Author's Note: I know people have been asking where the horror aspect of this fic will be coming in, and well, it really starts in this chapter. There will be more in coming chapters. When I labeled this as horror, I meant it for the graphic nature of the violence that will be happening. This isn't your run-of-the-mill romance. Blood and gore will play a part in this story. Don't worry, horror-lovers. More is on the way. Anyways, keep reviewing and enjoy!
Winter came and went in Forks. The fall semester of school ended, and I surprised myself with the great grades I received. As soon as finals ended, Emmett dragged me to go snowboarding with him and the others, which ended as badly as you could imagine. I twisted an ankle pretty bad and almost broke an arm. But it was fun none-the-less. The event just reiterated my warning that I was a walking disaster.
Christmas was a big deal, which was very different for me. I was used to getting one or two gifts from Charlie (either some electronic device or gift cards) and making breakfast for him on Christmas morning. Instead, we were invited to the Cullens, who had a huge party Christmas Eve. Their house was gorgeous when decorated with garlands, tinsel, ornaments, and trees. Charlie and I were also invited over on Christmas day for dinner, and we had a turkey dinner with all the sides one could ever want. I imagined how excited Esme was for cooking it. Charlie even commented that she was trying to stuff us to death.
Went it came to presents, I was shocked by the amount I received. Alice and Jasper bombarded me with new clothes of all kinds, from dresses, to coats and hoodies, to jeans and shirts. It was crazy. Alice at least was subtle in the styles, making me wonder if Edward helped her. Emmett gave me top-grade motorcycle gear, for whenever I would try riding again. He said Rosalie helped, though from the glares she gave me, I doubted that. Charlie, Carlisle and Esme surprised me with a surprise trip to Phoenix, to visit Renee when I could. I thought that was a sweet gift. What was nicer was that there was an extra ticket for Edward. Knowing Renee, she'd be ecstatic to meet my boyfriend. Edward gave me a precious gift. It was a charm bracelet. It was gold with various small charms. He told me that the bracelet itself was his real mother's. Charms including a book, a piano key, a heart, a few stars, and the letters B and E dangled along my wrist as I wore it. I promised that I would take special care of it.
I visited La Push around the holidays as well. Tension between Jacob and me really didn't change since the creation of the treaty. But he was getting better. When he found out I hurt myself while snowboarding, he almost morphed, blaming the Cullens for putting me in danger. His anger managing seriously needed to be worked on. As the holidays passed, he promised me he would try and "accept" my relationship with Edward and the rest of the Cullens. As a belated Christmas gift, he presented me with a hand-made wolf charm for my bracelet. He "wanted himself represented" on it as well. Both of us made plans to re-try motorcycling once the snow melted, especially after I showed him my new gear.
When the spring semester began, I was a little disappointed that Edward and I weren't in any classes together. This time around, I was in a class with Eric and a class with Jessica. Edward started eating with us at lunch on the days that he could, and my friends started warming up to him. Charlie didn't work as hard, so he slowly regained his strength. He became chummy with Carlisle, even spending free time with him on occasion.
Everything was falling to a perfect rhythm…until one Saturday in early March.
Edward and I decided to spend some time away from everyone, in that beautiful clearing by his house. Spring came early for once, making me very happy. The flowers were beginning to bloom once again, and the sun was bright and warm that day. I loved the bubble Edward and I created when we were together. Nothing else in the world mattered when it was just him and me. The sun warmed his cold skin for a while as we lay side by side on a thick blanket over the grass. His electrifying touch made me shiver as he traced small trails along my arms and stomach over my shirt. I had grown used to his red eyes and fangs in the sunlight, actually growing excited every time I could see it, since it was so different than how he usually looked.
"Are you that worried about your Chemistry exam?" he asked me softly. I sighed, regretting that I chose chemistry as my science course fulfillment. I was struggling with it lately, and even with Edward's expertise, I was nervous about an upcoming midterm.
"I'm horrible at memorizing formulas. Remember how our last study session went? Ugh…" I pouted. Edward smiled at me, and I saw his fangs gleam in the sunlight.
"I do, but I also remember how I was able to relax you…" His tone changed into a flirty one, making me blush. Lately, doing that to me was his favorite hobby. He said the color brought out my eyes; made me look more alive. But I attributed it to the fact that he just liked getting a rise out of me. "Do you need to be relaxed again?" He asked, and I stared into his endless crimson eyes. Then I lightly smacked him, and we both laughed.
"Don't think you can seduce me that easily, Mr. Cullen." I stuck my tongue out.
"Oh, no?" He snickered before instantly appearing above me, resting his hands around my wrists at the sides of my head. It took a moment for me to catch my breath as the hunger in his eyes resonated within me. "From the sensations coming from your body by merely this action, I'd like to think that it is quite in fact, that easy." His face stood inches from mine; our noses barely touching. I felt as though I could explode outside of myself at any moment.
