Hi guys, this one took a little longer than I expected because I felt it was too rushed so I modified it, making it longer than intended along the way, so enjoy!
Lemon at the end.
Thanks for reading and Reviewing! xx
CHAPTER XII
Seth was doing a good job at covering our smells and I was hoping it would work all the more because my next potential ally was also around Volterra; Romania, to be exact. Rosalie's thoughts were going wild, starting to believe I was playing around Volterra for the sole purpose of being caught. I tried sending her a wave of love and she looked in my direction when she felt it.
''I spent most of my life hiding from the Volturi, and most of the people that gave me shelter are around here,'' I explained in a sad smile so, maybe, she would stop worrying about secret plans I might have.
I looked up towards the first abandoned castle we came upon with some anxiety. I knew this coven would be a wild card against the Volturi; their apathy towards them was absolute, grown by years of oppression. They were itching for a fight almost as much as the Volturi did and here I was, giving them an army they could finally fight with. I would have to make sure they understood that a fight wasn't our priority.
We searched three different abandoned castles before we found them and they seemed to be expecting me, if the knowing smiles on their features were any indication.
Vladimir and Stefan both sported red eyes. Stefan had dark, short hair while Vladimir's pale blond ones almost covered his forehead. Both of them were ghastly pale and I've always known them that way. From the stories I had heard – and some they told me – they were once considered as Kings themselves, having food source, riches, and pleasures come to them directly. They didn't need to move, and stayed mostly still on their thrones for centuries, letting the humans gaze upon their immortality. They didn't notice when they started to petrify. They only moved when the Volturi burned their castle, forcing them out and eliminating most of their coven, along with their status as Kings.
''Isabella, it is a marvelous pleasure to see you,'' Vladimir said with a predatory smile.
''Alive,'' Stefan added slowly.
Before us were picture-perfect vampires, sitting on thrones where we could only make out the foundation under them. I could hear Emmett screaming 'Dracula' very loudly in his head and I was really hoping he would feel the vibe in the room and restrain himself from saying it aloud.
''Vladimir, Stefan. Something happened,'' I stated, knowing they weren't vampires to beat around the bush.
''We do not care what you did, Almighty Isabella. We heard the Volturi were gathering the guard. We knew something big was coming,'' Vladimir said.
''We thought you had something to do with it.'' Stefan added with a sadistic smile.
''We were hoping you'd come to us,'' Vladimir continued.
''We will fight with you, Isabella,'' they both finished at the same time.
My courteous smile dropped, as did any pretense I had of being civil around them. I needed to make myself perfectly clear and there was no other way than to show them it didn't matter what they sat on; I was the only royalty here. Taking on a regal posture neither Rosalie nor Emmett had ever seen me use, I climbed a few steps up to join them, my hair and eyes turning darker with every step. Once I reached them, I towered over them and they looked smaller on their seats.
''Fighting isn't our priority and you will obey my command,'' I thundered in a growl, my voice echoing through the walls and coming back around us.
They were both watching me with wide eyes, but they showed no fear. This look was envy. They've been wanting me to join them for centuries, always notifying me of any movement from the Volturi. They had supplied me with the most incredible collections of books I had seen before Carlisle's library and had fed me most of the information I knew about them. They worshipped me and they would do anything for me. I knew they would lie, cheat, bribe and kill if I asked them to. Now, I would ask them to protect in my name as well.
They bowed their heads in agreement as I stood over them for a moment longer before turning around and reuniting with Emmett and Rosalie.
''Be there in four days,'' I ordered over my shoulder as I gave them Carlisle's coordination. ''Not before,'' I warned, turning back to look at them to make sure they understood. They nodded and I smiled, grabbing Emmett and Rosalie who were still too much in awe to do anything, and left their castle as only some of their whispers could still reach us.
''What was that?'' Rosalie exploded as we were far enough.
''That was our badass of a sister finally blooming!'' Emmett blasted happily as he grabbed me in his arms and twirled me around, laughing.
Seth joined us in wolf form, wary about their outbursts but when he saw there was no danger, he laid back down.
''Why did you tell them four days?'' Rosalie inquired once Emmett finally put me down.
''In case you haven't noticed, these vampires are cree-py! And we'll be back by then, so I'll be there to control them if they step out of line,'' I announced.
''We will?'' Emmett asked, a little disappointed. He had quite enjoyed our travels and training sessions between breaks.
''Yes,'' I said, sending him a wave of calm and love and he smiled smugly when he felt them. ''We have to bring everyone on our side, and Alice told me she would be sending a few more along her travels. I just have two more to find.'' Rosalie nodded, but Emmett was still basking in my emotions to say or do anything when we started running again.
I had a clear itinerary in my mind, but the buildings and new construction in Denmark made it hard for me to remember exactly every location. There was an island belonging to Denmark, in the Baltic Sea, between Poland and the south of Sweden. During our travels, I managed to squeeze in some pleasure time for Emmett; Ragnar, from the first Viking's story I told him, had buried many treasures on this land and I knew he would be excited about that.
''Who are we looking for now?'' Rosalie asked as she looked around from the boat that was carrying us to the land. I turned with a small smile on my face, eager to see Emmett's face when he would realize what we were doing.
''Just a little something that might help us get into Valhalla.'' I drawled out long enough so they would catch the important word in the phrase. He frowned, knowing the word was familiar, but he couldn't place it in space and time.
