Alec POV (present day)

It didn't take very long for me to rise to the top of the Volturi food chain. Aro's death changed most allegiances. Truth be told, in this new era, very few members of counsel feared Caius or Marcus on their own. Respected, maybe, but never feared. They certainly didn't want them to lead. This was my key. This was the kink in the chain I needed in order to destroy the whole damn order of things. I rose to power, my sister at my side. My enemies were few, but great in their own right. I had my best trackers on the hunt for Edward, the only person who threatened not only my place of power, but the entire Vampire race as we knew it. There were whispers, of course, that he had begun creating a coven of his own. Not a part of the Cullens, no, they were as vegetarian as ever. I received frequent letters from Carlisle, fatherly letters of advice, of support and guidance, but mostly love for me as his new son. Edward was no longer a part of their family. He betrayed them and instead started a brand spanking new breed of born vampires. My scouts had no proof of this, but I knew. I knew he held the stone, he had all the power in his hands. He originally intended to start the new blood line with…no, I couldn't speak her name. I refused to even think of her anymore. She was gone now; has been for five years. The little traitor Ulrich kept true to his ways and not only has he not shown his cowardly face since the day he transported me back to my time, but he also made no attempt to return to me what was mine. The only upside is that I wasn't the only one who missed her. Edward, as powerful as he may one day be, would not have the dream army of children. Not without her.

The early 1900's were a brutal time for humans within the Vampire community. I knew that Natalia had a one in a million chance of survival even if her mother, my would-be mate, attempted to protector. I was resigned to the fact that I would never see either of them again. All the love, all the sadness and all the hatred turned into rage and I became a cold ruler. I had both respect and fear from my people. I was not unjust, but swift in my judgments. If you stepped out of line you very rarely lived to see another day. I also have very little patience. So having to listen to the rantings and quarrels of neighbors was nigh on to getting on my last nerves.

"My Lord, he lies! He is the one who exposed himself to our human neighbors in the south."

"I most certainly did not. Twas the coward before me, Sir Agnello. He conspires with the little one!"

The little one? This snapped me out of my inner brooding. I stood, throwing my thrown backward and used every ounce of my Vampire speed to stand nose to nose with the speaker.

"What did you say?" I asked through gritted teeth. His fear was palpable and he gulped back what appeared to be a large lump in his throat before answering.

"M-my L-Lord… the l-l-little one. The Warlock Ulrich." At the sound of the traitor's name I reached out and locked my fingers around the poor fool's neck.

"What say you?" I repeated, my ancient accent and way of speaking prevalent in my anger.

"Ulrich…" he choked out. "He lives. He is here in Volterra." I dropped him without a second thought leaving him to choke on his coughs. I whirled on the other Vampire, Sir Agnello. He zoomed to the corner of the room, cowering with his arms over his head. As if that could protect him from my wrath.

"Where is he?" I roared. Jane stood and whispered for me to calm down in the most board voice she could summon. It only irritated me more. She knew how I've suffered without the love of my life. How I died inside at the thought of never seeing my mate, my daughter ever again.

I lifted the man off of his feet by his wrist non too gently and used the might of my powers to numb him out of his fear.

"If you lie to me one more time I will snap your neck clean off your shoulders and throw you into the nearest furnace. I will then hunt down your mate and anyone else you have ever had an emotional tie to both in your human and vampire life and their fate will mirror yours only after I've had my fun torturing them. Am I understood?"

The haze had quickly and strongly affected him and he was able to do nothing more than let out a long sigh in acknowledgement. I eased up on my attack on his brain only enough to allow him to form a coherent sentence.

"Is Ulrich alive?"

"Yes, my Lord."

If I had a working heart it would have been racing. I had to pause before I asked my next question. I wanted to mentally prepare myself for the worst news possible. I did not want to get my hopes up. Not again.

"Have you seen him?"

"Yes…"

"Where?" I could barely contain my furious excitement.

"Just outside the castle walls. He can be found by uttering a short spell."

"What spell is this?"

At my last question Sir Agnello's eyes grew wide with fear. I raised the level of the power on his, but it only seemed to increase his fear. He began wailing, kicking and punching at the air.

"What's the spell?!" I yelled, urging him to tell me what I needed to say to summon the traitor.

"Alec!" yelled Jane from behind me. "Let him go. He's been compelled! He cannot tell you! I've seen this before. This has Ulrich's name written all over it. He will die if he tells you."

"He will die if he does not! WHAT IS THE SPELL?!"

Sir Agnello began convulsing and foaming at the mouth until whatever befell him took its course. His body went limp in my grasp. I fell to the floor with it and tried to shake him awake. Jane was at my side within a heartbeat attempting to guide me away from his body. Her attempt was futile.

"Remove his body. Take the other man into the dungeon I am not through with him." I whispered to Jane with no emotion in my voice. I turned to face the crowd of guards.

"Leave me be! You are dismissed." They appeared to vanish before my eyes. Only Jane hesitated. She hoisted the lifeless body over her shoulder and grabbed the other man by his wrist. He didn't fight her.

She placed her free hand on my shoulder.

"Do not grieve for her. We will find her." And with that she was gone. I was left alone, on the floor of the throne room with my head in my hands. I whispered Bella's name for the first time in years. The sound of her name crippled me.

There on the stone floor I shed true tears, impossible human tears for Bella; tears that were a physical form of my internal turmoil. I stood there for hours ignoring the words of my sister. I grieved the loss of my mate. My Bella.