AN: Hello everyone! This is my second attempt at writing a fanfiction piece so be gentle but I welcome ideas for plot or necessary changes. Reviews are the fuel to my creative fire so though I will try and stay on a once a week at the longest basis for updates, sometimes I may fall out of that so work with me. I hope you all enjoy the story. R&R as always.
The air was cool as it pressed lightly against her form, her fingers tracing the scar on her wrist, the only reference she had left of the world that had abandoned her. A wry smile played across her lips while anger coursed through her veins. Suddenly a twig cracked behind her and she whirled around to see two cloaked figures leisurely leaning against trees a few yards away. The shorter figure was holding a stick between their pointer finger and thumb, snapping it with ease as the girl turned around.
"Who are you? What do you want?" the girl asked.
The smaller figure began to laugh, a terrifyingly beautiful, sadistic laugh void of any humor. Pale hands reached up, slowly removing the hood to reveal a beautiful blonde woman with vivid red eyes. The figure next to her did the same to reveal a similarly pale young man with light brown hair and the same shining eyes.
"Hello Isabella," the blonde said, her voice beautiful with an undertone of unmistakable threat.
"How the hell do you know my name? Who are you? What do you want?" Bella asked again, her voice gaining an impatient tone.
"So it's true then." The blonde cocked her head to the side, studying the girl before her with interest. "They really did tell a human and then leave her unattended." The blonde made a tutting noise, shaking her head with mock disappointment.
"I know what you are. I don't know what you want from me or who you are."
"Why the Cullens never mentioned their leaders?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended as she smirked. "Well allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jane Volturi and this is my brother Alec. We are part of the Volturi, the royal rulers of the vampires."
"What do you want from me?"
Jane curled her lips back, a sadistic mock of a smile that somehow managed to still appear beautiful. In a heartbeat she was inches from Bella's face, eyes burning into the dark brown ones before her. After a few seconds, Jane's brow furrowed in frustration and she snarled, her eyes darkening significantly. Bella knew that Jane was talking to her brother as Alec appeared next to his sister and stared at Bella with the same concentration as his sister.
"It seems today is your lucky day Isabella," the soft voice of the man before her stated. "I would like to offer you a choice. It seems that you are immune to Jane and I's gifts and our leader has a special interest in those with abilities like ours. We were sent here to dispose of you, to eliminate the threat of our secret being exposed. However, I am willing to offer you the chance at a new life in the Volturi. We would of course turn you into one of us and train you to control and use your gift."
"So death by vampire or become a vampire myself," Bella drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word. "What a great choice I have in front of me."
Alec smirked, his red eyes boring into hers. Jane was simply glaring at her, still a few inches away and unmoving.
"I want to become a vampire. Tell me though, what are your gifts? I would like to know what I escaped without knowing it." Bella raised an eyebrow defiantly causing Jane to growl lightly under her breath.
"I cause unimaginable pain. It has been described as an invisible, all consuming fire over the mind," Jane said, that sadistic smile back in place on her lips.
"And I cause my victim to lose their senses. I can choose which to take away and which to keep. If you take away a vampire's ability to see and to hear, two of our most advantageous senses, they are helpless." Alec looked at Bella with a smirk. "It can be a merciful killing or it can be a terrifying one. Together, Jane and I can make a person feel nothing but their pain, unable to rely on any other sense to escape it."
"Remind me not to get on your bad side then," Bella laughed awkwardly, a tinge of fear showing in her movements.
"Come Isabella, you have made the right decision in joining us. We must now return to Volterra and report back to Aro." Alec reached out his hand for Bella to take. "We will run to the nearest airfield, where we will have a jet waiting for us. Being human, we can't exactly run you to where we are going."
"And where is that? Volterra I mean, where is that?" Bella asked curiously.
"Italy," Alec said, smiling as Bella's eyes went wide in surprise.
Jane simply scoffed and took off in a blur. Shrugging, Alec picked Bella off the ground and took off running behind his sister, giving absolutely no warning to the terrified human in his arms.
Within a half hour they arrived at the airfield. As she was placed on her feet again, Bella gasped once her vision aligned itself and she was able to see where they were. In front of them, a private jet was preparing for takeoff. With eyes wide, Bella walked with her escorts up the steps and into the belly of luxury. Inside, the jet was the picture of refined, expensive, taste and beauty. Noticing her expression Alec simply led Bella to one of the couches on board and gestured for an attendant to come to them.
To Bella's surprise, the woman that walked up was very obviously human. She was beautiful, her blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders and her bright blue eyes sparkling with eager excitement. Alec reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, dazzling her with a wide smile before telling her to get him and his guest something to drink for the ride. When she returned, pouring champagne for both Bella and Alec, her eyes lingered on Alec as she turned to leave.
"You have human servants?" Bella asked incredulously.
