Life With An English Noble
By: Wizardtho
Chapter 5:
When Caleb finally broke the silence of our bath, it was to ask me quietly as he kissed my shoulder, “Tell me of your wolves?”
I smiled widely, then he started tracing my bare spine as I clipped my wet hair on top of my head. "Sam Uley is the leader, the Alpha of the pack. His imprint -or mate, in the vampire equivalent- is Emily. She's the Mama of the pack in all ways except for blood. She helps Sam guide them, feeds them, and makes sure the imprints understand everything that wolf mating entails. When a wolf imprints... when he first looks into the eyes of his soul mate... Sam said it's like everything that holds you to the earth, whether family, duty, or friends, all swirls around you until it settles and she is now your central reason for being. The wolf would do anything, be anyone, that the imprint needed. He would be a brother, protector, friend, lover, or anything else the imprint needed at the time."
After I took a breath, I kissed over his heart before saying, "Imprints are sacred. So much so, that if an imprint were harmed by a brother wolf, it would be a fight to the death, even though it would rob the pack of a brother. It makes them really appreciate their brothers' imprints... see them as sisters. Even more so if they themselves have an imprint, since they understand how their brother would do anything for his imprint.”
By the look on his face, he understood, so I continued, “Jacob Black, the Beta of the pack, is the one I grew up making summer mud pies with when I was little. He was actually supposed to take the mantle of Alpha when he phased, because he is a direct blood descendant of the chief of the tribe. His father Billy -my dad's best friend- is the chief now, and Jacob will take over when it is time. He chose to leave Sam in as alpha, though, saying it was more responsible to have Sam lead the wolves while he led the tribe. He didn't want sole control over everything. He thought it was too much power for one person to have. Sam agreed, with the stipulation that if Jacob ever wanted to take up his rightful position in the pack, it was his to have."
Caleb smiled for me to continue as he traced my curves. After a content hum, I said, "Sam, Paul, and Jared were the first of this generation to phase. Jared's imprint is a girl from his class when they were in school. Her name is Kim. Paul actually imprinted on Jacob's older sister, Rebecca, when she came home for a visit. Then there's Quil, Jacob's best friend. His imprint was a controversy fit for the front page news.”
With a questioning eyebrow from Caleb, I explained, “See, all the other imprints had been around the same age as their wolf, or a year older in Rebecca's case. Claire, Quil's imprint, is Emily's niece. She was only two years old when Quil imprinted. I was the voice of reason, stating Sam's own words back to him. I told him to have Quil phase, then read what his thoughts were about Claire. Then I said, 'A brother, protector, and friend, right? You said yourself that you would be anything your imprint needed. Right now Claire needs a friend, a protector. Quil will be both, and on top of that, the best damn babysitter her parents could ask for, just so he can get to spend time with her. Quil won't be a lover to her until that's what she truly needs. That particular road is so far away, that's it's on another damn continent.’ "
I laughed, remembering the looks on all their faces, to which Caleb gave me another questioning look. I continued as I brushed my fingers through his hair, "I was just remembering all of their slack-jawed expressions. All of the imprints were there. As soon as I finished my speech, they erupted in cheers. Jacob was the first one of the wolves to break out of the daze, remarking that if he didn't know better, he'd think I was an imprint myself."
Caleb laughed, “Maybe not an imprint, but definitely a mate... my beautiful mate.”
He kissed me lightly, then asked, “Your Jacob... what is he like?”
I smiled in response, "I used to call him my sun. When the Cullens first left, it felt like there was this huge hole in my chest, aching and bleeding all over the ground. Edward took every one of my pictures of them, the piano lullaby he recorded on CD for me, as well as everything else he had given me that held importance. He told me it would be like he never existed, then took from me everything he could that proved he had been in my life. He couldn't take my memories, though, which made the hole in my chest flare and bleed wildly every time a memory would surface.”
I shook my head, pushing forward, “I would wake screaming every night, so I tried to avoid sleep whenever possible. For the first two weeks, Charlie would always come scrambling in with a baseball bat, thinking I was being hurt. He finally just stopped coming in after the next week of holding me while I cried myself back to sleep. He knew there was nothing he could do to end the pain or the nightmares. After Renee and Phil died, I slept even less, because they had found permanent places in my nightmares. The same happened with Charlie and Seth, when they were killed. As long as I keep working -my mind stays active- I don't think about the Cullens, or any of the horror that followed. My subconscious still knows, allowing it to weave its way into my art as well as my dreams, but it keeps my conscious self safe and sane."
He shook his head sadly, “How many hours a night do you sleep, Isa?”
I sighed a breath, but he said, "Isabella, please. You just admitted to me that you pretty much keep to a vampire's sleep schedule, meaning not at all, so tell me."
