Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

All plotlines, characterizations, and details in Eternally Intertwined 2.0: Blood Ties belong to the author: Bronzehyperion. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without the author's authorization. ©2011 Bronzehyperion. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is the sequel to Eternally Intertwined. I advise you to read/skim through it before you read this because otherwise most won't make sense.

My BETA Litmom is amazing. I'm lucky to have her pre-read and correct my grammar!

What happened previously:

"Where did they go?"

"Italy..."

"Still not getting the big shock," Rosalie muttered. "Sapphire was injured and she had lost some blood. Her doctors were probably worried she might need it during the flight."

Carlisle shook his head, speaking up. "She had transfusions at the hospital and that was ten days prior. Her blood loss wasn't severe enough to need additional transfusions later on. But even if she did need them, that's not the most interesting part."

"What is?" Esme asked.

"The private jet she traveled with belongs to Aro Volturi."

CHAPTER FOUR: WAKING NIGHTMARE

"So let me get this straight; Aro Volturi is the equivalent of vampire royalty?"

I was confused, to say the least. Ever since Carlisle had told us about what that P.I. had found, Edward had been patient in trying to explain some things to me but the more he did, the more confused I became.

We were lying on my small bed; I was bundled up in a cocoon of blankets with my head resting on Edward's chest.

"Yes, he belongs to the most powerful vampire coven in our world and I suppose you could say he's their leader."

"And you think he's got something to do with the Daggetts? That he knows them?"

Edward sighed as he gently stroked my hair. "Bella, it's getting late. I think you need to get some sleep. We'll talk about this some more in the morning."

"I want to talk now," I demanded in a pout, but then that pout formed into a yawn because I was in fact quite tired.

"See, even your body is telling you to get some sleep," Edward repeated himself. "Clearly you need it."

"What will you do while I sleep? Worry some more?"

I knew that regardless of his cool exterior – pun intended, Edward would spend the entire night going over what this P.I. Jenks had discovered. I hoped that talking about Aro Volturi would help him vent those worries a bit but instead Edward closed himself off, using my basic human needs as a reason to stop talking about it.

"I just want to watch you sleep," he murmured.

"Right," I chuckled which ended with another yawn. "Because it's- air quote- 'fascinating' to you. That's not at all creepy."

"Believe me; I'd rather sleep with you than remain awake by myself."

"You are sleeping with me," I teased, "In the biblical sense."

"Har-har," Edward said. "No excuses or distractions," he warned. "I know you didn't sleep well last night so I want you to get a full night's rest tonight."

Like it was that simple. Like I could just allow myself to succumb to unconsciousness without the repercussion of nightmares.

I'd been having quite a few of them lately; most had me running towards something with a blinding speed my uncoordinated conscious self would never be able to handle. While such dreams should be exhilarating, they only left me confused and waking up covered in sweat with a worried looking Edward hovering over me.

Because of the frequency of the dreams, I'd learned I was dreaming about being a vampire. I could feel the rush and the bloodlust in my dreams and it scared me.

That's why I couldn't tell Edward. I didn't want him to know I was scared because he might change his mind about changing me.

"Are you worried about having nightmares?"

I shrugged and started kissing his chest before I made my way up to his neck, jaw and finally his lips.

"Are you sure about not wanting a distraction?" I whispered, deflecting again.

"Bella," Edward murmured against my mouth. "No distractions. You need sleep. I'll tell you a story or hum you to sleep to keep any bad dreams at bay if you want. But please, close your eyes and relax."

"Do you really want me to stop?" I asked innocently, ignoring his plea as I trailed my hands down to the solid erection I felt building beneath me.

One touch of my finger against the tip of his rock hard erection, and Edward silenced me with his mouth; in one fluent movement he flipped us over so that my back was pressed into the mattress while his erection throbbed against my center.

"I told you, you need sleep," Edward said, his voice smooth as he pressed into me even further, eliciting these happy little moans to escape my mouth. "But you are so stubborn."

"Are you complaining?" I teased as I ground my hips a little, which caused the most delicious friction.

