probably take it over, use this beautiful, opulent plane to go on shopping trip after shopping trip after shopping trip, not allowing Edward the freedom to use it whenever he wished, take possession of the biggest rooms in Edward's properties, entirely remodel those properties, make them more modern, though Edward and now Bella, too, liked them just the way they were.

A playful roll of Liam's eyes, his demeanor that of a man who'd missed one of his best friends, conversing with him thus. "Says the man who, up until very recently, I assume, as I do not yet know when you and your bride met, spent most of his time with his head bent over a thick book, Dabbling in the arts and sciences, mostly the arts, with an emphasis on literature, music, and English History, going to school in one way or another, either High School or university, over and over."

A shrug, the look in Edward's eyes unrepentant even as he lifted Bella's wrist to his lips, pressed a kiss to the skin there, right over her pulse. "Love only comes when God wants it to, Liam, not a second before."

A sucked in breath from Liam, though neither he nor Edward needed to breathe, then he stood up from the chair opposite from Edward and Bella he'd been sitting on, came closer, though his vision was already perfect, that of a vampire, examined Edward's eyes. "Edward, Mate, your eyes, they are neither crimson nor gold, but an emerald green so beautiful it is inhuman, indicating you are still a vampire." Liam took a deep breath, and Bella didn't panic or tense, for if he had been a danger, then Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, wouldn't have let him near. "And your scent, it is that of honey lilac, but there are hints of lavender and freesia woven within."

A glance at Bella, Liam's golden eyes going huge, realizing lavender and freesia was what she smelled like, then sliding back to Edward. "Those hints of lavender and freesia within your scent, they mirror the sent that is that of your bride, but are pure and potent in a way only a vampiric scent is." Edward took a sip of his Bordeaux wine even as Liam spoke, drawing Liam's attention to it, causing his mouth to drop open. "You are consuming a human beverage, that which was one of your favorites when you yourself were human, and, from the look on your face, I can tell it tastes not like dirt to you, that you are actually enjoying it. I know you are a vampire, that is crystal clear to me, but something is clearly going on, can you please explain?"

Before Edward could speak, Bella set her empty wine glass on the table, then shifted so she could lay down on this large, comfortable plane seat that was akin to a loveseat, her head ending up on Edward's lap. He looked down at her, her beautiful fiance and future husband, set his own wine glass on the table, caressed her cheek, his other hand yet holding her left one. "Are you tired, mon doux ange, do you wish to sleep? I could carry you to the bed."

A shake of Bella's head as she lifted their linked hands to press a kiss to the back of his. "No, Husband, my love, as I told you before we took our leave for the airport, your blood, it gave me the energy I needed, I only wish to be with you, in your arms, thus."

Liam looked back and forth between her and Edward, his eyes huge, his head no doubt about to explode, though, figuratively, of course. "What is your bride speaking of, Mate, you have blood running in your veins? How can she drink it if she is yet human? What I mean to say is does it not taste like rust and salt, bitter, to her, akin to how human food and beverages are suppose to taste akin to dirt to us?"

Edward, who was gently, carefully so as not to ruin her hairdo, an intricate, elegant thing Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth, had taught her how to make before they had afternoon tea the previous day, stroking Bella's hair, didn't tense at Liam's many questions as he perhaps would have with the Cullens, and, Bella surmised, it was because Liam's thoughts were vastly different than those of the Cullens—that of a friend and nothing else. His words, when they came, they were an answer without being an answer. "No, Liam, my blood does not taste akin to rust and salt to my Bella, and yes, I will explain everything . . . well, as much as I can, for there are some things which we do not yet know ourselves, my beautiful bride and I, others which are utterly private, to be privy to only my beautiful bride and I, but later, after we get to England, and my Bella and I get settled in, and you, Emily, Gideon, and Amelia meet the three of us, my Bella and I, along with my beloved mother, at one of my Bella and I's homes."

Liam didn't push Edward after that, neither mentally nor verbally, their conversation, that of two friends who knew each other well, segwaying to a different topic, and soon they were landing in England, a country that was a mixture of old and new, with old buildings, castles and palaces, country houses and cottages, yet also buildings of steel and glass, skyscrapers that seemed to brush the clouds. Of course, he was the one who landed the plane, her beautiful fiance and future husband, Bella sitting on the seat beside him, one traditionally used by a co-pilot, though Edward had no need to have one.

The cockpit was very modern, sleek and compact, not at all like the cockpit of a traditional plane, or even other private planes. A single screen, large, akin to that of a flat screen television—replaced all the bulky buttons and sensors traditionally found on a plane, though Bella still had room to look at the outside world as they came closer and closer to the ground—and that screen, it was sensitive to Edwards touch. She watched, mesmerized and fascinated, as he touched a couple of buttons within the touchscreen, turned off what she assumed was the autopilot mode, then took hold of the yoke, also very different from that of a traditional plane, with a couple of digital buttons within a tiny, tiny, so small he wouldn't have been able to see it if he'd been human, touchscreen, smoothly landed the plane.

The landing was so smooth, that she didn't even feel it, that jolt when the plane initially touched ground, the plane itself slowing down automatically, then turning off once it was parked at its designated spot, Edward not having to do much at all, the transition between a fastly moving vehicle and one that didn't move at all so smooth, Bella didn't even feel it.