I sighed again, but nodded, "I can manage about 2 hours every twenty-four, before the nightmares wake me up. I can never calm back down enough to sleep again, so I paint."
He nodded, stroking my cheek while whispering, “Hopefully that will change, now that we are together.”
I shook my head, "Please don't get my hopes up, Caleb. I don't think I could handle getting my hopes up, then having them dashed. Please? Let's just take it a step at a time."
Caleb held me to him, stroking my spine and whispering, "One step at a time. We can do that. While we wash, will you finish telling me about your Jacob?" I nodded, so he directed me to lay back on the opposite end from him.
As he lifted one of my feet to his shoulder, I said, "As I was saying, I thought of Jake as my sun. Near him, I was basking in the sun... chasing the shadows away. He always knew what I needed, and he always found a way to make me laugh. He taught me all he knew about fixing cars and motorcycles, so by the time I moved here, he had taken to calling me his little grease monkey. It's funny that you call him my Jacob, because when he first phased, it was like there were two of him... my carefree, fun-loving Jake... then the serious, all business, blood-sucking leech hater, Jacob. His words, not mine. I swear, there were many times he wanted to track down Edward, just to kill him for the pain he put me through. My Jacob was the carefree Jake. He's found a way to blend the two over time, but don't be surprised if you get the fully phased wolf-growl Jacob when you meet. He'll be afraid of you hurting me like Edward. He's given him several nicknames over the years, and none of them are the tiniest bit flattering. I had to put my foot down on the blood-sucking leech comment. That one downright pisses me off."
He chuckled as he smoothed the sponge in circles from my ankle to my thigh, where the water met it, "Vampires have actually been called much worse over the years, My Sweet. Tell me something else... something I don't know about you."
I knew before he met Jake and the pack, that I would have to tell him, so I took a deep breath before saying, "I didn't take Isa as my nickname until I moved here. The pack... well all of Forks, really... and the Cullens know me as Bella. My dad and Jake are the only ones that could get away with calling me Bells."
I laughed as I thought about it, "Jake likes to invent new things to go with it. It's like a game with him to find new ones. When I'm pissed and on the war path, Jake likes to call me Hells Bells. Christmas time is Jingle Bells. When I was having a bad time, needed his huge warm hugs, he'd call me Baby Bells. He comes up with new ones everyday."
He nodded, but I knew he didn't understand my meaning, so I clarified. "When I say warm hugs, I don't just mean in a comfort sense. The wolves run at a toasty 108 degrees 24/7. They're in a form of physical stasis after their first phase, not able to start aging again until they stop phasing for a certain period of time. A wolf will continue to phase, even if it takes a hundred years or more, just to find their imprint. Their spirit somehow won't let them stop phasing until their hearts are complete. Even then they can't until the lover bond has been cemented. For a few months before their first phase, their body bulks up, their temp slowly rises by a degree at a time, and they seem to gain years in physical looks. Jake's two years younger than me, but when he first phased at 16, he could have passed for 21 easily. He'll look that way until he stops phasing, now. It has to do with their wolf forms being so large."
Caleb nodded, scooped water over my leg to rinse it, then put it back into the water before switching legs. When he started the circles on my leg, he asked, “When you say large, how large are you talking?”
I laughed, "Overgrown horse-sized large... comparable to a Belgian Draft or Shire horse. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I look like a stuffed chew toy standing next to Jake in his wolf form. They are very proportionate, and Jake was 6'-3" at the shoulders, which is also his full human height. Sam, being the first of this generation and the alpha, is 6'-6" at the shoulders. Again, the height at the shoulders is their full height in human form. Each of them is a different color, but their eyes are the same in either form. Jake’s wolf is a beautiful melted caramel brown. The longer their hair is in human form, the longer it is in wolf form. That's why they all keep it short."
I smirked as I thought about how I got used to the lack of modesty with the pack, saying, "When they phase, their clothes don't make it... they get shredded. To avoid that, they all strip down in the woods, tie their shorts to their ankles with a cord, then phase. Jake shredded more pairs of shorts, in just the first month after he phased, than I could count. It takes a while for them to learn to control their tempers, and if they get too angry, they could phase in front of someone. His anger stemmed from the Cullens, from what they did. He never phased too close to me, though. His lineage gave him enough control from the start to dash away from me before he would phase, so he didn't hurt me. He explained it once... said it was like the anger made the inner wolf literally explode out of the human body."
Caleb rinsed my leg, set it back in the water, then had me kneel on my knees in front of him. As he started with the rest of my thighs, he asked, "You said they all have different color fur. What color is the alpha, Sam?"
