Previous chapter: Demetri - DPOV

On our return to the island, we immediately rush toward the bedroom. It's needless to say that we will spend the remainder of our time in that room, both not wanting reality to set back in. It isn't until the last evening that we come up for air, so to speak. We spend that evening watching the sunset over the sea, seated on the beach in each other's arms. I smile as I pull her closer and kiss her neck. I purr softly as I see the new mating mark next to the old one. I couldn't resist marking my lovely wife again, and I love how she returned the favor immediately. I growl lowly as I kiss and nip the mark while softly whispering 'mine' again... and again... and again. That is until Isabella giggles and says, "Are you afraid that someone will steal me away, Demi?"

Demetri - DPOV

My head snaps up, and I let out a ferocious growl. The thought of someone taking Isabella away from me is enough to awaken the monster inside me. I instinctively pull her closer as I listen to the sounds around us to determine whether someone's nearby who wants to take my mate. Isabella lets out a small giggle as she turns around in my arms and says, "Easy there, tiger. No one will ever take me away from you. I'm yours, and you are mine."

Isabella giggles again as she turns around and kisses my mark while stroking my hair. It only takes her a few seconds before I lay in her arms, purring like a giant cat. God, how did I ever get so lucky? My love for her grows even more as I pick her up to carry her inside the villa, and I smile as Isabella starts to purr in my arms before I say, "That's right, gattina *. Purr for me while I show you just how much I love you. You're mine forever."

The night passes fast as we show our love for each other several times, and I sigh as the sun rises in the east the next morning. I quickly finish packing our things before walking outside to find Isabella on the porch staring at the sea with a sad look in her eyes. I pull her in for a hug and kiss her softly before saying, "We will ask the Masters if we may come back here next year to celebrate our first anniversary. I don't see any reason for them to refuse us such a request. This isn't a permanent goodbye."

Isabella smiles widely as I take her hand and lead her to the speedboat. With one last look at the villa, we speed off to Santorini, where the jet will be waiting to take us back home. The flight passes quickly as does the drive back to Volterra, and it surprises me immensely when we make it to our quarters without being noticed by any of the guards. Our rest, however, is short-lived because someone knocks on our door before we even have time to unpack our bags. I sigh as I open the door to find Jane standing on the other side, and I bite back a groan as she says, "Demetri. Isabella. I'm glad you're back. Aro wants to see the both of you in his study."

I chuckle as Isabella slips past me to hug Jane before making our way down the hallway to Aro's study. Jane and Isabella walk in front, talking about our honeymoon, while I trail a bit behind looking at my beautiful wife with a smile on my face. I don't understand how I survived those 1000 years without her. She makes me so fucking happy. The girls stop their conversation as we reach the doors to Aro's study, and I quickly pull Isabella back into my arms as Jane knocks on the door. Isabella giggles as Jane rolls her eyes at my possessive behavior, and I shrug my shoulders as I say, "I truly hope you will find love like this someday, Jane. Then you will understand completely."

Jane smiles softly as she opens the door and motions for us to enter. Isabella leans into my side as we walk through the door, and I smile as I place a kiss on her hair while Aro rises from his chair and says, "Ah, the lovebirds have returned to the nest. How marvelous! Did you enjoy your honeymoon? No, never mind. Don't answer that. I think I already know. Now, dear ones, the reason why I called you here is the following: the Cullens will be arriving in a few hours. I expect a long and intense meeting, and I want all the guards present. They must spread out across the room with their cloaks and hoods on, except for Demetri, Renata, Jane, and Alec. They will join me and my brothers on the dais. Isabella, this means you must endure everything the Cullens say or do without revealing who you are and without Demetri by your side. You will also have to shield our whole coven. Will that be a problem?"

I smile proudly as I see the determination in her eyes when Isabella looks straight at Aro and says, "It will not. I will not fail my coven, Master."

