*Rated M Content*

Chapter 9: Catching Up

Demetri and I led the nine vampires to the office room, where Aro was waiting in the doorway to greet them. He had sent Demetri up to retrieve them, and I had to convince him I was okay enough to walk by myself. He was going to haul me around all day just to make sure I healed completely, but Edward helped my case.

"I am indebted to you, Edward. Thank you for taking care of my baby sister," Demetri had said, trapping my arms at my sides and crushing me to his chest. He had dashed over and got me before I could react, making me squeal as he spun around with me in his arms. Emmett had walked over and waved his beefy hand in front of Demetri's face, asking who he was and what he did with the real Demetri. Everyone chuckled then, but no one was chuckling now with Aro's gaze raking over them.

"Ah, my honored guests! I hope Demetri and Vixen have treated you well?" he said, making the statement a question.

"Yes, old friend. Vixen has been quite entertaining," Carlisle responded, humor in his tone. I knew exactly what he was talking about, but I kept my face blank and my gaze averted and on the floor, the picture of submission.

"Come forward, my pet," Aro said, and I walked up to him, turned, and stopped just behind his shoulder, my rage burning in my throat and chest. The top of my head only reached just above his shoulder. "I see you are finally learning your lesson on how to treat my guests. Your punishment must have worked for once, but just in case, I'll need to keep a watch on you while you are around them. At least until you learn how to act around strangers." And then . . . the sickening click of metal as he attached the heavy gold chain that matched my collar. Utter humiliation surged through my body, and I fought not to tremble. Instead, I squeezed my hands into fists and forced my nails to dig into my palms. "You will not break this chain, Vixen, or you will be punished severely." He chuckled, and my vision turned scarlet. "Not that you could now anyway."

"Now then," Aro said, like nothing had happened, "I see the three succubae are not with you. Shall I assume they are otherwise . . . occupied?" he asked. I didn't look up as I glared holes into the floor, but guessed they nodded in the affirmative since they didn't provide an explanation. Aro tugged on the chain and I took a step forward to ease the pinching of the links on my neck. I didn't flinch, but I saw Edward's hand twitch like he was fighting not to make a fist. I didn't look up to see his face as Aro raised his hand to pet my head. I twitched away from his touch in disgust, catching myself before I actually moved, and he tsked like he was looking at a disobedient child.

"Come now, Vixen, you know I will not harm you unless you are being punished," he cooed, thinking my movement was out of fear. I let him think that, displaying my fury and humiliation as trembling dread. He beckoned everyone inside and physically pulled me in, not letting me get my feet under myself so I could walk properly. I thought he did it just to hear me choke. He sat at the head of the table, his brothers seated on either side of him, and the others filled the empty seats. Edward was sitting at the far end, but the look on his face told me he'd rather be anywhere else.

Aro turned me to face him and I kept my head turned so he couldn't see my face. He wrapped the arm with my leash around my back and shoved my body against him, crushing my boobs against his neck and cheek. His hand travelled down the bare flesh of my lower back and his fingers slipped under the waistband of my jeans. I cringed into his chest so he couldn't see my face, and he brought his hand around to the button of my jeans. My memories of Edward's hands on me as he took care of me, as he removed my clothing, the feel of his skin pressed against me as I lay naked on top of him, how he undressed me and put me in the tub, and then the fight that had taken place not long ago. I couldn't tell what Aro was thinking as he rubbed his fingers against the skin of my waist, but my anxiety made me tense. He didn't keep quiet very long.

"Oh, my hot tempered little Vixen," he said with a sigh, his fingers still rubbing me. "You and the succubus just do not get along, do you?" He sighed again, and the tension in the room rose dramatically. What she said next had me struggling against the leash as much as his stupid order would let me.

"You know, Felix has shown a great improvement in regard to you, my dear. Maybe he would like to execute your punishment this time." He turned his body slightly away, but kept his gaze locked on mine. "Felix, would you join me for a moment? And bring the whip."

The what? I thought to myself, looking at Vixen's terrified battle with her . . . leash. Her eyes were wide and black with absolute terror, a stark contrast to the bright, raging red they had been. My heart tugged in pain and anger at the change from the carefree way she had acted just a few minutes ago around my family and Demetri to what I was seeing now. The frightened side of Vixen was something I never wanted to see again. Felix's sudden appearance behind Vixen brought me out of my thoughts, the sickening grin on his face making my stomach turn in fear. The sight of the whip made my stomach attempt to scratch its way out of me to save itself.

