DISCLAIMER : I do not own twilight, Stephanie Mayer does.

SUMMARY : Bella Swan was abandoned by her vampire boyfriend and his family 8 months ago. In that time she has gone through hell, lost her best friend and been kicked out by her father. Now she's in the heart of the volturi with Alice and Edward in an attempt to save his life. She's hurt and angry at the Cullen's but what happens when in Volterra her true mates lay eyes on her? And why is her heart hurting so much at Esme absence? She has so many questions, and only her healing heart and her vampires have the answers.

This is a Bella/Athenadora/Sulpicia/Didyme multichapter fanfic and is one of my absolute favourite pairings. I really wish there were more stories with them

My love

Nell xoxo

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Chapter 1 - Scents and Startling Revelations

~ BPOV ~

Upon entering the Volturi throne room Alice and Edward at my side, I really wasn't sure of much. My feelings were a jumble, as they had been ever since Alice had shown up in my living room several hours ago.

Despite my relief at knowing she was alright, I couldn't help the swarm of anger, denial and betrayal that swam through me as soon as the relief at seeing her after so many months had passed. I'm sure that if it wasn't for her vision and the subsequent need for us to rush halfway across the world to save her arrogant, selfish dork of a brother, my supposed mate, Edward from himself, I would have probably had more than a few choice words to throw at my supposed best friend and I'm pretty sure that the psychic little pixie knew that too.

I had been devastated when Edward, Alice and the Cullen's had abandoned me so suddenly and what had followed were 8 months of absolute hell for me. At first the depression I had felt was suffocating, until that point I had genuinely never felt so alone and worthless. I had come to see the Cullen's as family. Goofy Emmet my big bear of a brother, Alice my bouncing pixie of a best friend. Her brother, Edward my boyfriend, Rosalie my stoic, misunderstood big sister, Jasper my brother and fellow history buff and of course Carlisle and the ever gentle Esme as my parents and I valued them beyond anything I'd ever known.

Growing up in Phoenix I had to be the one to take care of Renee, she didn't know how to be an adult, she was wild, carefree and I from the very beginning had to pick up and take over the daily running of the household, bills and groceries. When I moved to Forks to live with Charlie I had briefly hoped for the father I had been taken from as a baby to step up and be a parent but he was far too awkward a man to provide me with any sort of father/daughter relationship. So meeting the Cullen's, having them claim me as their daughter, their sister, meant everything to me and losing them destroyed me.

It also destroyed any possibility of my father and I bonding in any way. The first few days he was sympathetic to my plight but after that he became annoyed and indifferent to my pain. He started avoiding me and for months I barely seen him or spoke to him. I didn't leave my room unless I had to for school or work and my social life completely vanished. About 5 months in, he came barging in my room demanding that I either snapped out of it or he would institutionalise me. He then told me to go to La Push because Jacob Black was constantly asking after me.

So to spare myself and Charlie I went, Jake and I got closer and I started to feel as if that gaping hole that had been tearing me apart was slowly mending. I found out about them being wolfs, I met his pack and got close to a few of them and I was finally feeling as if I could be happy again. Well that was until Jacob decided I had had enough time to get over the "leeches" and tried to force a relationship on me. He was relentless with me. Always hovering and turning up, trying to hold my hand and kiss me. Eventually after about two weeks of his constant refusal to except that I did not feel for him in the way he felt for me, he assaulted me and if it wasn't for Leah walking into his garage when she did I'm certain he would have gone as far as to rape me that day. He had me pinned to a seat, groping and grinding into me as I struggled to push him away, pleading with him to stop and if Leah hadn't have stopped him in time I don't think I would have survived the betrayal.

After that day, the hurt, betrayal and anger consumed me and the pain at the loss of the Cullen's and Jacobs attack consumed me entirely. Charlie and I started fighting daily and just hours before Alice turned up he had told me to pack my things and leave because he was sick of "dealing with my attitude and disrespect". That's what led me to the cliff because I simply could not bear anymore loss, I was tired, emotionally and physically done with the world and believed my only option left was to die. Jacob had seen me enter the water and I know that if he hadn't have seen me I wouldn't have survived being pulled under by the waves.

And that leads me to my current predicament. Stood in front of the volturi queens cocooned in Edwards cold hard arms as if he means to keep me safe from all the red eyed vampires littering the throne room. Him completely unaware that, where once the feeling of his arms around me would have relaxed and reassured me, they now feel imprisoning and suffocating. I thought that simply seeing him again would allow me to feel the love I once felt for him, but I don't. Unlike how I feel about Alice all I can decidedly feel for Edward is cold hard indifference.

