Bella's Point of View.
An entire month I'd been here in Italy. Time passed by far too slowly. At least they let me leave for a bit each day to hunt with Carlisle, as far as any other time- they were trying to figure out my powers that I 'didn't' have. At least, that's what the Volturi thought.
Sighing, I paced my room, before sitting down. I glanced at a copy of Wuthering Heights. At least they had done me that favor and provided me with my favorite book to pass my free time. I tried hard not to think of Edward anymore. Those thoughts just pained me. Though, every time I found myself with Carlisle, I saw Edward in his eyes, and in his personality. I missed him terribly. I only wished I knew I could have Alice's ability, if only for a while , just so I could know if and when I'd see him again.
Speaking of powers and Carlisle, every time we went hunting he tried to work on them with me. Now, I could decipher almost any lie he told, and get him to tell me anything I asked. Sadly, the only questioned I wanted answered, Carlisle didn't know the answer to.
Ugh. Again, I let me thoughts drift away to Edward. I really needed to stop. Why would I bring such pain on myself? There was a possibility I'd never see him again. No. Don't think that. Bella, you will. Just trust him. How could I trust him anymore? Twice now, he'd left me without an explanation. Regardless, I loved him, and I knew that would never change.
I flipped through the pages of my book quietly, remotely uninterested. Glancing at the clock, I let out a sigh. Still two hours till I got to hunt. Edward would have been proud of me if he watched me hunt. Carlisle told me- truthfully- that I was rather good for a beginner. I still hadn't acquired as much strength as I would have liked, but I was getting there. I could see it, in my mind, Edward and I hunting beside one another.
The click of the lock on my door snapped me from my thoughts. I glanced again at the clock. It was far too early for Carlisle to be coming to get me. Quickly, the door was opened, and closed again; the voice I dreaded rang in my ears as he spoke.
"Bella." Herrod said, his eyes a deep burgundy color. He took a few steps towards the couch, where I was seated.
"Get out of here!" I screamed, standing from the couch, only to have him push me back to sit down. "I'm serious!" I pulled against his arm, but still he held me against the back of the couch.
"You're going to continue yelling, aren't you? You realize Caius will kill you without hesitating if you cause him anymore trouble." Herrod's voice had quickly changed from sly to angry. "Is that what you want? To be mauled and burned?"
"You have no business in here, Herrod. Get out! They'll-"
"Bella, don't even start to tell me they'll believe you." He said, as he covered my mouth and pushed me harder into the couch. "You already know that speaking that would be a lie."
I reached both my arms up to pull his hand from my mouth. "Don't touch me!" I said, but before I could do anything else to get up, he grabbed me by the shoulders and moved so I was laying down on the couch, and he was straddled over my waist.
"Stop it!" Screaming as loud as I could, though I didn't know if these were soundproof walls or not, I pushed with all the strength I could muster against him.
"Fine, struggle and yell all you want, beautiful." He grabbed my wrists, placing my left one under his knee, and holding my right one so tight it ached in his hand. With his free hand, he reached up and stroked my face. "It makes everything more fun for me."
"Herrod! Get off me! Help!" I was pulling as hard as I could against him, but nothing seemed to be helping. I bucked my hips to try and throw him off me, but it was no use. He reached his lips down and began kissing my neck, no matter how hard I continued to fight against him.
"Stop! Please! Get off me!" I wasn't sure if I was more scared, distressed, or angry. He ran his hands from my collar bone down to my stomach, rubbing my navel softly.
"Your skin is so soft, dear Bella." He said, as he began kissing along my jawbone.
"Quit! Please!" I continued repeating that, not knowing what else to yell as I turned my head away from him. I heard the door of my room open. "Someone! Help!"
Again, before I could blink, someone was in the room, pulling Herrod off me. I stared at him in awe, his copper hair flying everywhere as he and Herrod mauled and thrashed each other.
"Edward?" I asked, before Alice ran over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders to make sure I was okay.
"I'm fine." I told her, before looking over at Edward, who appeared to be winning the fight. I'd never seen him so upset. He threw Herrod across into the next wall, roughly, before going over and looking down at his body.
"Don't you touch her!" He yelled, as a beaten-looking Herrod stood, leaning against the wall for support.
"You'll pay for this! Stupid lover boy!" he yelled, as he wobbled his way out of the room.
"Edward, are you okay?!" I dashed quickly to him, leading him to sit on the couch. It looked as if his eye and jawbone were pretty torn, and his lip cut in half. His left shoulder and forearm looked completely mauled.
Despite all this, Edward nodded. "I'm fine." he said, before glancing over his wounds. "I'll live, Bella, are you alright?"
"Don't lie to me, you're not fine." I said, looking at his eye and jaw. I leaned forward and kissed them softly. "You'll heal, wont you?" I said, staring at his arm. "Oh, I can't believe you'd do this to yourself for me." I frowned, kissing over his shoulder and arm as well. I pulled away from him.
"Please, tell me why you left. Why would you do something like that to me?" I was staring straight into my eyes as I spoke. I wanted the truth, and nothing less.
"Alice's vision." He said, slightly in a daze.
"Bella, look!" Alice yelled, pulling my attention away from Edward, to her.
"His jaw, his eye! They're healing!" Though she didn't sound as surprised as I thought someone should have, she still seemed to be in awe.
I turned once more and stared at Edward, touching his eye and jaw again as the skin began going back to normal. "I can heal?" Whispering to myself, I looked at his arm again.
"Edward!" I threw my arms around him again, as if he'd just walked in the room.
Edward smiled at me and cupped my jaw with his now healed hand. "Bella, I missed you so terribly."
"What was Alice's vision? Why did you leave?"
"If we argued, Caius would have killed you."
I nodded slowly, but I didn't care. I planned to keep myself in his arms forever, no matter who was threatening me. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his, sharing a real, passionate kiss.
After a few moments, I pulled away, "I guess I owe you again." I laughed, staring into his eyes. I may have been able to get the truth out of anyone, but his eyes mesmerized me to no capacity. I turned to look at Alice, only to realize that the entire family had joined us, as well as Aro, and a mad looking Caius.
"Looks like you two have been having a marvelous time." Caius' voice was crisp and harsh.
I turned and glanced at Edward, squeezing his hand tightly. He wrapped his arm around me defensively, whispering that everything would be okay.
I nodded, and looked back at Aro, who looked angry and frustrated now, too. "It seems that all of us need to have a talk."