The thing was coiled, so I couldn't tell how long it was, but it definitely wasn't small. The handle was slightly larger than the diameter of a quarter, but it didn't narrow down to a point or flogger like others. No, this one had curved metal spikes at its tip. They caught the light of the lanterns littering the room, and Vixen seemed to double her efforts to break free, even though they were fruitless. The rest of the device was made of thick leather, and I could tell from Vixen's wild eyed look, she knew that all too well.

"Aro, what are you doing?" Carlisle asked calmly, looking at Aro with mild interest. His mind was the exact opposite, trying to predict Aro's moves before he made them. His question brought images forward in Aro, letting me see exactly what he was going to do. He looked right at me, as though he had shown them to me on purpose, and gave me an evil grin.

"What do you think, my boy? I think it is appropriate for the poor behavior she has shown before you and yours," he said tauntingly. At first, I didn't see the point in prodding me with the images and question, until a memory of him touching her skin appeared before my eyes. He must have seen how I treated her, and was attempting to discover the depth of my ability to care. He repeatedly flashed images of Vixen slashed and bloody as she hung from a rod in the ceiling, her head hanging in unconsciousness. The blood poured from her wounds into a puddle on the floor, the amount startling, but the shallow rise and fall of her chest alerted me to the fact that she was still alive. He turned to Felix without waiting for my answer, handing over Vixen's leash.

"String her up and get to work while my old friend and I catch up, won't you?" he said, smiling at Vixen's horrified face. He stood and took her chin in his hand, squeezing so his nails dug into her flesh and little trails of blood seeped from under his fingertips. "You, my darling, are going to take your punishment silently. You will not scream, and you will not fight. Hopefully, this is the last time I will punish you for disrespecting my guests." Vixen twitched once before Felix led her away, Aro's command forcing her to cooperate.

I watched as he brought her over to what looked like a thick towel rack bolted into the ceiling before I recognized it as the bar from Aro's memory. A long rope was brought out and tied around her wrists before it was thrown over the bar and she was raised into the air. She hung limply by her bound wrists, the rough rope already biting into her skin, but her eyes betrayed the calmness her body spoke of. She was literally wild-eyed, her pupils dilated and frantically scanning the room, not landing on any single point for more than a second. As her eyes passed over the table and those sitting at it, the hatred I had seen before when we first met her flare back up, making her eyes a dark red with her rage. I moved to stand, but the thought that slipped from Aro's mind kept me where I was.

Let's see how he reacts to Vixen's pain. According to her thoughts, he greatly enjoyed taking care of her injuries afterwards, he thought, propping his hand on his fist. He reflected back to my hands on her skin, her feeling my almost naked form under her completely naked body, and her extreme exhaustion . . .

He thinks I . . . But I would never . . . Oh, wait! It gave me an idea of how to possibly save Vixen, at least while we were here, but the sickening crack of the whip broke my train of thought before I could fully formulate it.

A fresh line of blood flowed from a slash across the front of Vixen's shoulders, looking like the contact with the metal tip may have broken both of her collar bones. I looked to Aro again, who shifted slightly in his seat as he watched, and swallowed down the pool of venom in my mouth. A soft umph came from Vixen as Felix hit her again, this time directly over the swells of her breasts, one of the longer spines digging into the soft flesh just to the left of her nipple. Blood poured even faster down her body, but she still couldn't make a sound. I moved in my chair, like I was adjusting, and wiped my face of any emotion.

It will work, Edward. Just do what you have to to get him to say yes, Alice thought, and I tilted my head to the side as I continued to watch Vixen's . . . punishment. Aro watched me, trying to be inconspicuous but failing miserably. He seemed to be getting sloppy in his old age, first not seeing the entirety of Vixen's memory, and then being careless as he watched me for a reaction to what Felix was doing to her. Felix grabbed her breasts roughly in his hands, digging his fingernails in, and licked her neck. He breathed heavily and loosened his grip before tightening again, over and over again as he continued to lick at her exposed flesh, avoiding the lines of blood. My stomach flipped in disgust, and I had to block Demetri's—as well as the rest of my family's—thoughts to keep myself sane enough to do this. I shifted in my chair again, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Aro, if I may, is this really necessary?" I asked, keeping my head tilted and my eyes roving over Vixen's body. "The little fight was actually . . . entertaining, not to mention she helped remove an undesired cling-on." Aro let the smile he had been fighting grow on his face.