Jane, the tiny blonde vampire that I'm assuming I'm supposed to be scared of, going by Edward and Alice's reaction too her appearing in the corridor outside led us in and to the centre of the grand room. In the front were a set of marble stone steps that led up to a platform containing three wooden thrones and when my eyes landed upon the occupants of those thrones my breath caught in my throat.

There in front of me were three of the most beautiful women I had ever laid eyes on. On the left was a woman with long thick black hair that fell in silky waves to the middle of her back, she was dressed in a beautiful red Victorian dress, to the right was a blonde woman with her hair tied in a tight bun at the top of her head. She wore a tight fitting white shirt and black dress trousers and sat between them on the middle throne was a another blonde, her hair was slightly darker than the other ones but just as beautiful, she had her hair in a high ponytail and was wearing a black silk dress that hung from her frame in waves. Each one had porcelain skin and were the picture of regal grace. For the life of me all I could do was stare at them in awe. Something in me stirred and I felt a strange pull in my stomach.

Just as the strange pull register in my brain all three woman looked at me and gasped, Edward let out a deep warning growl and pulled me roughly behind him, his hand tightening around my wrist so much that all I could do was clench my teeth in pain and attempt to hold in the whimper that threatened at the back of my throat.

"Edward" Alice warned, just before the world whipped around me far too fast for my human mind to process and I was suddenly being placed on my feet beside the blonde in a shirt and the dark haired beauty, both of whom were now standing beside me. They reached their hands out for me and both turned me back around to face the throne room, pulling me back against their chests and securing their arms around me. Part of me said that I should be afraid that both these red eyed vampires had their arms around me, that I was in a far too vulnerable position. However an even stronger part of me, a part I didn't understand told me that I was safe here, that there wasn't a place in the world more safe for me than in their arms, it felt right and I was far too confused right now to even attempt to understand it. From my new view point I could only watch on as the blonde with the pony tail held Edward up by the throat.

"How dare you harm her, are you a fool boy?" she growled. Tightening her hand around his throat so much that I could see cracks forming on his skin. His only response was a deep furious growl, his eyes blacker than I had ever seen them.

"Sulpicia please, he didn't mean it, it was an accident" Alice begged from the side, her eyes wide and panicked. My heart clenched at the sight of her in any way less than her usual bright bubbly self. I tried to go to her, feeling the need to soothe her worries because despite the pain her family had caused me I knew in that moment that she is and would forever be my sister. However, my attempt to go to her was stifled by the queen's holding onto me. Both reacted to my struggle by holding me slightly tighter and I felt their hands begin to rub gentle circles on my sides.

"Shhh little one, stay were you are, he'll be alright" the dark haired beauty murmured gently in my ear. I knew this was her attempt to soothe me, but she didn't understand it wasn't him that was upsetting me, it was the need to make sure Alice was alright.

"I don't care about him right now, I need to make sure Alice is alright" I replied looking behind me at them both in desperation.

At my statement both Edward and Alice stilled. Sulpicia which I had now learned was the name of the blonde goddess who had jumped to my defence, also relaxed her hand slightly from its place around Edwards throat. Alice's head whipped round too look at me, her eyes soft yet pained and her smile gentle, Edward pinned his eyes on me in what can only be described as disbelief and anger.

"Surely you don't mean that Bella" he growled, staring at me as if he could change the meaning of my words.

"Clearly she did child, or she wouldn't have said it" the blonde beauty behind me growled in return, pressing herself more firmly into me as if to hold herself back.

"Didyme, Athenadora, let the little one go to Alice" Sulpicia said, looking over her shoulder at us. Her tone wasn't harsh but held a hint of command in it that made me think that she was the unofficial leader of these three gorgeous women. As soon as she had spoken I was released and I hurried over to Alice. She pulled me into a hug and gently nuzzled her face against my cheek. "I'm okay Bells" she soothed, breathing in deeply what I assume was my scent in order to soothe herself. If it was Edward in this position, I'd be a little worried at the way she held me tightly to her as she breathed in burying her head into the side of my neck. If Edward had done this I'd worry he was losing control, but I knew my scent was a comfort to her, she had told me once when I had stayed over at their house before my birthday disaster. She had also admitted that my scent was a comfort to not only her but Esme, Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper too. I remember this surprising me because Edward had told me that my scent was the most attractive he had smelt, he said it called to him, and made being near me difficult because he constantly battled the temptation of draining me. It also surprised me because I thought Rosalie didn't like me, it was hard to imagine that the person who despised me the most took comfort from my scent. I also didn't understand how a scent could be comforting but who was I, a human to question a vampires reactions to me.