I smiled, "Sam is a pure midnight black. He found me that night in the woods by trying to sniff out my scent in wolf form. By then it had been raining for hours, though, so my trail was washed away. He said when he found me, he alerted Jared and Paul, then phased to human so he could carry me to Charlie at home. They had a full search party out looking for me by that time, with Charlie heading it all in the front yard."
He nodded while soaping up his hands from the sponge, then gently ran his hands along my core. "Are you sore? Were we too rough?"
I smiled, running my fingers through his hair, “Actually, I was thinking about taking advantage of you again before I eat.”
He chuckled and buried his nose between my breasts, "Is that so? Well, I guess we do have many places to christen, still."
I giggled in response, “We have this whole house, the pool and spa, the Forks house, the Colorado vacation home, all of your houses... umm, how long do you think that would take?”
He laughed outright, then nipped my nipple before whispering, “Years, Little Seductress... years upon years... and I'll enjoy every nanosecond of it.”
His finger swiped against my clit, causing me to moan, "Mmhmm, so will I. I think the water's cooling too much for a romp in here, though. Maybe next time?"
He nodded and sat back, rinsed my core, then re-soaped his hands and glided them along my hips, "You have the most delectable curves, Sweet. Round, squeezable hips," he moved to smooth his hands over my ass, “A perfect ass that I can't help but want to bite...” Teasing his hands up my waist, he continued, “A petite, womanly waist,” then as he reached my breasts, he cupped and massaged them, “And God, your breasts are perfect... naturally large, but perky and so very enticing.” I moaned softly as he asked, "You are definitely fit. Do you do anything to stay in such good shape?"
I smiled as he started rinsing me, "Yes. I used to take an aerobics class once a week, but I hated it. There was no fun in it. Then I decided to take a kickboxing cardio class once a week, a Zumba dance aerobics class once a week, as well as using the elliptical for an hour a day. I was never a heavy person, but I looked like I had a child's body before the Cullens left. After, I went through this astronomical change where all these new curves started showing up all over the place. When I decided to move here to start college, I knew I wanted to find a way to keep my new curves looking their best. I haven't lost any weight, but everything sort of toned and firmed. One of my instructors asked if I was corset trained, because of how small my waist is compared to my hips and breasts. I laughed at her, telling her I had never even held a corset, let alone worn one. She gawked at me for a full two minutes before she composed herself. I bought my first corset after that, but haven't had a chance to wear it yet."
Caleb laughed, then asked me if I wanted my hair washed. I told him I would tomorrow, then he suggested, "Why don't you get out before the water is too cold; I'll wash up quickly. I'll be out in just a minute, then we'll get you something to eat."
My stomach chose that moment to voice its agreement to his plan, so I giggled and nodded just as he placed a chuckling kiss to my navel. I stood, grabbed one of the heated towels, then took Caleb's hand before stepping out onto the bath mat.
As I dried off, I walked to my closet, opened one of my lingerie drawers, then tried to figure out what to wear. I decided to go simple, pulling out my favorite gold chiffon sleep shirt and thong. It was completely sheer, with open flutter sleeves up to my elbows, along with one simple tie gathered just under my breasts. The rest was left to flutter around my frame. I dried off, took the clip out of my hair, then put my hair up in the towel.
After grabbing the clip, I walked back into the bathroom with my night set, placing it on my counter. Caleb smiled at me as he rinsed off, causing me to smile back through the mirror as I took the opportunity to towel dry my hair. The towel got thrown in the basket, then I slipped my thong on.
Just as I tied the top under the center of my breasts, Caleb slipped his hands under the fabric to rest them on my hips from behind. He whispered as he kissed my shoulder, "I really like this color on you, Isa. You look beautiful."
I smiled, turning my head to steal a kiss, "Thank you. It's one of my favorites, and very comfortable." He nodded, then shifted my hair to one side to place small kisses up my neck.
I remembered something then, so I said, "If you go into that smaller closet, there, you'll find some sleep pants and other things. The sleep pants were all Phil's, but when I miss them, the things in there are what I pull on, even though they're huge on me."
He looked thoughtful, then asked, "Do you use them for scent? If so, I shouldn't wear anything in there. My scent will erase theirs, Sweetheart."
I smiled as I shook my head, "No, not for scent. They've been washed tons of times since then. They are just clothes of theirs that I find comfort in, because they wore them a lot." He nodded, kissed my neck, then disappeared into the closet. He came out a minute later, wearing Phil's maroon/black/cream plaid sleep pants. I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked in them.
When he wrapped his arms around me again, I said, "Hey, handsome. They look good on you."
