Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me.

Author/Note 1: This story is the sequel to Our Dawn 5. For the ones who don't know anything about Our Dawn Series, you can always read Our Dawn 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Our Dawn Series Specials but if you don't want to bother I have a resume on my profile page. As it would be expected this is a next generation story and as such, it's focused on Jake and Leah's children.

A/Note 2: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed Our Dawn Series so far.

A/Note 3: I'm not a native English speaker so I'm sorry for my grammar and spelling. Thank you for reading.

Alpha

Book II – The Protector

Harrison Black

63. On the Road

Cold and naked walls embraced me while I walked through the empty streets of Volterra.

It was easy to enter the walled hilltop town however I was doubtful that it would be this easy to leave as well. My best chance of leaving undetected with Season was to wait until the sunrise which would happen in a few minutes but it all depended on what was happening on the underground.

The Romanians had taken Season to a small building that resembled a chapel. People took religion quite seriously in Volterra. Almost every house had a cross above the main door and some windows were decorated with pictures of saints and the Pope. At that hour only chapels and churches were open but soon there would be people all around going to the bakeries and coffee shops.

As I suspected I didn't find anyone inside the chapel. There was an altar with a dozen candles and a stone image of a saint I didn't recognize. On the right side of the altar there was a staircase to some sort of a basement. It looked like the Romanians hadn't encountered any difficulties getting inside the Volturi lair which wasn't a complete surprise. They had planned everything in advanced.

A dark corridor took me further into the nest of the Volturi. I knew I wasn't inside the sumptuous underground palace that the Volturi called their home, but I was pretty close. Their obnoxious scent was getting stronger.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard a muffled voice coming my way and the next instant I was blinded by a strong light. I felt a cold hand grab my arm and then I lost conscience for a couple of seconds.

When I was able to open my eyes again I noticed I was back in the chapel, behind a huge panel on the pulpit.

"You're one of the Black twins." A soothing voice said. "Now it all makes sense. That's why I couldn't see what was going to happen today."

She was joking, right? Anything made sense anymore. I was supposed to be going after Season and suddenly I had been caught by one of the Volturi, or so it seemed. However instead of kicking my ass or kill me, this Volturi had taken me to the upper floor of a small chapel and was talking nonsense.

"I'm so sorry I had to use my powers on you but we'd get caught if I hadn't pulled you out of there."

That's when I realized who she was.

"Scarlett?" I asked the red-haired little girl who was on her knees in front of me. She was keeping a cold hand on one of my shoulders as if to comfort me for having used her powers.

"Do you remember me?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course. Rosalie talks about you all the time."

"She talks about you too." She smiled and then got up. She was really short and it was actually weird talking to someone who looked like a child but wasn't.

"You're not the only one who thinks that way." She said putting on a sad look.

"How did you..."

"I have Edward's powers, remember? I can read minds... actually I can do many other things. I've been collecting abilities ever since I came to live with the Volturi. It's what Aro expects of me and I have to obey."

"Whose power you used on me?"

"Alec's. I know it's a bit rough but I figured it was the only way to stop you from fighting back. I knew it was a wolf but I didn't know it was you, though. I'm really sorry for that." She apologized again. "So, are you Harry or William?"

"Harry," I replied as I was finally able to stand. "I have to go down there to get Season."

"You can't do that," Scarlett said. "Besides, they're about to leave."

"I can't let them leave with her. I promised I'd take her home."

"She's in no danger for now. I can read their minds so I know what they want." The little girl informed.

"You?" I tried. The Romanians were after someone and Scarlett fit the bill perfectly.

"No, not me." She assured. "I'd be useful to them if I were loyal to their cause but I'm not. They're not interested in me."

"Seriously?" I was a bit skeptic. Who wouldn't be interested in her? She was the most powerful vampire on the planet.

"I'm positive. They came for Marcus, Sulpicia, and Athenodora."

I blinked a couple of times unsure if I could believe what Scarlett was telling me.

"I wouldn't lie to you about this." She stated, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I'm not saying you're lying but you can be... wrong?"

"I can read their minds. They're not here for me. They've been planning this for weeks. They even brought over a vampire to confuse me with illusions but I was able to get rid of him."

Victor. I thought. He was the one who could fabricate illusions. That's why he had come along.

"You killed him?"

"Not quite. But let's just say he won't be able to move or talk for a very long time." She grinned.

"You can immobilize people?"

"Yes, but only when I'm close enough to touch them."

She was right. Things were starting to make some sense now. The only thing that I couldn't still understand was why the Romanians wanted Season if not to annul Scarlett's powers?

I mean Marcus' power was useless in battle and Aro and Caius' wives were just common vampires with no special abilities. They didn't pose a threat.

"They want Season to remove Corin, Suri and Alicia's powers. Once they do that, they'll control the wives and Marcus."

"Who?" I had no idea who Corin, Suri and Alicia were.

