Hurricane
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 5
In a bit of a daze, he felt the baby settle into his hold, taking in the scent and feel of him, this baby, his son.
He could hardly comprehend it, but staring into those blue eyes as the child blinked up at him, he could feel the undeniable connection. This tiny being was of his flesh, his blood… A son—he had a son, and with that thought, a genuine, wondering smile curved his lips.
Turning his back, he wandered away from the others. He felt the need for a bit of distance; a moment to connect and when he had that, he dipped his head and with closed eyes, lightly rubbed his cheek on the downy softness of the baby’s head. “Hello little one,” he whispered as the child coo’ed.
Drawing back, he smiled brightly and bounced the baby gently. “I’m your father, Dominic,” he said quietly and the baby smiled a toothless smile, drawing a light, incredulous laugh from Klaus. “You feel it too, then do you? There’s a good lad.”
Across the room, Bella could barely control her emotions as she watched her son become acquainted with his father. The whispered words, delighted laughs and the way Niklaus fondly bounced and nuzzled the child told her that all was well, and her heart swelled with the knowledge that her fears of rejection were unfounded.
She hadn’t realized she was silently crying until Carlisle took hold of her elbow, guiding her to sit on the couch while handing her a handkerchief. “Thank you,” she murmured. After drying her tears, she looked at her surrogate father and was shocked at his expression. It was one of deep concern. “Is something wrong Carlisle?”
Carlisle’s gaze darted to Elijah and back to her as he gave her a tight smile. “Are you…aware…”
A light laugh from Elijah interrupted him and they both focused on him. “Yes, Carlisle Cullen, she is aware of what we are.”
Carlisle frowned and looked at Bella. “You never shared this with me.”
She relaxed back into her seat with a nod. “Because I didn’t know back then. I thought he was just a man. If I’d known, I would have told you, especially considering Nick.” She looked between him and Elijah curiously. “You know each other?”
“We know of each other,” Carlisle clarified. “I was apprised of them during my time with the Volturi, however we never met.”
Her brow pinched. “Then, how is it you recognize them?”
“There was a portrait of their family…”
Elijah laughed. “Ah yes, the portrait. Aro was most insistent upon its creation, so we indulged him. It wasn’t a simple thing to arrange, let me tell you. Took years to complete.” He looked at Bella. “Our family hasn’t been what you would call close through the years, but that’s to be expected since Niklaus kept many of us daggered and in coffins for great portions of time.”
Her eyes went wide. “Daggered…in coffins?!”
“Hm, yes, a story for another time I’m afraid,” he said dryly with an airy wave of a hand. “Bella darling, I hate to be presumptuous, but do you have any liquor in the house?”
She shot from her seat. “Yes, oh geez, I’m sorry for not offering before…” She walked into the kitchen and took out a bottle of Glenlivet and three tumblers. Placing it all on a tray, she brought it back to the living room and set it on the coffee table.
“Relax,” Elijah said as he sat forward. “I’ll pour.” He glanced at her as he did so and cocked a brow. “You look as though you could use some of this yourself.”
She nodded. “Maybe just a taste. I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”
He rose and handed her the glass. “Perhaps you should order something?”
“Not a bad idea, considering the chicken I took out earlier is probably poisonous by now.” She got up and went back to the kitchen just as Klaus took a seat on the couch, the baby still in the crook of his arm.
Elijah smirked at him. “You make that look natural, brother.”
“Yes, well, he hasn’t started to cry yet, has he?” he remarked with a smirk.
“No indeed, not to mention any of the other unpleasant aspects of infants,” Elijah said with a jaunty salute of his glass.
Bella laughed as she sat next to Klaus. “You mean Uncle Elijah won’t be changing any dirty diapers?”
“I’ll leave that to his esteemed parents, thank you,” he said with a moue of distaste.
“Diapers…” Klaus mused with a frown as he handed his son back to Bella who smirked.
“Yes, diapers,” she said with a laugh while patting Nick’s back.
“He just ate before I brought him home,” Carlisle spoke up. “He’s probably ready to sleep for a bit.”