She turned to look at him, this man, who was so beautiful, many a women coveted him, crawled into his lap, wrapped her arms about his neck, fingers interlacing at the back. She looked at his mouth, that beautiful, lush mouth that was soft yet hard, wanted to kiss him, soft, hot, deep, and slow, but they weren't alone, Liam, Gideon, Amelia, and Emily, who could hear every single word they spoke, they're hearing not human, but that of vampires—probably on the other side of the plane. Still, she satisfied herself by taking a slow, sweet kiss, biting down at his lower lip, the taste of his blood, sweet, so sweet, making her own sing. "That," she unwrapped one of her arms from round his neck, caressed his cheek, "was wonderful, Husband."

Strong, cold, gentle arms about her, fingers stroking over her back, the center of her spine. "You," he took a blood kiss of his own, only doing it because, Bella surmised, though Gideon, Liam, Emily, and Amelia were all on the other side of the plane, they were too distracted, excited to see Edward again, meet Bella, to notice Edward had drawn Bella's blood, "ma belle sirène, are seemingly as addicted to my blood as I am to yours, though you are not yet a vampire. I cannot wait to see how it is when I change you and we are both vampires, our hunger for the other, the desire to be intimate thus, increasing a million‐fold." Bella knew his friends hadn't overheard, though they were all vampires, partly because of the way Edward had pitched his voice—a low, private murmur, partly because, again, they were all distracted. "Come, let us go meet Liam, Gideon, Amelia, and Emily, they are all waiting outside the plane."

He eased her off of his lap, went to fetch their luggage, then took her hand, helped her down from the plane. Despite his words, she expected to have to go inside the airport, go through immigration, then come back out, meet Liam, Gideon, Amelia, and Emily. Instead, a young officer who seemed to be in his mid-twenties, tall, with hazel eyes and a shock of light brown hair with threads of gold, met them at the bottom of the plane. Edward handed him their passports, but the man didn't even bother checking them, stamped them, then handed them back to Edward. "Welcome back, Mr Masen." A pause, the man biting down at his lip. "Mr Henry says he, Mr James, and Mr Charles will meet you at your home soon as they can, when they get off work."

A nod, then a charismatic smile from Edward. "Thank you."

Edward waited for the young officer to disappear, go inside the airport, before he turned to Bella, closed her mouth, which had fallen open at seeing the way Edward was treated here in England, with one finger under her chin, his eyes glowing. "Oh, close your mouth, mon coeur, stop looking so innocently adorable, for you are making me want to kiss you, soft, deep, and slow."

"How?" It was all she could muster, her mind too in shock.

But Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, though he couldn't read her mind, he didn't need any more information. A shrug, his eyes, such beautiful, inhuman eyes, dancing, excited, unrepentant. "I told you, I have connections deep within England, connections none of the Cullens know about. All of these connections, they are all legal, of course, nothing to do with crime, but Masen Evans family connections, connections that withstood the test of time, centuries upon centuries."

She lifted her left hand, touched it to the still organ that was his heart. "Are Henry, James, and Charles friends from your former human life, which you reconnected with and carried over to your new, vampiric one, too, my husband, so full of secrets and mysteries, mysteries which I will enjoy unraveling over time?"

A nod, cold, hard, yet soft lips brushing over her forehead, hands stroking, carefully so as not to ruin her hairdo, over her hair, her back. "Yes. Henry, James, and Charles, all of their physical appearances are that of twenty-three‐year‐olds. Because of my level of maturity even while I was human, the fact that it did not match those of my age group, I tended to gravitate to those who were older than I at those lavish parties my parents use to throw, both in Chicago and in England, as well as in France, for we would spend two months of the year in France, five in England, and five in Chicago. I reckon the fact all of my best friends were changed around the same time I was, though I did not discover that until some years later, it was a gift, one straight from heaven."

Bella knew without asking or Edward having to tell her, these friends of his, they were all connected to English High Society, the aristocracy, perhaps even the government and monarchy. She wanted to press up against him, kiss him. Rising up on her toes, Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, taking less than a second to know what she wanted, his arm flexing round her so she didn't have to stretch up and he didn't have to bend down, she pulled his head down for a soft, honey-sweet, chased kiss. "They will all assist our wedding, my love, these friends of yours, will they not?"

A smile against her skin, Edward radiating happiness, love, and warmth, all of the tension, this thing that never quite left him while they were in Forks, was always waiting for a chance to get in, leaving his body. "Yes, of course." He let out a sigh, then set her down, taking her left hand in one of his, somehow managing to push all of their luggage with the other. "Much as I would love to stand here with you thus for a long while yet, Liam, Gideon, Amelia, and Emily are all waiting for us, and Gideon, Amelia, and Emily cannot wait to meet you, are really excited, so much so, the anticipation is killing them, especially with how cryptic I was with Gideon on the phone, coupled with what Liam just told them. They will not come here, interrupt us, of course, they were raised with the same morals and values I was, yet cling to them. Come, mon doux ange, let us not keep them waiting too much longer."

As it was, they only had to walk three and a half blocks before they reached them, Edward's friends.

