Hope you guys had a great week, I had to rewrite this chapter because I had a diff idea for down the line and couldn't get it out of my head! Anyways, let me know what you think! Thanks for all the love and feedback so far (:

Happy reading!

Chapter 5

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B POV

I stretched along the soft comforter, trying to remember a morning I hadn't woken up cold yet during my night spent sleeping in my tailgate tent…

Sitting up abruptly, the thick duvet rolled down to just above my hips. I was on the Volturi plane. In their private bedroom. With that thought, I kicked my feet out of the bed and swung them over the side, sliding down on my ass so my feet could touch the soft carpeted floor.

My duffle was on the floor where I vaguely remember it sliding down my shoulder as I trudged towards the bed half awake.

I tip-toed over to the door, then thought better of it because they obviously knew I woke up before I even did. Shrugging I decided to just rip the band-aid off and opened the door, starting cautiously into the main area of the jet.

I could see the rest of my things in the back row nearby where I'd left them, but other than that the plane seemed to be empty. I frowned, walking over to one of the windows and peering through. I saw grounds, terrain, and sun. South, they said we were going south…something about showing off?

I poked around a little until a note caught my eye near the front. Approaching, I found a note:

Forks,

Food in freezer, freezer in kitchen. Water is also in the kitchen. Dishes in…..yes you guessed it! Kitchen. The phone is also charging in the kitchen. Stay on the jet. Do not even think about it, you're a huge pain in the ass to find.

Your favorite Volturi guards

Alec & Felix

Ah, so the giant did have a name. Good to know, I guess? Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I wandered further up this side of the deck, finding a small kitchen nook that despite probably never being used until today was stacked with top-of-the-line appliances.

"Classic rich vampires" I muttered, opening the freezer and raising my brows in surprise at the selection of frozen foods they'd kept. Fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses, and bagels. I settled on some sausage links with cheese and a fruit smoothie.

Something in my gut told me I was being watched right now, that taking a break for it right away would ruin my chances of fleeing. So for now I'd play along until I could figure out had to get myself out of this mess.

I was just slurping down the last of my smoothing, feet kicked up, watching TV in the ridiculously huge bed when my phone rang.

Rolling my eyes at the caller ID I answered, "Fancy hearing from you, oh captor, my captor" I chuckled to myself, putting the phone on speaker and setting it down beside me while I picked up my knife and fork to dive into the sausages now that they'd cooled off.

"Glad you're in good spirits, there's no one out here to climb your hair, Rapunzel."

I smiled, "A man who knows his Disney princesses? Nothing more intimidating."

"You know," he started as I sliced into the amazing-smelling food, "that mouth of yours is really going to get you into some big—"

"Yes, yes, my mouthiness is trouble causing, geez, let it go" I snarked, blaming it on hangriness before biting into my breakfast.

Holy shit. How do all vampires know where or how to get such amazing, top-tier food? The groan of appreciation slipped out before I could stop myself.

The line went silent.

I swallowed, "The—uh, the food's really good. Tell them thanks for the well-written instructions."

"Mmhmm" he hummed non-committal, the sound coming out distracted and gravelly.

This time he broke the short silence, "You made the right choice, princess. Keep doing that. We'll be back after we take care of a nuisance older than I care to admit. And if you run, I. Will. Find. You. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast," he hung up after the last few words came out suggestively, making my cheeks heat.

I finished off my breakfast and washed up my dishes because even though they were big bad vampires, I still didn't want one more black mark on my reputation in their eyes. It was clear they weren't fans of Cullens, rule-breakers, or humans, which meant I had a lot of things stacked against me.

Once my phone was fully charged, I started planning; they couldn't have left the jet that close to whatever they were doing otherwise it would have brought attention to the public and whoever they were hunting. I'd also like to think they were keeping me a reasonable distance away from any nomads or threats considering the kids seemed to want me alive for the trial.

Stuffing my wallet, some clothes, my charger, and my phone into a smaller backpack I strapped it on and peered around. I hadn't seen a pilot anywhere and didn't know how to use a jet but a quick Google search on my phone showed me exactly how the door to a jet is opened from inside the cabin which ended up being laughably easy but no one had to know.

