CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE VOLTURI

A massive fire burnt as the Cullens and wolves hurriedly dragged vampire parts into it for incineration. Purple-black spoke rose to great heights from the fire. I shivered.

"How long?" Edward asked.

"Few minutes. Maybe ten." Alice asked.

I scanned the field to find Jacob. Jasper gave me a look and asked, "What is he doing alive?"

I looked back at Riley and looked at him, "I spared him. He wants to adopt your diet. I trust him."

Riley gave me a grateful look. A small girl suddenly ran towards him and yelled, "Riley!"

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed in relief, "You're alive Bree."

Edward asked, "What's she doing here?"

"We offered her safe haven if she stopped fighting," Esme explained, "She took it."

"The pack needs to leave," Carlisle said, "The Volturi won't honor the truce with werewolves."

"Where's Jacob?" I asked.

Edward looked around for me, "...There."

I looked over at the tree line on the other side of the field as Jacob-wolf emerged. I sighed with relief, "Jacob!"

He saw me and started for me but a vicious snarl stopped him in his tracks. A light gray wolf – Leah – cornered the last male newborn who had been hiding. She charged for him.

Edward shouted, "Leah, don't-!"

The newborn maneuvered out of her way and spun, grabbing her ruff. But Jacob leaped in in to help her, onto the newborn. He bit a piece of his face off. But the vampire got his arms around him and crushed him. He howled out in agony and pain.

I screamed, "Jacob!" and I started sprinting for him. The other wolves took care of the vampire as I skidded to Jacob's side as he phased back into human. The fact that he was naked didn't even register with me.

He was crumpled on the ground. He looked like he was in so much pain. Tears immediately poured down my face, "Jake. Jacob! Please be alright. I need you. Please."

Edward was there in a second, "Jacob – hold on – Carlisle will take care of you."

Carlisle immediately went into doctor mode, "The bones on the right half of his body are shattered." I flinched at the discovery.

Jacob squeezed my hand. I used my other one to stroke his face, whisper-begging him to make it through this.

Sam, Paul, Embry, Jared, Quil and Leah – all human – raced over. Leah looked guilty and angry, "Jacob, you idiot, I had it-"

"Leah-" Sam stopped her.

"I need to set the bones before his accelerated healing kicks in – it's already starting-" Carlisle went on.

Edward spoke to Sam, "We have to get him out of here before the Volturi arrive. We won't win a fight with them-"

"Go," Carlise said, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"We'll bring him to Billy's," Sam said.

I leaned down to Jacob's ear and whispered to him, still crying, "Jacob, please hang on. For me. I..." I took a deep breath. "I love you, Jacob."

Jacob cried out in pain as the pack lifted him. I covered my mouth with my hand to try and stop the sobs from coming out, watching as they disappeared into the woods.

"They're here," Alice announced.

The Cullens gathered around me and Bella. I stood protectively in front of Riley and Bree. I had gone this far to protect him and give him a chance. And Bree was much too young to die because of something she was forced to do. I had to save both of them from this Volturi.

A group of four people appeared, floating into the field, from the tree line across from us. There was a small blonde girl. She looked to be thirteen, but her face was cold and cruel. A boy who looked a little like her but taller with long brown hair, floated beside her. There was another man, much taller than the rest, with strong features and dark wavy hair. Then there was a third man with pointed, sharp features and light brown hair.

The girl spoke, I think Bella mentioned her. Jane, was her name. She could make you feel immense pain. But it didn't work on Bella. "It appears you've done our work for us."

Doesn't look like you were intending to do anything at all, I thought. But I didn't dare voice my opinion. There was always something fishy about them. Edward told Bella and I that they enforced the law, simply to keep the secret. To not make a spectacle of yourself. Anyone who did, would be immediately disposed of.

So why did they wait this long to show any kind of action to take care of Victoria and the army? They had made quite the spectacle of themselves. Why did they wait months instead of immediately?

For some reason, I thought they wanted the army to win. To wipe out the Cullens because Edward and Alice wouldn't join them.

Such large measures for nothing but wounded pride.

Jane looked around, "Impressive. I've never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude."

"We were lucky," Carlisle said to hide the pack.

"I doubt that," Jane frowned.

"It appears we missed an entertaining fight, sister." The tall man said. I think his name was... Alex or something.

"Yes," Jane agreed, "It's not often we're rendered... unnecessary."

"If only you'd arrived a half-hour earlier," Edward told her, "you could have fulfilled your purpose here."