Bella rose from the couch. “I’m going to change him and see if he’ll go down for a bit then,” she said but before she could leave the room, Carlisle stood.
“I should be getting back, Bella, but I’ll call tomorrow and check in with you.” He kissed her cheek and turned with a nod to Klaus and Elijah. “Gentlemen,” he said before letting himself out.
Bella left the room with the baby and Elijah drained his glass and stood. “I’ll be going too then. I’ll get a room and check in with you tomorrow, that is if she doesn’t wind up kicking you out, in which case, I’ll see you later tonight. I’ll text you the particulars once I’m settled.”
Klaus rolled his eyes. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, brother.”
Elijah smirked and took his leave, but stuck his head back in at the last second, one brow cocked. “You might want to have this door looked at.”
Klaus gave him a lazy wave and he left just as Bella walked back in. She smiled and sat next to him. “Everyone else left?” At his nod, she smiled and gestured back toward the bedroom. “He went right to sleep.”
“Good,” he said before pinning her with a look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She looked away, fingers fiddling with a loose thread on her sleeve. “Right to it then, eh? All right… I didn’t think you’d be interested,” she said as she took up her glass and drained it.
He scooted forward and poured three fingers of whiskey into a glass before leaning back with the drink. “That’s an erroneous assumption love, and one you had no right to make. The minute you made the decision to bring him into the world, I had a right to know.”
Her jaw clenched in irrational irritation and she took a few deep breaths to calm such a reflexive reaction. She knew he was right, but it was a tough thing to admit, even to herself. “Fine,” she conceded with the barest of nods as she looked back at him. She half expected to see a smirk; he merely gazed back, his expression closed, calculating, as he sipped the aged liquor, wordlessly awaiting more from her. She sighed. “You’re right, of course. I should have found you and told you. I’m…sorry for that, but you have to understand my position…”
She watched as one sandy brow arched in response. He maintained his silence and she could have growled in frustration as her eyes narrowed. “It’s not like you weren't keeping secrets of your own…”
Both sandy brows rose at that. “And when did you give me the opportunity to address any of that, hmm?”
“Fair point,” she said with a deep exhale as she tossed a hand. “I fucked up, okay? Is that what you want to hear?” She leaned forward and refreshed her drink, downing half of it before meeting his penetrating gaze once again. “What’s done is done though, so what now?”
She watched as he set his drink down and walked to the front door just as the doorbell rang. He quickly paid for her dinner and walked back, handing her the bag before retaking his seat. “Thank you,” she murmured as she rose to head for the kitchen, her stomach in an uncomfortable knot as she unpacked the food. “Do you eat human food? I mean, you drink, so…” she muttered absently while splitting some chopsticks and flipping open the flaps of a small white box.
“I do,” he said with a nod, “but I’ve no desire at the moment, if that’s why you’re asking.”
She shrugged and retook her seat on the couch, folding one leg under her as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. “Suit yourself,” she mumbled around a bite before swallowing, “but I’m starving, so…”
He smirked. “By all means…don’t be shy sweetheart.”
She glared at him with her mouth full and he chuckled as she chewed and swallowed. “Tell you what, I’ll ask questions between bites. You answer.” He inclined his head while lifting a hand.
“Do your worst, love.”
“Fine. You bit me, twice now if I’m not mistaken. Why didn’t I change? Aren’t you venomous, or is that yet another difference between you and the…what did you call them…the cold ones?”
He scoffed behind the rim of his glass before taking a slow sip. “No, I am not venomous. I can feed without killing.”
Her brows shot up and she swallowed heavily, wiping her lips with a napkin before washing that bite down with a sip from her own glass. “How the hell does that work with keeping your existence secret? Folks tend to take notice when you sink fangs into their necks.”
He smiled. “They do, however, my kind can compel them to forget…should we choose to leave them alive.”
She froze, a bite halfway to her mouth. “Mind control?”
He lazily waved a hand. “Of sorts, yes.”
She stuffed the sticks into the box and set it to the side without looking away from his face. “Have you done that to me?”
He frowned. “I tried once, yes. For some reason, I was unsuccessful.”
“When?” she demanded.
“After you shot me,” he said simply. “You were less than stable at the moment,” he said unapologetically. “I had to try.”
