Ok, so here we have a bit of the guys' POV about the first two chapters. The alternate POV won't always be each POV of the same event. But there were things I wanted to make clear from the guys' POV of their first meeting that required this overlapping chapter. From chapter 4, the story moves forward :)

Thanks to those who have reviewed already for the encouraging words. I hope you like the story.

Enjoy and review!

The Locket.

Chapter 3.

Aro sent Demetri and Felix to keep an eye out for Edward in case he decided to make trouble after all. What a lucky coincidence, then, that Demetri and Felix found what neither of them was looking for when they set their eyes on Bella.

Their insistence on bringing Bella with them was, of course, for selfish reasons. Aro had no way of knowing that the human girl would be in Volterra, let alone that she had single-handedly avoided their secret being exposed by an overdramatic man.

They were desperate to shake their cloaks and roam free. But orders were orders, and they hated trouble. Aro was not ruthless; he only liked to pretend to be so, but still, no need to get on the man's bad side.

Felix enjoyed taunting Edward with everything he'd love to do to the little human girl he had hidden behind him. His true intentions hidden between the lines of his lascivious thoughts. Demetri was the good cop; he was the bad one. They loved the dynamic. With all the advantages that came with his position, strength, and nature, Felix noticed how scared Bella was. It was evident in how she kept eying that family clad in red, how her eyes darted from Alice's pixie-like figure to Edward to his and Demetri's muscles.

It was all a game of cat and mouse, of who would annoy the other more, until Jane arrived. Neither of them wanted to be on the receiving end of her punishment. And Felix and Demetri knew she didn't particularly enjoy it. At least, not much. She still had a sadistic side that enjoyed inflicting torture.

Felix enjoyed the defeat on Edward's face, and Bella was getting curious the longer the interaction lasted.

Felix elbowed Demetri on his side, getting his attention and pointing to Bella with his chin. Demetri nodded; he'd been paying attention as well.

Of course, Felix hadn't earned his reputation by playing nice. He smirked and pointed to Edward and Bella to go first. Edward was keen on protecting Bella and touching her wherever he could while remaining a gentleman. Demetri frowned every time Bella dismissed his touch and every time she accepted it reluctantly. Whatever had happened between these two had made Bella mad. Not mad enough to let the idiot die, but mad enough to shrink away from his touch. When Edward touched her to help her straighten up after tripping or through a tricky part of the underground tunnels, Bella accepted the touch. Whenever the touch turned personal, she tensed and tried to get away.

Whatever they heard from Alice's spoken words had them shooting curious glances at the girl walking in front of them. He did all of this because she jumped off a cliff? How sick it was that he had her so monitored that he decided to kill himself as soon as he heard she jumped. What sort of idiot acts first and waits later for the rest of the information?

Demetri shook his head. If what he felt inside was true, and there was no way it wasn't, he wouldn't have done half of the shit Edward did. First, he would have jumped off the cliff with her. Not first, not later, with her. Did she want adrenaline? He'd jump off a plane with her if she wanted.

Edward growled softly, too low for Bella to hear but loud enough for Demetri to know it was directed at him. He grinned menacingly. "Bring it." He mouthed. He would not censor his thoughts just to spare him the uncomfortable truth.

"Behave." Jane warned. Again, the entire conversation was too low for Bella to catch.

Felix elbowed him again, which was getting annoying. Demetri sighed, gathering his patience and looking at what he wanted his attention directed. He saw it immediately. Bella was trying to look behind her. Either out of curiosity or fear, she was interested enough in who was following her.

Demetri looked at Felix and noticed the same patterns he'd been displaying. It was an interesting development and would make for an interesting story. He grinned. He didn't mind the turn of events one bit.

Felix kept sighing impatiently, only to irritate Bella and tease her out of her discomfort and of Edward's embrace. Demetri elbowed him and shot him a warning look. She was scared enough as it was. No need to tease her and scare her off for good. He would not allow that. If she wanted to leave, it was because she chose to leave, not because she was scared into making a decision.

Once they reached the antechamber of the throne room and, by extension, Gianna's working station, Felix winked at her making her giggle. Felix had always enjoyed teasing her, and Gianna took it all in stride. She knew everything in this castle and was a hell of a secretary. Of course, she hoped to become a vampire one day, though the jury was still undecided on that matter. Demetri didn't miss the way Felix tensed after Gianna giggled. They'd been friends for decades, and he'd learned his tells. He felt guilty for flirting with another woman when the one he wanted was before him.

Edward glowered darkly at Demetri. Demetri held his stare before Edward turned to look at Felix, who was looking at Bella with such yearning that his own heart sang. Edward stepped closer to Bella, but that made her tense more. She was scared; she had been clinging to Edward from the moment they entered the underground tunnels. The idiot was only adding wood to the fire. His prejudices against the Volturi clouded his judgment, making him impatient, impulsive, and forget whom he was supposed to protect in the first place.

