My Mate Saga (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Seventeen

  Bella was furious.

She sat alone in bed, her body trembling lightly with poorly suppressed irritation. She wasn't completely sure if her anger was truly warranted or if she was experiencing a hormone induced overreaction.

Even Jake could sense his master's sudden hostility and was keeping a safe distance, eyeing her warily from the bottom of the mattress.

How dare him!

If she was being entirely rational she knew that Edward didn't owe her an apology or even an explanation. He had lied to placate her when other males wouldn't have even bothered. Edward was well within his rights to give her a simple order. He could command her to stay in bed for the rest of her life if that's where he wanted her. He was her mate and, as she had learned from observing her parents, his word was law in their relationship.

They weren't a human couple. Just because the Cullen's seemed to be a breed of their own didn't change the realities of vampire nature. If Edward was guilty of anything, it was pretending Bella had more power over her life than she actually did, fooling her into a false sense of equality.

She whimpered in frustration and buried her face into the goose-down pillow. "He's the worst kind of control freak," she told Jake with a pout, "the kind that pretend you're in charge while lying to your face."

She held out her arms and the puppy eagerly accepted her invitation by jumping onto her lap.

"Where is he anyway?" Bella whined and kiss the tip of Jake's wet nose. "For some 'mighty provider' he sure is taking a long time to provide."

The tiny russet wolf cocked his head to the side, confused by Bella's unrecognizable blabber.

"You don't even care do you?" she giggled, realizing it was silly to vent to an animal.

Although Jake wasn't just an animal. He was the only friend she had besides her mate and with her current anger toward Edward she was left with very few options. It was also refreshing that the little dog saw her as the pack leader. If nowhere else, she had power with Jake.

"You don't care if he lies to me so long as he keeps your belly full."

The word 'belly' Jake seemed to recognize, lulling his body to one side to expose his very favorite place for a good rub. Bella laughed, her mood brightening slightly and scratched at his hairless tummy. "He's not the only one who can feed us, you know," cooed stubbornly. "I can catch us our own meal. In fact..."

Bella froze. Did she dare? He'd been gone for an awfully long time. He was obviously in no hurry to get back to her.

That would show him that she wasn't just some defenseless little lamb.

She survived twenty six years without him, albeit under the hawk eye of her protective father, she could go out and catch her own damn meal and if he had a problem with that she would just remind him that he was lucky she stopped running before she carried herself back to Arizona.

With suddenly strong determination she dressed herself quickly and scooped up her tiny friend.

"Come on, Jake. I'm going to find us dinner," she whispered as she poked her head carefully out of the den to check for any of the Cullen's. She was sure they'd insist she stay and she wasn't one for confrontation.

She tip toed her way to the tree cover and had almost made it when she came face to face with strawberry hair and mischievous red eyes. Tanya had a look of intense annoyance as she stomped out of the woods but a menacing smile took over her beautiful face when she caught sight of Bella, who was clearly up to no good.

"My, my, my," she cooed playfully, "Are you sick of him so soon, little Bella?"

Bella gave the older female pleading eyes. She was pretty sure Tanya didn't like her and she was positive she was going to rat her out. "Please don't tell," she begged softly.

To her great surprise Tanya didn't look disapproving, in fact the gorgeous vampire was smiling brightly.

"Oh don't worry, Isabella," she whispered with a wink, "I won't tell a soul. Do you know how to get home from here? Would you like some direction?" Tanya offered eagerly.

Bella frown a little, "I am home."

This was her home now. Where ever Edward was. He loved her and although she was angry with him, she would never consider running off on him for good. He needed her and the baby and they needed him too.

Tanya's pretty smile melted off her face. "You mean you aren't leaving?" she asked dryly.

Bella shook her head.

The blonde scoffed and put her hand on her curvy hip. "Then why the hell are you sneaking out like you robbed the place?"

Edward's mate blushed pink. She tried to hide the embarrassment of being caught by petting Jake's fur as the tiny dog gave Tanya dagger eyes. "Edward's trying to make me stay in bed until the baby comes," she muttered softly, "I wanted to take Jake out and hunt on my own."

