Forks. -
Freedom.
That's what Alec said.
Freedom.
And Aro has no idea on how to even take that, because he never thought about the twins leaving him, or even disliking the purpose he had bestowed upon them.
He understood Eleazar's reason for leaving, Carlisle's, even Jor's.
Jor had done the exact same thing Marcus had almost done in the past. Focusing on one irrelevant matter instead of looking at the big picture. Of falling into place and accepting that their gift was needed to protect their specie.
But Alec? What could even come from this freedom he desired? He had no lover, no friends, nothing. All he had was Jane and Jane was with the Volturi, what kind of life would he want that didn't involve the one person he had left in the world? He threw a look at Jor, he looked like he had already known about Alec's desires, the same couldn't be said from the Cullens.
And still, if Jor was with Alice that meant he would eventually join the Cullen's coven, that wasn't a pleasing thought, someone with his skills, gift and knowledge regarding vampires should not be with the Cullens.
Did Alec intend on joining them too? Was that what this was about? The sole idea of it made him seethe.
Alec would not join the Cullens, Aro would never allow it, ever.
-Freedom? For what? Joining the Cullens?- He asked, fighting back the venom in his mouth, the audacity of this boy.
The fact that he didn't answer but instead glanced at Jane made Aro want to break his legs.
Jane who was feeling such turmoil of emotions right now she didn't even know what to do, because she wanted to grab Alec and punch him, how could he be so stupid? How could he side with Jor? To betray her? To make himself Aro's target? Right infront of the Volturi?
And she had no idea what to do, she wanted to side with Aro, he was her mentor, her friend, but Alec was her brother, and she loved him too much to even fathom the idea of letting him be hurt.
He was all she had left, the one person who understood her, and now he was looking at her with such a pleading look, wanting her to go to him, but it tore her to even have to choose between him and Aro.
Because she wanted to choose Alec, even if he betrayed her, she wanted to stand by his side, but if she did, Aro would hate her, he would see her as a traitor, but Alec was all she had, Aro…
There was still time to fix this, she just had to convince Aro, to-
Her thoughts came to a halt when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and as she looked up she was met with Aro.
That look on his face… did not settle well with her.
Because he was looking at Alec with the exact same look he regarded Didyme with after she told him she was leaving with Marcus.
At the time Jane hadn't understood what that look was.
Now she did.
It was the look of a predator.
One who was waiting for an opening before delivering the final strike.
And that… he wasn't gonna kill Alec, he was just trying to evoke fear, right?
No.
He couldn't kill Alec, he would never hurt Alec, he cared about Alec as much as he cared about her, he wasn't- he wasn't gonna hurt Alec, that was preposterous.
But he was.
She's spent enough time around Aro to know when he was aiming to look fearsome vs when he was actually intending to take action.
And right now it was the latter.
He was going to kill Alec.
And the fact that he was squeezing her shoulder like that… he was asking her to use her gift on Alec to subdue him.
And that's all she needed to move, because as much as she admired Aro, as much as she respected him, as grateful as she was.
Alec would always come first.
And so Jane took Alec's hand.
Because at the end, she would forever be on Alec's side, that's all she cared about, to be with her brother, the one person who never saw her as a witch, he protected her as humans, taking punches for her and bringing her flowers, looking in awe as she healed a bird's broken wing, running on the fields.
As humans, he had been the one to protect her, and as vampires, she had taken it to be the one to protect him, she had sworn to never leave his side, Aro was her creator, her savior, and she admitted she might hold him on quite the high pedestal at times.
But Alec had been her savior first, he was there for her first, had literally been so since before she was even born.
If she had to choose, she chose Alec.
She would always choose Alec.
And as she looks at Aro she feels like she can see what Alec had tried to tell her all along.
Because once the disbelief and shock goes down, murder intent is what flares up, against them, and how can he acquire such desire so fast? All that took to get that look was going against his wishes?
It hurts, it hurts to have him looking at them as if he's wishing to kill them. Hadn't he cared about them? Hadn't he said he would always be there to help them?
Why then was he looking at them with such hatred? Could his heart change so quickly?
-Jane, what do you think you are doing?- Even his voice is devoid of the usual lightness, usually, Aro would speak as if everything was a game to him, because it generally was, but now, now he is way too serious, and honestly?