"They're the wives personal guards." Scarlett answered my unspoken question. She could read thoughts ever since she had absorbed Edward's power years ago. "They all have the ability to make others feel content, relaxed, and happy. Corin is the most powerful one out of the three of them. She numbs your willpower and makes you think you're satisfied, and if you're under her influence for too long it'll become like a drug. Suri's power is a lot easier to handle since it doesn't have side-effects. She eases the tension on your mind and makes you believe there's nothing wrong. Alicia boosts your self-confidence and gets you to believe that you're invincible and can't be bothered by anything or anyone."

"So Corin, Suri, and Alicia control the wives by taking away their willpower and making them believe everything's fine?"

"Aro can't allow Sulpicia to feel uneasy or unhappy. That would put in danger the bond they share and the coven's unity."

"So he uses tricks to keep them happy and satisfied?"

"Yes."

Aro and Caius's wives lived a lie. Though it sounded bad to me, it wasn't a complete shock because imprinted wolves and imprintees lived the same way. They didn't have free will.

"What can the Romanians possibly want with Marcus and the wives?"

"I don't know yet but if we follow them, we might find out."

Scarlett was right about the Romanians. They took Season to the tower where Sulpicia and Athenodora lived and got rid of Suri and Alicia. They were supposed to be stripped off of their powers but against Valerya's orders, Serghei decided to kill them and so they left two piles of ashes behind when they left with Sulpicia and Athenodora. Corin was taken as well, but they didn't kill her. Afterwards they went to get Marcus, who upon seeing his friends' wives in peril, decided to cooperate with the enemy.

Somehow the Romanians did manage to leave the Volturi underground residency without being discovered. The only set back they had encountered was Victor's condition. It looked like Scarlett's paralizing power had a long-term effect so they had to drag him to the car.

I had to give some credit to Scarlett who, despite her young appearance and lack of experience, knew how to plan a pursuit. We left the chapel as soon as the Romanians left with Marcus, Sulpicia, Athenodora, Corin, and one other member of the Volturi coven through a secret passage.

The passage would take them to the ruins of an ancient amphitheatre down the hill where the Romanians had probably left the cars. She led me to a nearby compound right next to the clock tower building, where several cars were parked. She handed me a silver remote that unlocked the doors of a brand new Fiat Escalator 100.

"I was looking forward to driving that red Ferarri but I guess this one will do." I joked.

"If we take the Ferarri they'll know they're being followed. We have to blend in."

She was right again. We had to be discreet and driving a Ferrari would certainly blow our chances of following the Romanians without being spotted.

We both got in the car.

"Can we really take it?"

"No one will come here while we're gone. Trust me." Scarlett said as I drove off.

"Where the hell are the rest of your Volturi friends? I mean the ones who didn't go to the US?"

"They're... busy." She grimaced and I understood what she meant. Whenever someone said that a vampire was 'busy', it actually meant that he was feeding. I felt my whole body trembling in disgust but I knew I couldn't do anything to stop the Volturi from feeding right now.

"They knew Aro and Caius wouldn't be here and they knew we usually feed at dawn," Scarlett announced.

"They have an informant who lives down the hill on a farm. His name is Luca." I informed her.

Scarlett recognized Luca's name but she had never met him. Apparently, Luca was one of the Volturi suppliers.

"What does he supply the Volturi with?" I asked.

"Anything the elders ask of him."

"Humans?" I growled clenching my fists tightly.

"Yes." Scarlett looked as disgusted as I was. "The coven has grown over the years. In order to satisfy the wives, Aro and Caius allowed Sulpicia and Athenodora to create vampires who became their lovers. That way the wives won't feel so lonely when Aro and Caius are out hunting down werewolves. Besides, Aro kept several vampires with special abilities ever since Joham was executed. Since now they need a lot more victims than before, Aro decided to stop killing tourists because that would raise suspicions eventually."

I had heard stories about this from Bella. The Volturi used to feed on the tourists who visited the Palace. Then they buried the bodies inside the walls in the underground, ensuring that no one would ever find them.

"How do they feed now?"

"They have suppliers like Luca who bring them illegal immigrants, beggers, basically unwanted and forgotten people who won't be missed. They come in cargo trucks and the ones who are not immediatelly taken to serve as meals, are bled in special chambers. A cargo arrived last night... so that's why no one paid attention to what's happening except for me, Gavin, and Mase since we don't participate in the killings or the bleeding process."

I had to breathe in and out slowly in order to calm myself after hearing that. The image of innocent people being killed and bled out was too much.

"Why aren't they with you?"

"When I felt your presence I froze them. I couldn't risk bringing them along with me to meet you because they never saw a wolf before and would probably attack you in a blink of an eye."

We were following the Romanians from a safe distance. The landscape was slowly changing as we went North as well as the weather. A green and luxurious scenario surrounded us from both sides of the road. The intermitent grey clouds didn't allow the sun to shine in all its glory but they didn't stay permanently and it never rained.

