Seismic Shift Chapter 28

When they are present,

one must fear the fire they cast from their fingers,

the earth they move beneath your feet,

the wind that cuts flesh like an oft-bloodied blade,

and the water that rises up the back of your throat,

drowning you from within.

~ House of Tremere (Vampire: The Dark Ages), Robin Laws

EPOV

Not even during the fight had I witnessed Bella so breathtaking in her strength. She practiced her powers with her mother, Renée, and it was awe-inspiring. We gathered in an open area near a river, and the two of them manipulated the elements of the earth as though it was the most natural thing ever done. Water, rocks, the ground itself, flung past our heads at breakneck speeds. If Renée could send a boulder from the stream moving, careening and tumbling downstream, the water parted out of her way. When Bella tried to move the earth beneath a tree, the tree toppled over with a loud crash.

And through it all, Bella giggled like a young girl. Every accomplishment earned praise from her long lost mother, and deep frowns etching themselves between Charlie's eyes. He was a nervous sort, mostly worried for the safety of his wife. He stressed over what the Volturi would do to her if they ever caught her. How they could use her against innocent people as a weapon of destruction. And he knew without a doubt that he would die if this happened, either by the hand of the Volturi guard or from being separated from his bonded mate. I felt his fear and empathized. I listened to his thoughts and understood the basic reason for them—love was a terrifying emotion.

He was odd, though, in his feelings toward his daughter; his memories of her were fond, and I enjoyed seeing Bella as a little girl. She was quite mesmerizing with her large brown eyes and long lashes, her pale skin and round cheeks. However, his current thoughts concerning her were more centered around ambivalence; he did not love her the same as he had, but neither did he hate her. He saw her as an enjoyment for the one true love in his life—Renée. So long as his wife was happy, he tolerated Bella's presence. It disconcerted me greatly.

A ball of fire whizzed by my ear, interrupting my thoughts.

"Sorry!" Bella called apologetically.

"How did you manage that?" I inquired.

"Um, two rocks slammed together, creating a spark. And then that spark grew into fire, which I realized I could encourage to grow. Only I couldn't control it as I thought I could, and it got away from me." Her expression was quite sheepish.

"You'll forgive me for being more than a little worried over fire, my love."

"You're afraid of fire?" she asked, her nose wrinkling adorably.

"It is the only way to kill a vampire," Carlisle answered for me.

I frowned as Charlie tucked that information away for later inspection. I would have to be vigilant with that one.

Esme laughed. "We are all a little uncomfortable around fire, yes."

"I'll try to keep from doing that again," Bella assured us all.

"But this means you surpass my abilities with terrakinesis, Bella. You possess elemental manipulation," Renée declared.

It was comical the way Bella's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"

"You can control the four essential elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. It was you that parted the water for the boulder I threw, and you created the fireball."

"Seth is going to get a kick out of this!"

Bella had spoken to Harry and Sue, who were tied up between work and the council. If we had planned to extend our trip they would have joined us, but we were leaving tomorrow. The Swans were coming with us for now, though Charlie was against the idea. He would gladly follow Renée to the ends of the earth, and I knew the feeling well, so I did not speak of it aloud.

"We should practice your shifting, Bella," her mother said.

Bella blushed, and I easily read the look on her face. "Not in front of everyone."

Renée laughed. "I guess you're right. I'm so used to it just being your father and I, and I forgot that we'd basically both be naked."

"I need advice on why I got so tired after shifting from a bird back to human."

I tuned the two of them out for a moment, which I actually found difficult. I was accustomed to hearing multiple conversations at once and learning how to choose who to listen to, but Bella's voice would always be the loudest. I dug more into Charlie's mind as he thought of changing into a werewolf; he was mottled in color the way most of the wolves were, grey and white with bits of brown. It was hot in his wolf form, here in the rainforest, so he was thinking maybe the Olympic Mountain Range would be a nice change of climate. He also wondered if the legends of werewolves taking out vampires was accurate.

"Yes, sometimes," I said while staring straight at him. "But I would think twice about destroying your daughter's extended family. You would devastate her, and in turn, Renée." I watched his pupils dilate and heard the quickening of his heartbeat. "There is also a greater chance of the vampire having success over the werewolf," I said mildly.

It did not appear that Bella had heard me, or even Renée. But my parents had, and they watched Charlie with a new sense of caution. I could not place what was wrong with him; surely he felt a familial bond with his daughter, though they had been apart for so long. He seemed more of a mind with his father, and I would have believed that would be the last person he would wish to emulate.

"Do you find you have that much in common with your father after all?" I asked him directly.