Gideon, he looked much the same as his brother, same black hair, dark as the heart of the night, the color of his eyes gold, akin to that of melting honey, for he, too, was a vampire, survived solely on animal blood—only he was slightly taller. The woman that stood beside him, who, Bella assumed from the way Gideon had his arm proprietorily about her waist, was Amelia, was slightly taller than Bella, even with small heels, had hair of a rich mink brown cascading down her shoulders and over her back. Her skin was much the same as that of every other vampire Bella had met thus far, save for Laurent, his complexion slightly darker—snow white, pale, so pale and flawless, though, Bella supposed, if they went somewhere else, like India or Egypt, the complexion of the native vampires there would be darker, no longer white as snow, but still very, very pale. Her eyes were golden, the color of honey, akin to those of Gideon, Liam, Emily, and any other vampire who fed on animal blood.

Liam stood on his brother, Gideon's other side, his hand on the nape of a woman, Emily, who looked much like Amelia, was around the same height, had the same pale, flawless, snow white skin, her hair a ripple of black down her back, the color so rich, vibrant, it was akin to ink, his thumb gently stroking over what would have been her pulse if she'd been human. As she studied these women who were the significant others of Edward's friends, Bella realized there was something off about them, something that didn't seem quite right.

According to everything she had learned of these women in the plane, they were old, these women, despite their youthful appearance, yet the way they were dressed, in jeans and t-shirts, it was akin to how Bella would have dressed not so long ago, but no longer, not when she saw the heat and love in those eyes she loved so much, knew how much she could get under Edward's skin when she dressed akin to how she would have in his youth, Edwards incredible, beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue, lighting up. Could be that like the Cullen women, they preferred to dress more modernly these days, but. . .

She turned to Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, her left hand rising to lay over the still organ that was his heart, and though he had no heartbeat or pulse, she felt his blood, hot and sweet, tailor-made for her, humming beneath her palm, something that should have been an impossibility, yet it wasn't, that humming increasing in frequency and tempo as she stroked her fingers over his heart. "Why are they," she pointed, very discreetly, to Amelia and Emily, "dressed thus, I thought they had the same morals and values as you, would dress more akin to the way I am dressed?" She kept her voice low, so low, it would have been inaudible to a human, was unintelligible to even a vampire, unless said vampire was standing as close to her as Edward was.

He bent down so he could speak with his lips next to her ear, brushing over the soft, delicate skin in a whisper of a kiss, his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath washing over her, keeping his voice low, so low, she shouldn't have been able to hear, for she was still very much human, despite the fact that she craved his blood, but she did, his words falling on her ears alone. "Gideon believed Liam not when he called him, described you, the way you were dressed, the way we interact together, thought he was only playing with him while keeping the truth to himself, wanting to increase everyone's excitement and anticipation, and Amelia and Emily wished to make you feel welcome."

A brush of his lips against hers, light as a feather, a couple of more steps, then Edward was being pulled into what could be considered a "warm" for vampires, they had no body warmth, hug by Gideon. "It is really good to see you again, Edward, Mate, welcome back."

"It is good to see you, too, Gideon." Gideon released Edward from the hug, and, as Bella watched, Edward kissed first Amelia, then Emily, on the cheek, but Bella, she didn't feel jealous or betrayed, for there was no heat or romantic love in those beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue, this a greeting between friends or family. "Amelia, Emily."

Pulling back, Edward placed a hand on the small of Bella's back, that hand slowly shifting to curve possessively about her waist, pull her close to his side, pressing a kiss to her temple, the crown of her head, Bella's left hand shifting to lie over the still organ that was his heart. "This is my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be." He momentarily turned away from everyone, to face Bella, wrapped her arms round his neck, finished making the official introductions. "Bella, Amour, these are Gideon, his wife, Amelia, and Emily, Liam's girlfriend." He reached up, brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone, her lips, igniting a small fire there despite the cold temperature of his skin. "You will meet Henry, his wife, Charlotte, James, his girlfriend, Tessa, and Charles and his girlfriend , Lucy, later, when they arrive at one of our homes, get off work."

Then it was Bella who was being hugged and kissed by Edward's friends, Gideon being the first to hug and kiss her on the cheek, his affection that of a friend and nothing else—saying, "You must tell us, Bella, how it is that you reawakened Edward's romantic side, later, once you are settled in. Of course, he never did court a girl until you, even as a human, but he was always doing such things, was Edward, discussing how he would treat his wife, what he would do, with his mother."

That, Bella thought with a smile, was no surprise. Gideon passed her on to Liam, who also gave her a light hug, his words, "Welcome to England, Bella," simple, but welcoming.

He passed her on to Emily and Amelia, who also hugged her, but didn't say anything, not for the longest time, their gazes as they looked at Bella, the way she was dressed, not envious but thoughtful. When they did speak, it was to say, "Bella, though, we know you not yet, we can tell Edward has clearly rubbed off on you."

Liam laughed, and it was a huge, open thing, beautiful, though Bella much preferred Edward's laughter, a myriad times more beautiful in her eyes. Of course, perhaps she was being biased, but wasn't every woman when it came to the man they loved? Didn't they think the man that was their own the most beautiful and perfect of all men? "The way Edward has rubbed off on her goes far, far deeper than the way she dresses, as she speaks akin to the rest of us though she was born in these modern times, I would venture to say in about 1987."

Gideon turned to glare playfully at his brother. "Stop joking, trying to confuse us, Liam, it is not going to work."

Edward came to reclaim Bella, his arm coming possessively about her waist as he pressed a kiss to her temple, the crown of her head, her lips, Bella's left hand rising to lay over his heart, her head tilting to the side so she could rest it on his shoulder. "He is not messing around with you, Gideon, you know him, for all of the two of you tousled in dirt and leaves while I was reading a book, composing a song on the piano, or having tea with my beloved mother, Elizabeth, he has never lied to you, just as you have never lied to him."

