Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
The Terrible Truth
It seemed Edward had planned his route carefully. He managed to avoid any obstacles in his path with skill and grace. Embry continued to race after him, bounding over rocks, swerving around trees, jumping over fallen logs. He broadcast his journey to the entire pack, Jacob included. Jacob's feral roar of rage set his ears ringing, and immediately he sensed his Alpha abandoning the fight in the clearing, setting off at an incredibly fast pace as he charged off to join the chase.
For a long time, Embry managed to keep pace with Edward, fueled by determination and a rush of adrenaline that made each movement seem effortless. He still had stores of energy in reserve and was sure he could take down the traitorous leech when he eventually caught up with him.
However, it was sheer bad luck that he ran straight into a pair of stray newborns. He was snapping at Edward's heels, when out of nowhere, he was attacked ferociously from both sides, forcing him to drop back to defend himself.
Being jolted around so much on Edward's stone shoulder had made Bella pass out. The next thing she was aware of was icy hands clutching her around the waist, followed by a soft, velvet voice urging her to hold on tight. Blearily she forced her eyes to open, to find that she was now clinging to Edward's back, her arms looped around his neck, his cold fingers wound through hers to keep her from sliding off his back onto the ground.
"Where are you taking me?" Bella asked groggily.
It was so very dark and quiet as he ran through the forest, his breathing slow and even-dark enough that the trees flying past were nearly invisible, and only the rush of air in Bella's face truly gave away the speed. The air was damp, and biting cold.
Bella wanted to close her eyes again, but made them stay wide open so she could see where they were going. She rested her chin on Edward's shoulder for support to keep the dizziness at bay.
Of Embry there was no sign.
Finally, Edward slowed to a walk-Bella could tell because the wind ceased- and she guessed they weren't very far from their destination. In fact, she thought that she could make out the sound of a river rushing somewhere close by in the darkness.
"Where are we?" She asked tremulously.
Edward stopped and reached around to pull her from his back. His gentle hands did not release her, after he set her on her feet again, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her to his chest.
"I've brought you to the house, Bella. Just so you know, I had no idea that Carlisle was going to pull that stunt. He blindsided me completely. But you're safe now. Never doubt that."
Even in the darkness, Bella could see the anguish twist his face, it made her think he was telling the truth…about the Carlisle part anyway.
"What do you intend to do with me?" She ventured, shivering against his cold body. There was way she could fight her way out of his arms. It was pointless to resist the inevitable. She could only hope that Embry would catch up with eventually. She wondered how far behind he was, and prayed that he appeared soon.
Edward's face was still tormented. "Come inside the house with me, Bella. It's time you knew the truth."
"What truth?"
"Come." Edward urged again. He took the opportunity to take Bella's face between his cool hands and kissed her until she was so dizzy the forest was spinning. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. "You don't know how long I've waited to do that." He murmured.
Bella felt sickened. She wanted to wash her mouth out. How dare he force himself on her? If he was a normal human, she would have lashed out, punched him in the face. But he wasn't human, he was a vampire, a bloodsucking monster. How was she supposed to defend herself against his superior strength? What if he tried to kiss her again? What if he went further than just kissing?
Fear made her chest feel tight. Bella had never felt so helpless in her life. She had no idea when rescue was going to come. All she could do was keep a cool head, play along with Edward's delusions, hold on to hope that the one kiss would suffice, that he would be satisfied for now.
Edward had no idea of the wild thoughts racing through Bella's mind. He took her hand and led her through the open front door of his house. The room was just as she remembered it the last time she had been there-the piano and the white couches and the pale, massive staircase. It was to the staircase he led her to now, and Bella began to panic.
"Why are we going upstairs?" She demanded. "Why can't we stay down here?"
Edward looked at her askance, his expression critical, but resigned. "What I need to show you is up there."
He pulled her along with him through the bright living room, turning on the lights as he went. The walls were white, the ceilings high, with low hanging chandeliers. A mind-numbing dread took over Bella's body as Edward led her up the grand staircase. She dragged her heels, protesting all the way, but her words fell on deaf ears.
"You remember when I brought you here before." Edward prompted when they reached the landing. "I tried to tell you some of the histories, trying to give you a subtle hint even then, but you refused to listen." He emitted a weary sigh. "This would have been so much easier if you had."
Bella stared at him bleakly, recalling the time he had brought her to the huge white mansion buried deep in the forest beside the river, to the room where Carlisle-she shuddered as she thought his name- kept a wall of paintings that illustrated his personal history. The most vivid, most wildly colorful canvas there, the largest, was from Carlisle's time in Italy. It depicted a quartet of men, each with the exquisite face of a seraph, painted into the highest balcony overlooking the swirling mayhem of color. Though the painting was centuries old, Carlisle-the blonde angel-remained unchanged. And Bella remembered the three others, Carlisle's early acquaintances-two black-haired, one snow white.
Edward took her to this same room, making her stand before the same painting. It was just the same as from her memory. "That's Aro, Caius and Marcus, nighttime patrons of the arts…" He declared proudly.
"W-who are they?" Bella whispered.
"The Volturi…my masters."
Bella turned to stare at him in disbelief. She didn't want to believe he was serious, but his golden eyes were brooding, focused on something far away in the distance as he contemplated.
"What is a Volturi?" She demanded. "And what do you mean they are your masters? I thought that Carlisle was…" She paused, color rising to her cheeks as nausea in her throat stole her voice.
"The Volturi are a family." Edward explained, his eyes still remote. "A very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Carlisle lived with them briefly in his early years, in Italy, before he settled in America-do you remember the story?"
"Yes." Bella said hoarsely, beginning to understand Edward's duplicity. "You work for them? Did Carlisle know?"