When Alec met them, Felix and Demetri noticed the look of surprise he shot Bella. It could have been quickly masked by his joke to his twin about bringing two and a half vampires instead of the one she was sent out to seek. But when you spend so much time in close quarters with people, you realize there is not much you don't know about them. Jane loved dressing in black cloaks, Demetri, and Felix in grey ones, giving the impression that Jane outranked them, when in truth, it was them who outranked her. Alec was also outranked, but just like his sister, he had a gift that placed them among the top of the guards.

When they entered the throne room, Demetri swiftly placed Bella behind him and restrained Edward while Felix blocked Alice's exit without touching her. It made him nervous, keeping Bella out of sight with two hostile vampires intent on taking her back. However, that was the least of his worries. Bella was a quiet presence at his back, and he could see that Alec never took his eyes off her. Yes, the three of them would need to talk as soon as this shit show was over.

He enjoyed the vague way in which Bella answered Marcus' questions. She was polite but purposely vague. She seemed distracted. He'd love to turn around and confirm what she thought of everything. Aro kept talking, and he kept his hands on Edward, barely straining himself. There was no need, he was much stronger than Edward, and his choice of diet added strength to that. Edward struggled the entire time, barely phasing Demetri.

Standing next to his sister on the other side of the room, Alec kept his eyes trained on the human girl that had come to bring him to his knees. Jane caught his attention and winked at him. He gave her a curt nod before resuming his task of watching Bella. At some point, their eyes met. She looked at him with interest, curiosity, and without an ounce of fear. It took him by surprise, honestly. He expected her to be cowering next to Edward, trembling with cold and feeling uncomfortable. She was soaking wet, and despite the warmth of the day and the clear skies, they were too low in the castle for any of the warmth to make it inside. Still, she averted her gaze after blushing and kept staring at everything around her. It made him smile.

She must feel safe in here. Her spine straightened as she answered Marcus, but her attention wavered away from what was happening as soon as it wasn't directed at her. She seemed utterly uninterested in discussing Edward's deeds and how pleased Aro seemed that Bella had come to save him. Aro droned on about young love and a bunch of nonsense. Bella never flinched. Her eyes locked now on Demetri. His smile turned into a smirk when he noticed how she nodded appreciatively at whatever she noticed about Demetri after looking at him from head to toe. She did the same with Felix. He couldn't see her eyes, but her body language screamed it anyways. She wanted it. She felt something, and she wanted it. Would she stay long enough to explore it?

His interest in her picked when Edward said he couldn't read her. That meant she must be like Renata. He was surprised that Aro hadn't asked for her hand to test his theory. He paid closer attention to the brothers. Marcus must have said something to Aro at some point, for sure, because Marcus was smiling at Bella with amusement. It reminded him of Marcus' own gift. He must know what Bella meant for him and Demetri and Felix. He must see the bonds. What had he missed? Why hadn't Aro asked for Bella's hand? Why wasn't he more interested in her possible gift?

While Aro might not be playing out today, he was. He let out the part of his gift that he kept hidden from everyone except the two men he was friends with and apparently shared a bond with and his sister. This was part of his gift that didn't manifest physically in the form of heavy fog. This one went from his mind to his victim's mind without detours. He tested his theory, tickling Bella's brain. She shifted uncomfortably on her spot, but besides hugging herself, she seemed unaffected by his test. He retreated, feeling guilty. She was not an anonymous human on whom he tested his gifts. She was his.

Soon, the circus changed. Aro had asked Bella a question. "I would hate to take the choice away from our guest."

Alec and everyone in the room turned to look at her. He missed the question but was interested in hearing the answer. Even Demetri turned around, still restraining Edward.

"I wish to stay here." She said. But something about her intonation was off. It didn't ring like a lie, but it didn't ring like the truth either.

Demetri manhandled Edward a bit more than necessary, enjoying the feeling that came with the knowledge of Bella deciding to stay. That Aro had made it clear that Edward and Alice had to leave, but Bella had the choice to do whatever she wanted. And she had chosen to stay. He'd take advantage of that. Edward tried to break free of his hold, but Demetri only shook his head and murmured too low for Bella to hear. "Not in a million years, pretty boy."

Alice tried to defy Aro, only to be called out by Bella, who repeated that she wanted to stay.

Felix, Demetri, and Alec enjoyed watching Bella say goodbye to the Cullens. They knew there was more to the story than what they'd heard, but they would need to get closer to the girl to hear everything. And for that to happen, they needed to be on the same page.

Jane was appointed to accompany Bella to her room and as her point of contact if she needed anything. Watching Bella walk out of the room, knowing they would see her the next day and the next, for a long time, felt like a victory on its own.

Demetri gestured for Alec to follow him and palmed Felix on the back. They ended up in Demetri's room, the one farthest away from Bella, just in case.

"Who wants to come clean first?" Alec asked, taking a seat in one of the love seats.

Felix grinned. "We all know the same. She's ours. The question is, what are we going to do about it?"

Demetri rolled his eyes. Felix was impatient and impulsive. "We should wait. Let her get comfortable in here before we spring this news on her. Besides, she just broke up with the Cullen boy."

"So?" Alec pressed.

"She might need time, space. She might need to process everything that happens. Let's give her some space before we decide on anything."

"Do you see the irony of the situation?" Felix asked from his place, resting against a wall.

"What do you mean?"