Everyone's mouths, save for Liam, Edward, and Bella's, dropped open, and Gideon looked back and forth between her and Edward, some silent communication clearly going on between him and Edward, for Edward's lips curved and he shook his head. Gideon's lips, too, began to curve. "I cannot wait to officiate your wedding. Tell me, when is it, when do we need to head for Forks, Washington?"

Bella felt dizzy, her ears beginning to ring, her mind playing out horrible scenarios of what could inevitably happen if the wedding took place in Forks, Charlie, who was oblivious to the supernatural world round him, inviting Billy and the dog, Billy and the dog showing up, as Edward and the Cullens wouldn't be able to do anything about it without drawing too much attention, herself fainting, then somehow waking up in La Push, Edward torn to pieces,a thick column of smoke rising as those pieces burnt on a pyre. They made her eyes sting, those images, tears, salt and hot and bitter, threatening to cascade down her cheeks. She buried her face against Edwards neck, inhaled the sweet, addictive, intoxicating scent of his skin, attempting to calm herself.

Edward, who, no doubt, could hear her rapid heartbeat and loud breathing, turned away from his friends, to block her from public view, took her face between his hands. "What is the matter, mon doux ange, what is it that puts such an expression of sorrow and grief on your beautiful face, what is going on in that beautiful, secretive head of yours?"

A single tear escaped her control, rolled down her cheek, Edward wiping it away with his thumb, then pressing a trail of cold, tender, honey-sweet kisses to her warm skin, following the path her tear'd taken. "The dog, my love, he could hurt you, kill you."

Edward enfolded her in his embrace, rocked her to and fro, pressed repeated kisses to her hair, forehead, neck, throat, and lips. "Hush, mon précieux trésor, nothing is going to happen to me, and nothing and no one will keep me from marrying you, ruin our wedding."

"What is she speaking of, Edward, what dog?" Gentle, non-intrusive words, all of Edward's friends, these people who were yet strangers yet didn't feel like strangers, concerned.

Edward shifted to face them, even as he kept Bella cradle close to his side, his still heart that hadn't beat in a long time, almost, but not quite, a century. "It is something we cannot discuss in such a public place, will only do so once we are behind closed doors, with no humans, my Bella excluded, present, however, for now know this, our wedding will not take place in Forks, though when I rang you, Gideon, it was thus—but here in England or France, depending on what we decide. Now, I need to get my Bella home, as she has not eaten anything since I gave her breakfast this morning but for the small tidbits I fed her on the plane."

A nod from everyone, then came the words, "Where shall we meet you, then?"

Emerald green eyes glittering like thousands of diamonds, as if they held the light of the sun within. "Over the river, into the meadow."

Edward's words, they made no sense, as she had no context, seemed part of a poem. His friends, however, they were a different story, understood his instructions, for they groaned, all of them, spoke at the same time. "You are really lucky, you know that? You can get to your home much, much faster than any of us can."

A shrug, Edward unrepentant, radiating excitement. "It is not my fault all of you decided to come in a car while Gideon drove mine when you could have just as easily ran. Of course, if you had done so, ran here, I would have probably asked you to arrive two to three hours after my Bella and I did so we could get settled in and I could make certain all of her needs were tended to before we talked, so perhaps it is just as well that you came in a car."

For the first time, Bella felt comfortable speaking directly to Edward's friends without being spoken to first, the excitement of getting home giving her courage, wiping her shyness away. "Whoever has the keys to Edward's car, please give them to him so we can get going."

They all blinked, startled, turned to Edward, their expressions bearing various degrees of shock. "You did not tell her?"

A shake of his head, his eyes, such beautiful, inhuman, incredible eyes, glittering, dancing with the light of a myriad stars and suns, his power very much evident at that moment. "I wished to surprise her." He turned to Bella, touched his cool knuckles to her cheek. "There is a reason I told you to ring Charlie, Renee, and Phil before we took our leave for the airport, tell them you may not be able to speak to them every day while we are in England, other then the fact that we will, indeed, be very, very busy planning our wedding."

Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he pulled out a large, rectangular device that was yet small enough to fit into his pocket. It seemed to be made out of titanium, this modern‐looking, expensive thing, the color of it a sleek, velvet black, had six camera lenses, five at the back and one in the front. He pushed a small button off to the right side of this device, and the screen, which had such a high, beautiful, perfect resolution, she'd never seen its like, came to life. The background on the screen of this modern looking thing . . . it took her breath away, made tears, happy tears, tears of love, form in her eyes.

For it was a picture of her, of the two of them.

The day before graduation, Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he'd taken her into his arms, danced with her all over the small cottage that was their home in Forks, for hours and hours, practicing for their wedding, taking breaks only when Bella needed them. Bella, she had been dressed in a beautiful frock made of ice blue silk and velvet, overlaid with mesh lace, its color a rich, vibrant cobalt blue. The fabric had been worked with true white gold thread, accented with tiny pearls about the waist and round the shoulders. It, of course, had had an empire waist, had been tightly fitted, given her an hourglass figure without her having to wear a corset.

It was a photo of that very day, the background image of this device, so modern looking, Bella smiling as he dipped her low, pressed a kiss to her throat, letting his very sharp teeth graze lightly over her skin.

