Hey there! Another chapter :)

This time, it comes more in the form of Alec's pov. I don't know why it ended being this way. I just know it mostly wrote itself. Let me know what you think!

And thank you a million times for all your encouraging reviews!

THE LOCKET.

Chapter 5.

Bella kept massaging her temples while Demetri explained his theory. "Mine and Alec's powers are also mental. Neither of us can reach you, which means your power is already manifesting strongly. We think it simply wants out. Hence the buzzing. Of course, this is just a theory, and we cannot prove it correctly because none of us remember having experienced anything like that in our human life." Hell, they barely remember their human lives to begin with.

Felix traced circles on her back, attempting to comfort her. It was strange, seeing her in pain and uncomfortable and not being able to do anything because what ailed her could not be cured by human medicine. It would only stop with the transformation and with training.

She leaned against his arm, seeking more than his hand on her back. Alec observed her body language and smiled. She felt the pull towards them, and she was not freaked out in the least. She wasn't overthinking the situation or asking a million questions about mates or the fact that she had three. It was both refreshing and anticlimactic. He was also a bit jealous of Felix's easy interaction with her. They had come inside the training room holding hands as if they had done it thousands of times before.

Out of the three of them, he had more reservations about physical touch. He craved it and wanted Bella to lean against him, to rely on him, not just emotionally, but in every sense. He knew that for her to do that, or more accurately, to feel she had the liberty to do that, he'd have to take the initiative, shed some of that self-doubt that clouded his mind, and open to her. She was his mate, and that might say everything; but if it was only a matter of being his mate, he could have ignored the bond and gone on with his life. But he was attracted to her. She was beautiful, a little shy, and so hard to read. He felt bewitched. No wonder he couldn't stop looking at her.

Bella noticed his gaze and held it briefly before blushing and looking away. Alec hated that. It was the second time she had blushed and looked away from him. Why did she keep doing that?

Did she not feel the same for him as he did for her? Was she here for Demetri and Felix alone? Was he just a fourth wheel? He felt rage, heartache, disappointment, jealousy, and the need to destroy something.

He stood up abruptly, murmuring a pathetic excuse that didn't register in his mind, and walked out of the training room. His head hung low, his unbeating heart was bleeding out, and this intensity would only get worse as he got to know her.

Hurried footsteps catching up to him sobered him out of his depressing thoughts. He knew it was Bella chasing after him, so he stopped and waited until she reached him.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes were shiny and watery, as if she was holding back her tears. Was she crying over him? No. She should never cry, let alone over him. He pressed his thumb over the wetness leaking over the corner of her right eye.

"Why are you crying?" He murmured.

"Why did you leave?"

He snapped back his hand, and she frowned. "I was giving you privacy." He stated darkly.

Her frown deepened. "Privacy over what?"

"To speak with Demetri and Felix, of course." Was it not obvious?

Bella's frown remained, but her eyes were no longer wet and shiny. Well, they were shiny, but not with contained tears. She seemed angry.

"What's gotten over you? I thought we were all talking and clearing things up. Why did you really leave?"

She was stubborn. That made him smile bitterly.

Could he open his heart and allow her to reap it to shreds before it had the chance to beat for her? Before it had the chance to know how it would feel like to love her and be loved by her?

He shrugged, choosing to remain silent.

"I'm your mate, right?" She asked.

"Yes." He accompanied his words with a nod.

"Do you want to get to know me?" She looked so hopeful.

"I do, more than anything." He admitted.

She extended a hand, palm up, and held it between their bodies. "Then join us. Come with me, please."

Did she know that she held a weapon of mass destruction with her 'please'?

"Do you want to get to know me?" He repeated her question.

Bella smiled. It was not her shy smile. It was broad and honest. "More than anything." She repeated his words.

He took her hand, noticing how perfectly they fit together.

"Why did you leave?" She asked again, stepping closer.

"I thought you didn't want me." He whispered, looking into her eyes.

How did she do that? Get him to open up when he didn't want to.

Her eyes widened. "Did I give you that impression?"

He shook his head, more to clear his mind that in answer to her question. "The first day you were here when we were in the throne room, I looked at you, and you blushed and looked away. Back there," He pointed to the training room. "You did it again."

Bella's head fell, but instead of meeting air, she rested her forehead on his shoulder. She giggled softly against the fabric of his shirt. He's never been vain, but he was glad vampires didn't sweat. He couldn't imagine how this scene would be going if he was drenched in sweat. "Your gaze is really intense." She breathed the words out.