Poking my head out, I shielded my eyes with one hand while trying to get a better look at the surrounding area. It was clear we were somewhere in the south. If living in Phoenix taught me anything it was how to exist in the heat and shining sunlight, sunlight that could work in my favour if I'm able to make it to a crowded area.

Easing down the stairs, I tried to listen for any sort of city life, hustle and bustle, anything. But heard nothing. Surveying the area, I noticed the trees around me seemed like they were thinning off to the right. Now or never, Swan.

I took off, arms pumping, legs pushing, heart in my throat as the trees flew by. It's hard to run not knowing whether or not you're being chased; if they were on my tail right now I'd have no way of truly knowing until they made themselves known.

I knew if I wanted a fighting chance, I'd have to make a decision: I had to find her, whatever it took.

And just like that, within minutes of listening to my own breathing and the wind whipping around my hair, my phone started ringing. I slowed down, pulling it free from my bag pocket, and answered it while keeping a slow jog.

"Alice?"

"BELLA SWAN! OH MY GOD WHAT IS GOING ON!" her hyper voice had taken on a whole new level of high pitch in her distress.

"Woah, Alice, eardrums. Bursting. Try again." I groaned, holding the phone a little further out.

She sighed impatiently, "Bella, you do realize that I—we all thought you were dead! And not dead like no heartbeat immortal dead. We thought you were really dead, what about the cliff, how did you—"

"ALICE!" I panted, "We can get into all that later. Right now, I'm literally running from the Volturi in the middle of nowhere. HELP. ME."

"Right, sorry. Hold on, where are you, I can only see you running—no now you're stopping, come on Bella, don't slow down now!"

I growled in annoyance but pushed through the cramp I had forming on my right side, deciding to name it Alice.

Okay, hold on Bella, let me think. Just keep running for now and hopefully, we can figure out where exactly you are. I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in Texas, but I can't pinpoint the exact spot." She let out her own growl of frustration.

"Alice? Where are you right now?" I asked, trying to keep my breathing even, I couldn't tell if the trees in the distance were thinning more or not but took it as a sign to pick up the pace a little. The last thing I needed was to make it this far and then no…make it.

"I'm in Denali, trying to see if they can help us settle things in Volterra, I was going to go back today until I got a vision of you calling me, getting my number from the mutt."

I felt my breath catch for just a second, "Denali? You're in DENALI!?" I coughed a little, wheezing for a second before stopping to catch my breath.

"Yes, oh Bella please don't tell me—"

"I was in Denali yesterday! That's where they found me, on my way to get help from your cousins." One more cough for good measure and then I was back at it, feeling hopeful when I started to see a parting in the trees and a railing, the kind you see on the sides of the highway.

"Oh thank god, a road! Alice, I found a road!" I cheered, half breathless.

"Yes, Bella that's great. Does this magical road happen to be decked out with signs so we can get some sort of direction?" how she could sound just as irritated was lost on me.

I blew out a breath, coming up to the road and looking both ways, noticing a blue sign a couple hundred meters away.

"Oh! Sign" I gasped, taking off, putting the phone on speaker so I could run properly instead of with one hand still pressed to my ear.

"Go Bella, GO!" she started yelling frantically, making fear spike through me as I pushed on.

I could just make out the words on the sign, yelling out to her "Hitchcock I'm outside Hitchcock Texas, Alice!" I nearly collapsed near the sign, huffing from all the exertion and adrenaline coursing through my body.

My phone started beeping, incoming call, "Alice, oh shit, Alice you have to help me, they're on their way I just know it!" I panicked, looking around for an escape.

"WAIT! Bella, just wait I promise!" tapping my foot, my whole body neatly vibrating with the urge to run, I held as still as possible trying to put my faith in my long-lost sister.

"Okay, now!"

I frowned, confused, looking around until I spotted a sedan going down the road. "Oh thank god" I murmured, flagging them down by waving my arms.

