When Angels Cry
by wizardtho
Chapter 4: Explanations
Everything was a blur of fiery pain, along with the sound of ripping for a few minutes, then I felt relief as the molten lava in my back and spine started cooling. I faintly registered Edward telling Dad that it was safe, that I was covered as much as could be, then heard my father's footsteps as he walked in.
He handed Edward something, then I felt the cooling sensation even more as my dad said, “Keep pouring the water over her back. Pay special attention to the wounds. Her cries are already starting to die down, so it shouldn't be long before she's able to speak.”
I heard Carlisle ask softly from nearby, “Charlie, I know what she's becoming, but we thought they were all extinct? There was a great war long ago, when a faction of our kind tried to kill all of the bloodlines of her species, and another faction of our kind didn't stop them in time.”
I heard my dad's cynical laugh, then he said, “You got that version straight from the bad guys, Carlisle. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the Volturi were the ones hunting our kind, not the Romanians. With the Volturi wiping out the majority of the Romanians protecting us, only two of my bloodline lived. They had to go into hiding as a result. My grandmother tried to find you for some time, knowing only a gold-eyed vampire would be safe… able to help and protect us. She passed away here in Washington while waiting for your arrival. Why do you think I never moved after Bella's mom left? I could have gotten a better paying position at one of the stations in a bigger city, or could have even kept Renee by following her wherever she wanted to go. I knew there would come a time when you would arrive here, though… a time when my Bells would find her soul. Now that the changes are happening, Edward will have to stay stuck to her -chest to chest- until the process is complete.”
My mind wasn't as fuzzy anymore. As Edward continued to tend to me in the water, he asked, “My trying to leave forced this, didn't it? She felt me -my determination and pain- and it was the trigger, wasn't it?”
My dad cupped his warm hand to my cheek, then said, “Yes, Son. Only a pure, soul-ripping pain can force the changes to start, but she's not capable of handling it on her own. This wasn't supposed to happen until after she was like you, because her human body isn't strong enough to handle it all. The pain or blood loss alone could kill her, if you had succeeded in leaving. As it is, she will have to endure this while human, with you physically binding yourself to her, for the next two days. Do not let your chests become separated, no matter what happens, or you both will die. Her changes will be forced to quicken, causing her wings to emerge violently, which will kill you both.”
I felt Edward tighten his arms around me, then it was a long moment before anyone spoke.
When the silence was broken, it was because Carlisle asked, “So her wings emerging is like a type of labor, for lack of a better term? The body adjusts slowly, preparing for the baby to emerge, even though the process is painful. On the other hand, if someone were to try forcing the baby out when the body wasn't ready, both mother and baby would be in jeopardy.”
My dad chuckled, which I also felt like doing at that analogy, then said, “Not exactly how I would put it, but yes.”
Just then I heard the calm voice of my pixie best friend, saying, “Here are the blood and supplies, Carlisle. Edward, don't worry... exactly two days.”
She must have been thinking something to Edward, because he let out what sounded like a relieved breath, offering, “Thank you, Alice.”
I thought about saying something, but just as I decided to, I felt her small hand move my sticky hair off my neck. She gently cupped my neck as she said, “Not yet, Sweetie. Carlisle is starting your transfusion right now, so just wait a few minutes before you try. You aren't strong enough to speak more than an unintelligible mumble right now.”
I guess Dad must have been thinking about Alice knowing what I wanted, because Edward chuckled into my shoulder, then said softly, “Yes, Chief. There is more about us than your books and tomes say. We will explain it in detail once I make sure Isabella comes through this safe and well. The short version is that Alice has visions... she's a seer. She saw Bella trying to speak, but us not understanding her. Bella became frustrated as a result. It all got fuzzy after that, which is never a good thing with her vision. To be safe, Alice told her to wait until she was stronger to try.”
A short second later, Edward explained, ”To answer your next question, I read it all from Alice's mind as the vision happened, and no, I can't read yours well. Your mind is like snowy reception on an old tv set to me. Your most prominent thoughts come through enough for me to understand well. Your thoughts of Bella's wellbeing and safety are always crystal clear. No, I can't read Bella's mind at all, but most of the time our bond and her mannerisms let me know the gist of what she's thinking. I won't be able to truly feel her until our bond is cemented through intimacy.”
