Bella's POV

She stared at him. She wanted to scream and argue about how horribly cruel his plan was but she stood still, her mouth slightly agape. No words escaped her lips. He was observing her reaction closely as if expecting her to act out at any moment and he was right to be wary of her as her seemingly perfect control and grasp of reality was starting to slip. She felt detached as she sunk to her knees. She couldn't fathom the pain she would cause Charlie. Suicide was a horrible and twisted way to go and she questioned whether it was better letting him think that she ran away and never spoke to him again. She could never let him think she had taken her own life. His heart wouldn't be able to bear. It would break him.

"I-I don't know if I can do it." She whispered, her eyes hazy with unshed tears. "There must be some other way."

She pleaded with her eyes and Aro seemed conflicted. She hadn't noticed he was kneeling in front of her now, his hand outstretched tentatively as if he was afraid to touch her.

"What would you have me do?" He looked pained and she wondered again why he cared what she felt.

Why would he go to such measures instead of letting her be another statistic? Many people disappeared everyday and she was sure that she would never be found. Why bother? She searched his eyes for any answer to her unspoken questions and she felt the urge to cling to him for she was in a completely vulnerable state. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest without further thought. He stiffened at first but relaxed, embracing her awkwardly in his kneeling position.

"I don't know." She whimpered, forgetting completely that he was her Master now.

She had no idea why but she couldn't fight her body anymore and she gave into the overwhelming desire to be close to him. In his arms, she felt somehow complete and nothing else mattered. She trembled as she tried not to lose reign of her emotions and his arms tightened minutely, pulling her closer as they stayed in silence. His proximity didn't affect her like it did when she was resisting him and for the first time since she was changed, she felt a semblance of peace. She closed her eyes, inhaling his musky scent which had an earthy undertone that reminded her of a forest and a spicy edge that she couldn't quite pinpoint. She then exhaled slowly, the tension leaving her body and her mind clearing.

She had to think about what was best for Charlie and with Aro as her support, she found a solution quite quickly. Although Charlie would be heartbroken either way, her father would not blame himself for her death. She pulled back enough so that she could see Aro's face which held only concern. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted that he was very expressive with her in private compared to when he was with others.

"I-I think I know what we can do."

He nodded solemnly, helping her up from her crestfallen position into a red armchair close to an unlit fire place. He released his hold of her once she was in her seat but the loss of contact made her uneasy. Then, she realized she had crossed the line by embracing him and she willed herself to be still. He proceeded to sit in the closest chair, waiting patiently for her to speak.

"Why don't you stage a car accident maybe?" She started, her voice trembling at the thought. "And then someone can find my things in a hotel where I was supposed to be staying at and we leave the letter there."

"I am not sure that is wise, my dear." He sighed. "It would be highly suspicious to leave a farewell note if it not as I suggest."

"I-I know… I won't say goodbye in the way you think." She paused and he eyed her with interest as she contemplated her options. "I'll leave a letter that I would've mailed to him letting him know that I had officially run away but since I died-" She winced. "-I wouldn't had the chance to actually send it."

She looked at him, desperate for him to consider it and if not, she wouldn't go through with the suicide option. She preferred they stage an accident and for Charlie to have closure whether she could say goodbye or not. Aro had a calculating look and he seemed lost in thought for what seemed an hour but she was sure it was probably less. He finally turned his attention towards again.

"Very well but I must stress that I see the letter before advancing any further." She nodded at his words a bit relieved. His attitude then morphed into his usual bubbly self, instantly dissipating the heavy atmosphere. "Excellent! Now that the matter is settled, I have set up for you to learn Italian. Marcus has requested he be your tutor."

She felt her eyebrows raise in surprise, the shock momentarily distracting her. Out of all the people in the Volturi, Marcus was the last person she would've thought of to be her teacher. He had looked so detached and tragically lethargic when they had first met. The mere thought that he personally asked and had taken the initiative had her perplexed.

"Master Marcus wants to teach me?"

"Yes, you have left quite an impression on him." Aro replied with a small but genuine smile. "I believe everyone is fascinated with you, my dear. Even Jane seems intrigued, although she would never admit it."

She felt her eyes widen and she was sure she looked like a dear caught in headlights. Jane didn't hate her? At her expression, Aro smirked.

"Why, don't look so shocked. After your behavior in the throne room, you seem to be the talk of the castle."

She groaned. Great, just great. Something more to stress about. She had never liked being the center of attention but with what Jane had told her about newborns, she knew she was an oddity. No one had expected her to be so controlled around a human. At the thought, her throat flamed up dangerously and a hand flew to her throat. She was thirsty already?

"Ah, it seems that your snack didn't sustain you as I had wished." Aro lamented.

She flinched slightly at the word snack. More because her throat burst into flames than him referring to Giana as a snack. Aro stood and extended his hand and she gladly took it.

"Come. Heidi should be arriving soon with our meal and I wish for you to incorporate yourself in our routines."

