Two

Chapter Two
I’m sure the others had to have spotted him long before my weak human eyes could, but that didn’t stop me from searching the trees in the distance.  It was mere seconds before my eyes found his lithe cloaked form slowly stalking out from under the cover of the dark foliage at the northern end of the field.  The previous fight over the newborn Bree, momentarily forgotten as the Volturi guard scurried to form a line to protect their leader.  For that much I was grateful, I had no interest in seeing anyone else die today.

In my time spent with the Cullens I had always been envious of their natural, or should I say unnatural grace but even Alice had noting on this member of vampire royalty.  The fluid movements Caius made as his slow decent came to rest just in front of Carlisle made me want to weep from the sheer beauty.  It was if he was created from thick, swirling smoke and the dark black of his cloak only added to the fantastical image my imagination had worked up.  The irony of my thoughts were not lost on me, as all vampires had to suffer the violently burning flames of venom in order to gain their immortality.

As my mind continued to wander as I stared in awe as the white beast approached us through patches of thick clover and thistles.  His face was still covered by his heavy cloak but I hardly needed it to remember his striking face.  Never in my life had I seen such a man as him, hair the color of the freshly fallen snow billowing around his face the rest he tied into a low tail falling to rest at the middle of his back.  And those eyes; hard as any precious stone and just as stunning.  When I had first laid eyes on him in Volterra, he stunned me to silence.  He looked more like a demon than a vampire, he was handsome but marred; a single scar cutting across his diamond skin from the bridge of his nose to the apple of his cheek.  I think it only added to the masculinity he already exuded.  

This, however was the first time I had ever seen him standing and I found myself baffled by how tall he was, but didn’t know why it surprised me so much.  Caius had made it clear from our first meeting that he was not a man to be trifled with and with him standing to full attention I could easily make out why the others feared him so, he was quite intimidating.  I laughed out loud at the thought of Emmett being dwarfed in his presence and Jasper turned to me for only a second with his eyebrow raised in question.  I’m sure the others wanted to as well but were far to frightened to remove their gaze from the Ice King.  

Edward paid no mind to my insane outburst and interesting enough neither did Caius, they were far to busy staring intently at one another.  Forcibly, I held in my gasp as Caius finally lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing his face to us.  My memories, it seemed, did him little justice.  A flicker of emotion passed across his features before his lips turned up in a mild smirk.  

In that same moment Edward’s hand shot out grabbing me by the forearm, squeezing too tightly, and I realized my body had been moving forward of its own accord.  An angry growl rising through the cool morning air only confirmed Edward‘s anger and my body shuddering with the tingling fear that trickled down my spine.  It was no secret to me or to any of the family of Edward’s feelings toward the Volturi, but I had no idea of the hate and distain he seemed to hold for Caius alone.  

“Edward please, you’re going to get us all killed.”  Rosalie bit out in a low voice, but she wasn’t staring at Edward and following her gaze I shrunk back at what she was obviously looking at.  The smirk that Caius was sporting was gone, replaced by narrowed eyes and the saying ‘If looks could kill’ sprang to mind. In that instant I didn’t know who to be more frightened of; Edward or Caius.

“You should listen to your sister.”  Jane said with an expression I could only describe as a promise of pain to come.

“Edward,”  Carlisle whispered softly, obviously trying not to spook him in his volatile state.  “son, you need to let go of Bella.”  

I was confused momentarily as to why Carlisle would want Edward to release me, but as Edward’s grip turned painful I figured out why.  My hand was a sickening mixture of white and purple and I could feel my skin crying out for the blood and oxygen it desperately needed, but Edward’s only answer to Carlisle was to grip tighter and another growl to spring from his throat.  

“Edward,”  I whimpered.  “please let me go, you’re hurting me.”  I begged trying to pull away from him, all the while knowing it was pointless.  I wouldn’t be going anywhere until Edward released me of his own will.  I would either break my arm trying or he would kill me the minute he drew blood.  

The voice that spoke up next chilled me to the bone but also left another impression on me that I couldn’t make sense of.  “Release her.”  Caius demanded coolly.  His voice was cold in its authority but never once did it let on to the immense anger I seen brewing behind his narrowed ruby eyes.

“I will not allow you to corrupt her with you fifth.”  Edward spat.  “She would never go with you willing and…”  his voice trailed off into a hum to low for my human ears to register, but following it low growls erupted throughout the field, but they were not targeted at the Volturi, but at Edward.

“Edward!”  Carlisle gasped.  “You don’t mean that.”

I had no idea, of course, as to what they were discussing but I knew I was involved and I also knew but the horrified shock on Esme’s face and the menacing scowl on Emmett, Jasper, and Alice’s face that it wasn’t good.  Carlisle looked torn somewhere between pure shock and disappointment.  I think it was the disappointment of Carlisle’s face that scared me most of all.

“Of course I do.”  he replied vehemently.

“Is that what you think, boy?”  Caius asked, some of his earlier humor returning to his voice.  “I don’t think you could do it before I removed that arrogant head from your body.  Let’s test it shall we?”  

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jane and Alec share a look, a smirk if you will before it vanished and they schooled their features yet again.  

Edward hadn’t loosened his grip in the slightest, as a matter of fact he only seemed to tighten it.  “Edward, please!”  I begged again, pulling in tugging at his arm to get him to free me.  

