Mark of the White Wolf
by Wizardtho
Chapter 09:
When the pleasurable feeling faded, my eyes reopened to connect with Edward's. I could see the longing in his eyes, so I asked softly, “You okay? I'm not purposely trying to flaunt my status in front of you... you know that, right? We might have been in the open, but you didn’t have to watch us together if it was going to make you uncomfortable.”
He smiled as he cupped my cheek, then said, “I know… I'm okay. One of the reasons we came to the lake a little early was because there are a few things Carlisle and I have been figuring out. First, you said your head has been silent ever since you shoved Sam out. That caught us both off guard because Sam was alpha. No one should have been able to force him to do anything. From what we understood, only the alpha can order, the rest must obey. They have no choice but to obey because of the alpha's automatic double timbre in their voice. I think when you shifted, you were naturally supposed to take over alpha, Love. Carlisle agrees, noting that your biological father must have been of the true alpha bloodline. You said that you forced all your power and anger into your voice... when that happened, did you hear what your voice sounded like?”
I thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Oh, shit. I think you're right. There was this weird sensation... it sounded like two slightly different tones were vibrating through me at the same time. I thought it was just me and my wolf speaking together. Sam's yelp echoed loudly in my head, then he was gone. What does that mean for me, though? I'm an alpha with no pack.”
Carlisle soothed me by patting my hand, saying, “We'll help you figure that out, Bella. You don't need to go through this alone. You have Charlie, but you also have the entire Cullen family. We will not abandon you. Besides, Dear... from the looks of things, you're trying to start your own pack.”
I gave them both a watery smile, causing Charlie to kiss my neck in agreement. After a second, Charlie asked the question. “So what was the other thing you were thinking about?”
Edward winced slightly, then said, “Charlie, please don't be upset... but the other thing we discussed was my continued longing to be near Bella. I didn't understand it, but once we realized that I wasn't Bella's mate, I went to him to try to sort out my feelings. He has always been the one I turned to. I explained that though I knew we weren't mates, I still had a deep longing to be near her... to protect and care for her. Yes, I still love her, but the feelings are not in a romantic sense. During our hunt, I told Carlisle that my longing had grown, and he noticed I had a hard time being away from her.”
I could feel Charlie's slight jealousy, so I brought his arm tighter around me as I turned my head to nuzzle into his neck. He let out a breath, then Carlisle said, “I can understand your feelings, Charlie, but there's no need. During your recent lovemaking, Edward’s only concern for Bella was her safety… making sure no one came upon the two of you while you were lost in each other. There was no jealousy seeing the two of you together, nor was there arousal at seeing Bella sans clothing. I believe the reason for his special connection to Bella, is because he is meant for one of Bella's young. I may be wrong, but there is a basis for my theory.”
Carlisle paused for only a split second before he continued. “I had asked Edward if there was any other time his longing rose. As he thought back, he told me that it was almost unbearable during every heat cycle. It also explains why, though Edward loved Bella immensely, he never had the desire to become intimate with her specifically. He told me that they never went beyond very chaste kisses.”
Charlie nodded, “Bella told me that, too. So you think the reason he wants to protect and care for her, is because he's trying to keep her safe so our babies have the chance to be born? That he's supposed to be mated to one of our pups? You know that vampire venom is lethal to wolves, right? Wouldn't it be dangerous even if the wolf gene was only latent?”
Carlisle shook his head, dispelling Charlie's fear, “No. Vampire venom is only lethal to someone who is an active wolf, or meant to be one. If the child is never meant to become a wolf, the venom would take the natural course in changing the mate. Edward has already said that if his mate happened to be a wolf, there would be no reason for venom since the mate would naturally live as long as they continued to shift.”
I looked at Edward seriously, asking after a minute, “You've really thought a lot about this, haven't you? You understand that -by committing yourself- you're not only tying yourself to Charlie and me, but making permanent enemies of the Quileute pack?”