The car pulled over, and a man in his late 60s got out, resting his hand on the car, "Well, lil lady, what're you doing out here?" He asked, frowning.

I sucked in a breath, "Went hiking, and got very lost, can I get a ride into the city? I pay for gas I promise, just need to get back to the meeting spot with my friends!" I lied, hoping we could skip the questions and get going.

The man assessed me for a minute, looking as if he were going to ask something else before sighing, "Well alright, then, weird kids these days with their outdoor challenges. Come on, let's go" I grinned, thanking him profusely as I shuffled into the car, grateful I'd showered after eating breakfast earlier today. All that running makes a girl mighty sweaty.

I was still panting a little but pulled the phone up to my ear, "Okay, Alice, I made it. Now what? Airport?" Seemed like the logical move; lots of people, I could fly to Italy, seemed easy enough.

The man turned towards me a bit, prompting me to pull the phone away from my ear, "Name's Daryl, if you're looking for an airport, there's one about 20 miles south of here. It's not much out of my way, I can drop you off." He offered, smiling in a way that showed his crow's feet.

I grinned back, "That would be amazing, thank you so much!"

"No problem, I know my wife woulda had a fit knowing I didn't help out a stranded lady like yourself. Just sit back and enjoy the Texas countryside, dear."

I smiled, shifting until I could press myself fully into the worn leather passenger seat, enjoying the sun rays coming through the windshield. I pulled the phone back up to my ear, Alice I gotta go, want to be polite and all. I'll call you back when I get to the airport, promise."

She relented and I hung up, noticing messages that came through in the past minute.

You must really like getting yourself into trouble, princess.

You better hope I don't find you this time.

Where. Are. You.

I cringed a little, praying we'd get to the airport or at least a more heavily populated area before any vampires could catch up to me. The last thing I needed was—

My phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts.

"Popular girl today, eh?" Said Daryl, smiling to let me know he wasn't mad about it.

"Ugh, the worst. I guess I should answer" I sighed, bringing the phone up to my ear.

"Alice, really, I promise to call—"

"Bella, you have to get out NOW!" she yelled.

"Out? I can't we're in the car, what's going on?" I asked, starting to panic which made Daryl cast a worried glance my way.

"Bella please you have to get—"

She was cut off, all sound was cut off. The world really did tilt on its axis as the truck started to roll. Phone flying out of my hand, hands reaching out to desperately hold my body more securely in my seat as we rolled once, twice, three times, and then stopped upside down.

I coughed a few times, daring to look over.

What I was not prepared to see were red eyes boring into mine while a woman with raven black hair drained an otherwise lifeless Daryl a couple of feet away from me.

I tried to scream, I could feel hot tears tracking my cheeks, but I just couldn't fill my lungs with the air they needed to let out a sound. The woman pulled away, shoving Daryl's body off to the side with a wet thump that had me retching.

"Aren't you a lucky little thing? Lucky because now that my thirst is sated, I can make this a little bit more…fun." Her white teeth gleamed but her lips still had blood smeared along them, definitely for the added effect of insanity and fear on my end. It was working too; I could feel my limbs shaking and something told me she was way worse than Victoria.

The last thing I heard was her husky chuckling before everything went black.

D POV

I could feel she was close, could taste her in the air. But I wouldn't go into the jet, no. Too distracting. When you know, you just fucking know, especially for our kind. Any doubts burned away, like the change, burning away who I was before I came across just her very scent, and making me who I am now.

Instead, I waited for my brothers to come out and join me so we could get on with our witch hunt. The tempting woman sleeping inside my private rooms on my jet could…for now.

I'd taken out four newborns by the time I had the pleasure of a morning call with a certain enticing human. It added an extra pep in my tearing apart of the next five I faced down, a definite plus in my books.

I'd hoped she'd stay put but it seemed luck wouldn't be on my side; I had a gut feeling she wasn't where she was supposed to be – covering my sheets and belongings with her amazing scent. No, my little princess had decided to run.

