Previous chapter: Edward - EPOV

My Bella…

a vampire…

in love…

true mates…

killing humans…

married…

his…

"No! You, liar!"

Demetri - DPOV

Edward calling me a liar is the final straw. Who the hell does that idiot think he is? I show him my most treasured memories of my time with Isabella, and he dares to call me a liar! I see red as I rush over to Edward and grab his throat before slamming him into the ground. The marble floor shatters on impact, and I couldn't care less as I lean down and say, "I'm not a liar."

The red haze clears slightly as I hear Aro clear his throat before he says, "Demetri, please calm down. I'm certain Edward is still processing all the information you provided."

I shake my head as I snort and stand up. Yeah right, that idiot isn't processing a damn thing. He's in denial. He's a fucked-up vampire, and I will kick his ass before this day is over. Nobody hurts my Isa and gets away with it. I bite back a growl as I walk back to my place beside Caius, and I tense as I hear Aro say, "Young Edward, I wouldn't do that if I was you."

Caius smirks as he looks over my shoulder at what Edward is doing, and I wonder what is going on as Caius tells me to keep walking. I tense as I feel Edward lunging at me, but before I can react, he's already face-down on the floor. I smirk as I turn to find Isabella holding him down with his arms pulled behind him and her knee in his back. That's my girl.

Isabella - IPOV

I tense as Edward prepares to attack Demetri, and suddenly I can't seem to control my instincts anymore. I rush forward as Edward lunges for my mate and catch him in midair before throwing him on the floor face-down. I smirk as I pull his arms behind his back and pin him down with my knee before saying, "I never thought you were such a moron, Edward. Lunging at my mate, a Volturi guard, in our home? What were you hoping to achieve?"

I smile as Demetri walks up to me, and I sigh contently as he kisses my hooded head and says, "You hear that, Edward? I told you she was my mate."

My vision instantly clouds red as Edward yells, "No, you tricked her! She would never love a monster like you. Bella is mine!"

Oh, hell no! I roar ferociously as Edward tries to escape my hold, and I quickly separate his arms from his body. The sound of metal tearing fills the throne room, swiftly followed by Edward's wails of anguish as he registers the loss of his limbs. Fuck, I can't believe I ever found myself in love with Edward Cullen. My Demetri would never make such exaggerated sounds when losing a limb. I shake my head at his pathetic display as I interrupt his wailing by yelling, "I'm not, nor will I ever be yours! I'm Isabella Volturi, my true mate is Demetri Volturi, and you, Edward Cullen, are nothing to me!"

I growl as I throw his arms across the room and stand tall before lowering my hood and looking down at the boy I once thought I loved. I purr softly as Demetri pulls me close to him and kisses me passionately. Demetri smiles as he pulls back to look into my eyes and says, "I love you more with every passing second, my Isa."

I smile as I caress his cheek and say, "I can't even find words to describe how much I love you, my Demi."

I tense as our moment gets interrupted by a very enthusiastic Aro as he moves toward us and says, "Oh Isabella, you never disappoint, my dear. You're such a wonderful addition to our coven. You made us very proud. I'm surprised you waited so long to react. I thought you would have ripped him apart much sooner."

I can't help but pull Demetri a bit closer as Aro stops in front of us. His words sound like praise, but I didn't obey his direct orders to endure everything they said without revealing who I am. Fuck, I'm so screwed. I shake my head as I stare at the floor in front of Aro's feet and say, "I got ordered to endure everything they said without revealing who I am, Master Aro. I failed at doing that, so I don't deserve your pride."

I look up in surprise as Aro chuckles and says, "Oh, Isabella, for someone so young, you showed exceptional control. I haven't been this proud of any of my guard members since Jane tortured her first vampire, and I'm sure Marcus and Caius agree."

Then I notice that all three kings are smiling at me. I smile brightly as I bow to them and say, "Thank you, Masters."

Our conversation is interrupted by a soft whimper, and I tense as I find Edward on his knees, staring at me as if I hung the sun and the moon before he says, "Bella, love?"

