Chapter 4: The Other Vampires

Bella woke up feeling rested. Looking at her arm she saw that there was still gauze wrapped around it to protect it from infections. Getting up from bed, she looked down at herself to see that she was still in the clothes she had run from Volterra in. Looking over to the dresser she saw another set of clothes laid out for her. She lifted up a long-sleeved gray shirt and blue jeans. Biting her lower lip she went into the bathroom to shower and change.

After showering and changing, she decided to explore her new safe haven. Quietly opening the door she snuck out of her room walking through the halls looking at the walls to see paintings lined up instead of the usual photographs a normal house would have. She moved her fingers over the banister as she walked over to the stairs. The house was extremely quiet, no one seemed to be home.

Walking downstairs, Bella saw a piano sitting in the middle of the living room. Smiling she lifted the lid up staring at the beautifully polished ivory keys. Reaching out she gently moved her fingers over the keys before pressing down on a few keys. She didn't know how to play, but she still enjoyed hearing the sounds of a piano. "That's a lovely tune," a voice chuckled behind her. Letting out a gasp, she spun around to see Edward standing in the doorway.

"I-I'm sorry I was…I was just looking," she stuttered.

Chuckling lightly, he walked over to her. "It is quite alright, you have a right to be curious," he answered. She stared at him quizzically.

"You sure are a different kind of vampire, you and your whole coven," she commented.

He sat down on the piano bench, leaning back against piano once he closed the lid. "We usually don't call this a coven," he answered. She gave him a quizzical look.

"W-What do you call your coven then?" she queried.

Chuckling he looked up at her. "We are more of a family than a coven," he answered.

"A family?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

She sat down next to him on the bench, her right leg tucked under her. "Yes, we are more of a family than a coven. We protect each other, care about each other like a regular family would. The only difference between us and them is that we're vampires that drink animal blood and live forever," he explained. She bit her lower lip, pushing her hair from her eyes. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little confused," she replied.

Edward chuckled lightly. "I'm not surprised," he commented. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You were being held prisoner by the Volturi for all these years?" he asked. She was silent, playing with the bracelet around her wrist.

"Yea," she replied slowly.

"We aren't keeping you prisoner here just to assure you. You are able to leave as soon as this threat with the Volturi is gone," he assured her.

Bella nodded her head slowly, rubbing her hands together. She pushed her hair from her eyes letting out a shaky sigh. "This is just scary for me," she said quietly.

"I know," he answered.

She lowered her head a little as she trailed her fingers over the small scar on her forearm. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

"I am the clumsiest girl on this planet. I fell down a flight of stairs once, cut my arm all up," she replied.

Edward looked at the scar on her arm, moving his thumb over her skin. She shivered lightly at his touch, biting her lower lip. "I knew it was weird that all of a sudden they were having an interest in my birthday, they never had before. None of them cared before," she commented quietly.

"So…you have no recollection of your life before you were held captive by the Volturi?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

Bella stopped short with her next question when her stomach growled. Chuckling softly, Edward got up from the piano bench. "There is food in the kitchen," he informed leading her from the living room. Bella looked around with a quizzical expression on her face. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"This is just so…different for me…I mean it looks like an actual home," she replied.

"We don't live like the Volturi, my father, Carlisle…" he started.

Bella lifted her head. "Carlisle?" she asked.

"Yes…" Edward answered slowly.

"I remember Aro talking about Carlisle a few times. Him and the co-family," she commented.

"What about the family?" he asked.

Bella shrugged as she drank the water he placed in front of her. "Just that even after all these years he still finds it foolish that you try to coexist with humans," she replied.

"We just don't want to hurt humans," he murmured.

"Your family are the first coven of vampires I have met that aren't interested in hurting humans," she commented.

Edward chuckled softly, sending chills up and down her spine. Bella bit her lower lip, twisting her ring around on her finger. "Edward, they'll try to find me," she told him quietly.

"We know," he answered.

"But…" she started.

"Do you think we're afraid of the Volturi?" he asked.

"They're dangerous," she answered.

"So are we if we have to be," Edward told her.

