The Journey
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 09
Branches snapped and dry leaves whirled and settled in his wake as he chased his prey through the dappled forest.
He'd hunted just the day before, but he wouldn't take any chances with the precious lives of his wife and child and so he surged forward and locked the frightened buck in his grip as his teeth pierced its artery all in one smooth, graceful motion.
He closed his eyes against the sights around him as he fed, the ever present shame of what he was, drowning him as his thoughts raced.
He'd spoken to her—to his son. He'd even touched them and held her, something he thought lost to him forever! The vivid memory of doing so caused a thrill in his chest, tinged as it was by shame and trepidation. How could he, such an unclean being, have allowed himself such liberties?!
He dropped the drained deer and backed away to sit at the base of a tree, his head tilting back to lean against the rough bark.
How could he allow himself to go back? To interact with them? What was she expecting? Did she think to have him as her husband again? That a normal life was even possible? He snorted in disgust at such a notion…
No, he thought. He would have to see her one last time and make his position clear. They would have to live without him. She would never again know him as her husband. His son could never know him as a father. He would not risk them in such a way…
He'd been weak in seeking them out, he admitted to himself. He'd known better, but the ache… The loneliness… The soul-deep longing… He'd been unable to resist and now they were in danger because of it…because of him.
"Oh Isabella," he murmured. "Ever will I beg your forgiveness for what I am…for what I've become…and for what I must do…
He slowed his pace and crept forward, silent and unseen as the trees thinned and the quaint cottage in which his wife and son resided came into view.
She was there, waiting, her skirts spread on a blanket beneath the shade of a mighty oak and his breath caught at the sight of her, just as lovely as ever.
Her expression was one of peace as she closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the rays of sunlight that filtered down through the branches. He watched as her plump, blushing lips curved into a smile as she turned to face where he was hidden. "Carlisle…" she whispered as her eyes slowly fluttered open.
'How…?' he wondered.
His fists clenched from the turmoil that gripped him. It was so good to see her…such a rare and treasured pleasure, but bittersweet because he knew it would be all too fleeting…
He stepped forward and her smile grew as she caught sight of him. She held out a hand in invitation. "Come," she beckoned. "Sit with me."
Silently, he walked forward and sat across from her as she took his hand. "You honored your word," she stated with a smile and a kiss to his hand.
"I did," he acknowledged with a nod and a wan smile of his own.
A tiny frown creased her brow at the shadows she saw in his eyes. "What is it Husband? What troubles you?"
He stared down at the hand she held. "My presence here is a danger to you."
Her frown deepened. "Carlisle, we spoke of this…"
He cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, hear me, I beg you. 'Tis not only me that's a danger wife. There are others…of my kind." He looked into her eyes. "I was careful and made certain no one followed, but my scent…I leave a trail. There is no way to avoid doing so. If—if they looked to appease their curiosity, my trail would lead them straight to you, do you see?"
Her expression clouded and tears filled her eyes and spilled over. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying that I cannot risk you or our son."
She looked down and tears dripped onto their clasped hands, her voice breaking as she spoke. "You're saying you will not see me again…"
He steeled himself, his tone flat, final as he affirmed her fears. "I will not."
She yanked her hand from his, her gaze hot with pain and anger as she stared at him. "Did it require the entire night to dream up this excuse? Almost from the moment I saw you again you were seeking a reason to leave!"
His eyes widened. "No! My heart aches with want of you! How could you accuse me thusly?"
Her teary eyes narrowed. "Have you been followed in the past?"
He nodded. "Aye, twice."
"Twice in five years?"
"Aye," he admitted.
She lunged forward and he fell back as she loomed over him. Whispering, her lips a hairs-breadth away from his, she told him, "I judge you worth the risk."
He was drowning in scent and sensation and his eyes closed as she kissed him. He met her carefully but with passion as they opened to each other, their tongues delving and tasting as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.
He rolled and pinned her beneath him and she gasped and smiled through her tears while cupping his cheek. "I dreamed of this day…" she murmured. "And now here you are."
She pulled him down into another kiss while her free hand went to the laces on his breeches. He froze and broke the kiss to stare at her. "Nay, we cannot!" he protested.
"Shh," she hushed against his warm, wet lips. "We can and we shall."
"What of William?" he questioned and she grinned.
"Our young man is with his grandfather."
Still, he looked worried and she cupped his face in both hands. "I entreat thee Husband," she whispered while looking into those golden eyes.