He looked barely older than me; more resembling a brother to Bella than her father. Charlie's thoughts turned volatile at my comment. He never wanted to be Quil.

"I've spent too much time away from other people," he mumbled. "I love her, but I'm scared, okay?"

"Loving her does not hurt; rather it expands the heart to a size previously unknown. Bella is many things, such as kind and selfless and strong and very, very intelligent. She did not seek you out to ruin your lives, but to find answers and to share the love she has inside her."

Charlie was silent once again, but his mind was working quickly. He saw the wisdom of my words, but the fear held him back. Still, I was mostly confident that he would take it under advisement.

Bella's shoulders slumped after whisking a stream of water across the river to the other side. She sought me out with her gaze, and I gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm exhausted," she admitted.

"We can be done for the day, of course," Renée was quick to say. "I think Charlie and I will go home and pack, if that's okay with all of you."

We spent a few minutes saying goodbye and planning to meet in the morning in time for the flight Carlisle had booked. I wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulder as she trudged back to the house of the three Amazonian sisters. "Are you in need of a nap?" I asked her.

"I think a short one. The exhaustion is mostly mental."

"So if I made plans for us, would you be interested?"

She looked up at me, her rich brown eyes sparkling. "What sort of plans did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of going back to where we landed, in Manaus, and booking a hotel for the two of us. Eating for you, sightseeing for us, a big comfy bed in private for us… " I trailed off.

"I think I'm absolutely in. And I'll skip the nap, because we have to drive back out anyway." She bit her lip, the pinkness turning white as she chewed on it. I pressed my thumb to her lip to release it from her teeth.

"What are you thinking?"

"How will the others get back to Manaus tomorrow for our flight? And won't everyone know why we're leaving?"

I chuckled at her. "They would know more if we stuck around and I pounced on you in their presence." Her blush was so deep I laughed out loud. "The sisters have a vehicle that they keep behind the house. Carlisle and Esme would take Charlie and Renée in that, along with whichever sister was willing to accompany them. Or I could run with you into the city, and we could leave the rental here."

"I really don't want to put them out. Would it be hard to run that far with our luggage?"

"It would be a juggle with you and the suitcases," I conceded.

"You aren't a pack mule," she agreed. "Let's see if they're willing to shuffle the vehicles."

In the end, Carlisle ran to the treehouse to ask Bella's parents what they thought. Charlie said he had an old hummer that they used for their supply runs. Carlisle and Esme insisted they wanted to catch up with their old friends, and they decided to go ahead and stay with Kachiri, Senna, and Zafrina.

I was positive I could find a hotel without needing to use the ridiculous antenna at the back of the house in order to find a signal for my phone. Bella grabbed her stuff, the very little she'd taken out earlier in the day, and I packed up the jeep. Hugs and farewells took longer than I expected, but soon we were on our way.

I highly anticipated the evening to come with just Bella and myself.

Right Where I Want to Be Futuretake

Sinuous movements, legs crossing one over the other as I stalk forward on fuck-me heels. Dipping low, a glimpse of cleavage and my lip between my teeth. Harsh breathing from the man in the chair bringing wetness between my legs. Circling, backing away before fingers can touch, thighs rubbing thighs. A sigh, a whisper of breath, a groan, and a tug. Swaying my hips and backing up, squatting before coming back up and slipping my bra straps off my shoulders, one at a time. Holding my breasts in my hands, I shimmy the cups of my bra down to my waist where I let it stay for now. Turning around, shimmying my ass closer and closer, knowing he can't touch. Resting my weight on his lap, feeling the hard bulge and thrilling that it's all for me.

Daddyward Futuretake #5- Ex Delicto

Claire was always the hit of the office when we brought her in. She resembled my mom more than anybody else; she had Renée's light brown hair and blue eyes, and looked like Jasper's child when we were all out together. In other words, she looked nothing like me or Edward.

We had just arrived at the IPNW office Christmas party, something that was open to all paid employees, volunteers, law students, and exonerees. Claire was excited over all the decorations, the lights being her favorite. She spotted Edward through the glass office walls, and bounced up and down in my arms.

Daddyward Futuretake #4- Capo di Tutti Capi

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

Both girls come running as fast as their tiny legs allow, the gold sashes on their matching red velvet dresses trailing along behind them. I kneel, dropping my bag and opening my arms.

"Hello to you, princesses," I greet them. "How was your morning?"

Seismic Shift Chapter 27

A sensitive soul, a heart of wild.

You grew up thinking you were a cursed child.

Embrace your blessings, it's not a curse.

Because you've been kissed by the universe.