It was silent for a second, then I heard Alice say softly, “Carlisle? Since you have her transfusion going now, I think you should give Esme a call. She’s worried about Bella, but didn’t want to be in the way with so much going on.”
I heard the door quietly shut a minute later, after Carlisle reminded them not to mess with my tubing. I could feel Dad caressing my cheek as he cooed that I was safe and being taken care of, then he said to Edward, “She'll need you, you know. I don't know how detailed your books are about what she's becoming, but at the end of this, she'll need you. I know you haven't been intimate yet, because I would have seen the signs of her pregnancy within 24 hours of one of her heat cycles. I also know it's been you that's wanted to wait, because her instincts would have been wanting intimacy with you almost right away. I don’t understand why you haven’t made love yet, though. Talk to me, Son… explain it to me.”
I felt Edward's cool breath against my neck, which elicited a content sigh from me at the feeling. Charlie must have started to fret, because Edward hurried to say into my neck, “No worries, Charlie. That's her pleased sigh. My breath against her skin must have felt good to her. Hand me that hair clip… watch.”
I felt my hair being lifted and clipped up, then Edward purposely blowing his breath across my heated skin. I involuntarily sighed at the wonderful cooling sensation, then Edward said as he carefully poured the ice water down my neck, “See? She always makes that sound when she's content or pleased with my attention. To answer your question, it was mostly because I was scared.”
I heard Edward sigh in what sounded like defeat as he shook his head, then he offered, “I was scared of so many things, but I'll explain the top few. Our kind have something called singers. It's where-”
I heard my dad cut in then, “Where her blood smells like the most appetizing thing in the world, even if you're in a stadium full of bleeding humans, and there's not a single drop of her blood in the open. I know. That's why I asked if you had desensitized yourself. You seem to be doing well, even with her bath water turning darker by the minute. So you were afraid of hurting her? Of draining her?”
Edward let out a breath, then said sadly, “The only way to explain is to tell you what I told her. I always had it in my mind, even though I knew we were mates, that I could leave if it was safest for her. That if it meant her being safe and still having a heartbeat, I could leave her… not ever regret the decision. I never wanted to doom her to this life.”
My Edward sounded sad as he went on. “I was raised in a religious Victorian household. I believed that when I was turned, my soul was stained. I have killed humans, Charlie. I turned away from Carlisle's way not long after my change. I decided to try hunting the scum of the earth, to make up for being what I was... a vampire. In my own convoluted thoughts, I figured that I could use my mind reading ability to gain the information I needed, then take them out of the world so that they couldn't harm anyone else. It got to the point where I was justifying killing someone who was only thinking about murder, rape, or abuse, saying to myself that eventually they would make good on their thoughts. I was essentially killing innocents, though. When my screwed sense of justification led to a 13-year-old girl thinking about killing her older brother for embarrassing her, I finally saw what I was doing. That's when I crawled back to Carlisle asking for forgiveness.”
He was silent for a second, then said softly, “I've never been able to forgive myself for what I've done, Charlie. My soul is tainted... stained with the blood of the humans I've killed, no matter what I do to try to atone for it. How could I ever be worthy of her? I felt like I would be forcing her down with me, if I was selfish enough to want to keep her for eternity... if I was selfish enough to turn her.”
My dad chuckled, then said, “Not to make light of what you're saying... but you know that's complete shit, right, Son? That girl right there in your arms? She's never once believed in an all-powerful God. She's only stepped into a church or temple to indulge Renee's ever-changing flights of fancy. On top of that, especially when she's tinkering in the garage, I've heard things out of her mouth that would make even a sailor blush.”
I think I was able to let out a chuckle of agreement, because I felt Edward smile as he kissed my neck before Charlie continued. “My point is this. She's not got a religious bone in her body, yet you see the proof of what she's becoming. She treats people as she would hope to be treated, tries to help people when they need it, and generally just lives her life. What you did with her room, Edward... you should have seen the pure joy on her face when she first came home. You didn't even know her then, yet you did something special for her.”
Dad sighed then offered, “You're a good person now, Son, whether you were before or not. I won't hear any more rubbish about you not being worthy of my daughter. You were meant for her, whether you believe that or not. You talked about your bond... so tell me something. If the fates hadn't deemed you worthy, would you have that bond you talked of with her? Or would it have connected you to someone else?”