He smiled as I grabbed my brush out of the top drawer and my anti-frizz lotion out of the second drawer. I wiggled my butt, "I need to bend over to do this, but I don't want to shove my ass into your crotch. I might end up injured." He chuckled, then released me, stepping back as I bent over and flipped my hair. He moaned as I ran my lotioned fingers methodically through my hair, so I stopped to look at him without standing up.
Without a word, he dropped to his knees, nipping both of my ass cheeks before licking the line where my ass met my thighs. I gasped, then moaned, "Jesus, warn a girl, would you? You're going to make my legs buckle if you don't stop."
He licked the line of my thong, then squeezed my hips gently before saying, "Sorry, but that was just too damn tempting. I'll try to be good, but your ass looks so biteable right now."
He smacked my ass playfully before releasing my hip, causing me to moan instinctively, before he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I chuckled as I straightened up, then turned to say, "Oh, don't you start. I know just as well as you, that all vampires have two sides... a vampire side, and a human side. I know Jasper's past, so I know his vampire side ruled him for a long time. I also know, though it wasn't outright said, that Alice submits to him when he needs to release his beast. There's no way his beast would stay caged for very long without some safe way of releasing itself. Him being dominant with Alice is his way, as it is with many other male vampires. I may have been a virgin still, but I saw many little tells when I was near them."
With another raised eyebrow for me to continue, I explained, "He called her Ali on a regular basis, and she was always the same ADHD Alice. One time she overdid it with me at the mall, ending up with us there from open to practically close. I had only eaten once, causing Jasper to feel my exhaustion as soon as we walked in the door. She was all bubbly, talking a mile a minute about my new wardrobe. As soon as he called her Mary Alice, her eyes went wide, then she went as still as only vampires can. I could see he was way past upset, yet he didn't even speak, other than to say her name. He just pointed to their room. In the same instant, she dropped the bags before running up the steps without saying a word. My birthday party was a week later. I thought about that after they left, knowing that if my mate was a vampire, I would be expected to follow certain rules."
Caleb looked at me with a calculating expression, then asked, “What types of rules did you think you'd need to follow?”
I shrugged as I continued to run my fingers through my hair, "I don't know. I figured he would have standard rules about safety. I noticed with the baseball game that the men stood with their mates behind them, a hand wrapped on her hip, and her flush to his back. They were protecting their mates from the unknown danger. I know male vampires are inherently stronger than females, so I figured my mate would lay out certain precautions for me to take to help keep me safe."
Caleb nodded, then asked, “Anything else?”
I responded automatically with a shrug, “I thought he might want to dominate me during sex at times, and that I was okay in the behavior department, as long as I was respectful... acted like a lady.”
Caleb smiled softly, then said, “Is there anything you were afraid your mate might want from you?”
I shook my head, "I'm okay with punishments as long as it's nothing that causes damage, though they’d need to be carried out in private. Public humiliation is a serious line for me. I'm not fit for life as a 24/7 submissive, either. I like my independence, and have worked really damn hard to become the person I am. I felt if my mate couldn't see that -couldn’t respect it- he shouldn't be my mate to begin with."
Caleb smirked, pulling me into his embrace, "Good Girl. I would never want you to change for me. You're right about the safety precautions, though. Your truck already has a GPS, but I want to get you a new phone. You'll be required to keep it on you at all times. There will be a docking station in all of the main areas you use in the house, as well as your truck, so you never have to worry about not hearing it while it's charging. I won't hover over you or make you take me everywhere you go, but I want to know that if I call, you'll answer the phone. I frequently have vampires visit me, and I'll want to be able to warn you, so that you aren't taken by surprise when one pops in. I'll also need to be able to get a hold of you in emergencies, so I can meet you quickly. Does that make sense?"
I nodded, "Completely, and all acceptable. If I answer every time you call, you'll know something is wrong if I don't."
He nodded, "Exactly. As far as punishments and behavior, you have nothing to worry about. You've always been respectful to others, even when that horrible girl tried to goad you in your second year. If I give you a warning about a behavior, know it's your only warning. If the behavior continues, and you can't give me an acceptable reason why you disobeyed, then you'll be given a punishment at the first opportunity for privacy. I will never discipline or humiliate you in front of others. My punishment will fit the behavior, but I will never leave permanent marks on you. Your ass may be red for a few hours, though. I will always care for you after your punishments, though you may not want me to. That point is not negotiable, because I need to make sure you come through any punishment physically and mentally sound."
I smiled, “Again, understood and acceptable.”
He hugged me to him, then said, "As for the sex, well... we'll just see where we go with that. As we go along, I'll be able to tell more about your likes and dislikes, as far as sex goes. We may test out a few things I think you might like, but I'll always ask you if you're comfortable trying before we start. Once I have a good knowledge base to work with, yes, I will most likely want to release my dominant side once in a while." I nodded with a smile, knowing he would get it out sooner or later.
