(22) "Don't Be Self-Conscious. . ."

The Volturi rushed around as they got ready for the first arrivals of the ball. After his dramatic announcement, Aro had ordered the new human secretary - the last one had been killed in the ambush that started the fight between the Volturi and the opposition - to create and send out invitations to each clan and individual in the community. Printed in capitalized, bold letters were the words 'ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. FAILURE TO ATTEND BARES MAJOR CONSEQUENCES'. Aro needed everyone to attend. Everyone within the Volturi - sans Aro, Caius, and Marcus - had been confused as to why the leaders of the vampire world wanted to host a ball when the clan had just been attacked. Now that Odessa thought about it, it was a pretty good idea. Still, the abrupt way they brought it up was startling.

"In a month's time, we are going to host a ball," Aro said as he clapped his hands together. A smile adorned his face as his eyes calculated the room's inhabitants. Odessa blinked once, then twice before she turned towards Alec to gauge his reaction. He felt her eyes on him and met her stare. She conveyed an inquisitive look through her eyes, and he shrugged back.

Demetri was the first one to speak up. "Why do we need to hold a ball, master? Shouldn't we recuperate first and make sure no one within our community has plans to abolish us before allowing others to enter our domain?"

"Why should we fear attacks from others?" Caius asked angrily. He was still upset over the battle they fought. He felt it was an unnecessary fight that should have never happened. "If anything, we need to show our world how powerful we are!"

"Precisely," Aro agreed. "What better way to show our strength than to host a large event right after such a large-scale attack. Everyone expects people to wallow in their bruises and take the time to reflect on the actions that occurred against them. We are a different case, however. We are not some lowly creature eager to show the world our weaknesses. We present strength and royalty. We are in charge. We choose what we want to show others. We choose what happens in our community. And right now, we are choosing to put up a strong front."

A manic gleam entered Aro's eyes as he finished his speech with all his teeth bared in a threatening smile. The look dimmed in his eyes as he realized he had acted out of place. He smoothed his clothes down and cleared his throat. He turned away from the group of vampires and walked toward his seat to sit down.

Uncharacteristically, Marcus stood up from his chair and addressed the room. He took a deep breath and muttered, "The Volturi have been through many rough patches. There have been many attacks enforced against us." He paused. "After every attack, we have done nothing but show how resilient we are. The world knows not to take us lightly. We have been sitting back, allowing those like the Cullens to make a fool out of us." Murmurs around the room sounded in agreement. "During the attack, I admit I was ready to face my fate and reunite with my dear Didyme. However, once I caught wind of their attack against the wives, I couldn't allow myself the pleasure. I couldn't bear to lose anyone else so close to me." He paused as he took in a shuddering breath. Caius walked up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "The others think they can do something as vile as attack our mates, our friends, our queens. We have stayed hidden within our castle for too long. It is time we actively rule over our community once again."

Odessa smoothed a hand down her silver-accented dress, assessing it and making sure not a wrinkle was in sight. She messed with the elegant updo braided on top of her head. She added a red, silky band to her hair, tying it in the back and incorporating it into her braids. She looked in the mirror once, walked away confidently, then walked back to the mirror to assess once more. She was nervous, and she was nervous for several reasons: One, she was going to see Nahuel and Huilen again. The last time she had seen them, she had gotten into a fight with Serena and Alec killed her. They had split on bad terms, and Odessa wasn't sure if they even wanted to see her again. Add on the fact that she had killed Maysun and Jennifer, there was no telling if her relationship with the two was salvageable. Two, she was going to see the Cullens again. And again, the last time she had seen them, they ended on bad terms. Renesmee might be forgiving, seeing as how she wasn't mad when Odessa left and took everything in stride, but Bella and Edwards and the rest of the Cullens could easily forbid her from talking to Odessa. Odessa would respect their wishes, though, if that was the case. She had had enough fighting and simply wanted to only experience peace for the foreseeable future. She had been fighting and running and arguing all her life, it seemed. She wanted to eat, hunt, sleep, and live without worrying about someone acting on impulse or strong negative emotions. Third, and the last important and totally rational reason, she'd be by Alec all night. They'd get to dance together and talk and hang out. It'd been awhile since they got any semblance of time together. She missed him and hoped he felt the same. Realistically, she knew he did, but with how bad her other relationships were, she was feeling very insecure.

