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Cullen.
Alistair couldn't quite believe what he his senses were telling him. The Cullen boy had taken his mate. Why? Not that it mattered now, because the moment he touched her, the boy was a dead man walking. But he was curious as to why. Deciding he needed more information he called Felix again.
"The scent in the flat is that of Edward Cullen. He must have taken her. There is blood in here as well Bella's blood. It looks like she had been hurt. I can feel she is still alive and human though. Can you get Demetri to track the Cullen's if he can? I'll call Garrett. He might be able to find them first so forward anything from Demetri to him. Tell Aro any Cullen that gets in my way is dead, no exceptions."
Alistair hung up. He felt an uncontrollable fury rising within him, he had to get hold of himself. He sat down and tried valiantly to control his rising temper and the urge to destroy everything between himself and Bella. With a monumental effort he pulled himself together enough to call Garrett.
"Hey man how's it going? Not heard from you for a while." Garrett answered after one ring. He sounded really cheerful. Hearing his voice again did a great deal toward calming Alistair.
"I have met my mate. She is amazing, still human just now but I was going to take her to Volterra so I can turn her. We were due to fly over there today."
"That's great, I'm really happy for you, so why aren't you taking her now?"
Alistair took a deep calming breath and relaxed his grip on his phone before he crushed it. Putting it down he turned on the speaker.
"She has been taken by Edward Cullen. He has her on a plane heading toward Helena, Montana. She dated him briefly before coming to Durham for Uni. The bastard hurt her, there is her blood on the wall of the flat."
Garrett growled loudly down the phone.
"When do you get here?" It came out as a snarl.
"I'm not sure. Felix is on his way here to pick me up. Then we'll head out there. Can you get to her and keep her safe for me? Get her away from him if you can? She is his singer, he thinks she's his mate. The moron left some venom in her to try and control her. You know how Carlisle thinks, I think Edward has tried to force a mating bond on her. There's no telling what he will do to get her back."
"No problem. I'm on my way. I'll try and track Carlisle down. The boy won't be far away from him. I'll keep you informed. We will get her back for you. I swear."
"Thanks mate. I'll speak to you soon." Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. Garrett would try to track her and keep her safe. His Iseabail would soon be back with him. He sent Garrett a picture of her, told him to watch his thoughts and take care. After that he set about cleaning the flat. He didn't need the attention of suspicious humans just now, besides it kept him busy and his mind off Bella. The landlady would be here to collect the keys soon and he needed to be ready so that he could head out to wait for Felix. He picked up the ring he had given his Iseabail and pocketed it. He would give it back to her soon.
Felix and Marcus sat on the plane in silence as they flew straight to Alistair. Both lost in their own thoughts.
For Marcus the situation was very difficult. He had lost his own mate centuries before and never truly recovered. He would not wish that pain on anyone and would do all he could to protect Alistair from going through it. He missed his Didyme terribly. She had been the light of his life, the centre of his world. Contrary to popular opinion she was not murdered by her brother Aro to stop them from leaving but killed by a rival coven when out hunting. The coven was completely destroyed in revenge but Marcus never truly got over it. Neither did Aro or Caius as they had locked their mates away for fear of the same thing happening to them.
When Felix had barged into the throne room with the tale that Alistair's mate had been kidnapped they had been galvanised into immediate action. The brothers had been so happy when only a few weeks before he had told them Alistair had found his mate and was bringing her to see them. The fact she was human was no concern, it was clear he was going to turn her as soon as possible. They had all been worried about Alistair over the last few decades. He had sunken further and further into despondency. Felix had been trying to persuade him to return to Volterra permanently. But then it appeared he was well, happy and his mate was the cause. The entire guard were united in their condemnation of her kidnapping. And then to hear that the Cullen child was the one who had taken her they were outraged.
Marcus and his brothers had frequently discussed Carlisle Cullen and his radical if not delusional ideas on vampirism. They had met him in the late seventeenth century when he had come to Volterra to learn and meet others of his kind. They had quickly formed a friendship of sorts. Carlisle had some interesting ideas, his determination to abstain from human blood had won him the grudging respect of many. But his uncompromising refusal to embrace what he was and allow any kind of instinctual reaction was considered by many foolish. Carlisle had not won himself any friends when it became obvious he thought himself so very far above all others who in his eyes 'debased themselves by allowing their instincts free rein.' But it was his cruel rejection of his mate which alienated almost everyone.
