Disclaimer: The characters used in this story and some of the back stories are the creation of Stephenie Meyer and as such, belong to her. EJ & Tessa Black and Omari, however, are my own creations as well as other characters introduced in this story.
Preface: The scene is Volterra, 28 odd years after Breaking Dawn. Aro has been defeated as the leader of the Volturi, and Edward Jacob "EJ" Black is now the head of the royal coven along with his father, Jacob, and his grandfather, Edward Cullen. All has been pretty quiet in Volterra over the ten years since EJ and Leah's daughter, Tessa, was born . . . until now.
"Your daughter . . . yes." Amun's eyes flicker with a glimmer of horror, and his lips purse, filling me with ultimate dread. "She is going to be the warrior in your mate's army, leading the final battle . . . against the half-breeds. At least, that's what Omari foretold."
"What? I don't understand." My mind immediately remembers Nahuel and how loyal he had been to EJ. "Why would Nahuel lead a battle against EJ?"
"He's not." Amun smirks, his lips morphing into an evil grin. "Joham, Nahuel's father, has been up to no good these past twenty years or so. He's creating a super-race to conquer and wipe out all others, including the immortals."
My eyes widen with the revelation springing forth from Amun's lips. I'm in pure shock. My daughter will lead an army against Joham and the half-breeds in the years to come.
~fromTHE TRUE ALPHA, Chapter 30 (Leah's POV)
Prologue
Tessa's POV
My fingers hover above the keys of the grand piano, already pulsating with the sensation of the melody they would soon play. I close my violet eyes and press my fingers meticulously to the ivory bands below. The cool, familiar texture of the keys greets my touch with a gentle kiss as the harmonious tune envelopes the entire concert hall with its splendor. Losing myself in the musical air, I let each note shroud me in its enchanting embrace . . .
A recognizable scent soon rouses me from daydreams. They would have to wait for now.
From my perch atop the clock tower in the Palazzo dei Priori, I open my eyes, peering out toward the city below.
My city, Volterra. My home.
The beauty of her at night is quite a sight to behold indeed. The usual quiet hum of the city streets floods my ears as the scent of something or someone lurking in the darkness enflames my nostrils.
Swooping down from the clock tower, I land on the stone ground below with ease, my body lowering to a crouched position. I raise my head slightly and scan the square. It is barren, empty of all humans for the evening. The perfect time for immortals like myself and my family to stalk the city streets and alleyways, looking for innocent victims to claim as their prey.
Since my father, EJ Black, decreed several years ago that no immortal could feed off a mortal within the city walls, it has become the duty of the Watch, an elite sect of the Volturi guard, to uphold the Alpha's laws. We keep watch over Volterra at night, carefully monitoring the resident and nomadic vampires alike, making certain that my father's laws are obeyed. Punishment for disregarding his decree is extremely severe, and I shudder just at the very notion.
I rise up, my flowing, leather cape draped about my shoulders, and deeply inhale. Detecting the scent of an immortal just beyond the square, my nostrils flare, and I instantly sense an overwhelming feeling of distress.
"Help me!" An Italian female voice suddenly pierces the crisp night air, and I know what I must do.
As I race with all my might toward the shroud of darkness across the square, the scent becomes more pungent, and I realize that the immortal in question is a half-breed, not so very different from myself.
I come to a halt directly behind the rogue, his body plastering the frightened young girl to the stone-clad wall, his left hand lingering between her thighs. The venom washes through my mouth, and an ever-growing rage burns within my veins.
Startled by my sudden presence, the rogue swiftly turns to face me, his eyes full of surprise. Then, his expression softens, obviously unimpressed.
"Get in line, baby. This one is first." He scoffs, speaking in clear English, an American accent possibly. Ignoring me, he faces the terrified woman, his right hand firmly covering her mouth.
"Do you not realize who I am, sir?" I ask him, the anger boiling in my blood.
The rogue half-breed, apparently annoyed, turns around once again, staring me point blank in the face.
"Nope." He pops the p only inches from my mouth, and that's all it takes for me to snap.
Grasping his arm and twisting it aggressively behind his back, I forcefully push him against the wall. I hear the virtually-unbreakable bones within his flesh begin to strain against my force. It wouldn't take much more effort on my part to shatter his arm completely.
"Judging from the looks of you, you must be new to Volterra." I speak firmly into his right ear, my chest pressing against his back. "On behalf of the Volturi Watch, allow me to fill you in. Immortals--half-breed, vampire, and shifter alike are not to harm any humans within the city walls. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Volturi?" The rogue struggles to question. I feel him begin to violently tremble beneath my grasp. "You mean, Aro . . . Marcus . . . Caius?"