Edward tightened his arms around me slightly. After several minutes of silence in the room, Edward sighed, then said, “I see your point, Charlie. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone who wasn't Bella or my family. My point to telling you about my past, is that it was part of what made me scared. I'm still scared, because intimacy will be new territory for both of us… but now it’s more of seeming like a bumbling idiot when the time comes. I know after unsuccessfully trying to leave her that I could never hurt her. Our species lets go completely when we are intimate with our mates, but knowing how deeply I feel about her, I know that I will not be a danger to her... even in her untouched state.”
Charlie nodded, then said, “You know why I asked, right? When I said that she'll need you, I meant intimately. I'm only calm about this because I've had 18 years to prepare myself for this day, and because I know you are bound. Please, just promise me one thing. When the time comes, let her needs guide you. When she asks you to bite, don't fight her. She'll know when it's time, and you have my blessing.”
Something nagged at the back of my brain, but I only managed to mumble out a weak, “It's more than that. You need to tell him, Dad. I don't know why you need to, but you do.”
I felt his warm hand on my cheek as he cooed for me to rest, then he asked, “What happens when you normally bite? I need to know, so that I can figure out what's different.”
Edward kissed my neck, but just as he was about to reply, I arched up with a loud cry of pain. I felt Edward moving with me the instant my body started arching away from his, only faintly registering my dad telling Edward that the next phase was starting, before he called for Carlisle and Alice to bring a new batch of ice to redo the tub water. He told Edward he would be back in when we were settled in the tub again, then quietly left the room.
My pain doubled as soon as Edward lifted me from the tub, but I could feel that he tried to carefully cover as much of my back as possible with his arms and hands. The problem was, he wasn't cooling the spots that felt the hottest. “Please... hurts... burning.”
I felt the air rush around me for an instant, then water falling all around me. I whimpered, “Thank you... little better.”
Edward redirected the falling water so it covered most of my back, then ducked his head into my neck while explaining, “We'll be back into the tub in just a few minutes, Love. We just need to give Carlisle time to fill the tub with clean water, and Alice time to add more ice. Rest a while. I'll take care of you, my little lamb.”
He started peppering my neck and shoulder with open-mouthed kisses, oddly making the pain lessen slightly. I let out a pleased sound, loving the feeling his attention was giving me. Edward hummed in reply, “Does that feel good, my angel?”
I made the sound again as my neck arched to give him more room. After hearing a buzzing that indicated vampire-speed talking, I managed to ask weakly, “More?”
Edward chuckled as I felt us moving, then replied, “Yes, Love. I will continue as soon as we are in the tub again.”
As soon as we were settled, I felt Edward's hands on the backs of my thighs, so that he could adjust our position. The feeling had arousal zinging through my veins like a pinball game, while a pleased sort of vibrating purr bubbled up out of my chest in response. Edward hummed thoughtfully, then asked, “Is that good or bad, Love? Can you let me know?”
His fingers glided along where my ass met my thighs slightly, causing the sound to become both louder and deeper as my arousal heightened. I heard the door open, then Dad stuttered out, “Oh... sorry, I'll... just come back later.”
He went to leave, but Edward hurried to say, “Please, Charlie. I don't understand this new sound, but she hasn't been able to answer me.”
Dad sputtered a cough, then stuttered out, “She's... umm... well, you see... it's just that... you must have done something that... she liked?”
Finally I heard Alice say loud enough for me to hear, “Oh, for Christ's sake, Edward! Use those vampire senses of yours, will you? You aroused your mate, you idiot.”
I heard the door close right as Edward let out a surprised, “Oh.”
It was silent for a few seconds, then I felt Edward's nose skimming my skin as he inhaled deeply. A small growl slipped from his throat, then I felt him nuzzling deep into my neck as he whispered, “Your arousal smells even more intoxicating than your blood does, Isabella. I wish I could hear your voice, so I knew what you needed me to do.”
His hands had stilled, making the pain flare slightly. I managed a soft whimper through the rising heat of pain, “Touch... please. Hands on skin... keeps the heat down.”
He was still pouring the water gently on my back with one hand, so the other trailed from the back of my thigh, around to gently grasp my hip, then up to wrap around my ribs just under my breast. When I arched into him, that purring sound bubbling up again. In response, Edward hummed into my neck before trailing his tongue from my shoulder to the soft spot behind my ear.