She fiddled with the necklace lying below her collarbones and the earrings dangling from her ears. She glanced down and kicked her foot out so she could observe her shoes and decided if they were the right ones. She hummed and contemplated replacing them with another pair when she felt a hand whisper across her shoulders.

She tensed and picked her head up. She calmed once she recognized the person as Alec.

"You look outstanding," Alec complimented as he leaned down to kiss her exposed neck. "Truly the most beautiful creature I've ever set my eyes on."

"Truly, or are you fishing for affection?" Odessa asked dubiously,

"Can't I do both?" he questioned quietly. He continued to travel the expanse of her exposed skin, running his teeth across her neck and her collarbones before peppering them with kisses. Odessa turned around and grabbed his hands lingering at her hips. She pulled them up to her face and closed her eyes. She revelled in the contact and rubbed her face against his hands like a cat begging for attention. Alec huffed affectionately and grabbed her face lightly with both of his hands. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, on her left cheek, her right cheek, her chin, nose, and finally her lips. He looked her in the eyes and reassured her, "All will be well tonight, cuore mio. Do not fret too much."

"I cannot help but feel anxious," she said. "I do not want anything to happen tonight. I fear my presence causes trouble." She sighed. "I do not have the best record, and that is mostly my fault. I guess it is wishful thinking to wish for a restart."

"It is never too late to try and form friendly relationships with others. Aro does it all the time; he tries to keep everything peaceful between the Volturi and the rest of the vampire community, but sometimes things happen that are unpreventable. Once they do, he slowly but surely builds an interconnection to replace the once strong relation."

"It sounds like it will take forever to achieve," Odessa complained grumpily.

"It will take time," he agreed, "and energy and patience. But I know you are strong enough to do it. Now, let's go and make our appearance. I do believe I hear Jane approaching briskly."

"The only reason she would be walking briskly is if you did something you were not supposed to do," Odessa reminded him sternly, yet playfully.

"My orders were to fetch you and bring you to the ballroom as quickly as possible before the guests began arriving." He smiled sheepishly. "I may have gotten sidetracked, though it is not my fault you look divine enough to steal all of my attention and make me forget."

Odessa groaned and glared at him with unveiled annoyance as Jane stomped into the room, crossed her arms over her chest, and joined Odessa in glaring at Alec. After a few seconds of glaring, Jane demanded, "Well, are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, or are you going to explain why the entire Volturi wasn't present as our guests began arriving?"

"I do believe that any excuse I give you will result in the same reaction, so I abstain," Alec retorted.

"You are correct," Jane clipped. "Come. The Volturi is supposed to be putting up a united front and the two of you are up here flirting. The masters are displeased."

"Oh, goody. Alec can explain when we get down there, then," Odessa said as she stepped past him. She walked out of the room with Jane. Alec trailed after them for a moment to sulk before he saddled next to Odessa and linked his arm with hers. They made their way through the castle and to the entrance of the ball room. Guests were still arriving as the three of them slipped through a side door and joined the rest of the Volturi on the balcony overlooking the entire room. Everyone looked at them as they entered. Some gave them smirks, including Santiago and Felix. Some looked at them with distinterst, like Demetri and Corin. Some glared at them with daggers, including Aro, Caius, Marcus, and the wives. Odessa pushed Alec forward as Aro held his hand out. Aro raised an eyebrow at the action but resumed a flat face once Alec's hand was encompassed in his.

"Young love is beautiful," Aro said. "Yet, it is quite distracting, too. Make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes, master," Alec said quickly. Behind him, Odessa snickered into her hands. Alec shot her a look, at which her snickers intensified. She sobered up when Aro stabbed her with a warning look. She sighed and glanced down, making eye contact with Huilen. She stiffened as Huilen frowned and turned to Nahuel. She whispered something in his ear harshly, judging by the way her lips pulled apart and met each other tightly. Nahuel looked up at Odessa and stared at her with uncertain eyes. Odessa looked away in shame. Alec threw an arm around her shoulders and whispered reassurances in her ear.

