The insistent touch of Aro's hand at my lower back kept me from lingering or getting distracted for too long, it anchored me and kept my thirst at a low burn as we entered the large dome shaped hall. I realised as I walked alongside Aro that I had no concept of the time I'd been unconscious for. It felt like it had been forever and barely a moment all at once. I was drawn from my thoughts as I noticed the hall had fallen silent upon our entry, every single pair of crimson eyes in the room appeared to be looking at me; and I straightened my back a little more, walking a little taller.

I heard Aro's quiet chuckle as he realised what I was doing, and glanced to the side at him; he too was watching me.

"They are in awe of you, my dear."

I blinked; feeling confused as Aro stopped walking and turned to me. He took my hand and bowed over it, his whisper of my name against my pale skin sent a shiver down my spine. Then he was gone, his grace again enthralled me as he reclined in his ornate throne, his eyes still watching my form.

I looked around the room and noticed everyone seemed cautious of me, of the uncontrollable newborn. But strangely enough the urge to drink had lessened on the walk here, and whilst my emotions were rolling through me in powerful waves; none of them were negative or strong enough to make me lose myself to them and attack anyone. Though of course they wouldn't know that, and so I stood patiently with Alec and Jane. The latter seemed to be trying her utmost to pretend I didn't exist, Alec just seemed amused and quirked a small grin in my direction as Heidi's voice drifted closer.

"This castle dates back centuries, just through these double doors are some people I think you would all enjoy meeting very much."

I listened carefully as the heartbeats of the humans thundered in my ears, their breathing sounded laboured and their steps tentative, my throat burned and I looked back momentarily to Aro. He was still watching me, his head slightly tilted and an eyebrow raised; he nodded his head at me once and my eyes quickly moved back to the double doors as they opened.

As the line filed in I realised why everyone was watching me, they were waiting for me to snap, for my thirst to consume me and for my rampage to begin. I merely stood and watched as they were herded like sheep to stand in a line before Aro, who stood and smiled at them all in a welcoming manner.

"Welcome to Volterra! I am Aro, and would like to introduce you all to someone."

My eyes flickered to the doors as two Vampires slammed the heavy wood back into its frame, making several of the humans jump and let out cries of fright. I could hear their heartbeats escalating.

"Isabella?" I looked up in surprise as Aro called to me; his hand was extended in my direction. I immediately moved towards him and placed my hand in his own. He brought me to stand before the humans and I swallowed and tried not to breathe through my nose, their smell was making venom fill my mouth and it felt like tar against my tongue as I swallowed it; which only added to the burning in my throat.

I calmed myself with a shuddering breath as Aro stood behind me, his breath brushing against my cheek as he whispered in my ear; too low for the humans to hear, but perfectly audible to all the Vampires present.

"Aren't you thirsty dear one?"

I couldn't lie, I was. "Yes Master."

He hummed behind me and I felt the sound vibrate through his chest to my back as he leaned closer to look at my face.

"And yet here you are a perfect picture of poised elegance. Choose your first feed my dear."

The light touch of his hand at my back urged me forward and so I stepped closer to the trembling humans, some smelled better than others and I realised what Aro was doing as he let me choose first. No other Vampire had moved, I was getting the pick of the best human I could find; and then suddenly an idea occurred to me, my eyes flicked momentarily to Alec who seemed confused as I did so.

Then my attention moved to a human who whimpered as I walked past, I froze and turned; smiling widely as I crooned softly at the young woman shaking before me.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you."

A sadistic pleasure raced through me as her heartbeat slowed and she smiled trustingly up at me, I could tell she was completely bewitched by my beauty as I had been so many times before of Edward's. I leant forwards and shut my eyes, I breathed deeply through my nose and more venom was quickly swallowed, lest it ruin my plans.

"Hold on a minute, what's going on 'ere?" I flinched as one of the male humans spoke, his voice was shrill and rough and nothing like the beautiful baritone of my Master, for some unexplainable reason this made me angry. My eyes flashed as I moved suddenly to stand before him, quicker than a human could blink and gasps filled the room at my display of speed.

I looked deeply into his unremarkable grey eyes and spoke in a seductive voice, one I hadn't even realised I possessed.

"Are you afraid?" I asked the balding human who smelt of kebab fat and cigars; I smiled in a dazzling manner at him and noticed his eyelids drop and his pupils dilate.

"No pretty lady, I 'aint."

"Good, then do be quiet for a moment please, I'm concentrating." He did so immediately and I relished in the power of my beauty, I felt unstoppable.

I moved down the line, inhaling carefully as I did so, before coming to stop again before the trembling girl I had spoken to earlier; she still smelt the best. So much so that the urge to rip into her throat was almost overwhelming me. I had to act fast; this moment would make or break my place in the Volturi, and so I extended one perfect milk white hand to her, smiling in an encouraging manner. She took it without hesitation and I heard the Vampires around the room shift as they prepared to feed, thinking I had chosen my favourite. I turned from the girl and looked up to my Master, who had been watching me with a pleased expression on his face, now however he looked surprised and he tilted his head at me in question. I gracefully walked up the steps to the raised platform where his, Marcus' and Caius' thrones sat, and stopped before him.

"Master." I intoned with my melodic voice and extended my hand, offering the best human in the batch to him; my own throat burned with thirst and I took a breath to steady myself, a habit from my human life.

He laughed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me in disbelief; he extended his own hand and I placed that of the humans in his, my eyes averted submissively to the marble flooring beneath our feet.

"And still she continues to confound us all." I heard a rustle as he shifted to look over his shoulder at both Marcus and Caius, though I did not raise my gaze to see their expressions, I could not.

I closed my eyes as familiar fingertips brushed over my cheekbone, their warmth still surprising me.

"Thank you, Isabella."

A moment passed and then there was a flurry of movement before the screaming began, and I did not watch the massacre behind me for I was fixated on the blood red eyes devouring mine as equally blood stained lips devoured the life force of the human I had selected. The human whimpered and crumpled, merely being kept upright by Aro's grip and I felt momentarily jealous of her, to be held by him as she died. He pulled away though, just before the light dimmed in her eyes, and I frowned in confusion. Was he refusing my gift?

My worry was brushed away as he extended a hand to me and pulled me up to stand next to him; the smell of blood filled the room and I wanted to claw my throat out as the burning began to make me shake.

"Drink, Isabella."

I looked into his eyes and then at his lips, which were smeared with blood; and couldn't help but lick my own in anticipation. He slid his fingers through the blood pouring from the human's main artery and then extended his hand to me to run his digits over my lower lip, making me tremble as he withdrew and left behind a glistening trail of blood on my trembling mouth.

"Drink."

I didn't need to be told again and snarled as my teeth tore into the human, I didn't care what her name was, or who she had been, if she had family. All I cared about was that Aro's hand was stroking my hair as I fed, encouraging me as his fingers brushed my scalp.