As she watched, he swiped his finger over the screen, the device responding to his touch, meaning it had a touchscreen, something she hadn't realized before, touched a couple of icons. There was a second or two of silence, then she heard a song she would recognize anywhere, for it was the song he'd composed for her shortly after they became betrothed, and . . . it was coming from her handbag. Rummaging through it until she found the source of the sound, she pulled out a device that was identical to the one he held. Cell phones, she realized—these modern, expensive-looking devices were cell phones, phones that were way, way ahead of their time, for Bella was certain these weren't available on the mass market, but what did they have to do with the keys to Edward's car—probably an Aston Martin . . .

The sound of a car door opening, then an engine purring to life.

She turned, searching for the source of that sound, saw a car unlike any other she'd ever seen before, the color of it a white so brilliant, pure, it seemed to shine. The driver's door was swung open, but rather than it doing so to the side, it did so upwards, the inside of the car, the seats, as well as the padded parts of the doors, a rich cream bordering on beige, the color darker at the edges, the contrast startling and beautiful, sophisticated in a way none of the cars in the street were.

Before she could ask any questions, he picked her up, her beautiful fiance and future husband, like how a groom carried his new bride, carried her to the car, shifting her weight so he held her with naught but one arm, could open the passenger seat door, set her inside. The leather . . . "Cloud-soft, so soft." Grabbing hold of the collar of his shirt, not caring that his friends were watching with curious, but polite eyes, she kissed him, soft and honey-sweet, polite for company—this man who would be her husband, had so many secrets, hidden facets, that not very many people knew all of him, her warm tongue darting out to taste the curve of his lip, take in the taste of his skin, a taste that was intoxicating, her own, personal aphrodisiac.

Drawing back, he touched his knuckles to her cheek, a promise in his eyes he wouldn't have dared made not so long ago, but not now that he knew he wouldn't hurt her, when they could be so lushly intimate. Of course, they wouldn't have sex, not yet, but they need only wait until they were married, then, Bella was certain, Edward would tumble her into the sheets, tangle with her as only a husband should tangle with his wife over and over, giving her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. Shutting her door, he turned, answered an unspoken question from one of his friends, one only he could hear, for it was spoken on the mental level. "No, she loves it when I run, carry her in my arms"

Turning as he walked around to the driver's seat slowly, like a human, probably doing so so Bella could have a chance to take in the inside of the car, she looked around this car, sleek and spacious, yet she knew it was designed for speed, a speed cars currently on the market weren't capable of, and something told her they never would be—her breath catching in her throat.

There were no levers or physical buttons on the dashboard, or anywhere in this car, for that matter, it was all electronic, digital, the readings of the car, the speed and current temperature, even the buttons to activate the windscreen wipers, though, far as she could see, there was nowhere to look if they wanted to see how much petrol they had left, which meant he'd likely found an alternative form of fuel. In the center of the dashboard, in between the two front seats, there was a screen, large and rectangular, akin to the one in the cockpit of his plane, though a bit smaller. It was set horizontally into the dashboard, had so many digital buttons, Bella had no idea what most of them were for, the resolution so high and perfect, she thought she might be getting the faintest of glimpses into what her vision would be like once she was a vampire.

She was speechless when he came to sit beside her, pressed a button on the screen in the middle of the dashboard, her seatbelt as well as his own automatically buckling. Not saying a word though it had to be torture, killing him, her silent mind, not knowing what she was thinking, he pulled out of the car park—for she was in England now, would start thinking like an english person, his silence affording her a chance to think.

It wasn't until some blocks later that he turned to her, took her left hand in his. "Do you trust me, mon précieux trésor?"

Instead of answering right away, she leaned over, cupped his nape with her free hand, took a kiss, soft and deep, teeth biting at his lower lip, her warm tongue flicking out to lave at the blood she'd drawn, addicted to the taste of it, hot and sweet and tailor-made for her, knowing he didn't need to look at the road to know where he was going, this man, beautiful and dangerous, but not to her, never to her—who loved her. "Always, with my life, Husband, my love."

She saw him shudder, then he was reaching for her so he could take a blood kiss of his own, one that left her breathless, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lick at her blood with lavish, slow, loving licks that drove her mad. He did something, what, she didn't know, hadn't seen, her mind hazy, incoherent from the pleasure yet lacing her blood, both from his kiss and the pleasure his own blood brought her—but it was definitely something, for one second they were driving on the street, firmly tethered to the ground, the other, the car took off, was rising towards the sky, as if they were on a plane. "Does the roof come off, my beautiful fiance and future husband." It was seemingly a random question, but this man, her husband‐to‐be, he knew her, knew she wanted to mimic the way the wind felt against her face when he ran with her in his arms.

He grinned, and his grin, it was beautiful and open and filled with incandescent joy and love, pushed a couple of buttons on the screen in the middle of the dashboard, and the roof came off, and Edward was roaring across the sky, fast, so fast. Still, it wasn't enough, couldn't compare to the way it felt when Edward ran with her in his arms, the thought of it making her ache, long for it, but at least it took the edge off a lot more than simply not following traffic laws would have.

It wasn't until some minutes later that Bella found herself manually taking off her seatbelt, crawling into his lap, laying her head against his chest, her ear ending up over his heart that hadn't beat in a long time, almost, but not quite, a century, and though he had no heartbeat or pulse, the song of his blood . . . it sang a siren song to her own though she wasn't a vampire yet. This car, so fast and modern, it was beyond anything humanity was capable of building at the moment, perhaps even ever, because the speed they were going at, it was faster than fast, though their current speed, she knew instinctively, it wasn't the maximum, but it couldn't compare to the way it felt when Edward ran with her in his arms, something vital missing.