“That’s the only time?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, love,” he said, just barely resisting an eye roll. “Now eat before it gets cold. It smells vile as it is. I can’t imagine any passage of time improving upon it.”
She took up the box again. “It’s delicious,” she grumbled while plucking out another bite of chicken. “And I’m glad to hear you can’t fuck with my mind either,” she added as an aside. “Thank god for small favors…” She popped in the bite and gave him a close-lipped smile.
“What do you mean by ‘either’?” he asked, not missing that little tid-bit.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Carlisle’s son’s a mind reader. He supposedly hears the surface thoughts of everyone around him, but he can’t hear a thing from me; never could apparently,” she said before stuffing a rather large bite of noodles into her mouth.
“Interesting…” he muttered before draining the last of his drink.
She wiped her lips with the napkin. “What’s interesting? The fact that you can’t mess with my mind, or that Carlisle’s son’s a mind reader?” He watched, amused and a little put-off as she drained her drink before threading an intimidatingly long noodle into her open mouth complete with a slurp and a giggle.
He picked up her glass and took it to the kitchen, bringing back a bottle of water in its stead and setting it before her as he took his seat. “I think you’ve had enough liquor, love. You’re becoming quite…uninhibited and I’d rather you remember this conversation.”
“Whatever…” she grumbled before cramming another bite into her mouth. After swallowing, she cracked open the water and took a healthy pull from it before looking back at him. “So, you can’t…change people…into what you are?” she asked while setting the box aside and taking up her napkin. She wiped her mouth and fingers while watching him.
“Of course I can.”
“How then?” she demanded without preamble.
“Why do you want to know?” he fired back, watching her closely as she looked away.
“Curiosity,” she hedged.
“We’ll leave it for another discussion then.”
“Why?” she sneered. “Is it against your high and mighty morals or something? Gonna whine and cry about corrupting my pure soul?” She leaned forward, her lip curled in distaste as she fairly snarled, “You pretty much called yourself a monster earlier… Is that why you won’t answer my question? You want to save me or something?” She threw herself back against the pillows of the couch as he watched on with raised brows. “Spare me the melodramatics, okay? I’ve heard it all before and it’s complete bullshit. If you don’t want me around, at least have the balls to be straight about it because you can cram your god damned philosophy or theology or whatever-ology you wanna term it straight up your ass on your way out the nearest exit.”
She glared at the table until she heard him laugh. “A bit of a chip on your shoulder, sweetheart?” He shook his head. “My, my, what a temper…”
Doing her best to burn him with her eyes alone, she fairly hissed, “What’s so funny?”
She found herself pinned against the couch the next second as his nose and lips dragged over the skin from her collar bone to her ear. “You could search the world over my darling and never find someone with less of a conscience than I,” he drawled in that lazy accented voice that raised the hair on her arms and made her heart race. “No, my lovely, that has never been an issue with me, make no mistake,” he said with a sharp nip to her racing pulse-point.
Her breath gushed out in a breathy rush and she tilted her head, her body yielding to him instantly as his hand roamed up her side to fondle a breast. “I could do it…right now…so easily,” he whispered before sucking gently at her luscious skin. “My blood thrums through your veins…can you feel it Isabella? It calls to me…it begs me to finish what I began…” he backed away to look into her wary eyes as her breasts heaved with excitement. “But I cannot,” he said with a caress of her cheek.
“Why not?” she wondered quietly, her head swimming with his closeness—the feel of him, the scent of him as he brushed his lips against hers in the barest of kisses.
“Dominic,” he said simply as he slowly backed away and retook his seat. “We have a child to consider.”
“Dominic,” she repeated, slowly closing her eyes while berating herself for failing to consider her infant son in the madness of the moment. God, what was it about this man—vampire—that made her lose all reason?
His voice brought her back to the moment and she focused on him, his expression now clear of any amusement as he spoke. “That’s not to say I will never consider it, should that be your wish, but arrangements must be made for his care until you’re stable enough to be a mother to him once again.”