Aro nods approvingly as he turns to me and says, "Demetri, I expect you to stand with me. The Cullens are bound to say things that will trigger the protectiveness of your mate. You are one of my best guards, son. I expect nothing less from you than total control. If this meeting leads to punishment, I'll make sure Caius gives you the honor of carrying it out."

I smile as I bow my head slightly and say, "Thank you, Master. I assure you it won't be an issue."

Aro hums approvingly as he moves back to his seat and says, "Perfect, now run along. Change into the proper attire and assemble in the throne room. It's time to let Caius loose."

We all snicker as we hear Caius growl in response from his study next door before running back to our quarters. I quickly change into black jeans and a black shirt before putting on my cloak. Isabella hesitates for a moment before putting on a long black dress that looks stunning on her. Then, she pulls me close for a hug and says, "I love you so much, Demetri."

I smile as I lean down to kiss her before saying, "I love you too, amore mio. You are everything to me."

Isabella smiles as she places a quick kiss on my lips before grabbing her cloak and carefully fixating the hood to keep her face shrouded. I nod approvingly as she looks at me questioningly before saying, "It's perfect like that, cara mia. They won't know it's you. Are you ready for this?"

Isabella nods as she links her arm through mine and says, "Yes. Let's get this over with."

Isabella - IPOV

I can't help but feel nervous as we make our way to the throne room. When we enter, I notice everyone is already there. I quickly take my place by the left wall between Felix and Heidi. Demetri gives me a reassuring nod before standing at Caius' side while Alec and Jane are standing next to Marcus. The other guards are spread out evenly along the right wall, except Renata who's standing behind Aro to shield him. I continue to look at my husband until my focus is pulled to the big wooden doors as they swing open to reveal Gianna and the Cullens. I quickly check my shield as they make their way to the center of the room. Aro looks giddy as he jumps up to greet them while saying, "Carlisle, my old friend, it has been too long! I'm so glad you could join us on such short notice. Please, come in and introduce us to your lovely coven."

Carlisle is the epitome of calmness as he nods and says, "Aro, indeed. It has been a very long time since I had the pleasure of visiting Volterra. I was quite surprised when I received your invitation. Please let me introduce you to my wife Esme, our daughter Rosalie and her mate Emmett, our daughter Alice and her mate Jasper, and my son Edward."

I smile as I hear Caius muttering something by himself while Carlisle is talking, but I keep my eyes fixated on the seven vampires in front of me. They all look incredibly nervous. All the males are standing slightly in front of their mates to protect them. Aro doesn't seem to notice as he claps his hands before saying, "What a wonderful family you have, dear friend! However, Carlisle, a little birdie told us you've been very naughty. Care to explain yourself?"

Carlisle hesitates a moment before saying, "Are you referring to the newborn army, Aro?"

Caius smirks as he jumps to his feet and takes a few steps toward the Cullens, before saying, "No, I'm quite certain Aro is referring to the human. Did you, or did you not, leave a human who knows our secret behind alive?"

A shocked look appears on Carlisle's face as he stares at Caius, but he quickly collects himself before saying, "I can imagine that an outsider would see it that way, but I can guarantee you it is not like that. Please allow me to tell our story."

Caius lets out a low growl as he shakes his head and says, "Why would we give you the chance to explain yourself? Your coven broke the law. You know better than most that we don't give second chances. You lived with us for decades, Carlisle! What on earth could be so important for the Volturi to know about this human? You are not above the law!"

Caius looks murderous as he takes another step closer, but Carlisle doesn't seem phased as he stands tall and says, "Because that human was my daughter, and nothing you can do or say to me will ever give me more agony than knowing I left her behind when she needed me most!"

What the hell! What does he mean by that? How can he be in agony? They left me. They didn't care enough about me to stay.

