Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the creator of these intriguing characters. She and the filmmakers have made a fascinating and beautiful trilogy. I wish to borrow her background and add a plot twist of my own. I also made use of the site 'twilights wiki/Volturi' a fantastic site if I may say and well worth a read for twilight fans.

To all my faithful readers- thanks you for your support and enjoy

Chapter 25 – The games we play _

Edward's POV

I had just come back from Alice and Jasper's room and was laying on my bed thinking about what I had heard and seen today when I heard a knock on my door.

When I opened it I was surprised to see Athenodora "May I come in?" she asked and I opened the door to let her in.

She went to sit on the sofa in my room and I heard her mind as she asked 'please sit with me'. I nodded, strode towards her and sat next to her.

'You must understand that Isabella is now beyond your reach; you have seen Caius's possessiveness and knowing him, that will only grow in time' I sadly looked down and she lifted my chin so that I could see the compassion in her eyes.

'I find it refreshing and enlightening to see emotions after such a long time. You see I was always kept compliant by Corin, a woman with a gift similar to Mr. Whitlocks. I am just beginning to understand the bond between Isabella and your family, especially the bond between you and Isabella fascinates me' I pulled back feeling like I had been used as a sort of lab rat and she looked confused by my movement.

'I am sorry if I said anything to disturb or cause pain. That is not my intention' her mind told me as she laid her hand on mine.

'Do you still wish to help Isabella?' her mind enquired 'I have spoken to Caius and have asked if he would allow you all to stay a while longer. I have requested it, telling him it will allow him more control over Isabella'

As soon as I heard this I pulled my hand away and angrily whispered "I will not help him to get more control over her".

'And you will not, I have used this as an excuse to allow you to see her on a daily basis as that will be necessary if we wish to develop her abilities. Can you handle being with her and not being allowed to continue the relationship you once had? I need to know this!' after a long moment of hesitation I nodded my head in acceptance.

'You are very handsome and have a beautiful heart, I hope you will find someone to replace your Isabella' she said as she softly ran her hand along my jaw. I looked up and again saw the sadness in her eyes.

"I do not want your pity" I whispered.

'It is not pity you see, it is admiration! You have many fine qualities and if you ever need a friend you may always count on me. However it would not be prudent to talk of this around Caius' she then gave me an unexpected kiss; not a passionate one but it was more like the wings of a butterfly had brushed my lips. After that she stood up and walked towards the door and just before she opened it she turned to smile; I didn't know what to think of all this.

Athenodora's POV

When I left Edward Cullen's room I was astounded by his adoration towards Isabella. He was having a difficult time and I began to feel for him.

As I walked through the passageway I reflected on my impression of Edward. He was handsome and had a beautiful body but what impressed me the most was the softness of his heart, something I was not used to. I had a longing to get to know him, to understand him and I had to admit it to myself, to bed him. It would not be easy, for his connection with Isabella was strong. I was however sure that seeing her with Caius would slowly frustrate him and in his vexation he may turn to another to quench his thirst.

I then entered my room trying to clear my mind as I made a timetable for all Isabella's lessons. She would be kept quite busy but being a vampire it would be good for her to expand her mind. I would make sure she had time left over for Caius as he seemed to be consumed by her. Caius was passionate about everything whether it be a battle or lovemaking. Sometimes I suspected him of mixing the two up as he could be very vicious in bed. As I remember in our past, his sexual appetite seemed to increase with time. No, I would definitely need to make allowances for that.

Jasper's POV

We had learned from Edward that we would be staying longer in order to help Bella develop her skills. He told us that it was imperative that no one know of the training. I imagine Edward knew the reasons for the secrecy but he didn't enlighten us about them; he probably had his motives for not doing so. Alice and I discussed this with one another and came to the conclusion that it was undoubtedly a political game created by Athenodora and that was something we wished to have no part in. As friends we would help Bella but under the cloak of gullibility so that if Aro were to question us we could reveal nothing and keep our innocence.

The grounds around the west wing would be our playground as they were secluded with the trees blocking out any prying eyes.