"It did, did it? You don't think she deserves to be punished for her poor treatment of the succubus?" he asked, watching me carefully. I shifted in my seat, now actually uncomfortable because of his gaze.

"No, actually. I . . . appreciated their little spat," I said, dropping my voice as Felix moved back from her and raised the whip again, the leather and metal snapping over the exposed flesh between the bottom of her shirt and the waistband of her pants. Her skin ripped open as the spines of the tip caught and wrenched themselves free. Aro's smile grew larger, and I decided to keep going. "I actually had a . . . proposition for you, if you'll hear it."

"Oh? And what would that be?" he asked, genuinely curious. I squirmed in my seat again, tensing my body as Felix brought his hand to her thigh and let it travel until it was cupping between her legs. He moved his hand roughly back and forth and bent to run his tongue around her navel, making me have to repress the urge to gag.

"I wanted to ask if you would consider giving sole ownership of her to me, at least until we take our leave in one year's time," I said slowly, settling my eyes on Vixen's. They were completely void of any emotion. Not even her hatred or pain could be found. There was a flash of something when I mentioned Aro giving her to me, but the emotion didn't even seem to fully form. I tried to tell her what I was doing through my eyes, but she wasn't looking at anything in particular.

"And what will you do in return, Edward Cullen? I am not a fan of one-sided propositions," Aro said, drawing my gaze to him. I took a few seconds to think, kicking myself in the ass for not thinking that he would want something in return.

"Would you agree if I were to go on missions on behalf of the Volturi? I would only go as long as Vixen is one of my companions. She will not be allowed to leave my side for any reason without my express permission," I responded, being sure to make the last point. He seemed to contemplate my offer, shielding his thoughts from me by turning to watch Felix's continuing torture of Vixen and replaying the images to keep me out.

"You would be an honorary guard member for one entire year in return for temporary ownership of this half-breed wench? Even after all of the offers you have denied to join the Volturi Guard?" I thought about the irony of the situation for a second, but still nodded.

"Yes, I would-" Rose jumped to her feet and snarled at me, her eyes black with rage.

"What the fucking hell do you think you're doing? She's not something you can just trade, like some fucking baseball card! She's not your fucking sex toy!" she roared from across the table. I kept my face clear of emotion, locking my gaze with hers. I hated that I couldn't curb her fears about my intentions, but I couldn't risk this. I would have hated myself even more if I didn't do everything imaginable in an attempt to help free Vixen of her tormentors, even for just a short period of time.

"Aren't you going to say anything, you bastard?" she screamed at me. I lightly shrugged a shoulder.

"You seem to have said enough, I think," I said calmly. "You have made your assumptions and feelings known, and I have nothing to say in return." Emmett grabbed her before she could fly across the table at me, and he quickly excused them from the room.

"You sick fuck!" Rose roared, refusing to go quietly. I just sighed, stabbing myself again and again on the inside for the pain this was causing everyone but Alice, Jasper, and I. It still hurt, of course, but the two of them had at least an idea of what was going on. Carlisle and Esme just looked at me with disappointment marring their usually happy and joyful faces.

"You have a deal, Edward Cullen," Aro said, breaking the silence left by Rose's departure, "as long as you accept every mission I give you, without complaint, as one of the highest members of the guard. You will have free roam of the castle, along with control of the guard beneath you. Vixen will be yours to do with what you please, and she will never leave your side without your express permission. I will not call on her, nor will anyone else in this castle, but at the end of your stay here, she will return to my control." I nodded in acceptance, and he clapped his hands, a sickening—and slightly worrying—smile on his face.

"Lovely! You would not be offended, then, if I were to request the company of your succubus?" I actually chuckled, but quickly quieted myself.

"She is anything but mine, Aro, and I do not control her. As you already know well, she does what she pleases, as well as her sisters," I responded, putting up my air of indifference again. He laughed and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you are correct. So, would you like to claim your part of our bargain?" he asked, waving in Vixen's direction. Felix was still going at her, feeling all over her body with his now bloodied hands. I nodded and calmly stood, making my way over to them.

