A/N: The characters are not mine. I have just kidnapped them for this story.

OMG! You people amaze me!. The amount of reviews, alerts, and favorites I have received in just three chapters is beyond astounding. At first, I was a bit concerned on how well this little story of mine would be received. I love Marcus, and I have always felt that he got the shaft, so to speak. I am also aware that not everyone likes him. So I am genuinely surprised, yet delighted.

I still do not have a beta for this. All mistakes are mine.

My RL has been beyond difficult without letting up. I will not have a set posting schedule. I will get the chapters out when I am able.

BPOV

You would think that I would be frightened to meet the Volturi. If not that, then at least I would be nervous. However, I was oddly calm while I rode on Jake's back to this meeting. I knew that this is what I had to do. There was no way I was going to hide behind the pack while running the risk of the Volturi finding out about me. This was the right thing for me to do. Of that, I was certain.

As we neared the border, I saw a number of darkly cloaked figured standing around. However, the tall man in the forefront was the one who stood out most to me. There was such a presence about him that seemed to command respect from those around him. Here was a real man.

Jake came to a screeching halt, and I slid off of him. When I turned back around from dismounting him, I looked directly into the eyes of that man, and I gasped. My God, he was perfection! His eyes were the most stunning shade of garnet I had ever seen, and he had such full lips that I could imagine myself kissing them into a frenzy. He was taller, nearly a full foot taller than my own five feet four inches. He had such broad shoulders and strong muscular arms. What I wouldn't give to catch a glimpse of him without his shirt on! His hair was black, and it appeared to have been pulled back into a ponytail.

I, suddenly, found myself comparing Edward to this god-like man. Frankly, I am at a loss as to why I had ever thought that Edward was the most attractive male in existence. Clearly, I was way off base with that assessment. The man before me possessed so much allure and sexual attraction that I found myself having extreme difficulty keeping my breathing even. But I could not help myself as I hungrily gazed at him.

My eyes continued to travel over his flawless frame, appreciating the beauty of its perfection. When I glanced back up to look into his eyes, I noticed that he too seemed to have been making the same perusal of my body as I did of his. A thrilling surge of pleasure rushed over me at this. The fact that I could garner any attention from such a perfect specimen of man was more than I could have hoped for. And if I was not mistaken, he too enjoyed what he saw.

My lusty perusal was interrupted by Jacob, who bumped my arm, trying to get my attention. I hesitantly tore my gaze from the Adonis and turned to look over at Jake. He had changed back into his human form and was giving me a quizzical look. I responded to his silent inquiry with a small shrug.

Sam walked over to us, looking every bit the Alpha. "Uh, Bella, we were not expecting you," he said while glaring at Jake.

"Whether you like it or not, Sam, I have to be here. This mess is because of me," I informed him firmly, hoping he would understand. I really didn't want to argue over this. There really would be no point in it if we did.

The oh-so-sexy man stepped forward. "I'm curious, he said. "How is it that a human female is responsible for the creation of a newborn army?" He looked at me intently, causing shivers to course up and down my spine.

"It's more of the fact that the army was created to come after me," I informed him, refusing to look away from his mesmerizing eyes. "That and their creator wants to eliminate the pack for protecting me."

I watched as the moment those words left my lips, his eyes darkened, and I could hear an angry growl emanate from deep within his chest. The wolves reacted to the growl as if there was a threat. I, however, knew for a fact that this man was angry, livid even, but he was not about to attack. Chalk that little bit of knowledge up to my experience with vampires.

"Please, forgive me. That tidbit of information was most unexpected," he said contritely. Turning to me, he continued, "As I am sure you are aware, humans are not allowed to know of my kind's existence. Clearly, the law is broken. But for a human to be the reason for such a forbidden act is unheard of."

"Your law is the reason why I forced Jacob to bring me here. I refuse to hide behind the pack when that crazed redhead is running around, killing innocent people just to get her filthy hands on me. Plus, that demented, redheaded fiend wants to harm the only family I really have left. People are dying because of the actions of one particular coven," I told him, waiting for that bit of knowledge to sink in. His reaction to this news did not disappoint.