“Of course,” she said as she rubbed her brow. “I’m sorry for losing my shit. It’s been a stressful day…”
Her door crashed open and Niklaus had the perpetrator by the throat before she could focus on who it was. When she did, her breath caught. “What are you doing here?!” she ground out as the being struggled in Niklaus’s hold.
“Bella! She got away from me! Jasper went for a hunt. Alice and I were watching her closely…we thought…well, Alice swore we had her cornered and that she wouldn’t go anywhere while Jasper hunted…”
“Isabella,” Niklaus growled. “You know this stuttering infant?”
“Yes,” she affirmed before focusing back on Edward. “Now, why are you here?!” she asked, her heart racing with fear at the implications.
“Isabella,” Niklaus said with a glance back at her. “Go get the baby…” but the sound of his voice was cut short by the noise of the bedroom window shattering.
She caught the sound of a muttered curse from Niklaus as he dropped the mind reader and disappeared into the bedroom just as the baby began wailing. Running into the room, her heart stuttered to a stop at the sight that greeted her. There, next to the crib with her screaming baby clutched in cruel hands, was Victoria. Niklaus stood feet away from the red-head, his eyes glowing fiercely and fangs on full display as he growled at the female who smiled sweetly when Edward edged into the room.
Bella fell to her knees as her worst nightmare played out in front of her, not even recognizing her own voice as she begged, “Not Nicki, please god, not Nicki…”
“Edward,” a sickening sweet child-like voice simpered. “So good of you to join me. I’d be so disappointed if you’d missed this. Thank you, by the way, for finally leading me to dear Bella here. The game was growing boring there for a while,” she pouted over the terrified wails of the baby.
Klaus stepped closer, his fingers curled into menacing claws. “Know this you vile cunt. That is my son you hold in your stinking hands and for that monumental fuck up alone, you will know your end this night.”
She frowned as she finally focused her manic gaze on him. “You’re new,” was all she said and Niklaus grinned causing a chill to crawl up the insane cold one’s spine.
“Yessss,” he agreed, his gaze fiery with hatred. “You can call me death and believe me when I say, it will not be sweet. Neither will it be merciful.”
With that, he lunged as Bella screamed.
In a bit of a daze, he felt the baby settle into his hold, taking in the scent and feel of him, this baby, his son.
He could hardly comprehend it, but staring into those blue eyes as the child blinked up at him, he could feel the undeniable connection. This tiny being was of his flesh, his blood… A son—he had a son, and with that thought, a genuine, wondering smile curved his lips.
Turning his back, he wandered away from the others. He felt the need for a bit of distance; a moment to connect and when he had that, he dipped his head and with closed eyes, lightly rubbed his cheek on the downy softness of the baby’s head. “Hello little one,” he whispered as the child coo’ed.
Drawing back, he smiled brightly and bounced the baby gently. “I’m your father, Dominic,” he said quietly and the baby smiled a toothless smile, drawing a light, incredulous laugh from Klaus. “You feel it too, then do you? There’s a good lad.”
Across the room, Bella could barely control her emotions as she watched her son become acquainted with his father. The whispered words, delighted laughs and the way Niklaus fondly bounced and nuzzled the child told her that all was well, and her heart swelled with the knowledge that her fears of rejection were unfounded.
She hadn’t realized she was silently crying until Carlisle took hold of her elbow, guiding her to sit on the couch while handing her a handkerchief. “Thank you,” she murmured. After drying her tears, she looked at her surrogate father and was shocked at his expression. It was one of deep concern. “Is something wrong Carlisle?”
Carlisle’s gaze darted to Elijah and back to her as he gave her a tight smile. “Are you…aware…”
A light laugh from Elijah interrupted him and they both focused on him. “Yes, Carlisle Cullen, she is aware of what we are.”
Carlisle frowned and looked at Bella. “You never shared this with me.”
She relaxed back into her seat with a nod. “Because I didn’t know back then. I thought he was just a man. If I’d known, I would have told you, especially considering Nick.” She looked between him and Elijah curiously. “You know each other?”
“We know of each other,” Carlisle clarified. “I was apprised of them during my time with the Volturi, however we never met.”
Her brow pinched. “Then, how is it you recognize them?”