Demetri - DPOV

What the fuck did he just say?! Caius's eyes flick to mine, and I realize he is as surprised as I am. I clench my fists as I fight the urge to run to Isabella and protect her, but I can't break ranks. So I watch as Caius opens his mouth to respond, but Aro beats him to it, by saying, "Caius, please let Carlisle tell his story. You know how much I love a good story, and I believe this one is very much worth telling."

Caius scowls as he moves back to his throne, where he plops down while faking indifference, but I know he wants to hear this story just as much as the rest of us. I know my Isabella would never lie to me, so there must be more to this whole story than we first thought. Aro simply smiles as he nods at Carlisle and says, "Please, tell us everything, dear friend."

Carlisle nods as he starts telling us their story, and everyone in the throne room listens intently as he tells us about how they met Isabella and how she quickly became a part of their family. His story is almost identical to Isabella's. Carlisle even tells us about their dealing with that tracker James. Caius lets out another growl as Carlisle tells us Edward sucked the venom out to stop her change, and I smirk as he yells, "Why would you do that? You said the human wanted to be like us. So why would you stop the change? Carlisle, I never thought you were that stupid. Did the squirrels finally fry your brain?"

Carlisle expertly ignores Caius' dig at his dietary choices as he continues by saying, "That was Edward's call to make, Caius. Bella was his mate, and he wanted her to enjoy her human life for a while longer. She was only seventeen at that time. Bella was adamant that she wanted to be one of us, but she would have missed her parents so much. She needed a proper chance to say goodbye."

Caius huffs as he dismisses the topic with a wave. Carlisle quickly continues his story and tells us about the summer and the eventful birthday party they held for Isabella. I can't help but notice Jasper lowering his shoulders as Carlisle comes to the part where Isabella cut her finger. Guilt is written all over his face, and it indicates he still blames himself for what happened.

I turn my attention back to Carlisle as he starts talking about their decision to leave Forks, how Emmett and Jasper fought against Edward's decision to leave, how Carlisle had reasoned with Edward that Bella should come with them, and how they eventually agreed to leave for a short time. By doing this, Isabella would have the chance to live with her dad for a few more years and say goodbye.

My eyes flick to Isabella as Carlisle mentions a letter Esme wrote to explain all this to Isabella. The letter even stated that they loved Isabella and considered her family. Everyone left Forks the day after, while Edward stayed behind to say goodbye to Isabella and deliver the letter.

Well, I already know how that ended. I take a deep unneeded breath while fighting the urge to whisk Isabella out of there. She's mine. I don't care if the Cullens still love her. They can't have her. I'm never letting her go. I clench my fists as Carlisle sighs and says, "We traveled to Alaska and hoped Edward would feel the mating pull as he left Forks. I never expected him to leave her. I traveled back to Forks a few months ago. I had to check on Bella. I needed to make sure she knew we were coming back for her. That's how I found out about Victoria and Laurent, and why I called the family back to Forks.

I also discovered I failed my daughter in every way possible. Bella died two days after we left in an explosion that burned down her house. She didn't make it out alive. If only we hadn't left when we did, Bella would probably still be with us. So you see, Caius, there's no punishment you can think of that will hurt me more than knowing my daughter died because I wasn't there to save her."

By now, the female Cullens are sobbing while the males look devastated. Well, all but one. Edward looks sad and very guilty. Aro seems to notice that too, and he smiles evilly as he walks over to Carlisle and says, "I'm so sorry for your loss, my dear friend. Would you do me the honor of seeing everything that happened with my own eyes?"

Carlisle nods as he offers his hand to Aro. A deadly silence descends upon the throne room as Aro sifts through Carlisle's memories, and a strange look appears on Aro's face as he releases Carlisle's hand and says, "I can almost feel how much this pains you, Carlisle. Why on earth did you let a seventeen-year-old boy influence you like that? I don't get it. It's so unlike you to go against something you feel so strongly about."

Aro then turns to Edward with a devious smile on his face as he holds out his hand while saying, "Edward, you played an important part in this story. Please, humor me and let me see your thoughts on the matter."

