In That First Moment ~ 8
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 1
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 2
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 3
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 4
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 5
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 6
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 7
Bella
At least she wasn’t blushing. Paul had smelled terrible, but that hadn’t altered the intense embarrassment she’d felt when she’d realized she was tumbling in the snow with a naked boy - right in front of Edward.
She nodded feebly as Edward shook out her hair. It was probably a mess. She tried to brush the snow off of her jeans, but the proximity of a super-heated werewolf had caused most of it to melt. They were soaked through. Edward, she noticed, looked like a light wind had ruffled his perfect hair. She laughed a little at the difference, and some of the worry lines left his face. They turned back toward Tanya’s house without needing to discuss it. They were going to have quite a story to tell. And speaking of stories -
“Jasper’s not the only talented vampire in the family, is he?” she asked shyly. To her surprise, Edward grinned at her again, a full smile that seemed to brighten the whole forest. She’d thought the reserved, lop-sided smile was gorgeous enough. This made her catch her breath. She was sure he noticed.
“I read minds,” he said, tapping the side of his head. She felt her eyes widen in worry. “Does that alarm you?” His smile never dimmed, but she heard an edge to his voice. She wasn’t quite able to answer, and turned her head. He could hear her thoughts? That was not good. Not good at all. “But not yours,” he said after a moment. “Everyone’s thoughts but yours.”
Bella had to force herself not to sigh in relief. The continual running commentary in her head about his perfect face was NOT something she wanted him privy to. “That’s what let you talk to the wolves, then?” she asked quickly. She didn’t want him to think she was dwelling on it.
“Yes. But my ability isn’t the most interesting revelation of the afternoon,” he added. “What’s going to cause the biggest stir is YOUR talent.”
Bella nodded. She was at a complete loss as to why Paul had been forced into human form when he touched her, when nothing like that had happened to Sam when he’d attacked Edward. “Can you think of any reason that might have happened?” she asked. She was surprised that she actually felt a little grateful to the wolves. Suddenly, she and Edward had something to talk about - a shared experience other than the last moments of her human life.
“I imagine for the same reason your thoughts are blocked from me. You’ve got some sort of shield that’s protecting you.” He paused for a moment. “Only from magical attacks, though. Once Paul was human, he was able to knock you over just fine.”
Bella looked at him reproachfully, perceiving his amusement. “Sorry, I’m a little new to the whole epic struggle for survival thing,” she said dryly. She nearly bit her tongue as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but Edward didn’t take it the way she’d feared.
“About that,” he replied, his eyes on her even as he walked, “Thanks. Paul would have had time to take my arm off if you hadn’t jumped in.” Bella forgot to breathe for another moment. They were still walking quickly, but she’d turned toward him at the unexpected warmth in his voice.
“You’re welcome,” she replied after a moment. She’d just begun to smile when her foot caught a rock. Her stumble was slight, her new and improved vampire reflexes compensating almost instantly. But Edward saw, and laughed. She had never heard him laugh without bitterness before - the sound echoed back to them from the glacial rocks they’d passed earlier, and she couldn’t help but join in.
When their laughter died away Edward seemed less tense than he had been earlier in the day. Bella stole glances at him when she could, while he explained about the wolves and the generations-old treaty that had allowed his family to live in Forks. She thought back to her own childhood, when she’d been forced to sit through long hours in a boat while Charlie and his best friends fished. The memories were dim, though. But they triggered other, more recent ones. She analyzed the moment that had replayed in her head when Paul had spoken her father’s name. She’d been sitting beside him in the police cruiser, thanking him for buying her a truck. It had been a stilted conversation, but the accompanying emotions had been alarmingly warm and fuzzy. How could she have failed to think of Charlie all this time? Sam had said he was going crazy looking for her. She’d just been feeling better, seeing Edward out of his room, and already there was something new to feel guilty for. And she knew without a doubt that she couldn’t make this better. She couldn’t go anywhere near Forks, ever again.
As they approached the house, Alice came flying out the front door. She came to a halt in front of them, eyes wide. Bella got the impression she’d been about to throw herself on Edward, but had restrained herself at the last moment. She looked very relieved. “You vanished,” she said quickly.