"Would you rather stay up here and wait, or do you want to go down and mingle?" Alec asked as members of the Volturi began descending down the stairs and joining the slew of guests.

"I would rather stay up here for now," she answered.

"Alright, but know that you can't hide forever. Besides, I need at least one dance from you tonight."

So, they stayed on the balcony. The flow of guests stopped completely after thirty minutes. Odessa looked around, trying to find a familiar female hybrid, but she came up short. The Cullens were not in attendance yet. As the minutes flew by, Odessa wondered if they had decided not to come. She shuddered at the implications of the denial and the inevitable consequences. Odessa laid her head on Alec's shoulder and watched as vampires from all over the world danced to the flowy and light music floating through the air. As a familiar tune started, she hummed along and wrapped her arms around Alec's waist. Her peace was broken by a scathing remark from Caius.

"Seems they decided to finally show up," Caius bit out. "After our last interaction, you'd think they'd show up on time, respectfully."

"They showed," Marcus said. "That is all that matters."

Odessa looked down and saw the Cullens walking through the entryway with the Denalis close on their heels. Saddled next to Kate was Garret, the nomad who had flirted with her during the confrontation. It seemed he had joined them in hunting animals only as his once bright red eyes shone a golden color. Beside Bella walked Renesmee, looking exactly as she did the last time Odessa saw her. She was wearing a pretty yellow dress reminiscent of the princess's dress in the one Disney movie Odessa had seen. Her hair was pulled back and tumbled down her back in a similar style to the princess's, as well.

Odessa gulped and tried to make herself smaller so they wouldn't notice her. Of course, with a mind reader, that in particular was hard to do. Edward whipped his head around and pressed his lip together tightly. Once he had done so, Bella followed suit and then Renesmee. Renesmee lit up at the sight of her and waved her hand. Odessa smiled lightly down at her and returned the wave. Renesmee asked her parents something while pointing up at Odessa excitedly. They must have rejected her because they shook their heads and moved to blend in with the crowd of creatures.

Alec nudged her and said, "What do you say to mingling a bit?"

"That is a wonderful idea, Alec," Aro said. He shot Odessa a warning look with his eyes and said, "Why don't the two of you get acquainted with some of our fellow vampires. I'm sure it will be so nice catching up with some familiar faces."

Odessa nodded her head reluctantly and took the arm Alec offered her. They made their way into the hallway before they entered the ballroom and walked down the stairs. The amount of color invading her vision from everyone's essences were mind-aching, and she had to concentrate on their physical bodies to be able to navigate safely. Alec patted her arm reassuringly as she gripped his arm tight enough to cause discomfort. Alec led them away from the area the Cullens occupied and towards the Irish coven mingling with a pair of vampires Odessa had never met before. As they approached, the Irish vampires grew silent and the two vampires standing by them grinned at them.

"It is nice to meet the one causing so much trouble," one of the vampires said. They were Chinese, judging by the accent they held as they spoke English. The first man was quite tall with a dark buzzcut and slight fuzz covering their jawline. The second man was shorter and ler hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Both had red eyes and wore identical smirks on their faces. "I am Jianyu, and this is my older brother, Yuanjun."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Odessa said with a slight bow of her head.

"Yes, it is nice to see you again," Alec said. "I hope all is well within your coven. Is your sister and your wives here?"

"Yes," Yuanjun said. "They are speaking with the Cullens right now. We are most intrigued by the events that occurred."

"I did not see you with the Cullens. If I may ask, why is that?" Odessa asked curiously.

"We did not feel like we should intervene with something as complicated as that. We felt it was better to let things play out," Yuanjun answered.

"However," Jianyu said, "now that everything has settled, we are intrigued by the hybrid and the concept of hybrids. Tell me, do you experience any sort of disconnect by being a part of two worlds?"

"I do not. I can understand where you would think that, but because I was raised by a vampire and raised as a vampire, I view myself as a vampire that needs special accommodations. I will say that I have observed I have a more sympathetic attitude towards humans than most vampires, possibly due to my split nature, but I have no place in the human world," Odessa replied after a thought.