"We all want her to make the choice, to decide she wants us. But you're taking the choice away from her. If we do that, we're not better than the Cullens."

Demetri growled, hating the comparison but knowing Felix was right. "Ok, what do you suggest then?"

"We tell her. As simple as that. Let her make her own mind and make an informed decision."

"Easier said than done." Demetri argued.

"It's her choice, and we're not taking it away. She deserves to know." Alec pressed, getting aggravated with Demetri's stubbornness.

"You're right. We should tell her everything. But at least, let's give her a few days. Today must have been emotionally draining for her."

They agreed to give Bella a few days to rest and process the day's events.

However, things came out differently than planned. Between Jane and Renata, they didn't have the opportunity to speak with Bella alone the first week she was at the castle. Jane informed her brother of a task Marcus had asked Bella to undertake at the library. He passed on the message, and they stayed clear of the library for a few days. But the silence was deafening. Marcus hadn't gone to the library, and neither had Jane. They decided to take matters into their own hands and interrupt Bella. It was selfish, but they were desperate.

Desperation turned into panic when they found the library empty, with no lingering scent in there and no lingering scent in the hallways. They went to the gardens, her room, the kitchen, and the garage; any rooms she could have gone to were empty. Her bed was made, and her personal effects were there, but there was no lingering scent. It was as if she had vanished from the earth. As if she'd never been there in the first place.

Alec spoke with Renata and Jane, but they had not seen Bella since the day Marcus asked her to do whatever she was doing at the library.

Felix braved his guilty conscience and enlisted Gianna's help, but it was also futile. Gianna had seen less of Bella than everyone else.

"Where the fuck could she have gone?" They checked the cameras, but for some reason, they stopped working precisely a week and a half ago.

They took their concerns to Aro and Marcus, who took the situation more seriously than expected. Even Caius became interested in knowing the situation's aftermath, despite choosing to remain at the margins of everything. Bella meant nothing to him.

Aro and Marcus checked on their own, going to the secret places they each had that no one else knew about but no signs of Bella.

Bella was considered officially a missing person now. But they couldn't alert the authorities, and they couldn't alert any of their allies. How do you fucking lose a human within three weeks of her arrival?

Demetri was losing hope, falling into a pit of despair. His gift wasn't working on her; he memorized her scent, but she was nonexistent on his map.

"It must be her gift blocking you." Alec offered. It didn't help. It was one of those useless facts. He kept quiet after that.

Demetri decided to brave the library again; there must be something he was overlooking. He was about to give up when he saw her. She was walking calmly to the library, lost in her thoughts. Demetri hugged her tightly against his chest, relief flowing through his body.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Who was he thanking? Whomever the fuck cared enough.

Bella returned the embrace, sinking into his arms, leaning into his touch, drinking him in. He resisted the urge to kiss her senseless then and there. Only out of respect for her and his friends did he refrain.

She swore she'd been at the library the entire time, and he couldn't shake the disappointment at her lie. "Bella, we've come every day to this room, and your scent was not there. We couldn't follow your scent. There was no trail. I couldn't find you." His voice broke on the last sentence. He'd never felt so useless in his life than trying to find her and realizing her gift applied to him too.

He'd fired a text to everyone who'd been involved in the search for his girl the past few days. Felix and Alec arrived quickly. Neither of them touched her, wanting to give her space because she looked like a deer in the headlights. She looked so fragile, so scared, and innocent. Jane rubbed Alec's arm in silent comfort.

Neither of the guys enjoyed being told to leave Bella alone with the two kings. But Marcus' orders were to be followed just like Aro's. The fact that he didn't order anyone anything didn't mean that when he did, he wasn't to be heard.

Alec leaned forward and whispered a plea in Bella's ear. "Come find us when you're done."

…

…

…

"Fuck, she'll be the death of me." Felix muttered as he sat heavily on the couch.

Demetri paced around the room for hours, thinking of the past two weeks, the panic, the inability to track her, and the lack of scent lingering in the halls and the library. Marcus had believed her, and he was better than a lie detector for spotting bullshit. So, what the fuck happened? If she'd been transiting the halls as always, why was there no evidence of her passing? Was her shield so powerful already?

When it became apparent that Bella wouldn't show up anytime soon, Demetri blamed himself. "I was too harsh on her. I didn't believe her. Maybe I hurt her feelings, and she doesn't want to speak with me right now."

In different circumstances, Alec would have teased Demetri for losing his cool. But a look at his watch let him know it was already two am.

"I doubt it was that. It was pretty late when you found her. I assume she went to sleep and will speak with us tomorrow. Let her be the one to come to us. We already made our move. She knows we're protective of her. Let her come to terms with it and be the one to come to us when she's ready." Felix reasoned.

Alec and Demetri looked at him in surprise. "What? I can be rational sometimes."

Demetri shook his head, allowing a smile to spread. "Ok, so we'll let her come to us tomorrow. Any of us should be visible in the places she goes to. So she knows where to find us if she wants to talk. We won't pressure her. She only talks if she wants. Agree?"

Alec and Felix nodded. And so, instead of each retiring to their rooms, they stayed huddled together, passing the hours until it was time to resume their duties.