It makes her feel a bit nervous, she's never been bothered by him, not even when she first met him as a child, not when he killed, not when he was soaking in blood, what was there to fear? He would never harm her.
But now… now he's giving her a look she's never seen before, and it makes her stomach tie into a dozen knots, and it takes her a moment to realize what she's feeling.
Fear.
Fear of Aro.
And how laughable was that? She was no child. She feared no one. She wasn't that weak, she's not been weak in decades and she sure as hell wasn't gonna start now.
-I'm not you, I won't hurt him because he wants to leave.- She tells as a statement of fact, because she's not Aro, she might be merciless, might not care about other people.
But she did care about Alec.
She could be a monster, the devil as many have called her in the past, but she would never harm her brother, she wasn't Aro, she couldn't fathom the idea of being okay with hurting her brother let alone killing him like Aro had done with his sister.
-What exactly do you think you will do? Join these tamed vampires? Neither of you is built to pose as humans, to play in their little family game.- Caius said, disgust in his voice, of all people possible he never thought these two would dare to step out of line.
What the hell were they thinking?
-Who says we want to join them? I don't want to join anyone, I just want to leave and have nothing to do with any other vampire for as long as I live.- Alec told, because it was true, he wanted to leave the Volturi, but he didn't want to join the Cullens.
There was bad water between them, and he didn't think he could ever grow to abide by their weird lifestyle, feeding off of animals, going to school, getting a job, cars, it was way too… human.
Alec didn't want to be human, if Jasper wanted to join them and adopt their lifestyle, good for him, but Alec would never live as a human again.
Ever.
His life as a human had been horrible, it was nothing but filled with horrible memories, pain, fear, weakness.
Something he refused to even go back to, even as a vampire, he would never fall into a human life again, fake or not.
-You agree with that?- Aro asked, looking at Jane, at least the knowledge that the Cullens wouldn't get the twins was somewhat less infuriating.
Didn't mean he was fine with this, but it wasn't as if he could kill them, not really, he was mortified to realize that deep down, he wouldn't, for the first time in his life, be able to kill someone.
Their gifts were too precious to get rid of, Jane's mainly.
-I told you before, without him, I'm not going anywhere. And wherever he goes, I go.- Jane told, leaving no room for argument, she might not want to leave the Volturi, not really, but she would follow Alec anywhere, and if he left, she would leave with him.
Aro narrowed his eyes, true, he does remember that, when he bit Jane, he had intended to only take her, when he had first caught the potential in the twins when they were nothing but small children, he had mainly focused on Jane, she was the one with the biggest potential, and letting her brother die would have made for a most wonderful fuel for her already deep hatred of humans.
But he had also known she would go nowhere without Alec, and so he turned Alec too.
And now Alec was taking her from him, such waste of potential…
He couldn't allow that, no matter the situation, he threw a look at The Major, that one…
An idea came to him and he smirked.
-Alright then, you are free to go.- Aro said, voice neutral, the surprise didn't waste to be made known in more than one face.
-What?- Aro ignored Caius' shocked voice in order to raise his hand and point at Jor.
-But he has to come back with me.
-Hell to the no!- Emmett exclaimed, leaving his spot near the door to shield Jasper, to hell if he didn't knew him, Emmett didn't need to know him to come to the decision that the Volturi would have to kill him if they wanted to take the guy.
He's gathered enough from Alice's words these past months to know that those overglorified pricks had manipulated him and tortured him for far too long, fucking poisoned him to the point where he sleeps!
-It's a simple choice, I can't agree to the loss of three powerful members, the Volturi must be strong if we are to protect the secret. So, who's going to leave and who is going to stay?- Aro questions, grinning as he does.
He is not bothered by the glares he gets.
-You can threaten to expose our secret, it's fine, but I can't promise I won't eliminate this coven regardless of your choice, you are not part of their coven, but Alice is, and I'm positive she knew what you were doing, it would be a terrible shame to have to dispose of such wonderful talent, so, why don't we make this easy? Which of you stays?
Alec glowered at Aro, that was not something he had seen coming, he had hoped for the threat of exposing the secret to be enough to get the man to back off, not for him to bring up such deal, he wanted to leave, but he didn't want to subdue Jasper so the Volturi could take him back.
