A/N: Lessons to be learned and finally a tentative meeting between Bella and Alistair xx Alexis


Mathias hadn't planned to set the boy up, but after watching him for only one hour he had a plan. Edward was nothing but a small and petty criminal, a disgrace to the vampire race. He didn't just change his clothes and collect his own belongings, oh no! He robbed the house, stealing anything of value, taking jewellery from two young female's rooms; Mathias assumed this was Rose and Alice. Then money from Carlisle's room and who he thought was Emmett, but for some reason, he didn't touch the study of the other male. On closer inspection and a whiff of the old scent left behind he understood. It was of the Alpha male, Major Whitlock and he was one not to be messed with. Plus Mathias knew enough about him to know if Edward stole his things, Peter his brother as he called him, would see it and obviously so did Edward!

But he didn't know the difference between classy, highly expensive jewellery and less expensive tat! Yes, still diamonds, but inferior for all that. Esme had already removed the most lucrative items and had them appraised and sold. Her own jewels were being cleaned and sent to her safety deposit box. She wasn't a fool and probably knew he'd do this one day. How this child could not sense they had been here less than a week ago was unfathomable! Mathias was beginning to see Carlisle was as bad a sire as he was a leader, what other reason could there be. The child should have been terminated years ago as he added nothing to his coven. Each member should have a strength that's needed, either to protect or to profit from said coven! The others all had at least something to offer, but Edward had nothing at all.

His gift was almost useless; it was mundane and pitiful really. Maybe if it had been worked on and honed it into an effective form of mind-reading. One where he could hear from a much further distance and more than surface thoughts! His decision made Mathias spoke into the fool's head directly.

"Edward! I know a way of regaining all you have lost. It's there for the taking, you just need to reach out and grasp it"

"Who are you? How do you know me? Why do you sound like me? "Edward demanded and Mathias smirked to himself,

Mimicking others was an easy task for a vampire; one all should be capable of if they tried. What the hell had this fool been taught? Because it didn't sound like it was anything relevant to a vampire! He knew Edward would be searching all around him for the vampire who spoke to him, but how can he find his own voice since Mathias was now thinking mundane human things in his own tone. It was easy to be vague and seem further away than in the next hallway. It wasn't hard to bamboozle someone as ridiculous as Edward.

"Who I am can wait until I can trust you! First I want to know what you want? Is it the money or the coven?" Mathias asks still using Edward's own voice,

He was being beyond smart because even read by Aro, Edward would come off as insane! The voice in his head was his own; it was clever and quite diabolical.

"What coven? I thought everyone left and the coven was defunct!" Edward demanded, still being his snotty, self-important self,

"Do you know nothing? If you leave a coven and strike out with one of your own, you can return anytime, if it still exists! You do know about Tobias, don't you? He was a founding member of the London coven, therefore Carlisle is part of that coven once more and Esme as his mate is too! Once more in the fold of one of the richest covens in the vampire world!" Mathias lays it on thick for the greedy child,

He was enjoying rubbing in the fact they landed on their feet while he, Edward landed on his arse!

HLMWAINS

Alistair was getting antsy, really antsy. He could almost feel the fluctuations in the air around him, Bella was changing now and although he wanted to be there he didn't want to overwhelm her. Unlike the Cullens, Alistair had never ignored the vampire part of himself, more like he embraced it. After all, it's not like he could go back, only forward and so he did. Bella Swan had to find him and he had to wait, Luca promised to keep him in the loop, but would not push her. This had to be her decision, when she was ready for him, not his, why? She was new and could be volatile and that could lead to pain and suffering for them both, it happened in the past when a female was pursued relentlessly before she was out of her newborn stage, she killed her own mate and then went insane!

