Chapter 13

The first few moments were tense as everyone took in the sight of the black mass that appeared in the middle of our living room, presumably placed there by Bella in an effort to entrap Aro, who we couldn't see but assumed he was safe on the inside.

Jane was growling but the two Volturi men stood with their mouths agape, looking between us and the bubble, fear evident on everyone's faces, except mine and Bella's.

"Relax!" I commanded and Jane ceased growling but the glare was still there.

"Let him go!" she ordered looking towards Bella who stood behind me and couldn't be seen.

"It's not that easy, just calm down, everyone," Peter instructed and moved Char towards Bella indicating that she needed to check on her. I hear Char call Bella's name and then gasp softly, but it was enough to make me turn away from the enemy.

Taking in Bella's form she was rigid, fists clenched at her side, she was standing and her food and water lay scattered at her feet. But Char gasped at her face, her eyes were black again but there was a darkness radiating from her, one that could be seen. She looked plain evil. Her skin seemed to have a dark hue to it, her eyes had bruises under them like a thirsty vampire and she appeared still as only a vampire can be, if not for the slight movement of her chest with her slow, too slow, breaths.

"Bella, can you hear me?" I asked almost afraid to touch her. "Bella?"

Finally I realized that not touching her was silly, we were mates, we needed each other, and she needed me. I reached for her hands and slowly unclamped her fists prying them gently open and threading my fingers with hers.

"Make her let him go!" growled Jane.

Peter growled and Char hissed but this time it was surprisingly Felix who responded, "Does it look like she's all there to just make that decision! I don't think making her angrier is going to help, Jane."

"No it won't," I whispered.

"Is he okay in there?" Demitri asked and I saw out of the corner of my eye he was still staring at the black mass with awe, he was right next to when it appeared I can only guess how scary it was to think you may have been consumed or partially consumed by an unknown black bubble- or worse, cut in half like the sofa.

"I think so, I don't know." I lowered her to the sofa but her eyes still swam churning black pools and the haze over her has yet to dissipate. I allowed only her feelings back in and rage, pure unadulterated rage washed over me causing me to growl.

"What, what happened?" Peter asked worriedly, looking between me and Bella.

I composed myself before speaking, "nothing, just her anger, overwhelmed me for a moment."

"What do we do?" Jane asked finally losing the anger in her voice.

"I don't know," I felt like I was talking to children, I needed to help Bella and I was helpless. I began trying to calm her, it was difficult with all the rage she was pumping out. It didn't help, I could feel it rebounding she was blocking me too and she wasn't moving, she was barely breathing, it was almost like she was made of stone.

"Peter?" I asked wondering if he had any ideas or 'feelings'.

"Sorry Jazz, I got nothing on this one. All I do know is this isn't going to be as easy as before."

"I can't help her, she's not letting me in," I sighed. Picking Bella up I began to take her to our room.

"Where are you going?" Felix asked rather gruffly, as if I was just ignoring the situation, when really I was holding the situation in my arms, scared to death for her and us. I couldn't give a damn about Aro.

"I'm removing her from the situation and taking her to lie down," I continued walking but added, "usually they disappear when she falls asleep." I already knew that wasn't going to be the case based on what Peter had just said though. Still I was hoping to placate the company.

I placed Bella gently on the down comforter on our bed. I've never seen her like this and honestly if I wasn't so angry at Aro and the damn Volturi I'd be terrified at the situation. She has imprisoned a King, I have no control over it. She is lost in her emotions or her mind or both. The worst part is she just seems to be emanating evil. This isn't her, she's fun and loving and caring, she isn't the devil incarnate, I am.

I heard the others talking downstairs about the last major bubble Bella had conjured around Edward, the black bubble of doom, and how it slowly was closing in on him until she calmed and didn't disappear until she fell asleep, Peter explained that he didn't think this was going to be nearly as easy last time, but it was just a "feeling".

I held Bella to me and watched her eyes swimming with hate and anger that would make the devil cringe. Her breathing was weird but she didn't appear in distress. I smoothed her hair around her heart-shaped face and tried to see my Bella. She wasn't there, and I didn't understand any of this. She's not vampire, she's human. She's very powerful for a human. She was doing so well, we hadn't seen anything in a year and then Aro shows up and well, I'm just not even sure about the black mass in the living room.

The "bubble" if you can call it that was opaque and black, it didn't shine like her normal bubbles, it didn't have the dark tint to it that Edward's had and it didn't appear to be changing sizes, it appeared solid, I can assume it is sound proof as we haven't heard a thing from Aro. My biggest two questions were, how do I fix this? And was it hollow inside or solid?

