Did I mention how much I was starting to get bored of the Cullens? Well it was kind of obvious as Alice had tried to coax me into staying in Forks with Charlie whilst her and Bella flew out to Italy or how Edward just recently tried to get rid of me and Bella as if we were nothing. It reminded me of how Rosalie had only invited Bella to go on a group shopping trip knowing that Bella hates clothes shopping.
I understand that they were trying their best to keep me out of their lifestyle but they were also keeping me from hanging out with my own family, and Alice trying to hide me from the Volturi was my final straw. I hadn't told the Cullens about my past and how the time away from home drastically changed who I was as a person, and whenever anyone would try to get me to open up about it I would switch topics pretty quickly. I knew they were suspicious of me but they never exactly gave me the time to get to know them as well as telling them about myself. If I'm being honest it was their loss at the end of the day.
Bella was sandwiched in between Alice and Edward who seemed to be glaring at the back of Felix's head. I was stood next to Jane and it seemed as though she was actually comfortable about it, my hands were at my sides and I clearly felt Jane's hand ghost over my own before they rest at her sides. The vampires that actually belonged to the Volturi seemed to relax once in the elevator as they had pulled the hoods of their cloaks down and multiple sighs were heard. No one spoke a word as the classical elevator music played in the background and it took everything in me to not laugh right there and then. It was ironic that the scary vampires of the Volturi had picked corny music like this. It felt as though we were going up forever when in reality it only took a few minutes for us to reach our location. We had stepped out into a rather fancy reception area that looked like it belonged in an expensive five star hotel. In the middle of the room stood a high mahogany counter and I took in the small details of the room, such as the lack of windows but the lit up paintings on the walls were pretty nice to look at as we passed by. Considering we were in a castle of vampires, I wasn't expecting the receptionist to be a human and she was beautiful in human standards.
"Good afternoon Jane." The receptionist smiled at Jane as we passed, I noticed how she stared at me and Bella in what looked like shock but I couldn't get a good read as we were led to a set of double doors. My heartbeat had proceeded to beat a bit quicker than usual as nerves started to spread though my system like wildfire. I stuffed my shaky hands in the pockets of my denim jacket and tried to calm myself down by taking a few deep breaths. I'm not the one in trouble and yet I felt like I was, it felt strange and I couldn't figure out why I was suddenly reacting like this. A glance over to Bella confirmed my suspicions as she seemed completely fine as she clung to Edward like her life depended on it. It can't be a panic attack since I felt rather relaxed around those of the Volturi but I didn't know I would actually get an answer quickly.
Jane pushed open the double doors and I almost collapsed right there and then. On the other side of the doors was a boy that looked exactly like Jane, so identical that they were definitely twins. His hair was dark shade of brown, maybe a shade or two darker than mine and it fell just above his eyes. I'll admit it looked rather soft and it took everything in me to not reach a hand out and run my fingers through it. He wore a pearl grey suit and I'll admit he looked rather nice in it but what captured me were his eyes. They were a dark shade of crimson like the rest of the Volturi clan but they were different as his eyes were a pair that I knew. My mind flashed back to that night in Seattle, the night I ran into the mysterious figures with red eyes. The night I felt that tug in my gut towards the boy with a darker pair of eyes, the same feeling returned as he stood before us now. I raised a brow and looked over to Jane who stepped towards the boy who had a smile on his face, his arms open for a hug.
"Jane." He spoke and my knees suddenly felt weak, his voice was ethereal and it was like an angel was speaking. Ironic considering he was a vampire.
"Alec." Jane responded and hugged the boy, I noticed how she seemed to quietly whisper something in his ear and he pulled away with a confused expression. The two kissed each other on each cheek and Alec turned to properly look at the small group. His eyes ran over Bella, Edward and Alice but I noticed how he stopped at me, his gaze seemed to bore into my soul as he took his time looking at me. We made eye contact and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as I felt the mental pull between us and it seemed like he felt it too with the way his gaze seemed to soften.
Jane must have noticed this as she nudged him with her elbow and he tore his gaze away from me as he cleared his throat.
"They send you out for one and you come back with two and two halves, I'm impressed." Bella tried to hide herself behind Edward as Alec stared her down, I noticed how Alice flocked to the Bella's other side which caused me to roll my eyes. Of course they would try to protect Bella and not her sister. It was almost comical how Bella had the Cullens surrounding her whilst I was stood alone even though I was also a Swan.
Demetri must have noticed the change in my facial expression as he took a few steps from where he was and stood at my side, Alec noticed this and he sent a glare to the other vampire who smirked in response. A chill ran down my spine as I pulled my jacket closer in an attempt to warm myself up.
"You seem happier, might it be due to this?" Alec gestured over to Bella and I watched how Edward only nodded.
"I call dibs." Felix piped up from behind and the sudden change in Edward's demeanour was enough to give me whiplash. Edward pulled Bella closer to him and he growled lowly towards Felix.
"You can't call dibs until the meeting has finished, Lix." Demetri spoke up and I watched Jane rolled her eyes at their bickering.
