A/N: Well three weeks is better than a whole year lol. Thanks for sticking with me with the story. Thanks to SagaDevotee for the crazy beta job. Girl werk! And also thanks to an avid reader/tumblr bff/and supamama, Purradox, for pre-reading. MWAH!

All things Twilight are the property and ownership of S.M. I make no money from my obsession.

Perfectly Picked: The Swan Song
Chapter 3: Don't Call Me A Newborn

BPOV

Clarity is a beautiful thing. That feeling of being able to fully understand what has plagued your mind should be a blessing. However, for me, it was a curse.

My eyes were closed, relishing in the ecstasy of this new taste. I felt full and so fucking perfect. I knew that it had been a long time since I felt that way. Opening my eyes, I looked down to my hands and they were covered in red. My legs, the floor, and my entire lap. I had no doubt my face was covered for I felt it dripping into the puddle that had pooled by my stomach. I was in a car and I couldn't quite remember where I was or where I was going. There was a man driving the car in front of me who seemed vaguely familiar. I almost wanted to growl at his proximity to me, but I felt somewhat safe.

To my right was another man. He smelled of cocoa and ripened strawberries. And just a hint of lust. I recognized him then. I remembered him vividly, clearly. My head was now clear of the raging fog; no longer swimming…. An onslaught of everything around me.

It was the thirst. I was so thirsty. I heard him speak a few times and then there were the other people. I didn't like them much. The little girl had angered me.

So much was still raging through my mind. I was on the brink of something, something I had yet to realize. I began to catalog it all.

Outside. It was so beautiful here. I missed the sun, the warmth. I wanted the cold, I craved the cold. But the sun as it filtered through….

I was in a car. How did I get in a car? Where are we going?

To my right was a man. I knew this man and I felt comfortable in his presence. I knew the things he did to me, could do to me. A rumbling started in my chest. Was I pur….

I was still thirsty.

Outside. Watching all the green hills as we drove past reminded me of another place filled with somewhat similar scenery, but the green was far denser. And it was dark. So dark. It hurt to remember this place. I wanted to know why, but my mind wanted me to focus on something else, as if it was trying to protect me from something.

I enjoyed where we were now. It was so pretty.

Looking down at my lap, I saw quite the mess. There was so much blood. I twirled circles in the small pool, trying to piece together what could have happened. Was this my blood? How could I still be alive if it was?

Then I remembered the man next to me. He was death. My death. My mind began to play images of his hands caressing my skin, tasting my lips, and this immense pain as he kissed my neck. I remembered falling into darkness, but couldn't understand what could have stopped what I wanted. I felt alive, but… My reflection in the window caught my attention. Blazing red eyes stared back at me. I knew what this meant, but didn't. Was this all a dream?

I was supposed to be dead. Unless this was hell, but I didn't understand how this was a punishment. There was so much blood, but it tasted tantalizing and smelled so scrumptious.

Blood. Just a little bit more wouldn't hurt. It smelled so good, even somewhat chilled on my fingers. I moaned as I licked my fingers and a deep chuckle broke me out of my haze. I looked to the man again and a smirk played on his face.

Vampire. Them. Now me. I was a vampire. This was hell.

I was still licking my hand and fingers of the remaining blood. This wasn't right, but I was enjoying myself too much to care.

A flash of light sparkled from outside the car window. There was so much beauty in this city. The sun had raised high in the sky and its rays shone bright. I began to wonder if I would sparkle and raised my hand. Still there was blood. In that next second, my mind, my memories, clicked into place.

I was talking to a vampire, he was adorned in black and me, broken and looking like a tourist.

"…I find it to be honorable to be ended by one of the brothers."

"You would not want this immortal life?" He asked and I knew the answer immediately.

"Not if I can't have my soul mate by me forever."

He gave me ecstasy before he gave me death. The darkness took over me, but then I was burning. A fire enveloped my body and I remembered his voice speaking to me the entire time. He betrayed me.

DEAR GOD! HE CHANGED ME! I shook my head over and over. I was a fool to trust him.

"MARCUS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!"

"Fuck," he and the other man, whom I now understood to be vampire as well.

