A/N: Hi Peeps! Here we are at chapter twenty-eight and finally, we get some Bella time! And the Cullens are joining the party! Enjoy xoxo

– Bella's POV –

Jasper and I were waiting in the sunroom for our guests to arrive. We didn't want it to feel like a formal gathering, but in some ways, that's exactly what it was. The Cullen Coven isn't coming to face Bella and Jasper as they once knew us. They were now standing before the future leaders of our world. Whether they and the rest of the world knew that or not.

I know all the Cullens—well, most of them—likely believe Jasper and I will rejoin their Coven and everything will return to how it was before we left Forks. Unfortunately, they're going to be sorely disappointed. Neither of us has any interest in returning to the Cullen way of life. If I can, I plan to completely eradicate the whole Coven and turn their lives upside down.

I don't mean maliciously. I would much rather nobody was hurt. Though I'm not sure that's possible anymore. The more I learn about the vampire world outside the Cullen Coven's way of life, the more I'm realizing, whatever happens here today, it's likely going to end with someone's death. Probably Alice's.

I was going to ask The Major not to kill her, to show mercy where—as I've been told—the Volturi wouldn't. But I'm starting to wonder how much of what I know about the Volturi is the truth and how much of it is a difference of opinion, blatant lies, or just a vastly different way of life. After all, the Volturi have been around for three thousand years; they must be doing something right!

Following my introduction to vampire life and my lessons with Jasper and Peter, I decided not to ask them to spare Alice's life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in any rush to condemn her. After all, she might not have done anything wrong. There's still a chance this has all been a big mistake. At least, that's what I'm hoping. I want her to be the good, wonderful, kindhearted girl I met in Forks. The girl who became my best friend.

Realistically, there's a part of my brain that already understands, Alice was never really my friend. But the other part—the human part, the part that's still clinging to the lie—holds out hope that this meeting will end happily. Without venomshed and the loss of life.

No matter what happens here today, I feel like I'm going into this meeting with a clearer view of the vampire world than I've ever had. I still have a lot to learn. Vampire life—real vampire life—is nothing like the way the Cullens live. Not that I ever thought their way of life was normal.

Whatever is going on with Alice and the Cullen Coven, it needs to be sorted. Jasper and I want . . . no! We deserve answers! Whatever the truth is! No matter how much it may hurt. Or how angry or betrayed we feel. We deserve to know what the fuck that little midget is playing at.

I want to know why she sent Jasper away from me. And why she kept telling him it wasn't time for us to be together. Why was she so insistent? Why would she keep us apart when she knew my life was in constant danger?

I get why he listened to her; I really do. He believed that she saw something in her visions and there was a greater purpose for keeping us apart. And why wouldn't he trust her? He knew her for seventy-five years before I came into their lives. He trusted her. He believed in her. He relied on her gift. Because, back then, he had no reason to think she'd ever do anything to cause him or their family harm.

Yes, Jasper should've used his initiative and stepped in. He saw what was happening with Edward and knew how scared I was, he should've acted as my mate and taken me away long before I walked into his study. But Alice had his trust. If she said it wasn't time, then it wasn't time. He believed she would never put his True Mate in danger and he trusted that, if she saw something, either he or she would be there to protect me. Not once did it cross his mind that she could be lying. Why would it? This is Alice we're talking about. His best friend. His companion. His former lover. He's known her for seven decades and she's been nothing but sweet, kind, compassionate, and exuberant. She's Alice. She'd never do anything to harm anyone, let alone a man she claimed to love!

It took me a while to get to this place and realize that, while Jasper may have been an idiot I could understand and see why he reacted the way he did when Alice told him it wasn't time for us to be together.

While I was in transition, I had a lot of time to think. With my mother whispering in my mind and showing me a few things I'd missed—and teaching me her own lessons about this world—I was able to work through this little blunder and realize Jasper's lack of action—though, yes, still his fault—was also partly due to his complete trust in a seer who had everyone believing she knew best.

Now, though, everything is different.

And I had a feeling Alice was about to see what it's like when you lose the trust of a man like The Major.

If I were her, and I had her gift, I never would've stepped foot in Colorado let alone willingly entered The Major's territory and home. So, I'm thinking she has a reason—something we don't know about yet—for being here. I just have no idea what that is or what it'll take to get it out of her.

Hopefully, we'll find out what she's up to and be able to deal with it accordingly. Even if that means her death. I don't like it. But I won't put my mates or those I love in danger.

