JANE POV
I was glad to be with Bella again. Alec and I have not had friends for a long time or ever really. When we were human they all hated us and now that we are immortal, they fear us. I love my father Aro and my mother but there are some things I can't talk to them about or even Alec about. Our human life was filled with pain and suffering, I embraced the pain whereas Alec shut it out. I think that's where our gift came from. Years of emotional and physical pain.
Flashback
I woke up with bruises covering almost every inch of my skin some old and yellow some blue and black. On my face from the slaps, arms from his rough hold and my abdomen from his kicks and punches. The first thing I did was check on my twin. He usually got the brunt of our father's abuse because he was protecting me.
He has never touched me sexually which I was glad for but I know that he doesn't simply because he thinks he might catch whatever evil is in us.
People in this town thought we were evil because not only were we twins, we were fraternal twins and our mother died giving birth to us. Father blamed us when he was sober and punished us when he was drunk.
I sneak through the house trying not to wake father who was passed out on the floor by his room, I went outside to get water and some herbs to apply to Alec's wounds.
I had spent most of my life healing his cuts and bruises, to help him numb the hurt whereas I breathed through the pain. Use it to fuel my rage. Because one day, one day we will be strong enough, I just hope that day is soon.
End of flashback
Being around humans all day was hard because of our experience with them and being immortal for over a thousand years, I have seen them kill and hate each other, over religion and skin colour. I know they can't hurt me but I can't help but be thrust back into the past whenever I'm around a lot of them. I can deal with Giana because she's one human in a coven of vampires but being one vampire surrounded by humans is not easy. Bella and Alec make it better but even they can't help me escape my mind.
We are outside now with some of the Cullens, I'm hanging on to Bella because she's my lifeline right now. Bella wants me even though my own mate doesn't. She makes me feel worth something like I have more use than just causing pain and fear. I know my brother thinks the same of her. Bella had helped us a lot in the sixteen years we have known her. Her friendship means a lot to me. More than what most would think. Especially coming from a sadist like me.
Anyway, I laugh at Emmett's joke and soon we are driving to the Olympic manor. I don't pay attention to what they're saying just Bella's heartbeat. It was working to calm me as she sat down and played chess with Major Whitlock. Listening to it race when she looked at Rosalie and won a game with Jasper. This is what I need after a day of hundreds of heartbeats each with its own rhythm. Her's is a rhythm I'm used to. One that I've come to trust, I can't wait for her to be turned but will miss her heartbeat, when it races when she's excited or happy or the soft beating when she is calm or asleep.
Carlisle walked in shaking out my thoughts about Bella. He was young compared to me but he had a family and a mate that loved him. I only had Alec, Bella and my parents. My real parents and not the sperm donor that abused me for all my human life. Every time I think of him I get filled with hate and anger for what he did to me and what those memories still do me today. I wished that my memories had faded as most do. But mine was still there, in HD.
I still was not paying attention to what they were saying just making sure I was close enough to Bella to keep her safe and alert enough to fight if need be. That's where my first mistake was.
When the door was open the first thing I smelled was her scent I immediately went into shock.
'what was she doing here, she had spent the last few hundred years avoiding me'
My second mistake was looking at her. Her Golden coloured eyes didn't look as vibrant and alive as her crimson eyes, but they were equally as beautiful. Her strawberry blond hair, blew with the wind as they stood at the entrance of the living room. A gust of wind from the open windows blew my scent in her direction and I saw her eyes turn to charcoal.
Not with lust but with hate.
It hurt so much that she hated me for being Volturi, the pain was worse than what my father did to me. Worse than being ridiculed by the whole village spat on and shoved around, kicked when I was down. There was nothing I could compare the pain to, I've seen the pain my gift can inflict but the pain in my heart was tenfold. My heart broke more with every second she hated me. I started to doubt that there was any part of my heart that was whole. It felt like shattered glass. Hundreds of years each time she slept with another only serving to kill me more. A pain that should have turned me insane years ago.
But I hold on to the hope that maybe one day. One day she will look at me with love in her eyes, that maybe one day she will hold me tightly in her arms the way I deserve. that maybe just one day the pain would stop and my heart would swell with endless love from her. A love I had only ever seen in the eyes of the mated couples around me.
A love that only my mate can hold for me, untainted and strong. To see the love in my eyes reflected in hers.
Even though I was in pain being so far from her, I don't want her to feel pain. Which is why I have stayed away for this long. I know that when she sees me she only thinks of that day her maker was killed, it kills me to be away from her but I would do anything to prevent her pain.
"Jane is my mate, but after she helped convict and kill Sasha I refused to mate with her. It's been over a thousand years since I last saw her" Tanya said, her voice filled with hate for me but I was glad to know she acknowledged me as her mate.
"Irina and I have been waiting for our mates for thousands of years. Not only did you know who it was but you blamed her for something she didn't even do. I know you loved Sasha so did we Tanya. she created an immortal child that slaughtered an entire town. to reject the gift of being mated and to sleep with multiple people for hundreds of years after knowing who your mate is. The pain she must have been put through because of your behaviour. You don't deserve to be the coven leader. A true leader would have more sense than to abandon their mate because she was enforcing a rule that Sasha clearly broke." Kate ranted and I could see a few sparks on her hands.