I pressed myself into the corner of the seat, breathing heavier and heavier. I began to growl and hiss at Marcus. I had the overwhelming urge to claw his eyes out and dry hump him at the same time. My growls increased at the confusing feelings I had. Thankfully anger was winning. Anger was good.

I needed to get rid of the pain in my heart. I wanted death, but he made me an immortal. Now I would I would feel that heartache for all eternity. Betrayed yet again.

I must flee.

I had to escape.

"She is coming down from her feast, Master," the driving vampire said.

Master? Why did he call Marcus Master? My mind then remembered he was one of the three rulers of Volterra. He was the reason why I was here in Italy. I knew that confronting the rulers would guarantee my death. The rules had been broken. Why then had he changed me? I did not to want to be immortal without Edward. It would be a curse to walk this world alone.

Edward…Edward…. I remembered him clearly now. A small part of me wanted to be angry at him, but I couldn't understand why.

Painfully crippling memories of the last few years of my human life flooded my mind like a raging wave of despair. Edward left. He left me. My anger was swiftly turned towards him.

"Isabella, calm down. Please," Marcus begged.

Just as fast as my anger had turned to Edward, it was on Marcus again. My fist moved quickly, striking him across the face so hard it threw him between the two front seats. Marcus held his face, the hurt obvious, but it quickly changed to furious. I was just about to leave the car when a memory came to me.

"But daddy I don't know how to punch," said a young girl.

"It's easy, Bells. Don't tuck your thumb, so it won't get broken. Steady your feet, ground yourself so you won't fall over. Reach back and punch with all your might," a man said with a bushy mustache.

"What if it doesn't work?"

Marcus was on me then shaking me from my memory. He had pinned my fists to the back of the seat. He would not detain me! He was strong, but I was getting out this damn car.

"Bells, knee him right in balls. It would take even the strongest of men out," the man from my memory said.

It was Charlie, my dad, teaching a twelve year old me how to fight off an attacker. Thank you, Charlie. I brought my knee up fast and strong. Marcus fell over and I used that as my distraction. I bolted out the car, taking door with me. I turned and kicked the car as hard as I could. The car skidded off the road and rolled down the adjacent hill. I was briefly shocked by my strength, but ran away from the road before they could recover and catch me.

Thirst. Speed. Amazing strength. I looked down at my skin and noticed how much I was sparkling. I stopped immediately and admired the way I gleamed. It was so beautiful. Somewhere in my mind, I knew I hadn't gone that far. I could see the two vampires rising over the hill in my periphery. Yet, I continued to move my hand back and forth through the rays and felt so at peace. It had been so long since something so simple could bring me so much joy. I wanted to take my shoes off and see how the grass felt beneath me.

"OOMPH!" I gasped out as I fell to the ground.

Some idiot had tackled me.

I was pinned to the ground. I growled and attempted to free myself, but I was sufficiently detained. I smelled him then…Marcus. Unconsciously, my body calmed slightly under his touch. However, the position of his knee in my back and my arms being held tightly removed the warm fuzzies I may have started to feel.

"GET OFF ME!" I screamed at him.

"I will not until you are calm," He growled into my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"Master Marcus, we must leave the area. The car rolling down the hill caused quite a stir in the village below. We must leave, now," the vampire chauffeur said.

Marcus then yanked me from the ground and forced me into a run. The speed was something I remembered from what seemed like a lifetime ago. It was different when it was yourself running this fast and I hadn't fully enjoyed it before I was captured. I loved it and I wanted to go faster. I felt like I could outrun them both, but Marcus had both arms in a death grip. We ran towards the surrounding forest, slipping through the trees with ease. We traveled the path of the road we were on before my prison break episode. Bursting through the last remnants of trees, we came to an abrupt halt. I was uneasy and tumbled somewhat into Marcus. He tugged me along as we approached small chateau in the middle of forest.

"Demetri, make sure it is clear to approach," Marcus spoke.

Demetri was the vampire's name and I watched him dash to the home and return to us only seconds later.

"No one has been here since our last visit in the sixties, Master."

"Good, now get the place settled. Isabella and I will have a chat," he said.

I glared at him from over my shoulder. He wanted to talk, fine. We could have a talk and then I was going to leave. I had things to do.

"If I release you, will you run?" He asked politely.