When Caleb finally broke the silence of our bath, it was to ask me quietly as he kissed my shoulder, “Tell me of your wolves?”
I smiled widely, then he started tracing my bare spine as I clipped my wet hair on top of my head. "Sam Uley is the leader, the Alpha of the pack. His imprint -or mate, in the vampire equivalent- is Emily. She's the Mama of the pack in all ways except for blood. She helps Sam guide them, feeds them, and makes sure the imprints understand everything that wolf mating entails. When a wolf imprints... when he first looks into the eyes of his soul mate... Sam said it's like everything that holds you to the earth, whether family, duty, or friends, all swirls around you until it settles and she is now your central reason for being. The wolf would do anything, be anyone, that the imprint needed. He would be a brother, protector, friend, lover, or anything else the imprint needed at the time."
After I took a breath, I kissed over his heart before saying, "Imprints are sacred. So much so, that if an imprint were harmed by a brother wolf, it would be a fight to the death, even though it would rob the pack of a brother. It makes them really appreciate their brothers' imprints... see them as sisters. Even more so if they themselves have an imprint, since they understand how their brother would do anything for his imprint.”
By the look on his face, he understood, so I continued, “Jacob Black, the Beta of the pack, is the one I grew up making summer mud pies with when I was little. He was actually supposed to take the mantle of Alpha when he phased, because he is a direct blood descendant of the chief of the tribe. His father Billy -my dad's best friend- is the chief now, and Jacob will take over when it is time. He chose to leave Sam in as alpha, though, saying it was more responsible to have Sam lead the wolves while he led the tribe. He didn't want sole control over everything. He thought it was too much power for one person to have. Sam agreed, with the stipulation that if Jacob ever wanted to take up his rightful position in the pack, it was his to have."
Caleb smiled for me to continue as he traced my curves. After a content hum, I said, "Sam, Paul, and Jared were the first of this generation to phase. Jared's imprint is a girl from his class when they were in school. Her name is Kim. Paul actually imprinted on Jacob's older sister, Rebecca, when she came home for a visit. Then there's Quil, Jacob's best friend. His imprint was a controversy fit for the front page news.”
With a questioning eyebrow from Caleb, I explained, “See, all the other imprints had been around the same age as their wolf, or a year older in Rebecca's case. Claire, Quil's imprint, is Emily's niece. She was only two years old when Quil imprinted. I was the voice of reason, stating Sam's own words back to him. I told him to have Quil phase, then read what his thoughts were about Claire. Then I said, 'A brother, protector, and friend, right? You said yourself that you would be anything your imprint needed. Right now Claire needs a friend, a protector. Quil will be both, and on top of that, the best damn babysitter her parents could ask for, just so he can get to spend time with her. Quil won't be a lover to her until that's what she truly needs. That particular road is so far away, that's it's on another damn continent.’ "
I laughed, remembering the looks on all their faces, to which Caleb gave me another questioning look. I continued as I brushed my fingers through his hair, "I was just remembering all of their slack-jawed expressions. All of the imprints were there. As soon as I finished my speech, they erupted in cheers. Jacob was the first one of the wolves to break out of the daze, remarking that if he didn't know better, he'd think I was an imprint myself."
Caleb laughed, “Maybe not an imprint, but definitely a mate... my beautiful mate.”
He kissed me lightly, then asked, “Your Jacob... what is he like?”
I smiled in response, "I used to call him my sun. When the Cullens first left, it felt like there was this huge hole in my chest, aching and bleeding all over the ground. Edward took every one of my pictures of them, the piano lullaby he recorded on CD for me, as well as everything else he had given me that held importance. He told me it would be like he never existed, then took from me everything he could that proved he had been in my life. He couldn't take my memories, though, which made the hole in my chest flare and bleed wildly every time a memory would surface.”
I shook my head, pushing forward, “I would wake screaming every night, so I tried to avoid sleep whenever possible. For the first two weeks, Charlie would always come scrambling in with a baseball bat, thinking I was being hurt. He finally just stopped coming in after the next week of holding me while I cried myself back to sleep. He knew there was nothing he could do to end the pain or the nightmares. After Renee and Phil died, I slept even less, because they had found permanent places in my nightmares. The same happened with Charlie and Seth, when they were killed. As long as I keep working -my mind stays active- I don't think about the Cullens, or any of the horror that followed. My subconscious still knows, allowing it to weave its way into my art as well as my dreams, but it keeps my conscious self safe and sane."
He shook his head sadly, “How many hours a night do you sleep, Isa?”
I sighed a breath, but he said, "Isabella, please. You just admitted to me that you pretty much keep to a vampire's sleep schedule, meaning not at all, so tell me."