Tanya hissed at the girl, making Bella cower slightly. "Oh poor thing," she drowned in a falsely sympathetic whine, "You have to stay in bed and make pretty babies while a handsome alpha male coddles you with gifts and affection," she flipped her hair sourly. "You just drew the short sick didn't you, pumpkin?"

Bella straightened her tiny shoulders regally. Her daddy had taught her to be a lady but she was just so sick of the Denali's jabs. "I get it, Tanya. You want my mate's cock," she yawned to make it clear the fact didn't threaten her in the slightest. "Now are you going to tell on me or not?"

Tanya's eyes narrowed into slits and for a moment she looked like she was about to pounce on the tiny female but she simply took an intentional step to the side, waving her arm to ceremoniously give Bella access to the forest behind her. "Be my guest," Tanya smiled coolly. "If you travel through the trees he won't be able to track you," she added.

The thought of Bella getting lost in the woods was a welcome one.

Bella nodded, legitimately thankful, and hopped high into a large pine tree. She wasn't angry enough with the man she loved to want to leave him forever but she needed a little fresh air.

She'd return on her terms.

...

Hunting with Jake had proven drastically more difficult than Bella had originally anticipated. She kept the hungry puppy tucked against her chest as she dexterously stocked small game from above. The problem lay in the fact that Jake became uncontrolled excited at the site of the tasty animals, barking and squealing out their location.

She'd lost three potential meals to Jake's eager cries.

Even so, her struggle was strangely liberating. There was no male to drop a kill at her feet. No mate watching her every move like she was made of glass. Edward either hadn't realized she was missing or hadn't been able to follow her hidden trail. She and Jake were completely alone.

She couldn't stifle her carefree giggle as she hopped happily from branch to branch, relishing in the liberties she'd been denied as a child and again as Edward's mate.

She came upon the fresh scent of something promising but gave the red puppy a stern look before pursuing it.

"Mess this one up and neither one of us are going to have any supper," she warned. Jake seemed to heed her advice, having been deeply unsatisfied with the outcome of their previous attempts.

Bella dropped soundlessly to the ground, having decided to forgo her quiet stalking and switch to a tactic that utilized her superior speed. Jake hated moving at vampire velocity but he left her with little choice.

She broke into a sprint, her infallible senses leading her to the warm heart beat of some weaker nighttime predator.

Less than ten minutes later Bella and Jake were relaxing against the back of a large tree, feasting gleefully on a large badger.

"Not so fast, Jake," Bella cautioned as the dog choked down glutinous amounts of meat, "You're going to make yourself sick if you gorge like that."

"At least 'za little runt is indulging in 'is proper diet," a cold, heavily accented voice chimed with a casual tone that gave no indication the person it belonged to knew he was both unexpected and unwelcome.

Bella and Jake went instantly ridged with fear. A terrible wave of dread threatened to overcome her as she immediately realized how dire her situation had suddenly become. Her breath caught uncomfortably in her lungs as a tall sleek male vampire stepped into view.

"'Vut you, my dear, are a goddess 'zat is tainting her perfection by feeding on vermin," he chuckled with glittering blood red eyes.

Bella couldn't find her voice, even if she could possibly think of something to say. Instead she began shaking violently under his attentive stare.

He was smaller than Edward but still had a good foot or more on her petite frame. He was a stately creature with short hair as dark as tar and sharp, pointed features. Even without his accent Bella could easily tell he wasn't American.

He sensed her fear easily and halted his slow forward progression, cocking his head inquisitively to one side.

"I am not going to 'urt you, little one," he put his hands up as if approaching a skittish stray kitten, "Zough it is fortunate for me to find you so conveniently alone," he grinned broadly, flashing a set of sharp white teeth and unusually long canines.

The smile wasn't necessarily threatening but Bella didn't like the reverent way he was looking at her. Not quite as intensely as the way a male beamed at his mate but his gaze still held clear interest, a type of deep curiosity.

He continued to eye her expectantly but when she said nothing he took a calculated step forward. Bella leaned back, trying to determine the likelihood that she could out run him. She wasn't even sure how far away she had wandered from home, from her Edward.

