Better Than Revenge

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jane snapped at her twin. “You can’t be seriously defending the mutt.”
“I won’t let you hurt her anymore, sister.”
Jane’s face became emotionless except for her narrowed scarlet eyes. “How unfortunate, brother,” she said softly in a business-like tone. “We can finally go home and you choose the little puppy over your own sister? You shall die with them.”
“You’re outnumbered, Jane,” I growled. “I wouldn’t be making threats like that if I were you.”
Her eyes darted to me and my gaze stayed locked on her. I didn’t see the other one attack Alec. My head snapped toward him and I gasped. Jane took my moment of distraction to go after me. I went flying and shifted in midair. My massive paws hit the ground and I immediately jumped at her. But damn she was quick.
It was like a deadly game of chicken but neither of us was getting an advantage. I bit and scratched at her with no luck. She tried to get me but without her power she was only good at defending herself. I backed her into one of the dilapidated buildings and changed back.
“It’s over, Jane,” I spat.
“I’m going to make you suffer,” she snarled. “Killing you would just be too easy. It’s long past time that Elizabeth Swan died anyway.”
I moved to stop her from hurting my mom but before I knew it I was knocked to the side by one of the huge Volturi vampires. The wind was instantly knocked out of me and I saw spots dancing in my vision. The big vamp rushed me again and I only had time to sidestep him. As he rushed past me I spotted Jane leap at my mother but I was too far away to do anything.
“MOM!” I screamed.
But I wasn’t the only one. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t hearing an echo. Across the courtyard with her chocolate eyes wide as saucers, Renesmee was watching horrified as her mother quickly intercepted Jane. Once again it felt like all the air had been forced from my lungs. I ran toward them but the vampire tackled me to the ground again.
“Bella!” my mother’s voice yelled.
I spun around and saw the flames that my mother was practically trying to throw herself on. My stomach dropped to the ground and my heart stuttered in my throat. It seemed that like was moving in super slow motion and I felt like I’d suddenly gone deaf.
I watched Rosalie hold my hysterical mother away from the fire. Alice was cornered and Jasper was desperately trying to get to her. Emmett was holding his own but even he seemed to realize that a fight with the Volturi- which was what he’d wanted for longer than I’d been alive- wasn’t all that easy. Dad and Dylan seemed to be doing okay but they were bleeding nearly as much as I was. Edward, I saw, looked just lost but that didn’t stop him from going for Jane.
Then I saw my cousin. Her tearstained face was what brought me back to reality. Her jaw locked and she ran at the little blonde vampire with her dad. Edward and Renesmee would have no problem with her but she was just a pawn like the rest of this. This had to end now before we lost any more of our family and there was only one more death that could take care of that without my entire family being killed.
I spotted him on the porch of the house I’d woken up in observing the scene with an amused expression. Angry tears spilled from the corners of my eyes but I ignored them. I stayed in human form as I marched toward the one vampire that actually mattered. A couple of the Volturi guard tried to stop me but I was on a mission and wouldn’t let any of them stop me.
Someone grabbed my wrist gently and spun me around to face them. I let out a vicious growl but his expression remained calm. “Drea, what are you doing?” Alec asked me quietly.
I let out a sob and my voice broke when I spoke. “Bella’s dead. The fighting won’t stop unless we die or we get him first. Without a leader the guard won’t keep trying to follow his orders.”
“Like a chess game?”
I nodded. “He dies and it stops. I know that there are two more that run the Volturi that can come after us but it at least gives us time to run. I can’t lose anyone else.”
He kissed my forehead and my fierce shaking died down a little and the wolf inside me was just a tiny bit calmer. “Okay. But you’re not doing it alone. I’m going with you.”
I rolled my eyes but nodded anyway because I knew that it wasn’t a fight that I would have been able to win. I slid my hand from his and twirled back toward my target. Aro looked calm as ever as he surveyed the ongoing battle below him. His obvious enjoyment of the raging massacre pissed me off more than anything else and my vision literally turned crimson.
I jumped, phasing in midair. Aro turned a half second before I could tackle him and dodged my attack but in that small moment I saw genuine emotion in his scarlet eyes- fear. For probably the first time ever, Aro was left alone to fight his own battle. He was ancient and strong, true, but his greatest power had always been collecting more skilled vampires to do his bidding for him.
I leapt again, my claws looking to rip and my jaws just waiting to sink into him. Again he only reacted a moment too enough but this time he sent me through the only window that still had glass in it- just my freaking luck. I was back on my feet but after two or three days of being stuck with these sadistic vampires the shattered glass matted in my skin was enough to make me weaker. I had to keep fighting though.
Then I saw the haze creeping along the rotted wood beneath Aro’s feet. I smiled against my own pain as Alec’s incredible power latched onto Aro’s mind. The older vampire shrieked and clutched at his head. Even the great and powerful Aro was no match against the absolute pain.
“Now, Drea. Finish it,” Alec called to me as he kept his gaze locked on his old master with his power at its maximum strength.
I attacked, my razor sharp claws swiped at his neck and his head suddenly flew through the air into the mass of battle. His body stayed upright for another second before dropping hard to the ground. I felt the atmosphere shift and time itself seemed to freeze but I wasn’t done. I tore at the headless body with everything I had letting my sorrow for Bella, the fear for my mother, and my own torment flow with each limb I tore away.
“Andrea. Andrea. That’s enough. You’ve done enough. Now let the others burn him.”
I shifted but I was still trembling. Alec engulfed me in his arms and I rested my head against his cool shoulder. My heart was pounding in my ears but being with him was making the dull roaring fade. When I could hear properly again I noticed how quiet it was. The Voluti were gon and there was crackling from a fire that sent up a toxic cloud of purple smoke and sniffling that I quickly realized belonged to my mother. Her expression was so vacant but I was worried that when she finally absorbed her twin’s death she might hurt herself.
“Andrea, listen to me,” Alec said gently. “Aro and my sister are both dead and a large number of the guard saw me attack both of them. They’ll come after me.”
It took a minute for his words to sink in. “B-but you’re not- I mean, you can’t- don’t go.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “It’s safer for you this way. If you’re anywhere near me you’ll get hurt and I can’t let that happen. I love you too much.”
I made a sobbing noise in the back of my throat and could barely see through my tears. “I’m just as guilty as you. What makes you think I’m any safer with you gone?”
He smiled sadly. “The vendetta against you was because of Jane and Aro. Without those two the rest of the Volturi won’t care about you or even about the Cullens. But they’ll all see me as the traitor.”
I shook my head but only succeeded in making myself dizzy. “That’s not true. Tony lives totally peacefully in Forks with Leah.”
“Tony was never part of it like I was. Everyone knew that he didn’t want to be there so it was no surprise when he left. Besides, there was never proof or witnesses that he betrayed them.”
I swallowed hard but he was right. I cupped his cheek in my palm and kissed him deeply. “Be careful,” I muttered when I pulled away. “I love you, Alec.”
His eyes widened for a moment before he stood up and pulled me to my feet. “I love you, too. Forever. Never forget that. But right now you’re needed with your family and I have to go.”
He kissed me gently and I closed my eyes. There was a small breeze that blew back my tangled brown hair and when I opened my eyes Alec was completely vanished.
“Forever,” I sighed.