Volturi's Precious Guard
Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! And remember, Bella can make anyone hear, feel, see, smell, what she wants them to, and block powers, which is why Alice never saw her becoming or being a vampire.
Chapter Two: Instinct
Demetri's iron-clad grip jerked me back down another corridor. Where he was taking me exactly, I wasn't sure. All he would say was, 'Master's Orders.'
Ok, I'll admit it. Throwing the brick was a little unnecessary. Ok. Ok. It was down right reckless, but isn't everything I do? Aro had kept me in the dark room for three months, forgotten about me, and then taunted my family with my unknown existence.
No. They weren't my family. They were his. I am alone.
But the sight of them filled me with joy. At first I had planned only to insult Aro a little, but when he started talking about me, when he had the nerve to use loop holes like 'her heart stopped beating many years ago' the look that came over Alice's, Emse's, Carlisle's, Emmett's face filled me with loathing. At least they missed me. Unlike one person. For so long I tried to convince myself that just one look, one kiss, one touch, would carry me through the next century, but now that I got that one look, I wanted more. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, kiss every inch of his face. I wanted to comfort him. He had looked so dead in there, so lifeless. I kept telling myself it was because of the place he was in – what vegetarian vampire besides me wants to be surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires? – but I couldn't stop the nagging. Does he miss me? Of course not, but it was still there, tugging at the back of my mind. I tried to ignore it, but I wanted it so much to be true.
Distracted by my thoughts, I hadn't notice Demetri had held me outside. He handed me the keys to a sparkly red mustang at the city boarders, near an abandoned road, and finally released his firm grip on my arm. I had warned him to let me go –that he had no right to touch me- but he had this pesky, constant fear that if he release me I would turn invisible and run away. Silly little Vampire. Though, admittedly, that was how I got away from him the first time.
I really did wish I had the time to teach him a lesson, but the smell of humans lingered on the street. The inner monster clawed at my throat, begging to be silenced. It took all my will power to step into the car and start the engine. Demetri smirked outside the window.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's some quality about Demetri that makes me have to fight the very strong urge to flip him off.
Generally, I fail. All Demetri did as I sped out of the city limits was laugh whole-hearty.
I turned off the dusty road and onto SS439, heading north for another seven miles. There was a little forest reserve between Case Gattera and Casa San Donato, right on the river, where I liked to hunt. Tonight, like many other nights, I was hunting not only out of hunger, buy it would let me escape from having to think for the next few hours. I turned left onto the park trail for another mile then turned south onto yet another muddy, bumpy trail. I parked in a secluded area before taking off my jacket. I hadn't really dressed for hunting, so I made a mental note to carry an extra set of clothes in my trunk as I took off my shoes.
I got out of my car and stretched, trying to dispel the emotional exhaustion. I turned my face to the breeze and inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air flush out the scent of humans, then headed into the forest.
I wandered, slowly letting go of the restraints I held around humans. I let my rational mind go, succumbing to the demon in me that demanded blood. Scents bombarded my nostrils and my eyes narrowed, my body lowering itself into a crouch. My ears picked out the tiny scratching of an army of ants at the base of a tree five feet away; the pounding heartbeat of a possum clambering upside down along a tree branch high above my head; the heavy wing beats of a falcon hiding high in the sky.
There was a herd of deer two miles to the south.
I took off, darting through the trees, jumping over bushes. I circled around them, watching as the grazed peacefully. It was too easy when they don't expect it. I snarled, watching with satisfaction as their heads shot up and they darted off, braying as they went, their heartbeats going wild. I snarled again in anticipation. Then I was chasing them. I closed in on one, a doe, running around in front of it. It screamed in terror, skidding around and bolting back the way it had came. I pounced, snapping it's neck and sinking my teeth through it's felt as it collapsed.
I finished with a relish, lifting my head and gasping for air I didn't need. I licked my lips clean, looking around, already trying to find more prey. I sniffed, ignoring the scent of the doe at my feet. I caught the scent of something feline. I sniffed again and smiled, turning to head west, toward the river.