''Valhal-ahhhh!'' he repeated before understanding, ''Really, Bella?'' he turned to me, hopeful and I smiled at him.
''If it hasn't been found yet, which I hopeful about since humans couldn't get there. I buried it myself,'' I announced and he was so happy he couldn't contain himself anymore. The only thing keeping him from jumping out of the ship and swimming faster than the ship was the tourists around us.
For the rest of the trip, I could hear him muttering about the speed the boat was going at. 'Like a turtle on sedative,' was the one that made me laugh the most. I was anxious to figure out if something had moved on the mountain where I had buried Ragnar's treasures. I knew they had built stairs on the East Shore of the mountain, but my treasure would be buried on the West Shore, so, I had hope it was still untouched, unless the mountains had moved through the years, which was always a possibility.
When the boat finally landed, Emmett jumped a little too eagerly and Rosalie had to reign him in and remind him about the humans around us. He nodded to a few of them, muttering about training for the Olympics and I rolled my eyes before pushing past him and his eagerness.
''Where is it, Bella?'' Emmett asked, jumping from rock to rock as soon as human eyes couldn't see us anymore.
''Didn't you want to play Indiana Jones? Use your sense of smell! Not a lot of gold around here besides that!'' I exclaimed as I laughed. ''Higher,'' I guided him after a while. ''You're getting warm, oh, very cold, warmer, warmer, nope, that's cold again.'' A laugh escaped my mouth and Rosalie joined me as soon as she looked up towards her husband. As Emmett got closer and closer, he noticed the small opening in the wall and pushed through it so it would give way.
''I found it!'' Emmett screamed, ecstatic. He pushed the rocks out of his way and into the water surrounding the mountain.
''Emmett!'' Rosalie exclaimed in a shriek when she almost got crushed by one of the boulders Emmett was moving a little too enthusiastically.
''Sorry, Rosie,'' Emmett apologized barely looking back. He must've found what he was looking for because when he came back down, he immediately got down on one knee, showing Rosalie the ring. It was one of Ragnar's oath ring. One of his men had betrayed him and he cut off his finger to prove a point. Celtic runes were engraved in a metal circle, surrounded by two rings of gold. I knew them to mean 'loyalty and love', which seemed fitting for what Emmett was about to do. Again.
With the waves crashing around us, the mountain surrounding one side, and the sea on the other, Emmett asked a question he had already asked on three other occasions already, ''Rosalie Lillian Hale, I will love you for the rest of my life, and I really can't wait to tear up another wedding dress off you. Will you renew our vows?'' Emmett asked as a slow smile crept up Rosalie's face, she nodded, emotions choking her words and wrapped her arms around Emmett before he got up, lifting her in his arms, almost making them topple over from the force of it. I put a smile on my face as Rosalie turned towards me, happily showing the ring off.
''Bella, would you be my maid of honor, this time?'' Rosalie asked, hopeful. I shut down the part of my heart telling me there might not be another wedding in time, and I put a smile on my face.
''Of course, Rosalie, I'd love to be your maid of honor!'' I exclaimed instead, hugging her tightly in my arms as I basked in her happiness.
We stayed on the mountain for a few more hours to let Emmett dig around for more treasures and I used the free time to train Rosalie some more; I wanted her to be able to change her features to prove a point to other vampires that might ask more questions concerning my powers.
''I've always wondered what I would look like as a red-head,'' Rosalie mused as she was trying to focus on her hair color, clinging to my hand to make the connection stronger between us.
''Now's your chance,'' I chuckled before becoming serious again. ''Imagine the color you want, imagine something like water running down your hair, slowly tainting it with the color you want,'' I coached her and I grinned when I saw the tips of her hair start to redden. ''You're doing it,'' I informed.
''Really?'' she said as she looked down, losing her focus, making her hair slowly turn blond again, but she had time to see it and she smiled. ''Cool,'' she said. I laughed at her reaction and squeezed her hand.
''Come on, try again,'' I urged as Emmett came to lay more treasure at our feet. I cocked an eyebrow in his direction. ''You do know there's no way you can bring all of that with you, right?'' Emmett shrugged.
''Sure, we can! Seth will bring it,'' he said as if it was obvious.
''And even if he agreed, which I doubt he will, but if, how are we going to bring all of this to Seth?'' I asked again and Emmett frowned as he looked down at the loot he had collected.
''I'll wear it,'' he decided with a shrug. I raised my eyebrows and decided I actually wanted to see that happen so I let him go about his business, knowing I would be in for a laugh later on. I focused on Rosalie again as she furrowed her brows, deep in concentration, the red had extended to the middle of her hair now and she seemed as relaxed as she could be in this situation, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.
''You're doing good,'' I whispered, trying not to break her focus. She smiled some more but furrowed her brows as the red reached higher on her head. Slowly, I extended my fingers, trying to release my grasp on her hand to see if she would be able to hold it, but as soon as my hand left hers, her hair turned back to its original color. She opened her eyes and looked down. ''You had it,'' I reassured her, ''it's just harder to keep it up without contact.''