"No," I responded.

He waited a few seconds and let me go slowly. His fingers trailed down my wrists and my arms, leaving a scorching trail. I rubbed my wrists from where he restrained me. At least that was what I was telling myself. The lack of his touch left a void and my body did not like it. I would think about that later.

"Good. Where would you like to start? You seem to be bubbling with the need to scold me," Marcus said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"I shall never forgive you for this Marcus. The pain of my past is nothing compared to this. You betrayed me!"

Marcus doomed me to walk this world alone and without the one that was truly for me.

"I gave you life, girl! In time you may learn to respect that. This hatred is temporary, but know this; as your sire, you will respect me. And as your mate, you will come to love me. All I do for you is from my soul. That is no mistake."

His mate! No. It's not possible. I am not his. I do not belong to him. These are lies.

"I am not your mate!"

I grabbed Marcus by his arm and twisted, flipping him onto his back onto the ground. This was how an angry woman talked, Marcus. I clawed his face, my nails tearing through his cheek. The wound began to heal immediately and it pissed me the fuck off. I flipped off of him, tossing him over my head as I stood. I didn't wait for him to land before I was on him again. I was hitting and kicking him wildly. I didn't know how to fight with my knew body, but I knew crazy. Some of my hits would connect; I hoped so anyway. Marcus would pay for what he did to me. I finally was able to bite him on the hand as he blocked my punch.

"Dammit woman! Fucking newborns," he yelled.

I steadied myself into a crouch and growled at him.

Demetri came over and stood between us. We both growled at him and watched as he retreated, his hands up in surrender. I turned back to Marcus and screamed at him.

"Don't call me a newborn! I am not an infant!"

"To us, you are, Isabella. You are new to this vampire life and still getting acclimated to everything that this life entails. You are newly…born. A newborn," Demetri explained.

I sent another growl his way. Demetri was annoying me at the moment and it seemed that my temper was quick to rise. I was going to kick someone's ass tonight. Couldn't they see how mad I was? Yet they tease me at every second. Marcus was a bastard and I was going to take him down if it was the last thing I did. I charged for him again.

"Enough of this!" Marcus yelled as he grabbed me.

He squeezed my arms to my side, pulling me to his chest. His scent was intoxicating as usual. Once again, I felt my body conform to his. I couldn't help but nestle into him.

I was weak.

Marcus leaned down and spoke into my ear.

"Had you not been my mate, I would have drained you dry in Volterra. There is no way a vampire could leave their mate's side. It definitely would have been impossible for your precious Edward to be away from you for this long."

I gasped. How did he know? I didn't remember telling him. I looked up to him, my eyes begging for an explanation.

"Your blood Isabella... True mates can see the depths of feelings, memories, and pain. What Carlisle's bastard progeny did to you was maddening."

"If you saw, then you know... I must find him," I pleaded with Marcus, squirming to be released.

I had to get to him soon. He had to know that we were now equals. Being with Edward would be the only way that I would survive this eternity. I began to plot and plan, thinking of how I could find him, what I would say, and how he would never leave me now that I was a vampire. I had to get around Marcus and Demetri. I had to be free to find Edward, to show him the new me. He would never leave me now.

Marcus sighed, drawing me from my plotting.

"I will not keep you where you do not want to be. However I must keep you safe. You are a newborn vampire, very strong and very fast. And we are only a mere hour away from Volterra. I cannot have you traversing across the Italian countryside. Your thirst may be quenched now, but before the sun sets, you shall be craving more."

The blood. I needed it. I wanted it.

He was right. I could already feel the minor tingle in the back of my throat. From the looks of my clothes, I'd probably only drank half of what I was given. Plus I didn't want to hurt anyone. I couldn't fathom killing an innocent. I needed control. I needed to be able to focus, but Marcus wanted more of me than I was willing to give him. Plus, he wasn't my favorite person right now.

Marcus touched my face and I was shocked that I could no longer feel the cold. It was the first time since I had been changed that I noticed. He was warm and smelled so good. His warmth filled me from the tip of my nose down my arms to my toes. I felt alive and free with just his touch.

But it was the wrong touch.

