Disclaimer: I own nothing. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer.

Chapter 2: Tensions Rising

Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it

-Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

MARIA WASN'T USED TO LOSING.

For the past century, she'd been the unmatched ruler of the south. Occasionally a fractional group would start up here or there and she'd let them grow somewhat before letting her own lot loose and culling them.

Her people couldn't afford to get complacent.

She was the sire of the Major and his Captain, had pulled their strings and controlled their very thoughts. There had been a time where she had only to twitch her finger and one of them would unleash their fury upon whichever unfortunate soul happened to upset her. She'd also been the one to kill them both for their eventual insubordination.

At least, according to the rumours.

The point was, Maria had been a queen in her own right for decades, and nothing or nobody had come even close to challenging her.

Until now.

Talk of the Volturi's presence in the South had spread quite quickly, their strong scents carrying easily on the gusty winds of the desert, and they hadn't been idle.

The sun was steadily creeping above the horizon, splashing the sky with reds and oranges, and Maria cocked her head to the side, deep in concentration.

Just yesterday word came that Raoul and his army had been destroyed. He had been the second-largest army here, hardly a threat to her but enough of a menace to keep her own people on their toes.

They'd had a deal, of sorts, agreeing to tentative land boundaries that were tested every now and again.

The Volturi had lain waste to every last one of them, and what little possessions they had they'd burned in the pyre that the sparkling bodies had been tossed onto. The cloying smell of burning flesh had hung in the air for hours before being swept down into Mexico, and she knew that it was no coincidence.

Her army...they weren't ready. Their occasional skirmish with Roul's lot was hardly child's play in comparison to the skill the Volturi had. Her own had grown lazy, complacent with the easy lifestyle she'd allowed them to have.

What Major would have done had he still been there? Would he cull the entire lot and start anew? Or would he strike the fear of God into them and whip them into shape?

Then again, if he was still there, they would never have gotten so lazy. Killian was an adequate replacement for the Major, but he was nowhere near as good. Nobody ever was.

As the sun crept steadily in the glowing orange sky, she turned to face the camp. Newborns were scattered about the place, some fucking, others feeding savagely from the night's hunt. They didn't bother to cower away as she passed, though they did tense and a warning growl started in their throats. They didn't turn their head away from her as they should have, some didn't even lower their eyes in submission.

One redhead, turned a week earlier and still crazed from the scents swirling around the place, openly growled at her, ruby eyes flashing in challenge. She didn't understand why she had to wait until Maria told her to eat. She was thirsty all the time. Why couldn't she just feed? Why did she have to run a perimeter? Why couldn't she go home?

Maria smiled, standing to her full height. She was the picture of ferocious beauty, battle scars displayed proudly in the dying sunlight. The redhead had the common sense to shrink away slightly, eyes lowered to the ground as her instincts screamed at her run. Maria growled, baring her teeth as she slowly sunk into an offensive crouch, springing as the newborn tried to flee. In a swift, practised movement that was more elegant than violent, Maria wrenched the girl's head off, her arms and legs quickly following suit. A lighter was dropped on the body pieces, an instant pyre with plumes of purple smoke billowing into the darkening sky.

"Killian," she called, strong voice ringing out across the camp. The raven-haired vampire appeared by her side in five seconds, which was four seconds longer than the Major used to take. She settled for glaring at him. He didn't greet her as the Major used to either, standing slouched as he wrinkled his nose at the pyre. "See to it that she is replaced. And train the others up. Inspection by sun-up." She started to walk away, choosing to pointedly ignore his half-hearted nod and eye-roll. "Oh and Killian?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"If they are not to my satisfaction, it will be you getting replaced next." And then she sauntered into the tent.

"What is taking so long?" Alec paced restlessly, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Demetri laughed, leaning languidly against the wall.

"Chill out. They're probably toying with their food. You know Isabella and her games." His nonchalant eye-roll was met with a scoff.

"Yeah, or they're halfway to hell for all we know." Felix, exasperated with his coven mate's impatience, threw a rotted piece of wood at him.

"You know Jane would never desert the Volturi. Her bond to us and Aro is stronger than her infatuation with the newbie." Felix scrunched up his nose. He never did like Isabella all that much. Sure, she was an absolute bombshell, but she made him nervous, weary. And the way he caught her eyeing him sometimes made him both excited and terrified.

He didn't like it.

Alec just huffed and resumed his pacing. He didn't like how obsessed his twin was with the newcomer. She seemed to abandon all logic and reason when it came to the buxom brunette. Just then, the doors burst open. Alec whipped around as Demetri dropped into a protective crouch and Felix emitted a terrifying warning growl.