"Pity," Jane said unemotionally. She then peaked behind me... seeing Riley and Bree.

"You missed some," Jane said pleased.

I stared her in the eye, "I say we missed four..."

She scowled.

Carlisle intervened, "We offered them asylum in exchange for their surrender."

"That wasn't yours to offer," Jane dismissed.

"And it isn't yours to revoke," I snapped. What power did they actually have over any vampire? I'm sure they could be grossly outnumbered.

Jane tried to move to them and I saw Esme shoot Carlisle a concerned look but he subtly shook his head.

"Why did you come?" Jane asked loudly, like she was stupid.

But Bree didn't get a chance to answer before she crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain.

I was about to jump in front of her but Edward help me back, "Stop it! You didn't even let her answer!"

Esme also helped, "They came to destroy us – to kill Bella and Callie."

But Jane ignored both of us and continued her torture. I could see that she was enjoying it. There was glee in her blood red eyes.

"Who created you?" Jane asked loudly.

"You don't have to do that," Esme pleaded, "She'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Oh, I know."

"Stop it!" I shouted, "Stop it now! Torture me if you have to get this shit out of your system but leave her alone!"

Jane stopped, waiting for Bree to speak. She panted in pain, "I don't – know. Ril-No one would tell us."

I could see she was covering for Riley. He had been more invested in this than she was.

But Jane turned to Riley then, "And you?"

Riley looked so scared – almost as much as Bree – and Jane didn't wait for him to answer. He was screaming on the floor in a second.

But then Bree let out a whine at the sight of Riley in pain. And he abruptly stopped screaming. Jane smirked at Bree, knowing they cared for one another now.

Jane focused her power and Bree screamed again. Edward spoke, "Her name was Victoria... perhaps you knew her?"

When he let go of me I rushed over to Bree. She was crying heavily without tears and I held her to me like a small child, comforting her.

Jane faced Edward with an 'innocent' smile.

Carlisle attempted to diffuse the situation, "Edward, if the Volturi had knowledge of Victoria, they would have stopped her. Isn't that right, Jane?"

Jane just looked at him. After a long pause she just said, "Felix."

The large man with strong features stepped forward to Bree.

Esme cried out, "She didn't know what she was doing."

"The Volturi don't give second chances," Jane shot her down. She then looked at Edward and Bella, "Keep that in mind. Caius will be interested to hear she's still human."

Bella faced her, "The date is set."

"I wonder if you'll still be immune to my powers after you've been changed." That was a threat if I ever heard one.

Felix moved to Bree and she looked so scared. I was still holding but I let her go and stood right in front of her, unmoving. The large man stood in front of me now and I felt like I couldn't breathe. But I couldn't just give up. I knew I could do little to him because I was human. But if I could just stand up to him long enough for the Cullens to get their heads out of their asses and help me... maybe we could do this.

Felix looked surprised that a puny human was standing in his way, "Move."

"No." I said, unblinking. Then Riley stood by my side, and grabbed my hand.

Felix, "Move or I may just kill you too."

I narrowed my eyes and smirked, "Try it. I dare you. But I was under the impression that you didn't want to be exposed... or make a spectacle of yourself."

"What are you talking about?" Jane demanded.

I smirked at the little girl, "I'm the police chief's daughter. In a small town. People will notice I'm missing immediately and my dad won't ever give up of trying to find out what happened to me. And I have plenty people who will know it was you and won't hesitate in ripping you to shreds."

I looked back to Felix, "So go on. Try it. It'll be your downfall."

"That's an awful lot of trouble to go through for a couple of newborns," The young boy … Alex? said.

I looked at him, "It's an awful lot of trouble to go murdering a couple of newborns. What gives you the right?"

I locked eyes with Felix, "Just walk away. And go back to Italy." I looked at the other three, "All of you, go home."

Felix looked at me, looking to be in some sort of battle with himself. I don't know which side won, but whatever side it was made him turn on his heel and walk away from me.

"Aro will be very interested to learn about you... Callie." Jane threatened.

I smirked, "Looking forward to it."

When the Volturi group was gone I felt a small pair of arms wrap around my waist. It was Bree hugging me. She whispered, "Thank you." I rubbed her back and said, "Just doing the right thing," but I was staring right at the Cullens when I said it. How could they just stand by while they tried to kill an innocent little girl?

It was all politics.

Ooh, Callie got courage. There's the Volturi.

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