Chapter 2

I think I was getting on Alec's nerves. I was constantly asking him if he thought Demetri had found Seth yet, which he started growling at me every time I mentioned Seth.

Finally about two weeks after Demetri left, Aro called for me to come to the throne room. "ALEC! HE FOUND HIM! I BET HE FOUND HIM!" I squealed excitedly and grabbed his hand starting to run full speed toward the throne room.

"Calm down, don't get your hopes up!" Alec reminded me as we reached the room.

I froze as I saw man that looked to be my skin color clinging to Demetri weakly. His hair was long and unruly and he looked extremely sick. I knew immediately Demetri had been drugging him. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!" I screamed racing forward not thinking of the consequences.

"Ella, calm down, he had to drug him, he wasn't cooperating," Aro said grabbing me before I yanked the man away from Demetri.

"Of course he wasn't! He hates vampires! Carlisle told you to tell him the truth!" I snapped at Demetri who just smiled smugly at me.

"He will, once he sleeps off the drugs," Aro told me calmly.

I frowned, about to speak up when Demetri chuckled, "A fighter this one, had to redose every four hours, had to break his legs as well," he smirked at me.

"Enough Demetri! You completed the mission. Alec help get Seth, to Ella's room, I'm assuming that is where you want him for now?" Aro asked me.

I nodded as Alec took Seth from Demetri, and Seth groaned looking like he was in pain, "Just kill me already!" he moaned his eyes barely open and unseeing.

I wanted to murder Demetri, I reached forward shakily and smoothed his hair out of his face, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Seth had to be the most attractive male I had ever seen in my life.

"You can stare once I get him to your room, El," Alec reprimanded and I stepped back and followed Alec quickly to my room where he set him on my bed. I immediately climbed up next to him, "Get me a wet washcloth!" I ordered Alec.

"I'm not your slave you know," Alec reminded me but left nevertheless.

Seth groaned once again, barely opening his eyes to stare at me, "Am I dead yet?" he mumbled.

I stroked his cheek and he leaned against my hand, "You have her eyes," he told me sounding dazed.

"What?" I whispered.

"Nevermind, you're one of them," he said roughly.

"But I'm like you as well," I tried.

He just coughed roughly, "You smell good," he informed me.

I chuckled slightly, "Rest, you need it, I won't hurt you," I told him.

He scoffed, "You're one of them," he replied not even looking at me.

"Rest," I sighed getting angrier at Demetri by the second.

"Here," Alec offered handing me the washcloth.

I rested it on his forehead and he groaned seeming to like the cool touch to his burning skin. "He looks like you, could be your brother," Alec told me.

"He's not my brother," I told him.

"I know, I'm just saying, you're both Quileute, or rather you're half, but….he still looks like you, just a bit darker skinned," he told me.

I chuckled, stroking Seth's cheek again, "He knew me as a child," I whispered.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, I don't know how well, but he knew me," I told Alec with a smile.

"That's great, Ella," he grinned.

I nodded staring at Seth, I felt this connection to him I couldn't explain something I had never felt with anyone here. It must be the wolf link. "Do you want to be alone?" Alec asked me giving my back a small rub.

I nodded, "I'd rather it be just me when he wakes up, for his sake," I told him.

He nodded and kissed my cheek, before racing off. I lay there and stared at him wondering if he had ever played with me as a child and how close he was to my parents, and what it was that made him run off.

Hours later he woke up looking groggy and he popped up scaring me as I had started to doze off, then groaned because the drugs were still in his system keeping him weak.

"Where am I?" he barked sounding terrified.

"Seth?" I whispered not answering his question.

He looked over at me and his eyes widened even more looking even more terrified than before, "I'm dead aren't I?" he whispered his voice shaking.

"You aren't dead, the drugs are just making everything seem disoriented. They'll wear off in a bit," I promised.

He reached over and cupped my cheek shocking me, but I just closed my eyes leaning into his large hand, it felt nice on my cool skin. "You're just as beautiful as I imagined, Ari, I must have made it to heaven," he said softly.

I stiffened, he recognized me. He freaking recognized me. I didn't think he'd recognize me, I mean I was three when I 'died'. "You aren't dead," I said jumping off the bed and away from him not knowing why I was freaking out. This is what I wanted right, someone close to me when I was a child.

