Lair, Lair (Male!Reader x Edward Cullen) COMPLETE

Chapter 17: Love Forever, Love is Free

𝕵𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖘

James walked out of Edward's bedroom and in the stairway, Alice was waiting for him, a smile on her face like usual.

"You know I actually thought that you were dead. Neck snapped and everything."

"Nah, takes a lot more. I'm a bad bitch, we don't die."

James smirked at that and the two walked down the stairs and exited into the living room, all of the Cullen's were gathered and Edward was the only one standing, Alice took a spot beside Jasper and the only remaining one was directly in between every Cullen. Right in the middle. So he took his seat beside Esme to his left and Emmett to his right. He felt slightly awkward and Emmett moved his arm over James's shoulder, making it EVEN MORE awkward as now Rosalie was glaring daggers at her mate. Edward gave a small cough to get everyone's attention and then looked at James with a small amount of dread in his eyes before he began.

"So over the past 2 weeks, a lot has happened to us. We meet the Swans and that night they were viciously attacked, James is the only one that suffers the lasting consequences of that attack. We all know that he is suffering from the Transformation, he hasn't tasted human blood so he hasn't begun to transform, however we all know that he won't last forever in that state... He only has 1 month from this exposure, with means that by the end of this month. You will die if you don't feed. Carlisle... September of 1918, you gave me life anew and I have wandered with you since the beginning, and now I face something terrifying... Alice picked up on it the day I meet James and Esme helped me confirm it. If James transforms into one of us... he will be my mate..."

Emmett's eye grew very worried and Jasper was almost shocked, Rosalie simply smirked in complacency for calling it. Carlisle however, stood up and smiled, he walked over to Edward and gave his son a very deep hug. It was a exchange that really hammered the nail in for James that these people all came together not out of the need to survive, but out of the need to have love and family.

But the mood was short lived as Emmett stood up and dropped a bombshell on the family... one that James wouldn't know why it was so bad until a much later date...

"Ephraim's pack is still alive. Living in his descendants, while running from James, I ran into them.... Bella is with them. It appears that only 3 members are actually in the pack at this time..."

Jasper grew paler then usual and Alice looked like she was hit in the face with a brick, Rosalie's smug look melted into one of pure rage and Esme became very uncomfortable all the sudden. Ephraim... where had he heard that name before, it sounds way to familiar to be a coincidence

Rosalie was about to stand up and yell something but Emmett grabbed her and stopped her and quickly hauled the flailing vampire out of the room. Esme stood up and very quickly left and Jasper excused himself outside. Only Carlisle, James, Edward, and Alice remained in the room.

"Should I ask the obvious question in the room or are you guys forgetting to fill me in on a minor detail..."

James remarked and Alice bit her lip as Edward began to speak.

"Ephraim was a beast that hunted these lands many years ago, we formed a pack with him and his kind to allow us to live here peacefully. We believed that Ephraim's kind died out. Rosalie was very... forth coming about her pure hatred of Ephraim and his kind... something to do with her family back when she was human."

James raised a eyebrow at this and bit his lip lightly while processing this.

"You mean to tell me that you guys aren't the only inhuman creatures around here? I thought the other vampires were bad but now these... beasts? Why did we leave Bella with them!?"

This time Edward spoke up and he quickly pulled James closer to him so they could look each other in the eyes

"Because it's safer for both of you, having you both here is a death trap waiting to happen, the moment any of us try to leave they will attack. We could move in a group but that would be near suicide for us. I wont force the choice of turning on you, but I am not going to loose you now that I'm just getting to know you. If that time comes and you are laying there dying... I will do it myself."

Edward whispered this into his ear as he pulled James into a strong hug... and for once he felt emotion pour out of Edward... Edward had lived for 100 years. He'd thought he had seen everything... but then this guy comes into his life... and he feels genuine fear about loosing him... The Cullen's love to present themselves as killers... but deep down they are just trying to survive like him. James feels himself loosen up and embrace Edward, laying his head on Edward's shoulder and holding on for dear life to this crazy fucker.

Carlisle gave a small cough and the two looked over at him and he stood staring at them with a very warm smile, the kind a Father might have when seeing his son finding joy for the first time. The two broke the hug and stood about a foot apart looking at the wall and floor.

"So... from now on, you will be with us at all times, when Edward goes to school so do you, when we avoid the sunlight, so do you. And whenever you feel the need to feed, just ask Alice. As for Edward... you know that we cannot break the treaty with the Pack. As cold as this might seem, we should avoid all possibilities of James turning unless it is a absolute life or death situation. That means no biting Edward."

"I don't bite..."
"But I know you like to. It's pretty obvious."