"Bella," Edward groaned. "Don't make me leave this bed and watch you sleep from the chair in the corner. That's probably safer anyway because the sounds you are making are bound to wake up your father," he added as an afterthought.

"I don't need sleep," I argued as I started to move my hips more rhythmically, pressing and grinding against Edward's cock, feeling myself get warmer and warmer while my sex started to tingle in the best way. "I just want you."

"You're insatiable," Edward grunted as he placed open mouthed kisses down my neck.

"Do you have complaints?"

"No. I can't say I do," he relented in a whisper before the in sync movements of our bodies brought us both to greater heights.

The next morning I woke up and when I reached out for Edward, I found a note on my pillow instead.

It was from Edward; he had gone off to hunt and wrote that he loved me and would be back soon.

I stretched and felt a little sore, which brought back wonderful memories from the previous night when Edward and I had reaffirmed our love and passion for each other for most of the night. It may have kept me from sleep, but it had also kept me from dreaming.

I decided on a quick shower and a basic breakfast of cereal and a steaming mug of tea.

Charlie had gone fishing with some buddies so I had the house to myself.

I spent the morning cleaning, doing some laundry and waiting for Edward to return. I was eager for him to tell me more about this Aro Volturi.

While last night had turned out to be a giant distraction for both of us – mostly by my doing – today the curiosity about this mysterious aspect of Edward's world had returned.

The idea that someone as seemingly power hungry and malicious as Mark Daggett would team up with what I assumed to be the equivalent of a vampire king disturbed me and I worried about what that meant for Edward and his family.

From what I'd understood of Carlisle's relay of what this Jenks person had found out, it was a bad thing that Sapphire Daggett had traveled with Aro Volturi's private jet because that meant there had to be a connection between Aro Volturi and Mark Daggett.

This concerned the Cullens because according to Carlisle, it was not Aro Volturi's style to keep company with humans for any other purpose than the idea of them making a nice meal. And the humans, who did belong to his coven in some way, were either used as bait to attract other humans or because Volturi could benefit from them in some other way.

So whoever this man - if that's what he could be called- was, there was no doubt in my mind he was powerful. That's why I wanted to know more. I wanted to know just how big of a threat he was.

It wasn't until after lunchtime that Edward finally returned. I'd just started with my Trig homework when there was a soft knock on the back door.

I didn't even have to verbally invite him in because when I looked up I found Edward sitting across from me with an amused smirk plastered on his too beautiful face.

"Trig?" he asked, knowing how much I hated this particular course. Science, Biology, Advanced English and Physics I all understood, but Trig...it just never seemed to stick with me. My brain automatically rejected anything to do with the subject.

"Let me guess, you have already finished it?" I grumbled, which caused him to grin even wider.

See, for Edward Trig was no trouble whatsoever. In fact, he actually liked it. Which made sense if you had almost a century to learn this stuff over and over.

"It's all up here," he said, tapping the side of his head. "I just need to write it down before class tomorrow."

"You know, that mind reading trick of yours is kind of like cheating. You know the answers to everything, you never study. We humans aren't so lucky..."

Edward's grin disappeared. "Try walking around hearing everyone's thoughts every single moment of every day. Or to have so much room in your mind that you can fill it with the most absurd things. It may seem convenient, and I suppose sometimes it I, but it's hardly what I would call lucky."

"Fair enough," I said softly.

"But..." Edward started and his previous smirk returned. "If you have trouble understanding Trig, I'd be happy to tutor you Miss Swan."

"Tutor me?" I asked innocently, batting my eyelashes for effect.

Edward leaned in, his dark eyes a pleasant ochre and gold again thanks to his hunting trip

"Yes," he breathed before he kissed the tip of my nose and snatched my Trig homework away.

An hour or so later my Trig homework was done and Edward and I were entangled on the sofa in the living room, watching a movie.

I wasn't paying much attention to the images on the screen while Edward seemed very engrossed in the story, which led me to believe he was waiting until I brought [s3] up the Volturi thing instead of bringing it up himself.

When I did, his disapproving eye roll told me I'd been right.