Clara had been a beautiful, intelligent young vampire with spirit and vivacity who had come to Volterra in the middle of the 18th Century. She had been popular with the guard and rulers alike, forging many friendships. She had recognised Carlisle as her mate as soon as they had met, yet he refused to entertain her, even in friendship. She had adopted his diet in an attempt to win his approval but he sneered at her, called her weak. He told her he would never accept her as a mate because he could never be mated to someone with so little control as to allow base instinctual reactions to rule them. He was cruel and vicious in his rejection of her. Destroying all her confidence and joy. While they had all tried to explain the joy he would find with her should he accept her, Carlisle still refused and seeing how he was disapproved of and frowned upon he left Volterra a dissatisfied and bitter man. Clara had tried to follow him but he sent her away. Marcus had no idea what Carlisle had said to her but it was enough to make her give up and never try to see him or speak to him again. She withered away, refusing food and never smiling until she decided enough was enough and walked into the fire. Aro had tried to stop her but been unable to do so. It was something that haunted him to this day. It the eyes of the Volturi Carlisle had killed his own mate and they would never forgive him for it.
Over the years the Volturi had kept a close eye on Carlisle. They had their spies of course and regularly sent guard members to observe him. They had known about him experimenting on Esme then turning Edward and her. They saw how docile she was and how Carlisle thought she was his completely. Marcus knew that he was delusional. Carlisle and Edward thought she would not recognise her mate but Marcus knew she would when she met him and when she did those two could be in for a world of trouble. Marcus hoped he could persuade Alistair to allow Esme to live. Once Carlisle was dead and she was free of his control she would be a different woman and she deserved that chance.
The brothers had long been aware of Carlisle's ideas of getting revenge on the Volturi for their treatment of him. He felt they did not give him the credit he deserved. In his mind he was a visionary who deserved to rule. They knew about his plans to overthrow them and force a new order of "Controlled, vegetarian vampires." He wasn't satisfied with ruling the vampire world and thought that he could dominate the human one also. He believed that the humans would welcome him once he proved he was no threat. Marcus thought Carlisle a fool. What the brothers could not understand was why Carlisle thought anyone would follow him. His coven did because they wanted power and would do anything to get it. They were a group of the most self-centred, revolting individuals Marcus had ever had the misfortune to know of. Alice and Jasper would probably kill Carlisle once they were in control. Rosalie wanted to be adored and worshipped by all. Edward, well he thought he deserved to rule by virtue of his gift. Esme's suffering aside the Volturi brothers found Carlisle an endless form of entertainment and thought him a harmless fool. He would never gain enough support from other Vampires. Most thought of him as a 'mad scientist' for his ideas. While he gained some respect for his efforts as a doctor and feeding on animals, he was not trusted or particularly liked. Carlisle put people off with his 'holier than thou' attitude. Only the Denali coven showed any real support and friendship, mainly because they were 'vegetarians' themselves.
"Perhaps it was the animal blood that messed with the brain" Marcus wondered abstractly.
This however was a step too far and they had unanimously decided to deal with Carlisle once and for all. Whether knowingly or not Edward had taken the mate of a Volturi member, Edward had tried to force a mating bond with another human and Carlisle was planning revolution. They had to go. Marcus felt they should have done something when Carlisle turned Esme but it was decided to let things play out in the hope that if her mate turned up she would kill Carlisle and save them the trouble. The fact that they never made a conscious decision regarding the Cullen's kept Alice in the dark and allowed the family to go along on their merry way. Marcus had always known that if the Cullen's didn't kill each other, then the Volturi eventually would and this was the reason.
Felix too was equally thoughtful as they flew. He had been extremely worried about Alistair recently. He appeared to have given up, he had been wandering aimlessly, miserable and angry. Felix knew it was because Alistair was lonely but that he would not admit it. So when Alistair called out of the blue to inform them that he had found his mate Felix had been delighted. Bella seemed like a nice girl, Felix had spoken to her on the phone a couple of times and she held her own with witty comebacks. She had a good sense of humour and laughed a lot. They had swapped a few rude text messages as well. Felix felt they would become good friends in time. He was happy for Alistair it was about time he found contentment. Felix himself had never found a mate, he had never really looked. He wasn't jealous though he believed she would arrive when she was good and ready.
Felix had seen many mated couples over the centuries. Most had been happy, equal pairings which brought out the best in both parties but some he had witnessed were twisted. What he heard about the Cullen pairings for example made him shudder. The two mated pairs were uneven and wrong. The women ruled, manipulated and controlled their partners, they twisted things to get their own way all the time. Felix could understand Emmett being that way to a point as it was all he knew but not Jasper. Then again Jasper had been ruled by women all his vampire life and Maria was one of the worst.
Felix could remember when the Volturi had been sent in to finally deal with her. Alistair and Garrett had been there as well. It was a few years after Jasper had left Maria and she had finally overstepped the mark. It had been a brutal battle, there had been close to fifty newborns and only six Volturi guards. They had been overwhelmed at first by sheer numbers, Jane was able to debilitate some but Alec couldn't get time to get his gift working. Which meant they had to fight. Alistair, Felix and Garrett charged in with Demetri trying to get Alec the space he needed. In the end Alec had managed to get his gift on about half of the newborns that were left while Alistair and Garrett dealt with the rest. Maria had stayed defiant till the end. Felix had found not destroying her hard, even though she looked little more than a girl, surely not more than fifteen when turned, he could see the evil fanaticism shining in her eyes. She truly believed she was untouchable.
