Welcome to my next Twilight story. This will be a two-part fiction! I hope you enjoy this first chapter. Please let me know. I sometimes feel as though adding new characters makes it incredibly harder to write.

"Carlisle!"
Carlisle looked up from the medical paperwork he was currently working on and frowned at the small hint of panic he heard in Edward's voice. Standing up, he was about to leave the room before Edward appeared in the doorway.
"Aro… he's coming to surprise you. I can hear his thoughts. He is close," Edward said. Carlisle's eyes widened and his thoughts immediately turned to Esme, who was currently upstairs and knew absolutely nothing about Aro nor the Volturi.
"He visited with the Denali Coven. Irina told him of Esme… he wants to meet her," Edward said. Carlisle immediately flew up the stairs and stopped himself in front of Esme's art room. She was standing right near the door, with a small frown on her pretty face as she seemed to recognise the worry and fear in both Carlisle and Edward's faces.
"Is everything okay?" Esme asked timidly. She knew Edward could see through her calm façade but she didn't mind, she just wanted to hear Carlisle reassure her.

"Esme, I have an old friend coming to visit very shortly and I think it would be best if both you and Edward went out to hunt whilst he is here," Carlisle said and Edward shook his head quickly.
"Carlisle… Aro will wait for her," Edward said before looking over at Esme with pained eyes. Carlisle sighed in frustration and motioned for Edward to leave before he turned to Esme. Esme was fighting the urge to reach out and touch Carlisle, comfort him. She could see that whoever this person was that was coming… Carlisle didn't really think of him as an old friend. Esme smiled gently when Edward pressed his lips to the top of her head and smiled down at her.
"Everything will be fine Esme," Edward murmured, before taking off.

"Come, we best meet him in the backyard," Carlisle said. Esme followed after him and neither of them talked again until they'd reached downstairs.
"Stay close to me Esme and I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you," Carlisle said.
"I'm stronger than you," Esme whispered as they reached the backyard. Carlisle managed to crack a smile at her response and he turned to look at her again.
"That may be true Esme, although I think that I would be the one that would have the most fighting skills out of the two of us," He said as he stood in the middle of the backyard, moving so that Esme was standing slightly behind him, most of her blocked by his body.
"Fighting skills? Carlisle, no!" Esme said in shock. Carlisle turned to fully face Esme and he surprised her by resting his hand on her delicate cheek.
"I will protect you Esme, in any way that I am needed to," Carlisle said seriously. Esme's eyes met his and she tried searching them for answers but she couldn't see anything.
"Why me? Why does Aro want to meet me?" Esme asked again, gently. Carlisle straightened up as they both smelt and heard Aro nearing them and he turned back around.
"Aro wants to meet my mate," Carlisle finally said.

"Indeed I do Carlisle, what a wonderful introduction to my arrival," The man said, entering the clearing from the forest.
"It is good to see you my dear friend," Aro added, as he made his way closer to the duo. Esme couldn't see him but she tensed at the sound of his voice. He didn't sound like he was an exceptionally friendly person, nor was he someone that she thought Carlisle would have considered an 'old friend'.
"Likewise Aro, I am surprised to see you so far from Volterra. I didn't realise that travelling was your thing, unless on official business of course," Carlisle said.
"Hmm, well sometimes things do make their way back to Volterra my dear Carlisle. Such as rumours floating around that Carlisle Cullen had found himself a mate. I made a visit to the Denali coven and Irina assured me that it was factual. Is this the woman?" Aro asked, looking past Carlisle and his eyes zeroing in on Esme.
"This is Esme," Carlisle said gently. Esme knew that she should say something but she was too overwhelmed at the moment.
She was Carlisle's mate?

Edward had been teaching her about a vampire's mate. Once a vampire found their mate, they were forever connected and linked. Carlisle was her mate and she was Carlisle's.

Forever.

She knew that it was time to prove to Carlisle and even to this stranger – Aro- that she was more than worthy of being called Carlisle's mate.

"Hello Aro," Esme said softly, stepping up beside Carlisle and placing her hand delicately into his. Carlisle looked at her wide eyed and she smiled gently up at him.
"You are as beautiful as I've been told," Aro said, smiling at her. This caused a certain amount of unease in Esme as she stared into the man's sparkling red eyes before looking down at the ground.
"You're too kind," She whispered, her thumb rubbing over the top of Carlisle's hand slowly.
"May I ask why you are so intrigued with my finding a mate, Aro?" Carlisle questioned.
"I shouldn't be intrigued?" Aro said, looking over at him.
"I'm not sure why you would even have the need to be," Carlisle replied, his lips pressed into a hard line as his fingers slightly squeezed Esme's for some comfort that he was desperately in need of.
"I am intrigued Carlisle, because you were alone for so long. I knew it must've taken an especially beautiful person to become your mate and I was not incorrect. She is beautiful, although Irina also said that you have not claimed her as your own. Is there any reason for that?" Aro said.
"Esme is still young, Aro. She's only ten months old and just getting out of her newborn phase. I don't want anything to be pressured or for Esme to feel pressured into anything," Carlisle replied.
"Ah Carlisle Cullen is smitten. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you took what was rightfully yours. She is your mate after all, she'd probably appreciate it," Aro said. The words that left his mouth caused Esme's entire body to tense up and she removed her hand from Carlisle's as she stared at Aro shocked.