"Actually, the Volturi has many humans working for it, all over the world in fact. Those that are especially loyal or exhibit promise of a gift have the chance to be turned and join the Volturi. It is an honor, one that many humans try to get. Sophia here has been working for us for years, ever since I rescued her from a car accident on one of my missions. Aro promised her a position in the Volturi if she can prove her worth and loyalty to us and so she has been working toward that for the past few years."
"But you eat humans, how can you employ them like this? That is sadistic." Bella moved away from Alec, disgust clear in her eyes.
"We are not monsters Isabella, no matter what you may think. The Volturi have laws to ensure that humans do not find out about us. This includes the law mandating that vampires hunt humans who will not be missed, those that society could do without. Murderers, abusers, those without homes, and people like that. The other is that we do not hunt in the same place often, that we spread out our hunts across cities and borders so that populations have time to rebalance themselves. We are not sadistic murderers with no respect for life. On the contrary, you will discover that we are more like a family than you can imagine."
Jane took this as her cue to drop onto the couch next to her brother, her eyes flashing. "I do quite enjoy inflicting pain. I love the hunt, the way that my victims scream and fight as they succumb to my gift."
Bella gulped, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as Alec playfully shoved his sister.
"Isabella, she may have a sadistic gift and she may enjoy using it on those who deserve it, but Jane is hardly a sadistic psychopath like she so loves to make herself out to be. Actually, she is quite the softy once you get to know her." Alec turned and winked at his sister who growled threateningly before narrowing her eyes.
Alec gasped in pain for a second before swatting his sister upside the head. Bella was incredibly confused by the interaction, unsure what to believe about this dangerous duo. Jane began to laugh before winking at Bella with that same evil smirk Bella was beginning to think was stuck to her face.
After a few hours and many more instances of banter between Jane and Alec, Bella lapsed into a restless sleep. She awoke to the feeling of someone lightly shaking her arm, their freezing fingers making goosebumps appear around each contact. As her eyes gradually opened she saw Jane standing over her, her face showing nothing but mild annoyance.
"Let's go human. Up you go. Time to meet Aro and the rest of the Volturi."
Bella's eyes were wide with wonder as the group made their way up to the massive castle of Volterra. There were vampires guarding the massive gate and wall that surrounded the property, humans working as landscapers, and a bustling community of life inside. Bella gasped and stopped in her tracks when she saw a vampire fighting four others in the courtyard in front of the castle entrance.
The sight was both terrifying and beautiful as the man in the center ducked and weaved around his attackers, delivering precise blows that threw them across the yard. Most of their movements were too fast for Bella's eyes to track but from what she could tell, this sparring session was barely phasing the man in the middle. When the man saw the group approaching he held up his hand, ordering his sparring partners to halt their movements. His eyes met Bella's from across the courtyard and he dismissed those around him to greet the approaching group.
"Jane, Alec, welcome back. Who might this be?" His voice was deep and comforting, a far contrast to his appearance. A scar, beginning just above his brow and arching across his eye to his cheek, was the first thing that Bella noticed once they got close enough to him. He was tall and tan, with long dark hair and well defined muscles. He appeared to be in his late 20's despite how well built he was. Though he was not human, Bella could tell there was something different about this man. He didn't have the same red eyes and pale skin as every other vampire around and though he was handsome he didn't have the beauty of a vampire either.
"My name is Bella," she responded. "I'm here to be turned by Aro and join the Volturi."
"Ah I see." His dark eyes appraised her before he smiled and extended his hand to her. "The name is Jax, short for Ajax."
Bella took his hand hesitantly, noting how warm his skin was against hers as she shook it slowly. "Nice to meet you Jax."
Alec and Jane nodded to Jax before continuing their walk into the castle. Curiously, Jax followed them as they made their way to the throne room. Upon entering, Jax stepped off to the side and leaned against a pillar. Alec and Jane knelt before the throne in the center of the room bowing their heads toward the three men sat on the raised platform. The man in the center gestured for them to rise, smiling like a child at Christmas when they lightly pushed Bella in front of them.
"Ah, Isabella. So good to finally meet you my dear." The man extended his hand and took her hand in both of his before giggling in glee and releasing it. "It seems that you are immune to my power as well. Extraordinary! My name is Aro, king of the Volturi. The man on my right is Caius and the man on my left is Marcus. We are the primary rulers of the vampire world, we enforce the laws of our kind and ensure that the world is kept in order."
Bella nodded to show that she understood and recognized the men and their positions of power, uncomfortably shifting from foot to foot.
"I hear that you have accepted our invitation to join the Volturi, is this true?" Aro smiled at her again, still appearing childish in his antics even though he was regarded as the most powerful leader of the vampire world.
"Yes," Bella replied simply. "It was either become a vampire or lose my life to one. The choice wasn't a hard one really."
