A/N: Hi everyone! I was so happy to read your wonderful reviews! Huge thanks to my lovely serial reviewers: fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night, CoppertopJ and traceybuie! I love you guys!

Yes, Carlisle is an idiot, he made a huge mistake. But nobody's perfect, not even him. So please forgive him. He learned his lesson, believe me ;)

So, this is it! The crux of this fic. I hope you'll enjoy it ;)

Enjoy, and please review!

Warning: This fic is rated M, for adult readers only, as I'm sure I don't have to remind everyone ;)

Chapter 12

Edward

The news I had just given our family and friends didn't surprise them much, from what I could see, but Marcus frowned. "Jane knows by now that you have no intention whatsoever to take over in Volterra. Why would she do this?"

I turned towards Alice, who grimaced. "She's just afraid, Marcus. She fears the unknown, and Bella and Edward's mixed talents would give them powers unknown before. For now she knows that they are mated and happy, only focused on our family, but she's planning. She thinks that maybe in a century or two, when Bella is old enough and settled, the two of them will want to reign over vampires, and will have the means to do it, with us as backup."

"That's the biggest pile of crap I've ever heard," Emmett shook his head, scowling. "We're not power-hungry crazy witches like her!"

"We know, Em," Jasper said softly. "But she doesn't. Remember that she's been obeying Aro for more than a millennia before now. Old habits die hard, or not at all, for instance. Even though the old scoundrel is dead doesn't mean that his teaching, and his paranoia, died along with him."

"But what about Caius, then? And the Volturi guards near Forks?" Kate inquired from within Garrett's arms.

"That's the tricky part, and her genius," Bella explained. "But first, I'll tell you about Alistair's story. You'll understand."

She recounted then the tragic story of Suzanne and Eugène, carefully avoiding Pierre's name. I knew that when Heidi added two and two, it wouldn't be pretty. Eleazar too, as a matter of fact. And halfway there, the two of them gasped loudly, earning my and Bella's sympathy, and curious looks from the rest of our extended family. Bella simply asked them to wait a little bit, then finished the story.

When she fell silent, everybody was stunned, but remorse was deeply etched on Eleazar and Carmen's faces, and excruciating grief on Heidi's. She was panting, and Marcus leaned towards her in concern. "Are you all right, my dear?" he inquired, perfectly knowing the answer.

"Pierre was killed because of this," she hiccuped in sorrow and pain, her arms tightly wrapped around her torso. "He was killed on Aro's orders, but I never knew why before he was gone. All because of Aro's greed!"

She sobbed, leaning into Marcus' waiting arms, and we fell silent out of respect. The loss of a mate was a truly devastating ordeal, one I couldn't contemplate without feeling torn apart, so I was grateful that my mind-reading was off for now. I didn't want to read her mind right now. Marcus, having lost his Didyme, was the only one who could relate, so he did, comforting her as best he could.

After a few minutes her sobs quieted, then died down. I knew that Jasper had been helping her very gradually, to ease her pain but not depriving her of it, and I shot him a grateful look. He nodded with a small smile, squeezing Alice's hand harder in his. I hugged Bella tighter against me too. I prayed God and all his saints that I would never have to experience such pain again. Those dreadful twenty-four hours, all those years ago, when I thought Bella had killed herself, then flew to Volterra, were deeply etched in my mind. I couldn't live through that again.

It won't happen, my love, Bella's voice reached me through my turmoil. I love you, Edward, and you won't lose me. Easy, my love. Please.

It hit me then that Bella was feeling my pain from then, and she was panting. It was horrendous, and I didn't want her to suffer. So I forced myself to bury the memories deep in the back of my mind, and focus on my intense love for her. Pretty soon her breathing eased, and she relaxed in my arms. Better, my love. Thank you.

Anything for you, my Bella, I thought with emotion. I would truly do anything for her.

Heidi was much more composed by then, and she looked back at us, her troubled eyes still glistening. "Can I... Can I talk to Alistair about it? About... him?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Of course," I nodded immediately, knowing that she needed the closure. "But he's currently..."

"… mating with Tanya," Bella completed when I trailed off, highly embarrassed. "So it won't be until a few days from now, I suppose."

"That's okay," Heidi said, still clutching Marcus' arms like a lifebuoy.

"Heaven knows he needed the release," Emmett commented, lightening the mood. "Can you imagine, a seven-century virgin vampire? Poor Tanya. Lucky the succubus can teach him a few things. But I shudder when I think about his worse than frozen blue balls!"