Then it clicked, akin to two puzzle pieces coming together in her head.

Edward had built this car, built it from scratch, too, akin to how he'd built his plane and probably their phones, too. Now it made even more sense, why he'd always complained about her truck, that wretched thing Charlie'd gotten from Billy, which that dog had fixed, that it wasn't safe, could break down in the middle of the road at any moment. He wasn't only playing with her, had known how truly dangerous her truck was, been trying to protect her. Oh, God, each time he'd brought it up, how unsafe her truck was, she'd brushed It off like so much mist. She pressed warm, honey-sweet kisses to his throat in a silent apology even as she shook her head mentally to clear it. She couldn't do anything about it now, the past was past and she couldn't change it, and she had agreed to let him change her truck in the end, wanted nothing to do with it now.

Only one question remained.

She undid the first couple of buttons of his shirt, pressed a kiss to his still heart, looked at him through her lashes. "How, my love?"

The question was seemingly vague, but Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, though he couldn't read her mind, didn't know her thought process, he didn't need any more information.

Stroking a hand, carefully so as not to ruin her hairdo, over her hair, then her back, slow and easy, he gave her a lazy smile. "There is a lot a man can accomplish when not needing sleep, especially with a vampiric mind. Of course, that vampire has to be willing to put in the work, go where no one else has before, explore the unexplored, even should it be purely theoretical, discover things undiscovered, attempt to make the impossible possible. It is why I am far, far more advanced than all the Cullens combined, as they are stuck in a little box, repeating the same cycle over and over again, only using a tiny, minuscule portion of their minds, though it might seem huge to you, while I use all of it, and still it grows, the room in my head seemingly endless."

He paused to press a couple of buttons on the screen in the center of the dashboard, likely turning on the autopilot mode, because he took his other hand off the steering wheel, put both arms about her, yet they didn't crash down to the earth, the car continuing to drive on its own, glide smoothly across the sky.

His hands stroked, slow and easy, lovingly, over her back and ribs as he spoke, not worried about making her too cold, this car so hot though they were gliding across the sky. "While I prefer certain things to others, I made certain to 'dip my toes', so to speak, in all things, literature, history, the arts, sciences, and mathematics, thus I am knowledgeable in all things, hold so much more knowledge than all the experts in the world combined, something which I am very grateful for, thank God every day, take for granted not. I told you every couple of years, aside from the time I would spend in University, I would live apart from the rest of the Cullens for about two years before I would return to them wherever they might be, however, sometimes, if I came to England during my sojourn away, started working on a project, such as our phones, this car, and the plane, I would stay away for longer."

He shudderd, horror and sorrow crossing his face for a moment, before it was wiped away fast as it had come. Bella wondered why, he seemed so happy here, akin to how he was in Chicago, didn't have to wonder for long. "Sometimes, when there was a new archaeological discovery here in England and archaeologists needed a mind like mine, one who can see patterns easily, within seconds, pull up a vast quantity of information just as quickly, I would get a call, have to come here, no matter if I was with the Cullens at the time or not, though, of course, Alice never saw it coming, and none of the Cullens know about this, either."

Cold, honey-sweet kisses pressed to her forehead, neck, and throat, a gentle bite of her lower lip, though he didn't break skin, draw blood. "I thank God such a phone call did not arise thus far during our courtship, else, I would have had to kidnap you, bring you with me, and you would have missed school. I trust no one with your safety, not with me in a different continent, mon précieux trésor."

She placed warm, honey-sweet, open-mouthed kisses to his heart over and over again. "What a terrible, terrible thing it would have been, for you to kidnap me. I would have minded not, missing school, coming to England with you, had you gotten one of those phone calls, especially—" another sweet kiss, the graze of teeth that though human, could break through his skin, "as it would have meant we would have gotten to spend more time together, alone."

He gave her a look of mock anger. "You," he took a kiss, open, and wild, and one that left her breathless for several seconds, "ma belle sirène, are one naughty, irresponsible girl." He was teasing, playing with her as only he could, for she knew he wouldn't have let her fall behind during their sojourn in England, would have tutored her.

It made sense, everything he was sharing with her, the way people, archaeologists and historians both, sought him out when they discovered something, only . . . "Do vampires not have a government of their own, husband of mine?" If they did, they couldn't possibly be too happy about the way Edward used his vampiric mind, the way people, humans, sought him out. Of course, he didn't betray his secret, the secret of vampireism, but people, they must know or guess Edward was special, not like them.

Soft, rich, dark, male laughter, silk stroking over her skin, warm honey pouring over her body. "The Volturi are naught but a bunch of thugs, who bend and twist the rules, rules they themselves made up for the most part—to fit their own, sick, twisted agenda, the reason they hold most vampires, including the Cullens, enthrall, why most vampires fear them so, is because they have vampires in their coven with dangerous, lethal abilities, thus the Volturi believe themselves invulnerable, untouchable."

Bella shivered, a frison of fear, deep, so deep and potent, passing through her. These vampires, if most of the vampiric world was afraid of them, their abilities must be quite lethal indeed. But, she thought, Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he didn't seem afraid of these vampires so she shouldn't be, either.

