Danger Magnet

Chapter 26

"As fascinating as this is. Princess ya think you can introduce us? Let's see if we can't have some sort of open dialogue here," Clay demanded in his best oily voice with a note of steel behind his words.

Bella felt herself flush in embarrassment at his hidden reprimand. She stepped a little away from Happy so that she was no longer pressed into his side. Instantly she missed his warmth but pushed the feeling away, she needed to focus on what was going on.

"Sorry. Clay this is Carlisle and Esme Cullen, the patriarch and matriarch of the family. Carlisle, Esme, this is Clay Morrow our President and Jax Teller our Vice President," Bella introduced the two highest ranking members of each group. Even in her head introducing two vampires to two bikers was strange. She was sure that it would only get stranger.

"A pleasure," Clay said, sounding sincere. He could have been a politician she found herself thinking, not for the first time. He seemed able, if not always willing, to fit in any situation, changing and adapting personas with ease.

"Yes, it's nice to meet Bella's.... Family. Mr Morrow, Mr Teller," Carlisle edged, sounding less sure than the President. It gave Bella a perverse, little thrill of pleasure that the vampire was so uneasy.

"Jax an' Clay's fine. Nice to meet you sir, ma'am," Jax drawled sounding amused.

"Aren't you going to introduce the rest of us Belly-Boo?" Emmett asked, sounding as though he was trying not to laugh. Of course he would find this funny.

"Guys, that's Emmett with his wife Rosalie, then there's Aice and her husband Jasper, you've met Edward and I have no clue who those red eyed vampires are except for the fact that they drink human blood," Bella said, nodding to each pair, leaving Edward out of the head nods.

The two vampires on the end were both blonde. A male and female. They were both unnaturally beautiful of course. The female was shorter, not quite as short as Alice but not far off. Her long blonde hair reached her thin waist and her figure would have any pin up model green with envy. Curvy in all the right areas. The male was as tall as Jasper, but broader in the shoulders and more muscled. He had some stubble when he'd been changed and it gave him a rugged look, as though he should be cutting timber or carrying hay over his shoulder. Neither had made any threatening moves and both smiled widely at her as she spoke of them. Not a predatory smile either.

"Can see why ya find her funny. All right little one? I'm Peter and this is my wife Char, friends of Jasper," the male, Peter, spoke up.

"Nice to meet you I think," Bella smiled back, she wasn't going to judge them for drinking from humans. After all she had killed now too and not for hunger. "This is Tig, our Sergeant at Arms and my sponsor. My dad, Quinn, who is also President of the Sons of Anarchy Nomads Charter. Then we have Bobby, Piney, Opie, Juice, Chibs, Hopper, Kozik, Half-Sac, he's the other Prospect. And this is my Old Man, Happy."

"Why don't we go inside for this conversation? I believe Alice has arranged for some beverages to be available," Carlisle suggested hesitantly.

Bella looked towards Clay and Jax for instructions. They glanced at each other and Jax tilted his head to indicate it was up to Clay. Clay in return raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for the invite."

Even with how spacious the Cullen house was and the obviously hastily grabbed chairs, there wasn't enough room for everyone. The lounge was actually cramped.

The house hadn't changed at all in the year since Bella had been there. It was still beautiful, still pristine. But what she realised now was that it felt sterile. After being around the guys and in some of their homes, in the club house and her and Happy's place, this house had no warmth, no soul. There wasn't the one shelf that had been neglected so was dustier than it should have been. The book or jacket that had been left out. The random clutter that should have been hastily moved. None of it. It was perfect and pristine and lifeless. Just like her ex.