We all chuckled weakly, letting us feel marginally better for a few seconds. But I knew it couldn't last. I focused back on Heidi. "Can I ask you something?" I ventured hesitantly, not wanting to add to her already heavy burden of pain.

She smiled humourlessly and simply nodded, so I went on. "Did Pierre tell you about this? The mating thing? And Suzanne and Eugène?"

"Not the mating thing," she shook her head slowly, her face still grief-stricken. "But he told me about a couple of vampires that he had to separate, per Aro's orders, and that it didn't sit well with him. Before he left for France. And when he returned, Felix killed him on the spot. He... he never... They didn't even give him the chance to explain... The other guards... They told Aro that he had failed. He read their memories, not Pierre's. He believed them."

"And the guard that burned Eugène?" Bella inquired, indignation rising in her. I rubbed her arms in a soothing way, and she relaxed a little.

"Killed too," Heidi shrugged, her hands twisting on Marcus' arms. "He made a huge mistake, in Aro's point of view. And Aro wasn't the forgiving type."

"Do you remember anything about it, Marcus?" I asked our uncle, who looked old and saddened.

He shook his head dejectedly. "My dear Edward, I was almost constantly numb in Volterra, thanks to Chelsea. I've heard and seen a lot of things during all this time. But I don't remember it very well. I remember trying to plead to Aro for mercy on Pierre, as his and Heidi's mating was quite strong, but Aro dismissed it. 'Chelsea will take care of her,' he told me. 'She won't feel a thing. But I cannot tolerate such mistakes.'"

"Aro never touched you?" Carlisle asked Heidi incredulously. "He must've known that you were, and still are, devastated."

"No, he never did," Heidi said, her voice breaking.

Marcus shook his head. "For all that he was worth, Aro was a coward. He was evil and power-hungry, paranoid and sadistic. But he couldn't stand pain. When he had Jane test her powers on him once, he wailed like a stuck pig, and never subjected himself to anything like that afterwards. Always sending others to do the dirty work. And he knew what Heidi was experiencing, since he had seen it through me before that. That's also why he never knew about Alistair. Aro avoided touching me at all costs, and only did very briefly when he needed input though my talent. He never would've touched Heidi after this."

I nodded, thinking about all this. It made so much sense. But then, how could Jane know about us? If not through Heidi, then how? I looked at Eleazar and Carmen, who were huddled on the couch furthest from us. They were appalled too.

Eleazar caught my stare, and spoke up. "We didn't know about this mating thing either, Edward. I swear to you. I detected Eugène's talent, and told Aro about it when we came back to Volterra. He ordered Pierre to bring Eugène back, but didn't want Suzanne here. Aro knew that I had mated with Carmen, who didn't have any talent of her own, and only tolerated her in Volterra because I was of invaluable help for him and his ambitions. He didn't want another mated pair in Volterra. So when Pierre and the guards came empty-handed, Aro used the excuse of Pierre's fail to get rid of him, and have Heidi's talent all for him to control."

"It was horrible," Carmen whispered as Heidi started to sob again, Marcus taking her against his chest. "El and I knew that Aro wanted to get rid of me too, so we left. Aro let us go, but very reluctantly, and only because Pierre's death and Heidi's pain were stirring trouble and turmoil in Volterra. We went to Alaska, never to come back again."

A heavy silence fell, only disrupted by Heidi's heart-wrenching sobs, then a thought occurred to me. "Heidi, you have a talent?"

She sniffled, trying to compose herself, and nodded. "I lure my prey to me with only my looks. It works on humans, and sometimes single vampires. That's why I was in charge of rounding humans to bring to Volterra. It took no effort on my part."

Well, that explained a lot, and I vividly remembered when human Bella, Alice and I had passed her, herding a bunch of tourists to their doom in Volterra. Bella shivered on my lap, remembering too.

"It still doesn't explain how Jane knows about you two," Rosalie frowned, concern on her features. "And what's the deal with Caius and the guards around here, then?"

"I don't know how Jane knows, but she does," I shrugged, not wanting to dwell on this. "And that's all that matters for now. We'll find out one day or the other. About Caius..."

