TW: Non-graphic mentions of sexual assault.

CW: Sexual content ahead. You have been warned.

Seven - No One Can Say What We Get to Be

1837

Windsor Castle - Berkshire, England

Either the timestone didn't like him very much or there was an art to wielding it that he'd failed to acquire from the brief meeting with Kair.

He was leaning towards the former, but would much prefer to believe the latter.

Edward had been dropped like a sack of stones from the sky into a large pile of snow and, considering his body wasn't aching, he'd had the wind knocked out of him but didn't feel the need to breathe, and the snow wasn't causing him to shiver, it was safe to assume that he was still a vampire though there was no telling if he looked any different this time.

As he stared up at the clear night sky twinkling with stars long-dead, it occurred to him that the timestone was incredibly thorough – not only did it ensure he would blend in physically with each new era, but it also seemed to be suppressing his thirst. In fact, he felt no different, no thirstier, than the day Kair had given him the stone.

Interesting.

Wherever he was, it was mostly quiet save for the wind – undoubtedly the middle of night – so why would the timestone…?

The silence was broken then by a soft grunting somewhere nearby, followed by the telltale sounds of someone hitting a training dummy with a weapon. Edward sat up and saw that he was in the far corner of a castle courtyard, an English castle by the looks of the architecture, and the sounds of exertion were coming from a neighboring atrium that looked neglected and empty. That string around his ribs was pulling him towards the crumbling structure so fiercely that, even if he wanted to, it would be impossible to resist.

Bella.

Bella.

She must be there, waiting.

All at once, the grunting and harsh gasping gave way to sniffing and the salty smell of not sweat, but tears. Making sure there was no one to spot him, Edward darted across the courtyard at vampire speed but he miscalculated in his fervor and stumbled over a pile of broken stones piled strategically in the dilapidated doorway of the atrium.

The woman spun on her heel upon hearing his clumsy entrance, quickly stowing the weapon behind her back. It was long and deathly sharp with a heavy, swooped brass hilt reminiscent of a sabre – a dundas artillery sword?

"Are you going to report me?"

He would know that voice anywhere. He'd know that voice if he was dead.

Edward couldn't make out all of her distinct features in the darkness of the atrium but from the moonlight that filtered in through the broken panes of glass, he could see that her hair was pulled back into a haphazard knot at the base of her neck and her clearly borrowed men's clothing, damp with perspiration, clung to her milky skin and supple curves. The shape of her face, her teary eyes and nibbling lips, were exactly the same as each and every time he'd known her.

Isabella.

Every time he saw her again, it was like coming home.

"S-Sir?"

He was drawn back to the present by the anxiety in her voice. Edward frowned at the goosebumps rippling across her chilled flesh as she shivered in the crisp winter air, "Pardon my forwardness, but… aren't you cold? What are you doing out here so underdressed?"

Her hackles immediately raised along with her narrowed eyes, "Isn't it improper to inquire as to a stranger's state of dress?"

"No more improper than whatever it is you think I'll report you for, I imagine."

"R-right…" She was suitably chastened, pale cheeks darkening. "Of course. Forgive me, sir. Sometimes I forget my place."

Unexpected punches from Emmett hurt less than the defeat in Bella's eyes when she lowered them to the ground. He reached for her but quickly caught himself, "No, forgive me, miss; I tend to put my foot in my mouth at the best of times. I just… I heard what I thought was crying and wanted to make sure everything was alright."

Bella hesitated, "Castle guards do not typically patrol this way."

"I'm no guard, miss," he smiled in an attempt to ease her reticence. "Just visiting."

"And… you have no intention of reporting me to the marshal for taking a weapon?"

"None at all."

"Why not?" She dropped her arms from behind her back, the artillery sword hanging from her right hand in plain view. "Anyone else would."

"You seem like a woman on a mission and I do not envy the person who gets in your way. Especially with that."

Bella laughed softly as she whipped the sword around and into the steel scabbard in an impressive show of dexterity, "So if you aren't a guard and you are not looking to make easy money by turning in rulebreakers, what are you doing out so late at night? Are you lost?"

"I was, but…" He found himself adrift in her searching gaze. "I believe I may have found what I was looking for."

She rolled her eyes but the blush creeping across the bridge of her nose was undeniable, "Now I know you're up to something. What is it you really want? No one is so dazzlingly charming to someone they just met."

The parallel of her words was not lost on him, "You think I'm dazzling?"

"I see your hearing is selective as well."

Edward chuckled at her fiery demeanor. Kair's words rang throughout his mind and, again, he decided to keep his answer as close to the truth as he could without jeopardizing anything, "The truth is that I've been looking for you. Seeing you fight… it has had me spellbound. I've been unable to get you out of my mind since the first time."

"You… you've seen me fight before?"

He thought of Forks, and Persia, and Mexico. Of the way she nearly danced with the way she moved in battle. Of the way she held herself and her beliefs with unwavering pride. Of the way she fought with words in a life where she was clumsy and weapons were an archaic instrument of the past.

Edward's words were loaded with conviction and longing, "Many times."

She looked wary and confused, "I do not come from money and I have no title, if that is what you're thinking. I'm to be announced in the Queen's court, to serve, but that is all. There is nothing for you to gain from associating with someone like me."

His heart felt as if it were being crushed in his chest, "I look to gain nothing but your favor, miss."