I mulled everything over trying to keep myself relaxed as much as possible for her, I ran my hands all over her body instinctively looking for injuries that I knew weren't there, but I never took my eyes off hers. She was lost. And I didn't even think Spirit would help this time but I called him anyway.

"Good boy," I noted and patted the bed beside Bella for Spirit to join us. For the first time ever, he didn't. He whined and looked at the bed like he wanted to get up but couldn't or wouldn't. I patted the bed again beckoning him. With another whine he turned and ran back downstairs.

Charlotte appeared a moment later. "Was he scared?" surprise clearly written all over her face. That dog wasn't scared of anything or anyone.

"I don't know, maybe. He acted like he wanted to get up here but couldn't." Char moved to sit on the edge of the bed and ran into an invisible wall.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and stood back up. "I guess that answers that. She's protecting you both too, we just didn't know it."

"It appears that way. Please bring me a glass of water for her and leave it on the nightstand she may need it when she… returns," I paused and then whispered the last part more for myself than anyone else, "I just wish I knew where she went."

Charlotte had returned quietly and left the water rejoining her husband who was speaking with the Volturi minions about how this situation was going to be handled once Aro was released.

I didn't speak my mind on the subject because my thoughts weren't- when Aro was released but if.

Charlie called the next morning but I didn't have the heart to answer the phone. I wouldn't know what to tell him, 'hi Charlie, your daughter trapped a vampire king in a solid black bubble, we think he's alive inside it and now she's catatonic for a whole new reason and looks as though the demons of Hell are battling within her while we all just watch.' Yup, letting it go to voicemail is better.

Charlie knew something was up when we suddenly told him he needed a vacation but he went with it, suspicious but excited to see his friends. Even though he has us, I think he does enjoy spending time with his friends, people his own age. If he only knew he was the second youngest one here, only to Bella.

I finally decided a massage might help and began with her feet, she let me but there was still a rigidity to her posture despite her being pliable under my hands. I worked my way up and stripped her of her jeans leaving her in a light weight black sweater and cream colored panties that contrasted nicely with her skin. This wasn't sexual, I was trying to help her relax, feel loved and cared for and return to me.

I used her coco butter lotion like she had taught me so I didn't rub her skin raw and continued working on her legs, one then the other. Maybe I was imagining it but it felt like she was a little calmer, infinitesimally calmer but calmer nonetheless.

I removed her sweater and gave my love a good once over with my eyes before I began working on her arms, first the right then the left, moving around her whispering loving platitudes as I went. I sat her up and sat behind her suddenly being reminded of our early days when she was just like this, my nonresponsive mate.

Before when she was like that I would send her my feelings, I would cry, I would hug her, but this wasn't the same, she wasn't locked inside her head with grief from the loss of Edward, she was pissed-the-fuck-off and threatened by the Volturi. I rubbed her shoulders and down her back. I moved my hands to gently massage her collarbones and the tops of her breasts and then I went down to her rib cage, her stomach more caressing, feeling all of her scars the ones she made due to her grief and the ones I made in love, most of which were closer to her panty line, her pubic area, on her inner thighs and on her breasts, her nipples. My hand froze but my brain sped up.

She has even more venom in her than before, little tiny bits but I've bitten or really just grazed her more than a hundred times in the last year. I spun her mostly nude form in my lap taking her face in my hands.

"Bella, can you hear me? Are you changing Bella? Answer me! Scream, cry, do something!" I was frantic looking for any sign of recognition in her.

"CHANGING?" yelled Peter from downstairs right before he walked into the bedroom with my mostly naked mate in my lap that caused me to growl and send him Bella's long lost cocktail of pain, emptiness, and self-loathing, a formidable weapon towards anyone threatening me or my mate.

"Ma-jor, ple-ase," he gasped from the floor but he was a threat, she was vulnerable, he was loud, he rushed in here, he was dangerous.

I was vaguely aware of the other vampires in the house and without even feeling them since I turned that part of my gift off a while ago, I knew they were upset and Char was battling to keep them in the living room while her voice drifted closer and closer to the stairs. I sent a warning shot of the same to her to keep her away.

"Ungh, Major!" she yelled without much enthusiasm.

"What?" Felix asked softly.

"What is happening?" Jane inquired loudly.

"What is going on?" Demitri demanded.

All of our house guests were asking at once.

"He's protecting his mate and my husband," she sneered, "set him off."

"Do we help?" Felix asked but was met with silence so presumably her answer was a shake of the head as no one appeared to pursue the situation.

Peter moaned some more and I moved Bella covering her with our comforter before releasing him.

"Go." I ordered.

He went.

Char was heard checking her mate and I listened as he told her he was okay just endured Bella's cocktail for a few minutes and needed to regroup. That statement apparently brought about a new round of questions by the Volturi assholes in my living room that caused all of this. I was about to go down and take out the trash when I felt Bella move, she snuggled into me.