"I'm sure Aro will be happy to see you and Alice again." Alec spoke gently and turned to take a few steps ahead of the group.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Jane chimed in and joined her brother, their hands found each others as they guided us down the hall.
I spent the majority of my time admiring the walls and the numerous paintings that lined the halls, there was a set of golden doors at the very end of the hall which intrigued me and I made a mental note to enquire about it later. There was another set of wooden doors halfway down the hall that the siblings stopped at, they were unlocked and Alec went through first whilst holding it open for Jane and me since I was behind her. His eyes met mine and it was like butterflies were doing laps in my stomach as I felt my cheeks flush pink.
Edward had to be that one awkward person, well awkward vampire that opened the other door for Alice and Bella however I didn't waste my time on them as the room we found ourselves in stole my attention. The pearly white marble floor paired with the high rounded ceiling made my jaw drop in astonishment, the long windows on the second floor allowed beams of sunlight into the room and I soon came to the realisation that they weren't lights. I noticed two rather stunning women step into the rays of light and their skin glistened like a million diamonds, shining against their pastel sundresses. I groaned inwardly as I noticed the lack of furniture apart from three wooden thrones that sat at the top of a few marbled stairs, my back was starting to ache from standing for so long and it was tempting to sit cross legged on the floor.
There was already a few other immortals in the room and our entrance seemed to catch their attention. Let me tell you that seeing multiple pairs of red eyes focus on you in a short span of time was alarming but none of them advanced towards us apart from a man with long jet black hair, his black floor length robe seemed to glide gracefully across the floor as he met Jane halfway across the room.
"Ah it seems like you have returned Jane and with guests from the looks of it." His voice was soft as he embraced the girl in a hug, a kiss to her lips threw me off slightly but it was probably a traditional thing within the coven so I didn't exactly question it. His gaze shifted from Jane to the Cullens to Bella and then to me, I didn't miss how his brow rose at me and he sent a small smile my way. That was rather odd.
"Felix, could you go and tell the others the news?" Felix nodded at the man's words and left through the doors we came through. I stood rather awkwardly besides Alice as Bella was sandwiched between the two Cullen siblings, Jane had stepped away from Aro and joined her brother's side except she chose the space next to me.
"It looks like it you managed to run into Bella, Alice and Charlotte. How wonderful!" He chimed as an ecstatic smile spread across his pale face.
Huh? I had so many questions running through my mind ranging from how he knew our names to why I felt so calm around them.
"It seems like some things do work out after all, considering the way you came to us yesterday." He turned to Edward who grimaced.
"Edward introduced the rest of his coven and you two yesterday briefly. The rest I saw through his thoughts." Aro must have noticed the confused looks on mine and Bella's face but his explanation confused me even more.
"His gift is like mine, I can read passing thoughts of people but nothing more whereas Aro needs physical contact to hear thoughts but he can see every thought a person has had which is something I lack." Edward explained and I silently nodded, it made me wonder if there were others out there with a similar gift to me.
The other immortals in the room along with Jane, Alec and Demetri all seemed to focus on the doors behind us. Me and Bella were the last ones to turn around which made sense since they all have better hearing than us humans and they probably heard them before they got to the door. Felix had to be a bit dramatic on his return as he pushed open both doors for the two vampires behind him. Both were wearing identical robes to Aro but what made them different was their hair colours, one man had flowing black hair whilst the other had shoulder length white hair that seemed to match the paleness of his skin.
"Marcus, Caius look! Bella is alive after all." Aro seemed thrilled to deliver the news yet the two vampires begged to differ as the man with black hair looked bored as though he didn't want to be there whilst the other had a sour expression on his face. The white haired man known as Caius waltzed past Aro and headed straight for one of the wooden thrones. The other man known as Marcus stared at the group for a few seconds before approaching Aro with his hand held out in front of him.
Aro wasted no time in grabbing his hand and a look of bewilderment crossed his face as he read the other man's thoughts.
"Now this is interesting, thank you Marcus." The said man nodded and sat down on a different wooden throne, leaving the middle seat empty for Aro. Bella looked at Edward in confusion as he snorted lightly after reading the thoughts of the older vampires.
"Marcus here has the gift of seeing the bonds between people, especially relationships." I didn't miss how Aro's gaze wandered over to me and I bit my lip as I looked around the room in hopes of avoiding his piercing gaze.
"Let's just say he saw more than one bond in this room, the other relationship seemed pretty strong." Aro's words were full of riddles and I wanted nothing more than to figure them out.
I feel like the one vampire I could relate to in the room would be Marcus as I too was starting to grow bored of the conversation. I ended up zoning out once they started talking about Bella but the mention of my name brought me out of my thoughts.
"Huh?" It was the first time I had spoke since we met the Volturi and I inwardly cringed at how quiet my voice was. Jane and Alec looked over to me in what looked like a mix of surprise and endearment. Everyone was staring at me and I wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury myself in it.
"We know that Bella is immune to our gifts but what about you Charlotte?" Aro had taken a few steps towards us as he spoke softly. I bit my lip as I took my hands out of my pockets, my fingers flexing as they had grown stiff from being curled into my palm.