Bella scoffed, "No man with a face like yours looks for nothing from a woman." She took a few steps closer to him, into a sliver of light from the winter moon that illuminated her wet cheeks and the horrific bruising beneath one of her eyes that filled him with a murderous rage the likes of which he had not felt in decades. "I would know."

Someone had put their hands on her. On his mate. If he was construing her words correctly, a man had wanted something from her that she'd been unwilling to give – it was not hard to imagine what – and had harmed her once rejected.

Did slow, tortuous execution fall under the classification of things that could jeopardize his chances of seeing her again? He seriously hoped not because his policy of not harming humans was being seriously reconsidered at the moment.

"Is that why you train in secret?" Edward asked, fingers twitching with the desire to touch her skin, to reassure her that he would keep her safe from here on. "To learn how to protect yourself?"

She nodded and trapped her lower lip beneath her teeth, "And other women like me."

"I swear to you, miss, I seek nothing but the pleasure of your company, of getting to know you."

"But… why?" Bella looked down at herself in clear confusion, still baffled as to why someone would be interested in her. Same silly Bella, same ludicrous insecurities that he would never understand.

It was an opportunity for the truth, all of it this time. "Because I feel drawn to you, like a planet orbiting the sun."

Something in her countenance, in the conflicting emotions running rampant across her expressive face, told Edward that she felt it, too. She felt the pull towards him – towards her soulmate – that was inexplicable as of yet in this life of hers and she was scared. Rightfully so, if that blackened eye was anything to go by.

"I have past battle experience," Edward nearly pleaded. She couldn't dismiss him, not when he was so close to reaching her once more. "Allow me to assist in your secret trainings, so that I may prove my worth to you. Please."

"Oh! Well, that would be very kind of you, sir, but…"

"Anthony," he supplied his middle name with a respectful tilt of his head. "Please, call me Anthony."

"Anthony…" She repeated slowly as if the letters didn't make sense together. "Forgive me for my impertinence, but that name seems so out of place on you."

"What name do you feel suits me better, miss?"

Bella's brow furrowed and he could nearly see the pieces of their past attempting to fit together in her mind, just out of reach from her grasp, "I…" She pitched forward with a gasp, a hand flying to her forehead as he caught her in his arms.

Do not attempt to force her to remember.

Panic, cloying and rank, gripped Edward's heart, "Are you alright? What do you need? How can I be of help?"

"How embarrassing," she sighed, fingers gripping his biceps in the most delicious way. Possessive. It felt possessive. "I must have overexerted myself tonight but I'm fine, really."

"Please let me help you train," Edward hadn't let go of her and he definitely noticed that Bella was not hurrying to leave the circle of his arms either. If anything, she was breathing harder the closer they drew to each other. "Let me prove my worth and, if you find I have none, I promise to leave you in peace."

Bella looked up at him with her disarming doe eyes, "You misunderstand me, Anthony. Your worth was never the one in question."

He heard her unspoken words, devastating in their sadness.

'It was mine.'

x-x-x

Bella was shy and unsure of herself, but a rapid learner with a desire to excel. They trained in secret during the evenings – with her properly clothed in winter attire, thank you – and during the day, he was able to remain mostly unnoticed and largely unseen. Edward did his best to blend into castle life wherever possible in order to be nearer to Bella. He made sure to listen to everyone's thoughts to ensure no one took notice of him and to find where he could slip into odd jobs to avoid suspicion. He absolutely did not make numerous visits to the army barracks over the next few weeks to search the myriad of thoughts for the man who assaulted Bella.

Edward washed the blood from his fingers and spat the rest of the foul, offending liquid onto the shadowed grass with a grimace.

He definitely did not find out who attempted to rape her and, upon being unsuccessful, punched his soulmate with brute force the likes of which could have easily left her blinded. Kair and fate and the timestone could let him have this one since the world was considerably safer without such a spineless predator skulking about.

"Anthony!"

Edward turned at the sound of her voice, thankful he'd already washed away the evidence of his violence though there was no regret present to weigh on him. "Good evening, miss. Still woefully underdressed for the weather, I see."

Her smile was radiant even against her shivers, "Have you heard the news? That man, the one who…" She gestured towards her now healing face, the once nauseating bruises fading into yellowish green. "He deserted this afternoon!"

"Did he now?" Edward couldn't help but smile back. "What a shame. I was looking forward to meeting him and having words."

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes – you are terrifying and I am but a weak damsel in need of rescuing. Thank you for the reminder."

"I didn't mean–"

Bella waved him off, "Doesn't matter. Anyway, the Queen will be announcing us next week, once we have all been 'prepared' nearly to death. I assume you know what that means?"

Truly, he didn't. He shook his head.

"We only have the remainder of this week to train together. After that, I'm afraid my time will be monopolized almost entirely by the court and…" She bit her lip. "Well, there are new rules for the Queen's ladies who are presented at court. Once our true names are announced, we are no longer allowed to associate with those of the opposite sex, unless being formally courted with the intention of marriage."

"I see," Edward nodded thoughtfully. That explained why she had refused to tell him her name all this time. "Mmm… what do you say to working with pikes tonight? They are not as common in battle now but I do find them more advantageous than bayonets if wielded properly."

"Oh, uhm… alright…?"

"Great, shall we?" He gestured for her to follow him to the dilapidated atrium.