"Thank God," I whispered and snuggled with her trying to see her face, see if there was any change. The halo of darkness was still around her but her eyes were now closed. I knew she'd be needing sleep soon.

"What's happening up there?" Peter asked, wisely staying away.

I growled letting him know I wasn't ready to talk and he shut up. I didn't have any news for him anyway.

It's been almost 24 hours, well 22 hour and 46 minutes to be exact since I brought Bella up here and there wasn't much change. I was glad she moved, she looked to me for comfort, her eyes were closed and although I was happy she responded, I was also worried about her.

My mind went back to its train of thought before Peter interrupted, what if this had to do with the little amounts of venom in her system, if she was slowly changing, all of that makes sense expect the darkness in her features, and even with her eyes closed she looks like a sleeping demon, not at all human or vampire. Her breathing was still short and slow, too slow for a human but again, what could I do?

My brain started going off the charts with what ifs, what if she doesn't come back, if she kills Aro, if she can't let him out, if she really isn't human, that last one wasn't possible she was human born, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. There has to be something I'm missing.

All I could do was come back to the venom, my venom, my mate, my life, my love, she needs my help, and I don't know what to do. My true mate, didn't Aro mention that?

"True mates, what do y'all know of 'em?" I asked the chattering vampires downstairs with a commanding tone, letting them know I wanted answers.

"True mates, are thought to really be stuff of legend, though Master Aro identified you as true mates," Felix began. "They are compliments to each other, their powers grow when they are mated and they are said to complement one another. I don't know much else." Felix ended.

"They give each other strength and control unlike most vampires, they are said to be able to control their powers, their thirst, their gifts reach all powerful levels, they become…unstoppable," Jane finished with a whisper and for the first time since I came upstairs I reached out to feel all their emotions.

Jane was scared, Felix was impressed, and Demitri was curious. Peter and Charlotte were nervous but happy probably because of the company they were in.

"Has there been any other true mate pairs that you know of?" Char finally asked.

I felt all their hesitation, they had heard of someone but were unsure if they should share, it was Felix who finally broke, "Marcus and Didyme".

Sadness leaked from the Volturi members for the loss of their Queen and Peter was calculating, possibly getting a feeling while Charlotte was curious.

"When Marcus lost Didyme, he lost himself. His ability to control his thirst easily, see bonds anywhere in the world was all lost. But it was nothing compared to the loss of a will to live. Marcus was happy and full of life, Didyme was a matchmaker, she was able to help people form relationships, not false bonds like Chelsea does but real matches. Together they could find anyone's true mate anywhere in the world, assuming that person existed. They were content to help those that asked for it but no other true mates were found. Mates, yes, Aro found Supulcia, Caius found Anthedora, Eleazar found Carmen, and many others, but they were just mates. Their true mates were not yet born or possibly had already died. Didyme could find a mate even if they were human, such as Carmen and Supulcia were.

Jane continued as melancholy engulfed her, "Their gifts overlapped so much it was difficult to know who did what, they didn't need to speak to communicate, they just knew what the other wanted, they frequently moved in perfect harmony. Volterra was happier place, actually. When Didyme was killed, the life not only left Marcus but the castle."

"There's rumors that Aro killed her or had her killed, is that true?" Peter's nosy ass asked, but I was glad he did I was wondering the same thing.

Jane's fear spiked and I knew the answer was yes, whether she answered or not.

"I'm not sure, I've heard the same rumors and he does nothing to dispel them. Marcus hates life so much, he's only alive because of Chelsea's false bond, he would have taken his life centuries ago otherwise. He knows of Chelsea's false bond but he doesn't do anything about it, he probably could break it if he wanted to, he could control bonds, but the bonds he controlled were real, they weren't fake."

"What's the difference," Char inquired.

"Chelsea's bonds only work when you are close enough, they would cease to exist if she did, she can only make people loyal, she can't create bonds of brotherhood, or parenthood, or love. Marcus could, maybe he still can, we just don't know anymore. He has no desire to use his gift. I probably shouldn't be telling you this," Jane added.

I reeled back my persuasion she didn't even know I was sending to her. I had to know what it meant to be a true mate, when I asked Carlisle he said it was vampire lore, a bond unlike any Marcus had ever seen. But that wasn't particularly true, Marcus had not only seen it but experienced it and then lost it.

I couldn't even let my mind conceive the idea of losing Bella until the idea of Aro killing his own sister to separate true mates landed firmly on the front of my mind. Suddenly, even if I didn't know Aro's motivation for killing his own sister, I was sure of one very important thing, Aro is a threat and therefore he has to die.

Review...Nuf said.