"Caius, please calm down"
Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose as the four guards in the doorway sent glances of sympathy towards her, occasional wincing when their sensitive hearing caught the other end of the phone call as Cauis pestered his young mate.
'Felicity, you know how difficult it was for us to let you leave on this trip! Have some pity on our remaining sanity and call us more often to let us know that you are safe or so help me I WILL put you over my... Gagh!"
'Ignore Caius, my love, he is simply riled at this moment. How goes the trip? Are you faring well?'
Felicity couldn't help the slight chuckle as Caius appeared to have been pulled from the line to be replaced by the much calmer voice of Marcus, her heart skipping a beat at the smooth tone of his voice. She missed them dearly, all of her kings, and she couldn't help but wish for this trip to be dealt with quickly. She chuckled lightly before speaking to him.
"When is Caius not riled up? But I am well, we are about to set out to intercept the new born army and hopefully meet with the new born. If Jane is correct then they should be heading for the Cullen's as we speak"
"Then it is likely you shall return soon dearest?"
She chuckled as a commotion began in the background of Marcus' line, the voices of both Aro and Cauis questioning their brother as they fought for the phone making warmth spread throughout her heart. For three beings that were feared throughout their race, they really could be rather childish at times.
"I promise, I will be home as soon as I am able. Now, I must go if this business is to be resolved..."
She froze for a moment as she fought against her own tongue, words she had never spoken before fighting to roll freely from her tongue, her heart constricting at the fear of such significance, knowing with all her soul how true they were before finally conceding defeat and allowing the words to break passed her lips.
"...I love you, Aro and Caius. Don't forget to tell them that"
The line went quiet after that as she sighed, a weight lifting from her mind as she hung up the phone and turned to leave the room. She had no time to dwell on what she had said or how it would affect the already complicated love that she was involved in. She had a new born vampire to find.
Was it possible for one of the undead to feel as alive as Marcus did in that moment? He felt his being pulse with a new fire, his existence soaring to new heights as her words sank further into his mind and he turned his eyes upon his brothers once more, their own faces showing that they had picked up her message.
For so long they had waited to hear those three little words that meant so much. She loved them.
"I cannot describe this feeling. It has been so many millennia, and yet I feel as though I have been reborn anew"
Aro's words sung true to each of the brothers as Marcus placed the phone back upon the desk and felt a smile etch itself upon his face, a thing that so rarely happened in the absence of their beloved, as words flowed freely from his lips.
"I know your feelings brother. For where there is love, there is life once more"
Fear. Like nothing she had ever felt before as she hid behind the boulder, the sound of her 'brethren' meeting their end by the hand of their enemies reaching her ears and causing her to quake. She felt small, a feeling she was all too familiar with, as she wished to be anywhere but upon this battlefield.
She needed to escape, run and never look back. Anything to survive as she scraped the last remnants of her courage and rose to her feet, legs shaking beneath her as she made to run for freedom, only to be stopped by two imposing figures. Imposing in her eyes, though appearing like nothing more than a pixie woman and an old world soldier as they stared her down and she cowered once more, attempting to appear threatening as she hissed and snarled towards them.
It was pointless as they each gripped a wrist and began to drag her towards the cluster of others. The Cullen family, the enemy as Victoria had described them. They were to be viewed with suspicion, their ways nothing alike to that of other vampires.
"What's your name young one?"
She looked into his amber eyes, a kindness behind them that she had never quite been privileged too before, a smile lighting his features as she was freed from restraint and allowed to cower freely as she met the eyes of the man who was clearly this covens leader.
"Bree... Bree Tanner"
"And mine is Carlisle... Tell me Bree, were you hiding behind there all this time?"
She nodded, unable to find the words as the others exchanged glances before returning their gazes upon her. Why had they not destroyed her yet? They were acting nothing like Victoria had described.