I trailed off, baring my teeth in anger, and Bella snarled on my lap. We both were aggravated by Alice's visions and our theories. "From what we can gather of our guesses and Alice's visions, Jane has been manipulating Caius from the start. He's a coward and a conservative caveman, and he didn't accept his stepping down after three millennia leading the Volturi."

"Thinking that he was leading the Volturi, you mean," Marcus chimed in unexpectedly, weariness in his voice as he still held an upset Heidi against him. "Aro was using him, just like he was using me. But unlike me, Caius didn't have the excuse of being numbed by Chelsea. He's just an idiot, thinking he was king of the castle when he was just Aro's puppet."

"My point, exactly," I nodded, giving my uncle a grateful look while on my lap Bella was becoming more tense, a low growl still rumbling in her chest. Time was running out. "We think Caius is being used by Jane to bring us down while she keeps her hands clean. Brilliant plan, I must admit."

"She's a great strategist," Jasper confirmed, and Eleazar, Carmen, Heidi, Marcus and Carlisle all nodded gravely. "I doubt Felix or Othella are aware of what she's up to."

"They certainly aren't," Carlisle said softly, almost afraid to speak up. I gave him an encouraging smile, and he visibly relaxed. "They've always been straightforward with us, and most concerned when Caius ran away and attacked the Quileutes."

"Jane is the mastermind behind all this, and she's alone," Kate summed up. "So what do we do about her?"

"Nothing for now," Eleazar said while Carlisle nodded. "We must deal with Caius first."

"And we can't prove anything yet," I shook my head.

"And the guards?" Esme inquired, looking worried. "How many are there, and who are they obeying?"

"There are five of them," Emmett answered seriously, hugging Rosalie as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "And they're listening to Felix, though if Jane wants them to carry out an order, they'll most certainly comply."

"That's why we won't call for their help," Jasper stated, his eyes riveted in mine. I understood now. "We'll let them stand guard over La Push and the sidelines, so as not to involve them. That way, we won't have to look above our shoulders for a backstabbing."

"And if they obey an order from Jane and attack us, we'll be able to retaliate in self-defence, with witnesses," Alice piped up, her features serene.

I hoped that it meant it wouldn't be like that. We had enough on our plates with Caius and his minions. Silence fell for a few seconds then, only slightly disturbed by Bella's low growl. I could feel the tension running throughout her body, and her mind was closed to me again. The whole family focused on us, and Bella growled louder at the eyes staring at us. She was in full protective mode now, and I guessed that she was finally letting her guard down.

"I think that we'll leave you now," I said quietly, only waiting for my mate to take the initiative. She was halfway up on her feet, somehow crouching in front of me, shielding me from view. "It's nothing you did, I promise you."

"Don't worry, Edward," Esme addressed us calmly, careful not to seek my gaze. "We know what has to be done now, and we won't disturb you."

"We'll just make sure to keep the Volturi at a distance," Jasper said, making Bella snarl in defiance. She obviously didn't trust our Italian allies. "Go to your meadow, it's secluded enough."

"We don't know where Tanya and Alistair went, but hopefully they're not there," I said as Bella rose slowly to her feet, minding her every movement, her eyes sweeping everywhere and at everyone. "Don't react when she snatches me away," I added, my hand slowly grabbing Bella's. "Everything's happening as it's supposed to."

"We know, Edward," Rosalie assured us, her gaze not leaving Bella. She knew that another female's eyes on me could make my mate explode right now. "But maybe she needs a trigger? You needed one."

"I don't know," I frowned, starting to feel dazed. Alistair had told us that Suzanne had reciprocated to Eugène without one, but Bella was in defence mode right now, so I didn't know how to proceed. My mate was still growling, but it was more of a warning aimed at our large family not to approach me. She wasn't feral enough yet. And I was afraid to break her from her state if I did or said the wrong thing. I was a little lost, and my brain power was slowing down. So I shot a look at Alice and Jasper, and they understood.

"Bella," Alice said firmly to my mate. "Edward needs to be with you, and he needs your venom. He needs it in the next hour, Bella, or he'll grow very weak. Can you see my vision? Take him with you now. He needs you."

I couldn't read the pixie's mind, but Bella clearly could, because she let out a pained moan, turned on the spot and snatched me away. In the next half-second I was gathered in her arms and we were already on the back lawn of the house. I closed my eyes and rested my head against my mate's comforting chest, feeling her breathing quickly and reveling in her deliciously soothing scent. All would go well, I was sure of it.