Both Carlisle and Edward smiled, then nodded in acceptance. Edward said seriously, “I do. The family does. Carlisle called them when our hunt was finished, to explain to all of them what has transpired. They understand... all of them agree that it is the only conclusion that makes any sense. Jasper even made a comment about being the one to train you on how to use your new form to take down threats. He wants you to be able to know that you can protect Charlie, without having to rely on us. Yes, the whole family will always protect you both, but you know as well as I do, that trouble can happen when you least expect it. The baseball clearing was proof of that.”
I nodded, saying sadly, “I know. As sad as it is to say, when you first showed up, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep Charlie safe from the threat. I didn't recognize your scents at first... only vampire and danger. I was so scared I would lose him, but my mind kept screaming danger... to shred and bite and kill.”
Carlisle cupped my cheek with a smile, “Our natures are similar, Bella. Though I detest violence, if there had been a threat to Esme, I would have been feeling the exact same way. Never feel bad for your reaction to what you see as a threat to your mate. That very reaction may just save his life one day.”
I smiled, knowing Carlisle was right, then asked, “So what now?”
Charlie was the one to speak up, kissing along my shoulder as he did so. “Now, my beautiful little wolf, we find a property that will accommodate us all nicely. It would be prudent, if the Cullen family agrees, for us all to be close in case of trouble. We don't know the full impact of what your alpha command on Sam will be. They may very well be without an alpha now since you clearly held that position over Sam in your mind link. If they feel threatened with no guidance, they might attack you, me, or the Cullen family.”
I stiffened at the thought of him being in danger from the wolves, and suddenly I was in wolf form over my mate. Charlie must have sensed my feelings, because he laid still under my large body, running his fingers through my fur as he nuzzled his face in under my neck.
I warily looked toward the vampires present, but both were sitting submissively with their necks bared to me. Edward softly said through his mind to me, “Listen to Charlie, Bella. Hear his breathing. Listen to the beat of his heart. Scent that he is not bleeding. Let your eyes roam over him to know that he is not harmed, Love. I know you're scared and protective right now, but I promise Charlie is safe.”
I growled low in warning to both of them, then nuzzled my nose into Charlie's neck. He hummed in response, “That's it, Bells. Concentrate on me. Just you and me, Sweetheart.”
I let out a small rumble, then continued my nuzzling downward as I searched him for any damage. I licked my mark instinctively when I saw he was unharmed, causing Charlie to moan, “Shit, Bella. You need to stop, or you'll make me cum just from teasing my mark.”
I gave a wolfy chuckle before licking it again. I heard Edward and Carlisle both snicker as Charlie cried out in pleasure, then felt the tingle along my spine as I shifted back to human.
I was straddling Charlie as I settled, then leaned in to say in a seductive whisper, “You like that, don't you? Does my wolf arouse you? Do you know how many times she's wanted to come out fully while you took me from behind? Just so you know, that was payback for how hard you make me cum when you target my sweet spot. I swear one of these times you're going to make me completely pass out from pleasure overload.”
When we got back to the house a short while later, I felt the need to clean up a bit, so Edward and Carlisle offered to take on making dinner for us. Charlie talked to me about where we could live that would accommodate us all comfortably, as he generously decided to soap all my body parts, which caused me to ask, “Why not here? We have almost 400 acres of territory, all of which is in our name. It backs up to a nature preserve, which gives the Cullens and me even more hunting room, plus it's a decent distance from the danger that the Quileutes present right now.”
His eyebrows rose in thought, so I continued, “It wouldn't take much to get the walkout basement done at vampire speed. We have three available bedrooms upstairs, plus we can transform the exercise room for Edward until the basement's done. If they all agree, why not here? I mean, we'd have to think about Carlisle practicing medicine, because he wouldn't be comfortable somewhere unless he was helping someone, but I've heard every one of the ‘kids’ say that they would like a break from constantly repeating school. I'm sure Esme would love starting a new garden or two. What do you think?”
Charlie beamed at me, then wrapped his arms around me, kissing my lips lightly while saying, “I think that's a wonderful idea, Sweetheart. We'll talk to them as soon as we get dressed... but right now you smell too irresistible, and you're still in heat. My body is practically vibrating with the need to see you round and glowing with my child inside you.”
