Chapter 11 - Volturi's Newest Member

Bella had a good grip on my hand as we walked down in silence. The hallway was a little bit too familiar. The scent of fear covered and soaked the walls. We all had straight faces and one goal.

To get Renesmee back.

We passed by so many turns and corners. If you weren't a vampire and had a keen sense of direction and smell leading you, you could easily get lost. I looked down some of the darkened passages and thought about the many unfortunate people who had gotten lost and died in these hallways.

Jacob led us with his nose down to the ground. He could smell Renesmee easily without having his nose to the ground, but he wanted to be 100% sure. He was not in the mood to make any mistakes. His massive wolf form almost didn't fit in the hallways, but he somehow managed. Some passages were bigger than others. Some he walked with plenty of space, but others he had to crouch down a bit to get through.

Nahuel was behind us. He looked around frightened. I could hear him grinding his teeth. It crept into my bones. That noise always irritated me.

In that moment I read Nahuel's mind:

"I have to get Renesmee back!" And just like that, Nahuel ran away and left before I could say or do anything.

"Nahuel get back here!" I ordered him through the darkness. I wasn't going to chase him leaving Bella vulnerable. I knew he could get lost or even worse, killed. But he didn't listen to me. We didn't go after him.

"Idiot," Jacob muttered in his mind, looking in our direction. He didn't care that he left. We turned forward and just kept walking.

We finally reached the grand opening. Bella's iron grip on my hand tightened. I squeezed just as hard back. I knew it wouldn't hurt her. The first thing I noticed was an empty antique wooden desk. The human, Gianna, should have been seated behind it, but she wasn't. I wondered what they had done to her in the time that had passed. Maybe they had turned her into a vampire and so they now lacked a human receptionist.

We walked past the desk and stood before the massive wooden doors that so many humans and vampires had passed through, some not even making it back out.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked them to make sure.

Bella nodded.

"I was born ready." Jacob was nervous as well.

We all looked up and around the huge double doors that were steadily in front of us. I went to open the doors, but Bella insisted she did. I let her have the moment. Her knuckles cracked as she prepared them for pushing the door open. It opened as easily as someone blew it open.

Each and every one of the Volturi stood in the room. They all turned around and looked at us with their menacing red eyes.

In the middle of the massive room, Caius and Marcus surrounded something. I couldn't see. Felix and Demitri blocked my path of view. As soon as Demitri turned around, a growl escaped my chest and echoed throughout the room. I couldn't help it. Vampire instincts got the best of me. On the right there was Jane and Alec. I wondered who stood in the middle that I couldn't see.

Caius and Marcus moved away from whoever they were surrounding. Where was Aro?

The person in the middle of the room was wearing a black robe. Their body was facing towards us. I knew automatically that it was Renesmee. Even though she wasn't thinking anything, I could sense and smell her. Why was my daughter wearing a Volturi robe for?

Renesmee looked at the ground. I don't think Bella recognized her yet. Renesmee casually raised her head and looked up at us.

"Renesmee." Bella let it out with no effort at all. It was like her voice came as her last breath.

Caius spoke when Aro was not present. But I still didn't understand where Aro was. No one was thinking about him.

"Well, hello there Edward and Bella. So we meet again. So what can we do for you today?" He didn't even mention Jacob. He sounded so shmuck.

"I want Renesmee - my daughter - back!" Bella was in no mood to joke around. She wanted Renesmee back and that was it.

"Renesmee you say? Well I do not think that is possible. She is our newest member of the Volturi." He smiled and looked at Renesmee. "Isn't that right darling?"

"Yes," Renesmee answered.

"There you have it. She is one of us now. If you value your life, I suggest you leave. Right now!" Marcus was not joking.

"No! This can't be! What happened? Have we lost her forever?" Jacob couldn't stop pacing back and forth. His back was arched and his fur was sticking straight up from his anger. His nails were digging into the ground. I could hear the marble crumbling under his nails.

"I do not think so!" Bella ran for Renesmee. I knew if we started a fight that would be the end. I didn't want it to come to that.

Bella ran up to Renesmee and grabbed her by the arm. Renesmee's face was in shock when this happened. I ran after Bella and grabbed her arm in the same second.

Then out of nowhere – pain, excruciating pain. I fell to my knees. I was burning from the inside. I let out a loud yell. It echoed throughout the whole room. It hurt so much. I forgot about Jane. That was a clumsy move on my behalf. Her attack felt much stronger than the last time she shocked me. It was at least doubled. I didn't even have the energy to stay on my knees. I collapsed onto the floor. My back arched in pain. I held my breath.

"Edward. No!" Bella turned to me, letting go of Renesmee's arm. She fell to the floor beside me. With all her strength she put her arms around me and hugged me as tight as she could. She wrapped her shield around me in the same moment.

It was instant relief as soon as Bella put her shield around me. I focused again. I told her I was alright as I got up. Jane growled at us. Bella's shield was an inconvenience for her. I was glad Bella had her shield. We would have no hope at all if she didn't.

Renesmee was now all the way at the back of the room. They must have moved her so that did not happen again.

"Edward I want to talk to Renesmee but I can't. I am too angry. I cannot change back!" Jacob was struggling.

"Bella I think it is best if we explain things now before things get too out of hand again." I tried to persuade Bella.

"You're right." She turned so she was now facing all of the Volturi plus Renesmee.