“What was the last thing you Saw?” Edward asked, then nodded immediately. “Then you missed the werewolves.” Bella had a good idea that she was about to learn about yet another special talent, but before she could ask, Edward was taking her hand to help her up the stairs, as if he thought she was going to trip over them. She vacillated between annoyance at his acknowledgement of her comparative clumsiness and embarrassment over his chivalry. Before she could decide which emotion won out, she noticed both Jasper and Tanya looking at her strangely. Since they were entering the house, she let go of Edward’s hand self-consciously. It seemed like everyone was waiting for them in the main room. She wondered again what Edward had meant when he asked Alice what she’d seen.
Everyone was congregated in the main room, as if they’d known something important would need to be discussed. Bella sat down with the others, grateful that Edward seemed to be the focus of their attention.
“The wolves are back in La Push?” Carlisle asked leadingly, as they all sat down. Bella supposed the smell had tipped him off.
“They’ve been making wide circles, hoping to pick up our scent, and they finally got lucky. I broke the treaty. And yes, Rosalie, I made sure they understood that I was solely responsible.” Edward added this last in a resigned tone of voice.
Bella listened to him describe the encounter, watching his expressions carefully. She was troubled by his treatment of Sam. He’d attacked him for no reason that she could see. It was easy to guess that Sam had THOUGHT something which had precipitated Edward’s aggression, but she couldn’t be sure. She wondered what it said about her that she was so drawn to him in spite of the violent tendencies, as she waited for him to explain that part of the story.
“The wolves want us to stay at least a thousand miles away from the treaty line from now on. The Alpha seemed to think it was our proximity that caused its transformation.”
“A thousand miles?” Esme asked. Bella could see the sadness in her eyes. “But our home!”
Edward hung his head. “I know. I’m sorry.” Bella waited through the silence.
“Well, how many wolves are left then?” Emmett asked, a slow grin overtaking his face. Apparently he, at least, wasn’t bothered about the loss of their house.
“There are still three, Emmett,” Edward replied, with a hasty glance at Bella. She caught his eyes for a moment, and was about to ask where the third had been. She had seen only two. But Emmett wasn’t finished.
“So, let’s go, then! If we hurry-”
“You let them go?” Tanya spoke up, clearly upset.
Edward remained silent, frowning, so Bella replied instead. “They were being pretty reasonable. After the initial attack, at least.”
“They attacked you?” Esme had her hand to her throat.
“I’d broken the treaty. They felt justified. It would have been much worse, if it hadn’t been for Bella.”
At this all eyes turned toward her, and Bella felt suddenly uncomfortable. She glanced hopefully at Edward, but he didn’t continue. Apparently he thought she should tell this part of the story.
“When Paul landed on me, he turned human,” she said simply. “I’m not sure why. Sam didn’t change when Edward caught him out of the air…”
“It appears you have a talent, Bella,” Carlisle said, smiling at her. Then he turned to Tanya. “When are Eleazar and Carmen due to visit?”
“They aren’t,” she replied. Bella was surprised at how cold her voice was. She tried to catch her eye, but didn’t succeed. Tanya was keeping her gaze firmly fixed on Edward, so that’s where Bella looked, too. He was scowling back at Tanya.
Carlisle looked suddenly uncomfortable, and there was another odd moment of silence before he said, “Well, perhaps we’ll call him to see if he can help us determine the exact nature of Bella’s ability.”
“I think she’s got a shield,” Edward offered. Bella noticed he’d smiled over at her again. “I can’t hear her thoughts.”
The effect of this comment was instantaneous. Every single one of them straightened in their chairs. Even Rosalie was so surprised that she forgot to glare at Edward for a second.
“Been playing that one close to the chest,” Jasper said.
“A shield?” Tanya’s voice had returned to normal, but Bella didn’t trust it. She wasn’t sure just what was going on with her hostess, who’d been so agreeable up until today. “We could test that.”
“Absolutely not!” Edward stood, anger etched on his face. Calm flooded through the room, and Bella glanced over at Jasper, thankful. This seemed to bring the discussion to an end, but instead of relieved, Bella felt unsatisfied. If there was a way to test her ability, to find out what was different about her, wouldn’t that be a good thing? And she hadn’t got any resolution on Edward’s violent behavior towards Sam, either.
