Don't Let Me Be Yours - Alec Volturi

2. Whistleblower

I managed to make it to the door before the waitress noticed me and felt obligated to acknowledge me, and I only hesitated for a moment before ducking into the downpour outside. It rained so much in Forks, at some point, as a resident, you just get used to it. I rushed toward my car, some middle-of-the-line black Nissan, at a responsible human pace, and fell into the driver's seat. I slammed the door closed before I bothered dumping my bag into the passenger seat, and I started up the car.

I wasn't in a hurry to get home; it's not like I, or anyone in my coven, were getting any older. Plus, although I loved my coven, I also thoroughly enjoyed my alone time, which could be a little hard to come by since there were ten of us under one room. Occasionally, I wondered if I should get my own place again, but I cherished my family too much to leave them behind.

My hi-beams cut through the darkness as I navigated the winding roads through the dense forest on my way home. It was a thirty minute drive, thanks to my slow speed because of the weather, and the forest grew darker and more dense the farther I drove on. Eventually, I reached the turn off of the highway, toward our house, which no one would notice unless they knew exactly where they were going. My car was worryingly close to the ground as I bumped along the uneven, muddy path, but I'd driven it time and time again with little incident so I kept my foot on the gas and hoped I'd be able to avoid spinning out again.

Eventually, I broke through the trees and drove up the path onto a driveway that looped around to the side of the large, modern mansion that my coven and I resided in. I pulled my car into the massive detached garage, parking in between a yellow Porsche and a red Mustang. I had simpler taste than the people around me, to say the least. Not that that was a bad thing.

Hidden far from prying human eyes, I hauled myself out of the car with my bag in hand and I ran at my full speed to the side door of the house, closest to the garage. It led directly into a small mudroom before opening up to the large, gently used kitchen. It's easy to imagine why a kitchen wouldn't be used much by a coven of vampires, but since I - and one other in our coven - could eat human food, and often did, it'd actually gotten some use over the past fifteen years or so.

I dropped my bag on the small shoe bench in the mudroom and kicked off my boots. They were sturdy enough to keep my feet dry, but they were bulky and it felt nice to get at least some of the dampness off of me. My intention was to go straight to my room to drop off my bag and change into dry clothes, but an unfamiliar voice caught my attention from the living room. We had a visitor, which was unusual.

I didn't want to meet the stranger, to be honest, but I could hear Carlisle, the coven leader, announce my entrance before I could assess any potential escape routes. It was fine. It wouldn't kill me to at least try to be social.

I crossed the kitchen, walked through the dining room, and entered the living room, where most of my coven were, sitting around on the various white couches that decorated the wide open living space. On the far end of the room was a grand staircase that led upstairs and to the right was a wall made of glass which overlooked the small hills and the lazy brook in the vast back lawn. Thick, ornate rugs covered the marble floor, which muted my steps as I approached the group.

Members of my coven, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper, were seated or standing around the room, with Carlisle and Esme seated on a couch closest to our guest, who was sitting in one of our armchairs.

"Indy," Esme greeted me with a smile. She gracefully rose from her seat and gave me a tight hug. "I'm glad you're home."

Carlisle and the stranger stood, as well.

"You have another one in your coven?" the stranger asked. He seemed to be an odd mix of skeptical and dreadful.

"This is Indigo," Carlisle said, glossing over the stranger's unwelcoming demeanor.

"She joined our coven about fifteen years ago. Indy, this is William, an old friend of mine."

Carlisle was an incredibly kind and warm person, and he had friends from all corners of the world. This did not surprise me. Still, William's attitude made me feel uneasy.

"Nice to meet you," I said with a smile. It felt so disingenuous; I wanted to cringe.

"I don't think Aro would be happy to hear you are still growing your coven," William said to Carlisle. "You barely got away with the last one."

"Aro has no reason to be upset," Carlisle said cordially. "We'd done nothing wrong with supporting Renesmee's birth."

"But another one?" William replied. "Are you seeking these out?"

I didn't appreciate the way he was referring to my "kind" but I didn't want to pick a fight. I just wanted to go back to my room and forget I ever met this man.

"There are no laws against daywalkers, and there are no laws dictating the size of anyone's coven," Carlisle said. "There is no reason for the Volturi to be upset."

"But they will be."

"You don't know that," Carlisle countered.

"Don't act daft. They will see your continued growth as a threat to their coven."

"The royal coven still dwarfs us in size," Carlisle pointed out. "And, regardless, issues between our covens are our concern alone."

The mention of the royal coven turned my blood cold. They were cold, cruel, merciless, and they had a direct hand in my father's demise. Although Carlisle would never admit it, the Cullens and the Volturi did not get along. It hadn't always been that way; in fact, in the beginning, Carlisle and the King were close friends. As time went on, however, and Carlisle's coven grew, animosity festered and now the two covens were bitter enemies. Both sides may play cordial to the other's faces, but everyone knew - everyone in the vampire community knew - that Cullens and the Volturi simply don't mix.

"That's not true, Carlisle," William countered. "The last time your covens got into it, it almost got dozens of our kind killed. Your rivalry jeopardizes more than just yourselves."

"We can't stand by and let the Volturi believe they can persecute others simply because it's convenient to them," Carlisle said. "We haven't broken any laws. We mind our own business and stick to our own."

William shook his head slowly. "If you continue on your path, it won't end well, Carlisle."

"I disagree," he replied smoothly, maintaining his composure. He was always so talented when it came to delegating people.

"Then we must agree to disagree," William said, giving up his argument. "And on that note, I must go."

I had holed myself in my room before Carlisle could even walk him to the door.