~ Michelle Schaper

"It's you the Volturi are after," my father explained. "They would settle for your mother, but it's been you all along."

"I don't understand." I took a step closer to them, my head swirling.

"You are a culmination of generations of extraordinary beings, Isabella. Your mother's roots run deep and are widely branching, ancient in their blessings."

"You speak in riddles. Charlie, is it?" Carlisle spoke up. "I'm Carlisle, and this is my wife, Esme and son, Edward."

Charlie continued to stare at me intensely. "Leave it to you to throw in your lot with vampires."

"It's not as if I had anyone to tell me about myself. Whatever ancestry you ramble about, I only know of your connection to the Quileutes." I saw the surprise flicker across his face.

"There isn't enough room for all of us inside," my mother finally spoke up.

"We have a home nearby," Kachiri replied. "You are more than welcome."

"It is not a trap," Edward assured them, and I knew he'd read their reticence in their minds.

"Mind tricks?" Charlie huffed, crossing his arms.

"Telepathy," Edward responded.

Renée looked around, taking in our group, it seemed. "I think it's time to tell her everything, Charlie."

"Perhaps, but her friends make me nervous," he muttered in her direction.

"We have every reason to want to keep the Volturi away as well," Zafrina spoke. "I have a talent, and if Aro knew of me, I'd be 'convinced' to join his guard. That would be why we live in the middle of literal nowhere."

"That's why we settled here, too. How did you find us?" Renée questioned.

"We have known of your existence for years," Senna replied. "Just not who you were or your connection to the Cullens."

"We have no connection to you," Charlie insisted. "You'll get us in trouble."

"Charles," my mother admonished. He had the decency to blush.

"Please, let's go back to our house and discuss things." Kachiri was very polite, and it must have worked. The tense set of Charlie's shoulders relaxed and he looked at the ground.

"Fine," he mumbled.

The lot of us trudged back through the dense forest, the three of us humans struggling through the undergrowth. It was sweaty and slow going, but I wouldn't dream of suggesting my parents ask for a ride on a vampire's back, so I sucked it up.

Once we were all settled in the kitchen of the Amazon coven, the three sisters offered to leave us. We agreed, and they headed back out into the muggy heat.

"Will you tell me everything?" I asked, accepting the hand that Edward held palm up on the table. I noticed that Charlie narrowed his eyes. I raised my brow at him in return, silently daring him to comment.

"Yes, Isabella," Renée started.

"I go by Bella," I interrupted.

She smiled gently. "Okay, Bella." She cleared her throat. "Way back to the beginning of my family tree, there are powerful beings. Talent married talent to strengthen our line. No one has ever married a typical human." She looked at Charlie as she said this. "I thought I had. I married for love, not to produce a strong child." Then she looked at me. "Each generation has grown stronger and stronger, all of the combined powers running in our blood like a trickle effect. I'm a shapeshifter, and also terrakinetic. I can control elements of the earth, and I can shift into any animal I choose. I possess enhanced intelligence and a subsequent mental shield."

"I was able to read his thoughts, but your mind was silent," Edward confirmed.

"However, there are those more powerful than I that can break through my shield. I am not entirely immune to, say, Aro's vampire with the bond manipulation. Chelsea convinces the target that they have an emotional connection to the desired person, which is Aro, of course."

"You know a great deal about the Volturi," Carlisle pointed out.

"Research," she said offhandedly.

"I used to live with them, and your information is strikingly accurate."

"What?" Charlie shouted, standing abruptly. "I knew it!"

"Calm yourself. I said used to. I left because I could not abide their disregard for human life. Our relationship has been strained ever since, and they are less than happy that my family is relatively large as far as covens are concerned. Aro lives in a state of constant fear that they will be overthrown; thus his overreaching strides towards power. The more talent he acquires, the less likely they could ever be bested. We are committed to protecting humanity, much the way your family is," Carlisle said pointedly to Charlie. He reluctantly sat back down.

"Your turn," I directed to my father.

He heaved a sigh. "You discovered I'm Quileute?" he asked, and I nodded. "My father was named Quil, and my mother was named Helen. He was a werewolf; not the type to only change on a full moon, but the type of shapeshifter that can only become one animal. He was in love with my mother, but married to another—married to her sister. Quil imprinted on Helen, but he was betrothed to Molly. He tried to stay away from her, but they were so intertwined he had no choice. I've read about the feelings, experienced them for myself." He looked longingly at my mother, and I felt like an intruder to their romance.

"I know the feeling," I murmured, glancing at Edward. His mouth pulled up on one side, and I swear I went lightheaded gazing at him.

