Chapter Sixteen

Sorry I didn't update this morning – rushing!

Disclaimer – I don't own Twilight. I do own Alessandria 'Sandy' Mitchell and any other unrecognisable characters or aspects.

The Volturi were regal and practically oozed power as they glided across the vast clearing, stopping around fifty feet from where we were standing. I could feel Jasper's tension beside me as he kept me sanding and I wished I had his gift to calm him down. Instead of focusing too much on Jasper which would have led to a panic attack, I looked at the Volturi. The vampires with the lightest cloaks – the lowest members of the guard, I assumed – were on the outer circle and the shades gradually and artfully faded into darker shades until the most powerful members were in almost black cloaks. The three elders, Aro, Caius and Marcus, were the ones in cloaks as dark as midnight skies. Their skin was oddly weak looking and their eyes seemed to be filmy. I assumed the one with blonde hair was Caius as he looked very angry. Marcus was the one with long brown hair on the left and looked very bored. And Aro was very clearly the one in the middle looking mildly cheerful. He was the most intriguing of all of them. He appeared calm and comfortable but there was an underlying danger o him that made him scarier than the others. His strange face adopted a disappointed look as the faded eyes fell on Carlisle.

"I would have thought you would have learned with Bella, Carlisle. We have been so very lenient with you and now another human has discovered our secret. This time, you told her yourself, which is very disappointing." I had thought he would exchange pleasantries. Apparently the situation was too dire for that.

"I understand your anger, Aro. But we believe Sandy has every right to know," Carlisle responded politely. Aro's milky eyes turned to me and Jasper, eyeing the way Jasper held me up and how I clutched to him fearfully. His eyes then drifted to my right arm, focused on my face and then to how I balanced mainly on my left leg.

"She is injured," he observed and I swallowed my sarcastic retort with great difficulty.

"Did the volatile one lose control . . . again?" Caius asked with a sneer directed at Jasper. And I sneered back.

"No." My defiant voice caught Aro's attention and he looked me in the eye.

"What was that, young one?" he asked even though I knew that everyone had heard me.

"Jasper didn't do this. It was my fault . . . kind of. I didn't react well to your secret so I ran away. As I was driving, a truck ignored a red light and hit me." Aro looked slightly shocked but brushed it off as quickly as it had appeared.

"You were . . . scared of the Cullens?" I heard the mocking and fought very hard not to react badly. Apparently sensing my struggle, Jasper helped calm me down nicely. We really were the perfect pair.

"Yes, I was. But I'm not anymore," I answered confidently.

"Enough of this, Aro! Let us exterminate the human and the Cullens and be done with this!" Caius called in an exasperated voice. That's when I cracked.

"You listen to me, Caius. The Cullens are not a threat. They are the most caring people I've ever met. You can hate me all you want, I really don't care. But do not insult or threaten my family, got it? With Bella, they didn't tell her they were vampires, she figured it out for herself. And Nessie was, no offence, an accident. They didn't know it was possible for her to exist and you're going to persecute them for that? I think this is just a power boost for you. Not for Aro and not for Marcus, just for you. You're scared of competition. You think they're a threat, not to exposure, but to you. Let me tell you something: they're not interested in taking your power. They're interested in having a nice, happy family, not ruling over the vampire world. So get a grip. If you want to kill someone, kill me but do not hurt them." Jasper's hand was shaking in mine by the time I was done and I was receiving glares from the rest of my family – and Caius – with vigour. But I wouldn't back down. My family deserved their lives.

Jasper POV

I could feel her anger, determination and fear so deeply that they felt like my own. It all added up to make her speech powerful but I could see that everyone on our side disagreed heavily with her last statement. If Sandy died, so did I. There was absolutely no way I could live on Earth without her – she was my world. If the Volturi actually listened to her, I vowed to make them angry enough to kill me too. Rose was glaring so harshly at Sandy that it was surprising to see Sandy unruffled – by Rose at least. She felt extremely apprehensive every time her eyes passed in Caius' direction. Edward suddenly snarled quietly as Aro smiled.