“There was a portrait of their family…”
Elijah laughed. “Ah yes, the portrait. Aro was most insistent upon its creation, so we indulged him. It wasn’t a simple thing to arrange, let me tell you. Took years to complete.” He looked at Bella. “Our family hasn’t been what you would call close through the years, but that’s to be expected since Niklaus kept many of us daggered and in coffins for great portions of time.”
Her eyes went wide. “Daggered…in coffins?!”
“Hm, yes, a story for another time I’m afraid,” he said dryly with an airy wave of a hand. “Bella darling, I hate to be presumptuous, but do you have any liquor in the house?”
She shot from her seat. “Yes, oh geez, I’m sorry for not offering before…” She walked into the kitchen and took out a bottle of Glenlivet and three tumblers. Placing it all on a tray, she brought it back to the living room and set it on the coffee table.
“Relax,” Elijah said as he sat forward. “I’ll pour.” He glanced at her as he did so and cocked a brow. “You look as though you could use some of this yourself.”
She nodded. “Maybe just a taste. I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”
He rose and handed her the glass. “Perhaps you should order something?”
“Not a bad idea, considering the chicken I took out earlier is probably poisonous by now.” She got up and went back to the kitchen just as Klaus took a seat on the couch, the baby still in the crook of his arm.
Elijah smirked at him. “You make that look natural, brother.”
“Yes, well, he hasn’t started to cry yet, has he?” he remarked with a smirk.
“No indeed, not to mention any of the other unpleasant aspects of infants,” Elijah said with a jaunty salute of his glass.
Bella laughed as she sat next to Klaus. “You mean Uncle Elijah won’t be changing any dirty diapers?”
“I’ll leave that to his esteemed parents, thank you,” he said with a moue of distaste.
“Diapers…” Klaus mused with a frown as he handed his son back to Bella who smirked.
“Yes, diapers,” she said with a laugh while patting Nick’s back.
“He just ate before I brought him home,” Carlisle spoke up. “He’s probably ready to sleep for a bit.”
Bella rose from the couch. “I’m going to change him and see if he’ll go down for a bit then,” she said but before she could leave the room, Carlisle stood.
“I should be getting back, Bella, but I’ll call tomorrow and check in with you.” He kissed her cheek and turned with a nod to Klaus and Elijah. “Gentlemen,” he said before letting himself out.
Bella left the room with the baby and Elijah drained his glass and stood. “I’ll be going too then. I’ll get a room and check in with you tomorrow, that is if she doesn’t wind up kicking you out, in which case, I’ll see you later tonight. I’ll text you the particulars once I’m settled.”
Klaus rolled his eyes. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, brother.”
Elijah smirked and took his leave, but stuck his head back in at the last second, one brow cocked. “You might want to have this door looked at.”
Klaus gave him a lazy wave and he left just as Bella walked back in. She smiled and sat next to him. “Everyone else left?” At his nod, she smiled and gestured back toward the bedroom. “He went right to sleep.”
“Good,” he said before pinning her with a look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She looked away, fingers fiddling with a loose thread on her sleeve. “Right to it then, eh? All right… I didn’t think you’d be interested,” she said as she took up her glass and drained it.
He scooted forward and poured three fingers of whiskey into a glass before leaning back with the drink. “That’s an erroneous assumption love, and one you had no right to make. The minute you made the decision to bring him into the world, I had a right to know.”
Her jaw clenched in irrational irritation and she took a few deep breaths to calm such a reflexive reaction. She knew he was right, but it was a tough thing to admit, even to herself. “Fine,” she conceded with the barest of nods as she looked back at him. She half expected to see a smirk; he merely gazed back, his expression closed, calculating, as he sipped the aged liquor, wordlessly awaiting more from her. She sighed. “You’re right, of course. I should have found you and told you. I’m…sorry for that, but you have to understand my position…”
She watched as one sandy brow arched in response. He maintained his silence and she could have growled in frustration as her eyes narrowed. “It’s not like you weren't keeping secrets of your own…”
Both sandy brows rose at that. “And when did you give me the opportunity to address any of that, hmm?”
