Disclaimer: I dont own Twilight
FYI: This is a gaaaaay ffn, with an all male paring. If you dont enjoy that sort of stuff but you still read this, youve been warned
The dust had finally settled in the clearing, the majority of Victoria's newly turned army quietly burning on the bonfires that dotted the otherwise blank landscape. They were burning low now; almost completely ash at this point, and the sudden silence of it all was starting to creep Bella out.
Edward hadn't once left her side, clinging to her like an over-protective limpet on a whale while the rest of his family had finished tearing at those the wolves had missed, throwing various body parts carelessly onto the fires. Said wolves by this point had already left, Jacob's shaggy red fur matted dark brown as he had limped back into the trees with his pack-mates. He hadn't bothered to spare another glance at Bella or the Cullens, though Bella couldn't exactly blame him. A lot had happened over the past few hours, and Bella only hoped he could forgive her for what had happened.
Now, Bella watched as Carlisle knelt before the spared new-born- Bree she reminded herself, not a thing but a person- as he talked to her in a hushed tone, so quick and quiet Bella had no chance of listening in even if she wanted to. Edward was curled around her, arms like stone wrapped around her waist to secure her to his body, eyes never leaving the tree line as the rest of his family fell in line around them.
"She's already agreed to join us, though," Bella mumbled, knowing she would be heard anyway. "What's with the third degree?"
Edward shifted behind her, but before he could answer Alice spoke up. "Don't worry about it Bella, Carlisle is just making sure there are no more surprises that she might know about. We don't want to come for you tomorrow and find you missing after all!"
It was clearly meant to be a joke, but Bella felt a twinge of dread roll down her spine. the idea that there could be another Victoria out there, a James, was a worrying thought. Edward turned to Alice and growled. "Don't. She's been through enough."
The smaller vampire pouted. "I was only trying to lighten the ...mood-" Alice's sentence slowed to a stop, her bright amber eyes widening as a gasp left her lips. Almost instantly Edward started to growl, turning his head so quickly back to the trees it the air around him cracked, causing Bella's ears to ring. The low rumble was inaudible to Bella, yet it had enough vibration for her to feel it resonating behind her shoulder blades. Just as fast Carlisle was on his feet again, dragging Bree upright with him as he made his way back to the safety of his family.
Alice must have seen something. A moment of silence past as Bella squinted into the trees, trying in vain to see what the Cullens were suddenly so tense about and feeling her stomach drop. Bree was quiet in Carlisle's grip, almost hidden behind his larger frame as he gripped her arm in what would have been a painful grip for anyone else. Her red eyes were round and worried as she stared out through the oily fog.
Edwards's continuous growl grew louder. Lips curled back, he looked more like a snarling dog than a person, teeth shiny in the moonlight and stooped low over Bella. Like this he was terrifying, the true, unrivalled hunter he had always warned her of. He hid it so well usually, wouldn't even fully smile if he thought it would show even a glimmer of teeth. This more than anything struck Bella too her core. It was like he didn't even know she was there, simply hanging on for no reason other than she was already in his arms.
"Hmm," a light, yet cold voice whispered from the trees. Bella's heart thumped in her chest, like a rabbit caught in a trap. She could see them now, the fog thick but not quite thick enough to disguise the hooded group that was slowly advancing towards them. It was deathly silent, Bella's heartbeat the only sound.
"Welcome Jane," Carlisle smiled in greeting, his voice strained and almost too polite. The smallest of the group- who must have been Jane, recognisable even under the hooded cloak- tilted her head to the side as if to size them up. She then threw her head back to allow her hood to slip down around her shoulders, a playful, almost childlike smile gracing her pale lips.
Behind Jane, three more figures stepped out of the tree line, coming to stand at her back. Two of them Bella thought she recognised, both tall and broad and imposing as when she had first seen them. As if sensing her thoughts the largest of the two raised their eyes to look at her. Letting the hood fall back enough to reveal his face, Felix smirked, his nostrils flaring with her scent. The other hulking figure had to be Alec then; he was never too far from his sister and today seemed to be no exception. The last, however, had Bella pausing.
He was tall, maybe an inch or two above Edward's own hight and seemed thin under his cloak, or at least in comparison to his beefy companions. His long, slim fingers just about poked out of the sleeves of his coat, as pale as any other vampire.