My arousal was at a slow burn, but even though Edward's hands continued their alternating wandering paths up and down my body, he never touched me anywhere intimate. After a short while of his attention, my purr tapered off to just a soft whisper of what it was, though it continued as he called for Charlie. When I heard the door open, Edward said, “You can come in if you want. It's not exactly the right time for us to be doing anything intimate. She's still purring, but it's calmer now. She said it was my touch... that it made the heat less severe.”
Charlie said seriously, “Ah, I understand now. It's part of her bond to you. It's forming still, changing and strengthening as she does. The more of your touch that she feels... the more attention that you give her... the easier it is on the bond to handle the changes.”
Even though Edward was letting water run down the center of my back, the only space he wouldn't touch was between my shoulder blades. The heat had calmed in the rest of my body, feeling more like smoldering embers now, but it seemed to all be concentrated at that one spot that he wouldn't touch.
On instinct, I whimpered loudly before crying out, “Please... burning... need touch.”
Edward immediately asked, “Where, my little lamb? Tell me where, so that I can try to help.”
My response came out as a broken whimper, “Shoulder blades... between... please.”
I didn't know what was going on, but Edward asked Dad if it was safe for him to touch 'them'. Dad told him that my instinct was wanting it, so it was worth a try, but he called for Carlisle's opinion just to be safe.
I didn't hear the response, but just as the heat suddenly plummeted from between my shoulder blades, I felt the oddest sensation. It wasn't so much that Edward was touching my actual back, but that whatever he was touching really loved the feeling. It was like something special, something only he should do… and it felt incredible. My purr suddenly tripled in intensity in response.
Carlisle chuckled as he walked in, “Well, I guess that answers that question. Time to change to another bag of blood. She seems to be losing her own at a slow but steady rate still. I see no need to worry yet, as long as we keep the transfusion going. I have more than triple the amount needed on hand, if the rate continues along this path.”
I ended up dozing as Charlie and Edward restarted their conversation from earlier, about the differences between biting a human and biting me. It's not that I didn't want to finally figure out what the hell was happening to me, but I was extremely tired. I seemed to be using more energy than I could spare when I tried to stay focused.
Edward's reassurance that I was safe in his arms was all I needed to be able to let go and rest, especially when I felt his fingers gliding along that spot between my shoulder blades.
Everything was a blur of fiery pain, along with the sound of ripping for a few minutes, then I felt relief as the molten lava in my back and spine started cooling. I faintly registered Edward telling Dad that it was safe, that I was covered as much as could be, then heard my father's footsteps as he walked in.
He handed Edward something, then I felt the cooling sensation even more as my dad said, “Keep pouring the water over her back. Pay special attention to the wounds. Her cries are already starting to die down, so it shouldn't be long before she's able to speak.”
I heard Carlisle ask softly from nearby, “Charlie, I know what she's becoming, but we thought they were all extinct? There was a great war long ago, when a faction of our kind tried to kill all of the bloodlines of her species, and another faction of our kind didn't stop them in time.”
I heard my dad's cynical laugh, then he said, “You got that version straight from the bad guys, Carlisle. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the Volturi were the ones hunting our kind, not the Romanians. With the Volturi wiping out the majority of the Romanians protecting us, only two of my bloodline lived. They had to go into hiding as a result. My grandmother tried to find you for some time, knowing only a gold-eyed vampire would be safe… able to help and protect us. She passed away here in Washington while waiting for your arrival. Why do you think I never moved after Bella's mom left? I could have gotten a better paying position at one of the stations in a bigger city, or could have even kept Renee by following her wherever she wanted to go. I knew there would come a time when you would arrive here, though… a time when my Bells would find her soul. Now that the changes are happening, Edward will have to stay stuck to her -chest to chest- until the process is complete.”
My mind wasn't as fuzzy anymore. As Edward continued to tend to me in the water, he asked, “My trying to leave forced this, didn't it? She felt me -my determination and pain- and it was the trigger, wasn't it?”
My dad cupped his warm hand to my cheek, then said, “Yes, Son. Only a pure, soul-ripping pain can force the changes to start, but she's not capable of handling it on her own. This wasn't supposed to happen until after she was like you, because her human body isn't strong enough to handle it all. The pain or blood loss alone could kill her, if you had succeeded in leaving. As it is, she will have to endure this while human, with you physically binding yourself to her, for the next two days. Do not let your chests become separated, no matter what happens, or you both will die. Her changes will be forced to quicken, causing her wings to emerge violently, which will kill you both.”