It was then as if some switch clicked off inside him and his eyes just went empty, "Who are you?" he asked me.

I gulped, "E-Ella," I replied softly and I could feel him deflate anymore.

"Where am I, Ella?" he asked.

"The Volturi, D-Demetri tracked you. He kept drugging you, that's why you feel so weak," I told him shyly.

"THE VOLTURI! WHAT THE FUCK!? I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!?" he shouted jumping out of the bed and starting to race to the door. I easily beat him there blocking him.

"No, please, you can't leave, not until I get to talk to you!" I begged.

He glared at me pure hatred in his eyes, "Is that your gift? Get inside my head and see what I most desire, and you make me see her? You make me see you having her beautiful green eyes, is that how you are going to torture me? Reminding me of what I can never have?" he growled at me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, "All I've ever wanted was to talk to someone, someone that can shift like me, someone who understands, please, just let me talk to you, then you can leave, I won't stop you, I just…I didn't know Demetri was going to drug you," I whispered my voice breaking on the words.

"Y-you're a shifter?" he whispered.

I nodded wiping at my eyes, "But you smell like vampire," he said softly.

"I'm half," I said looking away waiting for him to push me from the door and call me leech or traitor. I was already called wolf girl from the vampires here.

"What did he give me? I can't even shift," he whispered weakly.

"Some sedative that goes straight for the wolf gene, it was tested on me, I couldn't shift for a week," I whispered.

He took a step back, staring at the blood red walls, "I'm already living hell on earth, why do they want to torture me more?" he asked me.

I looked away, "They aren't going to torture you, I-I requested your presence, well not you specifically but someone like you, a shifter from La Push, apparently you were a runaway, you were easier to catch," I said softly.

He groaned rubbing his face, "What do you want with me?" he asked me sounding annoyed.

"I-I….I want to talk to you, like I said, you can leave after I talk to you," I said shyly praying he wouldn't want to leave right away.

"Fine, they've drugged me, so I can't get very far now, talk," he said angrily.

I looked toward the door, wondering if Seth would mind if I got Alec in here to hold my hand for moral support, as if Alec knew I wanted him as he walked into my room.

"How's the doggy?" he asked being the insensitive ass he always was.

I whacked him, hard, "Don't call him that!" I snapped at him.

He put his hands up in defense, "Chill, killer, I'm just messing with you! His name is Seth, and he is going to be your BEST friend in the ENTIRE world and is going to answer all the questions you've ever wanted to know about yourself that Aro won't answer or let you get answered. How'd you put it, he's the most glorious thing to ever happen to you, and his full name is Seth Clearwater!" Alec mocked me.

I blushed bright red, "Alec, I hate you," I informed him.

He just chuckled, "You love me, babe, why even joke? I was going to ask if you were bored of watching him sleep like the creeper you are, but obviously he's awake now, and I'm interrupting," he told me.

I nodded, "Yeah you are," I told him sassily and he chuckled.

"I'll leave, no worries, come get me when you want to go have some fun, I'm bored out of my mind," he joked opening the door.

"WAIT!" I shouted racing toward him to tackle him in a hug.

"Hey there, baby, what's up?" he asked.

"Demetri isn't around is he?" I asked him softly.

"No, Aro forbid him to come near your room while you have Seth in there, he was pissed that Demetri upset you once again with drugging the dog and all," Alec told me brushing my hair out of my face.

"Obviously not pissed enough, he didn't kick him out of the guard," I grumbled and Alec chuckled kissing my forehead.

"I won't let him touch you, babe, I'll kill him in a second, I'm too valuable for Aro to touch," he teased.

"Promise?" I asked pouting.

"I promise, baby, now go get all those answers you've been waiting for," he said kissing my nose.

"Thanks, Alec," I smiled at him.

"No problem babe," he winked at me before racing off as I shut the door.

"That's the guy that can like blind all your senses, right?" Seth asked me.

"Yeah," I said nervously going to sit next to him on the bed.

"Not a bad guy to have on your side, huh?" he asked.

I frowned, "He's my best friend, not because of his gifts, but because of the person he is," I replied.

Seth scoffed, "He kills people," he reminded me.

I shuddered, "I know, but he is still the nicest person on the guard," I said.

"You shuddered, I take it you don't kill people?" he asked.

I shook my head no, "I hunt animals to keep that side of me happy, my wolf gene makes me too guilty, I can't even go in for the kill," I said tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Interesting…" Seth trailed off.