"Jane, I think they missed one of them," the new vampire spoke, voice flowing like soft silk. It was melodic, just like every vampire Bella had met thus far, but with a rumble that was distinctly male. He stepped forward- almost floating with the grace she knew from the Cullens- as he came to stand next to Jane.
At once, Edward pulled her closer to him, tightening his grip even further as Jane's eyes swept over the coven. They finally landed on Bree, still trembling behind Carlisle's shoulder, and Jane gave a chilling smile. "There you are, my dear."
"She was turned by a rogue vampire, Victoria, perhaps you know of her." Carlisle spoke up, his voice smooth as he gestured towards the girl by his side.
"Yes," Jane glanced towards Carlisle. "We know of her, and Lord Aro thanks you for clearing up the majority of that mess for us." Her gaze shifted back to Bree.
"She has surrendered," Edward chimed in, finally seeming to break out of whatever trance he'd been in as his growls lessened for the moment. "The new-born is with us now, Carlisle gave her a choice."
"That was not your choice to give, and there are no choices for those who break the rules," the vamp said rather matter-of-factly, waving a dismissive hand in the air. Beside him, Jane raised a delicate hand to her mouth, her giddy smile scaring Bella almost as much as Victoria had.
"The rules were never explained to her, to any of them. She cannot be held accountable for this, she didn't know what she was doing." Carlisle insisted, passing the girl over to a grabby Esme in an attempt to get her out of harm's way.
"That is irrelevant, what she has done cannot be forgiven. She, her sire and everyone else who was turned almost revealed our world." The male carried on, still rather flippant as he started to braid Jane's hair in small segments. "New-borns are like stray dogs, friendly until you do something to upset them," he took a breath, a deep inhale through his nose as he turned to look straight at them. "What's stopping her?"
"Surely you can see our predicament," Felix spoke up for the first time, voice gruff and deep. It was surreal to watch them speak; their dialect and stances so completely different than the Cullen's. "She may have given up now, but who's to say she won't attack us in revenge and reveal us all?"
Jane took a single step forward, pulling her new braids out of the still covered vamp's slim hands. "Your name, child?" She asked, her voice sweet and yet still devoid of emotion.
The girl looked uncertain for a moment, still clutching to Esme like a child. "Bree," she finally sniffed.
"How many were there of you, Bree?"
"I-I don't know, eighteen or nineteen, maybe?"
"And was this Victoria your sire, yes?" Jane simpered.
"I don't know! Riley never said her name, he didn't want to give her away, he said our minds weren't safe..." Bree stammered, the words pouring out of her. She was shaking now, with adrenaline or fear Bella didn't know.
Jane smiled almost kindly as she started her approach. The Cullen's backed up quickly, Edward all but dragging her away and leaving poor Bree alone once again. Placing a thin hand on the newly turned girl's face, Jane smiled. "Are there any more of you? Perhaps you spread out, accidentally turned others?"
"We weren't allowed to feed," Bree whispered, and if she could Bella knew she would be crying. God, how could they just leave her? "Riley said we couldn't and, and I wouldn't have anyway. I couldn't-"
Jane gently shushed the girl, brushing her fingers under her eyes as if to wipe away stray tears. "Thank you, Bree. That was very helpful of you."
Edward covered Bella's just in time as Jane twisted Bree's head, tearing it clean from her body and letting it drop to the floor with a thud. "Poor soul," Bella heard one of the males say obviously loud enough so she could hear. "Would have starved to death by the end of the week anyway."
"Aro and I thank you for your kindness in releasing us of this... little situation," the still unknown vampire said as Jane returned to his side, sounding surprisingly calm despite the horrific scene he had just witnessed. "You have been very helpful, and I hope this little spectacle has not changed your opinion of us overly much." Bella couldn't see him, but she could defiantly hear the smile in his voice. "Until next time."
Edward finally lowered his hand.
The Volturi turned as one, the unknown vampire giving a quick salute as they disappeared back into the forest and out of sight. Silence followed, broken only by the still crackling flames, and suddenly Bella felt exhausted. Her eyes fell to the floor, the lifeless, headless body of Bree one of the last things she saw before darkness overtook her vision and she blacked out.
Let me know what you think :)