Edward looks grim as he steps forward and puts his hand in Aro's. After a minute, Aro's eyes snap open, and Aro smirks as he walks back to his throne and says, "I don't think you will have to ask the Volturi to kill you, Edward. Not when your family finds out what you did. They will surely kill you after the stunt you pulled."

Carlisle - CPOV

I feel slightly anxious as we walk into the throne room, and I notice the entire guard is present. This is not a courtesy meeting. We're here for a specific reason, and I will not like this. I keep my emotions in check as Aro welcomes us, and I smile as I introduce my family seeing none of them have been to Volterra before. When Aro asks me to explain things, I immediately assume he's talking about Victoria. Caius takes me by surprise, however, when he takes a few steps toward me and says, "No, I'm quite certain Aro is referring to the human. Did you, or did you not, leave a human that knows our secret behind alive?"

Oh no, how did they find out about Bella? Did Victoria tell the guard before they killed her? No good thing can come from Caius knowing that we broke the law, but our Bella was not just any human. She was my daughter. I'm sure he will understand our situation better if he gives me time to explain. I groan internally as Caius directs his anger toward me while stating that we're not above the law. My voice almost breaks as I say, "Because that human was my daughter, and nothing you can do or say to me will ever give me more agony than knowing I left her behind when she needed me most!"

I sigh in relief as Aro interrupts our discussion and asks me to tell my story. I nod as I start to tell them everything. I don't leave a single detail out because I'm certain Aro will check my story by reading my thoughts. Keeping things hidden will only make things more difficult for us. It isn't until I reach the part of the story where Edward sucked the venom out that Caius interrupts me by saying, "Why would you do that? You said the human wanted to be like us. So why would you stop the change? Carlisle, I never thought you were that stupid. Did the squirrels finally fry your brain?"

I sigh internally as I ignore Caius's remark about the squirrels. What he thinks about our feeding habits isn't new to me, and I'm not having that discussion with him right now. I continue my story and almost crack when I tell them about Bella's death. Aro looks intrigued as he comes over to check my story with his gift, and when he lets go, I immediately pull Esme closer to me to comfort her. I notice Emmett and Jasper are also trying to comfort Rosalie and Alice. Losing our Bella will haunt us forever, that's for sure. I turn back to watch as Aro asks to read Edward's thoughts, and I gasp for unneeded air as Aro says, "I don't think you will have to ask the Volturi to kill you, Edward. Not when your family finds out what you did. They will surely kill you after the stunt you pulled."

I briefly look at the rest of my family and find them all staring at Edward in shock. What in God's name did Aro see?

Edward - EPOV

I frown as I notice that I can't read the mind of the Volturi. Every single one of them has a silent mind. I sigh in despair. It reminds me of Bella and how perfectly silent her mind used to be. I shake my head as I turn my attention back to Carlisle as he makes introductions. I will join my Bella in the afterlife soon enough. I bite back a low growl as Caius steps forward and mentions a human who knows our secret. Oh God, no. How did they find out about Bella? Did that bitch Victoria tell them?

Caius looks murderous as he rages at Carlisle, who seems unfazed, but I know better. Not a day goes by without Carlisle thinking about Bella. He regrets his decision to leave her behind more than anything, but it's my fault. I'll take the blame for everything. I'll ask for my death so the rest of my family can go home. I cringe as every thought in my family member's minds starts revolving around Bella, and I quickly try to shut them out. Aro, however, pulls me out of my trance as he turns to me and says, "Edward, you seem to play an important part in this story. Please, humor me and let me see your thoughts on the matter."

I nod as I put my hand in his and wait. The smirk on Aro's face makes a shiver run down my spine as he walks back to his throne while saying, "I don't think you will have to ask the Volturi to kill you, Edward. Not when your family finds out what you did. They will surely kill you after the stunt you pulled."

* gattina = kitten

Thank you so much for reading my story. I hope you liked the new chapter!

Please review!