We had been a couple for months at this point, but never had we crossed the line in physical interaction. Edward had told me once long before that his resistance to my blood took a decent amount of energy to uphold, and the thought of being intimate with me in a more physical sense worried him. He was scared of hurting me accidentally, or lapsing in control for a second, which could result in biting me. I asked him once why it would be so hard, and he told me that long before he became a 'vegetarian', he had a rebellious phase against Carlisle's way of life, ran off, and slept with (and fed off of) many female humans. That the intimacy he shared with them was only so he could feed on them later. That his aggression through thirst didn't matter to him at those times. If he accidentally ripped a girl apart, who cared? But his feelings for me, he told, made him want to take special care of me. That if we were ever to be that intimate, he wanted it to be meaningful, gentle, and not dangerous. In order for that to happen, he had to gain better control over himself.
My reaction after that discussion was double sided. On the outside, I acted understanding and reassuring to him. On the inside, I was very worried. A small part of me wondered if he actually "wanted" me that way, or if he was just making excuses to calm my "human nerves" about the matter. Even though I rationally knew that wasn't true, I couldn't help that train of thought from popping in my head from time to time. If you're dating a model, and you find yourself to be average, you'd be self-conscious about sex, too. These thoughts I kept to myself when I was alone, in fear of him catching a glimpse of them.
"O-okay…so I lied…" I bit my lip, trying to calm my breathing. Some clouds passed over us, and for a few long seconds, I watched as Edward's eyes swirled back into gold as he stared at me longingly.
"Stay still." He sounded hoarse. I didn't dare move when I saw the intensity in his eyes. His head lowered towards mine very slowly, and I closed my eyes as he lightly kissed my neck. My blood had to be pumping erratically, and my nerves shot up at the thought of him possibly biting me. Did he have enough control? I could smell vanilla and cinnamon from his soft hair as it danced along the side of my face. His chest pressed against mine while his lips grazed along the bottom of my ear to the crook of my neck and shoulder. My fingers squeezed his tightly to let him know I was enjoying it, though I had a feeling he already knew.
"E—Edward…" I quietly moaned aloud. I shut myself up in embarrassment from that outburst. Edward chuckled against my skin. He was enjoying this a little too much. Off in the distance, I could hear sirens blaring. It distracted me for a moment, before Edward's lips overwhelmed me as they trailed across my jaw line, to my mouth. His kiss was hungry; searching along with mine. I had never felt so much power behind a kiss between him before. It excited me all the more. He let go of my wrists, and my fingers found his back; my nails digging into his nice shirt as I clung to him. His cold form felt refreshing against my burning one.
"EDWARD! BELLA!" Alice's screeching made both of us jolt up, letting go of each other. Exasperated, I gulped in as much air as I could while I noticed Edward's face twist into horror and anger. Alice appeared before us, looking worried and serious. Within seconds, the rest of the Cullens joined her side with the same expressions. Edward pulled me to my feet, holding me against his chest in a protective stance.
"How long?" He hissed.
"Five minutes. Maybe ten. I'm not sure. They're moving awfully fast."
"Damnit…" Edward growled.
"What? What's going on?" I asked, filling with worry myself.
"That's not enough time to get her out of here. We'll have to protect her," Carlisle said, glancing at me.
"But she's what they will want!" Edward snarled.
"Who?" I called out, making sure I was being heard.
"The Volturi," Alice said, looking at me with sad eyes. "Laurent went to them. I tried to watch his decisions, but he got too far away. He tricked me…"
"He's with them too, isn't he?" Edward asked. Alice simply nodded. My entire body began to shake as the terror of what could be happening came upon me.
"They're…they're here?" I whispered. "For me?"
"Shh, Bella. You'll be safe." Edward tried to reassure me. But it wasn't working. His grip tightened around me, and I felt like a doll.
Don't pass out, don't pass out, I thought. Every red flag inside my head was going up, and all I wanted to do was run.
"Jane is with them, Edward," Alice remarked.
"Who else, Alice?" Carlisle piped in. Alice's eyes narrowed as she tried to think.
"Caius, I think," she said. I heard Esme gasp.
"Everyone crowd together," Carlisle said. Edward rushed me to the other Cullens. "I'll do my best to handle this," he said. His voice was wavering. Even Carlisle was nervous. That couldn't be good.
Not good at all.
"Four minutes," Alice announced. "From the east side." We all turned to face that direction. I heard more sirens in the distance, and prayed Charlie wasn't nearby. I noticed that the clouds above became very dark, blocking out the sun.
"Bella, don't say anything, and stay at Edward's side. If it's you that they want, we will fight," Carlisle said. Rosalie made a protesting sound, but I was too terrified to look at her.
