Eternal temptation

Chapter 17

Sitting in Carlisle's office, he and I have been searching for information about Bella's pregnancy for hours, even though I realize we're just wasting time. Throughout my existence, I've never had to deal with something like this, but I kept diligently looking for any hint or clue in every book.

I huffed in frustration, moving the book to the stack of the ones I've already read and reaching for the next, continuing to search for any information that could be helpful to us.

"Nothing again?" Carlisle glanced at me briefly and went back to studying some 17th-century manuscript. We divided the eras equally - he had countless centuries, and I had counted ones.

Grumbling in agreement, I paused my reading to take a short break, stretching my neck and looking out the window at the rising sun. Gradually, the room filled with soft sunlight, providing barely noticeable warmth and illuminating our figures with Cullen as our bodies sparkled like precious gems.

Rising from the leather couch to draw the curtains, I heard a faint knocking on the door of the office. Turning around, I caught a subtle scent of apples, mixing with the more prominent aroma of Seth. Additionally, there was the scent of human blood, making my throat itch.

"Come in!" After Carlisle's permission, Bree entered the room, carrying a small tray with a glass filled to the brim with blood.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I brought you something to drink."

Sitting down on the couch next to me, she handed me the glass with a mischievous smile, and I immediately suspected that she wanted something from me.

"You don't have to butter me up. What do you want?" I squinted at her as I accepted the glass filled with the red liquid.

"Can I go for a walk with Seth?"

"No," I said after taking a sip.

"Please, please, please!" She rubbed her hands together, looking at me with puppy dog eyes, hoping I'd allow her to go on a date. If it weren't for the situation with Bella and Edward, I would have let her go willingly, but not now.

"Sorry, dear, but as I've already said, no."

Caressing her cheek with my palm, I continued sipping the viscous liquid that warmed my throat so pleasantly. The girl clearly knew how to please me since she'd warmed the blood.

"Carlisle?"

Bree kept hoping, but Carlisle gave her a stern look from head to toe and simply shook his head in denial.

"We agreed that you wouldn't say a word to Seth or anyone from the pack, but you're quite talkative, so it's a no."

Exhaling disappointment, her shoulders slumped, and she whispered a quite "fine" as I tried to comfort her by gently stroking her back.

"You need to come up with a convincing excuse," I said, finishing the blood and placing the empty glass on the tray resting on the unread books.

"What did you tell Paul?" she asked.

Carlisle leaned back in his chair, looking at me with curiosity.

"I wrote a letter," I replied, turning the page of a dull and entirely uninformative book, ignoring the chuckles from the blonde.

"As always, people change, but Apollyma remains the same," I rolled my eyes at his words.

"Will you remind me of that for the rest of my life?"

Carlisle straightened in his chair and reached for another book from the 19th century, avoiding my stern gaze.

"What happened?" Bree asked, narrowing her eyes with curiosity, moving closer to me and shifting the literature between us to the floor.