Right now, I'm focused on nothing else, just the chase. The hunt. But not of her, because I know that a certain signature we were about to go after was much too close to where I left my sleeping beauty this morning.

Taking off in their direction, I sent Alec and Felix off ahead in the direction we were headed before to finish off the last of Maria's latest creations so this can fucking end already. Maria's signature changed, suddenly she was moving much faster in the opposite direction, away from me. She knew. I'd completely forgotten Maria's gift, one Aro had told me of centuries ago. If my dead fucking heart could beat, right now it wouldn't. The outburst of rage and anguish at what I could only imagine was about to happen nearly brought me to my knees, but it couldn't. It wouldn't because she needed me.

My girl is about to learn how far I'll go to protect her.

B POV

**WARNING of violence, skip to the end if you want to avoid it **

I woke with a scream and not the good kind. The kind where a sadistic vampiress has strapped you to a chair and carved a line down your arm only to lick it up and laugh in your face.

I couldn't have been here long; it was still a little light out; the sun was peeking through the windows higher up in the garage she was keeping me in. I wondered idly who this place had belonged to before this thing took over and made it their evil lair.

Another scream tore from my raw throat as she cut down my other arm, this time making a show of gripping my chin and angling my face towards her as she liked up the blood trailing down the long cut, smiling cruelly at my distress.

The pain was unbearable, worse than James. Maybe it was because I knew him and his twisted motives, but I didn't know who this was or, "Why?" I rasped.

"Finally. I thought you were never going to ask, girl." She laughed as if I'd told her Gucci was comparable to Target price-wise.

"I'll make it short because I don't know how long we have…" she trailed off, eyes roaming around as if someone was going to appear from the shadows.

Her gaze snapped back to me, smile always pitying but in a mocking way, "I have a gift that's two-sided, almost two gifts. I can see exactly what I need to do to compel someone to do something. The funny thing about my gift is that nothing compels someone to do something more than their own mate, and when I stumbled across a human who was mated to a vampire, well, I couldn't resist," she shrugged as if it were my fault.

Did she mean Edward?

"Anyways" she picked back up as I heard movement to my right, flicking my gaze over and shrinking in on myself at the sight of two male vampires staring at me as if I were their next meal. I probably was.

"I'm going to let them at you my dear, nothing personal – against you that is. Once they've usedyou, I'm going to bathe in whatever's left of your blood. Sound good? A nice view of your frail, human body empty and lifeless. The perfect weapon."

I tried not to gag, where was Victoria when I needed her?

The other vampires advanced on me, and I slammed my eyes shut, unable to watch their advance, "Wait, let me, just in case you ruin her beyond repair and there's nothing left for me to have fun with".

Raven Hair walked over to me, humming to herself like the creepy evil bitch she is.

"This one's going to burn she said, pouting a little before grasping my legs and dragging her nails down my thighs, scraping back the skin like hot lava peeling away a layer. I couldn't hold in my scream this time, trying to wriggle and kick at her as she swiped a finger through the dripping blood, giggling as she turned away.

"Have at her, boys. Don't leave any crumbs either" she snickered, then froze.

The air shifted in the room, Raven Hair's back was ramrod straight, even for a stone immortal. I waited for the oncoming attack but one never came, it was still her in my viewpoint as I sat there, blood still slowly dripping down onto the concrete flooring from my legs.

** End of violent scene**

Suddenly, she was gone, though I knew she was still in the vicinity. Whether she was fighting against whoever had shown up or was running from them, I couldn't tell; I was just super freaking relieved she'd left me alone long enough to free myself.

The ropes she'd used were frayed and itchy, pulling tight and leaving red angry red marks as I twisted and pulled at them until cool hands were there, releasing me.

I yelped, locking eyes with a red-eyed blond woman, "Don't worry, sugar, we got you. A certain little pixie told us we were need and my knowin' husband knew exactly where ya'd be. Now, hold on tight, we got company not too far off." With that, she carefully shifted me onto her back, mindful of my injuries, and took off.

I scrunched my eyes closed, tensing further when I heard, "NO, SHE'S MINE" the sadistic voice screeched. I was unable to see who or what was keeping us apart but silently prayed they kept her away from me forever.

