Aro

I just couldn't stop pondering, ever since our near defeat by the Cullens about two years ago I was in doubt, if my decisions were really meant for survival and welfare for the vampire race, or based on mere power hunger and despotism.

This thoughts I kept on my own, but they were on my mind, and I couldn't get rid of them. Caius was somewhat cruel by nature, Marcus was bored and apathetic, since the dead of Didyme, but I always used to be curious and eager for knowledge, new things, new relationships, other minds. Had I really become that monster I saw in the Cullens mind?

Didyme's death has always been a thing, I regretted deeply. I may could have spared her from being killed by the Romanians, but the politics by this time with Marcus and his spouse getting far too independent, seemed to require some restraining, and so I sacrificed my own sister.

Maybe all this weakening thoughts caused this feelings; somehow there was then and by, some desolation and loneliness, a kind of being strange to my own kind. It was only the slightest tug at my consciousness at first, and I tried to ignore it.

But the last ten days this feelings had become a nagging persistence, stronger and more urgent, and I wasn't sure, if they were all my own, or something external. I wanted to talk to my brother Marcus, but first there were some matters of more concerns I had to deal with.

Demetri had brought Joham and his offspring, and the Cullens had been called for witnessing, and they were about to arrive soon.

When I touched Demetri 's cheek to see about the last day happenings, I suddenly felt electrified: He, too, experienced those strange feelings of solitude! What was this about?

I decided to delve for this soon I finished with Joham 's case, maybe there were more to perceive this emotions, especially Edward Cullen, the mind reader, and Jasper, the empath, would be perceptive, too.

Alec came forward, asking for the favour of speaking to me.

My dear little twins, always so eager to keep me satisfied, I was their hero, their idol, a somehow flattering idea. Especially Jane held a jealous worship, with a little bit of infatuation, for me, but she also had a fierce, protective love for her twin brother, and from reading her I knew, there was more about it, but she didn't apperceive it, maybe out of her innocence according sexual relationships. Alec was only sometimes aware of his body's needs, but not really acting on it.

I wouldn't mind, if they discovered the joys of physical love, even, if together, siblings love wasn't that taboo as it was in the human's world, as no offspring would ever result, but until yet, there had only been two little *accidents *, as I like to call it by myself.

Oh, Alec has cringed over and over, when he tried to avoid me the access to this special memory, and I made him believe he had been successful, but I saw it as a matter of fact, though it pleased me behaving like a parent to a blushing teen son…

Yes, they were turned far too early, but there had been no chance to delay it, I saved them literally from the stake.

"Please, Master, may I ask for a favour?" addressed Alec me. I nodded, and put his hand between mine. "You are welcome, my dearest. "

Astonished I noticed, he perceived the same strange feelings, only stronger. My brow went up. I considered, if I would be in need for Alec's or Demetri 's talents for the coming challenge but decided against.

"Demetri, dear, would you mind fulfilling some tracking task for me?"

Immediately, he was by my side, bowing his head.

"What do you like to ask of me, Master?"

"The three of us were perceiving some stranger's feelings, meseems. Alec, Demetri, you will research for this issue, and will convey information soon." With a nod, I released them to their task.

Sighing, I tried to give my undivided attention to the duty at hand, Joham 's judgement.

Rosalia

This holiday I would spend discovering a new terrain, last time I crossed the Alps eventually, and my final destination would be the Adriatic Sea, but actually I was indulging in the beautiful countryside of the Tuscani, the pinewoods, the olive groves, the vineyards, the Mediterranean cypresses, it's old pittoresque towns and buildings.

It wasn't as physically exhausting as tracking with my heavyweight backpack over the Alpine passes, but since I wanted to explore every single corner of this lovely region, my daily walking route was about 27 miles on average.

This was nothing compared to my former long distance running sections, but I had to carry my luggage, and I wanted to do some sightseeing aside from that.

And, besides, I was enjoying myself very much, every evening I had a beautiful meal and a bottle of the excellent local red vines, sometimes a Chianti, or a Sassicaia, but most time I feasted on some Montepulciano or my favourite grape variety, Sangiovesian, in its best form, Brunello Di Montalcino.

So after that I needed my nights sleep very badly, you'll understand!

Sometimes I wished for company, then I would share a glass or two with some locals, but mostly was happy enough on my own since I was used to be alone after all. It's been nearly seven years, since Andrews death, and nobody could take his place since then.

The nights I would spend comfortable in a hotel or guesthouse, also a big improvement to the Alpine cottages of the last trip.

After two weeks I was heading for Pisa, to see the famous tower over there, but first visited San Gimignano, where fourteen original towers were conserved, outstanding in Tuscani history.

It had been extremely hot that day, and my feet and back were aching a lot, so I decided to stay for the night, in spite of the fact, I only walked for 22 miles, and it was just about four o clock.

I rented a room in a little hotel and, due to my fatigue, I first took a shower and rested myself on the rooms bed.

Alex

Demetri and I went to the car park, and he opened the Rover, that car he used mostly, when tracking someone. He wasn't too acquainted to the for him only soft calling mental voice, but he was convinced, the owner had to be nearby.

It doesn't took Demetri long to locate the being behind, it was only a drive of 20 miles on a bendy road, past on Castell Di San Gimignano, four or five agrotourism hotels, the ones Heidi used to *meet* our next meals, since we arrived near the Piazza della Cisterna.

He sensed *it* in a hotel and we sneaked up,unseen.