I sighed again, but nodded, "I can manage about 2 hours every twenty-four, before the nightmares wake me up. I can never calm back down enough to sleep again, so I paint."
He nodded, stroking my cheek while whispering, “Hopefully that will change, now that we are together.”
I shook my head, "Please don't get my hopes up, Caleb. I don't think I could handle getting my hopes up, then having them dashed. Please? Let's just take it a step at a time."
Caleb held me to him, stroking my spine and whispering, "One step at a time. We can do that. While we wash, will you finish telling me about your Jacob?" I nodded, so he directed me to lay back on the opposite end from him.
As he lifted one of my feet to his shoulder, I said, "As I was saying, I thought of Jake as my sun. Near him, I was basking in the sun... chasing the shadows away. He always knew what I needed, and he always found a way to make me laugh. He taught me all he knew about fixing cars and motorcycles, so by the time I moved here, he had taken to calling me his little grease monkey. It's funny that you call him my Jacob, because when he first phased, it was like there were two of him... my carefree, fun-loving Jake... then the serious, all business, blood-sucking leech hater, Jacob. His words, not mine. I swear, there were many times he wanted to track down Edward, just to kill him for the pain he put me through. My Jacob was the carefree Jake. He's found a way to blend the two over time, but don't be surprised if you get the fully phased wolf-growl Jacob when you meet. He'll be afraid of you hurting me like Edward. He's given him several nicknames over the years, and none of them are the tiniest bit flattering. I had to put my foot down on the blood-sucking leech comment. That one downright pisses me off."
He chuckled as he smoothed the sponge in circles from my ankle to my thigh, where the water met it, "Vampires have actually been called much worse over the years, My Sweet. Tell me something else... something I don't know about you."
I knew before he met Jake and the pack, that I would have to tell him, so I took a deep breath before saying, "I didn't take Isa as my nickname until I moved here. The pack... well all of Forks, really... and the Cullens know me as Bella. My dad and Jake are the only ones that could get away with calling me Bells."
I laughed as I thought about it, "Jake likes to invent new things to go with it. It's like a game with him to find new ones. When I'm pissed and on the war path, Jake likes to call me Hells Bells. Christmas time is Jingle Bells. When I was having a bad time, needed his huge warm hugs, he'd call me Baby Bells. He comes up with new ones everyday."
He nodded, but I knew he didn't understand my meaning, so I clarified. "When I say warm hugs, I don't just mean in a comfort sense. The wolves run at a toasty 108 degrees 24/7. They're in a form of physical stasis after their first phase, not able to start aging again until they stop phasing for a certain period of time. A wolf will continue to phase, even if it takes a hundred years or more, just to find their imprint. Their spirit somehow won't let them stop phasing until their hearts are complete. Even then they can't until the lover bond has been cemented. For a few months before their first phase, their body bulks up, their temp slowly rises by a degree at a time, and they seem to gain years in physical looks. Jake's two years younger than me, but when he first phased at 16, he could have passed for 21 easily. He'll look that way until he stops phasing, now. It has to do with their wolf forms being so large."
Caleb nodded, scooped water over my leg to rinse it, then put it back into the water before switching legs. When he started the circles on my leg, he asked, “When you say large, how large are you talking?”
I laughed, "Overgrown horse-sized large... comparable to a Belgian Draft or Shire horse. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I look like a stuffed chew toy standing next to Jake in his wolf form. They are very proportionate, and Jake was 6'-3" at the shoulders, which is also his full human height. Sam, being the first of this generation and the alpha, is 6'-6" at the shoulders. Again, the height at the shoulders is their full height in human form. Each of them is a different color, but their eyes are the same in either form. Jake’s wolf is a beautiful melted caramel brown. The longer their hair is in human form, the longer it is in wolf form. That's why they all keep it short."
I smirked as I thought about how I got used to the lack of modesty with the pack, saying, "When they phase, their clothes don't make it... they get shredded. To avoid that, they all strip down in the woods, tie their shorts to their ankles with a cord, then phase. Jake shredded more pairs of shorts, in just the first month after he phased, than I could count. It takes a while for them to learn to control their tempers, and if they get too angry, they could phase in front of someone. His anger stemmed from the Cullens, from what they did. He never phased too close to me, though. His lineage gave him enough control from the start to dash away from me before he would phase, so he didn't hurt me. He explained it once... said it was like the anger made the inner wolf literally explode out of the human body."
Caleb rinsed my leg, set it back in the water, then had me kneel on my knees in front of him. As he started with the rest of my thighs, he asked, "You said they all have different color fur. What color is the alpha, Sam?"