I felt Edward tighten his arms around me, then it was a long moment before anyone spoke.
When the silence was broken, it was because Carlisle asked, “So her wings emerging is like a type of labor, for lack of a better term? The body adjusts slowly, preparing for the baby to emerge, even though the process is painful. On the other hand, if someone were to try forcing the baby out when the body wasn't ready, both mother and baby would be in jeopardy.”
My dad chuckled, which I also felt like doing at that analogy, then said, “Not exactly how I would put it, but yes.”
Just then I heard the calm voice of my pixie best friend, saying, “Here are the blood and supplies, Carlisle. Edward, don't worry... exactly two days.”
She must have been thinking something to Edward, because he let out what sounded like a relieved breath, offering, “Thank you, Alice.”
I thought about saying something, but just as I decided to, I felt her small hand move my sticky hair off my neck. She gently cupped my neck as she said, “Not yet, Sweetie. Carlisle is starting your transfusion right now, so just wait a few minutes before you try. You aren't strong enough to speak more than an unintelligible mumble right now.”
I guess Dad must have been thinking about Alice knowing what I wanted, because Edward chuckled into my shoulder, then said softly, “Yes, Chief. There is more about us than your books and tomes say. We will explain it in detail once I make sure Isabella comes through this safe and well. The short version is that Alice has visions... she's a seer. She saw Bella trying to speak, but us not understanding her. Bella became frustrated as a result. It all got fuzzy after that, which is never a good thing with her vision. To be safe, Alice told her to wait until she was stronger to try.”
A short second later, Edward explained, ”To answer your next question, I read it all from Alice's mind as the vision happened, and no, I can't read yours well. Your mind is like snowy reception on an old tv set to me. Your most prominent thoughts come through enough for me to understand well. Your thoughts of Bella's wellbeing and safety are always crystal clear. No, I can't read Bella's mind at all, but most of the time our bond and her mannerisms let me know the gist of what she's thinking. I won't be able to truly feel her until our bond is cemented through intimacy.”
It was silent for a second, then I heard Alice say softly, “Carlisle? Since you have her transfusion going now, I think you should give Esme a call. She’s worried about Bella, but didn’t want to be in the way with so much going on.”
I heard the door quietly shut a minute later, after Carlisle reminded them not to mess with my tubing. I could feel Dad caressing my cheek as he cooed that I was safe and being taken care of, then he said to Edward, “She'll need you, you know. I don't know how detailed your books are about what she's becoming, but at the end of this, she'll need you. I know you haven't been intimate yet, because I would have seen the signs of her pregnancy within 24 hours of one of her heat cycles. I also know it's been you that's wanted to wait, because her instincts would have been wanting intimacy with you almost right away. I don’t understand why you haven’t made love yet, though. Talk to me, Son… explain it to me.”
I felt Edward's cool breath against my neck, which elicited a content sigh from me at the feeling. Charlie must have started to fret, because Edward hurried to say into my neck, “No worries, Charlie. That's her pleased sigh. My breath against her skin must have felt good to her. Hand me that hair clip… watch.”
I felt my hair being lifted and clipped up, then Edward purposely blowing his breath across my heated skin. I involuntarily sighed at the wonderful cooling sensation, then Edward said as he carefully poured the ice water down my neck, “See? She always makes that sound when she's content or pleased with my attention. To answer your question, it was mostly because I was scared.”
I heard Edward sigh in what sounded like defeat as he shook his head, then he offered, “I was scared of so many things, but I'll explain the top few. Our kind have something called singers. It's where-”
I heard my dad cut in then, “Where her blood smells like the most appetizing thing in the world, even if you're in a stadium full of bleeding humans, and there's not a single drop of her blood in the open. I know. That's why I asked if you had desensitized yourself. You seem to be doing well, even with her bath water turning darker by the minute. So you were afraid of hurting her? Of draining her?”
Edward let out a breath, then said sadly, “The only way to explain is to tell you what I told her. I always had it in my mind, even though I knew we were mates, that I could leave if it was safest for her. That if it meant her being safe and still having a heartbeat, I could leave her… not ever regret the decision. I never wanted to doom her to this life.”