She was so angry that her gift was reacting. I saw her muscles tighten and I moved before I realised I had her in a Full-Nelson.
Alec and Rosalie had moved Bella to the furthest corner of the room. Crouched down teeth bared. Ready for any attack, Alec had released Edward from his gift but the length of time he had been under had left Edward incapacitated for the time being.
"Stop! " Bella shouted, I knew I had to listen but this vampire was about to attack my mate, I would not let that go. My beast wouldn't let me.
" I heir to Caius Volturi call for order, Jane release her."
I growled when she said this,
'she has to be punished don't you understand' I screamed in my head.
Rosalie responded to me with an even louder growl. Before things got out of hand I saw Bella lay a hand on Rosalie and she calmed down and pulled her into a tight embrace. She walked to where I was seconds from ripping Kate's arms off, Rosalie and Alec mimicking her every move. My growls grew with volume at every step. 'please you have to understand, she was going to hurt my mate' I continue shouting in my head but was unable to get the words out of my mouth as my beast took control.
"Jane. " my beast looked at Bella fury burning deep in my charcoal eyes and lips pulled back into a snarl.
" Jane listen to my voice. Let go of her. She's Tanya's sister if you kill her Tanya will never forgive you" it was low but she had to appeal to the beast that was on the surface.
"Hurt mate" my beast growled and snarled into Kate's face. I had moved her onto the floor my hand around her throat. She was on her back and I was crouched over her.
'I don't understand how this was hurting my mate'
"Yes but you have to let her go or else you will hurt your mate even more" she pleaded with my beast
"Me? hurt mate?"
'how I'm just protecting her, why can't you see that' I was still unable to speak in full sentences, primitive in my state.
from my beast's point of view I was protecting my mate, even though my mate had rejected me for this long I still cared about Tanya.
"yes Jane, now let go of her OK."
I threw Kate away from me and straightened up and walked back to Bella's side. Right now she was the only person other than Tanya that could calm me down, if I listened to her now she would help me understand. 'how could I possibly hurt my mate when I was just protecting her. That's what a mate is supposed to do'
I settled next to Bella as I calmed down no one else mattered but her and Tanya who was sitting across from me.
'she was probably now pissed me that her coven mates were angry at her. Somehow this was my fault.'
Bella POV
Now that everyone was seated and the situation was somewhat in control Tanya had to open her mouth
"Why don't we kill the human it's obvious she knows about Vampires and the Volturi is already here anyway"
The attitude she had was beginning to piss me off. I get that her maker died and she didn't like the Volturi but if she continued in this manner she won't like the response I have for her insolence.
Every other vampire growled at her for such a suggestion.
"You are misinformed Tanya, I am the Volturi. Daughter to Caius and Athenodora. Now I understand that you weren't aware but I would be more careful in the future. My mate won't hesitate to rip your head off"
as I said this I put my hand on Jane to show her that it was an empty threat I would never do that to her regardless of the pain Tanya put her through I would never hurt her mate.
"I see now, why are we here anyway, this is a waste of my time."
"no Tanya we are going to stay and you're going to get over whatever it is that is blocking you from fully making a mate bond with Jane." Said Kate.
"I'm sorry Tanya, you may be our coven leader but I agree with Kate on this one. Clearly, there is something wrong for you to have this much hate for your mate. Anyone can see that she's hurting, it's so clear in her eyes." said Irina
We all turned to Tanya and I could see that for the first time she actually looked into Jane's eyes, and I saw the hate in her falter before she put on a mask of indifference.
"I think I may have an idea" Alec spoke up.
We all turned to him, the whole room shocked to hear him speak. His voice was deep and smooth. Before he could start explaining Irina had him against the wall. We all thought she was attacking him but on closer inspection, she was holding him tightly. I think Alec just found his mate.
His ability to blend in the background so well had left him unnoticed every time they were anywhere near each other.
It was a known fact that his scent was faint and almost undetectable. Irina had never truly noticed him until today.
I was happy for him he had a mate that accepted him from the moment she realised what Alec was to her.
They pulled apart and came to sit down next to us. The twins and both their mates even though Tanya was currently rejecting Jane.
"As I was saying. I believe that the day they met Tanya was so emotionally distraught that the bond was unable to form properly on her side. The years apart and her current 'vegetarian' diet is stopping the bond from ever fully forming. I think that the only way for the bond to have a chance to form she must switch to a human diet and then maybe there is a chance the bond will form properly and then they can begin to heal the years of pain. "
I don't think I've ever heard him speak this much in one sitting. I agreed with him though, their diet quelled their beasts just enough for this to be possible. Just like with Rosalie. They are really able to squash the longing that red-eyed vampires would feel for their mates. It truly makes them more human but it takes away the most amazing parts of being a mated vampire. They are unable to feel each other's emotions as strongly as they would if they had a different diet. But it seems to work for them so who am I to judge.