"Bella, he started hesitantly."There isn't that much to tell you. You already know the gist of it. Aro Volturi is like vampire royalty in my world. He's very powerful."

"You mentioned that, but there has to be more," I argued as I sat up and straightened myself a little. "I saw the reaction on your family's faces. You were all shocked. Carlisle looked worried. Which means there's more to it than a simple: "He owns all the vampire land with his shiny crown and scepter and you don't want to mess with him."

Edward chuckled darkly. "If only it was that simple. He is very powerful and has eyes and ears everywhere. So yes, it is quite disheartening that he was and possibly still is involved with the Daggetts. If they told him anything about us…," he trailed off

"Then what?" I asked.

"Remember how I once told you about the laws we have?"

"I thought there was only one? Don't reveal your identity."

"Yes; we have to remain inconspicuous. Never reveal what we are to a human. That rule has already been broken. If the Volturi find out, they could come here and kill us."

"There's more than just Aro?" I said, cringing at the idea someone would come to Forks and harm any of the Cullens.

"I told you he has a coven. It consists of his two brothers; Marcus and Caius. I don't know if they are truly related but they've existed for so long, it doesn't really matter. Marcus is married to Didyme. A few centuries ago Carlisle lived with them for a while so he knows how they operate pretty well. All brothers have guards with special powers."

"Like you, Alice and Jasper have powers?" I asked quietly.

"In a way, but they are much more powerful and well trained."

"Do you think Daggett tipped him off and that's he's sending someone here?"

"Perhaps. Though this probably isn't just about the fact we revealed our nature to you. There's also Jessica's death and Angela's disappearance to consider. And the wolves factor in as well."

"They do? How?"

"Carlisle told me that Aro and his brothers believe the wolves are a myth. The shape shifters who can turn into any animal they wish. If Aro learned it was no myth at all, that would definitely pigue his interest."

"Enough to come and take a look?"

Edward nodded. "It's possible."

"Plus," Edward continued, "if he is involved with the Daggetts somehow that makes it worse because it could mean he may have visited the US, and Carlisle said travelling is quite rare for any of the Volturi, unless there's an emergency or an important reason…

…Also we can't be certain about what Daggett has told Aro about us. Overall the connection between Daggett and the Volturi is bad."

I sighed. This was bad. Really bad. Rogue vampires, angry wolves, and a powerful vampire coven. Could it get any worse?

I didn't even want to ask myself that question; too afraid of the universe giving me a cruel answer.

"What happens if he, his brothers and/or his guards come here?"

"That would be a war in which we'd have to fight…

…to the death."

Edward's words plagued me for the rest of the afternoon and left me with no desire to eat, which displeased Edward very much.

"Bella, there's no instant need to be concerned. Now that we are considering the possibility of a Volturi coven member coming to Forks, we are a step ahead. And so far Alice has not seen anyone coming yet. Perhaps our worries are unfounded and unnecessary."

But there was so much to worry about. And it led me to wonder if it would be a good idea to speed up my transformation. After all, on one side we had the wolf pack who were pissed about Jacob's choice of imprint and hated the Cullens, while on the other there was the threat of a powerful vampire coven coming to Forks so it was kind of ridiculous to wait. I would be much less of a hazard as a vampire if it would come to a war of sorts.

Of course, when I brought that up, it had Edward fuming, which pissed me off in return.

"Don't be crazy, Bella," he said, sounding irritated. "Your transformation can't take place until after graduation. The last thing we need is a suspicious and investigative Charlie on top of everything else."

"Charlie wouldn't care," I countered. "If you come up with a decent story it doesn't have to be a problem."

"You make it sound like this is nothing. Like it's not the biggest decision in your life."

"I get to be with you," I pointed out. "So maybe it's a big deal, but it's also definitely worth it. Edward, if what you say about a war is true, you don't need a human hazard like me in your way. You need someone who can fight."

Edward shook his head, frowning. "We're not going to change you out of sheer panic. Besides, there is nothing concrete yet. Let's focus on the here and now. You won't be changed until graduation. That's what we agreed upon."

That effectively ended our conversation but later that night when I was lying in my bed alone after Edward had gone home to check in with his family, all my worries returned.