I bite back a growl as I say, "First of all: I'm Isabella. Bella Swan is dead. She died somewhere on a forest floor in Forks. Second: don't you dare call me love. No, even better, don't talk to me at all. I'm not interested in what you have to say. Not after what I heard here today."

Edward whimpers as he tries to move toward me and says, "But I love you."

Demetri - DPOV

I roar as Edward dares to claim he loves Isabella, and I grab him by the throat before Isabella has time to react. I know she is more than capable of fighting her own battles, but this pathetic fool is annoying the hell out of me. I increase the pressure on Edward's throat until I feel Isabella's hand on my shoulder, and I smile as I find Isa looking at me with love and lust visible in her eyes. I chuckle as she kisses me and whispers, "Please, take his tongue out, mio marito. His talking is bothering me. I'll make it worth your while tonight."

Fuck, she is so sexy when she's turned on and angry. I effectively remove Edward's tongue and throw it in the same direction as his arms before pulling Isabella into my arms. I smile as she snuggles into my chest before pointing at the Cullens and saying, "Masters, can vampires go into shock?"

I snicker as I turn to look at the Cullens. They all look like they saw a ghost. Well, in a way, they have, seeing they thought Isabella was dead until ten minutes ago. Carlisle is the first to snap out of his stupor as he shakes his head in disbelief and says, "Be… Isabella?"

Isabella smiles as she turns to him and says, "Yes, Carlisle?"

Carlisle looks puzzled and relieved at the same time as he tries to form a coherent sentence but settles for, "How? ... When? …"

Isabella briefly looks at Aro for approval and leans into me as she starts to tell the missing part of the story as I wrap my arms around her waist, "When Edward abandoned me in the forest behind my house, he had the nerve to ask me not to do anything reckless. But being as stubborn as I am, I didn't listen. I tried to follow him through the woods to your house, but I got lost and fell numerous times. I was heartbroken thinking you all left without saying goodbye, thinking I meant nothing to you. Life no longer felt worth living for.

It was there that Demetri found me. He picked me up from the cold, wet forest floor and put his cloak around me. He was so gentle with me, and even though he had red eyes like James, I felt safe and whole as long as Demetri was near. I didn't connect the dots right away, but the more we talked, the more everything fell into place. He took me back to my house and took care of me. He patiently listened to my whole story before calling the masters, and they ordered him to bring me to him. We were to leave for Volterra the next morning, and as you all know, the law states: be changed or be killed, so I was never going to return to Forks. Demetri faked my death to give my parents closure. It was a drastic plan, but he also wanted to make sure that certain vampires would never doubt I died in that fire. It wasn't until we were on the plane, and I saw Demetri look at me like you look at Esme like I am the only source of light in his dark world that I realized who he was. He was my true mate, and it was there on that plane that I slowly let myself fall in love with Demetri, even though it took me several weeks to admit it.

When we arrived in Volterra, Master Marcus confirmed what we both already knew. Our souls are two halves of a whole. Demetri and I are true mates. Master Aro was thrilled by the thought of me being gifted, and Master Caius reveled in the knowledge that you, of all people, broke the law. Demetri and I left for the Alps the next day so I could be changed without anyone bothering us. The masters didn't give us a timeline, so we spent time getting to know each other. We watched movies, took long walks, and talked for hours. It took me two months to finally realize I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Demetri. I told him, and he changed me that same night. It was perfect in every way.

As you can tell by the color of my eyes, I follow Demetri's diet and rid the world of its villains. I gained almost immediate control of my blood lust, which was exceptional, and it also meant we were able to return home much faster than we first thought. But Master Aro allowed us to celebrate Christmas in the Alps. It was the most magical Christmas ever because Demetri asked me to be his wife for eternity."

I smile as I kiss Isabella on the head, and she smiles brightly at me while continuing her story, "We arrived back in Volterra and met Eleazar, who determined that I am a mental shield. I can not only shield myself but also those around me from any mental power. Because of my shield, anyone covered by it appears invisible, not only to the eye but also to our other senses. We started my combat and shield training the following day so I could join the guard on missions as soon as possible.