My Edward sounded sad as he went on. “I was raised in a religious Victorian household. I believed that when I was turned, my soul was stained. I have killed humans, Charlie. I turned away from Carlisle's way not long after my change. I decided to try hunting the scum of the earth, to make up for being what I was... a vampire. In my own convoluted thoughts, I figured that I could use my mind reading ability to gain the information I needed, then take them out of the world so that they couldn't harm anyone else. It got to the point where I was justifying killing someone who was only thinking about murder, rape, or abuse, saying to myself that eventually they would make good on their thoughts. I was essentially killing innocents, though. When my screwed sense of justification led to a 13-year-old girl thinking about killing her older brother for embarrassing her, I finally saw what I was doing. That's when I crawled back to Carlisle asking for forgiveness.”
He was silent for a second, then said softly, “I've never been able to forgive myself for what I've done, Charlie. My soul is tainted... stained with the blood of the humans I've killed, no matter what I do to try to atone for it. How could I ever be worthy of her? I felt like I would be forcing her down with me, if I was selfish enough to want to keep her for eternity... if I was selfish enough to turn her.”
My dad chuckled, then said, “Not to make light of what you're saying... but you know that's complete shit, right, Son? That girl right there in your arms? She's never once believed in an all-powerful God. She's only stepped into a church or temple to indulge Renee's ever-changing flights of fancy. On top of that, especially when she's tinkering in the garage, I've heard things out of her mouth that would make even a sailor blush.”
I think I was able to let out a chuckle of agreement, because I felt Edward smile as he kissed my neck before Charlie continued. “My point is this. She's not got a religious bone in her body, yet you see the proof of what she's becoming. She treats people as she would hope to be treated, tries to help people when they need it, and generally just lives her life. What you did with her room, Edward... you should have seen the pure joy on her face when she first came home. You didn't even know her then, yet you did something special for her.”
Dad sighed then offered, “You're a good person now, Son, whether you were before or not. I won't hear any more rubbish about you not being worthy of my daughter. You were meant for her, whether you believe that or not. You talked about your bond... so tell me something. If the fates hadn't deemed you worthy, would you have that bond you talked of with her? Or would it have connected you to someone else?”
Edward tightened his arms around me slightly. After several minutes of silence in the room, Edward sighed, then said, “I see your point, Charlie. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone who wasn't Bella or my family. My point to telling you about my past, is that it was part of what made me scared. I'm still scared, because intimacy will be new territory for both of us… but now it’s more of seeming like a bumbling idiot when the time comes. I know after unsuccessfully trying to leave her that I could never hurt her. Our species lets go completely when we are intimate with our mates, but knowing how deeply I feel about her, I know that I will not be a danger to her... even in her untouched state.”
Charlie nodded, then said, “You know why I asked, right? When I said that she'll need you, I meant intimately. I'm only calm about this because I've had 18 years to prepare myself for this day, and because I know you are bound. Please, just promise me one thing. When the time comes, let her needs guide you. When she asks you to bite, don't fight her. She'll know when it's time, and you have my blessing.”
Something nagged at the back of my brain, but I only managed to mumble out a weak, “It's more than that. You need to tell him, Dad. I don't know why you need to, but you do.”
I felt his warm hand on my cheek as he cooed for me to rest, then he asked, “What happens when you normally bite? I need to know, so that I can figure out what's different.”
Edward kissed my neck, but just as he was about to reply, I arched up with a loud cry of pain. I felt Edward moving with me the instant my body started arching away from his, only faintly registering my dad telling Edward that the next phase was starting, before he called for Carlisle and Alice to bring a new batch of ice to redo the tub water. He told Edward he would be back in when we were settled in the tub again, then quietly left the room.
My pain doubled as soon as Edward lifted me from the tub, but I could feel that he tried to carefully cover as much of my back as possible with his arms and hands. The problem was, he wasn't cooling the spots that felt the hottest. “Please... hurts... burning.”
I felt the air rush around me for an instant, then water falling all around me. I whimpered, “Thank you... little better.”
Edward redirected the falling water so it covered most of my back, then ducked his head into my neck while explaining, “We'll be back into the tub in just a few minutes, Love. We just need to give Carlisle time to fill the tub with clean water, and Alice time to add more ice. Rest a while. I'll take care of you, my little lamb.”
He started peppering my neck and shoulder with open-mouthed kisses, oddly making the pain lessen slightly. I let out a pleased sound, loving the feeling his attention was giving me. Edward hummed in reply, “Does that feel good, my angel?”