The sunroom, like the rest of the house, was beautiful. It was an oval-shaped room made entirely of glass. Even the ceiling was glass. With stunning views of the surrounding property. The forest and mountains to my left. And a huge lake over to the right, with a dock and gazebo at the end.

The mountain sun was bright, made even more intense by the freshly fallen, pure white snow. Thankfully, Jasper had installed special, tempered glass that stopped the vampires from sparkling inside the house.

It can't be easy living with skin that lights up like a disco ball in the sunshine. It must be very restricting to anyone who doesn't live in Forks. Especially in these modern times where cameras are everywhere.

That wasn't something I considered until Peter brought it to my attention. These days technology is everywhere and it gets smarter and more refined with each passing year. And it's not just humans with smartphones, there are cameras on the streets, watching traffic, security cameras, hidden cameras. It's got to be incredibly hard being a vampire. It makes me wonder; are there vampires who still walk amongst humans in the daytime?

With my newfound abilities, hopefully, I'll be able to do something about the sparkling. I'm not sure how yet, but I have faith that, given time, I'll be guided to the answer.

Life will be easier for vampires if they can blend into human society. And they can't very well do that when they light up like a disco ball whenever the sun begins to shine! In my opinion, it would be better for them to be the 'Hollywood' vampire and remain out of the sun altogether. Allowing them partial access—but only on cloudy days!—just seems cruel! And frankly, more than a little dangerous!

Meteorologists aren't always right. And not everyone has a gift like Alice's.

What happens if a vampire is out when the clouds clear and the sun makes an appearance? They'll light up and any humans that happen to be around will have to be killed!

Worse yet, what if it's a crowded street or somewhere like Time Square in New York City? Would all those people—possibly thousands of people—have to die? And how is that even possible? I guarantee ninety-nine percent of those humans have camera phones. And half of them likely snapped a picture of this vampire lighting up like the big ball on New Year's Eve!

With the Volturi in Italy, how would something like that be handled?

It would take them hours, possibly days to get to New York. By that point, every human that saw the vampire has disappeared and, very likely, every news outlet in the world is wondering what the hell happened in New York. At best, it might be considered a practical joke. At worst, someone with a curious nature is wondering if it was something more, which could eventually lead them to the supernatural.

I'm not surprised most nomads are worried and fear the Volturi are outdated. They might be good at their jobs—that's yet to be proven to me, so I don't know—but, from what I can tell, it seems like they sit on their assess in their big castle twiddling their thumbs all day.

There must be more to it.

I would hope there's more to it! I would hope they're prepared for a situation like this. That they have teams covering the entire world to handle problems that come up in areas of the world other than their own backyard. But, right now, that's yet to be seen.

I know Jasper's worried about this Demetri guy. Especially with his age, experience, and what could be a fight to the death between them. But, honestly, I'm not worried. Why would I be? I'm mated to The Major. There's a reason he's known as the biggest badass the vampire world has ever seen. The God of War. You don't earn a moniker like that by sitting on your ass all day.

I'll play the good little mate. I'll let Jasper do his thing. I'll give Demetri the chance to submit like a good boy and let them work this out as vampires. But if they can't, I'll step in and sort it out for them.

For some reason, neither of my mates has realized yet that I do not need an Alpha. I will happily submit to my mates in the bedroom. I will abide by The Major's rules. I'll even enjoy his dominance and the fun games we'll all play together. But when it comes down to it, I am the Alpha.

I am the one and only Vampire Goddess.

If I tell Demetri to submit, he'll submit and he'll do it with a smile on his face.

Maybe that sounds cocky. It probably does. But I've seen the effect my Nectar has on male vampires. I know, one taste and he'll be on his knees begging to worship me. If this Demetri is that important to our mission but refuses to submit to The Major, he will submit to me.

There are no other options.

Peter says we still have a while before we involve the Volturi in our plans. It's a good thing, too, because I have so many questions about this world but for now, it can wait until after the big confrontation. Jasper's far too tense and pent-up to have a proper conversation.

I think he expected me to have a different reaction to how a fight between two Alpha males would go down, but really, after I thought about it, I realized it was kinda obvious. Why would the outcome be anything other than the death of the loser? I'm glad it's nothing sexual, though. I don't want to think of my Jasper having anything in common with evil men like Charlie and the shifters. And I would not feel comfortable with that type of behavior, even if it was explained as being vampire instinct.