She pursed her lips and nodded as Emmett brought some more treasure around. ''Alright, we can go!'' he said happily before getting down to business. He started with the necklaces and bracelets he had found, putting them on before grabbing one vase and keeping it steady over his hand, holding three other goblets in his arm, two crowns on his head, a plate, a chandelier, and another goblet in his other arm. He tried to bend down to grab a vase on the floor with his hand, but grunted as he had a hard time bending and steadying the crowns on his head. ''A little help?'' He grunted when he noticed we were laughing at his expanse.
''Sure, Em','' I laughed as I bent down and grabbed the vase, putting it ceremoniously over his hand, as he had done with the goblet on the other one. ''I daub thy, King Emmett,'' I joked once I secured the vase on his arm. Rosalie started laughing behind us and I joined her as I took in the entire form of Emmett with all his treasures.
!
Alice sent me an approximate location of where she thought Alistair might be in England. I knew I needed a good plan to convince him; I had known he was a loner when I first met him, and almost two centuries later, I didn't think he had gotten any better as a team player. We stopped along the way to buy a giant bag for Emmett to put his treasures in since it took us almost a day to run to our next destination because he was always dropping something and having to go back for it. We followed Alice's coordination to the letter and as soon as I felt my senses get sharper, I stopped our little group and looked around, but I couldn't see him anywhere.
''Are you sure he's here?'' Rosalie frowned at my side and I smiled.
''Oh yeah,'' I assured her before looking around some more. ''Come out, come out, wherever you are, love,'' I drawled with a British accent.
''Go away,'' came Alistair's voice from above. I looked up and smiled as I saw him perched on a high branch from a tree.
''Well seeing as this little meeting is your own fault, you'll have to listen to me before we leave,'' I warned him.
''My fault?'' he sniggered and I just nodded innocently.
''You're the one who led me to Carlisle. You're the one who told me to go seek him out. Now, his whole family is in danger because of us,'' I stated with hardened features. I did blame him. But deep down, I couldn't be mad at him for that; he had led me to a family that cared for me.
Alistair glared at me for a long time without saying a word. I could feel the conflict in his emotions; he was angry at the accusation, but still felt some guilt about it. He was nervous, but at peace. I followed his emotions and thoughts anxiously as I waited for an answer.
''We will die if we fight,'' Alistair stated, ''The Volturi are too strong.''
''Bella is stronger,'' Emmett stated, but Alistair ignored him and kept staring at me.
''We don't want to fight,'' I announced instead, ''I just want you to witness when I leave the Cullens, so they might have a chance to stay alive.''
Alistair was doubtful of my statement. ''You would leave them? I don't believe that,'' he sneered.
''I don't want to,'' I admitted, ''but I will give them their best chance, and their best chance is without me, and most importantly, with you. Friends who are credible in the Volturi's opinion,'' I pushed.
''And you thought about me, blimey, how desperate you are!'' Alistair exclaimed as he finally dropped down from his branch, and landed in front of me.
''Carlisle wanted you. So, did I,'' I added as a last resort. Alistair kicked at the dirt, hands in the pocket of his long, beige trench coat.
''Fine,'' Alistair growled and I tried not to show too much of my excitement.
''We will see you back at the house, then,'' I bid him farewell and we continued on to our journey.
The last vampires on my list were the Amazonians. We landed in South America and ran until we were in the deepest possible parts of the jungle. We needed to leave Seth at the edge of the trees, knowing he was vulnerable to the venomous snakes and the trees were too dense for a werewolf his size to easily move through the jungle.
We heard the war cries before we saw anything, well, actually, Emmett and Rosalie couldn't see anything anymore. ''Bella?'' she called out as her vision covered. I grabbed her hand and she jumped and squeezed back.
''How did we get here?'' Emmett then asked and I grabbed his hand as well.
''You're still with me, in the jungle, here.'' I extended my shield over both of them and they blinked a few times before understanding what happened.
''We were back at the edge of the woods,'' Rosalie explained in surprise and I nodded.
''Yes, one of the Amazonians can conjure up illusions,'' I informed them just as said-Amazonian landed right in front of us.
''What do you want?'' she growled in a deep, heavy voice. Like most Amazonians in her coven, she was tall and slim, had long brown hair, and a black line over her eyes, a sign of the tribe she belonged to.
''My name is Isabella Marie Swan; I'm coming to collect the debt Senna owes me,'' I announced to the Amazonian woman and she pursed her lips in a tight line.
''What do you want from her?'' she barked.
''Protection for a family I hurt. The Volturi are coming for me and I need to be gone by the time they get there. I need witnesses to prove my departure otherwise the Volturi will never believe the Cullens and they will annihilate their coven, along with other vampires who have joined us already,'' I explained calmly. Another Amazonian landed at the first one's side, then another on her other side. The first one to land was Senna and she approached me carefully, confused.
''That's all you want from us?'' she frowned. ''After what you've done for me, all I have to do is witness?'' She asked incredulously and I nodded sharply.
''Against the Volturi,'' I repeated to make sure she knew where the danger was.
''And the debt will be paid?'' she asked again, not understanding why I would collect all she owed me on this particular favor.
''Fully,'' I answered. Senna turned to the rest of her coven in a silent plea. They whispered between each other for a minute and turned back to us.
''We accept,'' Senna said as she pointed to her two other coven mates. ''This is Zafrina and Zachiri,'' she added. Zafrina was the one with the power to create illusions, I remembered as I shook their hands one by one.
