The Painter

Chapter 33

"Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness..."~ Ayn Rand

~O~

Green stood at the tree line, defiantly beautiful and raging red as haze gray swirled around him. His eyes darted to hers with so much pain and emotion that she could barely fathom the intensity from someone she newly met. But, as the smoke twisted up his body, his eyes deadened and his soul seemed to fall victim to Alec's gift.

Bella screamed and ran towards him but it was then that she saw that Edward wasn't alone. Her movement stunted with horror. In the distance, all of the Cullen's stood under the canopy of leaves, as motionless as if they were Medusa's ornamental stone statues with moss, bushes, and ferns underfoot.

Alec's hands held the plumes of smoke that controlled the six vampires around him. His eyes were bright and watchful at his trapped prey as he waited for Bella to react. Bella watched in agony as the spirals moved around them like fingers, clutching at their throats and blinding their eyes.

"Stop it!" Bella cried out, covering her face with her hands as her fingers pulled at her hair.

Alec kept his hands up, holding them all in place. "Stop me, Bella," He smirked.

Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly walked toward Alec. She looked at him, pleading, but he remained unmoved.

She suddenly remembered the fishing net and imagined throwing it over all of the Cullen's but nothing happened.

Over and over she threw the imaginary net at the other vampires as Alec just laughed, "Try Bella. You can't just imagine it- actually do it!"

"I can't!" She sobbed, breathing heavy.

"Hmm, she can't, she says. So, which should I kill first?" He sneered with a wicked smirk.

Bella fell to her knees, screaming out in anguish, but Alec just shook his head in disappointment.

He didn't pay her theatrics any notice as he stood concentrating on his wrath-like power of submission.

He enjoyed this part of himself, having acute control and dominance over a number of vampires at once, all much larger and stronger than him.

The feeling of power was intoxicating.

He didn't realize he missed it this much upon leaving Volterra.

Bella eyes found Alec and she seethed white hot anger toward the vampire. She stood up with tight fists, but he couldn't worry about the small human girl. He turned to look at her with curiosity before turning back to face the six he was holding.

"You may be stronger than you think you are, Bella. But it's all about your will. Will you save Edward? Will you save Alice? Come on. I know you can do it."

Bella had enough. She was tired and hungry but mostly enraged that some asshole would come and take her from her home, hide her in the woods, and then use her to trap her vampire family.

But what Bella didn't know was Alec was also holding two other vampires at bay. Demetri and James stood frozen on opposite sides of the Cullen's hidden in the trees.

She ran at him, not really knowing how strong vampires were compared to her, but she couldn't have any fear. She suspected that Alec needed her and probably wouldn't hurt her. That didn't mean he wouldn't hurt the Cullen's.

Pushing him as hard as she could, he barely moved but it was enough to stop the flow of the vapor and dissolve it even if it was for a moment. It was like running into a wall and Bella's body hurt with the impact.

Jasper was the first to reach Alec, followed by Emmett and they pinned Alec's arms to his side, holding his hands closed into fists at his side.

"I wasn't going to hurt her!" Alec yelled but he was so much smaller than the other two vampires that held him. He was no match for them without the use of his hands.

"Hold him, but don't hurt him," Carlisle said as he bounded forward. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around Alec's arms.

No one noticed that Edward grabbed Bella up in his arms and ran into the woods, not even taking the chance to look back.

He wanted to get his mate safe and as far from Alec as he could.

It wasn't until they were back at the small cottage by a lake that he finally put her down on her feet. But she still was caged in between his arms to protect her, as he opened the front door. Once the door was swiftly opened, and he pulled her safely inside, he finally exhaled.

His eyes and hands fluttered over her looking for marks, breaks, or bruises, only calming once he knew she was completely unscathed from the whole encounter.

"I'm fine." She grinned. "I really am. He was only trying to save me from James and teach me about my gifts."

His lips found hers; pecking her mouth with soft kisses as his hands grasped the sides of her face, holding her to him.

She could have sworn she heard him sob and she turned her head as he rested his mouth on the base of her neck. She breathed out, rubbing her hands up and down his back to comfort him. He kissed her neck, moving over her throbbing artery, kissing her life force.

Each fluid thump calmed his mind.

"Really, I am fine, Edward."

He stopped kissing her to look into her eyes, forest green emeralds to barky brown agate, and saw that she truly was okay.

"I was so afraid of losing you when I just got you," he sighed, resting his forehead on hers. They stood just like that for a while, just breathing each other in. It could have been minutes or even hours, neither seemed to mind.

But eventually, Bella pulled back to ask, "What will happen to Alec?"

Edward shrugged; he couldn't care what would happen to the vampire at the moment. But deep down he knew that if something did happen to the Volturi guardsman at their hands, there would be Hell to pay from Volterra. "Honestly, I don't know. It's up to my dad, ultimately. I am guessing he may be inclined to contact Aro, but perhaps not. He did kidnap a human, which isn't unheard of with our kind-"

"Saved me from James, you mean."

Edward sighed, "But the fact that it was a human being who is a vampire's future vampire mate- might make things different."

"He wasn't trying to end you all. He told me that and I believe him," Bella sighed as she moved to the couch. She was suddenly too exhausted to stand. "He was trying to teach me to use my shield so I could help him- so we could help him get his freedom from his sister and the Volturi."

"Really?" Edward asked, pulling away and running his hand through his hair. "I kind of got a bit of that from his mind, but I didn't know for sure."

