Chapter 10 – The Past

The Cullen house was certainly crowded with vampires when the boys got back. Caius was very quick to talk to Carlisle about the werewolves. Not that Carlisle was going to keep that from him for very long. Aro was happy getting to know those who had joined Carlisle over the years. Marcus however spent all his time with me.

I spent a little bit of time practising with the other guard members and Marcus often got involved with us all. He liked the practising as much as I did. Emmett was a common watcher, he liked to see that he was not the only one knocked to the ground by me. Not to mention there were others in the guard who sometimes knocked me down, so none of us were invincible. Everyone had a weakness in the guard but we did not let those show when we were not in Volterra.

Everyone though came to watch when Felix challenged me to a fight. Everyone was aware that he was the most offensive in a fight out of all the Volturi, though I knew that Esme and Alice both thought I was extremely good at fighting myself. Edward though I was sure only came out because he thought that Felix would be able to knock me to the ground. Not that it mattered to me, I would not be as offended as he thought I would be. I knew that if Felix won, well I would not have been completely concentrating.

Plus there was the fact that I liked to fight with Felix. He was a good teacher and I knew that that would make Edward angry if he could hear that. No doubt he was already getting that from Felix's head. Not that I cared. We all headed outside there was a good part of the night left. Since this was not the real wedding for Marcus and I there was not anything to worry about us seeing each other before it happened.

When I spotted Edward looking in my direction, with what seemed to be concern showing on his face I laughed. He had nothing to be worried about and I knew that. He would soon see that. Felix thought that I was a good fighter and he himself was the one who trained me. No one could deny that he knew what he was going on about when it came fighting.

Nor was I afraid of Felix. I had been as a human but that was because all the other Volturi members were vampires who hunted what I had been. That was only an instinctual fear. One long since forgotten when I met Marcus for the first time.

I woke up seeing stone above me. That was something which made no sense. Last thing I remembered was that I was in the forest and Edward had left me there after telling me that I would never see him again. I had wanted to die while I was in the forest but had had no luck there.

Instead I had seemed to be brought here. Wherever 'here' was I hoped that I was not going to be hurt in any way. I knew that this place was better than the forest, though I heard no one walking around outside this bedroom.

Getting to my feet I headed over to the door and slipped out into the corridor. Hmm more stone walls. Interesting. It seemed I was in some sort of castle. There was no one about though. In this sort of place you would think that other people would be wandering about though.

Seeing a door in the wall, I opened it.

There was someone in there, olive skinned and black haired. He looked up as I opened the door and was all of a sudden on his feet, the same able movement as the 'Cullens' had. Though one look at his eyes frightened me, there was the faintest ring of red around the irises, the rest of them were black.

I gulped and backed out of the room as he took several steps towards me. I ran for it. I knew that he was a vampire and that he was thirsty. That was a bad thing, seeing as he had red eyes. He was a HUMAN hunter, like James had been. This was not the first time I had ot run for it.

I tried a few doors, though he was not within sight, he was likely playing with me. Then I saw one that was slightly open and headed for it, thinking I would be able to hide through there. Hopefully that would be a safe place for me. I was slowly starting to figure out where I was.

It opened and there was another man in there. He had black hair as well, but when he looked up, I was taken aback by his eyes. They were red, but there was a milky look to them, as if he was blind. A thing that was not possible for a vampire to be, I knew that much. They were immortal and perfect, nothing could hurt them or make them sick either. Their health never deterioated like a human's did.

He smiled though as he saw me. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up, miss. You were asleep that long that I almost though you were dead."

"Ummm. Thanks but where exactly am I?" I wanted to know where I was, because I clearly was not in Forks' National Park.

The kind smile did not leave this vampire's face. "This is Volterra, the home that I, Marcus, and my brothers, Aro and Caius live in."

I gasped. "I know who you three are the leaders of. An old freind told me about you once. You're the Volturi aren't you?"

"We are. Who might I ask, told you about us?" Marcus, the vampire, asked.

"Edward Cullen, a vampire like you back in Forks."

I did not feel too bad about telling him, I knew it was the right thing to do. Though I definately was sad when I spoke his name. There was a massive hole where he had been in my mind. One that he had created himself.

He sighed. "Looks like I'll have to have one of the Gaurd pay him a visit. Though it seems he seems to have done something that was wrong to you, if I am not mistaken."

"Yeah. He left me, after we got too involved with each other. Told me he did not want me anymore, though he kept saying he would never leave me for anything in the world," I replied.

Then I heard someone reach for the door that I had shut behind me.

"Well, why don't you join us? We would never abandon you, miss."

And so that was how human Bella Swan had joined the Volturi Guard personally. Once I had completed the change and Felix had trained me to fight and defend myself, Marcus and I had spent a lot of time together. Though I had not thought that I would ever feel free of the hole that Edward had given me, now, I was happy with Marcus.

There was not anyone I could see ever taking me from him. I would certainly get in the way if they tried and likely beat them up pretty badly.