"I…" Bella huffed and cut him off, standing with her hands on her hips indignantly. "Forgive me, but did you not hear what I said?"

"I heard you perfectly, miss."

"We only have this week to train together."

"Yes, I gathered that."

"And once announced at court, we cannot see each other anymore. In any capacity. Even at night."

Edward felt freer than he had in Forks, in Persia, or in Mexico. Freer to play, freer to dream. Freer to be himself and to enjoy the time he had with her. He loved messing with her, loved igniting that righteous fire that fueled her indignation. "Yes, I heard you say that as well."

"And that doesn't bother you?" She demanded with a little stomp of her foot. "Mr. 'I-feel-drawn-to-you'?"

"No, I fail to see the issue."

"You…! You dishonorable, dishonest, arrogant–"

Edward put his cold fingers against her lips, "I fail to see the issue because, soon, I will finally have the chance to – what was it you said? Oh, yes – court you formally. I've been trying to do that informally over these past weeks, but I fear I have failed."

"Oh," Bella breathed against his fingers, stars in her lovely eyes as realization dawned. "Oh."

"Shall we train, miss?" He nudged her along to the atrium with a devilish smirk. "I cannot promise my focus will be so easily divided once I have your heart closer to my grasp so, if you intend to learn any more battle tactics from me, I suggest we do it now."

"Courting doesn't really change anything except we will be allowed together in and out of public," she argued, adorably oblivious. "We could still train together."

"Possibly, my sweet girl," Edward purred as he slid an escaped lock of hair behind her ear, ready to throw centuries of caution to the wind for this woman. "But I can think of many more… pleasurable ways to spend our time together once we no longer have to sneak around."

Bella eyed him as if he were mad, "Sharing a bed would not be a hindrance to our training, Anthony. On the contrary – I intend to make you teach me one new fighting technique for each article of clothing I remove."

Edward nearly choked and Bella had to fight to stifle her scandalous giggles.

x-x-x

Queen Victoria was announcing her new Maids of Honour at court and among the demure, modest group of women stood a single, shining star.

She was regal and so fucking beautiful he wanted to weep, to worship at her feet like an altar to the divine.

The Queen spoke to them all, one by one, until she reached his soulmate. Isadora. Her name this time was Isadora.

Her hair in the daytime was a deep, startling shade of red and even from across the room, he could see that her eyes – thanks to the meddling of the timestone, which dictated no sparkling skin and no golden irises – matched his. Jade to emerald. Her skin was like poured cream, with a smattering of delicate freckles across her face and décolletage. The elegant Victorian gown she wore hung from her curves as if it were honored to be there. With each movement, the heavy silken fabric molded to her like a second skin, displaying her sumptuous curves for all to see.

Edward growled deep in his throat from the shadows where he watched, possessive and lustful.

As if she heard him, even hidden as he was, Isadora raised her head and met his eyes. She could see him. No one else could see him, but she found him instantly. He smiled at her.

She smiled right back, not a meek blush to be seen.

During training, outside of this room, she was shy as a church mouse but here… here she radiated confidence and grace.

Edward was tired of waiting for Fate to make up her fickle mind, tired of the heartbreak and despair. He was ready to love her, to possess her and Isadora – Isabella, Izzat, Itzpapalotl – was nearly begging for it. He'd made his intentions perfectly clear and his mate hadn't batted an eye, as if their courting was the most natural part of the universe.

The sun is hot, the sky is blue, and we were made for each other.

That thought was nearly crippling, the bond between them setting him ablaze as Isadora watched him watch her.

God above, what he wouldn't do for that woman.

x-x-x

17 years later

"Anthony?"

He shifted lazily, pulling her closer against his bare chest in the steaming bathwater, his plain wedding band slippery from the water slicking his skin, "Hmm?"

Her fingers entwined with his, long since accepting his wintry skin as their rings clacked together, "There has been word from the others. I must depart soon."

Edward froze, his muscles rigid as his stone heart dropped into his stomach. No. No. He had been so sure that this time was it for them and over the past few years, when nothing changed, he had come to accept that this was to be their new life. He thought that finally…

"You intend to leave me," his words sounded broken.

She sighed, resting her head against his shoulder so she could gaze up at him, "It's not a matter of want, love. I have to go."

His iron grip on her tightened, "You do not have to do anything. I am sure the army will fare just fine without you."

"Of course they will," she pressed her lips to the sharp line of his jaw. "But that, my dearest, is not the point. I have the skills and the ability to help, so help I must. I could never forgive myself otherwise."

He could feel the icy rage, the burning fury building within him. As far as his nature as a vampire was concerned, he had been positively saint-like. Sure, he had used his strength to rip apart the single gentleman – he sneered internally at the word, for that pig was not anything near a gentleman – after his attempted assault of Isadora. But surely that was acceptable, wasn't it? He had been protecting her, preserving her honor. Surely Fate wouldn't be so cruel as to punish him for that.

"Fine. If you must go, then I will follow."

She dragged her wet fingers across his lips, "The men will not understand the things you can do. They won't understand why bullets and blades don't harm you."

"Any more than they will understand why there's a woman in their ranks?" He bit back, much harsher than he intended.