The Volturi made it law that they, newborns need to be the finders. It wasn't as straightforward as some would have you believe, meeting your mate. It was about sight, scent, a meeting of minds long before it involved anything physical. She could see and smell him and then watch for months before approaching or come to him right away; it all depended on her and only her. It was all about evaluating and then learning to trust for new vampires and no wonder! There were too many Edward Cullens and female equivalents like Rosalie Hale out there that lie and con their way into other's lives, hearts and beds! She's lucky Emmett never killed her; him being super chilled saved her life! Thankfully Edward was too immature to take his relationship with Bella to that level or Alistair would have killed him without a doubt!

The final part of a vampire mating is tasting each other's venom and that seals the deal, making mates attuned with each other. After all, the only ones amongst the Cullens to share their venom with each other were Carlisle and Esme, but Alistair thought the animal blood weakened their bond. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to give Esme such a hard time as he does. It should be nigh on impossible to lie to your mate! He could see a future where Esme would drink human blood and be in charge of everything because Carlisle is too weak to lead anyone, anywhere! Alistair had a feeling Mathias' coven would make her see the light very soon. Yes, Edward and the others leaving will be the best thing that happened to Esme, Carlisle not so much, he's forgotten how to be a vampire!

That's if he ever tried and that's debatable! Why would any vampire in their right mind want to be a human again, it defies logic? So Alistair would carry on fixing his home and wait patiently for Bella to come to him, they do have a sixth sense and seem to gravitate towards vampire mates, it's harder when they're human. Alistair's gift helped him to recognise Bella for what she was to him, thank God. All in all, he'd waited seven hundred years one more give or take wouldn't kill him. His plans for the library were finished; more window seating and diffused lighting made it his favourite place to sit on long wet evenings. It was very common for vampires to be great readers, they had more time on their hands and it was a good way to pass a few hours.

While he sat he planned, thinking of all the places he would take his mate once they were together.

HLMWAINS

Jasper was happy to be finally free of the Cullens and was really amused by the odd bits of information Peter gave him about Alice. She was settled in Biloxi and had become a mediocre fortune teller. How the mighty have fallen, she barely got any visions nowadays and was not happy about that. Peter, Charlotte and Jasper were off tomorrow to Greenland, visiting Conrad. He was a chill guy who rarely left his own country, but was always up for visitors. Jasper was determined to try out his sea-life diet, hell it couldn't be worse than some mammals. Since leaving the coven he had toyed with going back to human blood, but the fear they exuded was just not worth it. He could control it until he bit down, but then lost control and it would swamp him. Knocking them out or breaking their necks also removed the thrill of the hunt!

So instead he hunted larger and larger game and that was the answer, carnivores! They fought back and emoted no fear, just raw determination and cunning. He spent more and more time studying over-population in wildlife. Going where there was a glut of animals and thinning them out, often following reports of rogue animals and dispatching them. He was happy, something that he hadn't been in a very long time. Peter's news about Emmett also made him glad, if anyone deserved their mate it was him. Finding a human mate and one who knew the secret and understood the implications was rare and he was really, really lucky. How he put up with Rose's abuse for years Jasper would never know, talk about turning the other cheek. If Alice had tried that on him she'd have been dispatched long ago!

Emmett would eventually have to take her home to Malta because Luca changed all his descendants. It helped to strengthen their gifts, every one of them was a shield of some type and that was his one unbreakable rule. It was almost like keeping the bloodlines pure, except it was venom, but not in an elitist way, nobody was more down to earth than Luca. Jasper was guessing Bella should be getting changed about now, he had a feeling she would be a very special shield. Luca had long lamented nobody had the double shield as strong as he did, but Jasper thought Bella might be the one. Once her year was up, if she needed the year, which he doubted, then maybe he'd visit. Peter had said he didn't think she'd stay in Malta but move to Britain.

Well, she did love their literature, Peter had that smirk going on, so he knew something! Jasper had long since given up asking when he had that smirk on his face. Peter would tell him when the time was right; it wasn't life-threatening so he could wait. As for his own love life, he'd caught up with a few old flames, but as yet he was still mateless. He wasn't worried or feeling drawn anywhere, in particular, really he wasn't ready to jump back into a long-term relationship after the debacle of the last one. His freedom from Alice's constraints was still something he was enjoying, maybe one day but for now, he was happy with how things were. All he was interested in at the moment was sinking his teeth into a whale or great white shark! Thoughts of a mate were far from his mind and he wasn't worried, he had all the time in the world.