With that, he lifted me by the backs of my thighs, then slowly let me drop down onto his very hard cock. Needless to say, our shower was a bit longer than anticipated, our moans and growls echoing loudly in the bathroom until we were both sated... several orgasms later.
When we finally made our way out towards the kitchen, Edward was just finishing up plating our dinner. Carlisle smiled as he set our drinks down, “I hope you don't mind, but we overheard you talking about us moving onto this land. We agreed that it would be a wise decision, then decided to call the family, to get their input. They've all agreed, so if you're both sure, Esme would like to come out to draw up the plans with you for the basement. She'd like to get a feel for the house so that she's able to plan accordingly.”
I smiled widely, then said, “Well, what are you waiting on? We need to get Charlie's stuff out of your room upstairs, to situate it in our room. That will leave you and Esme the private bath suite, while Alice, Jasper, Em, and Rose will share the bath between the other two suites. With Edward feeling the need to be close, we can move the exercise equipment downstairs, then he can take that room, using the bathroom on this level. We can add better guest suites to the downstairs level to make you all more comfortable, but your family is more than welcome here, Carlisle.”
He smiled as he kissed my temple, flipped his phone open, then dialed his mate to let her know the good news while Charlie and I sat down to dinner.
It was an hour later that I smelled the scent of the others on the breeze, my entire body tensing in reaction. Carlisle noticed immediately, causing me to whimper while fighting my urge to phase, “I'm sorry, Carlisle. Logically, I know it's them, but I can't help it. My wolf needs to feel in control.”
He nodded with his hand out, a slight smile on his face as he said tenderly, “Understandable, Little One. This is your territory, and they are newcomers. By all means...”
Instantly I was stripping out of my clothing as I dashed toward the front door, phasing with a leap as Edward made it just in time to open the door for me.
Edward and Carlisle stepped to either side of the front door once I had burst through it. I turned to nuzzle Charlie's neck, causing him to hum in response, “I know, Sweetheart, I'll stay right here. I won't come out until you think it's safe.”
When the pleasurable feeling faded, my eyes reopened to connect with Edward's. I could see the longing in his eyes, so I asked softly, “You okay? I'm not purposely trying to flaunt my status in front of you... you know that, right? We might have been in the open, but you didn’t have to watch us together if it was going to make you uncomfortable.”
He smiled as he cupped my cheek, then said, “I know… I'm okay. One of the reasons we came to the lake a little early was because there are a few things Carlisle and I have been figuring out. First, you said your head has been silent ever since you shoved Sam out. That caught us both off guard because Sam was alpha. No one should have been able to force him to do anything. From what we understood, only the alpha can order, the rest must obey. They have no choice but to obey because of the alpha's automatic double timbre in their voice. I think when you shifted, you were naturally supposed to take over alpha, Love. Carlisle agrees, noting that your biological father must have been of the true alpha bloodline. You said that you forced all your power and anger into your voice... when that happened, did you hear what your voice sounded like?”
I thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Oh, shit. I think you're right. There was this weird sensation... it sounded like two slightly different tones were vibrating through me at the same time. I thought it was just me and my wolf speaking together. Sam's yelp echoed loudly in my head, then he was gone. What does that mean for me, though? I'm an alpha with no pack.”
Carlisle soothed me by patting my hand, saying, “We'll help you figure that out, Bella. You don't need to go through this alone. You have Charlie, but you also have the entire Cullen family. We will not abandon you. Besides, Dear... from the looks of things, you're trying to start your own pack.”
I gave them both a watery smile, causing Charlie to kiss my neck in agreement. After a second, Charlie asked the question. “So what was the other thing you were thinking about?”
Edward winced slightly, then said, “Charlie, please don't be upset... but the other thing we discussed was my continued longing to be near Bella. I didn't understand it, but once we realized that I wasn't Bella's mate, I went to him to try to sort out my feelings. He has always been the one I turned to. I explained that though I knew we weren't mates, I still had a deep longing to be near her... to protect and care for her. Yes, I still love her, but the feelings are not in a romantic sense. During our hunt, I told Carlisle that my longing had grown, and he noticed I had a hard time being away from her.”