Everyone froze as I caught sight of three figures gliding through the woods. Two were shrouded in long, black robes. The same from one of my very own dreams. My nightmares really were coming to life. And knowing how they ended, I couldn't begin to imagine what the real possibilities were. Laurent was behind them, looking smug. The shrouded figure in front was much shorter than the one behind it. Three pairs of red eyes stared at us as they came closer.
"Look what we have here? See? I wasn't lying to you," Laurent thick accent slithered while the three stopped a few yards away from us. The two other figures stayed silent, but their off-white hands rose from their sides and lowered their hoods.
The one in front looked no older than 14. Long, pale-blonde hair flowed out of the hood and down her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark red. I assumed her to be Jane. Her face was stoic, but I could sense how unpleased she was. How could everyone be so fearful of a little girl? I thought randomly. Her red eyes darted towards me, and I lost myself in the bloody shade of her pupils.
"Not yet, Jane," the taller figure said. I turned my gaze from the teenage vampire to the young man standing beside her. His skin was strikingly translucent, and I thought I could see through it almost. It reminded me of a white plastic bag, but his crimson eyes stood out and were as daunting as Jane's. Shoulder-length, straight white hair hung around his serious face. The younger-looking vampire frowned a little.
"Caius, it's been too long," Carlisle said. I could smell blood in the air, and I turned to see Laurent licking his lips.
"Ah, yes, Carlisle. Aro has been wishing for you to visit him," the male vampire said. "He would have come here himself, but you know how busy he gets."
"Of course," Carlisle replied. Edward's frozen body was stiff around me. "What brings you here, so far from Volterra?"
"We were informed of some 'misconduct'. Hearing your name pop up, we were very interested. So I decided to come here with Jane, to investigate the matter myself." I saw Jane's eyes widen.
"Misconduct?" Carlisle asked.
"Don't play us for fools, Carlisle Cullen," Jane spat. Her voice was cold; worse than I could ever imagine Rosalie to sound. "You know exactly what Caius speaks of." Her eyes darted back to Edward and me. "Playing with your food is bad enough, but intermingling with it is truly repulsive." Her voice was like venom, making me want to vomit.
"Jane is right, Carlisle. It has never been acceptable for us to have relations with our food." Caius sounded softer than Jane, but had the same disgust. Edward's hold tightened, and I feared I would forget to breathe.
"We are not harming anyone, Caius. Surely you know that. No one knows of our existence," Carlisle said. Caius glanced over at me and his crimson eyes narrowed.
"You are aware that if it was not for the fact that Aro and you have a past together, we would have destroyed you by now?" He spoke nonchalantly while watching me. Fear was overtaking my senses. These vampires were worse than anything horror could come up with. And I knew this just by hearing them speak.
"Yes, and I am very grateful that Aro has decided against that. But you also know that I have not caused any trouble, along with my coven, since I left." Jane sneered at Carlisle, and I heard Emmett hiss beside us. Caius glanced back to Carlisle.
"It is not you that I worry about, per se." Caius took a step forward. "Nomad. These two are the ones you identified, yes?" He pointed towards me and Edward. Laurent grinned and nodded.
"Yes, yes. That is them alright." He snickered wickedly, pushing one of his dreadlocks behind his shoulder. "I believe she was called 'part of the family'."
"I see," Caius said. "Edward Cullen," he began as he turned to us. "Do you admit you have a relationship with this…human?"
"True. Though I fail to see why it would upset the Volturi so much, knowing that I can handle myself quite well if the situation turned for the worse." Edward was trying to sound intimidating. I really wished he didn't. Caius's face didn't react at all.
"Intimidation won't work," Jane stated with a smile. With that, I felt Edward's hold weaken as a blood-curdling scream erupted from his mouth above me. His eyes were wide open as he grabbed his head in pain, letting me go.
"Edward?" I cried out, horrified. How was he in pain out of nowhere? The veins in his face protruded against his skin as the rest of him writhed. I tried to run to his side, but Jasper grabbed onto me, holding me back.
"It's a shame, really. You could have avoided this if you accepted Aro's offer before," Caius said, still as stoic. Jane's face was one of pure delight as her eyes concentrated on Edward. His screams burned through the synapses in my brain, and I knew they would haunt me.
"Stop it! Please! He didn't do anything wrong!" I exclaimed. Caius and Jane both looked at me fiercely. Edward suddenly fell to the ground, limp. He struggled to prop himself up on his elbows.
"What are you to designate our rules?" Jane hissed. I heard Laurent snicker at their side.
"Please, Caius. Let me explain," Carlisle pleaded, obviously shaken. The other Cullens were frozen in place, angering me that no one was helping Edward up. I fought against Jasper's strong hold.