Clearing my mind of those thoughts, I made myself comfortable in a cozy-looking armchair and draped a soft, faux fur blanket over my lap. With all the glass and snow outside it was a little chilly. Jasper remained standing, positioning himself behind my chair. He was alert and focused.

I let him be for now.

To ensure that this meeting went off with as few distractions as possible, Jasper and I decided to dress for the occasion. Nothing fancy. I wore a white floor-length dress with a deep V-neckline that went almost to my belly button. It offered easy access to my breasts but covered all the important bits Jasper wasn't prepared to share just yet. My back was completely bare, the straps of the dress tied around my neck. There was a long slit up the side of the dress, showing off my legs. I'd forgone underwear, there was no need for such restrictions anymore. I braided my hair, to ensure nobody missed the mating mark on my neck, though. Wore no makeup. And decided against shoes.

Jasper was dressed in his favourite jeans that molded to his delicious body, showing off those long, lean legs. And a denim shirt. He rolled the sleeves up and left the shirt unbuttoned to reveal his bare chest. Unlike me, he had on his dark brown cowboy boots.

Soft lips brushed across my throat and teeth nipped at my earlobe. "Focus, Kitten."

With a shake of my head, I focused on what was happening around us. Though I'm not entirely like the typical newborn, I am still part vampire, therefore have the traits of a typical baby vampire. Even if I am vastly more controlled most of the time.

With new clear eyes, I watched as Charlotte entered the sunroom. The first thing I noticed about her were her scars. They were far more prominent with my new, shaper eyes. But, to me, she was utterly beautiful. Her scars weren't distracting from her beauty. They weren't hideous or even terrifying. They were part of her, making her even more beautiful.

She had a big, bright, wide smile, showing off all her glittering white teeth. Her thick, dark hair flowed down to the middle of her back. She was petite and short, though taller than Alice. She was casually dressed in a pair of destroyed skinny jeans and a simple, white camisole with a v-neckline and spaghetti straps. Nothing fancy. Just comfy and casual.

Just like I'd seen with Peter, surrounding Charlotte was a luminescent, white glow. Her intentions were pure. And, her Sire Bond with Jasper was just as strong as Peter's bond with him. Though there were no romantic or sexual overtones in their bond. However, those notes were in the bond she and I share, and in the bond she's beginning to form with Ren.

Charlotte came to stand before us, bowing regally to me and Jasper. "Major. Miss. Bella."

"Hello, my love." I reached for her, gently squeezing her hand. "Welcome home."

Behind Charlotte, Ren entered the sunroom, smiling happily at me. It was hard seeing her. Not for any emotional reason. It was because I could see through the illusion and, if I was focused, I could also see the illusion. It was like seeing two separate, entirely different women flickering back and forth. The two different Ren's had two different bodies and wore two different outfits. It was disconcerting.

Ren's bonds had changed, too. Like Charlotte and Peter, her intentions towards Jasper and me were pure. The white glow around her was bright and held steadfast. I was concerned I'd find some residual loyalty to Charlie but I was happy to see no bond with him, at all. She was now free. Well, as free as she can be bound to me and Jasper.

She had a new bond with Charlotte, though it was stronger on Charlotte's side than Ren's. I put that down to her being a succubus and unable to form bonds as strong as other species.

Ren joined Charlotte on my left. The two women stood like intimidating twin pillars, ready to defend my mate and me should they need to act.

Behind Ren, Emmett entered the sunroom. And, damn, that boy was big! I know he's the same size he's always been but . . . has he always been that big? Here I thought my mate was tall, but Emmett was at least a head taller than Jasper's six-four.

He was well muscled, burley. His black t-shirt stretched across the wide expanse of his chest and broad shoulders. Even through the material, I could just make out the outline of his flat stomach and abs. I could see why other humans, and even some vampires, would see him as intimidating. Well, at least until he smiled and showed off those cute dimples.

Emmett, too, had a pure white light surrounding him. Even though he'd only had a taste of my Nectar, he was already devoted. He shared a very strong bond with Rosalie. Not a True Mating Bond, like the one I share with Jasper and Peter. This was different . . . I wasn't entirely sure what it meant . . .

Emmett and Rosalie are mated.My mother explained. They share a strong bond but their souls are not connected through a true bond. If they choose, this bond can be broken.