''Does your gift work on a bigger scale?'' I mused, curious.
''Yes,'' was her simple answer and I nodded, putting this information at the back of my mind for potential later use. I gave them the Cullen's address and we respectfully bowed away.
''What debt does she owe you?'' Rosalie asked once we were out of the woods.
''Firstly, she's the one who insisted on calling it a debt. I did it as more of a favor than a debt,'' I felt the need to point out before explaining. ''Senna successfully took the fall for Zafrina's power to the Volturi,'' I explained. ''Obviously, they wanted Zafrina as soon as they heard about her, but Senna said she was the gifted one. They believed her since they didn't know the name, just the power the coven possessed. I made sure the Volturi believed her, and protected the rest of her coven from the Volturi's eyes. To this day, they still believe it was her.''
Rosalie frowned. ''But they didn't keep her for her power?''
I cringed as I thought back about it. ''It was a long shot, but Zafrina had followed her closely, though very carefully, and I could feel her power so I copied it merely, making the Volturi believe the power was only rudimentary instead of the full-blown illusion it can create,'' I finished with a shrug but Rosalie surprised me by suddenly hugging me.
''You're such a nice person, Bella,'' she whispered into my shoulder, but I was too stunned to answer before she let me go and smiled sheepishly at me before continuing on her run. I stayed still for a second, a smile slowly making its way on my face before I followed right after her.
As we ran back towards Forks, I was hoping we'd run into Peter and Charlotte; I knew they were somewhere around our way and I was hoping they would still be loyal enough to Jasper, without success. We reached the house with two stops along the way so Seth could power up and get some sleep as I trained Rosalie and Emmett some more. I knew Jasper was doing his part at the house and I was surprisingly hoping we had gained more friends along the way. The more we got, the better the Cullen's chances were.
When we reached the house, the first thing we noticed was cars almost spilling out of the driveway. Rosalie pointed to the Denalis' car but didn't know any of the others. Most of them seemed to be rentals and I was wondering why the nomads didn't just run here instead of renting cars. As I got closer to the house, I smelled ten different new smells in the house and I couldn't believe how many allies we already had. Edward came to meet us at the end of the path with his hands held in front of his body.
''Wait, don't get too close,'' Edward warned and we stopped on our tracks, ready to attack if necessary.
''What is it?'' I asked, trying to feel around for negative emotions.
''There's a lot of power inside the house, I don't want you to hurt trying to assimilate them all,'' he explained and we relaxed, knowing it wasn't a danger in itself. I smiled at Edward, touched by his consideration.
''How's Jasper?'' I asked immediately before crossing the line of power.
''Depressed,'' Edward cringed, ''Charlotte and Peter are with him trying to cheer him up.''
''They are here?'' I gasped, surprised, ''We've been looking for them as we ran North.'' Edward shrugged.
''Peter said something about 'just knowing shit' were his exact words,'' Edward informed with air quotes, and I lifted a brow in concern.
''How many came?'' I inquired, both dreading and hoping for the answer.
''Sixteen totals, as of now, some are out hunting, and Alice thinks some more are coming to join us, but I don't know where they'll be coming from,'' Edward informed.
''Are Irina and Laurent here?'' I asked carefully, knowing in the vision Alice and I had, they weren't standing with us. Edward shook his head and I sighed nervously.
''Do you think they have something to do with all this?'' I finally asked the burning question churning in my mind for the better part of a month. Edward seemed happy I asked the question out loud, but he was anxious about an answer.
''I've never hoped for something to be so wrong before, but I honestly don't know,'' he admitted with a wince. I took a long breath before glancing at the house right behind Edward once more.
''Alright. Here goes nothing,'' I announced as I took a few small steps forward, bracing myself for the power inside the house. I knew the exact step that was too close and stepped back, taking a frustrated breath in.
''You think you can make it work?'' Rosalie asked worriedly, coming to my side and grabbing my arm.
''Yeah,'' I grimaced, ''I'll get used to it, I just need to get accustomed to it,'' I tried reassuring her, though I wasn't sure how many tries it would take me. I took the step forward, holding my breath and clenching my teeth in an attempt to brace myself for the pain. Rosalie's grip on my arm tightened as if she wanted to hold me back, but didn't. I felt my body clash with the power, each gift trying to infiltrate my body at the same time and I steadied myself by putting my hands on my knees, gripping tightly as I felt every power drill its way inside me. I could feel the electricity in my body from Kate, the hold Zafrina's illusion power had on my brain as it settled onto it, the wind picking up around us since Benjamin was sure to be inside the house.
My face scrunched up in pain for a long time as I felt Rosalie's relentless grip on my arm, steadying me as much as she could and I was grateful to her at that moment. The electricity receded, the illusions settled in a part of my brain, the wind stopped blowing around us, and, slowly, I allowed myself back up and smiled uneasily towards the rest of the worried group. ''I'm good,'' I assured them as the powers settled comfortably inside me, no longer aggressive.
To make sure I hadn't missed any other power, I took a few more steps, expecting another surge anytime. Rosalie held onto my arm to make sure she could pull me out if it became too much, but everything seemed fine after a couple of steps.
''I'm fine,'' I nodded to them as I felt every power in the house without consequences. Rosalie released her grip a little but didn't let go of my arm. ''Let's go say hi,'' I announced as my heart grew with the feeling of seeing them again and I slithered my arm through the nook of Rosalie's before turning back to Seth to thank him for his help during our journey but he was already gone, being welcomed back by the rest of the pack.
