XLIV. Company

328 13 9
                                    

Alec and Jane's screams bounced shrilly down the corridor, the echo amplifying their cries of terror

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Alec and Jane's screams bounced shrilly down the corridor, the echo amplifying their cries of terror.

A loud, guttural growl ripped from my throat as I sank my teeth deeper into Alec's flesh.

"Don't pull! Don't pull!" Jane screeched at Felix when he wrapped his arms around me to yank me off of them. With my fingers tangled in their hair and my teeth dug into Alec's neck, I would've taken chunks out of them if Felix hadn't stopped what he was doing in time.

"Let go," Felix commanded me in a low tone as Demetri smoothly stepped out of the way of the fight. Clearly he had no intention of getting involved.

I unclamped my jaw and released from my bite, leaving a deep gouge in his neck, but I kept a tight grip on his hair.

It was cathartic, really, when I slammed the twins heads together.

As their screams escalated when they realized they couldn't break from my grasp.

When they knew that using their malignant powers on me would only make matters worse for them.

I shoved Jane into the wall and she fell to the floor like a little porcelain doll falling of a tall shelf.

She really ought to learn how to fight; it was getting ridiculous.

I let go of Alec in order to throw a kick at Jane, but he caught me by the arms and yanks me back.

That was fine. She wasn't the only one I had beef with.

I wheeled around in Alec grasp and threw a punch, hitting him square in the face. My newborn strength sent him toppling backward and - shame on me - I went to town, raining punches down on him and going through the motions of wringing his neck.

Jane, against her better judgement, ran over to help her brother.

Even I had to admit that it was sweet; but it only served as a reminder of all of the times they screwed me over by prioritizing and protecting each other.

I was supposed to be Alec's mate and he treated me like—like—

Felix wrapped his burly arms around me and hauled me away, throwing me over his shoulder.

"Animal," Alec spat as he and Jane huddled together, wrapping their arms around each other and clinging to one another.

"But, did you die though?" I snapped, craning my neck to shoot him a vehement glare.

Jane opened her mouth so say something bratty, but we were interrupted by the arrival of one of our covenmates.

"Aro requests your presence in the throne room," Santiago announced. "All of you."

"What's this about?" Jane asked as she smoothed out her hair.

"Yeah, we were just playing," I said with a brittle smile after Felix set me back down on my feet.

"We have guests," Santiago said simply before turning on his heel and returning the way he came.

Our footsteps echoed down throughout the corridors as we quietly made our way to the throne room to join the leaders in greeting guests.

I didn't know what to expect because the last time I was in Italy I was kept away from visitors for the most part - and the time that I did run into some didn't end well.

For them, anyway.

As we walked my mind ran in circles as I contemplated how much of a train wreck the mission was. Yes, we completed the mission and everyone in our team managed to get out in one piece, but we wrecked havoc along the way.

And by we, I mostly mean I.

I'd snuck off after them when I was told to stay put in the hotel, I dragged a Cullen with me which completely compromised the mission, I turned, I got in several fist fights, had an nuclear meltdown, whipped up a metric fuckload of drama, and I torched an entire village.

All in less than a week.

Oh, and I just beat the ever loving Christ out of Aro's precious little twins.

Whoops.

And now that I was officially a part of the coven, I had no idea what kind of treatment I would receive from the leaders. I knew I was powerful, sure, but I also knew that they liked to keep their guards in their place.

I knew I was a wily girl, but I also knew how Aro liked to play. Even if he couldn't control me outright, I had a strong feeling that he would shamelessly use Demetri against me.

The thought of being stuck under Aro's thumb angered me, but I hadn't to take everything one day at a time. I had to learn how to be a team player before I could effectively shake things us.

It didn't take long for us to reach the throne room, and we entered with confidence, but when I saw how our visitors were I was floored.

It was the Cullens.

The entire Cullen coven stood in the middle of the round room, clustered loosely together, realistically to stay safely under Bella's umbrella of protection.

When the gang and I entered, they all turned to look at us - including Renesmee.

I was speechless when our eyes met, and I quickly looked away, following Jane and Alec deeper into the room. Felix and Santiago stayed by the doors, blocking the exit, but Demetri followed me instead of taking his usual place next to Felix.

After we took our place just to the right of the thrones, Jane and Alec standing at the top of the small set of stairs and Demetri and I at the foot of the stairs, I glanced around the room to assess who all was present, since quite a few Volturi members - although not all - were lined up at attention along the walls of the room.

Across the room, Renata stood at the foot of the stairs, closest to the leaders, and Chelsea and Afton were lined up next. Next to them were three more guard members that were evenly spaced along the wall, until the line reached Santiago by the door.

Felix stood next to Santiago, and on his other side, stood Heidi, followed by four more guards before the line reached Demetri and me.

Aro, Marcus, and Caius sat on their thrones across the room, of course, seemingly at ease. And why wouldn't they be? With the arrival of our team, the Volturi had twice as many members in the room than the Cullens.

Edward and Bella stood the closest to the thrones, although they were still quite a few yards away from the leaders, and Renesmee clung closely behind them.

Jasper and Alice flanked them loosely to the right, and Carlisle and Esme were to their left, with Emmet and Rosalie stationed at the back of the group.

The whole situation was incredibly uncomfortable, I'd never been in such a confined space with so many other vampires before - it didn't feel natural.

"It seems young Renesmee has been telling the truth," Aro said lightly after Jane, Alec, Demetri, and I took our places. "Our Violet has turned. What a pleasant surprise."

I pursed my lips, trying to hold my tongue, but I was so incensed by the nerve Renesmee had to come into my home and talk about me behind my back to my bosses - all before I had the opportunity to even see them in my new form.

"What else has she been saying?" I asked coolly with a terse smile. I shifted my attention back to Renesmee and gave her a hard look.

I could see by the look on Edward and Bella's faces that it was nothing good. They looked like a couple of angry parents at a PTA meeting.

"That," Aro sighed, "is exactly what we need to discuss."

Something Darker (Book Three)Where stories live. Discover now