That would explain the color. Unlike a True Mating Bond, which is the deepest most beautiful golden color, Rosalie and Emmett's bond is amber. A deep orange mixed with passionate reds indicating their romance and the strength of their sexual desire for one another. I could see how much Emmett adored Rosalie. His love for her was intense as was his sexual desire for her. There were tiny pearl-like flecks within their bond that I didn't know the meaning of and my mother wasn't in a telling mood.

His bond with me was still weak, but there was certainly a physical attraction. Right now, it was a deep red and pulsing. In the future that could change. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

Rosalie entered the sunroom on Emmett's heels. She was harder to read. If Emmett was an open book, Rosalie's book was bolted, padlocked, wrapped in chains, and guarded by hellhounds. She was as closed off and distant as someone could get.

But no matter how closed off someone is, my gift will still work on them.

Her bond with Emmett was stronger than any other bond she has. Her love for him was abundant, as was her passion and desire for him. But like with Emmett, there were tiny pearl-like flecks within their bond, though from Rosalie the flecks were almost sparkly. Much brighter and more intense than the flecks I saw in Emmett's bonds. I'm not sure what it means. But the weak bond she and I share is a lovely, intense pearly white color.

There were other bonds, of course, but for now, I wasn't interested in how much she desired my Edward or the strength of her sire bond with Carlisle.

The glow surrounding Rosalie wasn't as pure white as it was with the others. Though, that wasn't much of a surprise. She's never liked me. And from what I can tell, she's questioning Jasper's loyalties now he's mated and aligned himself with me. But her glow wasn't worrisome. Though not pure white. It was still white, more like a white dove color; mostly white with hints of light and darker grey and maybe a little beige.

I could live with that.

For now.

Rosalie was more beautiful than my human eyes could've ever perceived. Tall, statuesque, with sensuous curves and a voluptuous body. Her hair was a lovely, light blonde, flowing to her waist in a natural soft wave. Her big, bright eyes were a dazzling golden. There was nothing about this girl that wasn't incredibly, stunningly, flawlessly beautiful.

Except for her personality. That could do with some work.

Following Rosalie was my Peter. He came directly to me without sparing the others in the room a second thought. He bowed respectfully to Jasper and then perched himself on the arm of my chair, offering me his hand, which I happily took.

"My sweet little morsel," he purred, lifting my hand to his lips, and placing a kiss against the back, then he turned my hand and kissed the mark Jasper had left on my wrist in the ballet studio.

Alice followed Peter into the room and shuffled off to the side. For now, I didn't pay her any attention. She's in big trouble, but I was also interested in the rest of the Coven.

Carlisle and Esme followed Alice.

I'd once thought they were the ultimate couple and truly amazing parents. Seeing them now, though, I'm starting to think I was wrong.

As I already knew, they don't share a True Mating bond. The bond they do share, however, was weak and unusually colored. Instead of the blue I'm used to seeing in a Sire Bond, theirs was more like a soft periwinkle.

Hmm. I wonder what that could mean.

Periwinkle is more on the purplish side than blue.

Loyalty.

Purple is loyalty.

They were loyal to one another. But, like their romantic and sexual bonds, it was slowly weakening.

Periwinkle is not a bright, vibrant color. Those usually signify a strong, intense bond. Periwinkle is more of a pastel, which indicates a lesser bond.

Take Charlotte and Jasper's bond as an example. Their bond is fierce, loyal, and strong. A steel cable, malleable and capable of change and growth, but unbreakable. In comparison, Esme and Carlisle's bond is the loose thread you pluck from your favourite blanket and throw in the bin.

Yes, there's loyalty there, but it's weakening. There's no foundation. No real bond. Hell, I'd venture a guess that the loyalty is only there because of their, almost non-existent, Sire Bond and, possibly, gratitude because Carlisle saved her life. There was, at some point, love between them. I can see hints of it still in their bond but it's fading fast. If I had to guess, I'd say they haven't been a couple, a proper couple, in decades.

Next came my Edward.

His deep red eyes were locked on me the moment he entered the sunroom. I felt his relief and happiness. He skirted around the Cullen's and came directly to me. Without a word, he removed his red v-neck t-shirt, then his black jeans, revealing his naked, aroused body. He let out an audible sigh as he dropped to his knees and spread his legs, showing off every inch of his manhood. He bowed his head, tilting it to the side to display his throat in the ultimate sign of submission.