After a beat, he sighed while tracing her brow with gentle fingers. "I can deny you nothing."
His lips captured hers again and she moaned into his mouth as his hand cupped and fondled her breast, his fingers teasing the pebbled nipple through her chemise and gown. She arched into him and he pulled her close and rolled so she was astride his hips. "Isabella," he murmured as his lips trailed from her mouth to the supple skin of her neck. "You are my heart, my love, my everything…"
Working the laces of her bodice and chemise, he freed her breasts to the attentions of his questing lips and tongue and she drew in a sharp breath as he suckled her. "Carlisle…" she moaned as she rose and moved back to free his hardened length.
As she did so, his hands glided up her stocking-clad legs, pushing her skirts up as they went. When he found her center, she gasped as he tore her knickers in two with one quick tug.
She began to move off him but he held her hips. "No," he said. "'Tis better this way—safer this way," he amended and she nodded.
Leaning down, she whispered against his lips, "My lord, my husband…I love you," as she sank onto his cock and his breath hitched as he pulled her into a deep kiss.
"So long I have waited to hear those words from your lips," he murmured as she rose and fell in a slow rhythm. "And now…"
"Shh," she hushed him with a finger against his lips as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Do not speak of it," she begged before throwing her head back with a moan as he gripped her hips and met her downward strokes with his own powerful thrusts.
Minutes later, she shattered around him with a cry of pleasure as he pulsed and filled her with a guttural groan of her name.
Gently, he laid her aside with a kiss and laced his breeches as she arranged her skirts. They gazed into each other's eyes and he traced her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I love you so," he murmured, "and will for all eternity."
She cupped his hand and turned her face to kiss his palm. "You have my heart," she whispered before looking into his beautiful golden eyes. "It beats for only you."
"Well, well… What do we have here?" A heavily accented male voice intruded loudly.
Isabella cried out in alarm as Carlisle shot to his feet and crouched in front of her. "Jacques!" he spat as his eyes turned flat black, his greatest fear now realized with the threat in front of him.
She watched as the other male—a red-eyed male—crouched and smirked viciously as his body swayed side to side. "'Tis quite all right, Carlisle. I'm willing to share," he said and lunged.
Isabella screamed in terror.
The fight was on.
Branches snapped and dry leaves whirled and settled in his wake as he chased his prey through the dappled forest.
He'd hunted just the day before, but he wouldn't take any chances with the precious lives of his wife and child and so he surged forward and locked the frightened buck in his grip as his teeth pierced its artery all in one smooth, graceful motion.
He closed his eyes against the sights around him as he fed, the ever present shame of what he was, drowning him as his thoughts raced.
He'd spoken to her—to his son. He'd even touched them and held her, something he thought lost to him forever! The vivid memory of doing so caused a thrill in his chest, tinged as it was by shame and trepidation. How could he, such an unclean being, have allowed himself such liberties?!
He dropped the drained deer and backed away to sit at the base of a tree, his head tilting back to lean against the rough bark.
How could he allow himself to go back? To interact with them? What was she expecting? Did she think to have him as her husband again? That a normal life was even possible? He snorted in disgust at such a notion…
No, he thought. He would have to see her one last time and make his position clear. They would have to live without him. She would never again know him as her husband. His son could never know him as a father. He would not risk them in such a way…
He'd been weak in seeking them out, he admitted to himself. He'd known better, but the ache… The loneliness… The soul-deep longing… He'd been unable to resist and now they were in danger because of it…because of him.
"Oh Isabella," he murmured. "Ever will I beg your forgiveness for what I am…for what I've become…and for what I must do…
He slowed his pace and crept forward, silent and unseen as the trees thinned and the quaint cottage in which his wife and son resided came into view.
She was there, waiting, her skirts spread on a blanket beneath the shade of a mighty oak and his breath caught at the sight of her, just as lovely as ever.
Her expression was one of peace as she closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the rays of sunlight that filtered down through the branches. He watched as her plump, blushing lips curved into a smile as she turned to face where he was hidden. "Carlisle…" she whispered as her eyes slowly fluttered open.
'How…?' he wondered.
His fists clenched from the turmoil that gripped him. It was so good to see her…such a rare and treasured pleasure, but bittersweet because he knew it would be all too fleeting…
He stepped forward and her smile grew as she caught sight of him. She held out a hand in invitation. "Come," she beckoned. "Sit with me."