His eyes darkened further, and he asked, "Which coven do you speak of?"

I looked him directly in the eye, hoping that he would grasp the severity of my accusation. "The Cullens," I said bluntly. Several gasps could be heard from the cloaked figures standing around him.

"This is most unexpected and disheartening. If you would feel obliged to do so, would you please tell me about your dealings with Carlisle's coven?" he asked me politely, silently waiting for my response.

"I will tell you everything you wish to know," I replied, not feeling an ounce of remorse for divulging that information.

"I appreciate your willingness. First, could you please tell me how you became familiar with the Cullens?" he asked.

"I went to school with them. Frankly, it wasn't all that difficult for me to figure out that they were vampires. To be honest, I still find it hard to believe that no one else has," I said smugly. "But before I continue, it would be nice to know the name of the man I am addressing."

The god before me smirked and bowed to me. Upon raising his head, he replied, "My name is Marcus, and I am one of the three kinds of Volterra."

I was shocked at this revelation. Here, before me, was a king in the vampire world, and he was the most attractive man I had ever seen. Why do vampires have to be so damn sexy?

I shook my head slightly and said, "That is why you have an air of recognition about you. I have seen a painting in Carlisle's study, and you were in it."

A slight smile graced his luscious lips, and then as quickly as it was there, it vanished, leaving behind a placid expression. "Well, I think it's obvious that you were close to the Cullens at one time. I happen to know of which painting you are referring to, for I am the one who gave it to Carlisle," he told me. He slowly took a few more steps in my direction, eyeing me as if he was trying to discern for himself what my relationship to the Cullens was like. "You claimed to have figured out what they were. How, precisely, were you able to ascertain this?"

I smiled cheekily and replied, "How could I not have figured it out? Their eyes often turned from amber to black. They were all very pale and cold to the touch. Let's also not forget how graceful they all were, including the males. Plus, they were never in school on sunny days. Of course, those were just superficial characteristics to go by. But if all that was not cause for me to question their so-called human status, there was the incident where Edward stopped a runaway van from hitting me, using only his bare hands. That right there was the clincher for me." As I explained how I came to my conclusion, Marcuse's eyes widened in what I could only assume was shock.

Marcus shook his head in exasperation while rubbing his face with his strong hands. "I must admit that you are very observant. I must also confess that it would appear that Carlisle has not been as careful as he should have been. Based on what you have just informed me, the Cullens are allowing themselves to be in the presence of humans when they have not properly fed. They are being too careless." He stopped for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Looking back to me, he continued, "I can see how you figured it out, but what I want to know is how close you got to them."

I stared at him for a few moments, dreading what I was going to have to tell him next. "To be honest with you, I dated Edward for a while. I had been informed by both Edward and his sister, Alice, that I was Edward's mate."

As soon as I said that, Marcus barked out a gruff laugh. He looked me over, once again, but his heated gaze seemed to be more intent. And again, I felt myself getting aroused by him.

"You are most certainly not that child's mate. I can assure you of that!" he said while I saw his nostrils flare as if he caught the scent of something. I then noticed his eyes darken just a bit. And that's when it hit me. He could smell my arousal. Damn! Why in heaven's name would I forget about a vampire's sense of smell? This man is going to prove to be the death of me.

Deciding to pretend that nothing was out of the sort (in a vain attempt to retain my dignity), I opted to ask him about his rather bold statement.

"I'm sorry, but how do you know I am not his mate?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Cara, if you were his mate then he never would have been able to leave you. Mates cannot be away from each other for an extended period of time. It would be too painful to do so. Secondly, I have a gift which allows me to see the 'bonds' between people. For instance, I can see that you and your friend, Jacob, have a bond of siblings. You love each other as if you were truly related by blood. But most importantly, I can see your mating bond to another individual," he answered while watching me closely for my reaction.

"Really? Oh, thank God! The last thing I wanted was to be stuck being the mate of such a pansy- assed, back- stabbing jerk!" Everyone laughed at my outburst, including the vampires. Well, I'm not sorry! It's true!