"Interesting," Jianyu said. "I would love to hear your thoughts on the existence of hybrids."

"Perhaps at a later date," Alec said as he placed a hand on Odessa's lower back. "There are others we need to speak to, and I'm sure your Irish friends would like to continue the conversation you were having before we came along."

Odessa looked at Maggie, Siobhan, and Liam - the Irish coven - and saw the distaste they held towards her and her mate. She wondered if they were upset with her about something she did. She wanted to ask, but she didn't want to start an argument over something that could be categorized as petty. So, she gave them a small smile, greeted them individually, told them she was happy to see them again, wished them a good evening, and left with Alec.

They made their way towards Demetri, who was speaking with the Egyptian coven. Odessa didn't like any of them, sans Benjamin and his mate Tia. Benjamin still held an air of enjoyment and childishness that could put anyone at ease, and Tia, though quiet, held a world's worth of knowledge and grace.

"Demetri," Alec greeted him. "How is your reunion going?"

"Reunion?" Odessa questioned.

"I was once part of their coven. It has been some time since we were able to talk," Demetri said with a small smile.

"Not enough time," Amun grumbled out.

"Come now," Benjamin intervened. "It is nice to meet someone who once resided with you and Kebi, Amun. Besides, he is not all so bad, is he? He has been quite a person to talk to." Then he turned to Odessa and said, "It is nice to see you again, Odessa. Don't worry about the others' opinions. You still came back to help, and that is all that matters."

"Benjamin, I hope all has been well with you and Tia," Odessa said warmly. "You are two people I hope danger never comes to."

"That means a lot," Tia said.

"So, has Amun been treating you fairly, Benjamin?" Demetri asked. "He has always had such a sour personality."

Benjamin laughed and said, "That is one way to see it! Yes, he has been treating me fine. Of course, I have to rein him in and remind him that I am an adult and I can take care of myself."

"Yes, he does need reminders of that often," Demetri said fondly.

"Has the Volturi been treating you fairly?" Kebi, Amun's mate, asked him.

"I have found a home in the Volturi, if that is what you are wondering, Kebi," Demetri said softly. "I have even found someone to keep me from deteriorating from loneliness."

"I am glad," Kebi told him truthfully. "And you, Odessa? Have you found a home in the Volturi?"

"I have," she answered confidently. "I know that not everyone thinks the Volturi can have genuine bonds. I was one of those people, at first, too. Now that I have spent time with them, I know I was completely wrong." And she was. She had been wary that Corin would make her feel content in being with the Volturi or that Chelsea would influence her emotional ties with members in the Volturi, but she had kept herself away from Corin, and she had only met Chelsea once she had established her own emotional connections with the Volturi members. She knew the Volturi weren't above using their gifts to keep certain members in the Volturi should they ever feel the need to leave, but Odessa was too content and happy with the life she established in the Volturi so far to ever consider leaving. She felt protected and safe and oddly free being a part of the Volturi.

"It is because you all have malevolence in common," someone spat from behind Odessa. She stiffened as she recognized the voice.

"That was not necessary to gain her attention, Huilen," Nahuel said from behind. "I apologize for her comment."

Odessa turned around and pasted a fake smile on her face. "It is quite alright. We should have this conversation elsewhere, yes?"

"First, answer why Maysun and Jennifer are not here," Huilen demanded. "I know they ran off, but what happened to them afterwards?"

"I would rather answer this away from such an amicable group of vampires," Odessa tried again.

"I agree with Odessa," Nahuel told Huilen.

"There is a small corner currently unoccupied that might make good conversation," Alec suggested. "Perhaps we should move there."

"You are not part of this talk," Huilen hissed.

"I will not leave my mate unattended with someone so hostile," Alec said tersely. "Now, if you will, please follow me."

Sorry for the long wait. I got a full time job and I still work my part time job to save up money, so I haven't had a lot of free time to write. I got a very nice and encouraging message from someone on here and it encouraged me to find time in between to write this chapter out. Thank you for being so patient. I am trying my hardest to get these last few chapters out for all of you! Stay Awesome!