He arched an eyebrow, curious now. "Intense, how?"

She blushed and shook her head. So, something in his gaze embarrassed her, but not in a bad way. She liked it. How she was clinging to him, as if he might leave after all, and how she was squeezing his fingers tightly indicated that he had misread the entire situation, letting his demons take over.

He filed her words for later. Right now, he needed to rectify his mistake. He tilted her chin with his index finger and held her stare for a few seconds. There she was, blushing red but trying to hold his gaze. He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. This is not the time to speak about it, but one day I'll explain why my first reaction was to think you didn't want me."

Bella wrapped her hands around his forearms and leaned into his body. Yes, the answer was yes. She did feel as safe in Alec's arms as she felt in Demetri's and Felix's.

"Want to come back?" She offered, breaking away.

"Let's go back."

…

…

…

They found Demetri and Felix roughhousing on the ring.

"You can't stop yourself, can you?" Alec teased Felix.

Felix was one, if not the strongest, vampire to exist. He spent most of his time reading, roughhousing, training, or running. Neither activity would make any improvements to his physique, but he claimed it helped him clear his mind, and it had saved his life on more than one occasion, despite being the best warrior.

Felix shrugged. "I was antsy." Translation: he needed the noise to drown his conversation with Bella. It was his way of giving her privacy. It had been the same move he'd done with Demetri when they heard him coming to the training room but stopping at the door.

Bella eyed the ring speculatively as if it held the answers to all her questions. But instead of looking relieved, she looked panicked and worried. He exchanged a look with the other two men, who nodded at him. They also saw the same.

Had she experienced some trauma that involved a boxing ring? There was still so much they didn't know about her.

"So, I heard your transformation is set up for two weeks from now. Is there anything particularly riveting you want to do?" Felix asked in an attempt to bring her out of her dark thoughts.

She blinked, coming back to reality. "Not really. There are a few things I have thought about, but I already set them in motion."

She was nothing if not prepared. She would make an excellent vampire.

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Demetri asked with curiosity.

"Do you know where I can find an elephant?" Her question took them all by surprise. They weren't sure if she was continuing the same conversation or starting a different one.

"What do you need an elephant for?"

Bella groaned, palming her forehead. "Forget it. I didn't mean to say that out loud." Alec chuckled and realized she hadn't let go of his hand. He squeezed it gently and felt her squeeze back.

"No way. I want to know!" Felix sometimes behaved like a little kid.

"I made a mock bucket list." She said as if that explained everything.

It didn't.

"Why would you make a mock bucket list?" Alec asked.

Bella groaned again. Why did this so aggravate her?

"I have a few serious things I want to do. Don't ask; I'm not telling you. Not yet, at least. And some others that were just for fun. Hence, the elephant."

Demetri hummed. Alec couldn't shake his curiosity over the serious list. What did she have in there that she didn't want to share with them yet?

"And your serious list? Do you plan some debauchery?"

To their surprise, she blushed redder than they'd seen so far. Alec grinned, but the other two tried to hide their own pleased smiles. Bella was as difficult to read as she was an open book.

Whatever debauchery she had thought about, she didn't want to speak about it. It only made Alec's curiosity grow. He wouldn't press her for information, of course. But he would take advantage of it as soon as she felt comfortable enough to speak to them about it.

"Moving on from the debauchery." Demetri shot a warning look at Felix, who raised his hands in mock surrender. "Without telling us what you planned, could you tell us if there's anything we can do to help you?"

Felix chuckled, ignoring the warning look Demetri gave him again, which was the wrong thing to do because that caused Felix to laugh harder. Bella stared at him with a raised eyebrow, but everyone could see the amusement on her face.

Seeing as Felix's annoying behavior wouldn't stop soon, Bella answered Demetri's question.

"I don't think so. But thank you." Demetri nodded and stood up.

"We've got to go. We have some things to prepare." He kissed Bella on the cheek after she stood up with Alec's help.

"Bye, princess." Felix kissed her forehead and followed Demetri outside.

Alec walked Bella to the library, where Marcus was waiting for her.

"I'll catch up with you later." He murmured shyly and kissed her cheek as a goodbye.

"Alec?" She called just as he was about to disappear around a corner.

He turned around. "Yes?"

She walked up to him and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "There's no way I don't want you." She whispered before turning around and skipping inside the library.

He shook his head like a lovesick puppy and continued to the meeting room where Felix and Demetri were waiting for him.