I throw him harder against the wall, and he responsively cries out in agony.
"No, didn't you hear? Aro is dead. My father, EJ Black, now serves as the head of the Volturi." I let some of the venom on my lips flow onto his neck. It creates a soft, hissing sound as it makes contact with his pallid flesh. "While you are here in Volterra, you will not harm a human or there will be HELL to pay. Understood?"
"Yes, just let me go!" The pitiful rogue in my arms pleads for mercy, and I grant it to him, giving him a slight shove into the wall again.
"Now, get out of my sight." I order him, turning to face the girl, who now lay unconscious on the ground below.
"The HELL I will." I sigh at his defiant words, my shoulders lowering in repugnance, and spin around to face him.
"You really shouldn't have said that." I confidently threaten, my hands extending out before me.
The rogue crouches to the ground, ready to pounce, not knowing the full extent of my capabilities and powers. Whatever power he possesses as immortal could not stand a chance against the gifts my parents bestowed upon me at birth.
Closing my eyes, I focus all of my energy toward my arms held erectly out from my torso. Then, I open them and watch the rogue's blood-red eyes widen in horror as my arms morph into twin blades of silver. It is one of my many talents.
"Who are you?" His voice stammers out the words, his eyes glazed over in alarm.
"They call me Tessa." I sneer at him.
Lunging at the rogue, I methodically swat at him with my arms. I marvel at how well he avoids my agile blades as they come at him with lightning speed. After several minutes of this dance, I am bored with the fight; he isn't even trying to fight back. I pull back, letting my arms drop to my sides, and they quickly shift back to flesh and black leather.
"Giving up so easily?" The rogue snickers at me, taking one step forward, a sinister grin pasted across his monstrous visage.
Before his foot even reaches the ground, I retrieve my gun from its holster around my waist and discharge several rounds into his worthless flesh.
His lifeless body soars off the ground almost in slow motion, crumpling to the stone path below with a muted thud, the bullet wounds smoking at the rims. Then, as quickly as a flame going out, his body is rendered to ash, and the night air tosses it lightly with its gentle breeze.
Replacing my gun in its holster, I bend down to the comatose girl beside me. I hover above her lips, breathing a slow steady stream of air into her mouth along with the healing powers my father bestowed upon me. Instantly, her eyes open, and she gasps the much needed air into her lungs.
"Grazie." The frightened young girl speaks, the coal-black mascara from her lashes smeared under her eyes. Then, she hurriedly takes off, darting down the alleyway. I hear her heart pumping wildly in her chest as her heels click the stone pavement out of the square.
"Couldn't have done it better myself, my beloved Tessa." The unexpected voice and footsteps behind me make me smile.
"I know you couldn't." I don't turn to meet his gaze, now sensing his body only inches from mine.
"Now, Tess, who's idea was it to fashion bullets out of your father's venom anyway . . ." I roll my eyes at his cockiness. He just can't take the fact that I am the first to actually test the effectiveness of his theory.
Turning to face him, I look him straight in his golden eyes and recite, "An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied."
"Aren't we the philosopher?" He chuckles and then takes my hands into his cold, marble palms. "I find that very sexy."
"You would." I roll my eyes again, a hint of a smile playing on my lips. I remove my hands from his and examine my dirty work. The pile of ashes lay out before me. "My father is not going to be pleased when he hears about this."
"Don't worry about it, Tess. I'll handle it." His cold hand lands reassuringly on my right shoulder. "He threatened you and a human. You had no other choice."
"Still doesn't make it right." I roughly exhale and turn around to face him.
"Will I be seeing you later tonight?" His yellow eyes soften; his expression is hopeful.
"Not tonight. I have to run my patrol. My father didn't make me the head of the Watch for nothing." I relay, and I detect an intimation of disappointment flash across his face.
"I'll wait." He says with determination, taking my hands into his once more. "All night if I have to."
"Oh, you will, huh?" I lean in ghosting his lips with mine. "All night . . . for me?"
"Yes." I hear him gulp at the temptation hovering just millimeters from his lips.
"Well, then . . . clean up this filth and get back to your post." I pull away, leaping onto the rooftop of the adjacent building to the square. I take a fleeting glimpse back at my friend below; his eyes never falter from my position atop the stone wall.
"Tessa . . ." He whispers into the night wind.
"Omari." I nod at him, my mouth forming a satisfied smirk, and with those two final words, I disappear into the cover of the night . . .
My name is Tessa Black, and this is my story.
Attn: I hope you enjoyed this first look into Tessa's story. Please let me know what you think! Thanks. :D