Blood Moon

Meeting the Family

Bella's POV

We slowed down as we broke through the trees and I got to really see the house for the first time. It was a log cabin except it was massive. It was three stories with every bedroom having a balcony on the second and third floors. The roof steepled at four points with the middle two steeples set further out from the rest of the house forming a very large covered porch. Since vampires don't have to worry about the cold, the porch was set up like a living room complete with sofas, tables, and a fire pit in the center. There were stairs leading up to the porch from the left and right though we didn't head to the main entrance; since I was covered in blood from my first hunt, we decided to jump onto our balcony so I could shower first.

Edward jumped first, and paused long enough to give me a reassuring smile before walking in through the door to wait for me. I was just as scared about leaping up as I was about jumping down so I took a running start and pushed off with my right foot. I ended up overshooting the balcony and landing on the roof. I walked back to the edge and lined myself up so I could just drop down to the balcony. I gave Edward a sheepish smile before walking by and heading towards the bathroom. Before I could get very far, Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me to him giving me another mind blowing kiss. All too soon, he pulled away and said, "Come back to me soon."

I walked to the bathroom in a daze. Based on the smirk I saw on Edwards face, he knew exactly what he was doing to me. I was thankful that I no longer had my heart beat and blush to give me away but it seems that Edward still knew how much of an effect he had on me. Cocky Vampire! I glanced in the mirror and did a double take. I couldn't believe that the person staring back at me was actually me. She looked so alien, yet so familiar. If I looked close enough I could see characteristics of my former self in the inhumanly beautiful creature in my reflection. She still had the heart shaped face and similar lines but all my imperfections were now flawless. My skin was pale and smooth. My limbs were stronger and I could see muscles that weren't there before. My hair had more shine and the red highlights seemed more defined. Then I saw my eyes. They were crimson like James and Victoria's. I gasped. Edward showed up right beside and slightly behind me.

"The eyes," I said as an explanation.

"They'll become darker in a few months. Animal blood dilutes the color quicker than human blood. First they'll turn amber. Then gold."

"So long?"

"Never have red eyes looked more beautiful," he said in his velvety voice trying to dispel my anxiety.

His voice sent shivers up my spine. I closed my eyes trying to control the lust that was building within me. When I opened them again, Edward was gone. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and proceeded to prepare for my shower. I pulled the shower curtain to the side but I must have pulled too hard because I tore the curtain out of the first few rings. Oops! I keep forgetting that I'm stronger now. Looking in I see that my favorite strawberry shampoo and conditioner were in the shower caddy as well as the dove body wash that I normally use. Very slowly I reach out and grab the knob to turn on the water monitoring my strength so I don't break it.

The temperature of the water didn't affect me the way it did as a human. The water was never too hot or too cold. I turned the water up as hot as it would go and washed away the blood without looking down to see it turn the water pink as it went down the drain.

Thinking of blood reminded me of the human I smelled on the trail today. Just thinking of how good that blood smelled made me want to hunt. If that is how I smelled before to Edward, I don't know how he managed to kiss me before. Who would want to kiss that? And Jasper, since he struggled the most out of all the Cullens, then I definitely have to apologize to him, when I see him, for making it that much harder to resist. I don't know how long it has been since he last slipped but I feel really guilty for being the cause of him falling off the wagon.