He didn't want to hurt him anymore.
Jane at his side squeezed his hand and gave him a pointed look, he didn't even need to hear her speak to know what she was asking of him.
Subdue Jasper so she can put him out.
But no, he couldn't do that, he didn't want his freedom to be bought by the imprisonment of Jasper, Jasper who no matter how much he tried to deny it had become his first friend ever.
He didn't want to exchange him for his freedom.
But he didn't want to go back to Volterra, if he did, he had the feeling he would end up just like Didyme.
Didyme…
That name made an idea bloom and he found himself glancing at Marcus, the man, oddly enough, was staring at him with a strange look on his face, one Alec couldn't for the life of him decipher.
But the sight of Marcus gave him strength to speak something that might either get Aro to finally back off or make his head roll.
-Wanna lose four?- Alec asked, making a point of staring straight at Marcus who frowned at the odd question, he then turned to look at Aro, holding his chin high and refusing to bend down to the man's burning glare.- Winter, catacombs, if you don't wanna lose four I advice you to retreat while you still can. If not, I will make it four.
Alec did wish he could expose Aro, let Marcus know who had killed Didyme, but right now he couldn't, he needed Aro to leave, not for a fight to break out, a fight with way too many possibilities.
He might tell him one day, directly, indirectly, just to give the man some closure, and to free him from Aro's control, he didn't deserve to carry on being a puppet, he had been a good friend when his mind wasn't broken.
Alec wanted him to at least find a bit of peace by knowing who had killed Didyme.
But not now, now he needed to make sure Aro wouldn't attempt to manipulate them into going back to him, not him, not Jane, not Jasper.
-Four? What– Caius' words were cut off by Aro raising his hand, he was staring at Alec now, intensely.
-Think about it, if he exposes the secret and I make it four, wouldn't it be too much of a big blow at once? How can the Volturi aim to keep peace if internal conflict is taking all their attention to begin with?- Alec told as a statement of fact.
Because it was true, the Volturi's reputation was on the ground, had been so since the incident with the hybrid, and it was still declining, if the secret were to be exposed and the Volturi chose to focus on internal matters instead of the catastrophic aftermath that would come from the humans knowing about vampires…
Every second wasted on internal conflict was more time they gave to the humans to take action. To process the threat and do irreparable damage.
The vampires could as well start a rebellion in a moment of panic and chaos and go against the Volturi. Some might go into hiding, but there would always be the ones to blame those who were supposed to keep them safe.
Those who were trusted and made promises and laws but still failed.
Aro would never allow his empire to fall for three vampires, Alec knew this much.
Meanwhile, Aro clenched his jaw, on one side, Alec was right, he could not risk this, Marcus could never know about Didyme, his gift was too precious to lose, but the twins and The Major were also too big of a loss.
He did have to give it to Alec, the boy was surprisingly good at making things go his way, no doubt his little apprentice.
What to do? The Major… didn't matter how he looked at it he didn't like the idea of him joining the Cullens, but, if he ever got his hands on Alice that would mean he would follow, or if The Major chose to return for whatever reason, Alice would follow.
That was a good win, but how long would he have to wait for that to happen? If it even happened? But it was a chance he wasn't willing to lose either, to get his hands on Alice's fascinating gift…
The twins… he could live without Alec, the kid's gift while powerful was barely of any use but to stun enemies, Jane was the one who's gift went beyond anything he's ever seen, something he was not willing to part ways with.
And that…
-I will let The Major and you go, but Jane comes back to Volterra with me.- Aro states, that was his final offer, he refused to lose Jane, it was infuriating enough he was even entertaining such deals, he wasn't gonna let a child nor a man with a broken mind manipulate him.
But it wasn't as if he could kill them, he couldn't kill Alec infront of Jane, and he couldn't kill The Major without the twins' aid.
So, this was what he was willing to offer.
Plus, there were chances Alec would return on his own if given time.
-No.- Alec snapped harshly.
-Alright.- Jane's words got Alec doing a double take, he turned to look at his sister.