I smiled, "Sam is a pure midnight black. He found me that night in the woods by trying to sniff out my scent in wolf form. By then it had been raining for hours, though, so my trail was washed away. He said when he found me, he alerted Jared and Paul, then phased to human so he could carry me to Charlie at home. They had a full search party out looking for me by that time, with Charlie heading it all in the front yard."
He nodded while soaping up his hands from the sponge, then gently ran his hands along my core. "Are you sore? Were we too rough?"
I smiled, running my fingers through his hair, “Actually, I was thinking about taking advantage of you again before I eat.”
He chuckled and buried his nose between my breasts, "Is that so? Well, I guess we do have many places to christen, still."
I giggled in response, “We have this whole house, the pool and spa, the Forks house, the Colorado vacation home, all of your houses... umm, how long do you think that would take?”
He laughed outright, then nipped my nipple before whispering, “Years, Little Seductress... years upon years... and I'll enjoy every nanosecond of it.”
His finger swiped against my clit, causing me to moan, "Mmhmm, so will I. I think the water's cooling too much for a romp in here, though. Maybe next time?"
He nodded and sat back, rinsed my core, then re-soaped his hands and glided them along my hips, "You have the most delectable curves, Sweet. Round, squeezable hips," he moved to smooth his hands over my ass, “A perfect ass that I can't help but want to bite...” Teasing his hands up my waist, he continued, “A petite, womanly waist,” then as he reached my breasts, he cupped and massaged them, “And God, your breasts are perfect... naturally large, but perky and so very enticing.” I moaned softly as he asked, "You are definitely fit. Do you do anything to stay in such good shape?"
I smiled as he started rinsing me, "Yes. I used to take an aerobics class once a week, but I hated it. There was no fun in it. Then I decided to take a kickboxing cardio class once a week, a Zumba dance aerobics class once a week, as well as using the elliptical for an hour a day. I was never a heavy person, but I looked like I had a child's body before the Cullens left. After, I went through this astronomical change where all these new curves started showing up all over the place. When I decided to move here to start college, I knew I wanted to find a way to keep my new curves looking their best. I haven't lost any weight, but everything sort of toned and firmed. One of my instructors asked if I was corset trained, because of how small my waist is compared to my hips and breasts. I laughed at her, telling her I had never even held a corset, let alone worn one. She gawked at me for a full two minutes before she composed herself. I bought my first corset after that, but haven't had a chance to wear it yet."
Caleb laughed, then asked me if I wanted my hair washed. I told him I would tomorrow, then he suggested, "Why don't you get out before the water is too cold; I'll wash up quickly. I'll be out in just a minute, then we'll get you something to eat."
My stomach chose that moment to voice its agreement to his plan, so I giggled and nodded just as he placed a chuckling kiss to my navel. I stood, grabbed one of the heated towels, then took Caleb's hand before stepping out onto the bath mat.
As I dried off, I walked to my closet, opened one of my lingerie drawers, then tried to figure out what to wear. I decided to go simple, pulling out my favorite gold chiffon sleep shirt and thong. It was completely sheer, with open flutter sleeves up to my elbows, along with one simple tie gathered just under my breasts. The rest was left to flutter around my frame. I dried off, took the clip out of my hair, then put my hair up in the towel.
After grabbing the clip, I walked back into the bathroom with my night set, placing it on my counter. Caleb smiled at me as he rinsed off, causing me to smile back through the mirror as I took the opportunity to towel dry my hair. The towel got thrown in the basket, then I slipped my thong on.
Just as I tied the top under the center of my breasts, Caleb slipped his hands under the fabric to rest them on my hips from behind. He whispered as he kissed my shoulder, "I really like this color on you, Isa. You look beautiful."
I smiled, turning my head to steal a kiss, "Thank you. It's one of my favorites, and very comfortable." He nodded, then shifted my hair to one side to place small kisses up my neck.
I remembered something then, so I said, "If you go into that smaller closet, there, you'll find some sleep pants and other things. The sleep pants were all Phil's, but when I miss them, the things in there are what I pull on, even though they're huge on me."
He looked thoughtful, then asked, "Do you use them for scent? If so, I shouldn't wear anything in there. My scent will erase theirs, Sweetheart."
I smiled as I shook my head, "No, not for scent. They've been washed tons of times since then. They are just clothes of theirs that I find comfort in, because they wore them a lot." He nodded, kissed my neck, then disappeared into the closet. He came out a minute later, wearing Phil's maroon/black/cream plaid sleep pants. I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked in them.
When he wrapped his arms around me again, I said, "Hey, handsome. They look good on you."
He smiled as I grabbed my brush out of the top drawer and my anti-frizz lotion out of the second drawer. I wiggled my butt, "I need to bend over to do this, but I don't want to shove my ass into your crotch. I might end up injured." He chuckled, then released me, stepping back as I bent over and flipped my hair. He moaned as I ran my lotioned fingers methodically through my hair, so I stopped to look at him without standing up.