“Fair point,” she said with a deep exhale as she tossed a hand. “I fucked up, okay? Is that what you want to hear?” She leaned forward and refreshed her drink, downing half of it before meeting his penetrating gaze once again. “What’s done is done though, so what now?”
She watched as he set his drink down and walked to the front door just as the doorbell rang. He quickly paid for her dinner and walked back, handing her the bag before retaking his seat. “Thank you,” she murmured as she rose to head for the kitchen, her stomach in an uncomfortable knot as she unpacked the food. “Do you eat human food? I mean, you drink, so…” she muttered absently while splitting some chopsticks and flipping open the flaps of a small white box.
“I do,” he said with a nod, “but I’ve no desire at the moment, if that’s why you’re asking.”
She shrugged and retook her seat on the couch, folding one leg under her as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. “Suit yourself,” she mumbled around a bite before swallowing, “but I’m starving, so…”
He smirked. “By all means…don’t be shy sweetheart.”
She glared at him with her mouth full and he chuckled as she chewed and swallowed. “Tell you what, I’ll ask questions between bites. You answer.” He inclined his head while lifting a hand.
“Do your worst, love.”
“Fine. You bit me, twice now if I’m not mistaken. Why didn’t I change? Aren’t you venomous, or is that yet another difference between you and the…what did you call them…the cold ones?”
He scoffed behind the rim of his glass before taking a slow sip. “No, I am not venomous. I can feed without killing.”
Her brows shot up and she swallowed heavily, wiping her lips with a napkin before washing that bite down with a sip from her own glass. “How the hell does that work with keeping your existence secret? Folks tend to take notice when you sink fangs into their necks.”
He smiled. “They do, however, my kind can compel them to forget…should we choose to leave them alive.”
She froze, a bite halfway to her mouth. “Mind control?”
He lazily waved a hand. “Of sorts, yes.”
She stuffed the sticks into the box and set it to the side without looking away from his face. “Have you done that to me?”
He frowned. “I tried once, yes. For some reason, I was unsuccessful.”
“When?” she demanded.
“After you shot me,” he said simply. “You were less than stable at the moment,” he said unapologetically. “I had to try.”
“That’s the only time?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, love,” he said, just barely resisting an eye roll. “Now eat before it gets cold. It smells vile as it is. I can’t imagine any passage of time improving upon it.”
She took up the box again. “It’s delicious,” she grumbled while plucking out another bite of chicken. “And I’m glad to hear you can’t fuck with my mind either,” she added as an aside. “Thank god for small favors…” She popped in the bite and gave him a close-lipped smile.
“What do you mean by ‘either’?” he asked, not missing that little tid-bit.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Carlisle’s son’s a mind reader. He supposedly hears the surface thoughts of everyone around him, but he can’t hear a thing from me; never could apparently,” she said before stuffing a rather large bite of noodles into her mouth.
“Interesting…” he muttered before draining the last of his drink.
She wiped her lips with the napkin. “What’s interesting? The fact that you can’t mess with my mind, or that Carlisle’s son’s a mind reader?” He watched, amused and a little put-off as she drained her drink before threading an intimidatingly long noodle into her open mouth complete with a slurp and a giggle.
He picked up her glass and took it to the kitchen, bringing back a bottle of water in its stead and setting it before her as he took his seat. “I think you’ve had enough liquor, love. You’re becoming quite…uninhibited and I’d rather you remember this conversation.”
“Whatever…” she grumbled before cramming another bite into her mouth. After swallowing, she cracked open the water and took a healthy pull from it before looking back at him. “So, you can’t…change people…into what you are?” she asked while setting the box aside and taking up her napkin. She wiped her mouth and fingers while watching him.
“Of course I can.”
“How then?” she demanded without preamble.
“Why do you want to know?” he fired back, watching her closely as she looked away.
“Curiosity,” she hedged.
“We’ll leave it for another discussion then.”