The human woman, our target, was showering by that time.

She was tall, about one-and-a-half head bigger than me, and she missed most of the usual distinct feminine attributes to the point of bland, her hips were narrow, her breasts unincivided, her shoulders broad.

Her muscles, on the other hand, were prominent and toned, giving her the appearance of an athlete. The upper part of her face was broad, the chin peaked, her eyes a little angular, a perfect cat on lair .

She looked somehow haggard and exhausted.

Her hair was of a light copper, with the slightest tinge of ash, like last year 's beech leaf in the spring sun, and it was very fine of structure, if it wasn't so rich, it could be considered thin.

It was cut in a very straight neck long bob, and glistened sleek in the light of sun.

She smelled of sweat, but also of lemon and lavender, a fresh, clear and lightly stinging scent, like freshly cleaned floors, but it was fitting hers.

Her whole appearance radiated physical strength and stamina, an ability to endure greatest exercises without complaining.

When I finished my close monitoring, I suddenly felt I had never before watched a woman, not to mention a mere human, with such an amount of interest, and Demetri was giving me a suspicious glance.

But it was definitely this woman, who's feeling we were perceiving, now, so near to us, we get it much better and stronger.

At this moment, she was tired, her feet and back ached, but she won't accept it, and put some strong will against, to carry on, and then, a kind of enjoying her surroundings.

The projections she emitted were very subjective, her internal reactions to what happened to her, and only those, that were prominent; it added somehow to your own feelings, like an extra emotion,an extra and different awareness of the world. A little bit the opposite to my own talent, to deprive all senses…

I couldn't think right now about a way, this knack could be used to the benefit of our caven, but Aro would find some way for sure; maybe, once changed, she would develop some stronger talent.

Wait, changed? Why was I already considering, Aro would change her? It wasn't on me to even think of such possibility, it were our masters decision alone.

But in a way, I couldn't explain to myself, I loved the idea of her being changed.

"I think, we hit our target. Let's go home and tell Aro." Demetri 's voice seemed overloud, and I literally shook my had, to clear my brain, somehow I forgot, he was around, too.

"I would prefer to stay a little bit longer, and gather further information about this human." I heard myself say to Demetri "But what about you returning and telling Aro?"

A sly grin appeared on his face. "Oh, are we interested in this Woman? Maybe even a little infatuated? "

He was on his way, before I could slap him, with a last wink in my direction. But it made me ponder on my fascination with this human.

Okay, I loved my sister Janet dearly, I looked up to our Queens with reference, but there were no other women of real interest.

Yes, I knew about this man/woman stuff, I experienced a couple of daydreams, which left me in a rather aroused (and painful hardened) state, and, I had to admit, I have had two times my way with a female prey, before I drained her, ( an experience, I considered disgusting enough, not to wish to repeat again), but I' very been so very young, when I was turned, so didn't undergo any proper relationship.

Sometimes I wondered, what all that meant for Jane, but obviously I didn't dare to ask…

After her shower, she threw herself on the bed, and closed her eyes.

And I stood motionless, watching her. She lay naked, because she actually missed the power to get her new clothes out of her backpack, and she felt sunburnt and hot.

In the kitchen below I overheard some kind of distress ; the gas oven didn't function adequate. In the next room, a couple seemed to mate.

Looking at the female, I began to feel kind of hot, too. She wasn't exactly beautiful, not even to the standards of the human's, and surely she had double my age, but looking at her made me feel more aroused, than I ever experienced before.

I decided, I needed to feed, maybe just to take my mind from doing things to this woman, I wasn't sure.

So after having a last look at her nude forms, I went for a hunt.

The distance to Volterra was big enough, to be allowed to have a proper hunt, if I did it discrete, and soon I spotted a girl in a pine wood nearby.

No one else was there, and so I gave in my instincts. For a little moment, I thought to use her before, but even to think of having this human that way, made me feel ill.

So I only drained her, and hid her corpse carefully.

Just when I began to ponder, what I should do next, it hit me like a massive impact: heat, fire, pain, the smell of burning flesh, some image of a crying woman with her eyes wide open, no, her eyelids were burning already, fear, it was a crescendo of feelings, almost overwhelming me.

In a wink I was back at the hotel, and a flaming inferno awaited me. There had been some kind of explosion, and the whole building was at fire.

I hesitated ; fire was one of those rare things, that could destroy me. Why, the he'll, should I risk my immortal life for a mere human? No, I won't do so. But I felt devastated at this thought.

Just this second my human, clothes already burnt, hair on fire, scarcely alive, stumbled out of the building. The thick smoke hided it from human sight, but my enhanced abilities showed me this scenario all too intensely.

Without further thoughts, I threw my heavy cloak over her smoking body, in order to stiffle the flames, and I managed it without getting burnt myself.

On Vampire speed I took her, wrapped up in my cloak, to the place I had fed before.

She was dieing, her heart beats became erratically, and her lungs weren't capable to breathe.

I had to save her, I have to change her, if it was still possible.

I never changed someone, and I wasn't sure if I could keep my instincts at bay. But all those feelings I perceived were so similar to what I felt believing being actually my death; I couldn't have done any other thing then to try to spare her (and, I had to admit, myself) from this extremely awful experience.

And when I sank my teeth in her neck, it was all too easy not to drain her; her blood tasted boiled, spoiled, rotten, poisoned from the fire, that severed her, and I asked myself, if it has been the same to Aro , when he saved my sister and me from stake.