I took a deep breath and whispered, "Can I ask my questions now?" I asked him.

"Yeah, shoot, whenever you're ready…it's not like I have anywhere I can go," he said annoyed.

I ignored his remark, and looked down, "So I died when I was three, and Carlisle Cullen was my doctor, my dad was a wolf, and my mom was completely one hundred percent not Quileute. She was dead, but my aunt raised me. My appendix ruptured, I was going to die, and Carlisle knew that Aro was looking for someone to try his new drug on. The idea was to inject me with vampire venom but avoid any of my wolf genes…The venom killed me instantly or the human side of me. M-my parents had a funeral in La Push and everything…." I started, but I had chanced a glance up at Seth, which was a mistake as he looked like he was staring at a ghost.

"Who were your parents?" he asked me.

"Paul and Jazzlyn Lahote," I whispered.

He stared at me his eyes welling with tears, "You're really her….you're my Ari," he whispered reaching over and cupping my cheek once again.

I blushed looking down, "Not anymore, I…I don't remember that life. I'm Ella now….I just….I wish I remembered," I whispered.

Seth didn't look like he was listening to me as he was just staring at me this huge smile on his face and tears were falling from his cheeks, "M-may I h-hug you?" he whispered hopefully.

I blushed, but nodded, and he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "My Ari," he whispered into my shoulder and I could feel the wetness of his cheeks, which made me tear up because he obviously was close to me as a child, and had been heartbroken by my death, I couldn't even imagine my parents….

"I'm sorry, I was such a butt before, you just looked so much like her, and I thought you were dead….and…" he started to backtrack wiping at his tears.

I just sniffled myself, "It's fine, I get it, I just…you knew me," I whispered weakly.

He nodded, "Very well," he told me stroking my cheek.

I smiled at him, and without even thinking I just took his hands in mine and squeezed them, "Do you want to hear the rest?" I asked him.

He nodded just staring at me as if he couldn't believe his eyes, "They buried me, having no clue that I was still alive, and suffering horribly, thank god I can't remember it. The Volturi came and dug me up, and flew me to Italy. They then put me in a room, in which I lay there and grew not breathing, my heart not beating or anything, again I have no memory of any of this, this is my account from Alec who was the main one who watched me. I grew rapidly much like a half vampire half human, and I woke up one year after my death looking like a ten year old. I grew seven years in one year. Alec was there when I woke up. I can't even begin to explain the fear I felt when I woke up in this ten-year-old body, with this void of memories. It was horrible. Aro sort of raised me while I clung tightly to Alec through the next year. When I matured to the age of sixteen, I-I shifted for the first time, and it was the worst…" I started and Seth continued with me.

"Worst pain I'd ever been in," we said in unison, which made my eyes tear up knowing he understood, he'd been through it too.

"So here I was all alone as a wolf, and I had to figure everything out on my own. The Volturi know about us, but they aren't like us so they can't really…." I trailed off.

"Explain how to do things," he offered.

I nodded, "So yeah, it was hell figuring things out, but Alec helped a lot, he just listened to me, he really is the best friend in the world. Everyone else started calling me wolf girl, and started making comments about my smell and everything else. Alec promised that I do not smell like a typical shifter, and that it was just because they feared me, but try telling that to a five year old girl in the body of a sixteen year old. I stopped aging at eighteen, and basically have been stuck here for the past ten years. It hasn't been all bad. Alec and Aro are great and I'm treated like royalty even with the name-calling and snide remarks. I'm Aro's favorite, along with Alec and Jane, so yeah," I said nervously.

"You don't have to act like it was wonderful, Ari, you're a shifter, it's in your instinct to hate vampires and not enjoy killing especially watching people kill," he told me gently.

My eyes welled up and I pulled him into a hug needing to be held, I was really only thirteen years old even if my maturity and body said otherwise. "I hate it here," I sobbed.

He just held me close to him and stroked my hair and let me cry, it wasn't like Alec who was brilliant at comforting me, but he always tried to tell me that I was blowing it out of proportion. Seth just held me and acted like he knew how horrible it had been. "I'll get you out of here, I promise," he whispered.

"You can't, I'm Aro's property, he created me," I told him.

"I'll get you out of here," he repeated straight faced, "If I have to die trying."