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ED POV
Fear. Fear was something that vampires are not used to feeling.
Fear was what flared inside of Alice so suddenly, it caused Jasper to place her behind him and fall into a protective crouch in front of her.
We had been having a relaxing day in. Carlisle and Esme were discussing new house plans in another state. Preparing for our upcoming move in a few months. Emmett and Jasper were playing video games, bickering back and forth about who was going to win or who was cheating. Rosalie was flipping through her newest magazine. Alice was flitting around the room decorating for Esme, her mind mostly focusing on the future of our family. We worried about Jasper and the possibility of being exposed by curious humans. I was playing the piano, trying to focus on my own thoughts and give my family as much privacy as possible.
Me being a mind reader, Jasper being able to sense other's emotions, and Alice a psychic, privacy really didn't exist in this family.
However, when the vase Alice was moving fell through her fingers and shattered into the floor. I froze. My mind automatically reached out to determine what was wrong.
Jasper was the only one to react. Snapping from his frozen state when he sensed his mate's fear.
I saw from Alice's mind, Aro making the decision to come to Washington, accusing Carlisle of creating a coven to overthrow him.
Our family being slaughtered.
Alice was too shocked and consumed by the gift to spare me of seeing myself being killed. I was speechless. My mind trying to comprehend what I had just seen.
"Alice, what is happening. What did you see?" Jasper hissed. Struggling to help everyone with their emotions.
"The Volturi." Alice and I said simultaneously.
Carlisle gasped. His mind quickly concluded the only scenario to cause this much fear in his children.
"They are coming for us. They will be here when the first snow falls." Alice whispered.
"Why? We haven't committed any crime." Rosalie asked, shock and fear tinting her voice. Emmett was already up pacing behind Rosalie's spot on the sofa. His brow creased with worry and concentration of his thoughts. The swirled around trying to figure out how to protect his wife from harm, but also fight for his family.
"Aro decided. Alice saw him explaining to the guard that Carlisle created a coven to overthrow him."
"That's preposterous!" Esme whispered, venom she could not cry forming in her eyes. Carlisle pulled him into her arms to comfort her.
"What proof does he have Alice?" Jasper murmured. Turning from his protective stance to take Alice's face into his palms.
Alice and I shook our heads. She had been trying to determine this as the other's asked questions. Something was wrong with her visions.
"I don't know." She wailed. Her mind flashing with unstructured visions. "I saw nothing until he spoke to the guard. I didn't see him even discussing our family before to anyone."
"What if he knows how your gift works, Alice." I whispered, dread feeling my body. If my theory was correct, who knows if our timeline was correct. They could be here tomorrow.
Carlisle nodded. "That would explain the suddenness. He didn't let you see until he had everything ready. Less than one month…" His thoughts were filled with regret as he began to think about how he had created a family to only not be able to protect them.
"Well, what can we do? We will fight of course." Emmett spoke finally.
"Surely, if Aro would just speak to Carlisle and see his thoughts, he would know this was just a misunderstanding," Esme said, worriedly.
I shook my head. "No, in Alice's vision. They do not stop. They don't have to with Jane and Alec."
"They're bringing the whole guard." Alice whispered. "Even the wives."
"The wives, Alice," Jasper whispered in astonishment. "They didn't even bring the wives when they went south to end the wars."
Alice nodded to her husband.
"What if we ask for help? We have many friends across the globe. Surely, someone would fight with us." Emmett asked, determined.
Carlisle frowned, "I could not ask our friends to die with us, Emmett."
Alice gasped, "No, wait. Yes, if we find enough people, they might pause." Her mind in the future, but it was blurry. Many faces in the vision, you could not make out.
Latching on to the small amount of hope I suggested, "What if we do not ask them to fight, but to witness."
"Yes, witness," Esme eagerly. "We can ask this much of our friends. The choice will be theirs to make."
Carlisle nodded in agreement. Names started to get passed around. We divided up and left the house to find people. It was determined that I would stay at the house and wait for the ones to agree to come. The Denali coven would be arriving sometime tomorrow. Carlisle had asked them to come over the phone and they agreed immediately.
That is how, slowly, vampires across the globe had begun to gather in Washington. After the Denali coven arrived, Tanya, Kate, Irina, Cameran, and Eleazer. They had many questions about Alice's vision. Eleazer was appalled by what was happening. After spending several centuries with the Volturi, he struggled to understand why Aro was acting this way.
Emmett and Rosalie found nomads: Garrett, Mary, and Randall all traveling separately across North America. They were skeptical, but they respected Carlisle enough to stay and witness for now.
Next Carlisle and Esme found the Egyptian coven, Amun and his mate Kebi, and Benjamin and his mate Tia. Amun was angry when he arrived. He did not want the Volturi to find out about Benjamin's gift. He could control the elements. Eleazer stared at him in shock when he was introduced. Benjamin was the reason they came. He had never met Carlisle, but was intrigued by our lifestyle. He had a good sense of right and wrong.