Silently, he walked forward and sat across from her as she took his hand. "You honored your word," she stated with a smile and a kiss to his hand.
"I did," he acknowledged with a nod and a wan smile of his own.
A tiny frown creased her brow at the shadows she saw in his eyes. "What is it Husband? What troubles you?"
He stared down at the hand she held. "My presence here is a danger to you."
Her frown deepened. "Carlisle, we spoke of this…"
He cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, hear me, I beg you. 'Tis not only me that's a danger wife. There are others…of my kind." He looked into her eyes. "I was careful and made certain no one followed, but my scent…I leave a trail. There is no way to avoid doing so. If—if they looked to appease their curiosity, my trail would lead them straight to you, do you see?"
Her expression clouded and tears filled her eyes and spilled over. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying that I cannot risk you or our son."
She looked down and tears dripped onto their clasped hands, her voice breaking as she spoke. "You're saying you will not see me again…"
He steeled himself, his tone flat, final as he affirmed her fears. "I will not."
She yanked her hand from his, her gaze hot with pain and anger as she stared at him. "Did it require the entire night to dream up this excuse? Almost from the moment I saw you again you were seeking a reason to leave!"
His eyes widened. "No! My heart aches with want of you! How could you accuse me thusly?"
Her teary eyes narrowed. "Have you been followed in the past?"
He nodded. "Aye, twice."
"Twice in five years?"
"Aye," he admitted.
She lunged forward and he fell back as she loomed over him. Whispering, her lips a hairs-breadth away from his, she told him, "I judge you worth the risk."
He was drowning in scent and sensation and his eyes closed as she kissed him. He met her carefully but with passion as they opened to each other, their tongues delving and tasting as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.
He rolled and pinned her beneath him and she gasped and smiled through her tears while cupping his cheek. "I dreamed of this day…" she murmured. "And now here you are."
She pulled him down into another kiss while her free hand went to the laces on his breeches. He froze and broke the kiss to stare at her. "Nay, we cannot!" he protested.
"Shh," she hushed against his warm, wet lips. "We can and we shall."
"What of William?" he questioned and she grinned.
"Our young man is with his grandfather."
Still, he looked worried and she cupped his face in both hands. "I entreat thee Husband," she whispered while looking into those golden eyes.
After a beat, he sighed while tracing her brow with gentle fingers. "I can deny you nothing."
His lips captured hers again and she moaned into his mouth as his hand cupped and fondled her breast, his fingers teasing the pebbled nipple through her chemise and gown. She arched into him and he pulled her close and rolled so she was astride his hips. "Isabella," he murmured as his lips trailed from her mouth to the supple skin of her neck. "You are my heart, my love, my everything…"
Working the laces of her bodice and chemise, he freed her breasts to the attentions of his questing lips and tongue and she drew in a sharp breath as he suckled her. "Carlisle…" she moaned as she rose and moved back to free his hardened length.
As she did so, his hands glided up her stocking-clad legs, pushing her skirts up as they went. When he found her center, she gasped as he tore her knickers in two with one quick tug.
She began to move off him but he held her hips. "No," he said. "'Tis better this way—safer this way," he amended and she nodded.
Leaning down, she whispered against his lips, "My lord, my husband…I love you," as she sank onto his cock and his breath hitched as he pulled her into a deep kiss.
"So long I have waited to hear those words from your lips," he murmured as she rose and fell in a slow rhythm. "And now…"
"Shh," she hushed him with a finger against his lips as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Do not speak of it," she begged before throwing her head back with a moan as he gripped her hips and met her downward strokes with his own powerful thrusts.
Minutes later, she shattered around him with a cry of pleasure as he pulsed and filled her with a guttural groan of her name.
Gently, he laid her aside with a kiss and laced his breeches as she arranged her skirts. They gazed into each other's eyes and he traced her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I love you so," he murmured, "and will for all eternity."
She cupped his hand and turned her face to kiss his palm. "You have my heart," she whispered before looking into his beautiful golden eyes. "It beats for only you."
"Well, well… What do we have here?" A heavily accented male voice intruded loudly.
Isabella cried out in alarm as Carlisle shot to his feet and crouched in front of her. "Jacques!" he spat as his eyes turned flat black, his greatest fear now realized with the threat in front of him.
She watched as the other male—a red-eyed male—crouched and smirked viciously as his body swayed side to side. "'Tis quite all right, Carlisle. I'm willing to share," he said and lunged.
Isabella screamed in terror.
The fight was on.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.