…

…

…

"She took it remarkably well." Alec murmured.

They had been discussing the details of the mission that Aro had ordered them to undertake for a few hours. They had polished everything that needed polishing. After going around in circles and repeating everything discussed, they dropped the formality and settled on discussing the events of that morning. Mainly them telling Bella the truth.

"She did." Demetri agreed. "It surprised me."

Felix looked at them disapprovingly. "I can't believe you expected her to freak out."

"I'm not saying that." Alec defended himself. "But I wasn't expecting her to take it all so well. We dumped a lot of information on her, and she took it all in stride. As if we were discussing anything but the fact that she has three mates."

Felix shrugged. "She's something else. You saw how she reacted when we brought her and the other two Cullens into the throne room. She was more interested in the walls than what was happening around her. That should have been indication enough that we might have underestimated her. You don't need to coddle her. She's strong."

Demetri chose that moment to intervene before they started fighting in earnest. "No one is coddling her. We don't know her that well. We know she's strong. I'll enjoy getting to know her."

Alec and Felix agreed. They both interacted differently with Bella, as was expected, and in return, she gave what each of them needed. Most of their interactions were instinctual, and they needed to remember that. If Bella's blush and reluctance to share her debauchery plans were indication enough, she was a virgin and shy about sex-related topics. They needed to keep that in mind and speak to her about it. An open and honest relationship always functions better than one when one party makes assumptions and acts in consequence. And this was not a normal relationship. This was a four-way relationship, which complicated matters a little bit more.

"So. The elephant in the room." Demetri spoke again. "Who's changing her?"

"Isn't Aro changing her? I mean, he changed most of us." Alec nodded in agreement with Felix's statement.

"I think we can ask Aro if he plans to change her or if we can do it."

Yeah, good luck questioning Aro's plans.

Alec wasn't dumb enough to do it. Aro might be lenient, but there are lines you did not cross. Asking Aro about his plans was one of those.

Felix left the room only to return with sticks in his fist a few seconds later. "Whoever draws the short stick gets to ask Aro about it."

Demetri huffed, annoyed. "You cowards." He mumbled half-heartedly. "I'll ask him."

"Good luck." Felix waved his fingers at his best friend, watching him disappear.

"So, supposing Aro doesn't plan on changing her. We should discuss this with Bella. It's her life. She can choose whose bite is going to kill her." One of the things Alec liked about Felix is that beneath his rough exterior and threatening position in the guard, he was a mellow guy. He rambled whenever he got nervous. It was a rare sight, but it happened.

"We will. But let's wait until Demetri comes back to plan anything."

…

…

…

They didn't have to wait much. Demetri was back ten minutes later, wearing a frown and scratching the back of his neck. Alec's stomach dropped, thinking the worse. "He's changing her, isn't he?"

Demetri shook his head. "Actually, he's not. He said the possibility didn't even cross his mind."

Felix's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's good, right?" Alec nodded, still at a loss for words. Aro was playing some game here, and he felt like he was one of the pieces.

Whatever they wanted to plan next was interrupted by the very woman they were talking about. She stopped dead at the conference room entrance, a frown on her forehead. "Huh." Was all she said before leaving the room.

The three vampires looked at each other. What the hell was that?

They all scrambled to their feet faster than ever and hurried to chase after their mate. It wasn't a challenging feat since they were faster than her.

"What's wrong, princess?" Felix asked first.

Bella huffed, annoyed. "I keep getting lost in this place. I was supposed to meet Renata. She said to take two rights and one left after leaving the kitchen. I did that, and instead of finding her, I found you."

She had her arms crossed on her chest, a frown tilting her brows upside down, and a stubborn tilt to her chin. She looked bitable and not as food. "You're in the right place then." Demetri confirmed.

This seemed to confuse her more instead of relieving her. "Are you sure?"

Demetri chuckled. "I am sure, Bella. You are in the right place. Maybe she's late or heard us and decided to look for you to go anywhere else since the room was busy."

"Huh." She repeated. At least this time, her frown disappeared, and her posture relaxed. She seemed contemplative now instead of angry and frustrated. She mumbled something about hell before waving goodbye at them and leaving in the opposite direction she took when she first left the room.

"What did she say about hell?" Alec asked no one in particular.

"She says it's easier to get out of hell than to find her way around the castle." Felix answered. "She's not wrong."

Alec shook his head. His mate might be more unhinged than he'd given her credit for. He smiled. This was going to be a hell of a ride.