"Renesmee, sweetie you have to listen to me. We never meant to hurt you. You are my everything and you know that. You do not know the whole story. Leah had no idea what she was talking about! You have to believe me. Please just come home with us and we will explain everything in more detail." Bella's hands were in front of her clasped together.

Renesmee took a step towards us and took off her hood.

"No, Leah was right. I do not want to come home." Renesmee's voice was cold as ice. She looked at us for a couple of seconds, put her hood back on and took two steps back while looking at the floor again.

I had to step in. I didn't know what else to do. "Listen Renesmee, this is just a big misunderstanding. You know how much we love you. We would never do anything that hurt or upset you. You are still wearing your necklace your mother got you and..."

Before I could go on she looked up and – in less than a second - she ripped the necklace off her neck and threw it on the floor. I watched it bounce once and then it just lay on the floor beside her feet. She didn't even look at it while she ripped it off.

"No." Bella dropped to her knees and put her head on the floor. She smashed the ground with the bottom on both her fists. The marble smashed into a thousand pieces. She started sobbing, tearless sobs. She was dying from the inside. I could feel her pain.

"I can't just stand here! I have to do something! Renesmee I wish you could hear me! Edward what do I do?" Jacob wanted to help but he could not in his wolf form. I could tell he was trying so hard to calm down to change. His heart beat was racing more than normal. I don't think that was good for him.

"Jacob calm down. Just stay focused!" I yelled at him over my shoulder.

"Out of all times I want to change I can't. I have never had a problem with changing until now. I feel like I am stuck. I cannot control myself. I try not to think of Renesmee but whenever I close my eyes she is all I see. Why does this have to hurt so much? Let me out! I do not want to be a wolf anymore! I want to change back into a human! I want to be human! Someone help me!"

I have had enough of this! This was getting out of hand. I wanted to run over there and grab her and run. I knew if I did that they would come after us for sure. I never knew Renesmee was so mad at us. For her to go through all of this and put Bella through all this pain was not like her. What got into her? This is not the Renesmee we raised and loved so much.

Wait. There was someone else in the room. Someone I didn't calculate in previously. There was someone behind Marcus. It was Chelsea! I saw her trying to get a peek at what was going on. That was a wrong decision on her part, but an amazing discovery for us. Chelsea was doing this! She was making Renesmee hate us so much and making her want to stay in the Volturi. This was not Renesmee's decision. Chelsea was making her choose to stay with them.

I always thought that the bond our family had would never be affected by Chelsea's power. Her power cannot hold back a true bond like ours. Renesmee must be allowing her to take control. Renesmee was so upset at us; she went to find any way to forget us. Our connection weakened from mistrust. There is only one way to find out if Renesmee truly doesn't want to be with us. Bella has to put her shield around her. After that, if Renesmee does not snap out of it, I will not know what I should do. Do I leave her here at her will? Or do I force her to come back with us? I looked at Renesmee and thought, 'Please Renesmee sweetie, look deep down inside and remember who your true family is.'

I turned to Bella. "Sweetie, you have to put your shield around Renesmee!"

Bella raised her head slightly to look at me, but she was still bent over. "Why? There is no point. She is gone. We lost her. She will never come back to us and it is my entire fault. I expected this. Everything and everyone I love always gets torn away from me." Bella put her head back down.

I went down onto the floor and kneeled down beside Bella.

"Bella look, its Chelsea. Remember she influences the ties of relationships. This is not Renesmee speaking right now. Chelsea is making her thinkshe wants to stay with the Volturi. She really does not. Don't you see this Bella?"

"Of course. That has to be it!" In one blink Bella was standing now and she put her shield around Renesmee.

I could tell it worked. Renesmee's head fell back slightly as she let out a big breath. Her hands were open and her palms were facing towards us. As soon as she put her head back straight she started crying. Her hands were not into tight fists. Tears automatically just started flowing down her face. I had never seen her cry this much before. Even from the first day she was born. I had never seen her in this agonizing pain. I felt it in the pit of my chest. Like something was ripping my heart out. I grabbed my chest but that did no good. The pain did not go away. It spread through my whole body.

"Mom! Dad! I didn't mean it. I-I-I swear. I don't know why I said those things. I miss y-y-you. I love you. I want to go back h-h-home." She could barely speak since she was crying so much. She fell to the floor and picked up her necklace. She closed it in her hands and put it to her heart and closed her eyes.

Jacob fell to the floor like Jane was torturing him. But that was not possible since he was inside Bella's shield as well.

I forgot Jacob didn't have the energy like us vampires. We didn't need rest. Jacob was probably exhausted. This was a lot for him to take in. His mind wasn't working right now. He wasn't thinking anything. He just kept repeating Renesmee's name. I guess the frustration from wanting to change so badly got the best of him.

"Jacob!" Renesmee got up and started to run towards Jacob.

"I don't think so!" Marcus grabbed Renesmee by the arm and flung her to the floor behind him.

Renesmee screamed at the top of her lungs as he threw her. She hit the floor - hard. She did not move.

Jacob was still on the floor. As soon as Jacob heard her scream his eyes open fiercely. His pupils dilated.

It was time to attack. He touched Renesmee. That was it. That set me off. I went to attack him but out of nowhere Nahuel came.

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" Nahuel jumped on top of Marcus and they both flew across the room.