I must have drifted off for a few moments because when I opened my eyes, Bella's fingers were running over my cheeks. I was lying on the tall grass of the meadow, surrounded by wildflowers and under a thick cover of gray clouds. It wasn't raining, fortunately, but I guessed that we only had three hours at most before being under a severe downpour.

Bella was staring at me with a glowing intensity, her eyes completely black. She was tenderly nudging me awake, and when I didn't return her tentative smile in lack of energy, she made me turn and brought my mouth upon the jugular of a dead mountain lion. I didn't want to think of her chasing the huge wild cat with me in her arms, but she must've done it, or left me someplace safe. And she must've run pretty far to find and hunt one for me.

"Ed... Edward," she whimpered, shaking me out of my musings and bringing me back in the here and now. Her hands were roaming my back as I sank my teeth in the feline's throat, and I felt her comforting touch all the while I drank the lukewarm blood of my very favorite prey. I could feel her love throughout it all, and it put me in the right state of mind. I was hers, and she would do whatever she wanted to me.

When I finished, and felt reinvigorated, I pushed the lion's carcass away and rolled on my back, and she hastily straddled me, her long brown hair a curtain around us. I couldn't help a shudder at her solid black eyes, and wondered if it would hurt. Maybe she heard me, because she started to purr like she always did when we caressed each other, and she took her time caressing all my body. My clothes were removed in a flash, and she ripped out hers right afterwards. We were naked, and she was still caressing me. I grabbed her hips to anchor myself as she bent over me, her chest against mine, and she kissed me.

It wasn't our usual kiss. She was powerful, needy and taking everything I could give her. It was my mate staking her claim on me. I gave back as much as I could, her possessive tongue roaming against mine, fighting for dominance. Then she started to kiss me all over my face while my hands wandered over her creamy skin, her purr still ringing loudly in the air around us. Her lips made a trail from my forehead to my lips, then to my throat. And she started to lick me on what would be my pulse point, was I still human. Here we are, I thought dimly, hoping that she couldn't hear me.

She didn't appeared to have, and licked me repeatedly but lovingly at the base of my throat, preparing me for her claiming. I tried to stay relaxed, not showing my nervousness. This would change everything, and we didn't know how much. But I wouldn't go back. We needed this. We were mates, and we had a very strong relationship, one very few vampires had ever known. We would take it to the next level, and face what we had to, together.

"I love you, my Bella," I murmured in her ear as she licked me another time, feeling her shift above me. My shaft was hard and ready for her since many long minutes ago, just like every time I could get a glimpse of her gorgeous naked body, and she positioned herself right above it. I could feel her lower lips against my tip, and I couldn't help my own growl as I squeezed her hips. I wanted to be inside her, now.

She snarled, then, her black eyes stormy, and quick as lightning she wrenched my hands away from her, slamming them down above my head, effectively pinning me to the ground. I tried to move a little under her, but she snapped her teeth at me, a loud growl erupting from her, so I stayed still. I had to follow her lead, and let her claim me.

She bent over me again and resumed her licking. It was pleasant and relaxing, but I couldn't help being a little tense. I knew that I was seconds away from being inside her and her teeth inside me, and I wondered how it would feel. Bella had showed me – and told me again and again – that it had brought her the most intense pleasure she had ever known, and I just hoped that it would be the same for me.

Her grip on my hands tightened, her legs squeezing mine harder, as she slowly impaled herself on my rock-hard cock. My eyes closed in bliss as she oh-so-slowly glided up and down on me, making me moan in want and need. I felt myself relax significantly under her, losing myself in the pleasure she was giving me, and was about to open my eyes again when she sank her teeth into me, right on the spot she had so carefully licked.

I couldn't help my yelp as it was more painful than I could've anticipated, but she didn't stop her movements. She was now riding me hard, and I understood then what she had showed me. Pain and pleasure could really bring us to ecstasy. The feeling of her wet walls against my shaft was exquisite, but the venom seeping from her mouth into the aching wound on my throat was burning me. I was utterly lost in her, frozen between lust, pain, love and fear, and unable to move... And I loved it.

I could feel my orgasm building, and knew that it would lead me to heights unknown before. She was everything I wanted, everything I needed, everything for me. I felt her chest vibrating against me as her growls got louder, and I felt the coil in my guts warning me that I was going to spill my seed inside her. What would happen then? I wondered, as her venom in my wound was becoming excruciatingly painful.

