AN: The following scene has violence and rape. If you want to skip this, stop reading at the stars ***** and start reading again at the stars *******

Chapter IV

The Rose

Like me, Carlisle, Edward and Esme soon began to enjoy human's company. However, the class of people that we liked tended to vary much. The "Cullens" [which was the last name used on all official documents] preferred visting theatres, plays and performances; Within a few decades, my tastes soon strayed to the back streets – easy pickings for a quick meal, usually a man off the streets who had no home anyway and would not be easily missed. But Roma was such a big city that missing people were a regularity without my help.

We stayed in Roma for nine years, which was rather unusual for me to stay in one spot for too long. Carlisle and Edward noticed this, but only Edward knew the truth – that Italy had been my country as a human.

I was on my way home after a hunt when I smelt the thick, heavy scent of fresh human blood. I had centuries of experience on resisting bloodlust and either way I had already drunk; but the mortal bleeding was losing a lot of blood, very quickly. I assumed that I had come across an easy dessert that I could clean up. I had no more thoughts in my head except that I would be going home with a particularly full stomach.

Little did I know, I would actually be going home with a new member for my coven.


Trey's senses led him down a particularly shadowy back alley. He heard her screams long before he saw the three men crowded around the young woman.

I'll just have to take them all out, thought Trey with a calculating mind. I shouldn't play with my food but this is too good an opportunity to waste. Trey listened and heard no humans in any of the alleys too close by.

In the pale moonlight Trey crept at a human's pace in the alley's wall's shadows until he was only feet away from the men.

But before Trey could strike, he heard a loud thwack and one of the men growled, "Si cagna!" before striking her in the bridge of her nose. Fresh blood poured from her face, its scent testing Trey's endurance, but he was watching the woman.

She was beautiful, even by vampire standards. Long, wavy blonde hair, a beautiful body, and perfectly featured face. What a waste, thought Trey, but he gave a small chuckle. That sounded like something Carlisle would say.

*********

The lead man gave more orders in Italian and his two cronies pinned the woman's arms down to the ground. She screamed again, kicking him, but he just laughed and ripped off the woman's dress, and he jumped forward, plunging into her. She screamed in a tortured voice, struggling against them - but the man just laughed and began to move against her, plunging deeper and deeper into her, until the blood pooled around her body.

********

Sick mortals. One of Trey's favourite pastimes was what he called "mind games" and what Edward called "torture" - but either way the killing itself was swift. Once the mortal died there was no more entertainment. But this was something else altogether.

A gargled cry came from the main rapist, and suddenly his body slagged onto the ground. In the moonlight Trey saw that the jugular had been ripped out of his throat. But how--?

The blonde-haired woman collapsed to the floor, her mouth dripping with red blood, and she promptly threw up on the ground in front of her.

One of the other men pulled back his leg, kicking her savagely in the gut. "Vampyr!!!" hissed the man as he went to kick her again.

Suddenly he, too, collapsed to the ground, but a new dark figure standing in his place. The woman's second assaulter tried to run, but Trey had snapped his neck before the man had taken two steps.

Trey ran back to the woman on the ground, who was lying in her own pool of blood and vomit.

What a waste, Trey thought again.

"Why did you fight when you knew that they would've killed you anyway?" Trey murmured, but the woman's head was lax, sinking to the ground. He placed a hand on her forehead and brushed a strand of golden hair away from her forehead.

And then he almost subconsciously realised.

She was a fighter.

She knew she was going to die tonight.

But she wanted to bring one of them down with her.

Without stopping to consider the action, Trey leaned forward and plunged his fangs into her neck.

XxX

Carlisle had been with Trey the longest, and Edward had the ability to read minds – but both were astonished when they come home to find Trey nursing the ravaged body of a beautiful, blonde-haired woman.

"Trey, she looks like something out of nobility. You do realise that the disappearance of someone from a high family would be much more prone to—"

"Of course I realise that, Carlisle. Edward, tell him what happened. Esme? Nurse the woman." They were the normal brusque commands that Trey usually gave, but this time he withdrew to his room and would not emerge for three days.

Before the woman opened her eyes, however, Trey had asked Carlisle to go for a 'walk' with him.

"So you did not change her to be your mate?"

"No," Trey snapped.

They were both silent for awhile, before Carlisle spoke. "You never told us why you changed her. Edward knows but he has the courtesy to keep it to himself."

Trey let out a low growl. "To be honest, I don't know why I did either. She…she did what I like to think I do. Keep fighting, to the end, even when there's nothing left to fight for." Trey exhaled.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. She will be beautiful though, and perhaps she will make a good mate for Edward." When the men arrived back at their house, the woman was awake, already feasting on two bullocks that Esme had freshly slain for her. Once her thirst was satiated, she looked up at them all with wide eyes.

"Para inglese?" asked Carlisle in his perfect Italian.

"Si, I speak a little English," she stumbled in a heavily accented English.

"You are vampyra now. I am your creator, but you may call me Trey," Trey cut in shortly, but that was all he said. As Carlisle introduced the members of the coven, Trey sat down next to the woman and took his hand in hers and spoke to her in Italian.

"Come si chiama, child?" She hesitated before answering, and suddenly then Trey realised something. She reminded him of someone he had known, long ago.

"Mi chiamo Rosalie."


Rosalie Hale did not become the mate of Edward. She was, however, the most beautiful vampire that I had ever seen – and considering my travels, this was substantial. I grew rather fond of Rosalie – it was not emotion, but a healthy respect. She was quite tenacious, and grew to love cars, music and clothes… and yet she hated me, for the life I had cursed on her. Given her way, she would have died that night, instead of being cursed to this life – like many girls she wanted the fairytale: to marry to someone who loved her, and to bear and raise her children, and finally to grow old and be put to a final rest. Because I changed her, this would never be possible. However, I never regretted my decision to create her.

Thankfully, two years later, something would come along that would soften her complete loathing for the life of a vampyra… or more accurately, someone would come along.

AN: This was one of my favourite chapters to write :) I've had this story on my computer for aaagggeeeesss, but I struck writer's block and didn't think it fair to put it up until after I got over that, but I have and here you go :) Next chapter will be up very soon, I promise!!! BTW any mistakes when it comes to language and/or translations stand to be corrected, as for most of my sources I only had the internet. If you can help me out, it would be much appreciated :)

Love,

Lena xo