He cradled her closer to him, no doubt able to sense her fear, and though he had no body warmth, it had the same effect, made her relax. "However, I fear them not one bit, for I have connections, and all it would take is a couple of phone calls from me, and people, humans, in England first, though soon the whole world would probably follow suit, would know not to go near certain areas, the Volturi's domain. Sure, they could hunt down their prey, drag them kicking and screaming to their fort, as so many of my kind do, but they believe themselves above that, more sophisticated, that the food should be fooled and come to them, thus they know not to mess with me."

He laughed again, rich and dark, silk and velvet against her skin. "The reason why they know of my connections when the Cullens do not is because they tried to get me to join them while I was passing through Italy once and I threaten them with this very thing, told them that if they ever came near me again, attempted to kill me, they would find themselves segregated, even should they send the most beautiful vampire in their coven, Heidi, to recruit and seduce people, as it would not work, for I would make certain humans would recognize her face, know to stay far away from her, forced to hunt down their prey, akin to any other Vampire."

A sucked in breath, then he was kissing her, cold, honey-sweet, deep kisses that drove her mad, her mouth opening beneath his, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, stroking into the wet, warm, lush intimacy of her mouth. She wanted to push at his chest so he laid back, then turned them over so it was he who was on top, his lips brushing over her neck and throat, but it was impossible, this was a car seat, not a bed. He reached for the screen in the center of the dashboard even as he continued to kiss her, his lips moving over her skin, down the hollow of her throat, to her pulse, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, flicking out to lavish her artery with a lick that had her eyes rolling to the back of her head—touched a couple of buttons.

What happened next, the entire car widening, the two front seats disappearing, turning into a large bed, should have been an impossibility, but it wasn't, the mattress cloud-soft under her back, and she realized that while he couldn't read her mind, he must have been thinking the same thing.

"You," another kiss, this one just as deep, as passionate, as the ones that came before, "you, mon beau, précieux trésor, mon plus beau, précieux bijou, you protected me." Bella didn't understand what he was saying, not because of the French words, those she understood well enough, understood he'd called her his beautiful, precious treasure, his most beautiful, precious jewel, Edward having taught her small titbits of French over the past week, but the part about her protecting him. How could she, a human, mortal, breakable, fragile, so fragile, have protected him, a being powerful and strong, unkillable by any human means?

She didn't have to wait long to find out what he meant, because he explained, "All of the special abilities of the members of the Volturi coven are mental, akin to my mind reading ability. for example, there is a girl, Jane, who, if she angles her ability towards a particular individual, she can make them feel as if they are burning alive without even touching them, or her brother, Alec, who can make a person feel as if they have been robbed of their senses without touching them, either. Then there is also Chelsea, who can break or create new bonds between two or more individuals, though not if the pre-existing bond is strong, why they could not recruit Alice and Jasper, as Alice is too obsessed with seeing every single one of her visions when it comes to her and Jasper, as well as the Cullens, come true, and Jasper is too addicted to Alice, her happy, excited emotions, does not wish for a life of naught but bloodshed and violence again."

He paused to kiss her soft and deep, as if he was trying to gentle her before she even became stressed. "You may not like what I am about to share with you, as it involves me in a precarious situation, but know this, mon doux ange, everything turned out all right, and no one, no matter who they might be, whether it is the Volturi, the dog and his tribe, or some other, unknown threat, will ever hurt me, hurt you, or our future children, for I will not allow it, and neither will my beloved mother, Elizabeth."

A nod, vile rising in her throat, because if Edward had to warn her that everything turned out all right, it augured the next part of the story wasn't anything pretty.

He shifted so they were laying side by side on the bed in this incredible car, a car Edward had built from scratch, began running his fingers up and down her back, stroking her, slow and easy, the rhythm soothing. "Somehow or other, the Volturi got a tip off of my ability, that I could read minds, so they decided to send the most beautiful female vampire in their coven, Heidi, to intercept me, attempt to seduce me—"

Bella cut him off, took a possessive kiss that was a claiming, biting at his lower lip, drawing blood, her warm tongue flicking out to taste it, drink it. "What," she panted, "is it with women trying to seduce you?"

Now it was Edward's turn to take a blood kiss of his own, and it was a claiming, too, however, it was also soothing, telling her he belonged to her and only to her, just as she belonged to him. "I told you, I am one of the most beautiful vampires in the world. Besides, the Volturi live for naught but pain, torture, fear, blood, and sex, debauchery."

She pressed sweet, warm, possessive kisses to his throat. "Regardless, when I am a vampire, after you change me, if any vampire women attempt to come near you, seduce you, I will tear them into tiny, tiny pieces, so small they will be in perceptible to human eyes, then burn those pieces so those women will never again rise."

The look in Edward's eyes, it was filled with such love, such heat, it made her burn, feel as if she was being possessed to the core. He pressed a kiss to her rapidly beating heart, then slid down so he could press a kiss to her navel through her clothes. "Possessive, my Bella." Another kiss, this one pressed against her lips. "I quite like that, ma belle lionne. Shall I continue?"

She blushed, heat and blood coloring her cheeks, Edward no doubt able to smell it, tasted in the air. "I apologize for interrupting you, Husband."

Cold knuckles against her cheek, cooling her overheated skin. "You have no need to apologize, ma belle mariée, the thought of any mail touching you makes me want to tear them apart in much the same way you described, too."