I didn't have time to think more about it as she let go of my neck, roared violently above me, then bit me again on the same spot, harder and deeper. I roared too as her walls clamped down on my painfully hard cock, and I released inside her as white spots blossomed in front of my closed eyelids from the rapture engulfing me. On and on it went, and I couldn't believe it when after eight seconds I was still giving her my venom. I was in heaven, I was in hell. I was right where I had to be.

When I finally stopped spilling into her, she unlatched her teeth from me, and I floated down from my cloud of bliss to the Earth. I opened my eyes to look at her, but she was still bent over me, her head on the other side of mine. And then she started to lick my throat, on my other former pulse point. No, I thought immediately. Not this pain again! Even though it had been the most powerful orgasm I had ever had, I didn't want to feel anymore pain from her venom.

But then I realized that while I had given her my venom through my mouth and my release, she couldn't. So I braced myself as she meticulously licked me again, my cock still hard inside her. I would accept what she was going to do to me without complaint. Because I loved her, and because we needed it. I could feel the strange connection between us alive again, stronger now that I had some of her venom in me. But it wasn't enough.

Soon she bit me hard again, and I moaned in pain and pleasure as she rode me hard, taking all I could give her. The second orgasm racking through me was even more intense than the first, making me see shooting stars under my eyelids and roaring her name for everyone within a mile radius to hear. She was no better, collapsing on top of me after she had squeezed my cock very tightly, milking me with all she had. She kissed me all over my throat and my face, both of us breathing hard, but she didn't release me.

The venom in my wounds was hurting me like hell, and I wondered when she would be done. The connection was stronger, but I somehow knew that it still wasn't enough. And when she nudged my cheek with her nose, then kissed it tenderly, I understood. "More?" I asked raggedly.

"More," she nodded, her pure black eyes apologetic as she took me in. I was sated, exhausted and in pain, but we had to see it to the end. She looked no better, biting her lips in worry. "We... we can... stop... " she stammered with difficulty, concern written all over her face.

I shook my head. "You told me that when I was done with you, it didn't hurt anymore. We need to finish this, love. Please," I begged her. We didn't come this far to stop now.

Her eyes filled with a new resolve, and were still full of love for me. She kissed the ever-loving shit out of me, letting go of my hands. I was lucky I was a vampire, otherwise they would be completely numb. But I brought my arms around her shaking frame, trying to ignore the burning in my neck, and kissed her back with all my love. I was as ready as I would ever be."Please, Bella," I begged her again as she pulled away, not wanting to lose my bout of courage. "Do it now."

She didn't acknowledge me, back as she was into her feral state, but she bent over me for a third time, and I hoped the last. But this time, she licked the skin over my heart, and I knew then that I would suffer. She would bite through my ribcage, and that would take more time to heal. But I wouldn't complain, I wouldn't say anything. I would endure, and show as much bravery as she had when she had suffered from my leaving her.

She licked me a long time, and I realized that her venom was anesthetizing the zone where she had bitten and would bite me. An overwhelming feeling of love and adoration rose within me, and I couldn't help the whimper escaping my lips. "My Bella, I love you so much!"

She rose a little, her sorrowful eyes locked in mine, and articulated slowly. "I... love... you." Then, as once again she started to move above me, my ever-ready cock relishing her wet warmth around it, she bit me over my heart, crushing my ribcage and making me scream.

The pain was unbelievable, but the pleasure was skyrocketing too. Bella was bent over me, her teeth latching onto my ribcage, making me moan with each move she was making. But her pussy surrounding me, squeezing me, milking me, was making me pant in ecstasy too. I didn't believe I could know more pleasure than that, and I wasn't peaking yet. She was moaning too, her venom seeping into my chest, and I knew that we wouldn't need another round after this one. Thank God, I thought as my hands grabbed her hips and I pounded hard in her, meeting her thrust for thrust. We were almost there, since the venom stopped hurting me but was still burning, in a more pleasant way. It was done.

"Bella!" I bellowed as my venom shot deeply into her for the third time while she screamed above me, lost in rapture. I saw a multitude of stars erupting in front of my open eyes before I blacked out.

Whew, that was intense to write! I hope you liked it! Please leave me your thoughts!

I was thinking about writing an outtake on Tanya and Alistair's first time, when this story is finished. Is it something you would be interested in? It would be lemony, of course, but also funny, seven-century virgin and all... ;)