I flinched away from him, but he was right. Marcus saw me give up my fight and released me. I was still mad, but I knew I would need his help. For now. This craving for blood was going to be the toughest issue. I couldn't even imagine not ever tasting it. Just the thought of it was making my mind swirl. It tasted so good when we were in the car. I wonder what it would taste like if it was fresh, straight from the source. My mind wandered and lingered on the image of me sinking my teeth into soft flesh. It wasn't so appealing when James had done it to me, but being on the other side of things….

Oh god! My mind couldn't focus. The thirst was taking over my mind. I craved blood like Charlie craved Oreos. Another memory rushed to me of Charlie sneaking the last of my Oreos. I was visiting him one summer and he knew I loved them, but he did as well. He had snuck down in the middle of the night and I followed him. I watched as he snuck not one, not two, but six of the cookies. He fumbled and almost fell over when I surprised him. Charlie continued to deny it until I pointed it out to him of the cookie crumbs in his mustache. The memory began to fade, the sound of Charlie's laughter fading with it.

The smile on my face was wide, but then it fell. Poor Charlie would never see me again, nor I him.

"Some memories will come like that. Randomly, unannounced, unwanted. The first year will be hard as your mind tries to settle all your thoughts. For some vampires, the memories return to them the moment their eyes open to this life. Others get half. Some never get any. They are extremely distracting and can leave you open for attack. You'd be a pile of ash before the memory could even form," Marcus said.

I sighed yet again. I could not meet Edward this way. I had to get control of my mind and thirst.

"I will stay, but he will train me," I said pointing to Demetri. "I will give you a year, but after that I must find Edward. He is my mate." I strode up to Marcus as fierce as I could. "I will never be yours."

I could not be Marcus' mate. I felt no connection to him. He may have claimed my human body, but that did not make me his. My mind then began to recall his cold body on top of me, pulling every bit of pleasure from it. I shook my head, trying to rid of myself of the memories, but they never left. His touch, his kiss, his bite. I ran my hand over my neck where he had bit me and the scar that was left made my body purr as I caressed it.

Marcus approached me, turning me around to him. His deep breaths fanned over me, thrilling me to no end. I hated how he had made me feel this way. Regretfully, somewhere deep down, I absolutely adored it.

"Isabella...,"

His lips were on mine in the next instant and I tried to fight against it. Yet, his desire pulled me in and I returned his kiss with fervor. The kiss was rough and wild, everything a passionate kiss should be with the one you crave.

But I didn't crave Marcus. Did I? No, I couldn't do this.

I wrenched myself away from him, kicked him into Demetri and ran. This was all so confusing and I couldn't think straight around him. I couldn't do this if he felt like he could just kiss me whenever he wanted. I wasn't his, he lied. Not his mate! He thought he had some claim over me.

Running faster and faster, I tried to get away from this craziness and feelings growing inside me. I felt free and lost all at the same time. The further I ran, the more my heart ached. The pain was overwhelming and frightening. The sun had dipped lower in the sky and it seemed to be taking my strength with it. My run turned into a walk, and soon I was crawling, clawing the ground to pull me further away from this nightmare.

I cried out from the pain, frightening every living thing in the nearby radius. I was weak.

I've always been weak.

"Isabella, you might not want to stray so far from Master Marcus."

I looked up to see Demetri standing above me. He was smiling down at me as I writhed on the ground. The pain I was feeling must be a gift. Demetri was doing this me.

"Stop it! Your gift! Stop it!"

"Oh I am gifted young one, but I track vampires. I do not cause pain. Well unless you count dismembering," he said with a faraway look in his eyes.

Just then the pain started to lessen and I became stronger. Marcus emerged from the path I had made through the trees. All of the pain I had felt fully dissipated. Maybe it was Marcus with the gift of this unbearable pain. Maybe he was the one making me feel this way. He was moving slowly, hunched over slightly and rubbing his chest. I found myself doing the same thing.

"Is this your gift? Causing me this extreme pain if I leave?" I asked him.

"No, Isabella. This is what mates feel when they are separated. Over time, we will be accustomed to the distance. After so many years of being together, mates understand that the other shall return. Still, in the beginning it is terribly dangerous to be apart, even for a few meters," Marcus softly spoke.