I could feel Charlie's slight jealousy, so I brought his arm tighter around me as I turned my head to nuzzle into his neck. He let out a breath, then Carlisle said, “I can understand your feelings, Charlie, but there's no need. During your recent lovemaking, Edward’s only concern for Bella was her safety… making sure no one came upon the two of you while you were lost in each other. There was no jealousy seeing the two of you together, nor was there arousal at seeing Bella sans clothing. I believe the reason for his special connection to Bella, is because he is meant for one of Bella's young. I may be wrong, but there is a basis for my theory.”
Carlisle paused for only a split second before he continued. “I had asked Edward if there was any other time his longing rose. As he thought back, he told me that it was almost unbearable during every heat cycle. It also explains why, though Edward loved Bella immensely, he never had the desire to become intimate with her specifically. He told me that they never went beyond very chaste kisses.”
Charlie nodded, “Bella told me that, too. So you think the reason he wants to protect and care for her, is because he's trying to keep her safe so our babies have the chance to be born? That he's supposed to be mated to one of our pups? You know that vampire venom is lethal to wolves, right? Wouldn't it be dangerous even if the wolf gene was only latent?”
Carlisle shook his head, dispelling Charlie's fear, “No. Vampire venom is only lethal to someone who is an active wolf, or meant to be one. If the child is never meant to become a wolf, the venom would take the natural course in changing the mate. Edward has already said that if his mate happened to be a wolf, there would be no reason for venom since the mate would naturally live as long as they continued to shift.”
I looked at Edward seriously, asking after a minute, “You've really thought a lot about this, haven't you? You understand that -by committing yourself- you're not only tying yourself to Charlie and me, but making permanent enemies of the Quileute pack?”
Both Carlisle and Edward smiled, then nodded in acceptance. Edward said seriously, “I do. The family does. Carlisle called them when our hunt was finished, to explain to all of them what has transpired. They understand... all of them agree that it is the only conclusion that makes any sense. Jasper even made a comment about being the one to train you on how to use your new form to take down threats. He wants you to be able to know that you can protect Charlie, without having to rely on us. Yes, the whole family will always protect you both, but you know as well as I do, that trouble can happen when you least expect it. The baseball clearing was proof of that.”
I nodded, saying sadly, “I know. As sad as it is to say, when you first showed up, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep Charlie safe from the threat. I didn't recognize your scents at first... only vampire and danger. I was so scared I would lose him, but my mind kept screaming danger... to shred and bite and kill.”
Carlisle cupped my cheek with a smile, “Our natures are similar, Bella. Though I detest violence, if there had been a threat to Esme, I would have been feeling the exact same way. Never feel bad for your reaction to what you see as a threat to your mate. That very reaction may just save his life one day.”
I smiled, knowing Carlisle was right, then asked, “So what now?”
Charlie was the one to speak up, kissing along my shoulder as he did so. “Now, my beautiful little wolf, we find a property that will accommodate us all nicely. It would be prudent, if the Cullen family agrees, for us all to be close in case of trouble. We don't know the full impact of what your alpha command on Sam will be. They may very well be without an alpha now since you clearly held that position over Sam in your mind link. If they feel threatened with no guidance, they might attack you, me, or the Cullen family.”
I stiffened at the thought of him being in danger from the wolves, and suddenly I was in wolf form over my mate. Charlie must have sensed my feelings, because he laid still under my large body, running his fingers through my fur as he nuzzled his face in under my neck.
I warily looked toward the vampires present, but both were sitting submissively with their necks bared to me. Edward softly said through his mind to me, “Listen to Charlie, Bella. Hear his breathing. Listen to the beat of his heart. Scent that he is not bleeding. Let your eyes roam over him to know that he is not harmed, Love. I know you're scared and protective right now, but I promise Charlie is safe.”
I growled low in warning to both of them, then nuzzled my nose into Charlie's neck. He hummed in response, “That's it, Bells. Concentrate on me. Just you and me, Sweetheart.”
