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Chapter Seven: Undeniable
Bella felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Her mouth felt dry like she had been sucking on cotton wool. Her eyes were heavy, and she struggled to open them, her eyelids fluttering. It took a few seconds for her vision to become clear. Her shoulders were tight and a rumbling noise came from underneath her.
As her eyes began to focus, she realised that her head was tipped back and she was staring at something grey. She slowly brought her head forward as she tried to move her shoulders and relieve some of the tension. Bella only managed to pull them so far before it became apparent that she couldn't really move them.
She turned her head. "What the—" She tugged on the rope that bound her hands.
"Don't struggle," a deep voice muttered and Bella turned her head to the other side. The same man from earlier—the one with the shaven head—had his meaty arms folded across his chest and was looking down at her. "If you do, we'll tie the ropes tighter and gag you." He leaned back, and Bella finally saw Rose sat on his other side, her body looking incredibly uncomfortable as she glared at the were, a cloth gag wrapped around the front of her face.
They were all jolted, and Rose and Bella struggled to stay sitting on the bench. Bella realised then that they were all in a van; the rumbling was the sound of the tyres on the road.
Her head was still foggy from whatever had been injected into her, so she rested her head against the wall of the truck and closed her eyes, willing her brain to work.
After what felt like a few minutes, her shoulder was violently shaken, and she opened her eyes to see the large man holding a penknife.
She gasped and tried to move away, but he wrapped his hand around her and grasped the rope binding her wrists together.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked, fear lacing her voice as she felt the cold metal of the knife against her wrist.
With a quick slice, the bindings behind her were undone and her wrists were freed.
Warily, she turned around, facing him. Bringing her hands to her chest, she gently massaged the raw skin.
The man turned to Rose. "See—if you behave, I'll take the gag and the rope away." She continued to look defiant as the man carefully untied the gag from her mouth. When she remained silent, he turned her around and cut the rope from her wrists. She turned back around, glared at the man, and then sat back against the van.
Are you alright? she asked.
I'm OK—are you? Bella questioned, the image of Rose having a gag stuffed into her mouth prevalent in her mind.
Rose let out a mental snort as the corners of her mouth upturned slightly, causing the were to look between us. When I woke up, I began screaming and wouldn't shut up—I'm surprised it didn't wake you—they decided to gag me. Rose replayed the scenario in her head. She had screamed alright—so much so that the were covered his ears and the van swerved violently.
They were both silent for a moment, neither one of them entirely sure what to say or even what to do—not that there was much they could do.
Bella… I think we're being taken to Aro.
Bella's eyes went wide and she tried not to alert the were to the fact that she was starting to panic. Looking out of the corner of her eye at Rose, Bella saw she was sat against the opposite side of the van, arms crossed over her chest as she stared blankly at the side of the truck. Mentally, she could feel Rose's worries.
We might not be, Bella tried to reason, Carlisle's words echoing around her head. Most vampires didn't associate with weres, so chances were, an angry, old vampire would be waiting for them whenever the van doors opened.
Bella watched Rose for a few minutes before turning to look at the were sat between them. He hadn't said a word since releasing them and had his large arms crossed over his chest, his eyes closed. He was so large, he could rival Emmett and Jake in size.
Closing her own eyes, Bella focused on his thoughts.
This needs to be the last job I do for Aro. I'm not a kidnapper. I don't go around kidnapping women. What the fuck does Aro want with them anyway?
Bella opened her eyes as Rose's suspicions were confirmed. Rose turned her head slightly. She'd heard his thoughts too.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence, no one uttering a single word.
Eventually, the van stopped, and the back doors were opened to reveal the other man from earlier standing outside with a smug smile on his face.
"We're here!" he announced, a chuckle following his statement.
The were between Rose and Bella stood, gesturing for them to do the same before cocking his head towards the door, indicating they should get out.
Cautiously, both Rose and Bella got out of the van.
They looked around, their human eyes taking longer to adjust to the dark. They were in front of what could only be described as a mansion. In typical mansion-style, the outside walls were painted cream with a large black door in the middle. Two large columns supported the roof above it. The mansion looked to be two storeys with white windows covering most of the front—quite ironic given the house's occupants. The villa was dimly lit, with outside lights on both the wall and path, creating a soft glow over the exterior.
As they took all of this in, the door opened, revealing a man dressed in a red velvet suit. His black hair was slicked back, and his pale skin made him stand out against the darkness of the night.
"You're here! You're finally here!" he shouted giddily, almost skipping up the path with delight.
Bella struggled to stand her ground and not take a step back when he approached. His dark eyes darted between her and Rose, his smile seeming to grow even wider.
He clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. His nostrils flared, his fangs dropped, and his pupils went wide.
"My, my. You do smell divine," he murmured, sending a flash of cold fear running down Bella's spine.
"Well, come on then—we don't want to be standing out here all night." With that, the man turned on his heel and began to walk towards the house.
Rose and Bella remained in their spots.
After the man had walked a few feet away, he turned to look at them, a frown settling upon his face. "Now—don't make this difficult. I'll carry you in myself if I have to," he warned.
Bella turned to Rose slightly and saw she had once again crossed her arms over her chest, her lavender eyes fixed on the vampire.
"You need to tell us who you are." It was a demand. Not a request. And only Rose could look so composed when facing down an unknown vampire (even if they had a pretty good idea of who he was).
"I'm Aro," he freely admitted. "And I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"Why should we come inside with you?" Bella asked, taking a leaf out of Rose's book. Her voice shook slightly, and her heart pounded against her chest. But she was done being dragged around with no explanation.
"Because Edward will be very pleased to see you." Bella's mouth fell open. She hadn't expected him to be so forward.
"Well… come on then," he urged, turning around and starting towards the front of the house once more.
Bella turned to Rose and grabbed her hand, following Aro inside. The two weres remained by the van.
Bella's heart pounded harder as they walked up the path. She was terrified. But not for herself. For Edward. She wondered what kind of horrors he'd had to endure. What kind of torture they had put him through.
Bella barely had time to register anything before she was engulfed in two strong arms. Automatically, her hand dropped Rose's, and she clung to the body in front of her.
She tilted her head to see Edward looking down, concern etched across his face whilst he smiled in what could only be described as relief.
"Are you alright?" he asked, Bella pulling him closer.
She nodded into his chest and took a calming lungful of him. They were together—everything would work out.
"Are you hurt?" he questioned, pulling back slightly so he could get a better look at her.
Bella shook her head. "I'm fine."
Edward's eyes held hers for several seconds before he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, one that was far too short for either of them. But they did have company.
"They are so much prettier in person," a female voice cooed.
Bella jumped slightly and turned. A genuinely stunning woman leaned against the doorway, her dark hair covering her shoulders and her pale skin standing out against the black dress she wore.
Bella looked to her right slightly and saw Rose between Emmett and Carlisle, her body angled towards the large man's. Jasper stood off to the side slightly, and Bella realised he was taking everything in.
"Rosalie, Isabella, I would like to introduce you to my darling wife—Sulpicia." Aro walked up to her and gently wrapped an arm around her slim waist. He placed a delicate kiss on her cheek, and she giggled, tapping her finger against his lips, a lustful glint in her eyes.
"I want a closer look," she declared.
She walked up to Bella, scanning her eyes over her body as Edward pulled her close, a growl reverberating through his chest. Then, she turned her attention to Rose, doing the same as Emmett stood at her side, like a sentinel. Bella felt like she was an animal, put on display for Sulpicia's perusal.
"They really are beautiful," she murmured, her eyes darkening as her fangs dropped. Bella swallowed when she saw the white tips.
"Sulpicia," Aro tutted. "These are our guests and will be treated as such."
Relief coursed through Bella as Sulpicia retracted her fangs and turned to her husband, a pout on her lips. Swinging her hips, Sulpicia sauntered over to him, placing a hand on his chest and the other grabbing his crotch.
"You better make it up to me," she said, drawing her bottom lip into her mouth just before Aro brought his open palm down on her backside.
Rose winced at the sound.
"Don't I always?" he mumbled, his tone making Bella visibly shudder. She pressed herself into Edward, and he tightened his arms around her.
Sulpicia ascended the staircase, Aro's eyes lingering on her until she disappeared. Only then did he turn his attention back to his 'guests'.
"It's a pleasure to have you all in my home," he began, his eyes inspecting them all. "Isabella, Rosalie, my day staff have set you up a room together. I recommend you rest well tonight because tomorrow is when the fun really begins."
"The fun?" Rose asked, trepidation creeping into her tone.
"Oh, yes. We're going to have so much fun!" Aro told them. "Tomorrow…I get to find out exactly what you are." His eyes shone with maniacal glee, white teeth gleaming under the lights.
Bella shifted as a ball of uneasiness settled in her stomach. Rose clasped her hand in hers, fear screaming in her mind. Bella tried to swallow hers down, be strong, not only for Rose but Edward. She'd had his blood. He could feel every single emotion running through her body, and she didn't want him to worry.
But the terror that was racing through her body was undeniable.
Thank you to Edwardsmate4ever and Twi-Girl83 for their work as my betas.