-What? You are not going back with him, he's-
-Alec.- Jane cut off, she didn't want him to continue, he's offended the Volturi enough, she didn't want him to keep on sliding to Aro's bad side. She wanted to do this, because truth was, that while she would always be by Alec's side, she would always choose him.
She didn't want to leave Volterra, it was bad, but it was also good, she liked the thrill of a kill, the quiet, her room with hanging paintings, the little botanic room Aro had ordered to be made for her so she could have flowers for paint, Aro wasn't so bad, he was her friend, but now she realized that while he had been her friend.
Alec had had no one after Marcus became a robot, she lost Didyme, but she still had Aro, Alec had had no one, as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't until Jor turned up that Alec gained some life back, some of that tiny light he still had in his eyes.
He wasn't like her, he wasn't as twisted as she knew herself to be, she knew he still was capable of guilt, of remorse, of sadness, there was still hope for him to redeem himself and have a normal life.
Their life as humans had been miserable and horrible, as vampires it had been filled with bloodshed and violence, not a life she could have ever seen Alec falling into, but he did, for her, but he never became tainted, never became twisted, not really, if he could get out, if he could have a chance at a happy life, the kind of life she had wished for him once upon a time.
For a long time she had hated the idea of losing him, clinging to him and killing whoever tried so much as to befriend him after becoming vampires, but now she realized she had been selfish all along, he might have loved Volterra once, might have loved the thrill of the screams and the blood.
But even as humans Alec had always been the most peaceful of the two, the one who grounded her, the one who taught her how to make paint out of flowers, he was…
Good.
And if he wanted to leave, if he wanted to be free of all the violence and pain, she would make sure that's how it was, she wanted him to find happiness again, for him to be free, he didn't need to follow her anymore, he didn't need to stay by her side because he thought that's what was right.
He deserved to be happy.
-I want to go back, I know you wanted me to leave with you, but I don't really see myself fit for the quiet life, not anymore, but you still have a chance.- Jane told, Alec frowned at her, he looked ready to protest.
But Jane kept talking before he could, she knew that if she gave him a chance to speak he would backtrack, he couldn't backtrack now, not when he's gotten this far, not when she knew he wanted this freedom more than he's ever probably wanted something.
-You were always the good one between us, you can still be so. You stayed by my side for decades.
And she wished he would still do so.
-But it's time you start living for yourself. Do whatever you want, and if you think I won't agree to it, do it even more.
Because she wanted to truly enjoy his freedom, to never hold back based on whether she would agree or not to it, like how he befriended Jor against her wishes.
She didn't want to keep on living for her, it was his life, and she loved him dearly, the idea of him being unhappy because of her was not a pleasant thought.
-Oh please, cry me a river. That's–
Jane didn't let Demetri finish his mockery as she turned to glare at him over her shoulder, piercing him with her gift, smirking as the man dropped to the ground with a curse.
-Shut up, the elders are talking.- She made a point at jabbing at Demetri's most hated reminder, that while she and Alec looked like 12 year olds, they were decades older than him, they were here way before he was even born.
She knew it infuriated the tracker, good, he should learn who was the one in charge.
Alec for his side… he wanted to protest, to tell Jane that no, he would go nowhere without her, to come with him, or he would go with her, but her words… the way she was looking at him, that little smile…
For the first time in a long time, Alec could see the girl who his sister had once seen, with no fire in her gaze, but a warmth instead, one he isn't seen since becoming a vampire, since he left her at the forest all alone to pick up flowers by herself.
And God, he feels like he wants to crumble down, because he isn't seen those eyes in forever, and he doesn't want her to go back to killing people and following Aro around.
But he can also see that she is being honest, and he can, in a sense, understand her point, Jane was someone who needed an outlet for her pent up rage, that fire inside her that never dimmered, she wasn't like him, she couldn't release it through hellish sparing, she needed more.
A more that would never let her be quite at ease in a normal environment, the kind of environment he wished for her, as much as he hated to admit it, she had more chances at not losing herself if he were alive and she was still by Aro's side.
And he hates, it makes him seethe the idea of letting her be Aro's puppet.
But if this is what she wants, if this is what makes her happy, he needs to let her go, even if it goes against every cell in his being, he's never been away from Jane, even as kids they would always do everything together, where there was one, there was the other.
The only time he ever left her alone the worst memory in their lives was born.