She simply laughed, shifting herself onto his lap but always careful not to cross the physical boundaries they had set so long ago, "They will have no idea there is a woman in their ranks, my love. I have ways around that."

x-x-x

Edward watched in amazement as Isadora – his delicate, fearsome mate – transformed before his eyes. After cutting her hair as short as she dared, binding her chest with tight bandages, and donning the conventional British Army uniform, he found that she really would fit in with the other soldiers quite well.

She was, as always, a fierce little warrior.

His chest ached as the truth dawned on him like the sunrise over a new day. This time, it was not to be either.

x-x-x

The battlefield at Crimea was a cacophony of horrible sounds. Cannons blasting, guns firing, spears piercing, men screaming.

During her secret lessons over the past 17 years, Edward had taught her well; she was outmaneuvering many of her fellow soldiers and taking down more Russian troops than all of her counterparts combined save for him, perhaps. She was quick and deadly with her artillery sword, just as she had been with her spear in Persia and her claws in Mexico. None of the enemy soldiers could even get close enough to scratch her skin, let alone kill her. They were dead long before they had come anywhere close.

He allowed himself to feel a tiny spark of hope as she danced across the battlefield like a work of art come to life, dodging cannonballs and gunfire and fallen bodies. She was such a skilled fighter now – surely she would make it out of the battle alive and they could be together. Surely, his intuition was wrong this time.

Edward was jolted from his thoughts by a gut-wrenching, high-pitched scream that settled into his very bones. He had let his concentration waver while in thought and in his distraction, Isadora had moved away from him, away from the shield he was acting as to aid her as an extra precaution for just a second.

But it was enough.

She was on her knees, her eyes wide and trained on him as her small hands came up to grip the sharp end of the musket that was protruding from her abdomen. Like some sick sense of déjà vu, Edward watched in abject horror as the blood blossomed like a beautiful dark flower against her red and white uniform.

Her voice was thready but rang clear in his ears, "Edward…"

Before he could wrench himself back to reality and make it to her, there was a quick succession of three gunshots.

She fell to the ground, brilliant jade eyes empty, chest unmoving.

That night, in the privacy of the tent they had shared, Edward held her cold body to him once more, weeping dryly with venomous tears he could never shed and begging the timestone, the Fates, whoever, to please let this stop. He didn't know how much more he could take.

Once she was safely buried on a secluded, rocky beach overlooking the Black Sea, the timestone ignored his plea and whisked Edward through time again.

x-x-x

2006

Volterra - Tuscany, Italy

"Oof!"

Edward slammed into the dusty, uneven ground so hard, it knocked the wind from his lungs. The timestone had dumped him at the mouth of an alley and based on the myriad of humans wearing matching blood-red cloaks and milling about from vendor to vendor, he assumed it was currently the middle of some sort of festival. His clothes were finally his own again – in fact, they were the same ones he'd been wearing upon leaving Rio at Rosalie's behest. Kair's stone sat heavily in the pocket against his thigh.

A kaleidoscope of shimmering facets glittered across the darkness of the alley. He was… sparkling again? Holy shit, he was lying directly in the sun and sparkling. A little girl in the crowd was staring at him with a wide smile, tugging on her mother's cape and pointing towards him.

Two looming figures appeared in the shadowed alley, one tall and one short, shrouded in billowing capes of midnight black. Carlilse's paintings of his time with Volturi ensured Edward knew exactly who they were.

Fuck.

The taller, burly one – Felix, if his memory served – wrapped his thick fingers around Edward's bicep and yanked him out of the sun with much more force than necessary. He didn't let go even when he threw a cloak around Edward's shoulders and they were all safely ensconced in the alley.

"How fortuitous that we found you when we did," the shorter, more wraith-like man said with a thin smile. It took a moment to remember his name was Demetri. "Your proximity to the sun was most alarming."

"Thank you, gentleman," Edward inclined his head with gratitude, well aware of how dangerous these men truly were and treading very carefully. "I apologize for the inconvenience."

"No inconvenience at all, really," Demetri eyed Felix and the bulky vampire started nearly dragging Edward away from the crowd and further into the shadows. He fell into step beside them. "Aro wishes to speak with you again."

Aro was the head of the Volturi – the leader of the vampire's governing body for all intents and purposes. According to his father, Aro was also someone that should be avoided at all costs if possible. He was known as a fearsome 'collector' in the vampire world, his collection consisting of both willing and unwilling vampires with a wide array of abilities and gifts.

It was common knowledge that more were unwilling than willing.

Why would the timestone bring him to Volterra? Based on what little he could see of the humans before being dragged away, Edward assumed that the year was probably very close to the one he'd originally come from, if not the same one. And what had Demetri said… that Aro wanted to speak to him again?

Shit.

The tedious, winding journey into the bowels of the Volturi's castle was uncomfortable and nerve-wracking. Neither Demetri nor Felix offered up any further information as to what Aro wanted or what Edward had originally spoken to him about. Worst of all, the deeper they went, the less populated it became until he didn't see anyone else for minutes at a time and those he did see were clearly vampires in the Volturi's service.

Once they reached the hallway leading to the throne room, the curiously human receptionist eyed Edward with only mild interest before plastering a very plastic, cookie-cutter smile on her red-painted lips and welcoming them back with a sweep of her hand towards the set of large, ornate wrought-iron doors at the end of the hall. Demetri continued to drag him, Felix following silently beside, until they reached the doors that opened as they approached.