"I'm nothing special, just a normal human being." I was lying at this point as I had a suspicion as to where this conversation was heading.
"I doubt that, I have heard numerous things about you and I'll be honest when I say I have been looking forward to meeting you." The words that tumbled from Aro's mouth made the rest of the group stare in shock.
I sighed and sent Bella an apologetic look before taking a few steps forward and held my right hand out for the man. His wide smile returned to his face as his cold hands encased my own, and I shivered slightly at how cold I felt. It wasn't long before his eyes reopened and it was like he was looking at me in a different way compared to before.
"That gift of yours is one to marvel at Charlotte. Jane?" He called the sibling forward and I noticed out the corner of my eye how Alec also took a few steps towards me.
"This might hurt." Her voice was soft as she smiled at me. Wait what was her gift? I didn't know what she was going to do and I kicked myself for zoning out earlier.
Caius leaned forward in his seat as a low growl was heard throughout the room. I looked around and noticed how Alec was now stood between me and Jane, his form partially blocked me from view.
Oh.
Oh!
The cogs started to turn in my mind as Aro clapped his hands gleefully.
"It seems that dear Charlotte here is Alec's mate. Isn't that wonderful!" Aro's voiced boomed as silence fell over the room. It was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
If I'm being honest, the news didn't come as a shock to me as the emotions I felt during our first encounter told me a lot. I felt as though I could trust him despite only meeting him once before this.
"Jane, no." His gentle tone had disappeared as he now spoke in a rather deep voice, his lips pulled back into a snarl. The Cullens along with Bella were staring as my hand found its way to his shoulder and he visibly relaxed under my touch.
"I'll be fine, she won't harm me." I reassured him with a smile, his head turned to face me as he properly examined me. Alec sighed in defeat as he moved slightly, his shoulder brushed against mine as he stood to my side.
"She can start." At my words Jane seemed to focus on me and I could feel the mental blockades I put up crack under the pressure. Then I realised I could use my own powers to strengthen the blocks and I could feel my head starting to throb. I put what little knowledge I had learned over the years to the test as I kept Jane's gift from reaching me. I thought I was winning but the sudden increase of pressure caused me to falter and it felt like a million pins were piercing my skin.
I cried out in anguish as I fell to my knees, my hands immediately flew to my head and just like that it stopped. My eyes opened and I was greeted with the worried eyes of Alec who had dropped to the floor to check on me.
"I'm fine, it wasn't that bad." I knew he wanted to protest against my words as his lips moved to form words but shut his mouth once Caius spoke.
"It seems like your gift is pretty magnificent Charlotte, what do you say about joining us?" I watched as Caius made his way over to Aro's side and he crossed his arms over his chest. I weighed my options carefully, I could go back home to Forks with the Cullens and be miserable or stay here in Volterra and learn more about myself, I could spend the rest of my life with Alec and the rest of the Volturi.
"I would like to stay here, please." I looked directly towards Aro who smiled in acceptance. I noticed how Felix and Demetri immediately cheered from behind us and Jane shook her head at their childishness.
Alec held his hand out for me and I took it without hesitation, it was the first time we had properly made contact and I gasped as it sent chills down my spine. The smallest of touches made me feel alive and I soon realised that this is where I was meant to be, by his side for eternity. He pulled me to my feet and although he let go of my hand, he instead wrapped a hand around my waist as he pulled me closer to him.
"No you can't Charlotte.. What would Charlie say?" Bella spoke up, a look of betrayal in her eyes as she watched me from her spot next to Edward.
"Charlie will get over it eventually besides you would do the same for Edward. I had been away from home for years yet you didn't message me or visit once, and when I do come home you would rather spend your time with others. You don't have the right to tell me what I can and can't do Isabella Swan." I could feel the anger burning as I glared at her.
"Besides they want you more than me, it felt like I was continuously walking on eggshells around everyone since I wasn't like you or acted defenceless like you." Felix lowly whistled at my confession and I felt Alec's grip around my waist tighten.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this, you were supposed to come home with us." Alice's cheerful voice had disappeared as she now sounded almost desperate for me to leave with them.
"The future isn't set in stone Alice, things change. My place is here and that's a final." Alice sighed in defeat.
It was almost comical with the way Aro's head kept turning between me and Bella as we fought over my future. I'm sure if vampires had the ability the eat popcorn, the rest of the guard would be stuffing handfuls of the snack into their mouths as we argued.
"Then it is settled, Charlotte will stay here in Volterra and we will decide on her turning date once she has settled." Oh this was news to me, I'll admit the thought of becoming a vampire sounded pretty cool. I wouldn't have to worry about growing old and dying, and I could live for literally an eternity. I could actually stay with Alec for an eternity and not have to worry about dying and leaving him to mourn me.
I am so glad that I decided to tag along on the trip as it really opened my eyes to the world around me and even helped secure my future. I was looking forward to the start of my immortal life alongside with people that I could properly call my family despite not being blood related.