I walked towards the house and entered it. I didn't think anyone had ever witnessed so many vampires in one place, ever, and there was something daunting about it. Somehow, at this moment, the threat of death was looming around us even more.
''Witnesses, right?'' I turned to Edward, needing to make sure he didn't ask anyone to fight. He nodded his approval, silently urging me to talk to the Denalis as soon as I could. I nodded my understanding as twelve pairs of eyes bored into mine as soon as we entered the house and silence fell.
''Bella!'' Esme exclaimed as she broke through the crowd and came to embrace me in her arms. I extricated myself from Rosalie's arm to properly hug her back. ''I'm glad you came back,'' she whispered in my hair.
''I wouldn't leave you like that,'' I assured her as she let me go so Carlisle could welcome me as well, embracing me in his arms too.
'Denalis, Bella,' Edward repeated in my head and I wondered why it was so urgent. 'We haven't told them yet, they are getting impatient,' he informed me. I frowned but ended up nodding.
Benjamin came to meet us and shook my hand.
''Thank you for coming to get us, Isabella, I've met so many people already,'' he said with a gleeful smile and I smiled back at him, restrained a little by Amun's frustrated emotions. Senna, Zafrina, and Zachiri all nodded to me as we passed them.
We followed Edward outside the house, a few yards away, every Cullen member except Jasper in tow. ''Is it very advisable to leave them unprotected?'' I fidgeted, looking back at the house.
''Ten vampires? I think they'll be fine,'' Edward mused.
''Why didn't anyone tell the Denalis?'' I wondered then and Carlisle answered.
''They just got here and since we knew you were coming back today; we've been waiting for your return to announce the reason they were asked here,'' he said. I nodded and we kept walking a little further, finally meeting the Denalis. They were sitting around on rocks and broken-down trees. Carmen and Eleazar on one, Tanya and Kate on another. They looked bored out of their minds, but when they finally saw us approach, they sat straighter, finally expecting an explanation.
''I apologize for the circumstances of our meeting, as you saw, the house is a little crowded at the moment,'' Carlisle started as I felt their worry and apprehension. This wasn't a normal setting at all and I was worried they had already made up their mind when they saw the vampires gathered in the house. As Carlisle talked, Emmett subtly pulled Rosalie towards Eleazar and Carmen, as Edward and Esme took place at Tanya and Kate's side, cocooning them inside our family, knowing there was a chance they wouldn't listen until the end. I was facing them with Carlisle, a few steps behind, as he took the floor.
''We've gathered you all here because we have something to announce,'' Carlisle said.
''Well at least we know no one's pregnant,'' Kate joked, but the joke had an undertone to it; she knew this was something serious since we were all gathered here. I could feel the tension was high but Kate's joke lifted it a little bit. Carlisle smiled at her.
''Nothing like that, but we have been hiding something from you. Bella here isn't just a normal vampire. She's the most gifted of us all at the moment,'' he took a moment as members of the Denali Clan didn't seem very impressed. ''Kate, would you help in a little demonstration please?'' Carlisle motioned for her to take a place in the center of our cocoon and she did it dutifully, not knowing what she was getting herself into, but also intrigued enough to try to understand what was going to happen. Carlisle nodded in my direction and I nodded back. I slowly approached her and smiled with what I hoped was a reassuring smile as I sent her a wave of calm.
''I'll try to be gentle, but I don't quite understand it,'' I warned. 'Understanding what,' she thought, but before she could say anything, I put my hand on her shoulder and shocked her with what I hoped was a small dose of electricity. She jumped back, startled, and looked at herself.
''I didn't do that,'' she stated in wonder, and a little fear, still looking at her shoulder in confusion. I shook my head, approving her statement. She looked at Eleazar, wondering if he felt the electricity in me, but he didn't move, watching the events with a serious expression instead. ''What did you do to me?'' she asked as she turned back towards me, confused.
''I can duplicate a power,'' I announced. As the words left my mouth, I felt a big wave of understanding coming from Eleazar. ''That's how I sent you a shock.'' I sighed, thinking of the next part. ''We've lied to you on so many levels. I will ask you not to blame the Cullens as they only did it to protect me.'' More confusion. ''I've known for a while I was a shield; actually, I've known for thousands of years,'' I winced at Eleazar, who had tried to train and explain my shield to me. ''We've also lied about Edward and me; we're not in a relationship,'' I confessed too because I might as well.
I decided to pause to let everyone process this new information about me. I could hear all their questions buzzing in their heads but I decided to let them put words into sentences they could form out loud eventually before explaining things they weren't ready for yet. Carmen was the first to ask a question.
''So, can you duplicate anyone's power?'' she asked.
''If they are close in range, yes. I have to spend a lot of time with someone to assimilate it completely like I've assimilated Jasper's, and Edward's, I've still got some kinks to figure out, but I understand most thoughts,'' I answered and I felt some understanding again. Other questions came in then. Is it permanent? Yes. How long does it take? Couple of intense weeks or a few months, usually. Which power do you have? Shield and feature change, including Jasper's and Edward's gifts. When the questions stopped, I added another layer to it.