Next came the Irish coven. Siobhan and Liam have been good friends of Carlisle for centuries. Their new coven member, Maggie had a gift. She could sense when someone was telling the truth or lying. She deemed Carlisle was truthful and the coven agreed to witness.
It took several days for Alice and Jasper to return home. They had gone south first and sent the Amazon coven, Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri. These were interesting vampires, rarely leaving the jungle. But they too respected Carlisle and so our numbers grew. Zafrina said Alice and Jasper were going to find his friends, Peter and Charlotte. "Alice said she would be home tomorrow night at 5:47."
We all chuckled. I was eager for them to return home. Being separated had made us all worried.
A sigh of release escaped when I sensed Alice's mind. Worry had filled me when 5:47 passed and Alice did not arrive. Carlisle and I shared a glance before he picked up the phone to call her at 5:48.
I should hear her easily when she answered, "Carlisle, I know I am late and I'm sorry. A decision suddenly was made and caused us to fall behind schedule. We are almost home tho. 12 minutes." We all sighed with relief before he thanked her and hung up.
Carlisle went out to greet them on the front porch. It was through Jasper's mind, I saw there was a third vampire that had joined him on their journey. Jasper was hesitant in trusting other vampires, but he knew Alice had seen something that had her asking for this vampire to witness for us.
Alice was translating the Bible into German. She was hiding something from me. Why?
I listened from my spot in the living room. The conversation around paused as the other vampires and myself were curious of the newcomers. Having met Peter and Charlotte many times I wasn't surprised they had agreed to witness for Jasper and the family.
I watched from Carlisle's mind as he greeted the couple and then introduced himself to Bella. Even from just seeing her through
Carlisle's mind I knew she was magnificent. There isn't a word to describe her beauty. Her flawless face was pale as the moon against the frame of her dark, mahogany hair. Her red eyes looked up at Carlisle curiously like he was a puzzle she didn't understand. I was curious as to what she was thinking and wondered how much Alice had already told her.
I immediately was puzzled when I realized I couldn't hear her mind. I pushed my mind out, thinking she just had a quiet mind. But there was nothing. It was as if no one was there. I was puzzled by this as she was introduced to the family. Even as she came nearer, I couldn't find her mind.
I became distracted at this predicament when her eyes landed on me. Beautiful. My mind whispered to myself. I had to keep from embarrassing myself by shivering when she spoke my name, "Hello, Edward." Her voice, like an angel.
Thankfully, I was able to speak and greet her like a gentleman of my time would. I couldn't hide my disappointment when Carlisle took her attention away from me to introduce her to our friends.
Jasper raised his eyebrows at me and I just shook my head. I had no idea what to tell him. Was it lust? I wondered to myself. I never felt lust in my 100 years. Why now?"
I was amazed when she told us her gift. And relieved to finally have an understanding as to why I couldn't hear her mind. When she looked at me and smirked, I almost crossed the room to sit close to her. I felt this urge to touch her. I was slightly appalled by myself, this wasn't the way a gentleman should be thinking of a woman.
I didn't like Emmett thinking about Bella in a fight. The idea of Bella in danger made me feel fear. I earned another curious glance from Jasper.
I was eager to hear her story when Carlisle suggested it. My curiosity wanted to be satisfied since my gift didn't work on her. I found myself eager to hear her speak. My anger surprised me when she spoke of being attacked. I knew it was inevitable in how we come to this life. I was angry at the thought of someone hurting her. My anger flared again when she told us how she awoke to this life alone. I agreed with Rosalie's words, that man was cruel. I could not imagine waiting alone in this life, with just a note explaining I was now a monster.
I received another glance from Jasper when he sensed my anger. Dude, what's your problem?
Good, question Jasper. I have no idea. I thought to myself.
She continued to amaze me when she asked Carlisle of our lifestyle. When she asked to join on a hunting trip I was floored. Only then did Alice pause her translations to think, Volunteer, to take Bella hunting, Edward. You were originally going this evening anyway. Her thoughts immediately returned to the Bible.
I found myself doing exactly what Alice told me to do. The idea of having time to speak with Bella alone was too tempting to stop and wonder what Alice was up to. I couldn't keep the smile off my face when she agreed to join me. I felt her presence behind me as she followed me out of the back door. The tension I felt was like a magnet, trying to bring us closer.
Does she feel this, too? I wondered.
Thank you for reading!
Just a little Edward POV for the day. You'll have to wait for the hunting trip, sorry! :D
Why can I only write at 12 a.m.? R.I.P. my sleep schedule.
Special thanks to aaksupertrooper, Romama973, traceybuie, and imastar511 for your supportive reviews.
With love, Ash 3