A cougar was lapping gently from the river, in a small pocket that dug into the main land, where humans wouldn't see. When it finished drinking, it moved up the river, climbing a steep slope to where a rocky ledge jutted out over the water, bathed in sunlight. That didn't bother me. There were no humans around for miles. I crept forward, still masked by the trees. But as I moved, it's head turned sharply and looked into the trees. It hissed, crouching down, ready to pounce.
I shot out of the trees, snarling. Simultaneously, something pounced out of the trees on my left, also aiming for the big cat, as the cougar pounced forward. There was snarling and hissing as we all collided, tumbling off the ledge and falling into the shallow water. My survival instincts were in complete control as I snarled and snapped by teeth, rolling as I tried to dislodge the predator that was pinning me down. The responding, snarling growl was nothing like the cougar. I thrashed some more, spraying water everywhere as I rolled again, successfully pinning my attacker beneath me. I snarled and bared my teeth with every intention of dislodging its head from its body. But even as I bent down, I froze.
That scent.
Next thing I knew, I was on my back, pinned again beneath my attacker's body. My mind was already reeling, changing rapidly from brunette to red head to blonde, tall, short, skinny, lean, muscular, though I was limp with shock. Heldi had once watched me change rapidly like this when I was trying to decide on a disguise. She told me it made her nauseated. I stared up at him, eyes wide, mind frantic, but very conscious of his position.
Edward's eyes were wild from the hunt, a bright golden-brown, rainbows dancing off his skin. He stared down at me and I saw the moment that the blood-craze faded and he recognized what he had pinned beneath him.
I kicked him off me, sending him tumbling unexpectedly into deeper waters. For a terrifying moment, I worried I might have hurt him, but then he was crouched again, eyes locked on me, and I knew he was fine. And about to pounce.
I turned and shot back into the cover of the trees, closing my eyes and thinking hard. I stood completely motionless against a tree, barely four feet from where he now stood; glaring into the forest, dripping wet and looking like a god. He took another step forward and his smell swamped me anew—it was all I could do not to give in and throw myself at him.
He half-turned, staring back out at the river, then looked back into the forest. After a moment, his predator stance relaxed and he sighed.
"How do you do that?" he asked quietly. I closed my eyes and let his voice wash over me. The velvet texture and the musical intonation that made up his, which I had clung to so hard, the most perfect of all voices, could not be duplicated by anything, let alone my imagination.
It stung my heart to hear the sadness and the pain in that voice. I stared at his beautiful profile as he stared into the forest, inhaling deeply, trying to catch my scent.
He sighed again, a heavy—dare I say it?—heartbroken sound.
"I know you're here." He turned again, his back toward me now, his eyes sharp. "I realize that I can't see or smell you, or even hear your thoughts, but I know you're here. I can…feel you."
His words shocked me. Was there some part, some presence, of myself that I had forgotten to block? I mentally ran through the check list. Nope, all hidden, I realized, as he walked around the small clearing I had chosen to hide in. Somehow, miraculously, he stopped right in front of me, so attuned to me. He even tilted his head down to meet mine.
"I know you're here." He said again, his lips nearly brushing against mine, his breath fanning over my face. I took a deep breath. In one night, I had been granted more than I could have imagined. I had gotten the chance to smell, to touch, to hear my angel's voice again. Slowly, cautiously, I pushed my lips towards his, knowing he would not feel it. The kiss was chaste, and when it ended, he surprised me by lifting a hand to his mouth.
"I just want to talk." He breathed, brushing the tips of his fingers against his lips. I was not sure if he knew exactly where I stood, or if he merely thought he was talking in my general direction. "I'm just- just curious. Why someone like you, would choose to work for the Volturi."
My heart almost pounded back to life. He was curious about me. I wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, but I made myself stay still. All at once, I dropped my guard.
Shocked, he stumbled back, and I knew at once he had only been talking in my general direction. It was comical, though, to see someone I once thought so graceful falling over his feet and landing on the forest floor. I laughed sweetly, my first real laugh since before he left. I couldn't help myself. Simply being in his presence intoxicated me. I glowed from being around him, whether he hated me or not.
He seemed to flinch at my laughter.