He sat down and closed his eyes. The rays of the setting sun shone over him. He was remarkable to look at. I quickly looked away. I took a deep, and apparently unneeded breath before speaking to him.

"I am sorry I hit you," I whispered.

"No you are not, but it is a start," Marcus chuckled. "Demetri, is all set at the house?"

"I think so for the most part, Master Marcus."

"There are no Masters here Demetri. Please, please call me Marcus."

"Yes, Mas..Marcus. Come, we need to feed and we need to get cleaned up."

We all walked back to the house slowly and by the time we arrived, the night stars were the only light for miles. It was gorgeous out and I could see everything so clearly. A deer crossed us and the stench was appalling. How in the hell did the Cullens eat that?!

"Not appealing at all is it?" Demetri asked.

His smile was wide and his teasing would most likely have me punching him in face soon. I was astonished at how violent I had become.

"Definitely not, but I will have to do it. I can't kill a human," I told him.

We reached the home and went inside.

"Anything other than human blood taints us, doesn't keep our mind clear. You would have to feed three times a day, every day to equal one cup of fresh human blood. It is what drives us, what makes us so damn awesome. Anything else would leave us a mere shadow of our true selves," Demetri said.

"But I can't…"

"Bagged blood for you now. It's specially donated for us, the Volturi. It can be heated to be almost as close as if you got it from the tap," he added.

I guess that would be okay. I watched as Marcus grabbed one of the pouches of blood off the table and walked to room at the end of the hall. He didn't even look back as he closed the doors. I wanted to go to him, but he was the asshole that broke his promise to me. Demetri handed me a blue trimmed bag of warmed blood and I devoured it. He handed me a different bag next. This one was trimmed in yellow. It smelled odd, but I was too hungry to care. I snatched it from his hand and began to drink. It was disgusting! I spat it out just as fast as I had drunk it.

"What the fuck is this?"

"Bambi. Sure you still want kill Baloo and his friends?"

I shook my head and lowered it in sadness. I had to get yellow eyes like him or else he'd think me weak. Demetri passed me another bag, this time of the deliciousness I had before. He laid two smaller, pint sized warm bags for me and left the room.

"One year Demetri. That is all I can give," I called out to him.

I knew I didn't need to speak louder. Vampires could hear a pin drop. Demetri poked his head out from the adjacent room and raised his eyebrow at me.

"You'll be lucky to be able to dress yourself in year. If you want to be an 'equal' to that boy, then yes, a year is more than enough," he laughed and came out of the room.

I heard something crash in the room that Marcus had retreated to. Again I felt the urge to go to him, but I fought back against it. Demetri shook his head and began to place the empty blood bags into the garbage.

"But if you want to be something more…" Demetri continued. "…something so amazingly kickass, then you'll need to give us a decade. Ten years my little Isabella. Marcus made me the charming, lethal bastard I am today in just under twenty years. Time means nothing when you have forever. I am quite sure I can do it in half," Demetri gloated.

"Five years, I will give you five. No more," I said to him, picking up another bag of blood to ease the burn.

"Oh I just love a challenge," Demetri said as he walked away. "Come Isabella. You get the hose. Marcus would kill me if I bathed you and you are not destroying my bathrooms. Damn newborn strength."

I finished the bag of blood and tossed it at him.

"Don't call me a newborn, dammit!"

"Then earn it…newborn," he taunted me.

I attacked him then. We fell through the glass doors of the main room and shattered them. The glass shards sparkled all over the patio floor. He flipped me easily onto my stomach. My hands were once again quickly pinned behind my back and Demetri stood on my writhing legs.

"Calm down young one or this is going to be the longest five years for all of us," he spoke calmly.

Once I relaxed, he hosed me down. The blood ran down onto the patio, mixing with glass. The blood now marred the white marble floors and gleamed so that it was almost hypnotizing.

Would I always be weak? Would I always be this out of control?

Clarity. Fuck Clarity. I just wanted oblivion if I couldn't have my true mate.

a/n: Newborn Bella is crazy. *gets drop kicked by Bella* Ouch! Okay, okay. I won't call you a newborn. *rubs chest* Sheesh! Next up is chapter 4 in Bella's POV. I wanted to hear from Marcus, but Bella is cranky as hell and I don't want to get hurt.