''I can also give the assimilated power to another vampire. For example, Rosalie?'' I beckoned her forward and she smiled before joining me in the center of the circle. Carlisle took her place at Emmett's side as I took one of Rosalie's hand in mine and noticed Tanya was intensely focused on both of us, almost falling off the rock she was perched on. Carmen was in the same position. Eleazar and Kate's emotions were intrigued, but they hadn't moved from their position. As Rosalie focused hard, her hair started to turn red, as practiced, though she still couldn't do it without contact. I felt the wonder of everyone around us, including Carlisle and Esme; they hadn't seen me transfer a power yet.
''Can you split it?'' Eleazar asked. I let Rosalie's hands go and her hair returned to its original color. I cocked my head to one side, not understanding his question. ''Can you split an ability between two people?'' he asked again. I thought about it, wondering how that would work.
''I've never tried,'' I admitted, ''maybe I could, if the power had layers, maybe Jasper's gift could be split in two; one vampire feeling emotions, the other controlling them, but I'm not sure it's possible to separate the two as it came as one, and most of the sharing is controlled by the vampire receiving the gift himself. I can't just give it away, the vampire has to focus on receiving it.'' He nodded in understanding and leaned back, highly impressed but not saying anything more. There wasn't any other question so I went on to the hard part. I opened my mouth, but Carlisle cut me off.
''This is not the reason we've gathered you here today, there's more,'' he said.
''More power?'' Tanya asked, slightly haughtily. Carlisle smiled tightly but shook his head.
''No, Tanya. The reason why we're telling you this is because Alice had a vision,'' he didn't have time to finish since Tanya cut him off.
''The Volturi,'' she spat, ''Of course. We're not getting involved in this,'' she addressed her coven directly. ''There is no way we are getting involved in this mess. You know what happened the last time we met with the Volturi.'' Her voice choked up and she stopped to collect herself. She was thinking about their sire, Sasha, who had become a mother to them before she was put to death for creating an immortal child. The one I helped kill when I agreed to assimilate and transfer her power. I felt Edward's thoughts jump, but on the outside, only his features hardened. 'Sorry,' I thought guiltily, 'they made me'. Edward nodded imperceptibly if you weren't directly looking at him and I sent a wave of calm around the circle as I stepped forward again.
''More than anyone, the Denali coven knows how generous and selfless the Cullens are,'' I started, hoping to sway a few my way. ''They opened their home to me, and perhaps that will be their last act of selflessness. I promised them I would let no harm come to them, and I'm trying to hold up my end of the bargain, but I can't do it alone.''
''Why would you help her, Carlisle?'' Tanya asked with a pout. Carlisle stepped in front of the room again and I felt Rosalie tense at my side. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, sending her a wave of love so she would relax a little. It worked, but she held tightly to my hand.
''Why wouldn't we?'' Carlisle countered. ''She never hid what she was, who she was, or what danger she could put us in. She never tried to subdue us, she never tried to harm us. She came to us, defeated and lonely. All she wanted was shelter. She never forced our help, we gave it to her because it felt right. Letting her in this family, through all the warnings, felt right. It was the best decision we've ever made; she made this family whole, and I will ask you to extend the protection you're offering us to her as well as she is now part of the Cullen's family for as long as she wishes it,'' he finished with a hard tone as he grabbed my arm and showed them the cuff he had given me, making me a part of his family.
I could feel my insides churn after his speech; the love and gratitude coming from him were hitting me in waves and I squeezed Rosalie's hand harder, feeling hers and all the other Cullens' love and gratitude, trying my best not to let it overpower me, trying my best not to shed a blood tear in front of them. I was in awe of the fact that none of them was feeling any kind of resentment towards me even as the situation developed.
''What do you want from us?'' Kate asked softly after a while and I jumped in before Emmett's thoughts of a looming fight were let out.
''Witnesses. As soon as the rest of our friends are convinced to help, I will leave. I need you – the Cullens need you – to witness on their behalf. The Volturi might listen and leave them unarmed if we gather enough witnesses to speak on their behalf,'' I informed.
''What if they don't want to listen?'' Carmen asked, worried.
''We fight,'' Rosalie spat as she squeezed my hand. ''We will defend ourselves with everything we've got, but we won't ask anyone to fight for us.''
''Neither will I. A fight is never what I intended. They'll have to listen,'' I assured them.
''I'll witness,'' Kate chirped in.
''Kate!'' Tanya hissed. Kate stood up, facing her family.
''What? What is there more to discuss? She's family! She's part of the Cullens and I don't want to lose them as an ally! If the situations were reversed, they would do the same for us!'' Kate exclaimed and I felt gratitude towards her she must've felt because she smiled sheepishly at me.
''You wouldn't lose them as an ally. Not if I have a say it in,'' I assured them.
''That's not your choice to make,'' Emmett interjected darkly, thoughts of giving them up as soon as the occasion came up if they didn't stand with us flowing his mind.
''It's not a choice you'll have to make,'' Tanya abdicated softly, ''We'll witness. We'll stand with the Cullens, always,'' she announced and Carmen and Eleazar nodded their approval at her decision.
''The Cullens are lucky to have you as an ally,'' I smiled tightly at them, adding numbers in my head and dreading a possible confrontation as I left them to reunite with the Cullens.
''Why are there werewolves on your property?'' I heard Eleazar ask as I left them in the woods to bond as a family. My phone rang with a text from Alice.