“Carlisle,”  Caius said coldly.  “If he doesn‘t release her I will have it removed, permanently.”  He never moved a muscle but I could see Jane and Felix step a foot closer in Edward’s direction.  

Carlisle nodded visibly shaken but schooled his features quickly and turned to Jasper.  “Jasper, please.”  Jasper smiled and he seemed more than obliged to help.

It took all of two seconds for Edward to wobble of his feet and release my arm, before my honey blond brother took Edward down with a swift kick to his legs, flipping him on his back and pinning him quickly with the heel of his boot.  By the time Edward’s eyes began to focus there was nothing he could do, but thrash and scream.  Alice rushed to my side, supporting me before I fell to the ground as well.  My arms tingled with the blast of blood that raced through it, there was a white print where his fingers had been that were quickly fading into red, purple and black angry marks.  I winced painfully as she cradled my injured appendage in her cold hands.  

“Alice?”  Carlisle question.

“I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s hard to tell.”  Alice replied.  Her face was twisted up in a grim look I’d had never seen on her before and I shuddered at the implication of what it could mean.  

As if she had plucked the thought from my head, she smiled comfortingly,  “Everything will be alright, just follow your heart.”  It was hard to believe her with so much going on but it was hard to bet against my little pixie friend.  

“May I?”  Carlisle asked with the utmost respect, asking what I’d hope was permission to examine me and Caius soundlessly nodded.  I tried my best not to stare at him as Carlisle approached, but totally and utterly failed.  He was everything I remembered and more.  I let my gaze travel the long length of his body; from his leather of his shoes to expanse of his broad chest.  He was truly a magnificent species.  When my eyes traveled to his face I found his hard crimson gaze staring intently back at me.  I felt my cheeks heat up with the traitorous blush I had so fruitlessly tried to hide.  Emmett’s chuckling let me know that their most likely wasn’t anyone who had missed my ogling and if it were possible I blushed harder.  

Carlisle was speaking to me but I was still dazed, dazzled and lost to Caius’s crimson stare.  

“Huh?”  I asked dumbly.

Carlisle chuckled.  “I said, you have a rather bad fracture of the radius.  I will need a radiograph to be sure.”  

“NO!”  Edward yelled, struggling against Jasper hold on him.  “She’s not going anywhere!”  and I noticed that once again I started to gravitate toward the other side of the field.  

“Shut your mouth, you foolish boy.”  Caius snapped and I flinched.  “I am tiring of this game you are trying to play.  I came here for a reason, do you really think I’d give up because you don’t want to give up your pet.”

My eyes snapped to his and then back down at Edward.  What?

“I don’t quiet understand.  Bella is Edward’s mate, we do not consider her a pet.”

“Huh,”  Caius scoffed.  “I have been very well informed of how your precious Edward views her.”  

“But I… Edward has always-

“It’s true, Carlisle.”  Alice spoke up approaching Edward and Jasper cautiously only to be replaced by Rosalie who stood unyielding at my side.  “All of it is true. Bella isn’t destined for Edward.”

“That makes no sense, Ali.  You said you seen her as one of us.”  Emmett said scratching his thick skull in confusion.

“I did, and I still do.  I always thought because I had seen Bella as one of us that it had to be Edward, but I was wrong.”  She hung her head and I couldn’t stand to see the pain on her face.  “But I’m not wrong about this.  It was after Italy when the visions changed and I saw what would happen if Bella where to remain with Edward.”  

“What would happen?”  Esme asked her eyes wide with fear.

“Death.”

“It’s not true! Don’t listen to her, Bella.  I love you!”  Edward screamed struggling again to get loose.  Jasper growled digging his booted foot deeper into his back.

“Shut the fuck up, Edward.”  

“Okay, don’t behead for being dumb or anything, but how do you know about all this?”  Emmett asked looking at the members of the Volturi.  If this wasn’t such a confusing and desperate situation I might have laughed.  Emmett was always the one to ask the obvious questions, and this time I was just as curious.


“I called them.”  A soft whisper replied.

A resounding “What?!”  echoed through the clearing as six pairs of eyes all flickered to Alice.  

“Why?”  Carlisle was the first to speak.

“She can’t stay here, Carlisle.  Even if you send Edward to Alaska he would still come for her eventually.  That and…”  She trailed off not wishing to continue.

“And?”  Rosalie barked impatiently.

“It’s were she belongs. She supposed to be with them.”  

I felt my heart take a dive along with the ability to hold myself up.  I slumped against Rosalie wanting nothing more than to sleep for a week.  I needed time to think and my mind was buzzing from all the excitement.  I was supposed to be with them.  The words rang out in my mind, over and over and somehow it felt right.  Follow your heart.  

“Master?”  Jane called, relieving me of my jumbled thoughts for a moment.  “What of the new one?”  

My heart lurched and I found myself scrambling to Caius.  “Please don’t kill her.”  I begged tugging at his cloak with my numb fingers.  

He bent down and I froze now coming to the realization of what I was doing.  I must be going mental.  He hovered over me before dipping his head down into the crook of my neck.  

“Hmmm.”  he breathed.  “So sweet.”  

My heart sped up and my breathing became uneven.  I was highly aroused, and between the blush of my cheeks or the scent of my wantonness I was sure the all could smell I was sure everyone knew it.  

I waited, forever it seemed like before he spoke again.

“Leave her be.”  It was all I needed to hear before I let the blackness finally take me.