Without a word, he dropped to his knees, nipping both of my ass cheeks before licking the line where my ass met my thighs. I gasped, then moaned, "Jesus, warn a girl, would you? You're going to make my legs buckle if you don't stop."
He licked the line of my thong, then squeezed my hips gently before saying, "Sorry, but that was just too damn tempting. I'll try to be good, but your ass looks so biteable right now."
He smacked my ass playfully before releasing my hip, causing me to moan instinctively, before he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I chuckled as I straightened up, then turned to say, "Oh, don't you start. I know just as well as you, that all vampires have two sides... a vampire side, and a human side. I know Jasper's past, so I know his vampire side ruled him for a long time. I also know, though it wasn't outright said, that Alice submits to him when he needs to release his beast. There's no way his beast would stay caged for very long without some safe way of releasing itself. Him being dominant with Alice is his way, as it is with many other male vampires. I may have been a virgin still, but I saw many little tells when I was near them."
With another raised eyebrow for me to continue, I explained, "He called her Ali on a regular basis, and she was always the same ADHD Alice. One time she overdid it with me at the mall, ending up with us there from open to practically close. I had only eaten once, causing Jasper to feel my exhaustion as soon as we walked in the door. She was all bubbly, talking a mile a minute about my new wardrobe. As soon as he called her Mary Alice, her eyes went wide, then she went as still as only vampires can. I could see he was way past upset, yet he didn't even speak, other than to say her name. He just pointed to their room. In the same instant, she dropped the bags before running up the steps without saying a word. My birthday party was a week later. I thought about that after they left, knowing that if my mate was a vampire, I would be expected to follow certain rules."
Caleb looked at me with a calculating expression, then asked, “What types of rules did you think you'd need to follow?”
I shrugged as I continued to run my fingers through my hair, "I don't know. I figured he would have standard rules about safety. I noticed with the baseball game that the men stood with their mates behind them, a hand wrapped on her hip, and her flush to his back. They were protecting their mates from the unknown danger. I know male vampires are inherently stronger than females, so I figured my mate would lay out certain precautions for me to take to help keep me safe."
Caleb nodded, then asked, “Anything else?”
I responded automatically with a shrug, “I thought he might want to dominate me during sex at times, and that I was okay in the behavior department, as long as I was respectful... acted like a lady.”
Caleb smiled softly, then said, “Is there anything you were afraid your mate might want from you?”
I shook my head, "I'm okay with punishments as long as it's nothing that causes damage, though they’d need to be carried out in private. Public humiliation is a serious line for me. I'm not fit for life as a 24/7 submissive, either. I like my independence, and have worked really damn hard to become the person I am. I felt if my mate couldn't see that -couldn’t respect it- he shouldn't be my mate to begin with."
Caleb smirked, pulling me into his embrace, "Good Girl. I would never want you to change for me. You're right about the safety precautions, though. Your truck already has a GPS, but I want to get you a new phone. You'll be required to keep it on you at all times. There will be a docking station in all of the main areas you use in the house, as well as your truck, so you never have to worry about not hearing it while it's charging. I won't hover over you or make you take me everywhere you go, but I want to know that if I call, you'll answer the phone. I frequently have vampires visit me, and I'll want to be able to warn you, so that you aren't taken by surprise when one pops in. I'll also need to be able to get a hold of you in emergencies, so I can meet you quickly. Does that make sense?"
I nodded, "Completely, and all acceptable. If I answer every time you call, you'll know something is wrong if I don't."
He nodded, "Exactly. As far as punishments and behavior, you have nothing to worry about. You've always been respectful to others, even when that horrible girl tried to goad you in your second year. If I give you a warning about a behavior, know it's your only warning. If the behavior continues, and you can't give me an acceptable reason why you disobeyed, then you'll be given a punishment at the first opportunity for privacy. I will never discipline or humiliate you in front of others. My punishment will fit the behavior, but I will never leave permanent marks on you. Your ass may be red for a few hours, though. I will always care for you after your punishments, though you may not want me to. That point is not negotiable, because I need to make sure you come through any punishment physically and mentally sound."
I smiled, “Again, understood and acceptable.”
He hugged me to him, then said, "As for the sex, well... we'll just see where we go with that. As we go along, I'll be able to tell more about your likes and dislikes, as far as sex goes. We may test out a few things I think you might like, but I'll always ask you if you're comfortable trying before we start. Once I have a good knowledge base to work with, yes, I will most likely want to release my dominant side once in a while." I nodded with a smile, knowing he would get it out sooner or later.