"Wait a minute," Sam interjected. "You said she is mated to another. It better not be another vampire," Sam said threateningly.

I looked over at him and cocked him my best bitch brow. Oh, hell no! I am fed up with people trying to run my life.

"Just a minute, Sam. What business is it of yours if fate has destined me to be mated to a vampire?" I asked, pissed over his attitude

"Bella, it isn't natural!" he growled at me. I quickly glanced over at the sexy god and saw his fist clench as if he was trying to hold himself back. Turning back to Sam, I decided to nip this in the bud.

"Excuse me, Sam Uley, but isn't that a case of the wolf calling the vampire unnatural? When last I checked, horse- sized dogs aren't traipsing around all over Forks on a daily basis. I guess, then, that you could say that you are unnatural," I reprimanded him furiously. I have just about had it with the ongoing prejudice coming from the tribe. I, for one, do not believe it is fair to judge an entire race based on a select few.

Sam had the decency to look contrite and bowed his head in shame. Wow! I must have really gotten to him with that remark. Serves him right!

"Bella, I'm just concerned for you, as we all are. You have been through so much already," he told me quietly.

"I understand that, and I really do appreciate it. But I would like to live my own life without anyone else trying to run it for me," I said as sternly as I could without coming off as unappreciative. The tribe has done a great deal for me since that bitch killed my father, so I really did not wish to offend them.

"You're right, Bella, it is your life, and you have every right to live it as you deem fit. It's just that I have very strong, protective feelings in regards to you. It is not my intention to overstep my boundaries," he said apologetically.

I was about to respond when the too- sexy- for- my- own- good Adonis unnecessarily cleared his throat to get our attention. I turned back to him, struck dumb again over his impressive physique. What I wouldn't give to lick chocolate off of his, obviously, rock hard abs.

"I apologize for interrupting, but perhaps I can elucidate vampire mating for you, Sam," Marcus stated quietly.

Sam looked skeptical for a moment, as if any explanation the vampire king could give him would change how he felt about it. "Okay, then, enlighten me," he said, agreeing to Marcuse's proposal.

"Mating in our world is the most profound thing that will ever happen to us. The mating connection is instantaneous," he said while gazing at me. "It is even more powerful than our transformations. Our mates are our other halves in the most literal of senses. Only our mates can complete us and bring us a sense of true joy and contentment. Once a vampire has found his mate, he will never notice another. And more importantly, it is a physical impossibility for one mate to ever harm the other mate. Our mates become our first concern. Everything else can wait. The love shared between mates is much deeper than what I could ever describe. There are no words that would do it justice.

The mating bond is looked upon very highly. In fact, we have laws in regards to mating. And based on the information that Ms. Swan has given to me, the Cullen child, and quite possible the entire coven, has broken all mating laws. Believe me when I say this. The Volturi regards this as a high crime, and that coven," he said with a discernible hiss, "Will pay the price for that as well as for revealing themselves to a human," he spoke with a deadly calm. In my limited experience, whenever someone in authority spoke like that, it usually meant that they were very pissed.

I noticed Sam as he seemed to mull over Marcuse's explanation. To think of it, this is the very first time I have ever heard the true explanation of vampire mating. The Cullens only glossed over it, leaving me wondering.

As I thought about everything the Adonis just said, something popped out in my mind. He said it was instantaneous and that mates bring contentment. As I pondered over this, a realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Holy hell! Can it be, I asked myself while turning my gaze to the world's sexiest man. As my eye landed on him, I caught him staring at me. A slow smile spread across my features. Now this was going to be interesting!

A/N: I was not supposed to update this until I had updated Sunrise. However, between the 298 followers this story now has and the difficulty I am having over finishing the next chapter of Sunrise, I decided to pump this chapter out as a thank you. It seemed to me that this was the perfect time to do so.

If you follow Sunrise, you should be happy to know that it's almost finished. I still have a bit more research to do, but the majority of it is complete.

I still do not have a set schedule, and I do not wish to make one. I hate to let anyone down by not posting on a designated time due to my RL problems. Please bear with me.