Chapter Sixty Nine

Bella

I waited for Carlisle Volturi in the motel room, glad that my theory had proved to be the right one and that we had a chance to do something about it. Charlotte and Peter were in the next block of rooms, far enough that Carlisle wouldn't catch their scent, and Jasper was in the car park ready to make sure Carlisle wouldn't be making a quick getaway in his shiny Mercedes. As we'd driven over I noticed a change in Jasper and the closer we got the more pronounced it became. He became very quiet and sombre, his eyes went darker and his muscles tensed. It was like sitting next to a marble statue, cold and unreachable, not my Jasper any longer. Charlotte saw my glances and shook her head in warning so I didn't say anything, just watched. This stranger in my mates body scared me and I thought back to something Charlotte had said to me when I first met her,

"If you see The Major then death and destruction aren't far behind"

For the first time I was seeing close up what she meant. Jasper, my tender, loving, and funny Jasper was gone and in his place was the warrior, Maria's Major, The God Of War and I knew exactly what she meant. There would be death and destruction tonight, I was seeing the Mr Hyde of Jaspers psyche.

Charlotte

Looking at Bella's face in the car I knew she was seeing The Major for the first time and I tried to remember back that far to the first time I had laid eyes on him. All I could remember really was the dead stare, as if I were getting a glimpse into a hell I had never even dreamed existed. I wondered if it would change the way she felt about him. I hoped not because they were meant for each other, they were two sides of the same entity he and Bella. Tonight I was to confront my own demon too, Carlisle Cullen had lurked in my soul for far too long. I wanted a piece of him but I wasn't sure there would be anything left after the guys had finished. Peter and I sat in silence waiting for the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes although if he were at all suspicious he might leave it at a distance and do a reconnaissance before the meeting. It's what we would have done but we were warriors, he wasn't. I suddenly wondered if he would be alone or if he might bring one of the others with him, possibly the man mountain that was Emmett.

Bella

I'm sure the others heard his approach before I did but I was ready when the knock came on the door, I peered fearfully out of the window and saw Carlisle smiling encouragingly at me. I acted scared, fingers fumbling with the door lock, and pulled him in before slamming the door again quickly then looking out of the window again.

"Bella its all right. There's no one out there"

"Are you sure? I know they'll come looking for me"

"You'll be safely in Volterra before they know you are missing"

"Really Carlisle? Are you sure? They're very good."

"Not as good as the Volturi Guard my dear. Especially when they haven't got your shield. Thinking of that you shouldn't be frightened of them. What can they do to you my dear? You can defend yourself admirably."

I shook my head,

"I can't Carlisle. It doesn't always work any more, it's too erratic."

"What happened?"

Now he was interested.

"I got hit on the head when we were getting away from Maria and ever since my shields keeps going down. They'll find me Carlisle"

I grabbed his arm in panic and he pulled me close.

"I wont let anyone hurt you. I'll stay with you until the Guard get here to escort you home to Volterra."

"Do you think Aro will be very angry with me?"

"No Bella, he will be angry with the people who frightened his little girl so much."

With that he pulled me even closer and kissed my cheek, so he was still up to his old tricks! I stiffened and he smiled stroking my arm and then my shoulder

"You're very tense Bella, let me help you relax. We have a few hours to kill so why don't you lay on the bed and I'll try to help you"

"Could you Carlisle? Oh thank you."

I tottered over to the bed and fell as if exhausted on the coverlet. His eyes flashed with desire as he smiled and sat down beside me pulling me into his arms and nuzzling my neck,

"You are a very desirable woman Bella. Let me relax you."

His caress was now on the front of my shirt and he started to undo the buttons, his look almost hypnotic and I found myself struggling to look away. So that was how he got his women! He had a kind of hypnotic look that made your senses spin crazily. He wasn't a bad-looking man, I thought, in fact he was handsome really and I felt myself falling into his golden eyes

Carlisle

She was a beautiful unspoilt young woman and I was looking forward to calming her fears before the Volturi Guard got here. As I undid the last button on her shirt the door crashed in, splintering wood and sending plaster cascading to the floor. I turned fast but not fast enough, I was never going to be fast enough to beat The Major. His eyes were blazing with red flashes and his face a mask of pure fury. Peter was hot on his heels and Charlotte, my pretty little Charlotte, and I knew I'd been played for a fool. Peter grabbed Bella and was gone leaving me to the tender mercies of the other two. The Major grabbed me by the shirt front and I expected him to throw me across the room, I braced myself for a collision with the far wall but instead he pulled me until we were nose to nose and he spoke through gritted teeth,

"Tonight is your last on this Earth Carlisle Volturi."

He punched me in the stomach and I felt something give deep inside. Then he hit me again and my ribs started to shatter as he threw me across the room but I still didn't hit the wall, instead I was caught in a vice like grip by Charlotte.

"Remember me Carlisle? The one that got away."

She too punched me, but in the groin and I felt a testicle rupture, the pain was excruciating and as I screamed she placed a steel hand over my mouth,

"Oh Carlisle I have barely started yet."

And she was true to her word, they were unhurried although they knew their time was limited. In minutes my whole world had become an ocean of pain. I didn't think I had an unbroken bone or intact organ in my body and when Charlotte finally smiled and took out her lighter I was grateful. But she didn't kill me. Instead she stared to dismember me piece by piece and burn each part separately, calling a name each time she did so.

Seeing my confusion she explained,

"These are Aro's children who escaped, died, or were taken Carlisle. They all deserve a piece of you."

When she'd finished there was just my head left and as she ripped my tongue and eyes out I knew she was going to leave my head with its brain for my brothers as a message, a warning. One they would certainly understand. I heard them leave and the fire still crackling and that was all.