"Bella get away from her, you know better than to let a vampire near your neck" Edward demanded and as I glanced at him I saw him attempt to move my way, but couldn't as Sulpicia still held him tightly.

"I'm fine Edward, Alice would never harm me" I said back, surprising even myself at the indifference in my voice. One thing was for sure, ever since I saw him again it had been made clear that Edward and I would never be together again, I didn't love him anymore and I am not sure I ever did. I may have strongly liked him, but now I realised it was his family I was in love with. It was his family that I had missed the most and it was his families absence that had caused me so much pain. I couldn't help but feel even more anger settle in my stomach at this realisation. This silly man child, who selfishly left me in a forest and took away the only people I had ever felt like I belonged with because he didn't think he could control himself anymore.

"You're not safe around any vampires, as your mate I demand you move away from her now" he screamed, struggling harder in Sulpicia's grip. However Sulpicia didn't even flinch she just growled at him in warning and held him tighter.

"Alice, you don't have to let her go, but please move closer to us" Athenadora or Didyme said, an air of desperation in her voice. Without a word Alice swept her arms below my knees and pulled me up into her arms, all without removing her face from my neck. I was used to this from Alice, quite often before they left, I'd find myself curled into her with her head in my neck, her breathing in my scent deeply. When Edward wasn't around of course because he wouldn't have stood for that. He wouldn't be happy with anyone being that close to what he considered his. She moved us so we were standing in the middle of the two queens that weren't Sulpicia and automatically I felt their hands come to rest on my back as if to reassure themselves that I was still there. Again I noticed the feeling of warmth and safety settle on me almost immediately and had to wonder what it is about the queen's that made me feel like that. Never before had I felt such a sudden connection like I had with the three queens.

Even now I was all to aware that Sulpicia was not near me, a thought that sent an unpleasant pang through my heart.

"She is not your mate Edward. You know that, yet you claim what is infact ours right in front of us, how stupid are you" Sulpicia growled out, tossing Edward up and slamming him into the concrete floor.

Wait what... what did she just say. I whipped my head round to stare at her. Half in denial because no way could I be mated to these goddesses but also half in curiosity, because dang if it were true I was one lucky girl.

"NEVER, she will never be with you three, she knows she's mine" Edward shot back and I couldn't help but laugh. God he was stupid. Again every head in the room turned to look at me, all with various expressions. Here was me an 18 year old human girl being held in the arms of a tiny pixie of a vampire surrounded by the most fierce vampires in the world laughing at another vampire during what was quite clearly gearing up to be a fight.

"Oh dear Isabella" Sulpicia purred. "Do tell us what you find so amusing" she continued looking me dead in the eye, amusement and curiosity burning in her mesmerising red eyes.

" Him" I said. " Edward, you have no claim to me, you left me, you abandoned me and stole away the only people in this world that up until now made me feel as if I was worth something, as if I belonged. The only people who I've ever let claim me as their own and in return claimed them as mine, yet you forced them to leave because you didn't think you could control your blood lust. That right there tells me everything I need to know about us, I'm not your mate, fuck I don't even love you. In fact I despise you, you're nothing but a silly little boy and I cannot be bothered with you. If it wasn't for how badly I knew it would effect Alice and Esme I would have left you to your petty little whim and not bothered tracking halfway across the world to save your sparkly pansy ass" I called, I hadn't realised I had been yelling until I stopped and took a breath before surveying the room. There was a moment of quiet before every single vampire in the room, including Jane, Alice and the three Queens, burst out laughing. Well every vampire except Edward who looked genuinely hurt and confused, one would say he had the look of someone who had just had their puppy kicked and I could safely say that it did not spark even an ounce of sympathy in me.

"I do say that clears that up boy" the blonde standing beside me sneered at Edward.

"I believe you are entirely correct Athenadora dear, Bella has made her view perfectly clear so that ends that, however on to more pressing matters. She belongs here and as such we cannot allow her to leave, especially while she is human, unfortunately Isabella as much as I know it would make you Happy we cannot hold Alice hostage for the foreseeable future so she along with Edward will return home immediately" Sulpicia commanded, I could see the slight worry in her eyes and I couldn't help but analyse what it may be she was worrying about most me getting upset at giving up my grip on Alice or my reaction to the news that she would not be allowing me to return home. Regardless of which I decided in that moment that nothing was worth that uncertainty on her face so I hurried to reassure her. I focused my gaze on her and offered her a small smile and a nod to let her know that I understood and that it was alright. I then turned to Alice who was now looking at me expectantly.