Without Edward to hold me – he'd promised to be back soon and had ordered me to get some sleep - my mind had too much time to wander and think of all the problems we were facing.

Edward was being unreasonable about not wanting to speed up my transformation. He'd used my dad as an excuse but I had to wonder if he wasn't just rethinking the idea of me becoming a vampire altogether.

What he failed to understand was that I couldn't protect him as a human, and the idea that this Aro could harm Edward had me cold to the bone and shivering under the covers. As a human I could be the thing that could get him killed because protecting me would be too much of a distraction, leaving Edward with a weak spot these powerful guards might easily use against him.

When I finally managed to find some sleep, I didn't get any rest either, as my subconscious led me to a large field, surrounded by trees with no leaves, their branches tall and creepy looking. I could hear an owl howling as I ran. In the dream I was fast, faster than I'd ever been as an uncoordinated human.

It was the same dream, well nightmare, I'd had before.

I could taste the desire on my tongue and it was seeping into my bones. I had to have him, there was no doubt I would have him. Him and his blood.

I ran faster and my prey tried to pick up speed as well but clearly he wasn't fast enough. It only lasted seconds until I caught up with him but before I could grab him and take the thing I desired so badly, the scenery changed and suddenly I was no longer in the open field but running though a large corridor that led me to an open door.

My prey had gained some advantage again but his pace was no match for the strength of my leaps and bounds, and when we were close enough to the open door I jumped and landed right in front of him.

I grabbed the collar of his pristine white shirt and dragged him through the door into a spacious ballroom of sorts. The walls were plain dark marble but the windows had the most beautiful of colors.

I held onto my prey as his deep green eyes bore into mine and I saw my obsession for his blood reflected in the swirl of sea green and emerald.

"Bella," he whispered softly.

His name on my lips left me confused but the loud cackling laughter behind me was enough to snap out of it before I could ask how he knew my name.

I turned to find three men sitting on golden thrones; two seemingly bored while the third rose and stood tall, his smirk menacing and amused. They all had jet black hair and their skin looked like it was powered with talc. Their eyes were like mine.

Blood red.

"Well, this is a wonderful surprise. Edward is alive after all…"

And then I screamed.

I woke up with a start, bolting up and covered in sweat with a worried Edward instantly pulling me close.

"Nightmare?" He whispered.

I nodded, still shaking.

He tried to sooth me by gently stroking my hair, probably hoping to coax me back to sleep but my mind couldn't stop playing my nightmare over and over.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Edward wondered quietly, his ochre and golden eyes burning in the dark.

I shook my head. Never had I been so relieved he couldn't read my mind.

If he had he would have seen the horror of my dream with me starring as a vampire who'd been out to slaughter him and drain him of all his blood.

Come Monday I very much welcomed the normalcy of having to go to school. The halls were buzzing with students sharing their Halloween stories. Edward shared a few that he'd picked up on with his ability to read minds – like the one about Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie who had gotten caught by the deputy sheriff when they'd tried to cover the mayor's house in toilet paper, or Lauren who'd hooked up with a guy she had never met. That one especially had Edward grimacing.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have the ability to read people's minds," he whispered. "That girl is perverse."

I chuckled. "That girl is a teenager. I think her mind represents what most of us teenage girls think about."

Edward seemed to ponder on this for a moment until a wide grin spread on his face.

He dragged me to a reclusive spot under the staircase that led to the cafeteria. "Hmm, does that mean that right now…" he leaned in and brushed his lips along the edge of my jaw, down to my collarbone… "You're thinking about having your wicked way with me?"

The blush on my face was enough incentive for Edward to chuckle and press his lips to my neck.

"Hmm, I do love that sexy innocence of yours."

When the second bell rang and Edward and I made our way to our first class I was so worked up from feeling Edward's cool lips on my skin, it was hard for me to concentrate in the Advanced English class we shared.

Of course Edward had no problem; as always he was breezing through with no difficulty whatsoever.

I caught him staring at me a few times which made it even harder to pay attention and take notes.