Chapter 9
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 2
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 3
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 4
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 5
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 6
In That First Moment ~ Chapter 7
Bella
At least she wasn’t blushing. Paul had smelled terrible, but that hadn’t altered the intense embarrassment she’d felt when she’d realized she was tumbling in the snow with a naked boy - right in front of Edward.
She nodded feebly as Edward shook out her hair. It was probably a mess. She tried to brush the snow off of her jeans, but the proximity of a super-heated werewolf had caused most of it to melt. They were soaked through. Edward, she noticed, looked like a light wind had ruffled his perfect hair. She laughed a little at the difference, and some of the worry lines left his face. They turned back toward Tanya’s house without needing to discuss it. They were going to have quite a story to tell. And speaking of stories -
“Jasper’s not the only talented vampire in the family, is he?” she asked shyly. To her surprise, Edward grinned at her again, a full smile that seemed to brighten the whole forest. She’d thought the reserved, lop-sided smile was gorgeous enough. This made her catch her breath. She was sure he noticed.
“I read minds,” he said, tapping the side of his head. She felt her eyes widen in worry. “Does that alarm you?” His smile never dimmed, but she heard an edge to his voice. She wasn’t quite able to answer, and turned her head. He could hear her thoughts? That was not good. Not good at all. “But not yours,” he said after a moment. “Everyone’s thoughts but yours.”
Bella had to force herself not to sigh in relief. The continual running commentary in her head about his perfect face was NOT something she wanted him privy to. “That’s what let you talk to the wolves, then?” she asked quickly. She didn’t want him to think she was dwelling on it.
“Yes. But my ability isn’t the most interesting revelation of the afternoon,” he added. “What’s going to cause the biggest stir is YOUR talent.”
Bella nodded. She was at a complete loss as to why Paul had been forced into human form when he touched her, when nothing like that had happened to Sam when he’d attacked Edward. “Can you think of any reason that might have happened?” she asked. She was surprised that she actually felt a little grateful to the wolves. Suddenly, she and Edward had something to talk about - a shared experience other than the last moments of her human life.
“I imagine for the same reason your thoughts are blocked from me. You’ve got some sort of shield that’s protecting you.” He paused for a moment. “Only from magical attacks, though. Once Paul was human, he was able to knock you over just fine.”
Bella looked at him reproachfully, perceiving his amusement. “Sorry, I’m a little new to the whole epic struggle for survival thing,” she said dryly. She nearly bit her tongue as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but Edward didn’t take it the way she’d feared.
“About that,” he replied, his eyes on her even as he walked, “Thanks. Paul would have had time to take my arm off if you hadn’t jumped in.” Bella forgot to breathe for another moment. They were still walking quickly, but she’d turned toward him at the unexpected warmth in his voice.
“You’re welcome,” she replied after a moment. She’d just begun to smile when her foot caught a rock. Her stumble was slight, her new and improved vampire reflexes compensating almost instantly. But Edward saw, and laughed. She had never heard him laugh without bitterness before - the sound echoed back to them from the glacial rocks they’d passed earlier, and she couldn’t help but join in.
When their laughter died away Edward seemed less tense than he had been earlier in the day. Bella stole glances at him when she could, while he explained about the wolves and the generations-old treaty that had allowed his family to live in Forks. She thought back to her own childhood, when she’d been forced to sit through long hours in a boat while Charlie and his best friends fished. The memories were dim, though. But they triggered other, more recent ones. She analyzed the moment that had replayed in her head when Paul had spoken her father’s name. She’d been sitting beside him in the police cruiser, thanking him for buying her a truck. It had been a stilted conversation, but the accompanying emotions had been alarmingly warm and fuzzy. How could she have failed to think of Charlie all this time? Sam had said he was going crazy looking for her. She’d just been feeling better, seeing Edward out of his room, and already there was something new to feel guilty for. And she knew without a doubt that she couldn’t make this better. She couldn’t go anywhere near Forks, ever again.
As they approached the house, Alice came flying out the front door. She came to a halt in front of them, eyes wide. Bella got the impression she’d been about to throw herself on Edward, but had restrained herself at the last moment. She looked very relieved. “You vanished,” she said quickly.