My first mission came two weeks ago. We got sent out to destroy a newborn army in Seattle. Master Aro sent us to Forks to invite you all to Volterra. So yes, I stood with Felix and Alec at the edge of the clearing. I understand why you mistakenly took Alec as the one who found his true mate because you saw us holding hands the whole time. But that was only to communicate how far my shield could stretch without you hearing my voice and to calm my nerves. The marriage Jane referred to in the clearing was ours. Demetri and I married on February 14th here in the castle gardens, and it was perfect. I still can't believe this man is my husband, but I'm eternally grateful he found me on that forest floor in Forks. I never thought I could ever be this happy."

My love for her grows even more as she looks at me, all her love for me visible in her eyes, and I smile as I kiss her on the lips after whispering, "Ti amo, mia moglie."

Carlisle looks at Isabella, but before he can say anything, his wife moves forward, and I tense as she says, "Isabella, I'm so sorry. We should have said goodbye in person. I don't expect you to forgive us, but I want you to know I'll always see you as my daughter. I love you, sweetheart."

Isabella - IPOV

Why did I ever believe Edward when he told me the family didn't care for me? Fuck, I was so gullible back then. I realized one thing today, though. Even when I questioned their feelings for me numerous times over the last six months, I never stopped loving them. I will never be living with them because my rightful place is here in Volterra with Demetri, but they will still be like family to me. I smile as I rush forward into Esme's arms and say, "I love you too, Mom."

Esme smiles brightly as I pull back and turn to Carlisle, who holds out his hands to stop me and says, "I don't deserve your forgiveness, Isabella. I abandoned you when you needed me the most."

I shake my head as I step in his direction and say, "It's not up to you to decide whether you deserve my forgiveness, Carlisle. It's mine to give if I feel the person deserves it. You are right when you say you should have stood up to your eldest son. You're the coven leader; he's not. But you were misled by one of the people you trusted the most. I know this is not what you envisioned for me, but I know you well enough to know that as long as I'm happy, you'll be happy for me too."

Carlisle snickers as he opens his arms for a hug and says, "When did you get so wise, Isabella? I also know you're way too forgiving, but I'm glad you are. I love you, my daughter."

I smile brightly as I step into his arms for a hug and instantly realize Demetri must be observing our display of love with mixed emotions. I quickly turn to him while reaching for his hand. Relief is written all over his face as he rushes to my side. God, he can be so silly. Nothing or no one will ever make me leave him. I smile as I turn back to Esme and Carlisle and say, "Mom, Dad, I want you to meet my husband and true mate, Demetri Volturi."

Demetri - DPOV

I hold out my hand and smile as Carlisle shakes it. Esme, however, ignores my hand and smiles brightly as she pulls me in for a hug while whispering, "I can see how much you love her. I'm happy for both of you."

Isabella giggles as I pull back with a stunned look, and I smile as I see how happy she is with the turn of events. I also notice that the other Cullens are getting very impatient by now. Alice is jumping up and down like crazy, and Jasper is not even bothering to calm her down, while Emmett looks ecstatic because his sister is still alive. I wonder if Isabella will forgive them just as easily as Carlisle and Esme. Isabella gently squeezes my hand as she returns to my side before addressing her former family and saying, "The fact you all left me without a word broke my heart. It weighed on me for quite some time. It was Demetri's love that showed me who I truly am. I'm a strong, caring woman with a big heart. I loved every one of you, and I still do. But I must make one thing clear. I'm Isabella Volturi. I'm a proud member of this coven, and that will never change. Demetri is my husband and my true mate. He means the world to me, and my place is here in Volterra by his side. I feed off humans because I choose to, and that will remain so. If you can live with that, then you can call me your sister."

I smirk widely as Isabella crosses her arms and waits for their reaction. That's right, tesoro. Tell them where you belong and with whom. And if they can't live with that, I'll send them packing.