She focused on their hands as they made their way through the winding halls of the castle. She tried to distract herself of the slaughter that was about to come as it made her thirst unbearable and, she didn't wish to think of herself like that. Although, Aro's presence and his words of encouragement soothed her somewhat. This is what they were. They were predators ruled by their instincts and humans just happened to be their unsuspecting prey. She thought of the Cullens and their choice to forgo human blood in a way to preserve what was left of their humanity. It was noble but Aro made it very clear that it wasn't natural. The Cullens hated what they had become and failed to accept the fact that they weren't human anymore. Bella understood that Aro didn't want her to be like them, to hate being a vampire. He wanted her to embrace it… She squeezed her hand in his, coming to a decision. Aro turned his head slightly, an eyebrow raised.

"Is everything alright, cara mia?"

"I've decided to accept this." She replied, not specifying exactly what she had accepted.

She decided she wouldn't fight anymore. Once she had written to Charlie, she could put Bella Swan to rest. That girl had died when Aro bit her in the throne room and a newer version had risen from the ashes after the venom burnt her body from within. She would accept everything. Her new Masters, her new life -including the diet- and her troubling feelings towards a certain vampire. Well, she would try.

She maintained her gaze steadily in front of her even though she could feel Aro's stare. He shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips as they arrived at the feeding room where everyone was gathered. The Guard stared, their eyes flickering to their hands in poorly veiled surprise. He kissed her knuckles lightly, leading her to a spot next to Jane and then, swiftly took his place. She noted the knowing look Marcus was giving Aro and the slight narrowing of Caius's eyes as he looked at his brother. The blonde vampire then turned his head towards her, raising an eyebrow before schooling his expression. What..?

"I suppose your talk with the Master went very well, yes?" Demetri whispered lowly into her ear, his tone teasing. She looked at him confused and he smirked, while a few others snickered.

"His scent is all over you." He clarified, making Felix shake his head, his shoulders trembling with silent laughter and causing Jane to purse her lips.

If she still had blood running through her veins, she would've blushed. Did she really smell like him? Bella sniffed and of course, his scent was intermingled with hers. It was then that she realized that their interaction wasn't appropriate for Master and servant so she averted her eyes to the floor while they waited for Heidi. She was mortified but there was silence until the faint sound of dozens of heartbeats made the room come to life, the vampires shifting a bit restlessly at the thought of food.

"And finally, we will go to the throne room." Heidi said, her voice drifting closer. "There are people right behind these door that are just dying to meet you!"

Bella felt a bit sickened as the doors opened but the feeling was replaced by the need to feed as soon as the group of tourists entered the small space. She carefully breathed in, letting venom pool into her mouth while steeling herself against the fire that ignited in her throat. Their sweet scents peaked with fear and adrenaline as the doors slammed shut behind them and they finally noticed all of the beautiful red-eyed creatures standing as still as statues, watching their every move.

"My dear friends, welcome to Volterra." Aro started with feigned kindness. "I imagine that many of you traveled from all around the world just to see the beauty of our city."

Aro stood and put a hand over his heart, his crimson eyes surveying each of the occupants in the room before landing on the crowd of increasingly terrified humans. He flashed a very predatory smile, his eyes darkening from red to pitch black in seconds and the heartbeats accelerated. Some of the group had even started to tremble and cry. A part of her was horrified for them but she tried to ignored it.

Don't think. A voice whispered to her.

"Such a shame that you have traveled from so far only to die." Aro said in a tone that held no pity. He paused, letting his words sink in and the tourists to back away slightly before he tilted his head up almost in prayer, spreading his arms.

"We thank you for your sacrifice."

As soon as those words left his lips, Bella closed her eyes and let the beast from within take over. Aro's words echoed through her mind as the screaming began.

Drink, Isabella. Don't fight it.

Her body moved instinctively and she barely even registered the tearful pleas of her victims as she ripped their throats open with her teeth. She didn't care. Her beast didn't care. Their pitiful cries only served to excite her. Her first human ran dry and she opened her eyes to find another, not feeling satisfied but her eyes landed on Aro.

She stilled at the scene. He held a woman in his grasp, sucking the life out of her but that isn't what caused her to pause. Once the human ran dry, his tongue eagerly lapped up the blood that had streaked down her neck. The primitive side of Bella found it to be extremely arousing instead of appalling and she swiftly grabbed the closest human. She bit down while deliberately staring at him, ignoring the gurgles and struggles of her victim.

She saw his face of pure bliss turn into stone as their gazes met. His eyes turning black with lust while he observed Bella imitate his actions and lick the blood from the neck of her prey. Her tongue darted out and she sensually cleaned the mess she had made before dropping the body to the floor. They stood there, their eyes locked as the feeding frenzy started to pass. Only then, when she regained control of herself, did she look away. Bodies littered the ground, blood pooled and went down the drain in the middle of the room and the vampires smiled in satisfaction with red-stained lips.

Bella put a hand to her mouth. She had done it again. She had killed and she had enjoyed it so much more than the first time. She should've found the scene around her disturbing but she didn't. The guilt had seemingly disappeared once she had accepted her nature. Although the abrupt change in her morals was alarming, it wasn't of importance. She looked to Aro again, who had a pleased expression when he saw that she didn't feel remorse. And right then, that was all that mattered.

Author's note: And so, Bella has fallen from the light! *evil cackle* Gotta love the new darkness for her character. It really suits her and soon, the story will get a bit more gory and sultry as we dive into ruthless vampire territory. Hope you enjoy the journey to the dark side, my friends.