"Don't run, beautiful," he warned absently, reading her flighty posture, "You 'won't get far." He looked bored at the prospect of her trying to flee, it was obvious he didn't believe recapturing her would be a problem.

Bella had to agree.

She whimpered, trying desperately to think of some leverage that would allow her to escape the encounter unscathed. Even though she belonged to a powerful mate it was unlikely that fact would matter when Edward was nowhere to be found. She flipped her hair back to subtly expose the crest glittering proudly against her throat.

The male's eyes darted to the newly exposed collar and widened so briefly Bella wasn't sure she had witnessed any reaction at all. In fact, instead of appearing deterred the vampire took another few steps closer, nearly clearing the distance between them while looking quite intent on touching her.

Jake took a determined stance in front of Bella, his tiny ears plastered against his head and his jowls pulled tightly over his pointy, yet unimpressive puppy teeth. In his defense he did manage to postpone the huge male's descent. The vampire nearly doubled over in laughter so hard it drowned out the sound of Jake's 'mighty' growl.

"You 'ave 30 seconds to dispose of 'za mutt before I do it myself," he told her seriously, his eyes showing a mixture of amusement and mild annoyance.

Bella's topaz eyes grew wide before she sprung into action. Human drinkers were notorious for their lack of respect for other living creatures. He could and would easily kill Jake and she couldn't let that happen, even if sending him away meant she'd be left all alone with the dangerous nomad.

She picked up the puppy and gave him what she supposed was a 'goodbye' kiss before setting him back on the ground and giving him a firm nudge away from her. He looked up at Bella with large confused brown eyes, unsure as to why he was being pushed away.

"Go, Jake. Please," she begged softly, but the faithful dog would not budge.

It broke her heart to do it but she released a threatening snarl that made it clear his presence would no longer be tolerated. He yelped and gave her one last searching look before scurrying off into the forest.

She prayed Edward would find him before something else did.

"Good girl," the vampire praised with a purr. "'Vhat is your name, little dove?"

"Isabella," she breathed, not wanting to anger him by ignoring his requests. Maybe if she was good he'd leave her alone.

He smiled warmly at her, pleased to have gotten a response. "Isabella..." he drawled with the accent Bella still couldn't place. "Zat is a beautiful strong name, dove. It suits you perfectly."

Bella flushed but didn't appreciate his complement as much as she would have if it had come from someone less intimidating. He chuckled as he watched her cheeks pool with the blood of her kill.

Much to her dismay he took the final step towards the shivering female. He was now standing directly over her cowering frame, close enough to reach out and touch her trembling tendrils of mahogany hair.

"My name is Stefan. I 'ail from Romania," he told her, his voice thick with pride and his strong shoulders squared.

Bella looked up at him and nodded nervously, trying her very best to muster up some false confidence. "It's so very nice to know you, Stefan," she managed in a weak little voice. "But I should really be going. My coven will be missing me if I don't return shortly."

She hoped that if it hadn't been formally voiced that he had intentions which surpassed a casually greeting that maybe she could just say her goodbyes and walk away.

A low, territorial growl built deep in the male's chest and Bella knew instantly it wouldn't be as easy as that.

He crouched down so that he was nearly eye-level with the kneeling Bella, her keen senses registered his cool breath as it fanned out across her face. The gesture was both reassuring and worrisome. He was lowering himself to keep from towering over her, a courteous submission, but still his proximity was domineering.

"You know, dove, it is very dangerous to allow their females to 'vonder alone," the vampire hummed, his nose so close to her jaw she couldn't believe he wasn't touching her, "So many terrible 'zings 'zat could 'appen to such a sweet little doll," he looked into her eyes, intense red burning into timid gold. "I do not 'zink I will be returning such a precious treasure to such a careless coven..."

He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek and Bella flinched, bracing herself.

"Touch 'zat female and you will be sentencing us both to a slow and painful death."

The hissed warning came in the form of a voice so identical to Stefan's that if Bella hadn't been staring at his motionless lips she would have been convinced he had been talking to himself out loud.

Stefan's pale lips curled into a dark snarl and his head jerk quickly to glare at the source of the sound. Bella, rattled and more frightened than she could ever remember being, turned reluctantly to face the voice of reason. As she suspected, it hadn't come from the savior she was hoping for.