I was chosen to set up a program for us to follow but this was not really my line of expertise; I was more qualified with controlling and processing newborns and Bella wasn't a typical newborn. The fact that we had to instruct her in the use of her new powers was another problem. I had never done anything like that so I asked why Athenodora had requested our help when Aro's guards were specialized at these things. He told me to ask Alice about them and I would know why that wasn't an option.

It seemed that Bella was getting classes in various curricula that Athenodona deemed compulsory for her new position as Caius's mate. We would have to work around that schedule as not to cause suspicion but if necessary she would be allowed a recess from her language studies to work with us.

The first day of her training we told her how our gifts worked and tried to get her conscious of her own talent. We began by helping Bella distinguish the various parts of her body and the sensations they produced. If she were to develop her gift it would be necessary for her to comprehend the cause of her impenetrable mind. It required quite a bit of work and self-exploration on her part to recognize the sensory receptors of her mind. After about a week of study she was able to increase her focus and not only feel the lock but also be able to open it. She described it as a sort of elastic band that she was able to stretch. We then let her experiment with it and after a while she was able to flex it; something like flexing her muscles. Now that she was in this phase we seemed to be at a standstill.

Today, while lingering in the library, we were discussing what our next possible move could be in helping Bella expand her skills. We were at our wits end when Alice came up with a solution but we would need to contact our parents and the Denali coven in advance before we proceeded to introduce this in our training. While we were discussing this probability Caius came into the room and looked us over, his eyes glaring at us viciously. In the corner of my eye I saw Bella distance herself from us and he called for her to join him. When she hesitated he grabbed Bella by the arm and stormed out of the room leaving us wondering what had just happened.

Edwards POV

This last week and a half have been excruciating, being so close to Bella and yet knowing that she could no longer be my future mate. I took consolation in the fact that I was able to be with her and help her; that in itself is worth all the pain. This evening Caius came to get her but he seemed to be furious at both her and us. We didn't understand what had happened but then he grabbed Bella and took her away.

We had done our best, she was now able to recognize and exert her powers but we need to try them out without exposing our training. All four of us decided to ask for Athenodora's help on this, up to now she had been supportive; heck she had thought this up in the first place so where else could we go.

I would often meet Athenodora in my room at the same time every evening and she would silently ask me about Bella's progress so I expected to talk to her about this tonight. I had gradually come to look forward to her visits as it allowed me to understand her ideas and position in Caius's household which helped reinforce my trust in her.

As I lay on my bed I heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice asking for access to my room. I stood up and when I opened the door she kissed me as she pushed me into my room and shutting the door behind her.

Now thatcaught my attention and she mentally explained 'I was being followed by one of Caius's guards. I think Caius has noticed my visits and had me followed so, to make my visits believable, I kissed you. After all knowing his sexual desires are large, it will make our liaisons more understandable for him'. I thought of this and was taken aback by the thought of Bella in his arms. It made me angry and frustrated all over again and she saw that on my face.

She moved in and kissed me, at first with hesitation and when I didn't refuse, her kiss became more passionate. I eagerly accepted and followed her lead; I needed this and after a couple of minutes my lips softly trailed along her neck as she moved it to the side giving me more access. Her hands were gradually roving down my back to end at rear my pulling my body towards her. I groaned in pleasure as my hands soon found their way to her breasts, my thumb gently teasing her nipples through the material. Pure electricity flowed from us and I began to kiss her with a passion I didn't know I possessed. I had always been so careful with Bella but now I had no need to restrict my actions. One hand held her head so that her mouth could not escape while I allowed the other to roam her body, relishing the treasures she had to offer.

She began to unbutton my shirt as my hand searched feverishly for the zipper which kept her dress together. When she was finished she lowered the sleeves of my shirt and it fell to the ground soon followed by her dress. She stood there in only her underwear and I took the time to enjoy the view. She was like a beautiful porcelain doll; her breasts were large and beautifully formed half covered by her honey- blond hair. As I watched she loosened the clasp of her bra and held the cups with her hand slowly exposing them one at a time. I felt like my body was parched and swiftly picked up her small figure and brought her to my bed. Tonight neither of us would be alone.