The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 27

Bella looked around in wonder as the three entered the meadow towards the Cullen house. "It's beautiful." She whispered quietly almost as if she would break the tranquil silence, as Cori sprawled out on the grass, Edward sitting next to her, picking up her head and placing it in his lap.

"This is our meadow. We found it together a few weeks after being together. No one else knows about it as far as we know." Edward told Bella as she joined them, sitting amongst the flowers and swaying tall grasses with her fingers.

The three looked at each other, a feeling of contentment running through them all as all secrets were shared, nothing was held back.

A silence filled them, not an awkward one, but more of soaking in the moment when Bella realized Cori was practically in Edwards lap, yet he had no reaction to her. "You said we were different, that Cori didn't have a scent, does that mean she doesn't affect you at all?" Bella questioned.

"Cori is different in a lot of ways. A human for us always has a scent, some stronger than others. Some, like yours, intoxicating. The blood of a human is something that has such a distinct scent, we can smell it from even miles away if starved. Cori to us has no scent at all, her blood has no scent to us, there is no temptation at all. When she is around, we hear the heartbeat, and blood rushing through her veins, but there's no temptation. No allure. There is also the times I can't read her mind, and the problem of Alice not being able to see her, at all. She's a mystery. Even to Carlisle." Edward explained as he kissed said girl on the head. "I've been called worse." Cori chuckled making Bella laugh.

Just then the sun came through the clouds and trees, allowing the beams of natural light to reflect off of Edwards face. The two girls admired him, as his inner thoughts ate him up inside. "Hey, no going there." Cori whispered as she peppered his face with kisses, making the male slightly smile. "What?" Bella asked knowing she was left out. "He has a tendency to overthink. It can get him trouble if he's not careful." Cori smiled shyly as she looked to Bella sending her larger smile.

"With knowing all this, are you sure you still want to be with us?" Cori asked worried. "I've never wanted anything more." Bella told her and Cori crawled from Edwards lap over to Bella pulling the brunette into a hug. "I'm so happy to hear you say that."

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The teens stayed out of school for the rest of the school day, mostly talking, though it was mostly Cori and Bella talking as Edward watched, adding his few cents in here and there with a lopsided smile on his face. He had gotten both of the women he was supposed to be with for the rest of his eternity and he couldn't be happier, but his mind was reeling, wondering how this would turn out.

One mate who was tranquil waters for him, never a temptation in sight except for when she wanted to be, and his second mate, the one he had just recently found, his blood singer, the one whom tempted him most. Whose blood called out to him like sweet nectar that couldn't be resisted. The quite literal definition of ying and yang. Different yet the same.

As Edward quietly pondered his predicament, Cori knew something was happening in his head, but as to not worry their newfound mate, she kept the conversation going. Talking about everything under the sun. Favorite colors, foods, climates, ect. Cori thought she knew all there was to know about Bella Swan but this was just the beginning.

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The duo had dropped Bella off at her truck with the promise to pick her up tomorrow for school. Cori knew Edwards head was filled with unwanted thoughts and all she wanted to do was help.

"Tell me." She said as the quietness in the car got almost too much to bare. "I don't understand how I'm supposed to do this." Edward told her truthfully. "You don't do it, we do it; Together. Both of us, all three of us. You aren't alone, Edward. If things get overwhelming we turn to each other, we call out, we don't run, we reach out. I am your support, your safe zone. I know with Bella's scent, it will drive you to me, but we need to be together. You have to get used to it. It's like riding a bike, the more you do it, the more you're around it, the easier it becomes." She told him and he nodded.

"Thank you." He told her. "For what?" "For being there. For understanding." Edward told her as they pulled into the drive way of the Cullen house. "You don't have to thank me." She said with a grin. "I should be thanking you. You have to put up with my weird ass all the time." She said and Edward laughed, kissing her cheek. "I would do it a million times over." He told her and she grinned. "I love you." She told him as she looked into his darkening eyes. "I love you more than you could ever imagine Cordelia."

Their romantic moment was ended by Edward's head snapping to the house, his eyes focused specifically on Carlisle's study. "Edward?" "We need to talk to Carlisle." He told her as he got out, zipping around to the other side of the car, opening her door for her.

The couple entered the house, Cori waving a hello to the others before Edward was pulling her up the stairs past their shared bedroom, and towards Carlisle's study.

"Carlisle." Edward said as he knocked, the older man calling out a 'come in'. "What did you find?" Edward asked him, shifting on his feet, a nervous tic he had, his eyes shifting from his father figure to his mate. "I received a book from a friend. An old book that tells of phenomenon that sometimes happens in the world." Carlisle said. "And?" Edward asked trying to dig into Carlisle's mind, but he was keeping something from him.

"Cordelia, have you ever heard of a mná doiléir?" "No. Should I?" She asked as Carlisle picked up the book and read aloud.

"A mná doiléir or obscure woman, in the Irish language, is what I would call an anomaly. Not much is known about these women as not many have ever been found due to their nature. Mná doiléir are just as their name suggests, obscured. Something about them makes them not able to been seen by any mental gift, or traced by sense of smell. It is as if these women are truly invisible. Though these women are typically  very reclusive, some do tend to be more social, even accepting mates whom of which are almost always of the supernatural nature. It is not known if these women are just a phenomenon that happens or part of the supernatural world, but they do exist but to whom ever runs into them, please be careful."

"What does that mean? Be careful?" Cori asked stepping away from Edward, but he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her close.

"I'm not sure. This is my friend Joshua's journal. He was killed before he could finish. His mate send this to me, thinking it could help." Carlisle told them. "What was he? A scientist?" "He was a, collector of sorts. If he found something he never found before he collected it, kept it. Bugs, animals, creatures, unfortunately people. The Volturi killed him due to exposing himself to a human, in 1834."

Edward and Cori's eyes got wide. "When was that written?" Cori asked as she pointed at the journal in his hand. "It's dated 1773." He stated and Cori looked at Edward. "Can we trust what's written?" Edward asked the question everyone was thinking. "It's all we have." Carlisle told them and he was right. It was all they had.

A/N: Merry Christmas!!!!