You did well. I found Liam. A.
I sighed as I put my phone back in my pocket, walking back towards the house where I could already feel Jasper projecting his depressed feelings. I knew I could help him, but I cringed as I approached his bedroom door. I could hear Charlotte and Peter inside, trying to get him to hunt with the rest of the family, but Jasper kept silent. Edward had assured me he had fed right after my blood was out of his system, but he hadn't come out of his room since then. I knocked on the door and Charlotte came to answer it even if Jasper would already know it was me.
''Can I help you, Sugar?'' Charlotte asked, not recognizing me from our first meeting as my hair and eyes were changed now.
''That's Bella, dear,'' Peter informed her and her eyes widened in recognition. I turned to him, silently asking how he knew, but he just tapped his temple with his finger ''I just know shit,'' he shrugged with a smug smile as Charlotte erased herself from the door to let me through. Jasper was sitting on the floor, his back against the bed, facing away from the door. Even if I could feel his emotions, I knew he was highly projecting as well since Peter was also feeling depressed even though he was trying to keep a smile on his face to my attention.
''Pleasure to meet the girl who messed up my Major,'' Peter saluted me and though his words seemed harsh, his feelings were amused and innocent. I smiled guiltily.
''Could you give us a minute?'' I asked and Peter and Charlotte nodded their consent before leaving the room. Jasper still hadn't moved. His head was buried between his arms, his knees up, almost in a ball. He seemed too far in dark thoughts to even notice my coming in. I sighed and went to sit right beside him. When our shoulders touched, I embraced him in my bubble to let him know it was me. He hissed and I felt him build walls upon walls around himself, thoughts and emotions alike, almost as if he was trying to claw its way out of my shield. I immediately lifted it and his body relaxed, but the walls remained.
''Let me in,'' I asked softly and I saw him flinch before he lightly shook his head. ''Let me in,'' I asked more forcefully. Jasper looked up and I saw his eyes were dark pits. I sighed as realization hit. ''You haven't fed, have you?'' I asked, but I really didn't need an answer. I could see it in his eyes; somehow, he had tricked Edward into thinking he had fed. ''You have to feed,'' I pushed.
''Are you offering, Darlin'?'' he asked in a raspy voice, echoing word he had already said to me, the ghost of a smile reaching his lips, but I still felt nothing coming from him; the walls were still up. It was probably the first thing he said since my blood left his system.
''No. I'm ordering,'' I stated, hard. He looked up with emotionless eyes and I put my hand on his cheeks, feeling how weak he was from not having fed yet. This would work to my advantage as I looked into his eyes and sank myself into his soul. ''Go drink from an animal. You need to feed.'' I could feel his internal struggle, trying to resist me, but in his weakened state, it was impossible for him to resist me anymore. ''Now,'' I breathed hard and he got up so fast to leave, it took me a second to follow him out the window. I was right at his heels when he jumped on the first animal he found; a deer, and sucked it dry. I could feel his anger as he fed when he understood I had manipulated him and he was not happy. As soon as the order was completed, he was free from my command and grabbed me by the throat, pushing me up against a tree.
I let out a squeal of surprise but I should've expected it. Now that my blood was completely gone, he would hate me. He would toss me aside like I was nothing, like we had shared nothing. I tried to put on a brave face and was about to push him away and run to safety, but he did something that surprised me even more; he pushed his lips against mine in a forceful kiss. He moved his lips against mine with the same fiery passion we'd shared before. I felt his lust seeping out of him and reaching me, dazzling me. I let his tongue explore my lips, then, my mouth and it's only when I tasted the animal blood on his tongue that I pushed him away.
''Jasper, stop!'' I exclaimed as I wiped my mouth from possible contact with animal blood. I did not want to go through that again. He stepped away, his lust still flowing around us. I could also feel his smugness as I looked deep into his eyes and never saw even a flicker of silver.
And, trust me, I searched for it.
''Told you,'' he breathed as he tried to get closer to me again, sneaking a hand from my waist to my back to bring me closer to him. I moaned in his mouth again but was brought back again when I tasted the animal.
''Jasper, stop!'' I said again, but this time, I was laughing. He went in my neck, grazing my jugular vein with his teeth, sending shivers down my body. I buckled my hips, trying to gain contact when his lips came back to grab mine, I stopped him. ''The animal blood; I can't have it,'' I explained, breathlessly. He nodded as he reached back for my neck, but I pushed him away again. ''Also, Alice!'' I breathed as I tried to keep him at arm's length. I could feel sadness from him, which was still better than feeling nothing at all. I stopped myself from replacing it; he needed to feel this one.
''It's over,'' he whispered softly as he hung his head in sadness.
''Jasper,'' I gasped, in shock. I had told Alice this would all be okay. I had told her she would find him again.
''She knew before I did; she texted me,'' he informed me then, reaching for his phone where he showed me Alice's text.
'I understand. I'm not mad. A.' was all Alice had texted. She had sent it yesterday, when my blood had already passed Jasper's system. I sighed in defeat. After all my efforts, she had known; she had known this would happen. Jasper brushed his lips against mine, making sure not to share saliva this time, once, twice, on the third time, my last barrier gave away and I reached around his neck to pull him closer to me, keeping his lips against mine, deepening our touches as his hands came between us and grabbed my breast, squeezing it roughly. I threw my head back in a moan and he buried his head in my neck, lust filling him as he pushed deeper into my neck and broke the skin, drinking from me again, now that he had proven his point.