"Explanations are for Aro, not for me. I came to see if you violated our rules, and I can see with my own eyes that you have." Caius's voice condemned us. Jane smiled at me, and I could see her perfect teeth and fangs. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me.
"No!" Edward cried weakly. "Bel-la!" He fought to get to his feet. Jasper snarled towards Jane. I then realized that Jane had caused Edward his pain. Ever hair on my body stood up. She could do that? Without even blinking? No wonder she was part of the guard.
"Jane," Caius encouraged. She nodded.
"With pleasure," she said sweetly, making my stomach churn. Her eyes widened. I stood there, also frozen against Jasper. Edward coughed up some strange liquid as he tried to balance on his legs, making his way towards me. All I could do was keep my eyes on Jane's. Was I going to die like this?
It felt like hours were passing by. Jane's face began to fall, warping into a frustrated expression. Laurent was laughing quietly to himself while Edward staggered towards me. Jane shook her head, stared at Jasper, and I felt him let go of me and cry out in pain.
"Jasper!" Alice cried, grabbing onto him. Edward made his way to me, taking my hands into his. I noticed Jane's eyes refocusing on me. Her fangs revealed themselves as she growled in anger.
"Stop this, please!" Esme begged. Jasper was whimpering into Alice's chest as she held him like a small child. Emmett hissed, and I thought that if Carlisle wasn't there, he would have tried starting a brawl at this point.
"Is something the matter, Jane?" Caius asked. Jane snarled.
"Why? Why isn't it affecting you?" She growled at me. Edward pulled me back into his hold. Caius's eyes widened a little.
"How can that be so?" He wondered aloud, puzzled. Laurent burst out into laughter, making all of us turn towards him.
"I thought you were all mighty and powerful. But you can't even kill a human? Why did I even think about joining you?" Laurent burst out, holding his side in laughter.
"You actually thought you could join the Volturi?" Caius said. I imagined flames engulfing Jane from her furious expression from his insult. Laurent's laughter subsided and his face became one of confusion.
"I was told that I could. I gave you what you wanted, didn't I?" he said. Jane's hands were shaking at her sides, worrying me.
"But you created a spectacle of yourself here. That is a violation of our rules, as well. Didn't you know that?" Caius stated. "You were overtly theatrical in your feedings, which could have exposed us. In that aspect, we are lucky that the Cullens were not revealed because of you before."
"What? No! You said it was alright! It was my reward! You said I could take as many as I wanted at that intersection! You…you lied to me!" Laurent accused, stepping back. I saw fear in his crimson eyes.
"Who said we would be truthful to a simple-minded nomad like you?" Caius said. Laurent turned away to run, but was suddenly frigid in place, screaming in horrible pain.
"How dare you insult the Volturi." Jane growled; watching, along with the rest of us, as Laurent shrieked. His arms and legs bent in awkward positions, as the crackling sounds of snapping bones mixed with his screams.
"Please-AHHH!" Laurent begged through gasps. Jane smiled unnaturally sweetly. His body flipped around so we could all see his anguished face. I couldn't pull my gaze away from the frightening sight before me. He fell to his broken knees, and was trying to fight against the power as much as he could. This was worse than anything I had ever seen in my life. Worse than that night I was attacked. Worse than that night Edward fed before me. The screaming of this nomad as every bone in his body shattered was worse than any noise that bumped in the night.
"Bored now," Jane said matter-of-factly. Thin trails of blood poured from his eye sockets, running down his dark skin. Blood began to drip of out his ears, soaking his hair and jacket. Blood seeped through his lips and drizzled down his quivering neck. A strange liquid, like the kind Edward just coughed up, came out along with the blood. It was an off-green color, and shimmered among the oozing crimson. The veins inside his face erupted like miniature volcanoes, and I screamed as blood shot out of his face, splashing across the once-white flowers below. Some splattered along Jane's face, and she licked the blood along her lips gracefully as Laurent's screaming became hoarse.
"Jane, enough playing," Caius said, sounding a little irritated. Jane pouted briefly before nodding. She smiled at Laurent like a child smiling at her favorite relative. It unnerved me to see such a beautiful young girl being so evil. Without hesitation, she blinked her eyes, and I watched on in terror as Laurent's limbs tore away from his body. Blood, muscle, and skin became debris around the meadow while Laurent's head shattered into thousand small pieces. All that was left of him were his clothes and some scraps of what used to be his torso. Caius casually waved a finger at his side, and the remnants burst into flames.
"Oh my god…" I whispered in complete shock at what I had just seen. Their gaze returned to Edward and me, and I fought back the urge to throw up as the scent of blood and that strange liquid, mixed with charred skin and leather wafted in our direction.
"Now, what are we going to do with you?" Caius asked. Jane gawked at me angrily, and I felt all blood drain from my face as I realized that I could be next.