HLMWAINS

Bella woke from her transition feeling, like herself and for a second wondered if it didn't work. But she could hear so much more, taste the very air itself and feel every thread of the sheet below her. Well, this was unusual she really expected to be out of control or angry at the least, but nothing. Slowly she opened her eyes to look at Luca, she knew he was there and waiting for some reaction from her.

"Why do I feel normal, I mean like I did as a human?" she asked raising her hand to her mouth as she heard her own new voice,

"You, my dear are magnificent and take after me, I was just like you. Our type of shield pairing protects us from ourselves. No anger, bloodlust or confusion, it will only be the strength issues and learning how to use your new enhanced body" Luca said with pride,

After a very dignified feeding, no mess, no chaos, no drama at all Bella wanted to learn all there was to know and to be shown how to defend herself. Everyone congratulated her on being so like Luca and the other woman gushed about how beautiful she looked, Bella smiled and nodded, but hadn't actually looked in the mirror yet. This was not her top priority and never had been, but eventually, they insisted she looks.

"Damn, I'm definitely getting leather pants, sorry trousers now. Who'd have thought Bella Swan could have an ass like that!" she quipped spinning around and laughing with the others,

She absolutely loved her hair, it was so much fuller and the highlights of red and gold were beautiful. Bella just didn't see the whole picture she was stunning, no longer the girl next door though, but model worthy. Rosalie Hale would be green with envy if she ever saw her. But Bella never had a vain bone in her body and being a vampire didn't change that in the least. Now all she wanted was to be the best vampire she could and head towards Britain where she now felt pulled. So she worked very hard and enjoyed her time on the island more than any other time in her life so far, these people were her family now. They cared about her and wanted her opinion on things, she was no afterthought here in Malta. The months slipped by quickly and soon six had passed and Luca declared her out of her newborn phase.

HLMWAINS

Mathias sent word to his mate Clara, telling her to take Agatha and Esme to Paris shopping. Agatha was Tobias' mate, so wherever she went he would follow and take Carlisle with him. He wanted them all out of the country while he set Edward up. It was going to be so easy with the level of greed and entitlement Edward had.

"You might want to think of leaving their house Edward, they were there less than four days ago and will be back and your scent will be noticeable to them! I can't understand how you didn't realise that, but it's of no consequence to me!" Mathias said, again trying not to laugh at the panic on the fool's face,

He watched as Edward flew out of there like a bat out of hell, it would have been funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

"You never did say which you wanted, the money or the coven? I only ask because I want the coven, I want to be in charge of the London vampires. I don't need the money, I have more than enough!" Mathias continued,

"The money, of course, I don't want to deal with the petty demands of a coven!" Edward spat and totally missed the point,

Real covens were nothing like Carlisle's and only he and his sisters had been petty. Wow, he really didn't know how to act like a vampire. It's as if he saw himself as an enhanced human and not a vampire. Well then, he wouldn't be much of a loss to society. He was going to set him up to rob his own London house and not involve Tobias or the others in any way. Mathias was older than the Denali sisters but younger than the Volturi brothers, so he had been around long enough to have quite the sway with the larger covens. So Edward robbing him will be seen in a bad light, a very bad light. Plus if he ever gets read by Aro, his sanity will come into question and insane vampires are eradicated as they are too dangerous to be allowed out in the human world.

His own greed and arrogance would be his downfall. Mathias contacted Tobias, to tell him to warn Carlisle that Edward had broken into Carlisle and Esme's house, taking not only his own things but ransacking the other rooms too. He hadn't, but Mathias did and of course, left no scent behind, framing the fool was easier than he thought. Phase one was underway, he had to keep Edward off balance and make his next faux pas even worse! Finally he would dangle the covens wealth in front of the fool and watch him fall for the plan, hook, line and sinker!