I made the sound again as my neck arched to give him more room. After hearing a buzzing that indicated vampire-speed talking, I managed to ask weakly, “More?”
Edward chuckled as I felt us moving, then replied, “Yes, Love. I will continue as soon as we are in the tub again.”
As soon as we were settled, I felt Edward's hands on the backs of my thighs, so that he could adjust our position. The feeling had arousal zinging through my veins like a pinball game, while a pleased sort of vibrating purr bubbled up out of my chest in response. Edward hummed thoughtfully, then asked, “Is that good or bad, Love? Can you let me know?”
His fingers glided along where my ass met my thighs slightly, causing the sound to become both louder and deeper as my arousal heightened. I heard the door open, then Dad stuttered out, “Oh... sorry, I'll... just come back later.”
He went to leave, but Edward hurried to say, “Please, Charlie. I don't understand this new sound, but she hasn't been able to answer me.”
Dad sputtered a cough, then stuttered out, “She's... umm... well, you see... it's just that... you must have done something that... she liked?”
Finally I heard Alice say loud enough for me to hear, “Oh, for Christ's sake, Edward! Use those vampire senses of yours, will you? You aroused your mate, you idiot.”
I heard the door close right as Edward let out a surprised, “Oh.”
It was silent for a few seconds, then I felt Edward's nose skimming my skin as he inhaled deeply. A small growl slipped from his throat, then I felt him nuzzling deep into my neck as he whispered, “Your arousal smells even more intoxicating than your blood does, Isabella. I wish I could hear your voice, so I knew what you needed me to do.”
His hands had stilled, making the pain flare slightly. I managed a soft whimper through the rising heat of pain, “Touch... please. Hands on skin... keeps the heat down.”
He was still pouring the water gently on my back with one hand, so the other trailed from the back of my thigh, around to gently grasp my hip, then up to wrap around my ribs just under my breast. When I arched into him, that purring sound bubbling up again. In response, Edward hummed into my neck before trailing his tongue from my shoulder to the soft spot behind my ear.
My arousal was at a slow burn, but even though Edward's hands continued their alternating wandering paths up and down my body, he never touched me anywhere intimate. After a short while of his attention, my purr tapered off to just a soft whisper of what it was, though it continued as he called for Charlie. When I heard the door open, Edward said, “You can come in if you want. It's not exactly the right time for us to be doing anything intimate. She's still purring, but it's calmer now. She said it was my touch... that it made the heat less severe.”
Charlie said seriously, “Ah, I understand now. It's part of her bond to you. It's forming still, changing and strengthening as she does. The more of your touch that she feels... the more attention that you give her... the easier it is on the bond to handle the changes.”
Even though Edward was letting water run down the center of my back, the only space he wouldn't touch was between my shoulder blades. The heat had calmed in the rest of my body, feeling more like smoldering embers now, but it seemed to all be concentrated at that one spot that he wouldn't touch.
On instinct, I whimpered loudly before crying out, “Please... burning... need touch.”
Edward immediately asked, “Where, my little lamb? Tell me where, so that I can try to help.”
My response came out as a broken whimper, “Shoulder blades... between... please.”
I didn't know what was going on, but Edward asked Dad if it was safe for him to touch 'them'. Dad told him that my instinct was wanting it, so it was worth a try, but he called for Carlisle's opinion just to be safe.
I didn't hear the response, but just as the heat suddenly plummeted from between my shoulder blades, I felt the oddest sensation. It wasn't so much that Edward was touching my actual back, but that whatever he was touching really loved the feeling. It was like something special, something only he should do… and it felt incredible. My purr suddenly tripled in intensity in response.
Carlisle chuckled as he walked in, “Well, I guess that answers that question. Time to change to another bag of blood. She seems to be losing her own at a slow but steady rate still. I see no need to worry yet, as long as we keep the transfusion going. I have more than triple the amount needed on hand, if the rate continues along this path.”
I ended up dozing as Charlie and Edward restarted their conversation from earlier, about the differences between biting a human and biting me. It's not that I didn't want to finally figure out what the hell was happening to me, but I was extremely tired. I seemed to be using more energy than I could spare when I tried to stay focused.
Edward's reassurance that I was safe in his arms was all I needed to be able to let go and rest, especially when I felt his fingers gliding along that spot between my shoulder blades.