"We understand what you were led to believe. But Victoria lied to you... We aren't the bad guys here, merely a family attempting to protect their own"
As Carlisle spoke, the thick scent of human blood began to hang thick in the air, every instinct within Bree's mind telling her to hunt and kill as she fought against her baser needs to quench the thirst. If she attacked without thinking, something within her knew that she would surely be destroyed. She wanted to survive, nothing mattered more than that.
"You resist the urge for blood well... This is our 'son', Edward, and his mate Bella. She is still human so she will push your restraint, but if you can fight the urge, surrender this fight against our family, then you are more than welcome to join us and become one of our family also"
Bree felt isolated as so many eyes fell upon her, the proximity of the human causing the burning within her throat to intensify as she struggled to find words to answer their offer. A family? Somewhere to belong at last. But why did it not seem like the Cullen's coven was the place that she had longed for?
The atmosphere grew glacial suddenly as a new presence began to fill the air, strong and intimidating, yet strangely comforting to Bree as all eyes moved to face the clearing entrance, Five figures slowly immerging. One of which, was most definitely human.
"It would appear we arrived too late to be of any assistance. Such a pity"
Bree watched as the one she knew to be Edward Cullen pushed his young human mate behind him and snarled angrily, words dripping with hate as the rest of his coven seemed to stand on the edge of panic.
"Late? I wouldn't be surprised to find you had been watching from the sidelines, hoping for our defeat"
"Now now Edward, I'm sure Jane and the others would have stepped in if there had been any real danger"
A brief glance was exchanged between Carlisle and Jane as he spoke, neither noticing as Demetri locked eyes upon Bree and took an involuntary step forward, or how Felix and Felicity rolled their eyes at the tension within the air before Jane began to speak.
"Of course. But it would seem that you have forgotten one? A stray amidst your coven"
Bree's eyes instantly snapped towards the new comers, renewed fear within her mind as she trembled beneath the cold gaze of the one named Jane. How could one so innocent looking appear so menacing? She looked like a Botticelli Angel born solely from her nightmares, they all did. And yet, with them also, stood a human woman as she watched Bree closely, face set like stone as she seemed to stare straight through her.
"She has agreed to surrender, join our coven and learn our ways in return for her existence"
"That was not your offer to make, the Volturi decide the punishment for such crimes as hers..."
Bree had been prepared for her death as the larger of the group made a menacing step towards her, only to be stopped as the young human with them sighed and moved to stand beside Jane, placing a hand upon the small vampires shoulder as she spoke.
"I believe that we have played enough games, Jane. Our reason for being here is to speak with Miss Tanner, not scare her to the point of madness"
Bree felt frozen as the human began to advance closer, ignoring the Cullen's completely as Edward hissed at her, attempting to intimidate her and failing miserably as she carefully lifted a single hand and, with a flick of her wrist, sent him flying away from the group.
"My name is Felicity Jenkins, Miss Tanner. The personal secretary and mate of the three Volturi kings. To set your mind at ease, I mean you no harm. However, I come to you with an offer that you may or may not choose to accept"
Her smile was kind, nothing like Carlisles as she stopped mere steps away from Bree, eyes gentle as they met her own and for the first time in any of her lives, Bree felt safe.
"What offer?"
Amidst the bustle of the busy city streets, a newspaper folded neatly upon his lap as he watched his companion draw closer and pull up a seat beside him, both careful not to be overheard in the corner of the small delicatessen.
"I trust you found the information I needed?"
"Yes... She doesn't often leave the premises that I have tracked her too but it appears that she parks her car in an underground parking lot and travels the short distance into town for supplies... Do you still require the other half of my services in this matter?"
A slow, sinister smile began to spread upon the young man's lips as he turned his eyes to face his companion, the other edging back slightly at the madness within those orbs as he spoke.
"Oh yes, my friend, very much so... Felicity Jenkins shall pay ten-fold for the humiliation she brought upon my family. The Travelli's do not let such matters go so easily"