"Do you have any idea where they're taking Marcus and the wives?"

"No."

"It has to be a special place. Maybe a fortress... some place where they can lock them up." I suggested.

"Vampires can't be locked up."

"Unless they're immobilized." I pointed out.

"Do the Romanians have someone with that power?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "But there are other ways to immobilize vampires... if you take off their legs for example..."

"Barbaric but efficient." Scarlett commented frowning. "However I think it's something else." She said and then she opened the window and put an arm out. We both watched the dim sunrays hit her marble skin. "I never left the palace. It's been ten years." She whispered.

"I'm sorry..." I offered. "No one wanted to hand you over to the Volturi but there was nothing we could do about it."

"I know."

"You could leave though... you're powerful enough to..."

"If I leave the coven, Aro will make sure that Rosalie, Emmett, all of the other Cullens, and my distant relatives who live in Scotland, will die." She cut me off.

"Fucking motherfucker." I cursed.

"I might have a chance though... if your girlfriend takes my power away..."

"They'll kill the both of you." I finished for her. "And I'm not going to let Aro touch Season. Not in this lifetime."

Scarlett would only be useful to Aro if she had powers, otherwise, she wouldn't matter and since she already knew too much about the Volturi, the ancient vampire would probably order Jane or Alec to kill her.

"That's not your plan, is it?" I asked noticing her silence.

"Look... I..."

"I wouldn't like to be in your position either. Immortality sounds quite tempting at first but there are down sides. However, there are people who care about you, Scarlett. Look at Rosalie... she visits you more than three times a year even though she knows she's not welcome in Volterra."

"I know... but... look at me! Do you know I'm about to turn nineteen? I'm stuck in an eight-year-old body! I feed on human blood. I'll never find a boyfriend, I'll never be able to travel or interact with humans, I'll be locked up in the Volturi's palace forever because I'm Aro's trophy! I can't even drive a car because I can hardly reach the pedals!"

"You have friends."

"I have six vampires who visit me. Two of them more often than the others... and that's all." She said sadly. "They all have companions, they all know what it is to love someone and be loved. Even that bitch... Jane has her twin brother... I have no one. I'll never kiss a boy, I'll never have sex, I'll never have a mate."

"What's your plan then?"

"I don't have one yet... but once you and your girlfriend are safe, I'll make a decision."

I nodded. It was useless to argue with her when I knew she was right. I felt sorry for her but there was nothing I could do to change her condition. She was one of a kind.

"Whatever you decide, just know that I really appreciate your help."

Scarlett smiled.

"She loves you, you know?"

"What?"

"The girl the Romanians took... she's in love with you. She knows that you didn't meet her at her working place. She remembered the attack a few weeks ago but she didn't say anything because she's in love with you and right now she's terrified because she believes she'll never see you again."

I couldn't help a little smile. I knew there was something between us. Even though I had been ordered to be close to her and pretend to be her boyfriend, I had developed feelings for Season and it was nice to know that she was feeling the same way about me.

"Does she know about...? Does she know I accepted to be her boyfriend to keep her safe?"

"She knows a few things but she ignores such details."

I sighed in relief. It wouldn't be nice to explain Season everything that had happened since Gustaf had attacked her, though it would be definitely easier now that she knew the truth about the existence of vampires and wolves.

"You haven't told her everything?" Scarlett asked.

"I answered her questions and told her about how a pack works and how a vampire is created but there are lots of things she needs to learn."

"I see... you'll have time for that. I'll make sure of it."

"Look, Scarlett, I do appreciate your help but let me get this straight, I'm the one who's going to get her back. You're going to stay put unless I tell you otherwise."

"You do have a hero's complex just like your father," Scarlett stated amused. "At least that's what Rose keeps saying."

"Rose talks nonsense some times."

Scarlett laughed and for the first time, I actually saw her as someone that could actually be a friend.

"I'm honored." She said, having read my mind. "Though I'm not sure that I'm worthy of such honor since you're in this mess because of me."

"You lost me now..." I confessed.

"I owe an apology to you and your family, especially your brother, William."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've tried to protect Season from Aro. When Alice saw the Volturi going to the US to get her, I saw it too and I decided to act, so I hired a mercenary to go there and take Season to a safe location. Leon and Park helped me out but the mercenary took the wrong girl."

"She's dead now."

"The girl?"

"The mercenary."

"That explains why Leon was unable to locate her." She commented. "What happened to her?"

"The pack killed her."

Scarlett frowned in deep thought and remained silent for a while.

"What's done, is done." She finally said. "They're stopping, and we need to stop too. You need to eat and the car needs gas. It's been three hours since we left Volterra."

"Did they reach their destiny?"

"No. They're stopping for gas too."

"Okay," I said making a turn to the right to enter a service area. "I could actually eat a horse right now."

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