"Felix," Aro called from behind me, "that's enough." Felix tensed and looked like he was going to argue, but instead just backed up and glared at me as I stopped in front of Vixen's almost unconscious form. "Vixen, fox form, now. Make it easier for your new master to carry your basically useless self." She shifted involuntarily, not having the energy to fight his command, and her stifled groans turned to whines as her injuries moved from her human form to her fox form.

I grabbed the rope holding her up and slowly lowered her until she was cradled in the crook of my free arm. I could feel her trembling from pain—and probably fear—but I resisted the urge to comfort her, at least for now. I kept my touch light as I deftly examined her new injuries, but kept up appearances any way I could. I made it look like I was rough and impatient with her bindings, and she groaned just as I pretended to jerk the rope from her wrists. My stomach flipped with the thought that I actually hurt her, but I swallowed it down before I turned to go back to the table. I looked at Demetri as I sat, recognizing the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, and tried to pass to him my apologies for the way I was acting, to pass along an explanation of what I was doing. I thought I saw recognition in return, but I couldn't be sure. Either way, he kept the same emotions on his face.

"If you don't mind, Aro, I was wondering if you would tell us about her, since she's now unable to do it herself," I said, her head flopping against my chest as she fought for consciousness. He looked down at her with mild disgust, but nodded.

"It is actually what I wanted to discuss with you and your family to begin with, but we were mildly . . . distracted. I will gladly inform you of this conquest," he said, gesturing towards Vixen with a casual wave of his hand.

"She's been here with her parents for about six years now, after Felix and Demetri captured them outside the castle. Chelsea noticed her outside and thought there was something odd about the strange black cat looking into her window, so she called Felix to capture it so she could experiment, to see what had given her that feeling about the animal. When the little beast changed from a cat into a fox and managed to injure Felix by biting him, he and Demetri brought the three of them to us," he said, looking like he was reflecting back on a particularly good Christmas morning. Cue more disgust.

He told us what I already knew, about how he found out about her inability to refuse his demands, and that the harder she does try to fight, the more pain she puts herself through. He told us about the range of powers her kind have, that basically any and every power anyone could think of, one of them could have. She had an amazing range herself, from the physical and mental shield to the senses that rival a vampire's. I took note of the fact that she didn't actually tell him any abilities specifically, and gently ran my thumb over her fur once. Aro noticed, but he assumed the movement to be for a different reason, since my thumb happened to be on her thigh.

"We've managed to catch two others, both male, and they are proving difficult to break, since they don't have the same weakness for dominance that she does. They've only been here for a month or two, though, so I am confident that we will be able to break them and use them like we do her. We lost them twenty-four years ago, and have been tracking them since. You can only imagine how happy I was to have found them again, and actually manage to capture them. It would have been ideal to have them back when they were young and we could have trained them, but I have plenty of patience after such a long battle just to get them. We've kept her parents here as collateral for her cooperation. When she does not obey and her punishments are not enough, we punish her through her parents instead. She is allowed to see them only with permission and a vampire escort," he explained, increasing my urge to vomit painfully with every word. I nodded in response, unable to articulate anything without the threat of saying something I shouldn't. Luckily, Carlisle took over.

"So, you wanted to brag about your new possessions, Aro?" he asked, his voice light despite his words. Aro shrugged and grinned.

"Of course! Although, I was hoping you would examine them to see if you could find anything else that we do not already know," he said, his interest in this topic obvious with the change in his voice. Carlisle shook his head.

"I'm not sure what else I could find out, Aro, but I will examine them," he agreed grudgingly.

"Excellent," Aro declared happily. He then looked at me, and down at the small bundle in my arms.

"Well, that was all I wanted to say for now, so I will let you go play with your new toy," he said, smiling sadistically. "Although, I would recommend waiting until she is at least partially conscious. I always found that to be more . . . enjoyable." I gave him a smirk in return, standing and giving him a slight bow.

I will take your advice into consideration, Aro," I said. "I was thinking of gaining her trust first, then taking what I want. Trust can be quite the weapon, if used at the right time." He chuckled and I turned to leave, the others standing to follow. The rest of my thought hung in the air, and a wave of determination flowed through me.

You'll find out just how good of a weapon trust can be, Aro. Just be patient.