What would happen if he left her alone, not for a day, but forever? What if she needed him but couldn't find him? What if he was too late and she got hurt because he wasn't there for her? What if-
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she pulled him forward, not quite a hug, neither of them has ever been the affectionated kind, she whispers in his ear, low enough for no one but him to hear.
-I will always find you, so you don't need to worry about distance, you don't need to worry about anything anymore, you are not abandoning me, you are not failing me. I'm choosing to let you go because it's the right thing to do, you deserve to be happy, to make a life of your own, I will always be there for you if you need me or if you just want to see me. I will be fine, and so will you. - Jane's words made his chest twist, she was always so spot on what he was thinking.
The reassuring look on her face as she pulled back didn't quell his anxieties, he knew she was strong, hell, she was stronger than him, she's always been stronger than him, but she's his sister, he's suppose to protect her, he's suppose to never leave her.
But maybe, just maybe, he was the one who needed to let her go, but it was so hard, it felt like his heart was being torn apart, and he felt like doing something he isn't done since that night.
Cry.
But he won't cry, he isn't a child, he isn't weak, he won't let anyone ever see him be weak again, he doesn't want Jane to feel like she is doing something wrong, if this was her choice he had to respect it, he had to let her go, he had to.
-Alright.- Is what he ends up saying, and he hates how pathetic his voice sounds, hates even more how near impossible it's to let her hand go. And he wants to stop her as he watches her leave his side and walk up to Aro.
Aro who looks so pleased Alec wants to punch him, but he doesn't.
-Are you seriously gonna settle for this?- Caius said, flabbergasted that Aro could be so easy to manipulate, Alec had betrayed him, and The Major was literally infront of them, the Cullens had no battling experience, they could kill them all and seize The Major.
Why was he submitting to the deals of a friggin child?
-Yes.- Aro stated, turning to look at Caius with a piercing look, daring him to say more, Aro wasn't settling for anything, he was just playing it smart, he knew Alec would return, he just had to wait, and certainly, when Carlisle saw the actual monster The Major was, he would refuse to let it stay anywhere near his family.
Because no matter how good hearted he was, even Carlisle Cullen had his limits.
And The Major would realize that at the end, this modern world wasn't where he belonged at anymore, his mind was too broken and his past too bloody, he no longer held a place in this world, he belonged at Volterra, where he was needed and would be useful.
Not playing family, that was preposterous.
But if he wanted to go and think he could, then by all means, the disappointment would send him straight back to Volterra, and if he was lucky, Alice would follow him.
Also, in the meantime, this would give him time to see if he could track down and find whoever were the ones holding the evidence of vampires, and he would tear them, piece, by, piece.
And Alec… he might not kill him, but one day, he would give that boy a very, very permanent reminder of who had saved his life and who was the reason he even made it this far.
And that no one threatened him.
But today was not that day.
He turned back to look at Alec, and as their gazes met he wondered, when did this boy stopped looking at him with reverie and began looking at him with such resentmentful eyes?
When did he lose his loyalty? And why did Marcus say nothing if the bond was wavering?
He should have made Chelsea influence the twins when he had the chance, but he had been so sure about those two not needing coercion to fall in line, that he could trust them to not leave his side, after all, both suffered a most terrible ordeal at the hands of humans, horrors no child their age in modern times would ever know of.
He had seriously believed them to wield enough fire in them to never betray him.
And now… he had lost Alec.
And at the same time, he should have seen it coming, Alec has always been the weak one, he still had way too much humanity in him, at least for Aro's liking, unlike Jane he was always hesitant, he felt guilt and remorse, such weakness, and he couldn't help but wonder why was he so weak.
Why was he so weak when he went through the same as Jane? The girl was so full of fire, never hesitant to strike, never one to question, never one to show mercy.
It was what made her one of his favorites, because she held no restraint whatsoever, she took genuine pleasure in hurting others, in killing, she was the perfect soldier.
But this time around she had gone against everything Aro's ever taught her because Alec was involved.
And he wondered if he had done right by also turning Alec, was the potential worth the nuisance?
No.
It wasn't.
But it was too late for regrets now.
All he could do now was take Jane while he could, while she was aware of where she belonged at, this was a win, small, but a win nevertheless.