Aro looked exactly the same as Carlisle's painting – stuck somewhere between eternal youth and decrepit vampire, he had thin, raven's wing hair that fell to his waist, thick, dark brows, and milky red eyes set in nearly translucent skin. On either side of him in two smaller, yet identical thrones sat the other men from Carlilse's painting: Cauis, still platinum blond and pissed off as ever, and Marcus, who sat rather listlessly and whose thoughts conveyed his sheer boredom with the monotony of it all.

Aro clapped his hands together with glee, "Edward! I am so pleased Felix and Demetri were able to find you so promptly! I trust there were no issues?"

Both men shook their heads but Demetri was the one to answer, "Got to him just in time, sire." He eyed Edward as Felix shoved him roughly in front of the dais where the thrones sat. "He looked to be having a pleasant rest in the sun, in full view of the humans."

One of Aro's thick eyebrows raised, "But no… complications?"

"None, sire."

"Good, good," he entwined his fingers on a crossed knee before turning his cloudy gaze to him. "I can see our previous conversation had no lasting effect, then. Did it, Edward?"

Edward cursed the timestone for throwing him into a situation he couldn't so easily lie his way out of. One touch of Aro's hand and everything he'd been through until this point, his entire journey to find Bella, would be laid bare and considering he didn't know why he was here to begin with, he had a feeling that exposing the truth like that would not be the best idea. There was no telling if Aro had touched him to read his thoughts, so it was safest to refrain from allowing him to do so.

Mistaking his silence for confirmation, Aro sighed, "I know you must be in pain, my boy. Heaven knows we all have experienced loss, but to lose one's mate…" He shuddered a little. "I can hardly imagine what that must feel like, even after all these months."

His stomach dropped. What in the fuck was going on in this place? How did Aro know? How long had it been since Bella was lost to him?

"Please don't misunderstand. I can empathize with wanting to follow your mate into the afterlife, but I cannot allow it. Your gifts are far too valuable to be thrown away so callously. I will extend my offer to you once more: join us. Join my ranks and I can give you anything. Money, power, women, men. Anyone, anything you desire is within my grasp to give. What do you say?"

The pieces were quickly falling into place. Bella was gone from the world, somehow, and he must have come to the Volturi to ask them to end his existence in order to follow after her. But after being turned down by Aro, Edward must have gone to expose himself to the humans, to force the Volturi's hand whether they liked it or not.

Not improbable, honestly.

Edward chose his words very, very carefully, "I appreciate your offer, sire. More than you know, truly. But without my mate… I couldn't accept. It would be a disservice to her."

Aro's hopeful expression fell, "Ah, I see. I expected this, but it is disappointing nonetheless. What a shame."

"Surely you do not intend to let him go?" Caius sneered from his chair. "He nearly exposed himself at your rejection already. How can we trust he will not try again?"

"Calm yourself, dear Caius," Aro chuckled. "Edward will not be leaving us this day."

Edward frowned, panic growing at the thought of being trapped in Volterra and unable to find whatever piece of Bella the timestone intended, "Sire, that is really not necessary–"

With a sharp wave of his hand, Aro silenced him, "You will remain as our guest for a few days. To give the humans time to finish their festivities and to give you time to think on your answer. If, after some time with us, nothing has changed, we can revisit the topic again."

The leader of the Volturi snapped his long fingers three times in a distinct rhythm: snap, snapsnap. A far door towards the back of the throne room opened and shut succinctly, followed by the measured click-clack of heels on marble as the person approached. Edward's ribs ached suddenly as if he'd gone a few rounds with Emmett and lost, the clicking of the heels on the floor intensifying the throb with each subsequent step.

A woman appeared between Caius and Aro's thrones and Edward felt as if he were being strangled.

Bella!

She stood, tall and regal and clad all in black just as everyone else, her thick, lustrous hair falling in stunning waves around the perfection of her face. Her eyes – no, longer warm brown but a rich amber – were lined with long, midnight lashes and she moved with a graceful fluidity that she'd never possessed as a human. Jesus, she was even more stunning than the visions that Alice had seen of her as a vampire. Aro took her proffered hand and closed his eyes for a brief moment before releasing her with a wide smile in Edward's direction.

"My boy, I would like you to meet the newest member of my court. This lovely little bird of mine is my Enforcer, Isabella."

Bella looked at him with those boundless golden eyes and it was like the world stopped turning on its axis. The castle could have quite literally burned to the ground around him and he doubted he would have noticed. Edward bowed deeply, quietly thanking the timestone for always being so precise. That ache, that throb in his ribs was pulling him to her and it took all of his strength to resist.

This is the final time. This is it for us.

He just knew. He could feel it. The knowledge came from seemingly nowhere but he knew.

Aro chuckled, "No need to stand on such formality, dear boy! Isabella," the possessive way he eyed her sent Edward's stomach churning. "Would you be so kind as to show our guest to his room? He'll be staying with us for a few days."

Her voice, still exactly as he remembered, nearly knocked him to his knees, "Of course, sire. Any room in particular?"

"I trust your judgment, little bird."

"Yes, sire." She turned towards Edward without actually looking at him. "This way, if you please."

He could hear the snickers of the Volturi as he nearly tripped over his own feet to follow her out of the room.

x-x-x

Bella silently led him through the lavishly decorated castle into the west wing, which seemed to be entirely filled with guest bedrooms. She stopped at a non-descript looking door and used an ancient skeleton key to unlock it, stepping back to allow him inside. The room was opulent and over-the-top considering vampires didn't use most of the amenities within, save for the wall of books and perhaps the utilities in the bathroom on occasion. There was an enormous four-poster bed carved from cherry wood and an unused marble fireplace that matched the pattern of the floors.