By the time our lunch break rolled around I was desperate to drag Edward to the small shed behind the school – the one filled with gym equipment – and have my very wicked way with him like he'd suggested earlier.

But Edward had other plans. Or rather, his tiny and very demanding sister had other plans and forced us into a corner of the cafeteria where the Cullens pretended to have lunch, while I picked at a cold slice of pizza, ignoring the disapproving looks Edward shot me.

"Jasper and I are going to Volterra," Alice announced out of the blue. "We leave tonight."

It was definitely not the thing I'd expected her to say and frankly, it had me stunned.

"What is she talking about?" I asked Edward, who was looking at his sister with intense concentration which indicated he was looking for the answers in her thoughts.

"She's going to see Aro," he muttered coolly. "Alice, that doesn't sound like a good idea."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to knock on his crypt and hope he invites me to tea…"

"Crypt?" I asked, thoroughly confused, while Alice chuckled at me.

"He does not live in a crypt. His family lives in this old…vestibule I suppose you could call it, near the town square."

"And you're meeting him?" I asked Alice curiously.

"Like I said; it's not a social visit. I just want to find out if Daggett and his daughter are or were there."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Edward argued again. "And it's certainly not something to discuss at school," he added in a hiss.

"Fine," Alice huffed. "It was only a heads up since I'm going anyway."

She walked out, leaving a muttering and quietly seething Edward beside me.

"I have to go after her. She's going home now to pack. Lucky for me, she doesn't use her vampire speed when it comes to deciding what to bring."

"Well, let's go then."

"No, Bella, you should stay here. I don't want you to get into trouble."

I snorted. Edward had gotten a bit anxious about breaking rules and getting me into trouble ever since Charlie had talked to him and threatened to ban him from seeing me if he got me into trouble. And while Charlie had mellowed lately, he still made sure Edward abided by his rules.

"Charlie, remember," he said, before he rose from the table, gave me a kiss and dropped the keys to his precious Volvo in my hands. "So you have transportation. I'll come to your house later," he promised before he walked out of the cafeteria.

The rest of the day was a disaster. The classes dragged on and there was no escaping Lauren's sneers when Mike and Tyler started to flirt with me because they'd noticed Edward's absence.

"Is it not enough Jess and Angela are gone? Now you want to have all the boys too," she'd hissed at me when I'd accidentally bumped into her during a volleyball match.

I'd been too stunned to respond and my silence had given her the incentive to vent a little more. "You know, everything was fine before you moved here. But now Jessica is dead and Angela will probably never be found. Sapphire Daggett and her dad left and you prance around here like some sort of Queen Bee who owns the place. Well you better keep away from me," she'd threatened. "And if I were you, I'd stay away from the Cullen clan. Isn't it odd that trouble follows you around? I'd bet it's because of them."

I hadn't said a word and walked away instead, because Lauren's argument made no sense and had me stumped. Like I – or any of the Cullens - was responsible for all the bad things that had happened in the past few months.

Granted, it was all connected, but not to the Cullens. Daggett and his insane family had wreaked havoc and created chaos.

I understood that Alice wanted to go to Volterra because of the damage they'd done but wondered how dangerous such a trip would actually be now that I knew more about the Volturi. To me it seemed that going to Volterra was like going into the lion's den and hoping to come out unscathed.

I had no doubt Alice and Jasper would stand out like a sore thumb and there were no guarantees they'd make it out without being seen. If they got caught snooping around, there was no telling what would happen. So it was probably a good thing Edward had left to talk his sister out of it.

All those worries also reinforced the anxiety I felt from the nightmare I had. I had wanted to kill Edward. A surprisingly human looking Edward. And I was convinced that the men in that room represented the Volturi.

The dream wasn't the same as the ones I'd had before and yet they held an eerie similarity because in all of them I'd been driven by an overpowering and overwhelming bloodlust.

I tried to shake it off and focus on the here and now; I had to get home. But it was pointless because that brought along a whole new set of worries.

I hated the idea of having to drive home by myself, and in Edward's beloved Volvo no less. That car was not designed for a klutz like me to drive. I was a pickup truck kind of girl.