I buckled my hips against him and he grounded himself into me, giving me some of the friction I desperately needed. I felt his amusement and his desire as he lapped a few more times at my neck before the skin healed itself, but I left the crescent looking mark there, making the others marks appear at the same time, as I knew he loved it. As if on cue, he growled at seeing the marks and his desires increased when he got rid of our clothes and pushed against me once again before entering one finger inside me. I thought it was to make sure I was ready for him, but I was pretty sure he knew just by the smell and feelings.
''I love to feel you tighten around me,'' he whispered, half-growling and his voice sent shivers down my body, making my hips buckle against his fingers. ''Yes,'' he smiled, ''just like that.'' He pushed another finger inside me and rubbed his thumb across my clit as I felt my orgasm approaching. ''Open your eyes,'' he growled openly now and I barely had time to understand what he said that my eyes popped open when my orgasm hit me. I felt Jasper shiver at the sight as he withdrew his fingers and replaced it with his length instead.
I screamed when he lifted me up and entered me and I wrapped my legs around his waist for support. He pushed me against the tree before pushing into me once more. I tried containing my moans by biting my lip, but Jasper grabbed both my hands and pushed them over my head with strength that made me let go of my lip.
''Allow me, Darlin','' he smiled devilishly as he bent his head over to capture my bottom lip in between his, biting down hard enough to draw blood and I moaned into his mouth and came again as I felt him suck the blood out of me. He smiled against my lips and let go of it to kiss me again. With the new taste in his mouth, he could explore mine as much as he wanted and I felt his happiness about that as he increased his speed, if possible, making his thrusts harder and deeper. I was screaming as I threw my head back but, remembering Jasper always wanted to see my eyes, I stopped the movement and tried to hold onto his eyes. He smiled when he understood what I was doing. ''Good girl,'' he growled as he pushed into me a few more times before we both came at the same time, the feelings around us making the experience even more intense as we both groaned our pleasure.
We were both shivering when Jasper laid us down on the ground, keeping one of my legs over his body and gently rubbing his fingers up and down the length of it, sending more shivers down my body. We stayed like that for a long time before I remembered his depressed state.
''You stopped training them,'' I accused, unhappily after a while. Jasper had the courtesy to feel shame as he looked down at me.
''I couldn't, and even if I had, their training would've been worthless; I felt worthless without you, Bella,'' he said and I hung my head in shame as we both sighed at the same time.
''I never thought it was real,'' I admitted as I finally looked up at him.
''I kept telling you,'' he said, and his smug grin came back.
''So did they,'' I argued as a sadness overcame me thinking about William and all the others I had given my blood to. Jasper rubbed comforting circles on my hip.
''You should've trusted me,'' Jasper said and I didn't feel like talking about past mistakes anymore, so I snuggled closer to him.
''Then tell me something now, and I'll believe you,'' I challenged with lazy smile.
''Well, I can tell you… I'm going to make you the happiest vampire for the rest of our lives,'' he smiled as he nuzzled in my hair.
''Oh, so for the next few weeks, then?'' I had to say, but I delivered the line with a laugh, which helped make serious words not so serious at the moment as Jasper exhaled a laugh too and kissed the top of my head.
''If it's all we got, Darlin', then yes,'' he said, and after long, comfortable minutes snuggling up against one another, he asked, ''Why are you so afraid of animal blood?'' He wondered with a frown and I bit my lip at the question and sat up to look into his questioning eyes.
''Do you remember the pain I sent you when I tried to cool you off in the woods, right after you drank my blood for the first time?'' I asked.
''Yes,'' he shivered, ''it wasn't just a little pinch like you usually send to get my attention, I thought it was the pain from Jane's gift,'' he said with a shrug but I shook my head.
''No,'' I regretted, ''this is what happens when I drink animal blood,'' I admitted, ''My body wasn't made to consume it, and we don't get sick, so I sweat it out. Our skins might be wildly different, but mine is still stronger than most humans and the pores on my skin are almost as closed as yours are, so sweating it out is an excruciating pain,'' I explained with a wince. Jasper sneered, feeling guilty about trying to kiss me after drinking it.
''I'm sorry,'' he said, but I shook my head, shrugging.
''You didn't know; I didn't want you to know,'' I comforted him, but it took a long time and many calming waves before his guilt entirely subsided until he sat up in front of me.
''So, what would make you happy right now?'' he smiled.
I could see in his mind what direction he was hoping this would go, but we had so little time to do everything we needed to do. I looked up to him and bit my lip. I felt his desires rise up at the action and I smiled devilishly.
''You know,'' I drawled, pushing him away a little so I could lay half on top of him, ''I think I'd really like to see the Major in action…'' I bit my lip once more, enjoying the reactions I was getting from him. ''…on the field,'' I finished with a laugh as his smile dropped. I got up to get my discarded clothing and put them back on while he was pouting.
''Come on, Bella, you've been gone so long,'' Jasper whined, but I only laughed, sending him the equivalent of a cold shower in emotions. He jumped and got up as he begrudgingly started looking for his clothes as well. I smiled at his thoughts and feelings and walked back towards the house.