She wiggled herself into the circle of his arms, the position they ended up in one akin to spooning, except they were facing each other, Edward stroking his fingers up and down her back as he continued, picking up right where he'd left off.

"They, the Volturi, believed if Heidi seduced me, became my lover, it would feel like second nature to me to join the coven, become like them, live for naught but pain, torture, fear, blood, and sex, debauchery. Of course, it worked not, for you, ma belle sirène, are the only woman who can, and will ever be able to seduce me—so she decided to act as if it was a matter of business, told me her coven had an offer for me. Of course, I already knew what she and the Volturi wanted from me, had seen pretty horrible things in her head, things that were both sexually perverted and of naught but bloodshed, pain, and hunger for power, which I will not tell you about, for I would not fill your beautiful head with such things, but I decided not to tip my hand in case they believed my ability only a fable, went with her to Volterra."

Laughter, rich and dark, satisfied. It twined around Bella, stroked over her skin like a lover's caress. "The first thing they did when I arrived was to have Chelsea attempt to break my bond, however, it was not the bond I had with the Cullens she attempted to break, for they are not, nor will ever be, the reason why I am the way I am, have the values and morals I do, my moral compass strong and true—but the bond I share with my beloved mother, Elizabeth. She, of course, failed in her task, would have done so even had you not been protecting me, though you were not there, for nothing and no one can break the bond I have with my beloved mother, Elizabeth, so strong, loving, pure, and true, just as no one and nothing can ever break my bond with you."

Edward caressed her hair, the touch loving and gentle. "It was then that they decided to try to get me to join them by force, the three leaders of the coven, Aro, Caius, and Marcus, ordering Jane and Alec, their most powerful assets, mostly the reason why people fear them and do not attempt to dethrone them, to torture me and torture me until I agreed to join them, if only to stop the pain and torture. Except when they tried, and believe me, Amour, tried they did, naught happened, I was still standing, on my feet, not bent over with excruciating pain, able to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste the air around me, able to fight. When the three leaders saw Jane and Alec's abilities worked not on me, they decided to kill me, for if they could not have me be part of their coven, then no one else could."

Bella shivered, yet another frison of fear, potent, so potent, passing through her. Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he knew this wasn't from cold, could see it in her eyes, else, he'd never have done what he did next, tucked her closer to him, kissed her, deep, slow, and sweet, until she went slack against him, relaxed, and only then did he continue, finished his story. "Except they were able to lay a finger on me not, for soon as they thought to do me harm, they were flown off the floor, pinned to the walls of their palace, their bodies beginning to be torn apart by invisible hands. It was then that I threatened them, told them what I did, as they were thrashing and screaming, tiny pieces of their skin being torn off slowly, begging me to stop though I was doing anything not, for it was all you."

His eyes glittered, the pride, love, and satisfaction in them clear and potent. "I know what you are, ma belle lionne, what your ability will be when I change you. I should have put two and two together sooner, but perhaps it is just as well that I did so now." His kiss left her breathless, wanting more. "You are a shield, mon doux, the most powerful there is, for not only can you stop mental attacks but physical ones as well, and if vampires attempt to attack you or anyone you are shielding after I change you, when you yourself are a vampire, they will end up torn to pieces without you having to lift a single finger."

It was impossible, what he was saying, that she had protected him, she wasn't even a vampire yet, but . . . "When did this occur, husband of mine, when did the Volturi attempt to kill you?

"

Though he raised an eyebrow, he didn't question her own inquiry, guessing, correctly, she would tell him why she was asking when he told her the answer. "Last year, on your birthday, September 13th."

She sucked in a breath, stretched her hands, wanting to touch something invisible, something she'd seen that day, but couldn't see now. "I put it down to menstrual cramps, the effects of the medicine I took, at the time," she murmured under her breath, the words much too low for humans to hear.

But Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he wasn't human. Sitting up, he brought her onto his lap, her legs on either side of his hips so she was effectively straddling him. "Put what down to menstrual cramps, what occurred for you that day, mon précieux trésor?"

She cupped his face between her hands, pressed her forehead to his, closed her eyes. "I felt you, Husband, my love," she touched a hand to her heart, for she didn't know where else the soul could be located, "here, in my soul, could taste and smell you, honey lilac, pure, so pure and sweet, saw a light the exact color your eyes are now, an emerald green so beautiful, it is inhuman, that sometimes shifts to blue, the blue equally as beautiful , felt an overwhelming urge to protect it, shelter it from all of those who would do it harm. Jane," she said, recalling how she felt a faint stabbing at the shield she'd wrapped around the beautiful light that was that of her husband, which she now knew hadn't been a figment of her imagination, "her ability felt akin to needles attempting to stab at my shield, break through it, Alec's akin to novocaine or morphine."

Edward lost the battle he'd been fighting in his head, began kissing Bella like a man possessed, tumbled her back into the bed, ran his hands, strong, gentle hands, all over her body, avoiding the places that were only for husbands to touch. It was a miracle her hairdo was still in one piece when he pulled away, allowing her a chance to breathe, his lips moving on to her neck and throat. "You love me with such ferocity, ma belle lionne." A shake of his head, Edward going back to kissing her lips, moving his own softly, but very fervently, against hers, pulling away only slightly to say, "I am no longer willing to wait seventeen more days to marry you, make love to you, I want you too much." A thoughtful, calculating look. "A week, that is how much I am willing to wait, we must have everything ready and decided by then."