I let out a small rumble, then continued my nuzzling downward as I searched him for any damage. I licked my mark instinctively when I saw he was unharmed, causing Charlie to moan, “Shit, Bella. You need to stop, or you'll make me cum just from teasing my mark.”
I gave a wolfy chuckle before licking it again. I heard Edward and Carlisle both snicker as Charlie cried out in pleasure, then felt the tingle along my spine as I shifted back to human.
I was straddling Charlie as I settled, then leaned in to say in a seductive whisper, “You like that, don't you? Does my wolf arouse you? Do you know how many times she's wanted to come out fully while you took me from behind? Just so you know, that was payback for how hard you make me cum when you target my sweet spot. I swear one of these times you're going to make me completely pass out from pleasure overload.”
When we got back to the house a short while later, I felt the need to clean up a bit, so Edward and Carlisle offered to take on making dinner for us. Charlie talked to me about where we could live that would accommodate us all comfortably, as he generously decided to soap all my body parts, which caused me to ask, “Why not here? We have almost 400 acres of territory, all of which is in our name. It backs up to a nature preserve, which gives the Cullens and me even more hunting room, plus it's a decent distance from the danger that the Quileutes present right now.”
His eyebrows rose in thought, so I continued, “It wouldn't take much to get the walkout basement done at vampire speed. We have three available bedrooms upstairs, plus we can transform the exercise room for Edward until the basement's done. If they all agree, why not here? I mean, we'd have to think about Carlisle practicing medicine, because he wouldn't be comfortable somewhere unless he was helping someone, but I've heard every one of the ‘kids’ say that they would like a break from constantly repeating school. I'm sure Esme would love starting a new garden or two. What do you think?”
Charlie beamed at me, then wrapped his arms around me, kissing my lips lightly while saying, “I think that's a wonderful idea, Sweetheart. We'll talk to them as soon as we get dressed... but right now you smell too irresistible, and you're still in heat. My body is practically vibrating with the need to see you round and glowing with my child inside you.”
With that, he lifted me by the backs of my thighs, then slowly let me drop down onto his very hard cock. Needless to say, our shower was a bit longer than anticipated, our moans and growls echoing loudly in the bathroom until we were both sated... several orgasms later.
When we finally made our way out towards the kitchen, Edward was just finishing up plating our dinner. Carlisle smiled as he set our drinks down, “I hope you don't mind, but we overheard you talking about us moving onto this land. We agreed that it would be a wise decision, then decided to call the family, to get their input. They've all agreed, so if you're both sure, Esme would like to come out to draw up the plans with you for the basement. She'd like to get a feel for the house so that she's able to plan accordingly.”
I smiled widely, then said, “Well, what are you waiting on? We need to get Charlie's stuff out of your room upstairs, to situate it in our room. That will leave you and Esme the private bath suite, while Alice, Jasper, Em, and Rose will share the bath between the other two suites. With Edward feeling the need to be close, we can move the exercise equipment downstairs, then he can take that room, using the bathroom on this level. We can add better guest suites to the downstairs level to make you all more comfortable, but your family is more than welcome here, Carlisle.”
He smiled as he kissed my temple, flipped his phone open, then dialed his mate to let her know the good news while Charlie and I sat down to dinner.
It was an hour later that I smelled the scent of the others on the breeze, my entire body tensing in reaction. Carlisle noticed immediately, causing me to whimper while fighting my urge to phase, “I'm sorry, Carlisle. Logically, I know it's them, but I can't help it. My wolf needs to feel in control.”
He nodded with his hand out, a slight smile on his face as he said tenderly, “Understandable, Little One. This is your territory, and they are newcomers. By all means...”
Instantly I was stripping out of my clothing as I dashed toward the front door, phasing with a leap as Edward made it just in time to open the door for me.
Edward and Carlisle stepped to either side of the front door once I had burst through it. I turned to nuzzle Charlie's neck, causing him to hum in response, “I know, Sweetheart, I'll stay right here. I won't come out until you think it's safe.”