Isabella's tinkering laugh reached them as they watched her dance in, closely followed by a beaming Jane. The scent of sex and blood coated them thickly. Demetri straightened, adjusting his suddenly too-tight trousers. Alec's eyes practically bugged out of their sockets.

"Boys…" purred Isabella, leaning against the table. Her eyes danced with mirth when they connected with Alec's. She winked. "What's next on the agenda? Maria?" Her eyes were alight with the prospect of another fight. Her tiger lashed out, power pulsing in the room.

"No. We wait for her to come to us." Demetri pushed off from the wall, fingers flexing and relaxing repeatedly. Isabella, glimpsing his mind, smirked. It appeared the Tracker was equal parts bored and excitable. The prospect of battle was enough to send any vampire into an excited frenzy, but it was the waiting that made this particular mission so boring. Isabella pouted.

"Why, what's the point? If she's going to die anyway, why prolong it? I mean, wouldn't you rather be back in Volterra?" She raised a sardonic brow, baiting them. Felix shrugged.

"Volterra can get pretty boring. At least here, there's something to do. I can only beat this guy so many times before it gets pathetic." He nodded to Santiago, who'd been sat in the corner silently.

"You have never actually beaten me, Felix. Stop lying to yourself." The dark-skinned vampire had a smirk on his face as he watched the indignation rise in the burly vampire.

"Yes, I have!"

"Mmm, no, you haven't." The two continued to bicker, to which Isabella merely smiled.

"There really is a simple way to sort this out, you know." She smiled widely as she sauntered over to Santiago. She ignored the burning gaze on her back as Jane grasped wistfully at the spot where the brunette just was.

"No." Alec shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not. This isn't a playground, Isabella. We're here for one reason, and one reason only." Jane jumped up, scowling at her brother.

"Yes, but this surely won't interfere. We have at least a few hours to wait until Maria attacks us. There is no real reason not to." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at her brother. Santiago jumped up, stretching.

"Well, let's get on with it. The ladies demand a show and who are we to deny them?" smiled Demetri, pushing off the wall. He gave Isabella a wide smile before pushing Felix and Santiago out the door. Alec followed behind them, spluttering uselessly. Isabella whooped, leaning against the shed as Jane stood with her. Alec refused to take part, choosing to sulk apart from the excited group.

The tracker dubbed himself the umpire, declaring that Felix and Santiago were to go three rounds. First to inflict a mortal wound, or first to dismember. Then, with a wink to the girls, he put his fingers to his lips and whistled.

Isabella was almost taken off guard when the two charged for each other. Santiago was a moderately built vampire, tall and leaner than Felix by far but bulkier that Demetri's especially slim frame. His dreads were pulled back in a low ponytail, almost floating in the breeze as he danced away from a swipe of Felix's large paws.

Felix growled, smirking as he stuck out a foot to trip up the dark vampire, managing to get his arms around him. Jane tsked, and they all went still as Felix placed his mouth by Santiago's throat. Demetri cackled from the side, calling out Felix's win. The entire thing could not have taken more than a minute, but it was long enough for Isabella to get a good idea of how the vampires worked.

Felix was obviously big and strong, his strength matching only Emmett's. But with size came a distinct lack of speed, which Santiago more than made up for. Even in battle, Isabella had noticed how quick the dark-skinned vampire was. Even more so than the tracker, which was probably why Aro kept him for so long. That and he was a formidable fighter. Even so, Felix was no easy vampire to beat. Every move, while somewhat sloppy, had incredible power behind it, allowing him to knock a vampire off their feet even in one hit.

Santi- as he had insisted she call him- had flipped the two up, eyes narrowed as they circled each other. Once again, Felix made the first lunge, hands clawed and outstretched in an effort to capture the smaller vampire. Santiago smirked, feigning left before slipping under the large vampire, grabbing his leg and pulling. The two crashed to the floor, the noise deafening and ricocheting in the silence of the desert.

Isabella squealed in delight as the two exchanged blows, cracks blemishing their marble skin. Felix roared, as Santiago managed to twist his arm around, a resounding crack alerting them all to how close it was ripping clean of Felix's body. The burly vampire bucked wildly, an edge of desperation tinging his movements. This fight was taking much longer, but nobody seemed to note the setting sun, or the promise of a new day.