Aro looked at her strangely before laughing and lightly patting her shoulder. "A sense of humor I see. You will be turned shortly and after the change is complete you will learn to control your gift and your thirst. We will teach you our laws, train you to fight, and eventually you may attempt to earn a place on the royal guard. I will let Jane show you to your room to get settled before we change you."
As Bella walked into her room she was once again amazed at the luxury that she found herself a part of now. In the center was a large king bed with a bright white comforter and dark maroon pillows. Stepping inside, Bella found herself reveling in the feeling of the soft carpet against her feet and the way that the moonlight illuminated the room through the French doors to the left of the bed. Opening them, Bella found herself out on a small balcony overlooking the lights of the city of Volterra miles away. The balcony had a perfect view of the city and the forested mountains between the city and the castle.
Walking into the bathroom Bella gasped at the luxurious space she found herself in. The white tub on the left was perfectly tucked into an alcove surrounded by candles. The shower was just ahead across from the sinks and wall to wall mirror, and Bella found herself wondering just how many people could fit in there. Deciding that it was more than enough room for her and every friend she had ever made in Forks, Bella laughed to herself softly before continuing her self-guided tour.
After she was done, Bella decided to go find Jane or Alec to let them know that she was ready to be turned. As soon as she stepped outside she was met with the presence of Jax who smiled at her and told her that he would happily escort her to the throne room to be turned. Bella nodded and smiled, taking the arm that Jax offered to her as they began their walk.
"So I hope you don't mind me asking but what are you?" Bella looked up at Jax who laughed, flexing the arm she was holding.
"What gave me away? Was it the tan, the muscles, the warm skin, the inhuman speed or strength?"
"All of the above actually," Bella smiled at him in response.
"I'm a shape shifter. By the way you don't seem surprised in the slightest, I assume you know shifters of your own."
Bella nodded at this before saying, "I thought shifters and vampires were mortal enemies. How are you able to be around so many vampires and them around you without killing each other?"
Jax just looked at her and began to laugh, more so when Bella began to protest his laughter at her. "Who told you that? Your home shifters or your home vampires? Either way that's completely inaccurate. Though it is true that many shifters hate vampires, it is more a personal grudge than a species reflective attitude. I have trained hundreds of vampires through Volterra to fight and heal shifters of all kinds. It is important that we learn to coexist on this planet, for there are those that wish to destroy us and it is better if we can learn to band together as one to fight them when that day comes. It is actually very common for a shifter to find their imprint in the form of a vampire since their animal recognizes the immortality of their mate and the strength of their mate as well. Human mates are equally as common but it is simply wrong to assume that all shifters hate vampires and vice versa."
Bella looked surprised at this news but smiled and thanked him for the new information. At that time, they found themselves standing outside of the large ornate wooden doors that led to the throne room. Jax opened the door for her and followed her inside watching her become slightly nervous as she approached the group standing around the throne.
"Ah Isabella, I hope you like the room we put you in, do let us know if there is anything you would like to change about it. But now, let us get to what we are really here for. Who would you like to be turned by? Your choices are Jane, Alec, Felix, or Demetri. They are the best of my royal guard and they have the best control over their thirst. Once you pick you will immediately be turned and transported to your bedroom while the change occurs. In about three days you will emerge a newborn vampire and we will begin teaching you about what that means." Aro smiled at Bella, gesturing to the guard members he mentioned that stood in front of him. Jane smirked her evil smirk at Bella from across the room and Bella cringed slightly, quickly skipping over her as an option.
"I would like Alec to change me," Bella decided.
As soon as the words left her lips, Alec crossed the room and was centimeters from her neck. He pressed a chaste kiss to her neck, scaring her into flinching away from him as her survival instincts kicked in, but his kiss turned into a bite before she could move away any further. As soon as his teeth punctured the skin and the blood began flowing into his mouth, Alec's eyes went jet black and he moaned in appreciation. As soon as the bite began, it ended, and Alec pulled away to look at her.
The burning sensation began almost immediately and Bella fell to the ground in pain, though she didn't make a sound. The screams began as she was being moved to her bedroom for the change to take place. It was as if an invisible fire was burning its way through her veins, scorching a path from every end of her body to her chest. Every nerve ending in her body was brought to life, indescribable pain making its way through every part of her conscious being.
It was three days later when her heart beat for the last time and the burning ended. Isabella Swan took in an unnecessary breath of air and opened her eyes. As if experiencing everything for the first time, she looked around, taking note of every grain in the wooden furniture around her, the feeling of each individual fiber against her skin, and every particle of dust that floated through the air, illuminated by the light streaming in from the French doors.
Moving faster than she had ever thought possible, Isabella appeared in front of the bathroom mirror, taking in her appearance with a curious tilt of her head. Her hair was silky and beautiful, falling in soft waves around her shoulders, her skin pale and free of any blemish. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, but the thing that stuck out to her the most… her eyes were a vivid violet, as if a galaxy were trapped just beneath the surface.