It doesn't take Emmett long to accept Isabella's demands, and I bite back a growl as he rushes toward Isabella to pick her up. Isabella giggles as he starts to spin her around like crazy, and I shake my head at their antics as Emmett says, "My little sister is a kickass vampire, hell yeah! Nobody is going to mess with us now. We've got a Volturi in the family."

I tense a little as Emmett continues to hug Isabella, and I notice I'm not the only one frustrated with Emmett's actions. Alice is scowling at Emmett as she stamps her foot on the floor and yells, "Emmett Cullen! Put my sister down. I want to hug her too!"

I feel a growl building inside me as Emmett completely ignores Alice. Alice looks ready to kick his ass too, and I decide that if he doesn't let go of my Isabella in the next five seconds, I will kick his ass. Brother or not, that's my mate he's hugging. Alice's eyes glaze over for a second, and I smile as she winks at me before yelling, "Now, Emmett!"

Emmett huffs in frustration as he puts Isabella down and says, "All right. All right. Keep your pants on, Alice. I'm just happy my Bella bear is alive."

The moment Isabella's feet touch the ground, Alice squeals and rushes into Isabella's arms. I fight the urge to roll my eyes as she starts rambling, "Oh my god, Isabella, I thought I lost you forever. I'm so glad you're alive. Is it your shield that stops me from seeing you? That's very annoying, you know. I can't believe I missed your wedding. You look so beautiful. God, you were born to be a vampire."

Jasper snickers as he puts his hand on Alice's shoulder and says, "Calm down, Alice." Isabella giggles as Alice huffs in annoyance, and Jasper shakes his head at her as he smiles at Isabella and says, "I'm so glad you've found your true love so soon in this life. The love you share with Demetri is so strong. I don't think I've ever felt anything quite like it. I'm so glad you're okay. I've missed you so much, sis."

Isabella smiles as she hugs him and whispers, "I've missed you too, Jasper. And just so you know, I forgave you the moment it happened."

Jasper looks stunned for a second but then hugs her tighter as he says, "Thank you, darlin'. I should have known you would never hold that against me."

Rosalie smiles hesitantly as she steps forward to hug Isabella as well and says, "I'm so glad you're okay, Isabella. I'm proud that you're my sister."

Isabella smiles brighter than the sun as she turns back to me and jumps into my arms. I hug her tight as I inhale her scent. God, she's so happy it's almost contagious. We watch as Aro comes forward with a smile on his face and says, "I love a happy ending; they are so rare. Don't you agree, Carlisle?"

Carlisle nods in agreement before saying, "Indeed, Aro, but the fact remains we broke the law. I accept the punishment you wish to bestow on me. I take the blame as leader of my family, and I hope you can see how much my family suffered from recent events and leave them out of it."

Everyone but Caius smiles as Aro says, "You see, Carlisle, I want to thank you for leaving Isabella behind. I should be mad at you for doing so because you broke the law, but we gained so much by having Isabella here. She is a true Volturi and a treasured member of our guard. Oh, and just so you know, Caius is very mad at you, so I suggest you stay out of trouble for a few decades."

Isabella hides her face in my chest to hide her mirth as Caius growls and says, "This is your final warning, Carlisle. I don't care if Aro thinks of you as a friend. The next time I find out you broke one of our laws, I'll remove your head myself. So I would be very careful if I was you."

Carlisle quickly bows his head in acknowledgment of Caius' words as Aro claps and says, "That's settled then. Now, Edward, what are we going to do with you?"

Edward - EPOV

I can't believe my ears as Bella asks that monster to remove my tongue. It's then that it starts to sink in. This woman before me is not my Bella. This is the monster I knew she would become if she got turned into one of us. I was right all along. I drag myself off to the side and listen to Bella talking to Carlisle and the rest of my former family. Why can't they see the monster Bella has become? My attention slips for a moment, due to the loss of venom, but I regain focus as I hear Aro say, "That's settled then. Now, Edward, what are we going to do with you?"

Thank you so much for reading my story.

Please review!