One of the last to make it out of school, I found myself in a near empty parking lot. Seeing it without cars or students made it look abandoned and oddly threatening with the way the woods lined up behind the lot. Anything could be lurking in there.

I shuddered involuntary. It had been a long time since I'd walked here alone; usually Edward or Alice was with me.

The Volvo was at the far end of the lot, and the slow drizzle falling down and the darkened skies gave a befitting dreary impression that mirrored my own mood.

I hurried to the car but my hands were getting wet from the rain and the cold had them shaking which made it difficult to unlock the door. When I finally managed to get in I was almost soaked. I decided to turn on the heat first but while I was fumbling with the control buttons, movement caught my eye.

It was like a trick of light; blink and you would have missed it but because I was attuned to so many crazy things I was instantly on alert.

There was someone, or something out there. Lurking, watching.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight; there was danger, I had no doubt of that.

I locked the doors on instinct and the desire to get warm was forgotten when I put the key in the ignition with shaking hands, the expectation of getting attacked any moment had me bordering on having a panic attack.

Nothing happened though. The car started and small relief washed over me when I managed to pull out of the lot without any problems.

But my relief was short lived because as soon as I was on my way I could see something dashing through the woods that aligned the road.

I tried to maintain focus on the road because the rain was coming down harder than before and decided that it would be best to drive straight to the Cullens instead of going home.

I took deep cleansing breaths and tried to ignore the knowledge that someone – or something was following me. I was certain that it wasn't one of the Cullens.

Maybe it was one of the wolves, but then I doubted they'd come to his part of town. Unless they wanted to send a message by scaring me.

What if it was Garrett? Or the female nomad?

It took me all the effort in the world to keep driving and after what felt like hours, I finally arrived at the Cullen mansion. My nerves were raw and I felt like crying in both fear and relief

My arrival didn't seem to be a surprise as I noticed how both Alice and Edward rushed through the front door, but they stopped dead in their tracks when their feet hit the front porch. Both their heads shot up and one exchanged look between them told me that they were now aware of the danger. Alice turned to the door and Jasper appeared too. His jaw was rigid and his eyes shot up to the woods.

Edward signaled for me to remain in the car while Alice – and then Jasper - bounded off the front porch and disappeared into the thick cover of trees.

I waited with bated breath until Edward came around to open the door. He nearly yanked it out of its hinges and took me into his arms. He didn't hesitate to pull me out of the car and run inside where he gently placed me on the sofa.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously. "I should've never left you alone," he added muttering before I could answer. "So stupid, you could have gotten hurt. I know there are nomads out there and I leave you to fend for yourself. What was I thinking?"

I ignored his self deprecating rant. "Is it a vampire?"

He stopped pacing and looked at me.

"Yes."

I shuddered, thinking this thing could have attacked me at school or during the ride over here.

"I should've protected you," Edward piped up again. "To think you could've have been attacked…"

"Stop!"

Edward turned to look at me. "Bella this is serious."

"I know," I said. "But you beating yourself up is pointless. You couldn't have known I would be followed."

"But I should've thought of it," Edward argued. "We have rogue vampires on the loose. It's foolish to think they would not come after you."

I frowned. "You think they are after me specifically?"

"It's possible," Edward said but before he could elaborate Alice and Jasper returned. They looked worried.

"And?"

"She got away," Jasper sighed. "She was fast."

"She? It's the rogue vampire that crossed the border before," I asked

Jasper nodded. "I recognized the scent from when we patrolled around the border."

"Why is she here?" I asked.

"She has a name," Edward sighed and I turned to see him look intently at Alice.

"Well who is she then?" I asked, puzzled.

"It's Sapphire," Alice said. "And she's after you."

A/N: Sorry for the very long delay. There is no excuse for it. I promise to try and update more often.

Anyway, Sapphire is back. That's not a good thing. Throw the Volturi into the mix and it's safe to say there's T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Many thanks to my brand new BETA Litmom for making sure this story becomes more grammar friendly and be my back-up brain in case I miss something :)

To all those who've waited for this: thanks for sticking around! I appreciate it so - so much!

Happy weekend!