What kind of monster was this man?

A low, resounding growl bubbled from Carlisle's throat and he once again stepped protectively in front of Esme. Esme watched as he struggled to regain his composure and Aro watched on in amusement, a quiet chuckle even escaping his lips. Carlisle straightened up after a few short moments and Esme reached out, placing her hand on his lower back. Esme noticed him visibly relax after her actions and she made sure she stayed out of Aro's vision. She knew that it would only cause further problems if her fear of the man was visible.
"It is quite refreshing to see your protective instincts come into play Carlisle. I never knew that you were capable of it. Are you her creator?" Aro said. Carlisle nodded his head and Aro's eyes narrowed. He had never expected Carlisle to change anyone. There must have been something special about this woman.

"Is she gifted?" Aro said, his eyes alight with a hunger and curiosity that made Carlisle struggle to repress another growl.
"No," Carlisle managed to force himself to whisper.
"She is very beautiful, it's such a shame that she isn't," Aro replied with a disappointed sigh.
"Esme would not have gone with you regardless," Carlisle replied.
"I thought you weren't going to pressure her into anything?" Aro challenged. Esme's small fingers gripped onto the fabric of Carlisle's shirt as to make her intention perfectly clear to him.

She wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Esme, why don't you go inside and finish that drawing you were doing this morning?" Carlisle said, turning to face her.
"No… I'd like to stay out here with you please," Esme said softly, her eyes showing him the fear she was experiencing. Carlisle couldn't deny her what she wanted and nodded his head, gently reaching up and running his index finger down her nose without thinking about it.

"Carlisle, I'd like to meet her properly. I've travelled this far," Aro called out. Carlisle closed his eyes and exhaled at Aro's words before looking down at Esme.
"Aro is gifted, he can read any of your thoughts if he touches your hand. Is that okay with you?" Carlisle asked. Esme shook her head frantically and bolted inside, away from Aro and Carlisle. He knew that as soon as he mentioned that Aro would have to touch her, Esme would escape into the house and he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as he knew she was far safer inside the house rather than out here. Carlisle turned to face Aro and smiled apologetically.
"I apologise Aro. You must understand that she is still experiencing newborn emotions and all of this is still very confronting for her," Carlisle said, stepping forward and allowing Aro to greedily snatch his own hand between his hands. There was a few moments silence as Aro read all of Carlisle's thoughts and he finally pulled back.
"Of course, next time then. I best be going, I'd like to be home soon. It was good seeing you again Carlisle… seeing how much a woman has changed you," Aro said. Carlisle nodded and Aro made his way to the forest's edge before turning back to look at him.
"I do hope that you will be able to ensure that we have a proper meeting next time Carlisle. Maybe you could even bring her to Volterra. I'm sure Caius and Marcus would also be intrigued to meet the future Mrs Cullen. Make sure you bring that boy of yours too… they would love to meet someone as talented as Edward is," Aro said, the hunger for Edward and his talent obvious in his ruby eyes. Carlisle managed to force out a smile and then allowed himself to relax as Aro took off back into the forest behind him.

When Carlisle re-entered the house, he could hear Esme in his study. He decided it would be best to give her some space for a little while and he made his way upstairs and into his bedroom, where he just lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, his frustration flowing through his body.

This was not how he wanted Esme to find out her being his 'mate'.

Not that he ever wanted to refer to her as just his 'mate' anyway. He loved Esme and he would do anything to make sure that she was safe and happy. As long as Esme was happy, it would make Carlisle happy. Sighing softly, he ran his hand over his face.

Everything between himself and Esme was definitely going to change now.

Whether it was going to be a positive or negative change well… Carlisle wasn't sure he exactly wanted to know exactly which one it was going to be.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to make it so that Carlisle was basically forced into telling Esme that she was his 'mate'. I know that it isn't very romantic but I feel as though Esme knew it deep down anyway but Aro's visit made Carlisle finally have to confirm it for the first time out loud. So yeah... I hope I managed to do it justice. Let me know what you think!