"I'm sorry, but it's hard to keep the allusion alive if I move." I said. Not a total lie, more like a half-truth. He stared up at me in disbelief, almost as if he was shocked that I really was there. For a long moment we just stared at each other, lost in our own little world. I finally got my chance to look at him – really look at him. I realized foolishly, I had been expecting him to look different, older. Bitterly, I chastised myself for forgetting that he – and all his family- would be exactly the same as when they left, and still not in love with me. But, as he had promised, human memories faded. I still might have a better memory then most – repaying them over a thousand times has a habit of keeping them fresh – but they didn't do him justice. I had forgotten the way his bronze hair glowed in the moonlight, reflecting little waves of light brown and deep bronze, and how it hung from his head in a mop, untidily, yet perfect. Forgotten how his eyes pierced into the very depths of my soul. How his scent and sight intoxicated me. Dazzling. I had forgotten I had called him dazzling. My eyes traveled from his face down his neck. I had forgotten the way his muscle tensed under designer clothes. How his perfect, lean frame, though smaller then his brothers, was so powerful.
Stop! I reprimanded myself, knowing that this train of thought would just leave me wanting. Wanting something that was not mine to have. That I could not have. Focusing on his face, I realized that he had been doing the same thing. See. He just met you and he's looking you up and down. Thankfully, I had been prepared for this day. I had conjured up the completely opposite image of Bella. I could sooner be mistaken for Rosalie then Bella. He caught my eye, and we both looked away. Instantly, without thinking, my mind put a blush on my cheeks. It was second nature to me now to pretend to be human.
"You're cheeks," He finally said, lifting himself from the ground. Ok. I forgot to de-bella-fy one thing. He reached out a hand to my cheek, then, hastily, pulled it back.
"Allusion." I said, and, to my surprise, he seemed slightly disappointed.
"You seem surprised," I said, "but I saw Aro tell you of my power."
"Yes, well," he muttered. "Hearing it is one thing. Seeing it is another. You nearly made me sick back there."
"Sorry," I whispered, looking down. Suddenly I felt very insecure about my gift. Did it repulse him even more? "I know that it's hard to watch. I think it's because I'm doing it through your mind. It gets kind of spun dizzy; with me making you believe I'm so many different things."
He took a guarded step forward, as if he was worried I would bolt if he was any faster. "It's an amazing power," he said, nonchalantly. "However, I'm more interested in your ability to block powers. It's…unique, and quite frustrating for someone like me." By now he had discreetly move to my side, until he was right next to me, looking down over my left shoulder.
"Someone like you?" I asked, careful to not make a mistake, pretending to have never met him, to know nothing about him. His breath, sweet, yet still had the scent of some unnamed blend of spices, fanned over my face and body, and it was making it unbearable to think.
"As I mentioned, I can hear most everyone's thoughts. Much like your Master Aro." He whispered, so close it was almost as if he was whispering into my ear. His voice lulled me into a comfort zone, but he's words quickly snapped me out of it.
"He's not my master," I bit, unable and unwilling to hide the venom in my voice.
"I meant no offense." He said indifferently, his voice never becoming apologetic. Just casual, like we were old friends. The irony was not lost on my part.
"I couldn't know, since I can't hear your rebellious thoughts." He seemed slightly pleased that I resented Aro. I wondered fleetingly, if Carlisle had sent him out here to lure me to his family. The breeze brushed through tree's leaves above, and I seemed to be engulfed by his scent. I wanted to turn my head two centimeters to the left and kiss him. I knew I had to get away from him.
"Has there ever been anyone else who's mind you couldn't read?" I asked, through heavy breaths, hoping he would react as venomously as I thought he would.
He did. He took a sharp step back, his face growing dark. It was the first time I had ever seen him look scary, like a predator of the night.
"Only one." He said darkly. "She died." For a moment no one said a word and an uncomfortable silence few.
"My family would like to meet you, if you don't mind." He said gruffly, after a minute of staring at me with sharp eyes. Did just the thought of me really drive so much hate into him?
"Well, are you coming?" He asked without turning, as he walked out of the forest.
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there you go. Next chapter with be EPOV
here's a sneek peek:
Alice doesn't like Elisa that much find out why!
Alice is having strange visions
and Edward heroically save Elisa, but why? He hates her for mentioning bella, right?