"Would you mind sharing your thoughts more thoroughly?" he asked, stretching his hand towards Sandy. I snarled as cold fear shot through Sandy. Then she looked up at me and I groaned internally as I saw and felt her resolve. I nodded once then gently lifted her into my arms, blurring over to where Aro, Marcus and Caius were standing. When I set her down, she placed her left hand in Aro's waiting right one whilst I held her waist to keep her standing. I watched as Aro's expressions changed as Sandy's thoughts passed through his head and found myself jealous. I wished for the ability to hear Sandy's thoughts desperately but wished for her privacy more, hence the reason I never asked Edward for his help after the hospital incident. With a slightly overwhelmed expression, Aro released Sandy's hand and held his own out to me. confused, I placed my left hand in his as I supported Sandy with my right. when he released my hand (quicker than Sandy's), I wrapped both my arms around Sandy's waist.

"We cannot harm the human or the Cullen's," Aro stated and there was uproar as Sandy and I grew confused.

"What is the meaning of this Aro?" Caius demanded and Aro looked to Marcus who was analysing Sandy and I curiously. Caius glared at us.

"Sandy is Jasper's true mate," he stated. Stunned silence reigned and Sandy cocked her head to the side in bewilderment. Caius looked like he had been sentenced to death. "She, like a shape-shifter's imprint, has every right to know about the vampire world." I felt sheer relief as Sandy perked up. "However, the fact that she is human remains a risk. We cannot be certain that our secret will be kept. So we shall confer." And with that, Sandy and I were dismissed and the three brothers linked hands, growing silent.

"Are you ok?" I asked as soon as we returned to our original positions, frantically searching her relatively calm emotions.

"I'm fine, Jasper," she assured me, giving a fleeting glance to the Volturi before turning back to the others. Alice was staring into space as she searched the future, Edward was staring aptly at the Volturi elders, Esme was eyeing Sandy worriedly and Rose was looking back and forward between the Volturi and Sandy.

"Edward, what are they-?" He shushed Bella before she could fully form her question, continuing his analysis. I couldn't focus too much on the Volturi without fearing for Sandy too much, so I looked at my girlfriend instead.

"Sandy, love, I-."

"If you start saying goodbye, Jasper Hale, I will find someone to tear you apart and burn the pieces," she promised without looking away from her nails. I noticed they were painted electric blue with black tips and rolled my eyes at the obvious Rosalie artwork. Looking into Sandy's feelings, I knew she was scared. But I didn't know how to comfort her as I was sure we were going to die. I noticed Edward roll his eyes in my direction but he didn't comment so I ignored him. Using only my instincts to guide me, I reached out and pulled Sandy gently into my chest. Her head rested underneath my collarbone and her left arm clung to my waist. I nuzzled my nose into her hair and she breathed a laugh. I rubbed her back slowly then started stroking her hair softly, the way I knew relaxed her more than anything. I heard Carlisle sigh and we both looked in his direction. He was watching Sandy with a concerned expression.

"You really shouldn't be standing for such long periods of time," he told her and I felt her gratitude pour from her.

"Thank you for caring, Carlisle. But I think I can hold a little longer." I rolled my eyes at her answer. I knew she was in pain, I could feel it. She was just being a martyr. Movement from the Volturi caught my eyes and ears and our gathered group all turned towards them.

"We have made our decision," Aro stated calmly. I could feel Sandy tense in apprehension. "Neither Sandy nor the Cullens shall be exterminated." I felt hope surge through Sandy but the furious expression on Edward's face didn't allow the same feeling to appear in me.

"On one condition," Caius added and dread replaced my girlfriend's hope.

"We will allow Sandy to go free and the Cullens to live . . ." Aro began and I could feel Sandy getting irritated with how long winded they were being.

"If Sandy becomes a vampire," Caius concluded with dark humour.

"WHAT!?" Rosalie shrieked. Emmett hurriedly slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sandy will be allowed to live on the condition that she becomes a vampire. If the transformation has not, at the very least, begun in seven days then we will destroy her and you," Aro explained fully and Emmett restrained a furious Rosalie. I was in so much numb shock that I couldn't even feel Sandy's emotions – the ones I was most attuned to.

She had to become a vampire.

In seven days.

Or die.

What had I done to her?

See you in two days! Love Bianca :) x