Alone Together (Jasper Hale)

34: volterra.

"Jasper chose me, you know." Alice spoke as we both watched Bella run through the crowd of red robes.

"You don't have to fill the silence. I could go without having to hear your shrill voice, Brandon." I snapped at the brunette as I remained in the back seat of the coupe she highjacked. I rolled my eyes when she gave me a scoff but the comment she made was unnecessary. Frankly the whole trip over was civil so for her to bring this up unprovoked was irritating to say the least. And from her relaxed demeanor I could tell that Bella will make it safely to Edward. She leisurely parked the car and headed out as I followed suit. The Volturi. Soon I would have to face them and I didn't know how to feel about it myself personally. I had never met the strongest coven in the entire world with the largest number of members to date. From everything I learned from Carlisle and Jasper; they weren't a force to be reckoned with. They had guards with great abilities that they used to basically conquer and control the masses. Vampires with that type of strength even scared me. It amazed me how I remained out of their bounds all this time.

From my younger days I knew how much of a reckless creature I was. The worst I had done was nearly annihilate an entire town after the heartbreak I felt from my last living relative to die before my eyes. Despite the cool, collected self I maintained when my mother died; after I buried her I raged so hard that I ate almost an entire town. The memory triggered me and the burn from my throat intensified. As I followed Alice through the crowd, I tried my best to ignore the hunger that I felt. It was too bright in the day to look up and try to find my next decent meal. I wasn't has heavily covered as Alice was so I had to keep as small as possible. But it was hard walking through a sea of potential food. It's been a few days since I've fed and this was a challenge.

I bit hard on my lower lip so much I felt it crack when I heard someone fall behind me. The sound of a child's cry filled my ear followed by the sweet scent of blood filled my senses. I had to bite the growl and I only sped faster to avoid the temptation. I thanked whatever was out there when I saw Alice bust open a door and I followed inside to get away from the scents all around me. Before me I saw Bella clutch onto a half naked Edward for dear life. Alongside them were two other  vampires I had never met before. A taller brunette with a scowl on his face and a shorter one with pointed hair. Their bright red eyes burned holes through me. The shorter one.. kept staring at me and I felt violated for some reason. I could tell he was especially talented and his aura was strong despite his small physique. I didn't want to provoke either of them and just kept in my place while they shared their exchange.

The sounds of footsteps brought me back and I saw a small blond haired girl donning their same uniforms. That woman reeked of bloodlust. She may have been young but I could sense the years she's lived and the lives she wants to kill and has killed.

"Just do as she says." Alice whispered with a cautious look thrown towards Bella as we all followed her lead. The taller one handed Edward a robe while the smaller one herded us likes cows with his hands behind his back. They exuded large energy that was not to be messed with. I felt an ice cold glare that was aimed at my back as we rounded the hallway.

We descended down the stairs to a small elevator. The  compact space made Bella's aroma more appetizing and I apologized in my head to Edward about how hungry I had been. I didn't think I'd be halfway across the world today so this was all unplanned. Or else I would've eaten. Everyone was tense inside this box. I could see several nostrils flare and I tried my best to subdue everyone's feeling of hunger, greed, and anything associated towards wanting Bella. Despite them being older and probably having more restraint than I currently had, it did minimal effect as I tried to use my powers on three people. It only worked the best with people I could look at directly. This wasn't the case. My back was pressed to the wall, wedged between the two guards who kept their eyes trained on the couple.