Charlie coughed, and I reverted my attention back to him. "So, while I would not normally condone cheating, I know how he felt. But at the same time, Helen found out she was pregnant and Molly was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She spent a considerable amount of time at the hospital and had surgery to remove the tumor. Quil tried his best to be in both places, but my mother and I ended up suffering though his absence. Mom couldn't handle being separated, but she knew it was selfish to want him to leave his ill wife. So she went to the council, which consisted of Quil II, Ephraim Black, and Levi Uley. Ephraim was the alpha and the chief, and he was disgusted with Helen's tale of infidelity. Their thoughts behind imprinting were skeptical at best, and the family unit was much more important to the benefit of the tribe. None of them cared about feelings, and my own grandfather cast my mother out. After all, she was a single woman trying to convince the council that she and her baby wouldn't wreck the tribe dynamics. They expected nothing less than absolute obedience, and when Quil and Molly returned from the hospital, he found out that my mother and I had moved away from Forks."

"Oh my God," I breathed, feeling a rush of sympathy for my grandfather. "He's been so harsh toward me. Where are his feelings of loyalty now? Why doesn't he want to get to know me?"

"I don't know the man any more than you do, Bella. But you do bear a striking resemblance to my mother. Perhaps he knew all along who you were, and you remind him of what he was denied."

"The more information I learn, the more questions I have." I shook my head. "Okay, so what happened when I was little? Why did you disappear, and how did I get left behind?"

Renée massaged her temples. "We were living in Forks, the three of us. We'd moved there after we were married, because my mother was disappointed that I didn't marry anyone with special abilities. She didn't approve of Charlie. He didn't know for certain that he could shift, and it was an experiment, of sorts." She looked at Esme and Carlisle. "We'd heard of your return, and Charlie knew that vampires were the catalyst to phasing into a wolf for the first time. And it worked, by the way."

"You may have noticed that we look not much older than you do," Charlie interjected.

"He started phasing regularly, after that first time. And Quileutes don't age unless they stop shifting. Me, I have enough special powers that I could probably be considered immortal." My mom smiled at me. "The same is for you, Bella."

I looked at Edward in surprise. I'd often worried that one day I would die and leave Edward alone. With all the information I was absorbing, this broke through as the most important for my future.

"Our network of friends and family that keep their ears to the ground informed us that one of my cousins had been captured by the Volturi guard. He'd done a terrible job of keeping his powers in check, and he was discovered. Between those hideous witch twins of theirs, he caved and confessed."

"Jane can make anyone believe they are experiencing excruciating pain, and her brother, Alec, can remove all of one's senses." It was Carlisle that explained, and the look on his face made me uncomfortable. I had the distinct impression that he'd suffered these effects himself.

"Yes," Charlie agreed. "So when we heard this, we knew they would start tracking us down and trying to collect us for their own use. We packed and prepared to move, and we thought we had a good plan in place that wouldn't give away our location. However, they were faster than we anticipated and they almost caught us. Your mother created the earthquake as a distraction, and we all jumped out of the car to run with you on foot."

My mother sighed. "As you must know by now, vampires are incredibly fast. We were terrified they'd catch us, so we changed into wolves and encouraged you to do the same. We hadn't had much practice with you changing into animals; you were only four. The friends that were waiting to meet us suggested we split up. They stayed with you, in wolf form, and we ran."

That was where the story finally became too much for her, and she broke down. She sobbed, and I found myself reaching for her to comfort her.

Charlie continued the story. "We were to run until we'd lost them, and then double back. But we couldn't shake them. Their tracker is relentless. Demetri spent years following us. Each time we thought we had him beat, he'd show up again. Our only advantage was that he couldn't be spotted in the sunlight, so we stuck to major cities in sunny climates. We spent countless sleepless nights, worried he'd find us, worried about you. Our friends kept you hidden, taught you how to survive, and kept us informed through the most complicated back channels we could create to keep from being found."

"We've been here in the Amazon undetected for about seven years now. We were told you were taken in by the Quileutes, and though it seemed ironic for you to be there where it all began, we knew that the Clearwater family would protect you with their lives." Renée looked around us. "I didn't know that anybody else lived out here, or that they knew of us."

"We'll be found now, for sure. There's a valid reason that I'm paranoid." Charlie frowned. "We have to move again, Renée."

"You're more than welcome to come back to Forks and stay with us. We make an extreme effort to lay low and not attract the attention of the Volturi."

"That's a generous offer, Carlisle, but I don't know how I feel about it. We don't need to invite trouble."

"We have some time to decide," Esme answered.

"Depending on which way you look at it, we either have all the time in the world, or no time at all." Apparently Charlie was a pessimist.