safe and sound. twilight

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ

CHAPTER TWO
ᴏᴡᴇᴅ

As the evening fell, despite the fact that Seth had been injured by Bella's anger, Alice pulled me from the house to hunt. She was unusually excited, forever chatting as we walked down the beaten trail that lead further into the woods. Not once did she go to begin running, so I didn't either, choosing to follow after her, our hands entwined together.

It was only after ten minutes, that I realised she'd never intended to go hunting. Alice turned, grinning, as if sensing my realisation, and pushed me forward, hands smoothing over my shoulders as my back hit against a tree. Her perfect eyebrows were curved upwards, taunting, achieving their goal. Her lips hit mine, crashing in a quick, desperate kiss.

She pulled away swiftly, smiling at the look of annoyance that played on my face.

"There's no need to stop."

"I don't want to stop," Alice hummed, taking my hand again, dragging me behind her as she floated over the tree roots. "But I didn't bring you here with the intention of going all the way."

"Why else?"

"It's September thirteenth in an hour."

I let out a rough sigh. "I'm sure Bella can wait a little longer for her birthday."

"Hm, but I don't want to make her wait," Alice said casually, shrugging her slight shoulders. "I want to make you wait."

"You're evil."

"You love me."

"I do."

"Bella," Alice's voice chimed through the air like bells, her voice sounding no less charming to Bella's ears as they did to mine. Or at least, that was until the words happy birthday were shared, sending a chorus of matching greetings following.

Bella somehow fought the glare that was threatening to spill on her face in favour of a suppressed frown. "The birthday countdown doesn't start on the actual day of birth," she complained, only to be ignored heartily by the girl. "Your first birthday is at the year mark, Alice."

"We're not celebrating your vampire birthday. Not yet, anyway. Happy nineteenth birthday!"

"I stopped ageing. I'm eighteen forever!"

Her persistence was momentarily annoying before Alice brushed her complaints away with a flick of her hand. She placed an arm around her waist, fingers clutching onto her elbow, readying to steer her in the right direction, forgetting all about the newborn strength that Bella would still hold. The topic of birthdays was something that could get Bella too angry, as demonstrated by the glare she sent the wall, before glancing pleadingly to Edward.

"Are you ready to open your presents? Mine first," Alice insisted, giving her brother no option.

Edward, to the disappointment of his wife, only shrugged. "It's probably best that I wait until morning, anyway. It might be more fun if Jacob was awake for the big reveal. So someone is able to express the right level of enthusiasm."

"Bella, give Ness- Renesmee- to Rosalie," Alice ordered. "Let's go, let's go."

Alice was dragging me to the front door, eyes casting over her shoulder to watch Bella carefully, before Rose could even more from the corner of the room. The blonde sauntered over, arms outstretched toward the baby.

"It's outside?"

Alice shrugged. "Sort of."

"Enjoy your gift. It's from all of us. Esme especially."