𝐑𝐄𝐃 • Jane Volturi

𝟎𝟒.

   𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄, 𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 south as everyone else leads the tracker away. Cora watches with envy in her eyes as Alice places her hand into Jasper's, a loving look in her eyes. She can't help but feel jealous. They were perfect. Cora knows Bella is jealous as well. Not because she doesn't have a lover but because he isn't here with her.

The drive was long and silent. Only stopping every few hours so Bella could be a human and eat, piss, etc. It was twilight outside and Bella had fallen asleep a few minutes ago. Only the vampires were awake in the car and it was deadly silent. Well, besides Bella's loud heart beating. Alice turns to look back at Cora. Bella's head rests on her lap as she stares out the window.
   "Cora." She's broken out of her trance like state and turns towards Alice.
   "Hm?" Cora hums, brushing the knots out of Bella's coarse hair. Bella was very naturally pretty but with a few tweaks she could be majestic.

Maybe I should send her better hair products.

   "Are you... okay?" Cora doesn't reply, turning her gaze back towards the twilight sky. The first star can be seen, the light making its way through the atmosphere and into her eyes.
   "Mhm." Alice frowns, glancing towards Jasper worriedly. He knows what she's asking and frowns slightly, shaking his head. She wasn't okay, he could feel it.
   "Talking would be good for you." Jasper states, turning around in his seat to glance at her. Cora smiles to herself, shaking her head.
   "I do talk. But there's nothing you can do to help. I've been destined to a life I never wanted in the first place. It's not like you can reverse time." Cora jokes, though her eyes don't light up with humor like they usually do. Jasper just sighs, turning back around and sinking back into the drivers seat. Alice speaks up this time.

   "I never asked. I didn't think it was my right. But what was your life like? When you were human." Cora frowns, moving her hands away from Bella so she wouldn't pull a chunk of her hair out on accident.
   "It was okay. I lived in a small home with my my mom but she passed away and my grandmother... she lived nearby." Cora starts, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. The only people who knew of her past was Edward and Carlisle. But only because Edward had told him.
   "I remember, my mother and I would head into town once a week to purchase food and such. C'était la femme la plus gentille." Jasper frowns.
   "On one day we had traveled into the city. I was so excited. It was a special day. My mother had told me to wait outside the store so she could surprise me." Cora could feel venom welling up in her eyes. The tears would always be at the brink of falling, though, never being able to.

   "Um... In the blink of an eye I was thrown against the wall of a back alley. I was so confused, I didn't know what happened. It's not like I could feel the pain of the impact, anyways. When I lifted my head I made eye contact with a pair of crimson ones." She looks down at her lap, slowly pushing Bella's head onto the leather seats. When Cordelia was a human, she couldn't feel pain or touch. She had CIP, meaning she couldn't feel pain. That is probably what influenced her current vampiric gifts.
   "It was my birthday. I had just turned fifteen."
Cora was turned at the age of fifteen, the day she turned fifteen.
   "I woke up a couple days later. Thirsty and afraid. I had no idea what had happened. All I know is that I could see and hear everything. I was horrified when I had looked into the mirror, red eyes staring back at me. Ma grand-mère was the woman I would speak to about my worries so naturally I decided to find her, speak to her." Alice glances back at Cora, noticing her clenched fists and tearful eyes. She felt so incredibly guilty for asking.
   "Cora I—"
   "I walked up to her little cottage. The red roses surrounding the building. La femme âgée walked outside and I was overwhelmed by how amazing she smelt. The skin around her fingernails was raw and bloody. She had always chewed her nails. She went to give me a hug, saying how I'd gone missing for two days. Within a second my teeth were embedded into her jugular and she was lifeless on the ground."
Bella must have sensed the tense atmosphere and woke up. She was confused by the sad Cora and the worried Alice that was turned in her seat.
She noticed Jasper with a frown on his lips, his free hand squeezing Alice's.
   "I'm so sorry." Alice whispers, staring into Cora's eyes. Cora just smiles at her, a sad little smile as if she was reassuring her that it was alright.
   "I know."