First Blood | Ed. Cullen & B. Swan

Chapter 5

As he unlocked the door with the key Bella had given to him, Simon made his way inside the house. He made his way up the stairs, taking them two at a time to quicken his pace. He shrugged off his jacket as he walked, briefly knocking on Bella's door before stepping inside. He hung the jacket on one of the hooks by the door, before he was suddenly tackled in a hug.

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at Bella. He grew worried as he felt her shaking in his grasp. He picked her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her back over to the bed. He sat down on the edge, hugging her tightly while gently rubbing her back.

"What's wrong, Izzy?" He mumbled, "What happened?"

She clung tightly to the material of his shirt, her face buried against his neck. "They're not bears. The animals behind the attacks. They're not bears; they're wolves. Huge, huge wolves," She breathed in deeply to match his even breaths, inhaling his scent as she relaxed into his embrace.

"I was trying to find a meadow that Edward had shown me. I wanted to take you there, but I needed to remember where it was first. Laurent showed up. Simon, he was going to kill me. He said he came back because of Victoria. Something about how he'd be doing me a favor by killing me quickly. But then they appeared out of the treeline! They chased him away, and I ran back here as fast as I could!"

Simon held onto her tighter, tucking her head under his chin. "It's alright, Izzy," He mumbled softly, "They wouldn't hurt you. The wolves are supposed to be protectors, they couldn't be the ones behind the attacks. If Victoria's still around, then it's most likely her behind them, alright? You're safe, Izz, I won't leave you. I can even stay here tonight if it'd make you feel safer."

She nodded her head as she cuddled into him, leaning into his touch as he stroked her hair. "Thank you, Si," She murmured with her eyes closed, "You make the bad dreams disappear."

Simon felt warmth blossom through his chest at her words. He laid back on the bed, allowing Bella to lay on top of him. She tightened her arms around his neck, and Simon could feel her breath tickle his jawline every time she exhaled. He pulled her closer to him, allowing himself to relax with her in his embrace.

"Can you tell me a story?" She murmured faintly, her voice muffled with her face buried against his neck. "Something from your life?"

Simon hummed in response, but he remained quiet for a few seconds as he searched through his scattered memories.

"When I was young," He began, still running his fingers through her hair, "I decided to become a teacher after I found out about Esme's death. As a memento of her life and what she strives for. When I was eighteen, I met someone new to town. I had never seen them before, but they seemed familiar to me. I think they reminded me of Esme, and that's what drew me in. They often volunteered around the school I was teaching in, so I started to see them more and more often.

"We became close throughout the span of a few months. Everything was great. God, Izzy, everything was perfect. But then their secret slipped. I'm sure you could guess which secret. I avoided them for a few weeks. I needed time to process, and I needed to sort out my priorities. I went back to them, and then they told me that my sister, who I thought had been dead for four years, was still alive. And she was like them.

"I had asked them if I could see her. She came, and I demanded that she explain. To explain everything to me. And I was furious. She left me alone when I was fifteen. She was then given a second chance at life, and she left me again. The person I had met, well, she had apparently asked them to look after me. And I was so confused. Izz, I felt so used. Betrayed. At that point, my beliefs about what was true had been shattered so many times that I didn't know what to do. What to think. So I left."

"What happened after that?" Bella asked as she stared up at him.

"They tried to explain themselves a few months later. I was emotional and I picked a fight with them that I shouldn't have. Accidents happened, and I almost died. I would have died, if they hadn't turned me. I didn't want it at the time, but I've been a bit more grateful for it recently."

They remained quiet for several minutes. She remained silent as she processed his words, and his silence was from reining in his emotions.

"I know you want this kind of life, Izzy," He murmured as he embraced her tighter, "And I'm not going to try to change what you want. I just want you to wait a little while, yeah? Let me answer your questions; explain the pros and the cons, first. Let me prepare you for what you're going to be experiencing."

Bella sat up, moving her hands to rest on his chest to hold herself up as she stared down at him. "How are you so good to me?" She mumbled. She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. "Okay. I can wait. I trust you, Si," She went silent for a moment before she perked up again. "And I know how to prove it to you. Sit up."

She moved off of his chest, straddling his legs instead as he sat up. She put up her hair before taking his hands in hers.

"Bite me," She said, speaking clearly while looking into his eyes. "I give you my permission to bite me. To feed. I trust you, Simon. This is me showing you that trust."

He stared down at her with wide eyes. He could feel the burn ignite in his throat at her words, but he didn't move. He gripped onto her hands tighter, his black eyes staring into her matching brown.

"I love you, Simon. Do it."

His breath hitched at her words, and he found his gaze drifting down as she bared her neck to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist before he tugged her body against his. He grasped the back of her neck as he leaned down. He peppered kisses along her collarbone, letting her relax into him as he kissed up the base of her neck. Her skin was warm and soft beneath his lips.

He took a deep breath, and he tenderly bit down into her delicate flesh.