Edward turned the full force of his golden gaze onto Bella, smiling slightly. "I suppose you could call me a double agent. I joined Carlisle's coven at Aro's request."
"Why?"
"To keep a close eye on him. My masters were suspicious of Carlisle, even in the early days. They could sense his burgeoning lust for more power. He just hid it well; he is a consummate actor. Hiding his true nature under a compassionate veneer. He fooled everybody…well almost everybody. But my masters, in their wisdom, perceived the growing threat he posed. They just needed proof. I was to be the tool to provide it."
"Your mind reading power." Bella guessed. "But I thought Carlisle was the one to change you?"
"Yes, that was story that was given to the others. I was the first to join his family." He emphasized the word family as if it was a dirty word in correlation to what Carlisle had tried to create. "He then started to gather others just like me, gifted vampires. We travelled far and wide to find them. Alice and Jasper believed they joined our family of their own free will, they did not, it was all carefully engineered by Carlisle."
"My god!" Bella breathed in dismay.
"Alice spent most of her human life in an asylum, did you know that?" Edward revealed.
Bella's eyes opened wide in shock at this news.
"She was born around 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was committed to an asylum because she had premonitions. Carlisle worked there for a while. She was under his care for a number of months, where he got to learn about her special gift. He knew that if she was turned, he could utilize her gift of foresight to his own advantage."
"Carlisle was the one who turned her?"
"Yes." Edward looked back up at the painting. "Carlise had her confined to a dark cell, so that's why when she woke up as a newborn, she had no knowledge of her human life. Her memory was a complete blank. She ran off and disappeared for quite a while, infuriating Carlisle. We tracked her for decades, but then fortune smiled on us and Alice came back of her own free will, with Jasper in tow. Carlisle couldn't believe his good luck. Jasper was a perfect addition to his new family. By then he had found the perfect Stepford wife in Esme. Rosalie was an aberration, changed for my benefit, to keep me sweet. Unfortunately, that backfired as I had no interest in her. I need more than physical beauty to sway me."
Edward gave Bella a lingering look and she shuddered. He was going to try and kiss her again; she could sense it. Panicking, she tried to get him to talk more.
"What happened then?"
"Oh, while out hunting, Rosalie found Emmett-he had been mauled by a bear- and she carried him to Carlisle. Rosalie feared that she would be unable to resist her bloodlust, so she carried Emmett to Carlisle to be transformed. He possessed superior strength, another boon for Carlisle. His specially gifted family was near completion. He only needed one more addition."
"Who?" Bella whispered.
"You."
"Me?" Bella's panic turned to horror. "Why? I'm no one special. I'm not gifted in any way."
"Oh, my sweet angel Bella." Edward sighed with a small smile. "You have never seen yourself clearly. You possess the most powerful gift of all-one that has been growing and working without you knowing since you were born."
Bella stared up at Edward's fierce expression, feeling herself growing more and more apprehensive.
"You possess a powerful shield, which means you are protected from powers of the mind – that's why I could never read your thoughts." Edward said succinctly. "Carlisle believes that once you are transformed into a vampire, your unique ability will be enhanced to the point that you can also expand that shield to protect others from mind controlling powers."
"To what end?"
"I have already told you about Carlisle's burgeoning lust for power. He didn't stay with the Volturi for a decade because he liked their company. He was studying them. Studying their strengths, their weaknesses – "
"Oh my god…he plans to depose them!" Bella cried.
"Yes." Edward admitted. "That has been his plan all along. Of course, my masters were not going to let that happen. I have been reporting back to them regularly without Carlisle's knowledge for decades. They are ready to act against him now that he has made his move. It was unfortunate for him that the wolves got in the way, forcing him to act rashly and revealing himself."
"And what do you plan to do with me?" Bella questioned anxiously. "Hand me over to your masters so they can use my gift instead?"
"Of course not!" Edward protested; his lovely face turned serious. "The price for my loyalty is you, my love. I already told you that physical beauty isn't enough to interest me-and you are extremely beautiful, Bella, even if you don't see it-no, I need more than that. I admit my initial attraction was based on your smell, and the desire to consume you. Your blood is so potent. It sang to me. It was hard to control myself around you at times. But as time went on it became easier, I became more fixated on your fragility, you're like 'silk over glass,' and it was so fascinating to me that I couldn't read your thoughts. It made me determined to get to know you, to want to be around you constantly. And the more I was, the more I developed an all-consuming passion and love for you."
Edward's passionate declaration made Bella feel sick. He was just as evil and twisted as Carlisle in his own way. He wasn't talking about love; he was talking about ownership. As if she was some physical tool to be passed from one to another, all because of this so-called special gift.
"You seem to forget, Edward. I belong to another."
"Jacob Black!" Edward scoffed. "He is of little consequence. Once my masters discover the werewolves' existence, they will simply dispose of them."
"You haven't told them?"
"Not yet. There wasn't time. As I said, Carlisle's decision blindsided me." Edward leaned in and pressed his icy lips to Bella's. His mouth lingered, cold and smooth and gentle, making Bella want to throw up as she shut down and endured his touch.
"So beautiful." Edward breathed against her cheek when the kiss was over. He pressed his lips lightly to hers one more time, smiling down at her fondly. "And you're mine now. You belong to me."
Bella looked up at him, her chin jutting out determinedly, her chocolate brown eyes defiant. "Wrong!" She spat through clenched teeth. "You will never own me. I could never love such a despicable, cold-hearted creature like you. You're the worst kind of monster, Edward. Carlisle may be ambitious and cruel, but at least he had a reason for doing what he did, you on the other hand are on a whole other level. I'm telling you now, you will never touch me or kiss me again. I will die before I let that happen!"
A/N-thanks for reading!