“What was the last thing you Saw?” Edward asked, then nodded immediately. “Then you missed the werewolves.” Bella had a good idea that she was about to learn about yet another special talent, but before she could ask, Edward was taking her hand to help her up the stairs, as if he thought she was going to trip over them. She vacillated between annoyance at his acknowledgement of her comparative clumsiness and embarrassment over his chivalry. Before she could decide which emotion won out, she noticed both Jasper and Tanya looking at her strangely. Since they were entering the house, she let go of Edward’s hand self-consciously. It seemed like everyone was waiting for them in the main room. She wondered again what Edward had meant when he asked Alice what she’d seen.
Everyone was congregated in the main room, as if they’d known something important would need to be discussed. Bella sat down with the others, grateful that Edward seemed to be the focus of their attention.
“The wolves are back in La Push?” Carlisle asked leadingly, as they all sat down. Bella supposed the smell had tipped him off.
“They’ve been making wide circles, hoping to pick up our scent, and they finally got lucky. I broke the treaty. And yes, Rosalie, I made sure they understood that I was solely responsible.” Edward added this last in a resigned tone of voice.
Bella listened to him describe the encounter, watching his expressions carefully. She was troubled by his treatment of Sam. He’d attacked him for no reason that she could see. It was easy to guess that Sam had THOUGHT something which had precipitated Edward’s aggression, but she couldn’t be sure. She wondered what it said about her that she was so drawn to him in spite of the violent tendencies, as she waited for him to explain that part of the story.
“The wolves want us to stay at least a thousand miles away from the treaty line from now on. The Alpha seemed to think it was our proximity that caused its transformation.”
“A thousand miles?” Esme asked. Bella could see the sadness in her eyes. “But our home!”
Edward hung his head. “I know. I’m sorry.” Bella waited through the silence.
“Well, how many wolves are left then?” Emmett asked, a slow grin overtaking his face. Apparently he, at least, wasn’t bothered about the loss of their house.
“There are still three, Emmett,” Edward replied, with a hasty glance at Bella. She caught his eyes for a moment, and was about to ask where the third had been. She had seen only two. But Emmett wasn’t finished.
“So, let’s go, then! If we hurry-”
“You let them go?” Tanya spoke up, clearly upset.
Edward remained silent, frowning, so Bella replied instead. “They were being pretty reasonable. After the initial attack, at least.”
“They attacked you?” Esme had her hand to her throat.
“I’d broken the treaty. They felt justified. It would have been much worse, if it hadn’t been for Bella.”
At this all eyes turned toward her, and Bella felt suddenly uncomfortable. She glanced hopefully at Edward, but he didn’t continue. Apparently he thought she should tell this part of the story.
“When Paul landed on me, he turned human,” she said simply. “I’m not sure why. Sam didn’t change when Edward caught him out of the air…”
“It appears you have a talent, Bella,” Carlisle said, smiling at her. Then he turned to Tanya. “When are Eleazar and Carmen due to visit?”
“They aren’t,” she replied. Bella was surprised at how cold her voice was. She tried to catch her eye, but didn’t succeed. Tanya was keeping her gaze firmly fixed on Edward, so that’s where Bella looked, too. He was scowling back at Tanya.
Carlisle looked suddenly uncomfortable, and there was another odd moment of silence before he said, “Well, perhaps we’ll call him to see if he can help us determine the exact nature of Bella’s ability.”
“I think she’s got a shield,” Edward offered. Bella noticed he’d smiled over at her again. “I can’t hear her thoughts.”
The effect of this comment was instantaneous. Every single one of them straightened in their chairs. Even Rosalie was so surprised that she forgot to glare at Edward for a second.
“Been playing that one close to the chest,” Jasper said.
“A shield?” Tanya’s voice had returned to normal, but Bella didn’t trust it. She wasn’t sure just what was going on with her hostess, who’d been so agreeable up until today. “We could test that.”
“Absolutely not!” Edward stood, anger etched on his face. Calm flooded through the room, and Bella glanced over at Jasper, thankful. This seemed to bring the discussion to an end, but instead of relieved, Bella felt unsatisfied. If there was a way to test her ability, to find out what was different about her, wouldn’t that be a good thing? And she hadn’t got any resolution on Edward’s violent behavior towards Sam, either.
Chapter 9