“Why?” she sneered. “Is it against your high and mighty morals or something? Gonna whine and cry about corrupting my pure soul?” She leaned forward, her lip curled in distaste as she fairly snarled, “You pretty much called yourself a monster earlier… Is that why you won’t answer my question? You want to save me or something?” She threw herself back against the pillows of the couch as he watched on with raised brows. “Spare me the melodramatics, okay? I’ve heard it all before and it’s complete bullshit. If you don’t want me around, at least have the balls to be straight about it because you can cram your god damned philosophy or theology or whatever-ology you wanna term it straight up your ass on your way out the nearest exit.”
She glared at the table until she heard him laugh. “A bit of a chip on your shoulder, sweetheart?” He shook his head. “My, my, what a temper…”
Doing her best to burn him with her eyes alone, she fairly hissed, “What’s so funny?”
She found herself pinned against the couch the next second as his nose and lips dragged over the skin from her collar bone to her ear. “You could search the world over my darling and never find someone with less of a conscience than I,” he drawled in that lazy accented voice that raised the hair on her arms and made her heart race. “No, my lovely, that has never been an issue with me, make no mistake,” he said with a sharp nip to her racing pulse-point.
Her breath gushed out in a breathy rush and she tilted her head, her body yielding to him instantly as his hand roamed up her side to fondle a breast. “I could do it…right now…so easily,” he whispered before sucking gently at her luscious skin. “My blood thrums through your veins…can you feel it Isabella? It calls to me…it begs me to finish what I began…” he backed away to look into her wary eyes as her breasts heaved with excitement. “But I cannot,” he said with a caress of her cheek.
“Why not?” she wondered quietly, her head swimming with his closeness—the feel of him, the scent of him as he brushed his lips against hers in the barest of kisses.
“Dominic,” he said simply as he slowly backed away and retook his seat. “We have a child to consider.”
“Dominic,” she repeated, slowly closing her eyes while berating herself for failing to consider her infant son in the madness of the moment. God, what was it about this man—vampire—that made her lose all reason?
His voice brought her back to the moment and she focused on him, his expression now clear of any amusement as he spoke. “That’s not to say I will never consider it, should that be your wish, but arrangements must be made for his care until you’re stable enough to be a mother to him once again.”
“Of course,” she said as she rubbed her brow. “I’m sorry for losing my shit. It’s been a stressful day…”
Her door crashed open and Niklaus had the perpetrator by the throat before she could focus on who it was. When she did, her breath caught. “What are you doing here?!” she ground out as the being struggled in Niklaus’s hold.
“Bella! She got away from me! Jasper went for a hunt. Alice and I were watching her closely…we thought…well, Alice swore we had her cornered and that she wouldn’t go anywhere while Jasper hunted…”
“Isabella,” Niklaus growled. “You know this stuttering infant?”
“Yes,” she affirmed before focusing back on Edward. “Now, why are you here?!” she asked, her heart racing with fear at the implications.
“Isabella,” Niklaus said with a glance back at her. “Go get the baby…” but the sound of his voice was cut short by the noise of the bedroom window shattering.
She caught the sound of a muttered curse from Niklaus as he dropped the mind reader and disappeared into the bedroom just as the baby began wailing. Running into the room, her heart stuttered to a stop at the sight that greeted her. There, next to the crib with her screaming baby clutched in cruel hands, was Victoria. Niklaus stood feet away from the red-head, his eyes glowing fiercely and fangs on full display as he growled at the female who smiled sweetly when Edward edged into the room.
Bella fell to her knees as her worst nightmare played out in front of her, not even recognizing her own voice as she begged, “Not Nicki, please god, not Nicki…”
“Edward,” a sickening sweet child-like voice simpered. “So good of you to join me. I’d be so disappointed if you’d missed this. Thank you, by the way, for finally leading me to dear Bella here. The game was growing boring there for a while,” she pouted over the terrified wails of the baby.
Klaus stepped closer, his fingers curled into menacing claws. “Know this you vile cunt. That is my son you hold in your stinking hands and for that monumental fuck up alone, you will know your end this night.”
She frowned as she finally focused her manic gaze on him. “You’re new,” was all she said and Niklaus grinned causing a chill to crawl up the insane cold one’s spine.
“Yessss,” he agreed, his gaze fiery with hatred. “You can call me death and believe me when I say, it will not be sweet. Neither will it be merciful.”
With that, he lunged as Bella screamed.
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