"Will this room suffice, sir?"

He cringed at the formality, "Please, call me Edward."

She let out a tiny gasp, her brow furrowed as if trying to decipher a particularly difficult puzzle. It only lasted for a few seconds before she cleared her throat and regained her composure, "Of course. Will this room suit your needs, Edward?"

"To be honest, I thought you were going to take me to the dungeons," Edward admitted with a crooked grin. "I was prepared for rusting chains, not silk sheets."

Bella's stance was rigid but he could see something else swimming in her eyes, "Prisons come in many different forms and a gilded cage is still a cage. Try not to let the pretty façade fool you."

"Are you being held in a cage, Isabella?" He dared to ask. "Is that why Aro calls you his little bird?"

She opened her mouth and Edward knew her so well that he could see how badly she wanted to tell him, how badly she wanted to say 'yes' but she stopped herself. Bella looked almost remorseful, "You do know that Aro is not going to let you leave, don't you? He will keep you here for as long as it takes to get what he wants."

"I know."

"And you understand that he is relentless? That he will send me to you, every single day, until you are coerced into cooperating?"

Edward leaned against the doorframe, "He labeled you as his Enforcer, so I assumed as much. How do you intend to enforce his will, if you don't mind me asking?"

Bella looked nauseous and she bit her lip, "My gift is that I can see desires. Whatever it is that someone desires most, I can see it as if it were written on their skin just for me to read. I must have been a people pleaser in my human life and I suppose that is why I am the way I am now. You, Edward, are seeking love. Aro thinks I can seduce you into giving in; he thinks I can trick you into loving me so you will submit to him."

Damn Aro and his keen instincts. Edward absolutely would agree to anything asked of him if it meant remaining here with Bella but luckily, Aro didn't seem to know who Isabella truly was. That may be the key to getting out of this situation.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" He asked curiously. She was such an enigma in this place and he was desperate for a glimpse into her mind that was still closed off from his gift. "Is seducing me truly what you intend to do?"

She surveyed him for a long time, like she was waiting for something.

Finally, Bella rubbed at her sternum with discomfort and turned to leave, "I don't know."

x-x-x

It started slowly.

Edward was allowed to leave his room and peruse the castle, but he was not permitted outside unless it was for supervised hunting as he staunchly refused to partake in the regular human consumption that happened in the throne room like clockwork. During the first few days, he only saw Bella – Isabella, as it turned out she preferred – in passing in the halls or sometimes sequestered in the grand library located in the center of the castle. She always murmured a quiet greeting and their fingers always happened to brush, but she was careful to avoid his eyes.

Speaking of eyes, he certainly hadn't failed to notice that she was the only member of the Volturi with golden eyes. God, he was proud of her.

It wasn't until the second week of his 'few day stay' that Bella actually sought him out. She came knocking on the door to his room and woodenly asked if he would be up for hunting that evening. After agreeing, Isabella quickly departed to change with a promise of returning promptly at nightfall and Edward was left to fantasize about what it would be like to see her hunt… to see her as a vampire in all her supernatural glory.

Good thing he had access to that private en-suite bathroom; he'd, embarrassingly, had to change his pants lest she discover the fruits of his lecherous thoughts.

The sun had just set past the horizon when she was at his door again, looking much more comfortable and much less intimidating in a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a hooded sweatshirt. She led him out of the castle through a complicated maze of corridors and it was not until they stepped past the boundary lines of Volterra that she visibly relaxed.

"There are some mountains not too far from here," she gestured into the darkness stretched before them. "I don't think they have any mountain lions for you, though."

Edward froze, "How did you know I prefer mountain lions?"

Isabella looked equally as confused, "I… I don't know. I just do."

"I'm fine with anything," he pressed on so as not to get his hopes up. All the other times she had remembered him, she'd been dying and he would love to avoid that at the moment. "Lead the way."

"Race you?" She grinned, light from the town dancing in her darkened eyes. "I promise to let you win."

He tugged on a lock of her long hair affectionately, "We'll see about that."

Upon reaching the mountains, Edward won – only because she let him, of course – and Isabella was like an entirely different person. It was as if she were herself, her true self, again. Not the Enforcer, not the Volturi, not a vampire. Just Bella. Just his mate.

"What led you to Volterra?" Edward found himself asking once she was more comfortable.

She shrugged as they crept through the trees together, "I died and someone changed me. No one was there when my change was complete; all I had was the memory of someone repeating 'Volterra' while I changed, so here I am."

"And… you remember nothing from your human life?"

"No. Sometimes it feels like I might be able to, but then the memories slip from my grasp. Like sand falling through my fingers. It's almost as if something is blocking them, like I'm waiting for something to happen before they return."

Was it him? Was he what she was waiting for?

Edward didn't understand the timestone or the intricacies of their soulmate bond, but if he was meant to be here with her, perhaps that meant…

"Mine!" She growled. Then, in the blink of an eye, he saw her pounce on a wolf, drinking deeply from its throat without spilling a drop on her clothing and Edward felt as if he could come from the sight alone. When she looked up at him once finished, doe-eyes luminescent under the moon and tongue swiping along her lush bottom lip, he was nearly undone with the force of wanting her.

