Twilight - Breaking Dusk - Book 1

Chapter 2

As the day moved gradually towards night my school friends left.

They would be staying at their families homes while they were in town for the next week. Before they left they made promises to come and visit again.

This left just the wolf pack and its extended members and my father with me, Edward and Renesmee.

Carlise and Esme were the first to leave. Carlisle was oncall at the hospital and they needed him so Esme went home. Jasper needed to go hunting and Alice followed because she wanted to get out of the blind zone.

Emmett and Rosalie left a few minutes ago taking about 'extracirricular activies'. The couple had their eyes on a cozy spot in the woods by the Cullen house.

I sat as far away from the fire - without Renesmee leaving my sight - in Edwards arms.

Renesmee was fast asleep in Jacobs arms. I wanted more then anything to take her home and tuck her in her bed but Edward said my father wanted to tell me something so I should stay just a little while longer.

Of course he wouldn't tell me because he thought it'd be better from his mouth.

I kept my ears trained on my fathers words trying to find a hint of what he wanted to tell me but he never let up. It was like he knew I had perfect hearing, he was so careful with his words.

Then he stood up and I found my body reacting, sitting up straighter in Edwards arms, not wanting to miss a single thing.

Beside him stood Sue, Billy's sister and Jacobs aunt.

"I was actually going to save this announcement for another day but it seems like all the important people are here-" He paused, looking around at us all. "-Well most of the important people" He corrected himself. "So why not go ahead. Sue and I are engaged to get married." He said. I could hear the happiness in his voice.

I froze.

My fathers eyes found there way over to me and I forced a smile on my face. I gave him a thumbs up which he seemed to cause him to smile harder.

The only thing I could think of though was what this meant.

I now understood why Seth was excited and Leah was upset. They were about to become step siblings with myself and my vampire siblings as well as the niece and nephew to Carlisle and Esme.

This also meant Jacob was now my cousin.

When my father looked away I buried my head against Edwards chest, allowing my hair to fall over my face to hide the hardened expression that was filling my face.

Edward who seemed to feel my anxiety wrapped his arms around me.

"Are you ready to go home now?" He said in my ear.

Without answering I rose to my feet.

"Sorry to leave so quickly but I should get Renesmee home, its suppose to drop past 30 in the next hour and I don't want her in this cold." I explained as I lifted her from Jacobs arms.

As I cradled Renesmee I looked at Jacob. "Are you coming?" I asked him "or are you staying at your dads?"

Jacob rose to his feet and followed.

Of course he was coming with us. Just like that night in the mountains during the fight with the newborns he was Renesmee's space heater.

The cottage didn't have heating in it simply because vampires don't freeze. But with Renesmee getting a heater was a priority until she told us she wanted Jake to be her heater.

Jacob being 108 degrees slept in his wolf form right at Renesmee's bedside. How she was able to sleep when his wolf-self snored louder then a chainsaw, I couldn't tell you.

But I could tell you there had been a bit less nighttime romance between me and Edward when he was around.

When we arrived at the main house we made our way straight to the cottage. Jacob strayed off the path a bit to phase safetly and stash his clothes as we entered the house.

Taking Renesmee into her room I began undressing her from her day clothes. Edward handed me her night gown which I slipped over her curls. After braiding her hair I laid her down and stood back so Edward could tuck her in.

"She's a heavy sleeper." Edward said, slightly amused.

"Better then I was." I agreed as I leaned into his frame.

As Jacob came over to the window I opened it and stepped back so he could come in. After I shut the window back up Edward lifted me from my feet and carried me from the room.

I laughed happily in his arms as he laid me in our bed and began kissing every inch of my body that was showing. Only when Jacob began snoring did we stop.

I leaned in towards him, gazing into the black pits of his eyes and suddenly I felt thirsty. Getting to my feet I took his hand and pulled him from the bed.

"Lets go hunting." I said to him before taking off through the open window to my immeadiate left.

After I had gotten a safe distance from my daughter I allowed my senses to take over. As I went into my hunting stance I sniffed the air. The wind blew from the north east bringing with it the scent of the mountain lion.

Venom quickly filled my mouth.

Kicking off against the cold hard earth I followed the scent that led me through the woods. Several times I strayed off my chosen path, darting up into the trees as I caught a secondary scent of a hot blooded animal.

Finally I was able to focus. There was the scent just fourth of a mile to my west. I hungered for it, my throat enflaming greatly with each unnessecary breath I took. I was close and soon my buring would be over.

Then I stopped in my tracks.

Walking over to me with the mountain lion in his arms was my husband. When he got to my side he placed it on the ground infront of me and took a step back, a grin on his face.

I took one look in his eyes and knew from the golden color and the purple bruises under his eyes that he had already fed.

"How did you finish so fast?" I asked him as I knelt before the full lion carcass.

Edward took a seat where he stood and watched me with interest. "I've had over a hundred years to teach myself to focus. You are still a newborn-" I growled at the mention of the name. "Let me rephrase myself, love. You've only been in this life for less than 6 months. Its going to take alot of practice to hunt without being distracted by everything with blood."

Nodding my head I tilted my mouth towards the neck of the lion. Hovering above the vein in its throat I allowed the heat of the blood to overwhelm my senses.