Isabella practically purred as felt the pulse of power, raw, untamed, wild. It was positively exhilarating watching these beasts (for they had shed their human persona quickly) and relent to their instincts. It seemed that Santiago had the upper hand, and Isabella was vibrating with anticipation as he reared back his head, baring his venom coated teeth when, with startling speed that nobody imagined the larger vampire to have, Felix flipped them over, crushing his coven mate and yanking his head so sharply to the left that cracks appeared on his neck.

"Boo yah!" Felix let out an exultant cry, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. Santiago grumbled, but got up and dusted himself off, shoving Felix's shoulder good-naturedly. The two joked, and the quick vampire turned to the girls and shrugged. Bella shot him a bright smile and turned to Demetri expectantly. He laughed.

"Oh no way. Uh-uh." He shook his head, and Felix smirked.

"What, scared I'll beat you again?" His goading smile only elicited a small growl from the tracker, who folded his arms over his chest.

"For the last time, you have never beaten me! Besides, I don't fight for nothing. There is no incentive; what would I be fighting for?" He shot a smug look to the burly vampire, seeing his pout and speculative gaze.

"Me." They all looked to her, surprised. She simply smiled wider, shrugging. "A docile, pliant, submissive me for twenty-four hours." Her smile was dazzling as she watched the men's gazes darken, nostrils flaring. Beside her, Jane simmered, anger mounting as she saw the lust for the woman who should be hers skyrocket. Demetri smirked, cracking his fingers before smirking.

"Well then, big guy. Bring it on." The two sunk into a low crouch and Bella leaned forward, eyes bright as she watched them circle each other. Even Alec, brooding and disapproving, was intrigued. The four spectators watched the two assess each other, make feints which the other picked up on before resuming the calculated dance.

The wind shifted then, and as Isabella inhaled, she released a deep, threatening growl. The sudden sound of footsteps, loud and getting louder, reached them. Felix and Demetri stopped, pulling straight out of their crouches. Bella pulled out of her instinctive growl, releasing a tinkling laugh.

"Looks like this has to be saved for later. The show has just arrived."

Maria was wary as her army approached, the strong, unmistakable scents of the Volturi hanging thick in the air. She recognised Jane, Alec, Demetri and Felix, but there was one other male she'd never encountered before, and a female whose scent was dark and alluring, enticing her to continue even if it be to her own death; there was raw power in the scent and Maria could only dream of the possibilities of holding such power herself.

Despite being well into the territory that they had marked as theirs, they heard nothing. Not even the breathing that most vampires kept up despite its uselessness. The place appeared abandoned and Maria had to wonder if they had fled at the sign of her coming.

The thought brought a smile to her lips, which was quickly wiped as she saw them, stood in the standard 'V' formation in the dramatic black hoods which concealed their faces. She was right in the normal four from the Elite Guard had come, the male at the back of the group standing at about six foot and with a moderate build. With no ability, Killian should easily be able to take him. The group was headed by the unknown female which only solidified her standing.

The army pulled to a stop some hundred yards from the guard, Killian making his way to the front. He had a cocky grin on his face, relaxed stance relaying his arrogance. He had fought larger armies and come out without a single fatality on his part. What need did his mistress have to fear a mere six? "Give up this land and its blood and you can live to see another day. Refuse and your ashes will blow to wherever the fuck you came from."

Though it had been enough previously to force even the most fearsome of warlords to concede, it only provoked a hearty laugh from the vampire heading the Volturi. Maria couldn't contain her small groan. Killian hadn't been there the last time that Aro had sent his guard. In fact, she'd never had any vampires after their visit, having to always start from scratch. He had no clue how easy it was when only four members of the lower guard came, let alone six from the Elite.

Isabella threw back her hood, sparkling blue eyes settling on the vampire at the front. He was handsome enough, she supposed, but his eyebrows were clearly groomed and he practically screamed 'High maintenance asshole' through every exfoliated pore.

"Step out, Maria. I never pegged you as one to hide behind glorified lackeys." Her voice was nonplussed as she dismissed him with the lazy flick of her fingers. Her eyes roved the amassed army before settling on the warlord who gazed back curiously. Her feet moved apparently of their own accord, and when she was stood beside her second-in-command, she let out a small growl, eyes narrowed. Bella merely smirked, hands disappearing into the folds of her robes.

She turned to Demetri, stood to her left. He stepped forward, throwing back his own hood. His ruby orbs settled on Maria. What unnerved the warlord the most was how easily they dismissed the group of snarling newborns to her back, as if they weren't there or inconsequential. As Demetri revealed himself, so did the rest of the guard, and she found herself the subject of all of their focus.

"Aro warned you before of the conspicuousness you were to keep, Maria. He was fair in leaving you with your life if you adhered to the rules." He cocked his head slightly. "The humans have started to take notice. There are task forces opening in the FBI to investigate the goings-on of the South."