Judging by the look on her face, by her heavy breathing, she felt it too.

Edward stepped closer, utterly mesmerized and ready to throw all caution and care to the wind and allow this woman to have complete control over him, body and soul, but just when it seemed like she was thinking the same, Isabella took off running again.

"Bet I can beat you back!"

He ran after her without missing a beat.

What difference did it make? He'd been chasing her this long and to be honest, he would chase her to the ends of the Earth if she asked him to.

x-x-x

Upon returning from their hunt, Isabella's Enforcer persona slipped back into place and she grew more distant and reserved again. She still brushed against his fingers in the hall, she still greeted him in passing. She was extra careful about what she said though, always ensuring they were out of earshot of the others when possible.

But her eyes…

Edward was sitting in the vast library that took up two entire floors of the castle, secluded in a far corner where there was nothing but cobwebs and mis-shelved books long forgotten over time. He had a few books laid out on the rickety table before him; a history of the Volturi, a guide to mythical stones with magical properties, and a detailed volume about Greek Gods. The goal had been to learn more about Kair, about the timestone, and about what made the Volturi tick but it was proving fruitless as his focus was shot to hell.

Edward ran a hand through his messy copper hair and blew out a long breath.

The desire for his mate was intensifying, almost crippling when he was faced with her now. If he caught her scent in the halls, it sent him reeling. If he brushed against her skin, his body was alight with electricity. If she looked at him…

Christ, just thinking of that look in her eyes – the almost feral, animalistic lust she tamped down so well – had him adjusting himself surreptitiously in his chair. It was embarrassing to have so little control over his body, really. He may be trapped in the body of his 17 year-old self, but he was a grown man; a centenarian to be more accurate. He should have better discipline than this. He should…

Isabella materialized like an angel from the shadows of the stacks and in that moment, with the afternoon sun bracketing her thick hair like a halo and her strapless black sheath dress almost scandalously thin over her sparkling flesh, Edward knew self control was seriously fucking overrated.

She came over to the table and leaned against it with her hands, the innocent motion pushing her breasts together at the perfect level for his face, "What are you researching?"

Edward cleared his throat and made sure to look at her face and nothing else, "I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you."

"Mmm…" She hummed noncommittally. "Do you feel like taking a break? I've been looking for a book on the other side of the library but have had absolutely no luck."

"Oh, of course. I'd be glad to help," he neatly stacked his books on the table and followed her across the monstrous, silent library. She led him to the furthest eastern corner at the very back, to a long shelf with what looked like ancient texts that hadn't been touched in a thousand years.

Isabella stopped in the most secluded corner with the highest shelf of them all.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Edward asked as he looked upwards. "They look to be organized alphabetically by–"

"Edward."

He stopped to look at her and those embers, ever present at the base of spine, erupted into flames at the hungry expression on she wore. She was nearly panting, most telling as they didn't need to breathe, and her bottom lip was being firmly crushed between her teeth.

"You weren't looking for a book… were you, Isabella?"

She shook her head.

Fully aware of the way his voice always had the ability to affect her, Edward took a step closer to her and allowed the velvety baritone to drip from his lips like molten honey, "Then what is it you want? Is there something you want from me?"

Her fists flexed a few times and the words came through clenched teeth, "I don't know."

He chuckled, low and deep as their soulmate bond flared like a supernova between them, "Oh yes, you do. Tell me what it is you want, Isabella. Or is it… something you need?"

His mate shivered. Her struggle to remain where she stood, to refrain from touching him was so palpable he could feel the tension in the air like a living thing. What he wouldn't do to help that iron-clad self control shatter.

"If you don't need me for anything, I can just go back to my–"

One step away from her and Isabella snapped. She all but leapt into his arms and crushed her mouth to his, slanting the kiss so she could slip her tongue past his lips to sweep across the ridges of his mouth with a needy groan. Edward's knees threatened to buckle.

Finally. Finally.

For the first time ever, Edward didn't have to worry about hurting her, about breaking her fragile bones or bruising her delicate skin. That was the main reason he had never taken that final, monumental step with her in any life to seal their bond – he was too afraid to risk it. But now? Now?

He stumbled forward until a bookshelf pressed into her back and when she wrapped her long legs around his hips, he shamefully began contemplating taking her right there on the floor. Isabella's hands slid from his neck to grip fistfuls of his hair and stars exploded behind his eyes. He broke the kiss to press his mouth sloppily against her cheek and down her jawline to her collarbone, losing all grace and finesse in the haze of lust and need that clouded his mind. She tasted like freesia and sunlight and forgiveness and forever. Little gasps mixed with his name caught his ears and his cock hardened further, which she immediately noticed with the way she ground herself against him.

"Edward…" Isabella knocked her head back against one of the shelves. "Fuck."

"Is this part of Aro's plan?" Edward managed between pressing his teeth gently but insistently into the skin between her neck and her shoulder – exactly where mates marked each other, for any and all to see. For everyone to know. She scrabbled to pull him closer with her nails raking down his back. "Is this part of your seduction?"

Not that it mattered. Not that it would stop him for even a second.

"Yes…? No… I…" Isabella yanked his hair, hard, wringing a groan from deep in his throat as she swept her tongue into his mouth again. "I don't… know anymore. Just touch me."