At this point my mouth was overflowing with venom and I couldn't help it anymore. I sank my fangs deep into the lions neck and began drawing its blood. Thirty seconds of drinking from the lion and it was as dry as my throat had been.

I threw aside the carcass and looked at Edward.

Edward crawled over to my side and strummed his thumb once over my lip.

"Your eyes." He murmered.

"What about my eyes?" I asked curiously.

He pressed his lips to mine without a word and I was helpless. My body ached for attention.

We began moving quickly, our entwined bodies moving across the forest floor. After we had settled down I looked around, taking in the view.

"If a tree falls-" I began breathlessly. "And no one is around to hear it, did it make a sound?" I asked Edward.

I watched as Edwards eyes scanned the perimeter.

Where the ground once was even there were body shaped potholes. Several large trees that once stood high and mighty now lay in crumpled heaps. Wood splinters were scattered here and there, along with the scent of alarm that was radiating from the animals nearby.

Without a word we broke into laughter.

"You don't think we will get in trouble do you?" I asked him, my laughter coming to a quick stop.

Edward got to his feet and quickly redressed before handing me mine.

"I don't think anyone will care." He said as I slipped into my clothes.

As we headed back to the house and slipped through the windows I froze. Something was off. I relaxed slightly when I realized what felt off was Jacobs lack of snoring.

Just as I thought he poked his nose into the bedroom and began sniffing.

"Jake." I greeted as he looked in my direction.

He bowed his head and made a slight barking noise that reminded me of a human that was just awaken in a crude manner.

"Everything is fine." Edward said, answering a mental question. "Bella and I made the ruckus in the woods." He reassured him.

Jacob nodded his large snout once and then headed back out of the room. In the next 30 seconds his chainsaw snore returned.

Crossing the room I went into Renesmee's room and peeked inside. Just as we had left her, she was tucked in her bed and sleeping soundlessly.

I leaned against the door jam and crossed my arms watching her. She was so beautiful.

Then her face scrunched up and I saw her lip began to quiver. Before I could move Edward brushed passed me and knelt beside Renesmee.

"She's having a nightmare." Edward said to me as he began gently shaking her.

Suddenly there was a loud, piercing shriek.

I buckled to my knees as my mind became unhinged. I pressed my hands to my ears as I tried to drown out the sound.

Flashes of faces filled my mind and then it was one steady vision.

I was cowering over a pile of ashes. Easily I knew who they belonged to as I saw the familar weddings bands. As I looked up I screamed, seeing the ghostly figures of the Volturi edging towards me. There teeth barred, anger and disappointment spread across there faces. Then the largest one I knew as Felix lunged towards me.

I gasped as I opened my eyes and fell into a defensive crouch as I looked around the room for the monsters that were the Volturi. Only when I looked around did I realize they were just in my mind.

Jacob's wolf form was staring at Edward who was holding our frightened daughter.

I joined their side, sitting with them. Renesmee who was sobbing in her fathers arms turned quickly and reached out for me. I took her into my arms and held her.

Renesmee rose her shaking hand up to my face and pressed it to my cheek. I saw her nightmare, it was exactly what I had seen just seconds ago. As I watched I looked up at Edward who looked just as stressed as I felt.

As she played the scene where the Volturi were about to execute my father I pulled her hand away.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, that will never happen to you okay?" I spoke to her firmly.

I did my best to keep the fear that it could possibly happen in the future from my voice. Though I was afraid I needed to be strong for my daughter.

She rose her hand back to meet my face. She showed me sleeping and then a dream of Edward and me together forever.

"Of course that was my dream, spending forever with your father." I responded.

Renesmee placed her hand back to my cheek. She repeated what she showed me before and then I saw Edward and I together in immorality with Renesmee at our side.

"Not all dreams come true though." I reassured her. "Your father and I-" Jacob howled. "-Jacob and the rest of the family would never let anyone bring harm to you."

"Never." Edward repeated.

Jacob howled in agreement.

Renesmee wrapped her arms around me and gave me another hug. She then moved from my arms and into her fathers before doing the same.

Before she came back to bed she placed her hand on Edwards face.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in your own bed tonight?" He asked her.

Renesmee nodded her head before clutching around Edwards neck.

"Nessie wants to sleep with us." He said to my before turning to Jacob who was wide-eyed and curious. "You can sleep here or go back to the main house if you'd like." Edward said in a kind voice.

Jacob nodded his large snout towards the window and I quickly opened it. In one swift jump he was out the window. I could hear his footprints fading away.

"Back to bed now." Edward said as we headed to our bedroom.

Edward and I laid down with Renesmee between us. She cuddled against me and Edward placed his arm protectively over both of us. As she fell alseep her hand was on my cheek. I saw her thoughts loud and clear and I was happy to know that fear or the Volturi were not there.

"She's sound asleep." Edward whispered after another two minutes.

A smile crept upon my face. She was fast asleep and from the view of her dreams that I recently saw she was going to have a peaceful dream.

"You know she could be right Edward. Like I mentioned yesterday, the Volturi won't just let us stay in peace they left only because they had no control." I said to him. "What if they come back?"

"If they come back we will stand and fight." Edward said plain and simple.

As long as we had our vampire friends who stood with us the previous encounter I was confident that we could rid the world of the Volturi problem. We had so many gifted vampires on our side and the fight was at our advantage.

Having the advantage was what I wanted, it was what we needed.