"I have it all under control. Raoul and I had come to an understanding about things. The two of us were to run the South together with no squabbles over land. We were the only ones before you turned up." Maria couldn't keep the accusation out of her tone, words clipped and heavily accented. Jane hummed, scarlet eyes roving the newborns.

Killian sneered at her, before thrashing on the floor in agony. Maria jumped, and her army responded, snarls gaining volume. "I see you still haven't taught your toys any manners." Her voice was high, like bells in a cold winter breeze. Maria bit back her retort, shifting her focus to the brunette vampire who was watching her like a hawk, as if undressing her. It was unnerving to see the mortal eye-colour on a creature so anything but. Her perfectness screamed danger and it drew her in at the same time. She didn't even need to use whatever power she had; the sight of her alone was enough to fell an army.

"We do not need to have a confrontation, friends. I will see to it that my people leave no traces. There will be nothing for the FBI to trace. Nobody will suspect a thing."

Bella tutted. "That really is a shame, Maria. But I didn't come here looking for peace. I came for a fight. And," she sauntered closer, hips lulling them all into hypnosis. She was nose-to-nose with the warlord, smiling, "what I want, I usually get." She pulled Killian into her grasp, having recently been released by Jane, and stared into his eyes, her own darkening and bleeding red. His mind was easy to penetrate, fears easy to find and pull free.

She released him before dancing back to the guard, gleeful smile painted on her face. The arrogant vampire's face blanched, and he clutched at his hair, muttering "No, no, no" over and over again. Confused, Maria laid a hand on his shoulder, brows drawn in a deep frown. He growled, whirling on her, hands clawed as he swiped.

She didn't expect it and went crashing to the ground, Killian on her quickly. The snarling newborns at their back took it as their cue to attack and went charging with feral ferocity. They were starved, crazy, disorientated. They attacked each other, barely able to keep themselves on their feet.

The guard watched the pitiful display stoically. Felix finally became impatient and gripped a newborn by the neck, wrenching their head free from the body before throwing it onto the fire that Alec had started. It gave Isabella all the permission she needed to delve into the chaos, ripping and tearing and shredding. Her robes fluttered to the floor as she lost herself in the carnage, giving her Tiger free reign.

Vampires were left screaming in her wake, rolling on the ground and clutching at their hair, skin shrivelling and shrinking. Maria had managed to rip off Killian's arms due to his insistence to latch onto her neck with his teeth. She watched with wide eyes as her army was reduced to a sobbing, screaming messes, crumpling in on themselves with nothing more than a glance from the powerful brunette.

It was a beautifully hypnotic scene, their wails twisting into a choir of pain that made her rub her thighs together. It was always one of the few emotions that could serve to turn her on no matter the circumstances, right up there with cold, all-consuming fear. A weakness that only those who shared her bed knew.

It took less than ten minutes for the silence to reign once more. Maria was left standing amongst the remnants of her valiant attempt at complete domination. Her fury swelled as she released a loud roar. She whirled on the cloaked figures.

"Do you know how long it took me to build such a strong army? How much effort it took?" Her face morphed as a sneer twisted her features. Isabella laughed but it was Alec who spoke.

"Did you see how easy it was for our newest member to decimate them? How quickly we culled the lot." Isabella watched as the normally brooding vampire showcased just why the entire world feared him. He looked equal parts unimpressed as he did downright fearsome. Though erring on the short side, he had a presence that was nearly suffocating, scarlet gaze flashing in danger as he took a single step forward. The Tiger rattled in her cage, purring at the taste of power in the air. Despite herself, Bella felt a tinge of lust for the boy.

Maria shook despite herself, biting her tongue and lowering her gaze. A sharp crack resounded and her head whipped to the side, the sting of oozing venom eliciting a hiss from her. Alec had moved so quickly that none of them had even really registered the movement. "The next time, my hands will come away with your head."

His words were cold and biting, and as one, they all turned, hoods thrown back up before blurring away with impossible grace.

The brunette was the last to leave, throwing an appraising look that had Maria panting and rubbing her thighs together in wanton need. She winked a single blue eye before doing as the others had done, leaving only a searing desire in the warlord and a field full of burning newborns.

A/N: Hi. I know, I said once a week and something like six months later here I am *nervous laugh*. I'm terribly sorry but life came at me fast and there have been so many family problems it's crazy. But here I am, and the next chapter is done and just needs a lil editing before I get it to you guys.

For those of you still here, thank you. It means the world to me.

-Channie.B