I leaned forward and kissed her cheek before nuzzling my face against her and brought my hands up to cup her face. "I'll see you soon Ali, please tell Esme, Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper I love them dearly. Hopefully I'll see yous all soon but until then know I love my best friend and sister with all my heart" I smiled and the smile she gave me in return made my heart swell. " You'll be happy here I promise Bells, we all love you and we will see you again soon, we are your family, you are my baby sister, now and always" she murmured pressing a delicate kiss to my forehead before she put me down on the ground in front of whom I now know to be Athenadora, she wrapped her arms around me from behind and pulled me gently against her front, resting her head on my shoulder. In my new position I watched as the two male vampires whom had originally tried to bring us to the throne room before Jane appeared, made their way to a struggling Edward who was still in Sulpicia's grip. They restrained him and started dragging him, kicking and screaming towards the large doors we had entered from.

"Oh Edward" Didyme called "you are officially banned from Volterra, unless specifically entitled into our homes you will be killed upon sight if entering for anything other than because of said specific invite" there was a malice in her voice that sent shivers down my spine as two thoughts flashed through my mind simultaneously. First is I'd never want to get on her bad side and secondly maybe I would like to be a little on her bad side on occasion because that was hot. I felt Athenadora breathe in deeply and pull me tighter against her, nuzzling into the small space behind my ear before murmuring into my ear "she is rather delicious when she gets all threatening isn't she little one". Shit I thought, vampires have heightened senses which means that every vampire in this room can probably smell my less than appropriate reaction to seeing queen tall dark and stunning get all fierce, I blushed a deep scarlet but nodded quickly in response as I tried not to make eye contact with any of the queens, focusing my gaze back on the retreating forms of Edward and Alice. Edward was still struggling and shouting but I had all but tuned him out, Alice glanced back at me over her shoulder, sending me a wink and a smirk before continuing out the room.

As the doors closed I let out the breath I hadn't realised I had been holding, relaxing back into Athenadora. As I relaxed I felt some of the tension that I had carried around with me ever since Edward had abandoned me eight months ago decapitate from my body. I felt a low vibration travel through my back as Athenadora nuzzled my head softly, holding me too her as if she never wanted to let me go. I agreed right now I did not want her to let me go at all, I was far too content in this strange vampires arms.

It was as that thought crossed my mind my body tensed and my heart picked up its rhythm. I really didn't understand why I seemed to be so drawn in by these three goddesses. The things they made me feel were confusing and terrifying all at once and I didn't know how to respond to the strange but intense need I felt to be as close as possible to the three of them. I knew we were mates, or so they said but that didn't mean I understood the way my body and mind were reacting. As far as what Carlisle told me, in humans the mating bond took a while to develop, he had explicitly said it took months for a human to feel the bond in the slightest unlike vampires who felt the bond immediately upon scenting or seeing their mate for the first time. He wouldn't have lied would he? Is this what I'm feeling? The mating bond? I wasn't sure.

All three queens picked up on my suddenly anxiety and at once were all standing as close to me as possible, Athenadora tightening her grip on me just a fraction more and running her fingers in soft circles against my stomach.

"Its alright little one, what's worrying you so much" Didyme asked as she took my hand in hers, she and Sulpicia both looked at me with a level of soft concern I had not seen on anyone and I couldn't help but answer them honestly.

"I don't understand this, I know you're saying we are mates and I wouldn't argue against that but why is this so sudden for me, the feelings, the need to be close to you three is scaring me slightly, Carlisle said the bond can take months to form in humans so I don't understand why I'm reacting the way I am" I babbled, speaking faster and faster as I continued, until suddenly there was a pair of lips on my mouth and I let out a startled yet muffled scream at the unexpected contact. Sulpicia drew back from me with a sheepish smile, "sorry little one, but you were ranting and I didn't know how else to get you to stop, its how I get Di and Dora to shut up sometimes when they are ranting or babbling"

"I do not babble" Athenadora retorted in what could only be described as a fond sigh.

"Oh please, Dora" Didyme laughed "you babble frequently and you know it" Athenadora sighed in response and Sulpicia giggled.

"If we may little one we would like to take you to our private rooms so we can speak with you, we shall explain all you need to know and answer any questions you may have in the privacy and comfort of our chambers" Didyme asked, cocking an eyebrow at me inquisitively. I nodded in response because at this precise moment I was rather overwhelmed and didn't think I could articulate a response if I tried.

Without hesitation Athenadora scooped my legs out from under me and clutched me to her chest bridal style all without letting go of me for a second. I didn't protest. In all honesty even if I did protest what could I have done about it, I know undoubtedly there was no chance of me getting out of her grasp even if I wanted to. If she wanted to carry me then she could and there really wasn't anything I could do to stop her, but I was strangely grateful to her in that moment, I was tired and overwhelmed and would have slowed them down immensely...