He was another slightly larger male that looked as much like her new acquaintance as his voice suggested. Perhaps his father or older brother, Bella decided.

"I implore you to keep out of matters 'zat do not concern you, brother," Stefan snapped. He took a subtly defensive stance in front of Bella.

The newcomer leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree and leered at his misbehaving coven member like Stefan was the biggest fool to have ever lived.

"You are joking 'vith me, no? I 'vasminding my own business, I mean I 'ave always known you 'vere stupid but I 'ad no idea you 'vere suicidal. You see 'zat gaudy crests as clearly as I do," he laughed at the incredulity. "'Vere you 'onestly about to bind yourself to a mate of one of 'za Cullen males?"

Stefan shrugged to indicate that he wasn't concerned by Bella's origins but she noticed him stand up and take a tiny step away from her.

"We 'aven't seen Carlisle in 40 years, Vladimir. She could easily be another child, not a mate," he defended.

His brother, apparently named Vladimir, smiled; knowing well Stefan knew the beautiful girl wasn't a Cullen by birth. He looked at Bella expectantly with a quirked dark brow. "Well, Is 'zat true, child? Are you a new Cullen sibling?"

"No, sir. I'm Edward Cullen's mate," she answered eagerly, though her voice sounded strained, even to her own ears. She fluttered her long eyelashes at her unexpected ally, looking as innocent and lovely as could be.

The larger brother was stunned into silence for a beat or two. If the girl didn't reek of her mate's seed and pregnancy he would have believed the gorgeous creature a succubus. He shook his head to clear the thought and smirked smugly at Stefan.

"You 'vere about to touch the pregnant mate of za most volatile member of North America's most powerful coven!" he laughed at the ridiculousness. "You fool!"

Stefan appeared increasingly irritated and enraged by his brother's ribbing. He made a show of glancing around the woods. "I do not see 'zat ginger-'eaded tyrant 'ere to defend 'is claim. I 'vould be doing him a service by taking 'is mate if he is so obviously incapable of controlling her," he roared, his Romanian accent becoming steadily thicker and harder for Bella to understand.

Vladimir's eyes widened, he hadn't expected his brother to push such a pointless argument. Bonding to the girl meant a life without a mate at best and death at worst. He'd seen the eldest Cullen son fight; the boy didn't even need the protection of his large coven. "You 'vouldn't even make it out of the state," he snarled truthfully. "'Ve came to 'varn the Cullen's and secure 'zeir alliance, not steal from 'zem. You 'vould be starting a 'var."

Stefan examined Bella longingly. He'd gone his very long life without the compulsion to take a mate but the tiny female was irresistible, even with the golden eyes from her absurd diet. She'd be a beautiful companion that would bare equally perfect offspring. Even though he knew she was completely unattainable the urge wouldn't be snuffed. "'Vouldn't she be 'vorth 'za fight?" he whispered, more to himself than to his disapproving brother.

Vladimir looked over at Bella and smiled. "Of course she 'vould be 'vorth fighting for," he conceded easily, finding no point in denying such obvious magnificence. "But she is a siren. Zere's no chance of 'vinning her. She 'vould be your end, and mine as well if I know Edward Cullen as I believe I do," he shuttered, Edward was one of very few vampires that actually frightened him, even though the Cullen coven was rather mild in temperament as a whole the first-born seemed to hold enough aggression and possessive nature for the lot of them. "'e 'vouldn't stop 'unting 'za dunce 'zat robed him of his prized mate and 'za child she 'as inside of her."

Bella bit back a sob as she thought about what would happen to her little one because of her carelessness; her childish impulse to get back at her mate for lying to her. Edward was good to her, so good to her, and loved her despite her shortcomings. She'd left him and not only did she leave herself and her baby completely vulnerable to prove a point she had made it so that he wouldn't be able to save her from the damage she'd caused.

Running could get her killed and as long as she was alive she would be able to hold hope that Edward would find her. He promised he'd never stop fighting for her...

Bella collapsed helplessly against the roots of the nearest tree and watched on as the two large males determined her fate.

If Edward had ever made her feel powerless, it was nothing in comparison to this.