She stared at him quizzically. "You have been raised around vampires, you know that they usually don't like large covens," he pointed out.

"No…" she replied slowly.

"They only let us be a large coven because they are afraid of us. Usually they wouldn't just keep asking for us to join, because of who Carlisle is. Aro fears Carlisle even though he claims he respects him," Edward explained.

The vampire shrugged his shoulders a little. "Aro thinks Carlisle is foolish to feed off the blood of animals, but yet more covens are starting to turn to that way of life instead of going to the natural resource which is killing humans," he explained.

"Why would Aro be afraid of Carlisle because of that?" she asked.

"Think about it, if more covens follow our way of surviving, Aro is threatened that Carlisle will try to take over leadership of the vampires," he replied.

She stared at him quizzically. "The Volturi may be over 3,000 years old, but Carlisle has something that they don't," Edward told her quietly.

"And what is that?" she asked.

"They don't have to fear about Carlisle suddenly turning his back on them when he is needed the most. He gets the respect from the vampire covens he meets," he replied.

Leaning back against the piano he let out a sigh. "Except Carlisle doesn't want to be a leader. He acts as a father to this family, not a leader," he added.

"So we're still hiding?" she asked.

"We're not hiding per say, we're protecting you. The Volturi don't give second chances, never," Edward replied.

Bella let out a sigh when she looked up as the door opened. "Oh you're awake," one of the girls commented smiling.

"Bella you weren't formally introduced that is Esme, Carlisle's wife, my mother for all intents and purposes," Edward explained.

Esme smiled at her. "I hope you're feeling better," she commented.

"I am thank you," Bella replied.

"I'm Alice," the shorter girl informed.

She walked over hugging Bella with a smile. Bella was stunned but slowly hugged Alice back. "That's Jasper, he's the newest member of our family," the vampire Bella knew had to be Carlisle informed.

"Pleasure to meet you," Jasper answered stiffly.

Alice skipped over to Jasper, holding his hand with a smile. "You won't hurt her," she assured her husband.

"I'm Emmett," he informed.

Bella saw the blonde next to Emmett practically rolling her eyes. "And this lovely lady beside me is Rosalie," he informed.

"I see you lived," Rosalie commented.

"Uh…yeah," Bella answered slowly.

Rosalie looked over at Carlisle. "Why are we protecting her? She's the Volturi's pet," she told Carlisle.

"Rosalie," Esme scolded lightly.

Bella rubbed her hands together with a sigh. "Just ignore Rosalie I do," Edward told her.

"Yeah let's ignore the fact that we're all putting our lives in danger because of her," Rosalie told them.

Emmett tapped his wife's arm with a small glare. "Don't you look at me that way Emmett," she hissed.

"Rosalie, if we left her there the Volturi would've killed her," Alice answered.

"What makes you think they'll keep her alive when they find us?" Rosalie demanded.

"Alright everybody enough," Carlisle insisted walking over to Bella.

He looked over at Alice. "Alice…" he started.

"Come on Jasper, let's go to the flower field," Alice insisted grabbing Jasper's hand.

She waved at Bella. "I'll see you soon!" she announced before she pulled Jasper out the door. Carlisle had Bella sit down and started looking over the scrapes from her fall.

"How did you escape?" Carlisle asked.

Bella let out a deep breath. "I ran as fast as I could before they could find out that I was trying to escape," she replied. Carlisle changed the bandages on her arms and knees.

"You're safe with us," he assured her with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," Bella answered.

He patted her shoulder gently before getting up from the floor. "You must be starving, I'll make you something to eat," Esme told her leading her into the kitchen.

Sitting down at the counter, Bella watched as Esme started making dinner for her. "You cook?" Bella asked.

"I had to keep up a charade for humans in the towns we lived in before here," Esme replied smiling.

Bella bit her lower lip, looking at the table. "You're safe here sweetie, you have nothing to fear," Esme assured her.

"Thank you," she answered.

Esme placed a plate of spaghetti in front of her with a smile before leaving her alone to eat. Bella slowly at her dinner and for the first time ever, she felt safe.