He would see how he got rid of Alec, but for now retreat was the safest bet.
-You can't settle for this, I won't settle for this.- Demetri snapped, feeling anger surge in over what was playing right infront of him, Aro was seriously gonna leave The Major and Alec here? With this coven?
No.
He refused to accept it, he refused for those bastards to just leave, and for what? For a pretty face? Stupid freedom? No, they didn't got to quit, they didn't got to act like they could start anew and abandon it all, Aro was blind if he thought letting the Cullens keep such valuable assets was smart.
What was he thinking? Didn't he see that this could end up coming to bite them in the ass? No, Demetri wouldn't stand for this.
And so he lunged, Alec might be good at torture, be it with his gift or with his barehands, he might have developed better skills at fighting because of The Major.
But he was still brat-sized.
And Demetri was faster.
Yet, before he can even touch him, a force connects with his jaw, a resounding crack echoing alongside the burst of pain that explode across his face. The force of the impact sends him reeling back, and as he focus on the sight before him he sees it.
It wasn't Jane as he had expected.
No.
The one standing before the damn brat was none other than The Major himself, glaring at him, the air around him became like a weight on fire that crawled down his throat and set his chest on fire from the inside out, hairs standing on end as he dropped to the ground with a choked gasp. Limbs shaking against his will as his throat closed, an overwhelming urge to run seizing his whole being.
But he couldn't run, he couldn't move, he couldn't even fucking speak.
And it took him a moment to realize what this was.
Fear.
Pure, unadulterated fear.
And as The Major came to crouch before him the feeling intensified, his breathing coming into strained gasps, body shaking even worse, eyes wide, he felt like he was about to scream, pass out as his hair was grabbed and he was forced to meet the bastard's iced gaze, intense, deep, and it felt like staring at death. Like staring at the void and the void staring back.
-Fair warnin', come within ten feet of him, Alice, or the Cullens, and you'll be beggin' me to kill you.- The words weren't a threat, not even a warning.
It was a statement of fact.
And his voice was like an icepick slicing right through his chest, tearing his heart out and shutting his throat, making shivers run down his spine.
And still, Demetri refuses to let it completely doblegate him as he speaks, cursing his pathetically wavering voice.
-You don't even know those bastards, why care if I rip them apart? You said so yourself before, why care about people you don't know?
-Because she cares and that's enough for me.- Jasper told as a statement of fact, Demetri scoffed.
-Leave it all for a bit-!
Jasper didn't let Demetri finish as he reached out to grab Demetri's jaw and crushed it between his fingers, smirking at the scream it got, the sound of cracking marble and the thuds as the pieces dropped on the grass. He gave him a cold smile.
-That's not how you speak about women.
Much less his, and while Jasper would love to rip Demetri's tongue out and force him to swallow it, he didn't had the strength to keep up this facade, he was running out of stamina, but he hadn't been able to just stand back and let Demetri get to Alec.
Even if Alec could protect himself, even if Jane could protect him, he didn't want to stand aside and watch as Demetri attacked a child, he's never been able to stomach the idea of children getting hurt, children were all that was pure and untainted in the world.
Alec and Jane were the exception, but even that made him unable to hurt them.
Because life was cruel to them, no more pain should come to them.
Alec managed to get out, but Jane… something told him that girl was a lost cause, she spent so much killing and taking her rage out on others that she no longer knew how to function without it.
But he knew that she cared about Alec, he had felt her sadness, her refusal to let Alec go.
But she had still let him go.
And Aro… Jasper had felt something he's never felt in the man before, when Alec confessed to have helped him, to having plotted against him, when Jane joined him…
There had been pain.
And he wondered if there might be more to how Aro saw the twins.
He straightened back up, leaving Demetri to pick up the pieces of his jaw off the ground as he lifted the influence of his gift off him, he met Aro's gaze, the man didn't see much happier.
In fact.
He looked angrier, Jasper could get an idea about the reason, using his gift on Demetri had reminded Aro of what he was losing.
His gaze fell on Jane, she glared murder at him, but somehow, it felt less stronger than usual, and it could have been his imagination, but for a fleeting moment, he could have sworn he felt the strangest thing in her emotions.
Gratitude.