Bella nodded her assurance and Edward pulled out his cell phone and sat down on the couch next to her. He typed in a quick text and then set the phone on the table.

"I told Carlisle what you said; I hope that's alright."

Bella shrugged. All she wanted to do is take a nap. She yawned. "He has a date with Jessica tomorrow."

Edward shuddered. "Really?"

With a nod, Bella made her way to the couch and lay down.

"I guess it's fitting to have such a gift... Maybe he can calm her down."

"I don't know her well but she was kind to me."

Edward agreed. "She may be good for him although I can't imagine her as a vampire."

Bella scoffed. "I only know the Volturi through your stories and Alec's but I imagine her as a vampire in Volterra would gain them their freedom.

"True!" Edward grinned as he typed this new information to Carlisle.

"Charlie?" She asked tiredly.

Edward looked up to see Bella fading fast. "He's working. Blissfully oblivious to the day's events and we'd like it to stay that way. The less people like your father know about us, the better. We're already taking a risk with Alec knowing about you and our relationships with you. Aro would see that as a threat."

"How would he even know?" Her eyes fluttered before they shut.

"If Alec goes back to Aro, Aro can read it in his mind."

"Okay," Bella snuggled into Edward's arms even more and she quickly fell asleep.

.

The small stone and wood home was dark and quiet when Bella woke up to the smell of food roasting in the kitchen. She was alone in the bedroom, wrapped up in a soft down bedspread as amber and citrine flames licked at the wood in the stone fireplace. She slowly sat up on the bed and pulled back the lacy curtains to see outside.

The lake was bright like a moonstone mirror, reflecting the night sky and stars. Bella instantly wished she had an inky black painted canvas prepared for a night painting or a camera to capture the moment forever, but she had neither.

There was a soft knock on the door and Bella couldn't help but smile as Edward moved into the room with a familiar ease. He was freshly showered with new clothing and wet hair.

"How did you sleep?" He asked softly with an easy smile as he sat on the side of her bed.

"I slept really well, actually. Better than I have for a long time." She instantly pulls him to her and they lay back onto the bed, both curled together, face to face.

Eyes dance over features, searching and finding what they both seem to need.

"Good," he sighs with sweet, cool breath over her warm face. She's momentarily dazed and grins lazily as he lifts up his hand and pulled the wayward strands of hair away from her face. He put them behind her ear, grazing her cheek with his fingers.

Edward remained quiet, watching Bella for a few minutes before his soft lips formed a firm line with his silent thoughts.

"Any news?" She asks. Her eyes were suddenly clouded with worry as he looked away from her face and towards the fire.

"Well," Her huffed, pinching his brow, "We are in a difficult position, it seems. If we allow him stay here with us against the Volturi's consent or wishes it could be seen as something similar to treason. You see, Aro, Marcus, and Caius see Alec as one of their own- but it's more like possession aspect since he and his sister were changed by Aro, himself and Italy is all they've ever known. The fact that he left himself, without word, without his sister- is outstanding."

"How sad for him."

"You see, it's in their nature to want to protect themselves and their perceivable power over us all so they have a collection of powerful vampires, if you will, to protect them and their thrones. If we house and hide Alec, we face the same outcome. We don't really see an out one way or another and Alice can't seem to see anything of the future… yet. So that makes everything inherently more troublesome."

"So it's quite a predicament he's put your family in," Bella said with a frown. "He said he was going to change me into a vampire and teach me to control my gift. He thinks it's similar to his, yours; a mental gift instead of physical one."

Edward sat there for a moment, contemplating her words. "It very well could be as innocent as you say but I refuse to let him change you just because it would suit him. He needs a different plan to get out of the Volturi's grasp. They won't let go easily or willingly.

"Not to mention the amount of damage he could do to anyone and everyone human and vampire alike. He'd be The Black Death personified."

"I don't think it's that complicated. He was constantly texting Jessica on his phone." She remembered.

"I caught a glimpse of that. It's good that he has a distraction!"

"I guess its fate, then," Bella giggled, shaking her head. She knew Jessica and how much she enjoyed the visual and auditory pleasure that was Edward. She could imagine what Jessica would be like with Alec and gaining his undivided attention. Bella laughed at that, "Maybe he should text Aro, 'met a chick, BBL."

"BBL?"

"Be back later."

"Ah. It may actually be a good idea." Edward mused. "Perhaps once a decision has been made Alice may see something new."

"Well, problem solved." Bella laughed and Edward looked at her curiously. "He can eventually change Jessica into a vampire and take her on a honeymoon to Volterra. She talks so much that she would drive everyone insane and they'd beg them to leave. His numbing gift might be needed to tolerate her but in a bit of retribution he withholds his gift as they slowly go insane!" She giggled.

"You're bloody brilliant," he gasped, laughing. "As funny as that would be, part of that just might be something to consider."

"I was joking. We wouldn't know if they were even meant for each other. Mates, as you call us and the others."

"He wouldn't be interested in her at all if they weren't compatible, I would think. He would've been indifferent to her advances. Just as I was to hers before you got here."

"She advanced on you? Ugh, I kind of hate her, right now." Bella pouted prettily.

"You should," Edward chuckled, pulling her to him and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. He took his time kissing her and taking in her alluring scent.

But then her stomach growled just as his cell phone rang.

Edward bounded forward to answer it, "Hello, Alice."

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading and your kind reviews.