It felt like only a couple minutes later, the vampire carrying me slowed and stopped suddenly, "Shit. I'm sorry, hun. They're going to take you but Alice and Jasper will be there when you arrive" She murmured, then louder, "You'll have to gently take her, she's injured and still bleeding from some of her wounds."

I peeked one eye open, unsure whether to be relieved, annoyed, or despaired to see Felix the giant stepping forward to take me from the vampiress.

"Wait" I blurted, looking to her, "who are you?"

She smiled, "Friend of Jasper's, darlin', the name's Charlotte, but my friends call me Char." She winked and then a man's voice chimed in. "And I'm Peter, Jasper's cuter friend, and also Char's mate." The blond man nodded before adding in, "I'm sure I'll see ya again at some point doll."

Then they were gone, leaving me with the big one and the annoying one. Sigh.

I looked up at Felix, shrugging, "Welp, I guess you caught me" he snorted. The blood loss was definitely getting to my head.

"Hang on, little one."

D POV

I hated owing favors, and right now, it appeared I just might have to give one to the Major's Captain and their mates for buying me the time I needed to reach Maria's spot where she was holding Bella.

As much as my instincts screamed to check on her, I needed to eliminate the threat once and for all. I knew Felix and Alec weren't far behind me now, and she'd be safe with Charlotte, as much as I hated to admit it.

Peter knew I'd arrived, that damn weird gift of his. He threw Maria to the side, and before she could come after him, I intercepted, colliding with her in the middle of the shitty basement, clasping her neck in my hands and dragging her over the very spot where she held the very woman, I'd been chasing for what felt like forever at this point.

"Think you can best me, do you?" I taunted, kicking her legs out and smashing her face right into the drying blood on the floor.

"You wanted her blood, didn't you? Well go on then, taste it."

She growled, squirming on the floor, until I let her up.

"This is your last chance, maybe if you were less pathetic and sloppy with your lifestyle we'd never have had to meet in person." I leaned against a support beam, already bored and itching to check on the woman who truly mattered.

I spread my arms wide in invitation, "You're surrounded either way, might as well take me with you, right?" I cocked my head to the side, assessing her, "Although it seems you've descended into madness and probably won't prove to be a very interesting opponent. Pity."

As I spoke, her anger seemed to spike; fingers curled into claws on her palms, teeth bared, eyes blazing, nearly shaking in her anger. I sighed again and then she struck, coming at me snarling, more erratic than her typical poised disposition, but nonetheless, still a fruitless effort.

I dodged her first outreached hand, clasping the upper arm of her other hand and ripping the limb free of its socket, making her howl in pain.

I wiggled the arm around, "whoops, seems you forgot something." I chuckled to myself as she came at me again.

Taking up stance like a baseball player at the last second, I swung as she approached, cracking her neck and hairline with her own hand, sending her flying to the side.

"I could say 'stop hitting yourself' but we both know this beating is well-deserved, by law. You know what you've done." I pulled out my trusty lighter, setting her arm on fire before tossing it down.

"Playtime's over, Maria. Time for your penance." False playfulness gone a cruel smile curled its way onto my face as I took my turn to strike, meeting Maria mid-air. Having one arm made her efforts even weaker, and I found nothing but vengeance and joy in ripping her other arm off, then making work dismembering the rest of her, setting fire to each piece as her severed head watched in horror and agony.

"I'm so very tempted to bury what's left of you just like this, but I'd rather never have to make a trip back here again. Enjoy hell."

I left Maria's ashes behind, making my way to the jet where I could tell they all were. Knowing she was injured had me racing back to the jet, anxious to tend to her but also yell at her stupid stubborn escape attempt. Of course, I couldn't have had it easy with someone more complacent, but then again that would never work in the long run. I needed the fire, passion, and smart-ass attitude my princess had.

Which is exactly why she's my princess, my mate.

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So close to them finally meeting! A little more will be explained about Maria's gift next chapter (;

Hope you guys liked it! R & R xxx