HLMWAINS

Alistair was working with his falcons when he felt eyes on him and knew she was there. At last, his mate was near and he sighed quietly. He made no gesture that would let her know he knew she was nearby; he was content that she had found him at last. Only six months had passed since he saw her in Esme's mind and he was very proud that she had basically skipped being a newborn. Luca had gushed about it to him several times and they were more like her parents than sire and future mate. It was time for him to do his rounds again and he knew she would follow. He was looking forward to letting her see this side of him, a side very few knew about. He idly wondered if she even knew his name yet and as he put away the birds for the day, he left a set of brochures out. They would tell her all about the falconry and his name as well.

The next morning she was still there, having watched him wistfully in the library all night. He knew she had taken the pamphlets and now at least knew his name. He loudly re-informed his caretaker when he was leaving and how long he thought he'd be gone. He always left during the night so nobody saw him leave on foot, hiding his classic nineteen fifties Range Rover in a cave he'd customised for that reason years ago. He knew Bella watched his every move and he packed very light with just a backpack. He took off slowly with his favourite falcon Ava on his shoulder, he rarely left her behind and she did enjoy the hunting along the way. He tried not to laugh when the bird would stare behind them tracking Bella as she followed them.

He led her to Bristol to feed, knowing she would need too much more than him. This was his usual journey, going up the west coast and returning down the east coast. He would surreptitiously show her some sites along the way as Ava hunted. With each stop he made for visits to his family Bella edged closer, plus he knew she stayed close to Ava when he was away longer than an hour or so. He had heard her talking to the bird on one of his late returns, Bella didn't realise he could sense her, shielded or not because they were mates. He felt her unequivocal joy whilst running across the Cairngorms, her awe as she watched Ava dive for her prey and then swoop back up into the sky. He hoped she would approach soon, even if she didn't walk by his side. If they could look upon each other then he could talk to her and try to gain her trust.

It wasn't until he headed inland towards London she made her presence known. Alistair was quite shocked at the change in her appearance she was stunning now, but the Bella he saw in Esme's head was still there from the wringing of her hands to the nervous biting of her lip and he thanked God, some people changed not only in looks but personality during the change.

"Are you going to London? I've never been around that many people at one time, I'm a little nervous" she stated calmly,

But her nervously fluttering hands gave her away. Alistair couldn't help smiling at her, she needed his assurance and guidance, and he nodded.

"Just the outskirts to family there, we don't need to go into the city itself. You could stay with Ava, she hates cities too" he explained, seeing her close her eyes in relief,

"She's so beautiful and powerful. How does she let one of us touch her?" Bella asked now,

"I bred her and all those before her, they are my personal line with no fear of me," Alistair said as he slowly moved towards her,

He called down Ava and told Bella to hold out her arm, once she landed on his he encouraged her to jump to Bella. He wanted Bella to be used to Ava, that way she could call her and the bird would respond. They were notorious for ignoring weak owners, if the handler didn't give the bird its perceived deference they just ignored you. After all, they were not tame pets and not everyone had the inner strength the birds expected.

"May I touch you? Your stance is off and believe it or not a Peregrine is capable of knocking an unsuspecting vampire over when landing at speed" Alistair enquired,

Bella nodded nervously not sure why this vampire commanded such a response from her. He was more handsome up close and he smelled amazing.

"I'm Bella and your Alistair, yes?" She quizzed him,

"I'm being honest here Bella, I knew who you were! I've seen you in the mind of Esme Cullen, when you were human that is" he replied gently not wanting to spook her,

"Esme? She's in England, what about the others? I don't want to meet them ever again!" she snarled and Ava took to the sky,

"Only Esme and Carlisle are here, well in Kent, for the time being, she's changing her diet. Edward was here I heard but is on the run as of now!" Alistair replied and Bella started to laugh,

"Run! What did the pompous asshole do? God, I'm so happy to hear that you know, finally, he's getting what he deserves" she said with a huge grin on her face,