"Well she is now" he thought wryly. He remembered watching her ashes scatter in the wind along with those of her army. That was the end of the real wars in America. There were occasionally small skirmishes with a couple of newborns but nothing on the scale that Maria would operate. But it was no wonder Jasper had a twisted idea of what mates were like. Of course Felix knew like all the Volturi that Esme was not Carlisle's mate.
Felix had liked Clara a great deal. He would have been proud to call such a woman his. He had wanted to hunt Carlisle down and torture him when she died, he had never forgiven the callus cruelty she endured. Perhaps now he would get his chance to avenge her. Felix found himself secretly hoping Carlisle was aware of Edwards's actions so he would have an excuse to punish him.
When the plane landed at Teesside Airport Alistair was waiting impatiently. Once on the ground Felix contacted Demetri to find out if he knew where the Cullen coven was. It was a long shot as Demetri had only ever met Carlisle.
"He is near Helena as you said. I am afraid I don't know where the others are. Our sources don't know their whereabouts just now either but will contact me if they hear anything. I have spoken to Garrett and given him what information I can." He reported in a business-like manner. "Caius is sending Alec and Jane to America in case they are needed. If possible he would like Carlisle brought back alive so he can be punished properly. It is also requested that if possible Esme be unharmed. Both Aro and he feel that she will not be a willing party to this or indeed anything and should be offered the chance to live a free life. That being said they will defer all decisions regarding the coven to Alistair."
Alistair nodded to himself when he heard those words. He had permission to destroy the entire coven if he chose, right now he did choose that. He did however understand the need to punish Carlisle publically. And as for Esme, Alistair agreed that she was more than likely being controlled. But if she got in his way she would die too.
The flight to America was long and tedious. The majority of the time was spent discussing options and catching up. Both Felix and Marcus wanted to keep Alistair's mind off his missing mate and 'in the game.'
Alistair tried to oblige his travel companions by talking and discussing the situation. He told them Bella's story and how they had met. Both were amused to hear of her inviting him into her home. They were shocked at the mention of the shifters, having thought that species had died out a long time ago. They briefly considered the option of informing them of the situation, but quickly discarded it. Felix didn't think they needed the furry help. Alistair was sure that they would help free Bella but he was also sure they would try to keep her from him. In the end none of the vampires trusted the shifters enough to inform them. They also felt more than capable of dealing with the situation alone.
Eventually he grew weary of talking and lapsed into a contemplative silence. Alistair focused his gift on Bella. He was feeling drawn to her, he needed to ensure he was pulled to her, wherever she was. He needed to feel her. She was alive and still human he was sure. He also reached out with every instinct and intuition he had to try and determine if she was hurt or frightened in any way but he could not get any sense of pain or fear, perhaps she was asleep or maybe unconscious. After all she had been wounded and the marks on the wall had been head height so that was a possibility. Or perhaps the gift she had that prevented Edward from reading her mind was expanding and blocking him as well. One thing he was very certain of was that she would not be happy with the situation. The image of his fiery, hellcat of a mate giving the Cullen coven both barrels ran through his mind and him smile. She would give them absolute hell, of that he was certain. He wondered what she would do to wind them up, other than give them a piece of her mind. She was certainly devious and wicked enough to cause them some serious problems.
On the other hand if she gave them a too many problems that would anger the vampires holding her and possibly place her in danger. She had to know that he would come for her, that she simply had to survive until he found her. Antagonizing a coven of vampires was not the best way for a human to stay safe. Perhaps it would be better if she kept quiet but knowing his Iseabail as he did, he knew that would not be happening.
Alistair wasn't worried too much about Bella being hurt. It was clear the Cullen's wanted her for some purpose although accidents did happen. Perhaps Edward really was going to try and claim her again, he was stupid enough after all. Alistair wasn't even worried about them turning her. While he would prefer to be the one to do it, he knew she would be safer as a vampire and would recognise their bond straight away. The idea of Bella as a freshly woken up newborn ripping Edward to shreds the moment he opened his mouth to tell her she was his mate and must obey him made Alistair smile broadly. It would almost be worth all this, as long as he was there to see it.
Having heard Marcus's description of Carlisle's beliefs and ideas. Alistair felt that it had to have something to do with the fact Edward could not read Bella's mind. He discussed the idea that she may have some kind of latent gift with his companions. Both agreed it was a distinct possibility. Had the Cullen's hoped to harness her gift to their cause? That would also explain the attempt at forcing a mating bond. Did Carlisle hope she would be able to stand up against gifts like Alec and Jane? Did he believe her to be that powerful? What would they do to her, threaten her with to get her compliance? That thought did worry Alistair but as Felix pointed out. They would be there soon and the coven would no longer be in a position to threaten anyone.
The Cullen coven may think they had formidable gifts and an unbeatable fighter in their midst but it was about to find out first hand just who was the most dangerous vampire in the world.