He palmed her breast in his hand, pleased that his thumb brushed against her aching nipple with ease as she wore no bra under the thin garment, and her mouth fell open. Isabella was wound around him so tightly he could feel her wet heat against his groin, even through his clothing and the smell of her arousal had his mouth watering.

Edward knew she must be in turmoil, torn between her position within the Volturi and the way the bond drew them to each other, demanding they find each other again. Guilt consumed him, momentarily causing him to pause and search her face, "Isabella, if you are at all unsure…"

She cupped his face tenderly, dragging the pad of her thumb across his swollen bottom lip, "I tried to stay distant because I didn't want to be part of Aro's plans; I didn't want to do that to you. I know how this must seem but… I'm drawn to you, like a magnet. Wherever you are is exactly where I want to be, too. Since you arrived here, it has felt like I've been crawling out of my skin. But here, with you like this…" Bella kissed him, not frantically but slowly and full of love she couldn't even identify yet. "It feels right."

He smiled against her lush mouth, "It does, doesn't it?"

"Yes, now–" She took his hand and helped him roughly pull down the fabric of her dress that covered her breasts, exposing herself to him as a naked, glimmering goddess in the light of the setting sun. "Where were we?"

Edward groaned, the sight of his mate so trusting and bare before him had his head spinning. His suddenly clumsy hands rushed to push the stretchy fabric down to the slope of her waist and drag his fingers tortuously slow back up her sides until he was able to cup her breasts fully, making her shiver and gasp. Once again his thumbs slid across her tight, rosy nipples in a lazy, circular motion that had her hips mimicking the motion against his cock. Unable to wait any longer, Edward bent forward to taste her and the moment his tongue swirled around her nipples – first laving one, then the other with the same care – Isabella gripped his hair between her fingers and ground against him harder.

He nipped at her sensitive skin with his teeth and she hissed, "Yessss…"

Sufficiently pressed against the bookshelf, Edward slid his hands back down her sides until he was gripping the flesh of her thighs that currently held him in a death grip where he would gladly stay in for the remainder of time. "Lean back," he whispered against her sternum while rubbing his nose against her skin affectionately. "Hold on to the shelf for me, sweetheart."

Bella let out a whimper at his endearment and complied, leaning back just enough for him to be able to see the damp center of her lacy white panties. Edward was mesmerized by the sight of his hands on her trembling body, so close to the place they never truly dared venture when she was human for fear of accidentally hurting her.

Not anymore.

He dragged his fingers across her clothed, wet center and she whined. With a smirk, Edward toyed with the fabric's waist and she canted her hips. The wood of the shelf she gripped splintered.

"Please," Isabella begged, delirious with lust and need. He knew, he could feel it too. "Please, Edward. Touch me."

"Anything, sweetheart. Anything for you."

For the first time, Edward's hand slid into her panties, fingertips dipping experimentally into the wetness at the apex of her lush thighs to test the waters; after all, the last thing he wanted was to mess this up. He'd waited so long for her that he wanted it to be as perfect as he could make it. Bella jolted, canting her hips further up and let out a harsh breath when he accidentally slipped further into her sopping channel. He would have hesitated but her soft moans, nails biting into his skin and gyrating hips guided him to exactly what she wanted and he was nothing in this world if not thorough in his pursuit of pleasing his mate.

"Higher," she pleaded, breathless. "My… my clit, Edward… P-please…"

Having this woman so undone, so at his mercy was a heady thing that he feared was easy to become addicted to. Edward used his thumb to rub gentle circles across her swollen nub and Bella keened, muscles taut. He followed her subtle movements and could see that she was climbing her own invisible peak, the coil of pleasure undoubtedly tense and ready to spring within her womb. With his free hand, Edward held her hips roughly in place and proceeded to slide two of his long fingers steadily but firmly, in and out, of her dripping pussy as his thumb continued its assault on her needy clitoris. She rode his fingers as if they were his cock, the movements sensual and fluid as they sought the release that was so, so close.

Soon. Soon Bella will be mine like this and I will mark her. I'll have my mate, forever.

With a moan that settled into his very bones, Bella lurched forward to grab his shoulders and hold him close as her orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave and it was, without a doubt, the single most beautiful thing Edward could ever remember witnessing in his life. He could feel her body gripping his fingers tightly as they rode out the pleasure and coated his hand with her fluids and the feeling of her pussy attempting to milk him of seed sent him crashing headlong into his own orgasm that rocketed like shockwaves down the notches of his spine until his own clothing was sticky with his come. His mate, his love, shivered against him when he stroked her sensitive skin softly as she came down from her high before finally pulling his hand from her panties.

Her eyes were glassy when they opened to see him licking his slick fingers clean of her and she let out an exhausted, throaty laugh, "Oh lord, you are going to be the death of me."

Pain lanced through his heart at the thought of all the times he'd already watched her die right before his eyes. No more. Never again. "Let's hope not," he smirked, pushing the pain away in favor of savoring the moment with her. "I'm rather looking forward to seeing how you accost me next."

"Mmm…" She hummed contentedly, kissing him deeply with long, sensuous swipes of her tongue against his. "Me too."

We'll have forever soon. Edward reminded himself, over and over, as he set Isabella on shaky legs and helped her to adjust her disheveled clothing and wild hair. Soon. But for now, as long as I have her in any way I can, that's enough.