"My Goddess," he purred. "Master."

Now, this is the side of Edward I could really come to love. He's so pretty and sexy and oh so wonderfully submissive! I can see us having a long and happy relationship. And if his reaction to the sight of my bare-chested mate is any indication, Edward's isn't only affected by me but Jasper, too.

Hmm. I wonder how long that's been going on?

Ever since I joined the Coven in 1952. My mate answered. He'd never admit it, of course. Not then, anyway.

Thankfully, the Edward we all knew and loathed is no more! This new Edward was a vast improvement!

"That's it! I've had enough," Rosalie hissed. "What the hell is going on here?" She demanded. "Edward, get off the fucking floor and put your damn clothes on! Jasper put a shirt on. You know the rules! And you," she turned her narrowed eyes on me, causing my mate to shift anxiously behind me. Peter, however, remained perfectly calm, a smirk on his handsome face.

"Rose—" Both Esme and Emmett tried to wrangle the girl, but she shoved past them, knocking a stunned Carlisle out of her way as she strode forward to confront me.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" She spat with more venom than I'd ever heard from her. "Do you have any idea what you've put our family through? Our enemy is now hunting us, because of you. Edward has lost his fucking mind, because of you. We had to leave our home and our lives, because of you. We are now on the run, because of you. And because of you—you spoiled, ungrateful, naïve, little girl—we were subjected to a four-day orgy! I had sex with Edward, because of you!"

I looked at Edward who, though he was grinning like a schoolboy, still felt incredibly guilty. "I think you did Edward a great service, Rosalie," I said, calmly, turning my attention back to her. "Finally popping his cherry, it's about damn time. From what I've been told, you both thoroughly enjoyed yourselves."

"Y-You're not angry?" Edward asked, his voice soft.

"Why on earth would I be angry, pet?" As soon as the little nickname slipped from my lips, I saw his cock twitch as a drop of precum oozed from the tip.

Hmm. Interesting. I think I'll have to use that one again. Seems Edward enjoys his place in our Coven.

He shrugged. "I . . . I wanted you to be my first and I failed you. I couldn't wait! I lost control!"

"Oh, my sweet boy. Of course, I'm not angry!" I assured him. "I'm thrilled for you. You've been waiting so long. Now, when I take you, you'll have more control over your body and reactions. You'll know what to expect and how it feels to lose control. You'll last longer and be able to enjoy the experience with me."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I did orgasm pretty fast the first time I entered Rosalie's tight, wet pussy," he admitted.

"That's not a surprise. You've been a virgin for a hundred and twenty-one years. I'm surprised we didn't hear the bang when your cherry finally popped!"

I think, if he could've blushed, he would have. "She was so pretty and wet," he breathed, "and her beautiful big breasts were right in my face, bouncing up and down, and I was so aroused . . . God, I thought she was going to break her vocal cords when she came, screaming my name . . ."

Edward's cock stood at attention, leaking. If I had it my way, he'd be cleaning his spunk off my floor with his tongue! But, now wasn't the time. And I don't think the Cullens are ready to see just how much Edward has changed.

Rosalie, however, shrieked in her fury as she stomped her foot like a petulant child. "I did not enjoy one moment that arrogant, misogynistic bastard was inside my body!"

In front of me, Edward tensed with each word Rosalie spat in his direction.

"You ferget, Rosalie, I'm an empath," Jasper drawled. "I can feel yer arousal. Yer wet just thinkin' about what happened in that cottage."

"Well, who could blame her?" I lifted my leg to caress Edward's erection with my foot. He whimpered and shifted closer to me. "He is beautiful."

A low growl came from The Major. "Isabella." He brushed his fingers across my bare shoulder. "You can play later. Business first."

I hesitated.

I wanted to play with my new eager, and very willing toys.

"Isabella," The Major growled, the sound a little gruffer this time, more dominant. Less Jasper, more Major.

Damn.

"Fine," I huffed. "Spoil all my fun," I sighed, dropping my foot.

He chuckled. "Later, Kitten. I promise."

I leaned back as he kissed my forehead. "I'll hold you to that." I smiled.

"You do that."

A loud, obnoxious screech came from Rosalie. "Excuse me! Would somebody please tell us what the hell is going on here? I demand an explanation! Now!"

. . .

. . .

. . .

A/N: I'm sorry! This chapter ran long so I've split it up. The next one is coming soon, I promise! xoxo